76
Routes / Re: Bike route San Rafael to Oakhurst / Yosemite
« on: August 14, 2019, 07:28:31 pm »
The Amgen Tour of California often rides over
Mt Hamilton so it must be good! 😄😄😄
Mt Hamilton so it must be good! 😄😄😄
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77
Routes / Re: Bike route San Rafael to Oakhurst / Yosemite
« on: July 28, 2019, 10:59:47 pm »
KS, Well since you asked, I’ll admit that is a hard question. I know hwy 49 well from Jackson north until its end, but from Jackson south I’ve only driven it perhaps 3-4 times in my life and all before I started cycling 15 years ago. So, I’ll recant my advice and hopefully it is a less trafficked area on the southern half. I just don’t know. I do know that all of the old gold mining and tourist towns are along hwy 49 so it would be a shame to be a bicycle tourist and miss all of them. If you ride the back roads along the reservoirs you are on some pretty hilly roads around the foothills and adding extra miles.
I have ridden the back road from Folsom to Plymouth “Latrobe Road”. It was fine but from there south I have no more expertise.
Cheers, Keith
I have ridden the back road from Folsom to Plymouth “Latrobe Road”. It was fine but from there south I have no more expertise.
Cheers, Keith
78
Routes / Re: Sierra Cascades section 3 - Hwy 89
« on: July 18, 2019, 03:57:26 pm »My guess is it is just because of the logging trucks with hwy 89 not having a shoulder through that section. I've ridden some day rides in the area and the logging truck are everywhere.
I don’t know of the shuttle that David mentioned but the ride from Quincy to Graegle was a nice enough one as far as I can remember so i’d be interested in why the shuttle is suggested.
By the way, a couple hours drive south is my favorite relaxing day ride without logging trucks. hwy 89 from Truckee to Lake Tahoe, huge shoulders and a mostly flat section of the highway along the Truckee River with occasional sightings of Black Bear. A short detour of 4 miles to Squaw Valley and a nice lunch in the Olympic Village. (Sorry I rode that section yesterday so it is fresh on my mind)
79
General Discussion / Re: Dealing with boredom on long bicycle trip
« on: July 04, 2019, 08:28:37 pm »
On the TA I had a week or so in E. Colorado into Kansas where it was between 100 and 110 everyday. That was my most difficult week going across country. On that fateful week I was waking early at 4 and breaking camp and eating breakfast and was riding from 5 until 12. Then when it was too hot to ride I was sitting around hot and sticky and bored and looking for a Dairy Queen. But, that was the only week like that for the whole of the cross country trip. The rest of the weeks, even during rain, I seemed to be relaxed and enjoyed the ride. Keith
80
General Discussion / Re: Dealing with boredom on long bicycle trip
« on: July 04, 2019, 06:44:38 pm »
I think many folks ride for more than 4-5 hours. For myself, I stopped constantly taking photos, talking to folks, lunch, tea time, brunch, ice cream, and by the time I have my tent set up I feel my day has been full and usually exhausted and ready to relax at camp, or if in a town go to a pizza parlor and watch a ball game and relax there. Then I sleep longer while on tour, than I do at home. Anyway it never occured to me to be bored. Also, I always kept my ipod loaded with an audio book so that helped if I wasn't with others.
House keeping such as washing laundry in the motel shower and hanging out to dry, or finding a shower in the park or campground and washing self and clothes takes time.
House keeping such as washing laundry in the motel shower and hanging out to dry, or finding a shower in the park or campground and washing self and clothes takes time.
81
General Discussion / Re: Route Tips/Motel Tips/Homestays north of Chico, California (Mt. Shasta/Klamath)
« on: June 12, 2019, 02:39:06 am »
I drove on 39 and 139 last fall, and it is a fairly low traffic road, but there isn't much there as far as civilization. If it were me I'd stay on the route to Weed. Plenty of places to stay in Weed or Mt Shasta City.
As you get further south you will have much better options for motels in the valley, I see you are considering riding south via Chico and so on, but riding in the Sacramento Valley is the worst of California riding - especially in the summer - who know what next week will be like but this week it is hot. Next week may be more of the same or not?
