Bay Area/ Nor Cal Community Chat Thread
road warrior
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 3
From: Oakland and Los Angeles, CA
Here's a picture I took yesterday afternoon. I think it should speak for itself. :]
2004 Winning Blue GT
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 26
Likes: 1
From: Berkeley, CA
The picture was taken from the observatory itself...the car isn't there because they posted a large road closed sign for the observatory so I had to walk to the lookout point.
It's fun watching traffic come up the mountain from that point. I heard some bikers in the distance for at least 10 minutes before they even came into view, and even then, it took them a while to get to the top as they popped in and out of sigh.
The climb from San Jose is by far the most dangerous part and I took it really easy at that point (no guardrails to boot). I was also pretty exhausted by that point because I had already driven about 150 miles of mountain roads. I didn't drive Mines road, BUT...
I drove about 270 miles of mountain yesterday! Twas the most epic drive ever on the face of the planet. The only major roads I missed were Mines road and Skyline between Highway 9 and Highway 17. The route I took (zoom out a few times and then you'll see it, zoom in to see all the twisties)
It's fun watching traffic come up the mountain from that point. I heard some bikers in the distance for at least 10 minutes before they even came into view, and even then, it took them a while to get to the top as they popped in and out of sigh.
The climb from San Jose is by far the most dangerous part and I took it really easy at that point (no guardrails to boot). I was also pretty exhausted by that point because I had already driven about 150 miles of mountain roads. I didn't drive Mines road, BUT...
I drove about 270 miles of mountain yesterday! Twas the most epic drive ever on the face of the planet. The only major roads I missed were Mines road and Skyline between Highway 9 and Highway 17. The route I took (zoom out a few times and then you'll see it, zoom in to see all the twisties)
Alright I'm supposed to get my car back on Wednesday. Anyone want to help me put the VDI hinges on? Since most of you live in Santa Clara (or nearby) I can stop by after work and we can slap them on.
road warrior
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 3
From: Oakland and Los Angeles, CA
Oh man, you missed what I consider the 5 star roads up here in the Bay Area. I can understand that you were tired and so didn't want to continue as the San Antonio Valley and Mines together is pretty physically demanding (I'm usually pretty sore after a 60 mile Mt. Hamilton-San Antonio Valley-Mines run).
Since I'm leaving the Bay Area in a month, I'll post what I consider to be the best drives in the area:
San Antonio Valley Rd. - Drive past the observatory on Mt. Hamilton and it turns into San Antonio Valley, which in my opinion is magnitudes more fun than Mt. Hamilton. A nice 15 miles run that includes tight hairpins, medium speed esses, kinks, a one lane bridge, and some intermediate straights. There are long straights at the bottom of the valley too if you want to visit triple digits. Pavement quality is fair, visibility is good, but the best part is there's almost no traffic at any time of the day. The best drive in the Bay Area in my opinion. It's better in the uphill direction coming from Mines though. Lately I've skipped Mines altogether as I just turn around at the bottom and run San Antonio Valley as a hillclimb after driving it as a downhill; it's worth it in my opinion.
Highway 84/La Honda Rd. - A state highway so I'm a bit weary of adding it to my list, but it's great fun in the dead of the night when there's no traffic. The portion east of Skyline is a steeper climb with some tight hairpins, west of Skyline its more of a rhythm road with medium speed constant radius turns and some straights. Pavement quality is good, visibility is fair.
Pescadero Creek Rd. - Very similar in nature to the western portion of 84, but a bit tighter. The best thing about Pescadero Creek Rd. is there's a lot less traffic than 84. Great scenery too. Pavement quality is good, visibility is good.
A few roads just missed out on the cut. Highway 1 north of the Bay has too much traffic, Page Mill has too many houses for me to feel comfortable, Calaveras is too narrow and lacks continuity to other roads, and Mines suffers from a lack of variety in its corners.
Since I'm leaving the Bay Area in a month, I'll post what I consider to be the best drives in the area:
San Antonio Valley Rd. - Drive past the observatory on Mt. Hamilton and it turns into San Antonio Valley, which in my opinion is magnitudes more fun than Mt. Hamilton. A nice 15 miles run that includes tight hairpins, medium speed esses, kinks, a one lane bridge, and some intermediate straights. There are long straights at the bottom of the valley too if you want to visit triple digits. Pavement quality is fair, visibility is good, but the best part is there's almost no traffic at any time of the day. The best drive in the Bay Area in my opinion. It's better in the uphill direction coming from Mines though. Lately I've skipped Mines altogether as I just turn around at the bottom and run San Antonio Valley as a hillclimb after driving it as a downhill; it's worth it in my opinion.
