Aloha Adventures: Zack Pianko

This summer, we've invited friends and Aloha fans across the country to share their summer adventures with us. From urban hikes and remote climbs to stroller runs and everyday errands, we've learned that adventure is a mindset. And it's one empowered by good snacks. We believe Great Ingredients Lead to Great Adventures. Where will you go this summer? #AlohaAdventures


// 02 // #AlohaAdventures

Who: @zackpianko, a creative at the much-loved Airbnb and one with much love for cycling 

What: A weekend of riding in San Francisco

Where: San Francisco, CA "The Cycling Mecca"

When: From Friday after work, through Sunday

Why: San Francisco is hands-down one of the greatest cities in the world for cycling. You can ride the rolling coastline for hours, zigzag through the hilly city streets, or cross the Golden Gate Bridge and hit the Headlands for some gravel goodness. This place never gets old and every day is certainly an adventure.

I’m not going to lie, summertime in SF is pretty mental! You can have one day where the sun is shining and the skies are blue, and then the next where Karl (the name of our fog) comes out and blows 30mph headwinds. Although not your ideal summer weather, it does make for some pretty epic riding on the weekends.

First up on the list is to hit is Twin Peaks. I love getting a group of friends together on a Friday after work to ride up to this iconic viewpoint of SF. The winding roads are a blast to climb and even better to descend. It’s always nice to take a breather at the top, grab a few bites of an Aloha bar, and take in the stunning SF skyline. And if you’re lucky, you can catch a stellar sunset if the fog hasn’t already rolled in.

Saturday calls for some rowdiness, which means off to the Headlands to ride some dirt. Fill up a few bottles with water and grab a couple Aloha bars for fuel and you’re ready to jet. Riding across the Golden Gate Bridge to get into the Headlands is honestly an experience that never gets old. Once across the bridge you get right down to business with a climb up Hawk Hill. But don’t fret, you only have to ride halfway up. Pull off to the right and drop down Coastal for a good time. From there, the trails are endless and the fun flows like wine. If you cruise back to the city with a dirt tan on your legs and huge smile on your face, then you know that you had a good time. For my recovery and preparation for the next day, Aloha’s plant-based protein drink is definitely a life-saver.

On Sunday, it’s time to get in some good training and there’s no better place to do that than just down south at San Bruno Mountain. I can spend hours here doing repeats. San B is a fun and pitchy climb that really makes you work yourself to get to the top. But once you’re up there, that descent back to the base is unreal!

Wrapping up a weekend of amazing riding in SF is always bittersweet, but that rad thing is that you get to do it all over again the next weekend. Here’s to countless more rides in this beautiful city!