California rides



Nice travelogue Gianni,
You went by Greyhound: do you think we could get on a greyhound bus with two
BOB trailers and two bikes?
Per
http://Lowdin.nu

"gianni" <[email protected]> skrev i meddelandet
news:[email protected]...
> Hi Per I wish I could be in that area 8 weeks! I have just
> been there in April for two weeks ride down Highway 1 to
> San Luis Obispo and then inland to the Sierra Nevada in
> Yosemite National Park. All great rides that I cannot wait
> to do again. You can read my tour report here
>
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/giannifilippini/cycling/californ-
ia/california.html
>
> For many travelogues on the Pacific coast you can go
> here as well
>
>
http://www.cyclingtheworld.org/tours/searchtours.php?contin-
ent=any&country=Usa&region=&Submit=search&submitted=TRUE
>
> Enjoy it. gianni
>
> "Per Löwdin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > Hi We are flying into San Francisco 14th of July and
> > need some advice on cycling routes in California. We
> > will ride with BOBs and hope that we
can
> > find places with nice singletrack where we can hang
> > around, camp and
ride
> > without luggage between the road rides. Did a similar
> > ride last year in Colorado
> > http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/Colorado/Singletrack.htm
> >
> > All suggestions are utterly welcome, especially with
> > regard to places
with
> > good singletrack, and safe bike friendly roads and
> > routes.
> >
> > Per http://lowdin.nu
 
"Per Löwdin" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Nice travelogue Gianni, You went by Greyhound: do you
> think we could get on a greyhound bus with two BOB
> trailers and two bikes?

Hi Per I took a Greyhound from San Luis Obispo to Fresno to
cut the Central Valley as I was told it is pretty boring but
mainly because I did not have enough time to cover my route
only by bike. I must say that down there the Central Valley
is really not pretty and I guess you have to be prepared to
ride 2 or 3 days with hardly anything but flat straight
roads with some farms but hardly any towns or villages; also
it was hot in April so I am sure Summer must be hell there!
I think the suggestion to cross the Central Valley up North
could be a very good one as I also heard that Lake Tahoe
area is beautiful and you have the time!Greyhound in SLO was
pretty relaxed with my bike but I had to box it although not
really with much care ( handlebar was sticking out of box!
Boxes you can get in any bike shop there, people are really
friendly and helpful everywhere ). It depends I guess on how
busy the bus is and how much luggage other people have.
Another option worth considering for you is Amtrak line. The
San Joaquim line running down parallel to the California
Coast to LA has bike friendly trains where you just walk on
the carriage with your bike and hang it on very cool hooks!
Free of charge, no box needed and I am sure your BOB trailer
would happily come with you too! Just find out the main
stops to best plan your trip. Hope this helps
 
gianni wrote:

>"Per Löwdin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:<[email protected]>...
>
>
>>Nice travelogue Gianni, You went by Greyhound: do you
>>think we could get on a greyhound bus with two BOB
>>trailers and two bikes?
>>
>>
>
>....... Another option worth considering for you is Amtrak
>line. The San Joaquim line running down parallel to the
>California Coast to LA has bike friendly trains where you
>just walk on the carriage with your bike and hang it on
>very cool hooks! Free of charge, no box needed and I am
>sure your BOB trailer would happily come with you too!
>
>
Don't assume anything about Amtrak. They are NOTHING like
bike-friendly European trains. Conductors on Amtrak trains
often behave like wardens. Amtrak is inflexible and shoddily
run. They could care less what your needs or wishes are.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO http://www.CycleTourist.com
Integrity is obvious. The lack of it is common.
*****************************
 
Per Löwdin wrote:

>> Continue south (downwind!) on SR 1 and on to San
>> Francisco.
>>
>>
>
>Is there generally a wind blowing south?
>
In summer, ... yes. High pressure cells just off the coast
are the norm then, spinning clockwise, blowing right down
the coast, and bringing stable (clear) air. When the weather
does turn rainy, it is because of a low pressure cell off
the coast doing the opposite, but that is less common in the
summer. You can count on having a northerly wind (blowing to
the south) on most days in the summer - starting at about 10
in the morning.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO http://www.CycleTourist.com
Integrity is obvious. The lack of it is common.
*****************************
 
> >Is there generally a wind blowing south?
> >
>You can count on having a northerly wind (blowing to the
>south) on most days in the summer - starting at about 10 in
>the morning.

