In article <
[email protected]>,
"Sonarrat" <
[email protected]..> wrote:
> "Howard Kveck" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
>
news:[email protected]...
> > Sycamore/Oak Glen/Uvas is a nice loop. I came from the northern end of that.
>
> Yes, I know that loop. I just don't like the maniacal drivers and 45-mph speed limit on the tight,
> winding roads...
That does start to be a limiting factor. Many, if not most, of the roads worth riding in the bay
area are a bit narrow and there will be some cars honking along. (Marked 45? Figure 55+, you
know? Skyline or 9, among others, get pretty hectic with guys on their mad mofo musclebikes
going WFO on sunny weekends.) I think the number of close calls per mile ridden out in places
like we're talking about is a tiny fraction of what it is on urban roads (at least for me). Cars
are going just as fast (and maniacally) in town as out in the sticks, but there's -far- more of
them in town.
> Personally, as long as I have a wide shoulder, I can even tolerate riding on 101 or 152, though
> the exhaust smell has kept me from attempting either a second time.
The ride over 152 into Watsonville is fun.
> > (However, I'll ride up to Lexington Res. out of Los Gatos on 17, so maybe that says something
> > about my tolerance level for car
> traffic...)
> > Hale Ave. is probably a somewhat better choice for a straight-ish, flat north-south road.
>
> Yes, that's the one that goes to the light-rail station . I've been meaning to try and get up
> early, ride from where I live to the train station (30 miles?) and take the light-rail to
> college... the only deterrent is the prospect of steep hills at the beginning and end of
> every day.
I understand that - a little bit of warm up is good before climbs. By the way, I used to see
Karen Kurreck motorpacing out on Hale fairly regularly. So if you have a friend with a
scooter....
> By the way, what do you think of Mt. Hamilton?
>
> -Sonarrat.
When the weather's nice and clear, it's a good climb (three, actually - there's two smallish
valleys on the way up). It's long, that's certain. Mike Jacoubowsky from Chain Reaction had a
page for it (and many other rides in the BA):
http://www.chainreaction.com/mthamilton.htm My
blunt opinion on Mt. Hamilton is "a bit tedious". YMMV. For a long, gradual climb, I prefer 9 out
of Boulder Creek.
--
tanx, Howard
"We've reached a higher spiritual plane, that is so high I can't explain We tell jokes to make you
laugh, we play sports so we don't get fat..." The Dictators
remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?