Sunday scoot

[harring10]

The wife and I are planning a little Marin (much further actually) sort of loop on Sunday.

On the GPS it looks to be about 350 miles round trip - though we're still playing with some legs on the return trip to limit freeway time (this may increase mileage however).

It would be nice to have 2 or 3 experienced (not necessarily fast) riders (or couples as the case may be) to come along.

We've planned the bulk of the ride through advice on Pashnit - so if Mr. Pashnit could offer any suggestions...

so far the plan is:

Heading north out of the City (we live in Foster City)
HWY 1 north to HWY 128
HWY 128 to Dry Creek
Dry Creek to 101 (short stretch)
101 to Mark West Springs (to the petrified forest)
This appears to end at St. Helena Hwy - here's where we could use some suggestions - presently it looks like St. Helena to 80 and then back into the city - we'd prefer a more 'spirited' route though - so suggestions would be appreciated.

Last note, I tend to be a little aggressive so I'm hoping to hook up with 2-3 other riders/couples who don't want to race but who also move along at a decent clip. Don't mean to give the wrong impression here, just want to be sure that if anybody wants to join us we are all on the same page :-)

Look forward to hearing from anybody who's interested :-)

Kevin and Shiranda

[pashnit]

Harring- first consider Mountain View Road (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/MountainViewRd.htm) if you haven't tried it. Bit of a backroad, but pavement is good throughout.

When you hit the 101 freeway- Geysers Road (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/GeysersRd.htm) is just across the freeway, but this type of road is not for everyone, and better reserved for the patient (you can't go fast) and adventurous (it's the middle of nowhere) with a bit of gravel here and there.

Skipping down 101 will save you some time, and give you a moment to relax vs. headed through the slower boring flat portion of Hwy 128 through the Anderson Valley (east of 101). Lotsa traffic here too.

Are you stopping by the petrified forest? Cool stopping place.
http://www.petrifiedforest.org Sorry, no webpage, none of my pics came out that day I was there.

You can skip south here on Calistoga Road to Spring Mountain Road (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/SpringMtnRd.htm) on over to St. Helena. A few minutes north is the Bale Grist Mill (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/GristMill.htm) if you're into this historic stuff. If you want to extend the trip, you could head up Howell Mountain Rd (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/HowellMtn.htm) to Angwin, circle around to Chiles Pope Valley Road (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/ChilesValley.htm) to Highway 128 - Sage Canyon Road (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/Hwy128LkBrsy.htm) to Highway 121 (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/Hwy121.htm) back to Silverado Trail and back home. Get all that? :cool Enough smiles to last a very long time.

[harring10]

I'll be playing with the GPS for sure tonight!

Thanks,

Kevin

[harring10]

So, here's how the map is shaping up:

Departing SF on 101 N
101 N to 1 N
1 N to Moutain View Road
Mountain View road to 101
101 N to Geysers Road
Geyser's Road to Mark West Springs Road
Mark West to Petrified Forest (Calistoga)
Calistoga to Spring Mtn Rd.
Spring Mtn to 121
121 to 80
80 back into the city.

Per the GPS this is 370 miles Round trip originating in Foster City. For anybody leaving from the city it looks to be in the neighborhood of 330 +/-.

We're thinking of a reasonable Sunday start time... so by all means let me know if anyone is interested in coming along.

Kev -

[X3RS]

I am interested. I would come on board in SF somewhere. i live in concord. i would ride my bmw k1200

[harring10]

Jeff -

Glad to have you along.

Let's wait to see if we can get 1 or 2 others and then we'll pick a meeting place convenient to everyone.

Again, if you (or anyone else) has suggestions on an alternate route once we've made it to the petrified forest (on our way back to the city) please feel free to offer them up!

Kev - :cool

[rdcyclist]

I can't make it but you might want to figger out a way to get Skaggs Springs road in there. Especially if you've never ridden it. And other riders that have will bitch about not including it. Sumpin' to think about.

Just my $0.00002 worth...

[harring10]

RD - Great suggestion.

I've done Scaggs many times - but for this ride it's a little more distance oriented hence the proposed route.