So, we will try to go down the coast with a tailwind, by the
way I found and enjoyed your
http://www.cycletourist.com/Seattle_To_San_Francisco/

How is your collarbone?

Per htt://lowdin.nu
 
> I think the suggestion to cross the Central Valley up
> North could be a very good one as I also heard that
> Lake Tahoe area is beautiful and you have the
> time!Greyhound in SLO was pretty relaxed with my bike
> but I had to box it although not really with much care
> ( handlebar was sticking out of box! Boxes you can get
> in any bike shop there, people are really friendly and
> helpful everywhere ).

Yes, we have done that in variour countries. My only
fascistoid tendency is about wheels, I simply hate wheels
that are not perfectly true, so we will box them well to
protect them. Am more worried about the BOBs, they are kind
of unwieldly.

> It depends I guess on how busy the bus is and how much
> luggage other people have. Another option worth
> considering for you is Amtrak line. The San Joaquim line
> running down parallel to the California Coast to LA has
> bike friendly trains where you just walk on the carriage
> with your bike and hang it on very cool hooks!

Yes, I have gone by train north of San Diego, and it was a
slow friendly train. Just pray the long distance trains are
that way too.

Per http://lowdin.nu
 
Per Löwdin wrote:

>>I think the suggestion to cross the Central Valley up
>>North could be a very good one as I also heard that
>>Lake Tahoe area is beautiful and you have the
>>time!Greyhound in SLO was pretty relaxed with my bike
>>but I had to box it although not really with much care
>>( handlebar was sticking out of box! Boxes you can get
>>in any bike shop there, people are really friendly and
>>helpful everywhere ).
>
>
> Yes, we have done that in variour countries. My only
> fascistoid tendency is about wheels, I simply hate wheels
> that are not perfectly true, so we will box them well to
> protect them. Am more worried about the BOBs, they are
> kind of unwieldly.
>
>
>>It depends I guess on how busy the bus is and how much
>>luggage other people have. Another option worth
>>considering for you is Amtrak line. The San Joaquim line
>>running down parallel to the California Coast to LA has
>>bike friendly trains where you just walk on the carriage
>>with your bike and hang it on very cool hooks!
>
>
> Yes, I have gone by train north of San Diego, and it was a
> slow friendly train. Just pray the long distance trains
> are that way too.
>

Probably better to check with Amtrak on the specific trains
and locations you plan to use than to rely on prayer. Going
north from San Luis Obisbo they required that the bikes be
in boxes and many of the intermediate stations didn't allow
for baggage handling of bicycles at all. OTOH, we used the
train from Oakland to Sacramento and there the policy was
much more lenient. The policy is very much dependent on the
specific route and station.
 
Per Löwdin wrote:

>>>Is there generally a wind blowing south?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>You can count on having a northerly wind (blowing to the
>>south) on most days in the summer - starting at about 10
>>in the morning.
>>
>>
>
>So, we will try to go down the coast with a tailwind, by
>the way I found and enjoyed your
>http://www.cycletourist.com/Seattle_To_San_Francisco/
>
>How is your collarbone?
>
>
Thanks for asking.

It seems to be well on it's way to mending. I have a lot of
mobility back, but still a lot of soreness. It changes
during the course of the day. The bump where the break is
still feels like the end of a bone (makes me shudder to feel
it), but the doc says that's just the way that it mends.

The best news is that after not riding for over 6 weeks, I
have begun riding again. Before the break I had been doing a
daily 2200 foot climb (the bulk of the climb in 4.5 miles),
and I find I can still do it, although a little slower and
with a bit more effort. My shoulder feels great after I
ride, but 2 hours later some soreness comes. The doctor said
to keep riding and to do exercises to increase mobility
(e.g., stretch my arm out to the wall and make my fingers
walk as high up as I can go).

I would have been touring in Germany now, and although it
may have been somewhat tolerable, I believe I made the right
choice. That's too much time and money to spend to not be
able to really enjoy it. I still have a hard time sleeping
comfortably.

But - - - - - I'm so glad to be back on the bike and able to
go to my "church" again. I've done that ride almost every
day this week and I can feel my old self coming back. Not
sure when I can tour again, probably not this year (unless I
do a southerly route later in the year).

I hope you have a great time on the west coast. I look
forward to seeing your pictures.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO http://www.CycleTourist.com
Integrity is obvious. The lack of it is common.
*****************************
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom Back