[net.cycle] CALIFORNIA ROUTE 17 - Los Gatos <-> Santa Cruz

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