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Mines Road...

aminalmutha said:
...here's list of shit I've seen in the road on Mines/Del Puerto/Hamilton:

Sand
Gravel
Running water... as in several inches deep, 20'+ wide
Standing water
[and plenty more...]
Click to expand...
I would add:

tarantulas
chipseal, the entire Alameda County half
 
flying_hun said:
This. If you can't deal with the gravel/water/whatever on the RH side of blind turns, how the hell will you deal with the oncoming F350 in the middle of the lane?
Click to expand...

:thumbup Exactly :thumbup This thread is interesting, and disturbing, and hilarious, all at the same time.

Somehow riders can't read the surface conditions, and can't ride their sight-line, and can't place their bike where it needs to be, before they can see the "need",
:rolleyes I don't know, How do they live long enough to post?

Jesus, Ride Dirt..Water, Mud... Learn how to ride, so you can pass the freakin test, when the test comes.
 
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louemc said:
Somehow riders can't read the surface conditions, and can't ride their sight-line, and can't place their bike where it needs to be, before they can see the "need",
:rolleyes I don't know, How do they live long enough to post?
Click to expand...

One thing that should be said: The gravel you'll find on Mines is the same used for the chip seal; it's the stuff that didn't adhere. When they chip seal this road, they don't follow up with a last layer of tar; they just sprinkle gravel over tar, roll over it and hope it stick. A lot of it doesn't. The result is places where there is loose gravel that is visually indistinguishable from the good road surface.
 
It's all about state of mind. If you're used to hauling up and down the Isle of 9 all day, then Mines/Mt Hammy will catch you out. It is a dynamic road that requires dynamic riding. I find it quite enjoyable, even though I don't take it at much of a fast pace. For some reason the more riding experience I get, the less I care about going fast and more about enjoying the ride and being precise with my control.

Worst I've seen on Mines was coming around a blind corner to find an F-350 with a huge snow plow on the front hauling ass in the middle of the road (straddling the DY) right towards me. Was a squishy ride home after a nice emergency swerve onto the edge of the road.
 
aminalmutha said:
Dunno if anyone mentioned this, but deer can be an issue out there as well, tho mostly closer to dusk or dawn.

Also remember... it's not a racetrack. You can go a decent pace, but here's list of shit I've seen in the road on Mines/Del Puerto/Hamilton:

Sand
Gravel
Running water... as in several inches deep, 20'+ wide
Standing water
Ice
Snow
Turkeys
Coyotes
Feral Pigs
Vultures
Deer
Snakes
Squirrels
Sheriff
Horse trailers
Slow ass cars
Tweakers
Fast N' Bicurious d-bags pretending to drift, yo
Some cocksucker on a BMW GS passing someone else who'd have run into me head on had I not busted out an evasive maneuver. Hope you got incurable crabs, asswipe.

It's a fun area to ride, definitely should do it if you're in the area, but I personally steer clear unless it's early in the morning and usually in the Fall. Mid day in the summer, and it's crawling with arseholes.
Click to expand...

On Sunday I was riding down Mount Hamilton and came around a blind turn to find a car going the opposite direction completely over the DY in my lane, trying to pass a cyclist.

Thankfully I wasn't going too fast but I still almost crapped myself.

Near the top of Mount Hamilton there was a ton of dirt and sand all over the road. Probably from big trucks or other vehicles pulling on/off the road and tracking stuff all over the place.
 
Cookie Monster said:
On Sunday I was riding down Mount Hamilton and came around a blind turn to find a car going the opposite direction completely over the DY in my lane, trying to pass a cyclist.....
Click to expand...
This is a love/hate Mines Road thread, dude. And a lesson on proper riding on gravel (and everything else) from lou. If you want to bash cyclists take it to one of those other threads. :x
:teeth
 
clutchslip said:
This is a love/hate Mines Road thread, dude. And a lesson on proper riding on gravel (and everything else) from lou. If you want to bash cyclists take it to one of those other threads. :x
:teeth
Click to expand...

