ScottRNelson
Adventure and Dual Sport
Do you have a dual sport motorcycle that has never seen a dirt road? Now is your chance to try a few easy ones with some experienced dirt riders to guide you.
Are you an experienced dirt rider with a dual sport motorcycle who would like to help some new-to-the-dirt riders? This is a good opportunity for you too.
Just want to see some interesting roads and scenery in the East Bay followed by both easy and challenging dirt riding? You should come too.
If you have a street legal dual sport motorcycle (or any other street legal motorcycle that you would like to ride on some dirt roads) you're invited. All skill levels are welcome and once we get to Carnegie we'll start out with the experienced riders helping the new guys. After about an hour of the easy trails, we'll regroup and the more experienced riders can go find some more interesting trails or demonstrate how to do gnarly hill climbs, or whatever.
I did a trial run of this ride on July 11 with an F650GS rider who had never been off in the dirt. He enjoyed it, never dropped the bike, and only got stuck once when he slid off of the trail. If a stock F650GS can do it, so can you and your KLR650, DR650, XR650L, R1150GS, 950 Adventure, or whatever.
We will meet in Dublin on the east side of the Shell gas station at 4895 Hacienda Dr, at the entrance to the Regal Hacienda Crossings theater and strip mall. Meet at 8:00 a.m. and hit the road by 8:15. Bring $5.00 entry fee plus whatever you think you'll need to buy lunch.
We will ride about 30 miles through the back roads of Livermore, taking advantage of the street side of the dual sport motorcycles, then stop at Carnegie and start off with some easy trails. We'll begin with Pottery Loop at the west end to get the feel of riding on dirt roads, then Juniper Trail. We'll stop for a rest break and discussions, then take Los Osos Trail up to the top of the hill at which point those who are feeling brave can do the short black diamond section and come back on Los Osos Grade and Kiln Canyon Trail and the rest of us will ride back the way we came.
Lunch will be at the Concession stand (which I still think of as Skip's, but it has a new name now).
After lunch you can leave if you want, or split into smaller groups for more riding.
Here is the route from Dublin to Carnegie: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...26,-121.82044&sspn=0.063265,0.104628&ie=UTF8&
Here is a very un-detailed map of the trails at Carnegie:
http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1173
I'll bring a tire gauge if you want to let a bit of air out of your tires when we get to the dirt. I'll be dropping pressure in my XR tires from about 28 to the Honda-recommended 22, or maybe as low as 15. I'm not sure if there is an easy way to air them back up for the ride home after.
If this ride is a success, I'll try to schedule others every month or two with the goal of trying out other dirt riding areas. When Frank Raines Park opens up in October we can try a Mines Road ride plus some dirt exploring. Metcalf is a good South Bay destination with a few interesting dirt trails. For a longer ride, we can always try Hollister. Plus we can always go find some real dirt roads in the Sierra foothills after riding across the Central Valley.
Are you an experienced dirt rider with a dual sport motorcycle who would like to help some new-to-the-dirt riders? This is a good opportunity for you too.
Just want to see some interesting roads and scenery in the East Bay followed by both easy and challenging dirt riding? You should come too.
If you have a street legal dual sport motorcycle (or any other street legal motorcycle that you would like to ride on some dirt roads) you're invited. All skill levels are welcome and once we get to Carnegie we'll start out with the experienced riders helping the new guys. After about an hour of the easy trails, we'll regroup and the more experienced riders can go find some more interesting trails or demonstrate how to do gnarly hill climbs, or whatever.
I did a trial run of this ride on July 11 with an F650GS rider who had never been off in the dirt. He enjoyed it, never dropped the bike, and only got stuck once when he slid off of the trail. If a stock F650GS can do it, so can you and your KLR650, DR650, XR650L, R1150GS, 950 Adventure, or whatever.
We will meet in Dublin on the east side of the Shell gas station at 4895 Hacienda Dr, at the entrance to the Regal Hacienda Crossings theater and strip mall. Meet at 8:00 a.m. and hit the road by 8:15. Bring $5.00 entry fee plus whatever you think you'll need to buy lunch.
We will ride about 30 miles through the back roads of Livermore, taking advantage of the street side of the dual sport motorcycles, then stop at Carnegie and start off with some easy trails. We'll begin with Pottery Loop at the west end to get the feel of riding on dirt roads, then Juniper Trail. We'll stop for a rest break and discussions, then take Los Osos Trail up to the top of the hill at which point those who are feeling brave can do the short black diamond section and come back on Los Osos Grade and Kiln Canyon Trail and the rest of us will ride back the way we came.
Lunch will be at the Concession stand (which I still think of as Skip's, but it has a new name now).
After lunch you can leave if you want, or split into smaller groups for more riding.
Here is the route from Dublin to Carnegie: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...26,-121.82044&sspn=0.063265,0.104628&ie=UTF8&
Here is a very un-detailed map of the trails at Carnegie:
http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1173
I'll bring a tire gauge if you want to let a bit of air out of your tires when we get to the dirt. I'll be dropping pressure in my XR tires from about 28 to the Honda-recommended 22, or maybe as low as 15. I'm not sure if there is an easy way to air them back up for the ride home after.
If this ride is a success, I'll try to schedule others every month or two with the goal of trying out other dirt riding areas. When Frank Raines Park opens up in October we can try a Mines Road ride plus some dirt exploring. Metcalf is a good South Bay destination with a few interesting dirt trails. For a longer ride, we can always try Hollister. Plus we can always go find some real dirt roads in the Sierra foothills after riding across the Central Valley.