Highway 84/La Honda Rd. - A state highway so I'm a bit weary of adding it to my list, but it's great fun in the dead of the night when there's no traffic. The portion east of Skyline is a steeper climb with some tight hairpins, west of Skyline its more of a rhythm road with medium speed constant radius turns and some straights. Pavement quality is good, visibility is fair.
Pescadero Creek Rd. - Very similar in nature to the western portion of 84, but a bit tighter. The best thing about Pescadero Creek Rd. is there's a lot less traffic than 84. Great scenery too. Pavement quality is good, visibility is good.
A few roads just missed out on the cut. Highway 1 north of the Bay has too much traffic, Page Mill has too many houses for me to feel comfortable, Calaveras is too narrow and lacks continuity to other roads, and Mines suffers from a lack of variety in its corners.
Last edited by LionZoo; Jun 18, 2007 at 05:14 PM.
Registered
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 463
Likes: 0
From: los angeles, ca
Awesome post LionZoo. I'm going to try some of those. I had never heard of the Observatory so I think i'll be heading there soon. I really need to get out and drive all the awesome back roads around here.
I've done Calaveras before and it was a lot of fun, but I didn't have my 8 then. I drive up Page Mill sometimes too since I live right by there, but you're right about the houses. I don't like all the cyclists there either, they should stay off the road. Cyclists annoy the hell out of me!
What is the police presence like on these roads?
I've done Calaveras before and it was a lot of fun, but I didn't have my 8 then. I drive up Page Mill sometimes too since I live right by there, but you're right about the houses. I don't like all the cyclists there either, they should stay off the road. Cyclists annoy the hell out of me!
What is the police presence like on these roads?
road warrior
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 3
From: Oakland and Los Angeles, CA
I haven't seen police on any of the roads, but then if I did see them... I'm also very conservative on when I run certain roads; generally I don't like to run any of the roads in the Bay Area in daylight as I find the place is just crawling with bicyclists. The only exception is San Antonio Valley Rd., which is almost deserted at any hour. There is one police who's based at the observatory who drives a Tahoe with its attendant soft suspension and high CG, but I always tiptoe past there anyway as I don't want to chance running over someone crossing the road to the observatory. If I had to guess, I'd say that 84 is probably the most patrolled as it's a state highway. Highway 1 probably also has police for the same reason and I can't see the extremely wealthy residents on Page Mill taking kindly to cafe racers on their streets. Calaveras probably also has a mild police presence as it's close to population centers. Be safe out there; always check your fluid levels and tire pressure before setting out on a drive and make sure your maintenance is up to par.
I will say, the Bay Area lacks truly great roads. There are lot of fun and good roads, but no real world beaters. Though I've included 84 and Pescadero as five star roads, I wouldn't really consider anything except San Antonio Valley as a truly exceptional road.
I will say, the Bay Area lacks truly great roads. There are lot of fun and good roads, but no real world beaters. Though I've included 84 and Pescadero as five star roads, I wouldn't really consider anything except San Antonio Valley as a truly exceptional road.
Last edited by LionZoo; Jun 18, 2007 at 05:23 PM.
2004 Winning Blue GT
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 26
Likes: 1
From: Berkeley, CA
Daytime police presence:
State highways will have stiff CHP enforcement. In fact, some friends were maybe 15 minutes ahead of me on the way to big basin and they saw police cuffing a guy up against a cruiser, and when I passed the same area, there was an officer with a gun with 3 other cops as backup. Asides from that, I didn't have any problems with non-state highways yesterday. Look out for other traffic and mountain bikers though, because they will be everywhere in the daytime.
Evening to midnight:
Be wary of areas with homes, even if they are scattered out. There may be a random patrol nearby that can spot a speeding car. However, it's less likely that these cops will have a speed trap set up; they'll just be driving along and will try to react if possible if they are surprised. Don't **** off the locals by revving high as you pass by and they won't call the cops to check it out. Remoter areas will be safer. This applies to daytime too, of course.
Post-midnight:
I have yet to see or hear of any cops patrolling in the wee hours of the morning on a regular basis. I've heard on the grapevine that certain roads have had actual patrols after a recent accident, but the increased presence is negligible.
In general:
I have yet to really see police hiding on twisty segments; they usually tend to watch the straights more. Be careful if you see a long, welcoming drag strip ahead of you! Really though, always be aware of your surroundings, because a deer can jump you at any hour of the day on any road.
