dob@ihlpa.UUCP (Daniel M. O'Brien) (07/09/86)
On a recent trip out your way, I traveled this route, Rt 17, from the valley up to Santa Cruz, by car and imagined that this would be a nice road to bike on if it weren't for the traffic and rain groves. Can you "Silicon Valley" bikers comment about this particular road? How is it? Better to Santa Cruz or from? Road too busy? Thanks. Cheers, -- Daniel M. O'Brien (ihnp4!ihlpa!dob) AT&T Bell Laboratories IH 4A-257, x 4782 Naperville-Wheaton Road Naperville, IL 60566
jerem@tekgvs.UUCP (Jere Marrs) (07/12/86)
In article <1507@ihlpa.UUCP> dob@ihlpa.UUCP (Daniel M. O'Brien) writes: > >On a recent trip out your way, I traveled this route, Rt 17, from the valley up >to Santa Cruz, by car and imagined that this would be a nice road to bike on if >it weren't for the traffic and rain groves. > >Can you "Silicon Valley" bikers comment about this particular road[Rt. 17]? How is it? >Better to Santa Cruz or from? Road too busy? Thanks. > Maybe an acerbic comment from Beaverton, Oregon. The road's fine if there aren't any overheated cars or jack-knifed semis along the way. Unfort- unately, there usually are. If you're lucky, you can ride around the truck (much to the anguish of the stranded autos). The best choice would be to go over to the coast highway (Pacifica?) and down. Much better and no trucks. The BMWMOA rally at Laguna Seca is later this month, and I will take that route. Have fun riding! Jere M. Marrs Tektronix Beaverton, OR
marauder@fluke.UUCP (Bill Landsborough) (07/15/86)
In article <1507@ihlpa.UUCP> dob@ihlpa.UUCP (Daniel M. O'Brien) writes: > >On a recent trip out your way, I traveled this route, Rt 17, from the valley up >to Santa Cruz, by car and imagined that this would be a nice road to bike on if >it weren't for the traffic and rain groves. > >Can you "Silicon Valley" bikers comment about this particular road? How is it? >Better to Santa Cruz or from? Road too busy? Thanks. > Daniel M. O'Brien (ihnp4!ihlpa!dob) When I lived there we use to get up REAL early on Sunday mornings and do the "Sunday Morning Ride" (very original!) with a bunch of displaced road racers. At 5:30 AM on Sunday that road is one of the most fun because of the banking and predictable turns. As I recall the rain grooves were nothing more than discomfort once you got use to them. Actually the "hot spot" road was Skyline Blvd which ran north from Hwy 17 along the mountain tops up to Redwood City. Lately the crazys have been doing timed runs on that road with obvious results. As I recall the local residents were so exasperated that they started throwing sand and oil on the road to cause the motorcyclists to not go into the turn with blind confidence that good traction would be there. Skyline Blvd is a beautiful winding, twisting road with stretches capable of 140+. The CHP's were pretty helpless except for roadblocks because nothing short of a helicopter could stay with the bikes. Bill Landsborough