If you stay on the Sierra Cascades Route you will probably average 4000 feet for much of the way and even tho it may still be hot it is going to be much cooler (probably 10 degrees cooler) than down in the valley. Places to stay will be harder to find tho. McCloud, Burney, Greenville, Quincy, Chester, Sierraville are all nice little towns, Truckee is a nice bigger town as well as Tahoe but there are other, spots on the map that are pretty small, and I don't know what accommodations will be like without some internet searching, perhaps that is part of your problem in deciding. I wouldn't worry about the mountains as much as the valley heat and traffic but that may not be the same for you.
As you get further south you will have much better options for motels in the valley, I see you are considering riding south via Chico and so on, but riding in the Sacramento Valley is the worst of California riding - especially in the summer - who know what next week will be like but this week it is hot. Next week may be more of the same or not?
If you stay on the Sierra Cascades Route you will probably average 4000 feet for much of the way and even tho it may still be hot it is going to be much cooler (probably 10 degrees cooler) than down in the valley. Places to stay will be harder to find tho. McCloud, Burney, Greenville, Quincy, Chester, Sierraville are all nice little towns, Truckee is a nice bigger town as well as Tahoe but there are other, spots on the map that are pretty small, and I don't know what accommodations will be like without some internet searching, perhaps that is part of your problem in deciding. I wouldn't worry about the mountains as much as the valley heat and traffic but that may not be the same for you.
82
Routes / Re: Bike route San Rafael to Oakhurst / Yosemite
« on: June 12, 2019, 02:12:53 am »
I like KS suggestions. (By the way I forgot about the ferries. Even tho you can't get over all the bridges by bicycle, you can find some good options by ferry. Don't know why I forgot because whenever I take a day ride in the City every couple years I park in Vallejo and take the Ferry to SF.)
Back to the route question, I like KS suggestions except for the hwy 49 part at the end. I live and drive on hwy 49, and I don't cycle ride it unless I have to. It has a decent shoulder but the traffic is heavy and it moves fast. Most of the local cyclist do the same, only when they have no other option.
But riding from SF up to Folsom is a great ride either along frontage and back roads along the I80 corridor or up the Sacramento River on the east side of the river.
Back to the route question, I like KS suggestions except for the hwy 49 part at the end. I live and drive on hwy 49, and I don't cycle ride it unless I have to. It has a decent shoulder but the traffic is heavy and it moves fast. Most of the local cyclist do the same, only when they have no other option.
But riding from SF up to Folsom is a great ride either along frontage and back roads along the I80 corridor or up the Sacramento River on the east side of the river.
83
Routes / Re: Bike route San Rafael to Oakhurst / Yosemite
« on: May 28, 2019, 04:33:14 pm »
Mike, I can't give you advice on the whole of the route but I can on one section. About 15 years ago I lived in Fairfield for one year and my son lived in Rio Vista so I traveled hwy 12 regularly. We thought it a scary road and I would not advise riding on that Hwy 12 section - dangerous for cars let alone a bicycle. I haven't been on that road in at least 10 years so perhaps there has been road improvments.
Hwy 12 from Napa to Fairfield is probably doable. Although I seem to remember some back roads that we rode on once between Fairfield and Napa that were quieter.
Hwy 12 from Rio Vista to Lodi has wide shoulders and should be ok.
If you cross the Golden Gate Bridge you will end up in The City but you can't get from SF to Hercules/Martinez/Pittsburg. The bay bridge to Oakland does not have a bike lane. If you go from San Rafael to Vallejo (I'm not sure the safest route to do this) the bridge between Benecia and Martinez does have its own bike lane and perhaps from there you could carry on to Pittsburg. You will need a bay area cyclist to advise.
Keith
Hwy 12 from Napa to Fairfield is probably doable. Although I seem to remember some back roads that we rode on once between Fairfield and Napa that were quieter.
Hwy 12 from Rio Vista to Lodi has wide shoulders and should be ok.
If you cross the Golden Gate Bridge you will end up in The City but you can't get from SF to Hercules/Martinez/Pittsburg. The bay bridge to Oakland does not have a bike lane. If you go from San Rafael to Vallejo (I'm not sure the safest route to do this) the bridge between Benecia and Martinez does have its own bike lane and perhaps from there you could carry on to Pittsburg. You will need a bay area cyclist to advise.