-----------------------------
Liyan are you seriously gone for good? I was looking forward to that rematch! :P
State highways will have stiff CHP enforcement. In fact, some friends were maybe 15 minutes ahead of me on the way to big basin and they saw police cuffing a guy up against a cruiser, and when I passed the same area, there was an officer with a gun with 3 other cops as backup. Asides from that, I didn't have any problems with non-state highways yesterday. Look out for other traffic and mountain bikers though, because they will be everywhere in the daytime.
Evening to midnight:
Be wary of areas with homes, even if they are scattered out. There may be a random patrol nearby that can spot a speeding car. However, it's less likely that these cops will have a speed trap set up; they'll just be driving along and will try to react if possible if they are surprised. Don't **** off the locals by revving high as you pass by and they won't call the cops to check it out. Remoter areas will be safer. This applies to daytime too, of course.
Post-midnight:
I have yet to see or hear of any cops patrolling in the wee hours of the morning on a regular basis. I've heard on the grapevine that certain roads have had actual patrols after a recent accident, but the increased presence is negligible.
In general:
I have yet to really see police hiding on twisty segments; they usually tend to watch the straights more. Be careful if you see a long, welcoming drag strip ahead of you! Really though, always be aware of your surroundings, because a deer can jump you at any hour of the day on any road.
-----------------------------
Liyan are you seriously gone for good? I was looking forward to that rematch! :P
road warrior
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 3
From: Oakland and Los Angeles, CA
Yeah I'm really leaving, but I'll be back up here every few weeks for meetings and such. I might be able to find a weekend here or there. It's sort of the reverse of the arrangement I have right now.
Registered
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 463
Likes: 0
From: los angeles, ca
Good info. Actually I don't really speed too much when I go out, I try to keep it quick but relaxed. Plus the last thing I want to do is get over my head on these skinny curvy roads. I did notice some police around Calaveras, so that's why I asked. I'm sure they know what goes on out there.
Last edited by map; Jun 18, 2007 at 06:06 PM.
13BEAST
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: Union City, CA
thanks for tip about 5 star twisties here in the bay. i recommend driving up to half moon bay taking highway 92 (san mateo bridge all the way west). it's rather short though, and weekend traffic is bad, but the scenery is great.
i asked a co-worker about mt. hamilton road since he claimed he's "conquered" it and told me that it took almost 1 hr and 30 mins to get to the observatory from quimby road. i looked at maps and it doesn't seem that long. is this true?
i asked a co-worker about mt. hamilton road since he claimed he's "conquered" it and told me that it took almost 1 hr and 30 mins to get to the observatory from quimby road. i looked at maps and it doesn't seem that long. is this true?
Rx8_4eVeR
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 852
Likes: 0
From: San Jose, Cali
i asked a co-worker about mt. hamilton road since he claimed he's "conquered" it and told me that it took almost 1 hr and 30 mins to get to the observatory from quimby road. i looked at maps and it doesn't seem that long. is this true?
BTW thanks for the compliments guys 
road warrior
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 3
From: Oakland and Los Angeles, CA
An hour and 30 minutes is really slow even if you're out on Sunday during the daytime with bicyclists all around. Without pushing recklessly, you can get to the top in about 45 minutes from where Alum Rock turns onto Mt. Hamilton to the observatory. In my opinion though, Mt. Hamilton just isn't suited to seriously hard driving.
Alright people, stop feeding Ever's ego.... HAHAHA, jk! I'm jealous too! Sorry guys but it will be another friday that I can't make it. I'll be out of town. So enjoy your sushi this friday.
Liyan, you should give me a call before you go, we'll have a going away party for ya.
Wow, I haven't been on a canyon run in awhile now, maybe I should set up a Sunday run... What do you guys think?
Also, on Saturday mornings, there is a thing called Dragon Boating in San Mateo around 8:00am. If you guys are interested in something physical we can have a meet there.
If you guys are wondering why I am setting up so many events. I just want this summer to be a fun one. I moved to the Bay area about 1.5 years ago, and didn't really make too many friends. But since I started hanging out with these club guys, I met a lot a really good friends and just want to be able to have fun and enjoy being up here. So... to everyone I know, thanks for becoming a great set of friends and I hope to meet many more people. Oh and BTW I do accept gratuities...
Liyan, you should give me a call before you go, we'll have a going away party for ya.