Hey, there was a mention of gravel in my post. :twofinger

FWIW I don't even have a problem with cyclists. I don't know what that dumbass in the car was thinking, passing on a blind curve, though.
 
tzrider said:
One thing that should be said: The gravel you'll find on Mines is the same used for the chip seal; it's the stuff that didn't adhere. When they chip seal this road, they don't follow up with a last layer of tar; they just sprinkle gravel over tar, roll over it and hope it stick. A lot of it doesn't. The result is places where there is loose gravel that is visually indistinguishable from the good road surface.
Click to expand...



Last year they forgot to even roll it.
 
I found the most dangerous for me on mines road is trying to keep up with Darrell on that 990 KTM supermoto :thumbup :teeth
 
tzrider said:
One thing that should be said: The gravel you'll find on Mines is the same used for the chip seal; it's the stuff that didn't adhere. When they chip seal this road, they don't follow up with a last layer of tar; they just sprinkle gravel over tar, roll over it and hope it stick. A lot of it doesn't. The result is places where there is loose gravel that is visually indistinguishable from the good road surface.
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter...I guess I should of added Race Flat Track :laughing ,
But I thought I was pushing it, by just saying Dirt, Water, Mud.

The biggie with riding Dirt, Water, Mud, is you learn to feel, and handle ..Loose.
You learn how to stear, and how to recover. Ya freakin Learn.

Marc Marquez trains on dirt as well as pavement, And ... He is kicking other World Champion Ass, because he is taking it up to a higher level... :)
 
I frequent Mines as I am about 2 miles from the start on Liv side. I find it to be a great "fix", about 2 hours up to the Junction and back, with some chat time up there when it's open, maybe about 100 times or so now??? Some times up to Lick and sometimes all the way to San Jose and then back over 237 to get home. I've seen most of what everyone said above. Ranch vehicles all over the road, getting passed by the crazy ass SM's about 12 inches close, oh deer moments, cows in the middle of the road, snakes, swarms of bees, very slow HD's that will not wave you by, the list goes on. Had dudes wreck right in front of me. I used to video but they all came out the same so pretty much quit videoing.

This is from 2014 Calaveras and Mines combo. Skip to 2:30 for bike remnants of a victim from the same turn as the "aw fuck" video above, but he was going the other direction and apparently did not slow down much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYGSprX_2e4

I will search for more Mines video tidbits. :thumbup
 
kpke said:
I frequent Mines as I am about 2 miles from the start on Liv side. I find it to be a great "fix", about 2 hours up to the Junction and back, with some chat time up there when it's open, maybe about 100 times or so now??? Some times up to Lick and sometimes all the way to San Jose and then back over 237 to get home. I've seen most of what everyone said above. Ranch vehicles all over the road, getting passed by the crazy ass SM's about 12 inches close, oh deer moments, cows in the middle of the road, snakes, swarms of bees, very slow HD's that will not wave you by, the list goes on. Had dudes wreck right in front of me. I used to video but they all came out the same so pretty much quit videoing.

This is from 2014 Calaveras and Mines combo. Skip to 2:30 for bike remnants of a victim from the same turn as the "aw fuck" video above, but he was going the other direction and apparently did not slow down much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYGSprX_2e4

I will search for more Mines video tidbits. :thumbup
Click to expand...

That's crazy. Thanks for sharing :)
 
aminalmutha said:
Dunno if anyone mentioned this, but deer can be an issue out there as well, tho mostly closer to dusk or dawn.

Also remember... it's not a racetrack. You can go a decent pace, but here's list of shit I've seen in the road on Mines/Del Puerto/Hamilton:

Sand
Gravel
Running water... as in several inches deep, 20'+ wide
Standing water
Ice
Snow
Turkeys
Coyotes
Feral Pigs
Vultures
Deer
Snakes
Squirrels
Sheriff
Horse trailers
Slow ass cars
Tweakers
Fast N' Bicurious d-bags pretending to drift, yo
Some cocksucker on a BMW GS passing someone else who'd have run into me head on had I not busted out an evasive maneuver. Hope you got incurable crabs, asswipe.

It's a fun area to ride, definitely should do it if you're in the area, but I personally steer clear unless it's early in the morning and usually in the Fall. Mid day in the summer, and it's crawling with arseholes.
Click to expand...

I guess I need to ride Mines Rd more to see the drifters and coyotes... Lol.. Damn
 
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