What is the allure of Skyline?

[redtail]

First rode Skyline back in the mid 60s when nobody was around and the pavement was excellent.

I arrived shortly after you, in the 70's and the road, conditions and traffic made it a nice ride when taken "briskly".

But then the article came out and I remember local shops selling the magazine complained about the publicity. I haven't been there in years unless I need to get some where else.

"Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded." -- Yogi Berra

 

[Surj]

If you want to ride a Skyline Blvd that doesn't suck and you have something that can handle bumps and tight corners try the better Skyline Blvd. in the East Bay.

Please don't.

 

[Maddevill]

... I agree.

Mad

 

[kelsodeez]

I stopped riding it regularly when they repaved it with that terrible chipseal a few years back. i think the glory years for skyline was between 2002 and 2007. after that it got too crowded and then when they repaved it, that was just the nail in the coffin. Now, its just a way to get to STP to eat a tamale and have a redbull before hitting 9.

 

[ejv]

It's a chill road with nice views. Connects to a lot of other roads which are better for more sporting rides. Lots of places for police to hide on Skyline so best taken at reasonable speeds I think. I don't much care for the surface but there are plenty worse in the area.

 

[corpsedub]

Its been shit since the san mateo chip seal garbage job. Good way to put your balls in your intestines since it was never graded. I drive and ride this road every day from boulder creek. Please dont come up here on a weekday if you are a beginner. The commute crowd is very very fast and most are big time dicks who will pass you in thier big diesel work trucks if you are not going 150mph. Same goes for the "backside" of 9. Better roads to visit on a weekday if you are just starting out.

 

[PASTAPWR]

I stopped riding it regularly when they repaved it with that terrible chipseal a few years back. i think the glory years for skyline was between 2002 and 2007. after that it got too crowded and then when they repaved it, that was just the nail in the coffin. Now, its just a way to get to STP to eat a tamale and have a redbull before hitting 9.

I love to see the age variations on this page. You think the heyday was 2002-2007. For me the heyday was 1986-somewhere in the 1990s. My brother was ripping up their in the late 60s, early 70s.

9 and 35 were very different roads decades back before the population in the bay area exploded and everyone began building high dollar houses in the mountains.

 

[Hooli]

If you want to ride a Skyline Blvd that doesn't suck and you have something that can handle bumps and tight corners try the better Skyline Blvd. in the East Bay.

That's even worse. Tons of houses and driveways, plus bicyclists & traffic up there.

So yeah, either Skyline sucks.

 

[clutchslip]

9 and 35 Skyline are access roads to the good stuff. They’re good as warm up and cool down roads, and they’re better than the freeways.

Oh really? You guys seem to forget that Hwy Nine is one of the few mountain roads where you can truly hit track speeds. I am not recommending such behavior, since we all know even the fast guys like Scott and Gary can fall victim to excessive street speeds. But, you can really haul-the-mail on a liter bike up that road.

........
Motorcycling is a multi dimensional experience......not just one as it seems to appear to some. Not all motorcyclist ride for the same reason or experiences.

There is more to motorcycling then just the road you are on and how fast you go on it.

This is the best part of the thread so far.

Lou? Is that you?

He didn't call anyone numb-nutz, or anything, so I don't think so.

...... Southern Half is nice, especially when it enters Los Gatos township and leaves the unincorporated San Mateo county as the road surface drastically improves.

I don't think it gets into Los Gatos. You may think it runs differently than it does. I believe tt ends with Bear Creek and Summit. Bear Creek hits 17, and Summit continues South.

 

[duck_rider]

I don't think it gets into Los Gatos. You may think it runs differently than it does. I believe tt ends with Bear Creek and Summit. Bear Creek hits 17, and Summit continues South.

Oh, you're right. I was thinking of the section heading south past Page Mill and nearby the fire department. Perhaps it's part of Palo Alto or just not unincorporated San Mateo county.

Regardless, there's a section where the surface becomes significantly nicer.

 

[ctwo]

Its not as good as it used to be.
I avoid it like the plague now.
Risks and meatheads abound.

I think you've changed more than that road...

 

[T100]

Yea, it's fuckin' yahoo central on weekends, the whole mountain is. Has been for years.

A mid morning ride in the middle of the week is the only time to go up there. In fact, the whole bay area is a shit-show.

My bike stays in Arizona.

 

[ST Guy]

I love to see the age variations on this page. You think the heyday was 2002-2007. For me the heyday was 1986-somewhere in the 1990s. My brother was ripping up their in the late 60s, early 70s.

9 and 35 were very different roads decades back before the population in the bay area exploded and everyone began building high dollar houses in the mountains.

Yep, it was the 80's for me. No where near the traffic and very little enforcement. Great times.

 

[ST Guy]

I love to see the age variations on this page. You think the heyday was 2002-2007. For me the heyday was 1986-somewhere in the 1990s. My brother was ripping up their in the late 60s, early 70s.

9 and 35 were very different roads decades back before the population in the bay area exploded and everyone began building high dollar houses in the mountains.

Yep, it was the 80's for me. No where near the traffic and very little enforcement. Great times.

And it still cracks me up when people say Skyline or 9 up to Skyline is so great. There are far, far better roads between Skyline and the coast.

 

[JesasaurusRex]

The bitches

 

[ontherearwheel]

35 and 9 are part of the great roads up in the hills.

Which brings up what is a great road now doesn’t.

The only thing that makes a road great or not is opinion.

A new person to the area that’s never seen roads like 9 and 35 may think they are great, they may think they are not great......it’s their opinion that makes one think one way or another.

Some may think page mill/alpine are great, others might not. Again it just comes down to opinion.

So I say 9 and 35 are great roads......so who’s right or wrong........or it just a difference of opinion?

 

[pepesm]

I love to see the age variations on this page. You think the heyday was 2002-2007. For me the heyday was 1986-somewhere in the 1990s. My brother was ripping up their in the late 60s, early 70s.

9 and 35 were very different roads decades back before the population in the bay area exploded and everyone began building high dollar houses in the mountains.

For me, the heyday was 1886-somewhere in the 1890s. Me and me bro was galloping up the mountains ripping the grass everywhere. I miss dem days and the smell of beautiful horseshit! Highway 9 and 35 were simply trails and plenty of horseshit with extra bullshit.

Ayup!

 

[NoTraffic]

For me, the heyday was 1886-somewhere in the 1890s. Me and me bro was galloping up the mountains ripping the grass everywhere. I miss dem days and the smell of beautiful horseshit! Highway 9 and 35 were simply trails and plenty of horseshit with extra bullshit.

Ayup!

LMAO, did you ever get your lasso down on ‘dem hogs? Once them cyclists with wool pants started riding two abreast things got real cray cray.

 

[mototireguy]

For me Skyline is a decent set of roads for a quickie weekday run. My fave is 84 from Alice's to Apple Jacks and back 2x or 3x times. Weekends are a mess to be avoided.

Yes there are better, longer, more rewarding roads but further away.

 

[pepesm]

LMAO, did you ever get your lasso down on ‘dem hogs? Once them cyclists with wool pants started riding two abreast things got real cray cray.

Heh! I was just irked by “age demographic” or “back in my day” shitless horse crap. It’s my way of saying “Back in my blah blah blah stfu!!”

Just to pour gasoline.

Ayup, I got’em Hogs and, boy, do they squeal? Ayup, dem done!