If X3 confirms we're up to three so I'm thinking 1 or 2 more good riders and we're set!

Thanks again for the suggestion.

Kev -

[X3RS]

Now what.

[harring10]

X3 - Sounds good - I got your PM.

Now I think we just wait until this afternoon to see if there are 1 or 2 more skilled riders who are up for the ride.

Let me know where is convenient for you to meet in San Francisco - I'm thinking somewhere along 19th Ave. (straigh shot over the bridge).

Also, I think we should be fueled, fed, and on our way no later than 8:00 a.m. so we can comfortably make it back before 5:00 p.m.

Thanks and look forward to meeting you on tomorrow's ride!

Kevin and Shiranda -

[X3RS]

Once i get off the bay bridge. Or should i say come to the end of the bay bridge, I have no idea of where to go unless i am staring at a map. I am going to need good directions or a call to night by 11PM. but hte bay bridge is a bit out of the way for me if you are just goingthrough s.f.
Another though for me, if i am the only one to link up around SF, is for me to take the richmond bridge and meet you past SF. Like the ferry terminal. would that work.
i would be rready to go without fuel having fueled at home in concord and would have already eaten also..

[harring10]

Jeff -

The plan is to meet at the parking lot immediately before (south of) the Golden Gate Bridge at 8:00 a.m. (fueled, fed and ready to go).

If you come in on the Bay Bridge, simply follow the signs to 101 North (Golden Gate Bridge) it will lead you right through town and right to where we are meeting.

Remember, it's just before the bridge on the right hand side - it's where people park to go walk (or bicycle) across the bridge.

We will be very easy to spot, my wife and I will be on the massive bohemuth Goldwing, and our friend Stephen will be on his BMW R1150.

If for any reason you inadvertently miss the parking lot, simply proceed up 101 north and follow the signs to HWY 1 North. As you follow the signs to HWY 1 norh you will have to make a left turn at a stop light (I don't know the name of the little town) - once you've made that left there's a gas station on your left (we'll wait a few minutes there if we don't see you in the parking lot.

I'll PM you my cell phone number in case we have a problem connecting in the morning.

Thanks and we look forward to meeting you tomorrow.

Kevin -

P.S. if anybody decides at the last minute to tag along - feel free! You know where will be from the message above :teeth

[Inkman]

Can't make it as i have a game to watch tomorrow, but some advice on a certain rd....


......Spring Mtn Rd rocks!!!!!!!! Have done it several times with a large group and with just two of us and that road is just plain fun. Feels like you are in the boonies with lot's of clean corners, but it's in everyone's backyard.
Have fun and ride safe!!

Al

[X3RS]

I will be leaving concord and heading across the richmond bridge becuase i live out at hwy4 / 242.
I will go so. to the 101/1 gas station you spoke of. i plan to be there at 8am. i will wait untile around 8:15 for you. if we do not hook up, leave without me. i may have missed the station or gone to the wrong one.
i will carry my phone.

[harring10]

Inkman -

Thanks for the tip - Sping Mtn is now on the agenda for tomorrow's ride.

I say... record the game! Who knows how many sunny Sunday's we're going to have between now and - eh - April?

Have a good one.

Kev -

[Inkman]

Hope ya had a good ride and enjoyed Spring Mtn...(pashnit rocks!!) Looking forward to hearing about it.

Al

[harring10]

Well... there were just three of us and I have to say the ride was Geat!

Jeff and Stephen thanks so much for coming. The advantage to riding when it's cold outside is that there is little or no traffic.

All told the mileage for the wife and I was 376 for the other two who braved the elements it was likely 30 or 40 miles less.

The route was as noted on the post - except for Geyser's which we elected to pass on by virtue of it's reputation as a GOAT trail!

Otherwise - again - the ride was fantastic!

Now it's time to map out a southerly loop... any advice/takers for this coming weekend?

Kev -

[pashnit]

I have to ask, did you take any pics along the way? Any particular road stand apart from the rest?

And yes, Geysers Road is not for everyone.

[harring10]

Tim -

Unfortunately we didn't take any pictures... tho I'm certain we will next time.

