One of the best in the world! - Skaggs Springs and is in California

Sgt Bilco

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At our West Mids meeting on Tuesday we were yacking about the best roads and this is my favourite.

It`s called Skaggs Springs and is in California, just north of San Francisco and goes from Geyserville across to Stewarts point on Highway 1. The first third is a steady ride through vineyards etc then you go past a resevoir and hit this fantastic bit of tarmac that goes on for around 12 miles. It was built by the US Army I believe as an exercise for their sappers and winds up and down through the hills.

The tarmac is very grippy but is cracking slighty but this has no effect. The cambers are just right and the rode is like a roller coaster. Speed limit is 35mph :eek: but at about 60-70 mph it`s unbelievable peg scraping heaven no matter what you are riding. You have to be brave but it`s just like riding on a track and the corners flow beautifully. After the 12 miles or so, it reverts to a lovely winding road through the hills until you get to the coast.

If you are heading down highway 1, this is a must to ride. I`ve done on GS`s to Harleys and it just makes me grin like an idiot every time!
 

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Schtum

You lucky, lucky boy and the roads in Marin County are fantastic. Nice friendly beemer dealer in San Rafael as well. If you do have time, run up to the Skaggs. It will add around 3 hours on your run and it`s worth every second!!

Also, make sure you stop at Alice`s on the Skyline boulevard for a coffee.

I`m next there in September......can`t wait
.
 
Schtum

You lucky, lucky boy and the roads in Marin County are fantastic. Nice friendly beemer dealer in San Rafael as well. If you do have time, run up to the Skaggs. It will add around 3 hours on your run and it`s worth every second!!

Also, make sure you stop at Alice`s on the Skyline boulevard for a coffee.

I`m next there in September......can`t wait
.


Thanks Bilco, I'm hooking up with some guys I know via Adv Rider and the Bike Magazine forum and this guy......

The whole deal is here......

http://www.bikersoracle.com/gs/forum/showthread.php?t=839

It's actually our 4th year in a row in the Western USA and 5th in total, so I've been up to Alice's a couple of times before.
 
Schtum

Seems you know it well and need no help from me:thumb

Just joined bikeoracle myself so see you on there.
 
We're currently holed-up (that's a good ol' cowboy term for those with dirty minds....:rolleyes:) in a small wooden house in Los Altos, having driven down from Portland Oregon yesterday. We fly back into Edinburgh on Friday so this year's fix of the Western USA is nearly over.

Here's a wee pic of yours truly in the middle of the Golden Gate....

313314161_RHYmm-L.jpg


....and some more details here.....

http://www.bikersoracle.com/gs/forum/showpost.php?p=6799&postcount=16
 
We're currently holed-up (that's a good ol' cowboy term for those with dirty minds....:rolleyes:) in a small wooden house in Los Altos, having driven down from Portland Oregon yesterday. We fly back into Edinburgh on Friday so this year's fix of the Western USA is nearly over.

Here's a wee pic of yours truly in the middle of the Golden Gate....

313314161_RHYmm-L.jpg


....and some more details here.....

http://www.bikersoracle.com/gs/forum/showpost.php?p=6799&postcount=16


How much did you pay to hire the 12, I pressume you did hire?

DD...:thumb
 
How much did you pay to hire the 12, I pressume you did hire?

DD...:thumb

By the time I'd added the full insurance package it wasn't cheap - nearly $500 for two days.

Dubbelju's rates are here.....

http://www.dubbelju.com/ratesineng.htm

ISTR that San Jose BMW would have been a bit cheaper but they were quite a long way away from our hotel. Also, Dubbelju were the only company I could find who'd supply me with a low seat and a RAM ball for my GPS.

Having said all that, in the course of organising the holiday, I had an amazing range of offers which included people wanting to loan me motorcycles.

One of the best was from Terra Mostro....

http://www.terramostro.com/

...whose MD said that they weren't set up to do rental but he'd gladly loan me a bike for a couple of days and also offered to show me around. Had I not been so pushed for time - I only had two days to ride the Bay Area, starting the day after we landed at SFO late on a Friday night - I'd have pursued his offer a bit more.

The other thing of note is that the guy who showed me around some of his favourite goat tracks in the Bay Area is an Irishman named Jack Walshe. I first met Jack in SF in '99 and he was the guy who featured in the "7 Days in California" feature in the June issue of Bike Magazine. Jack's indicated that if anyone else is interested in being shown around the Bay Area, he'll consider doing so. The big deal about that for me was that it gave me immediate access to places and roads I'd probably never have found if I'd just rented a bike and headed out on my own.
 


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