maximo

I ride in the winter, but "tour" might be a stretch. I use all Gerbins heated gear, top to bottom, so I stay toasty.

I too remember the eruption. I was on the Idaho side and woke up May 19th to Ash that felt like a snowstorm. I've only been up to the interpretive site once, about 20 years ago in a minivan full of toddlers. I vowed to return on my motorcycle, but I have yet to keep my vows. One of these days...

Y'all looking to shave tenths, and I'm looking not to get hit from behind by that guy stuffed into leathers 3 sizes too small riding a rented Ninja 250... Com, I have to think that your method works way better. Maybe the value of the water tower is that it positions your body to react to running wide on the blind side of the turn?

I'm interested in your camping gear. Also, did you pack your own food or get it on the fly?

I always undercook 9 because I'm too busy finding the water tower, and don't take enough entry speed. Conversely, I overcook 5 and find myself out of line for 5A. What I'm saying is, avoid Z2 when I'm there. LOL

I presume you did the East track? How was the windblast on the straightaway between 15 and 1? How about the whoop over turn 5? Did the front end float too much? I only ever take my Gen 1 SV there, so the FJ would be a completely different experience.

Nope. If he's hiding one thing, he'll hide more. Walk away and keep looking.

Of all your reasons, the shaft drive is the one that speaks the most to me. I positively hate chain maintenance. My riding buddy has an 07 FJR and he loves it. I've ridden it a couple of times and it's very nice. Kinda like the unshaven version of my BMW K1200GT. Also, it's as reliable as an anvil.

I don't have one on my FJ, but I've used them on other bikes. The position that works best with me is to have the top even with the windscreen, at the angle parallel to the windscreen. This creates a silky-smooth windflow, which I like.

Yesterday I fell off a ladder and broke my hand, so I wont be riding for 6-8 weeks. I'm pretty bummed. If anyone is in the NorCal area and wants to take any of them for a ride just let me know. Bikes are meant to be ridden! Take your pick, small, medium, or large.

Wow, all things considered you came out ok! Hooray for wearing proper riding gear and prepping the bike.

I commute on 50 miles of dead straight super slab, and for that task I pump up to 40/42. For fun riding on the twisties I set it at 33/36.

I'll take a look at that, thanks!

I do, but unfortunately in this area the maps were not accurate, so I needed the satellite view to see what was really there. For example, look at this (which is what originally tripped me up) Google Maps Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. the road shows as dead end, but when you switch to satellite view you see that it's actually there, it's just not mapped. I ran into a couple of these in the area. It's a spaghetti bowl of forest roads in here, I can't blame the Google folks for not getting them all right.

Yesterday I unexpectedly found myself with a few hours free time, so I decided to go ride up in Plumas County, specifically the Genessee-Beckwourth Rd. I had recently given it as a recommendation, and since I'd not been on it for a few years I wanted to check it out. This is a tiny (sometimes one lane), out-of-the-way road that connects two small towns through remote country that is dotted with gravel and dirt forest roads. There are faster ways to get from one town to the other, so there's little reason to go on this road, other than the sheer joy of riding it. So I quickly punched in the directions into my phone and headed up the mountains. I got onto this glorious road, and within 15 minutes I realized I was not on the right road. I hadn't actually checked the details on Google maps before leaving, and the route led me through shorter, but gravel roads. I had no cell coverage, so I couldn't download the needed details onto the map, and my rookie mistake, I did not take my trusty paper maps. I spent an hour crisscrossing gravel roads, trying to get to the right one, to no avail. So I pulled the plug and backtracked out of the wilderness on the shortest possible gravel road back. Just another reminder to myself, technology is awesome, but old school sometimes saves the day.

I absolutely hate chain maintenance, so I mostly ignore it, and accept that by so doing I severely reduce the life of the chain. But even under those abusive conditions it's never gone less than 10k.

That's easy. Hitchhiking is illegal there, and since there's a prison nearby, if anyone is trying to hitchhike, they let out a bunch of inmates to chase away the hitchhikers. Thus, as the escaping hitchhikers escape the inmates that are chasing them, you should be careful not to hit them. What's so hard to understand? 😄

wow, that's gorgeous!!

Yes to all the above. The grade on LaPorte isn't as steep as Sonora or Ebbets Pass, but NVZ is correct in that how the road is laid out on the steeper section, including some gnarly decreasing radius turns with zero room for error (and I mean 1,000 foot drop if you overcook it), it's a better experience going uphill on it. Here's the simplified version: you essentially have 4 delicious roads crossing the mountains in this general area. North to south they are: 1. Hwy 70 (Feather River Canyon) 2. Hwy 162 (Bucks Lake Rd, aka Oro Quincy Hwy) 3. LaPorte Rd 4. Hwy 49 (Downieville Rd) Of these, Hwy 70 and Hwy 49 can be enjoyed either direction, there isn't clearly a better direction than the other. Of the other two: Hwy 162 is best enjoyed going West to East and LaPorte Rd is best enjoyed East to West. You can easily do all 4 in a day. I would start at the bottom, go first on Downieville Rd up into the mountains, then connect with LaPorte Rd, back down off the mountains, then connect with Hwy 162 up the mountains, and from Quincy go back to the valley via Hwy 70. This is a great day ride, which still gives you plenty of time before or after to head to your next destination. Something like this Google Maps

Good tip! I don't often stop for food (cuts into the riding time!), but for a good recommendation I'll make an exception, then keep going after that (Like I used to stop at the Fat Bottom Grill in Portola all the time).

This is the area we were planning on riding this summer. Damn the coronavirus. Stunning area! I can't wait to see it for myself.

The problem I have with comparing tires is that I've never spooned on a fresh set of tires when my existing tires were also fresh. So I always end up comparing the outgoing, worn tire to a beautiful new, grippy tire. It's really hard for me to compare for this reason - my memory of the outgoing tire when it was new is tainted by its current subpar performance. That being said, I've been happy with the PR and Road 5 series, the BT0x series.

It is SO hard not to ride it WFO!!

I have a close buddy that moved from Boston to Robbinsville, NC a few years ago, and he would not stop talking about the NC roads, especially the dragon. He'd send pictures and articles, and they all looked legitimately great. But he just went on and on. A couple of years ago he and a riding buddy had the chance to come out and ride a week with me here. Two days into our ride, we had hit 32, 96, Callahan Rd, Mattole Rd, and had just finished the Hwy 1 stretch between Legget and Ft. Bragg, we stopped for a meal and my friend's bud came out and said "you know what, I'm going to shut up about The Dragon. Sure, it's great, but I've realized that here it would be just another good road." That being said, I'm very much looking forward to spending a week with him in NC and riding the treasures they have there. They look amazing!

There's a lot to ride in this neck of the woods. When you do come up this way drop me a line, let me know how many hours of saddle time you want, and the kind of riding you like best. I can help craft a route for you.