All of the roads were great. I personally love HWY 1 (again when there's no traffic) the views are great and the road has enough vareity to keep you interested in the ride.

Mt. View is a fun road - particulary the first half (travelling east from HWY 1) then it gets even more technical. On the goldwing it gets a little tiresome by the end. I would think Mt. View is ideal for a super motard.

Probably my favorite for the actual riding was Spring Mtn. which has quite a few 'higher' speed sweepers.

It would be nice to find a road that was about 200 miles long with nothing but 35, 40, and 45 mph curves (translated to read 70, 90 and 'oh my gawd I'm going to jail' speeds).

Anybody know of just such a road???

Anyhow - thanks again to Pashnit for making this a great ride. The mileage - while not impressive in length - was almost entirely back road twisty stuff (and yes, I have to admit I call HWY 1 a twisty road).

Hopefully we can get 1 or 2 more takers on the next trip (4-5 experienced riders is ideal for a good group ride in my opinion).

Kev -

[pashnit]

Kev, I've ridden Mt. View Road on both my massive Yamaha Venture and also my wife's spry little EX500 so I know what you mean.

As for a long road full of unobstructed curves that stretch off into the horizon?

It does indeed exist. It's called Highway 36 (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/Highway36.htm)

http://www.pashnit.com/pics/road2/hwy36-sign2.jpg

[harring10]

There it is.

Time to post for another ride - though to fully enjoy this I think it will be an 'overnighter'

Thanks for the advice.

Say... by any chance is there another HWY 36 near say San Luis Obispo?

Kev -

[pashnit]

That would be Highway 58 (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/Highway58.htm)

http://www.pashnit.com/maps-topo/Highway58.jpg

or possibly Highway 33 (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/Highway33.htm)

http://www.pashnit.com/maps-topo/Highway33-3D_1.jpg

But no where near as long. Highway 166 to the south of 58 is nothing more than a 120mph speedway, and Hwy 198 to the north of there is the main coastal route for all the tourists and truckers.

Maybe a good backroad that has some okay length would be the serveral roads that comprise Highway G14 (http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/HighwayG14.htm)

Northern California's Highway 36 is by far an anomoly.

http://www.pashnit.com/backgrounds/emoticons/victory-sign.gif

[MrCrash]

36 and 58 hold the top and runner-up positions on my "greatest roads" list.

I saw CHP on 166 almost every time I did it when I lived in San Luis Obispo, making weekly voyages to the southland. As a thoroughfare between 5 and 101, it was to be expected.

As far as goat trails go, if you ride roads for what they are, rather than what you want it to be, you'll get the most out of them. Most people want paved racetracks, free of imperfections.

On a dirt bike, imperfections make the road. So on Geysers (or the west half of Skaggs, or Knoxville Berryessa), I ride the ol Couch-a-saki like a dirt bike. Standing on the pegs, elbows out, jumping off of berms.

It's a hoot :)

[Inkman]

I have to agree with Mike on hwy's 36 and 58. Hwy 36 is the mecca for all riders given to us by the folks upstairs for our pleasure. Hwy 58 is a close second (i've done both of em twice and not more cuz they are so far away).
Hwy 299 is a good 3rd place rd and for pure peg scraping fun on the way north, try hwy 1 where it leaves the coast and goes inland to Leggitt. On an off day with little traffic, that little portion of hwy 1 is one fun part of the trip north. You will drag pegs down to little nubs of what they formerly were on that stretch, along with 299 outta Weaverville to the coast.
Been planning trips for the past few years upon roads recommended by Tim and have never gone wrong.
Been wanting to do Mosquito, but i think i need to wait another 10 mos till the last "Certificate of Appreciation" is off my record:mad .

[Nelson]

I just did Hwy 33 yesterday......what a coincidence. Unfortunately it was getting late so I couldn't do 58 and slabbed it to the Bay Area.

Hwy 33

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/images/threads/000/051/545/756207-death_valley-socal_040.jpg

[Nelson]

More 33....

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/images/threads/000/051/545/756208-death_valley-socal_041.jpg

[Nelson]

...........

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/images/threads/000/051/545/756212-death_valley-socal_042.jpg