Keith
84
Routes / Re: Route Tips from Klamath Falls, OR to Davis, CA (plus computer tips)
« on: May 20, 2019, 05:47:00 pm »
If you want to stay on a known and mapped route, you can get yourself from Klamath Falls down hwy 97 to Intersect with the Sierra Cascades route at Weed. After following the Sierra Cascades route south to South Lake Tahoe you can take off on the Western Express Route west and down the hill to Davis. (I don't know the route the Western Express takes through Sacramento metro area but if you can find your way to the American River Bike Trail -the trail starts in Folsom and goes all the way to downtown Sac with extensions all the way into Davis.)
From Klamath Falls I have only driven on hwy 97 in vehicles and to be honest I don't remember paying attention to the width of the shoulders but I suspect it is doable. I would prefer to ride the Pacific Coast -- in fact it is my intentions to do so this August -- however I wouldn't prefer getting from Klamath Falls over to the Cresent City. It is quite a bit out of the way and quite a challenging ride too especially if your knees are not young anymore.
On the Sierra Cascades (Lassen National Park on the way and is great fun as is Lake Tahoe) You will be missing Crater Lake -one of my favorite spots, by starting at Klamath Falls.
From Klamath Falls I have only driven on hwy 97 in vehicles and to be honest I don't remember paying attention to the width of the shoulders but I suspect it is doable. I would prefer to ride the Pacific Coast -- in fact it is my intentions to do so this August -- however I wouldn't prefer getting from Klamath Falls over to the Cresent City. It is quite a bit out of the way and quite a challenging ride too especially if your knees are not young anymore.
On the Sierra Cascades (Lassen National Park on the way and is great fun as is Lake Tahoe) You will be missing Crater Lake -one of my favorite spots, by starting at Klamath Falls.
85
General Discussion / Re: Entire Trans Am Route in one tour?
« on: March 21, 2019, 10:14:31 pm »
It should be fine, but I think most agree it would be preferred to leave from the west coast.
86
General Discussion / Re: Best tire width for TransAmerica (middle) route
« on: January 22, 2019, 01:22:15 am »
I don't remember if you said in another post what bike you were riding, but make sure you have room for you fenders. I ride a REI Randonee which came stock with continental touring 32s. I was going to finish my cross country on the GAP and C&O so wanted the widest tire that I could use especially for the C&O. I ended up getting the Marathon 38's and just barely had room to get the fenders put back on with the new wider tires.
Keith
Keith
87
General Discussion / Re: First Time Cross Country Trek
« on: January 06, 2019, 09:47:12 pm »
Nice post hikerjer
88
Gear Talk / Re: When to replace shoes?
« on: January 05, 2019, 02:59:04 pm »
I usually replace my SPD cleats after a year of regular riding sometimes the shoes last through 2 sets of cleats. I really don’t know if it’s necessary but I read you should change them periodically when I first started cycling and I’ve done that ever since. seems like the price is between 10 and 20 bucks so it’s not too expensive. The shoes for me I can usually just tell they’re worn out just like I can any pair shoes they just feel or look worn out. (Subjective answer I know)
89
General Discussion / Re: Malaria in Central America
« on: November 18, 2018, 10:58:00 am »
I lived in different area of the world and different regions have different recommendations so I’m not going to mention meds. I will say this though, it is usually easier to get get the meds locally. The docs and the chemist there deal with Malaria daily and they do usually have a better sense than USA docs who rarely see it. Both treatment and cure drugs will be available locally where u travel and usually much cheaper.
90
General Discussion / Re: Malaria in Central America
« on: November 18, 2018, 02:12:55 am »
If you are going in a low mosquito season and u want to avoid the meds then be diligent with the deet repelant at dusk and dawn sleep with a net wear long sleeve shirt and pants in evening and in worst case if you get the parasite take the treatment. Some folks just hate taking the meds and so they take the chance. If u do get malaria tho u don’t have a choice u need the treatment.
Disclaimer not a doc but I do have years of experience living amongst the critters. Always took the prophylactic. And on the two occasions I didn’t - I got sick. If it was me I’d take the meds. Malaria is a pain and normally easy to treat but it can on occasion be very dangerous.
Disclaimer not a doc but I do have years of experience living amongst the critters. Always took the prophylactic. And on the two occasions I didn’t - I got sick. If it was me I’d take the meds. Malaria is a pain and normally easy to treat but it can on occasion be very dangerous.