Wow, I haven't been on a canyon run in awhile now, maybe I should set up a Sunday run... What do you guys think?
Also, on Saturday mornings, there is a thing called Dragon Boating in San Mateo around 8:00am. If you guys are interested in something physical we can have a meet there.
If you guys are wondering why I am setting up so many events. I just want this summer to be a fun one. I moved to the Bay area about 1.5 years ago, and didn't really make too many friends. But since I started hanging out with these club guys, I met a lot a really good friends and just want to be able to have fun and enjoy being up here. So... to everyone I know, thanks for becoming a great set of friends and I hope to meet many more people. Oh and BTW I do accept gratuities...
Alright people, stop feeding Ever's ego.... HAHAHA, jk! I'm jealous too! Sorry guys but it will be another friday that I can't make it. I'll be out of town. So enjoy your sushi this friday.
Liyan, you should give me a call before you go, we'll have a going away party for ya.
Wow, I haven't been on a canyon run in awhile now, maybe I should set up a Sunday run... What do you guys think?
Also, on Saturday mornings, there is a thing called Dragon Boating in San Mateo around 8:00am. If you guys are interested in something physical we can have a meet there.
If you guys are wondering why I am setting up so many events. I just want this summer to be a fun one. I moved to the Bay area about 1.5 years ago, and didn't really make too many friends. But since I started hanging out with these club guys, I met a lot a really good friends and just want to be able to have fun and enjoy being up here. So... to everyone I know, thanks for becoming a great set of friends and I hope to meet many more people. Oh and BTW I do accept gratuities...
Liyan, you should give me a call before you go, we'll have a going away party for ya.
Wow, I haven't been on a canyon run in awhile now, maybe I should set up a Sunday run... What do you guys think?
Also, on Saturday mornings, there is a thing called Dragon Boating in San Mateo around 8:00am. If you guys are interested in something physical we can have a meet there.
If you guys are wondering why I am setting up so many events. I just want this summer to be a fun one. I moved to the Bay area about 1.5 years ago, and didn't really make too many friends. But since I started hanging out with these club guys, I met a lot a really good friends and just want to be able to have fun and enjoy being up here. So... to everyone I know, thanks for becoming a great set of friends and I hope to meet many more people. Oh and BTW I do accept gratuities...
I would LOVE a canyon run. That Dragon Boating thing sounds fun too, and finally I wouldn't have to drive 25 mins to hang out.
I know what you mean about moving here. I hardly have any car enthusiast friends outside of you guys.
BTW I'm starting a GB for replica Kei Office eyelids so support me!
13BEAST
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: Union City, CA
i guess you would know being from san mateo and all...ill be careful not to drive that fast next time i go back there. i've been lucky all this time...been there 3 times and didn't get pulled over yet...and now i just jinxed myself.
All these canyon run talks are sure exciting, though please try alternative avenues to get your adrenaline going, say SFR autox http://www.sfrscca.org/content/view/4555/32/ or track-day events under ideal condition without public motorists/animals in your way.
I'd really like to see more of you coming out to autocross. We have a variety of RX-8s already in SFR SCCA, turbocharged with Ohlin coilover, daily driver on OEM Bridgestone, and Koni-equipped on R-compound. You will get more kicks checking out the cars in action, than sitting in a parking lot every Friday night I promise you.
I'd really like to see more of you coming out to autocross. We have a variety of RX-8s already in SFR SCCA, turbocharged with Ohlin coilover, daily driver on OEM Bridgestone, and Koni-equipped on R-compound. You will get more kicks checking out the cars in action, than sitting in a parking lot every Friday night I promise you.
Last edited by CRX Millennium; Jun 19, 2007 at 03:24 PM.
All these canyon run talks are sure exciting, though please try alternative avenues to get your adrenaline going, say SFR autox http://www.sfrscca.org/content/view/4555/32/ or track-day events under ideal condition without public motorists/animals in your way.
I'd really like to see more of you coming out to autocross. We have a variety of RX-8s already in SFR SCCA, turbocharged with Ohlin coilover, daily driver on OEM Bridgestone, and Koni-equipped on R-compound. You will get more kicks checking out the cars in action, than sitting in a parking lot every Friday night I promise you.
I'd really like to see more of you coming out to autocross. We have a variety of RX-8s already in SFR SCCA, turbocharged with Ohlin coilover, daily driver on OEM Bridgestone, and Koni-equipped on R-compound. You will get more kicks checking out the cars in action, than sitting in a parking lot every Friday night I promise you.
