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cheez's California Video Commute mishaps (and other riding vids!)

I grew up on the other end of mines- one mine up Mt. Hamilton Rd. off Alum Rock. The run to the observatory and out to the junction for burger and beer, remained my personal racetrack for most of my life until moving to CO and now TX. Enjoy one of the most technical roads in the world.
 
Oh, and I lane split for 20 years too, successfully until a little event on Montegue coming home one night, where my ST1100 got clipped and knocked down, by a vietnamese guy who could not speak english and denied he hit me. The officer said "the marks on your car show otherwise"..
 
I learned to ride in the Bay, such a beautiful place. My first long ride included going over Mt Hamilton, I loved it.
 
The small california foothills old horse drawn wagon roads in the foothills around 49 and Commanche Lake and just about anywhere off 49 into the sierra foothills are to die for as well.
 
And, having Mt Hamilton as one's first long ride would be as draining as doing an Ironbutt Saddlesore 1000 any day of the week.
 
Yeah, people were surprised it was my first one once we got talking once we reached the observatory. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.
 
I went to high school at James Lick, about 4 miles from Mt Hamilton rd. and alum rock ave. The dude in charge of the observatory went to the same high school 3 year before I graduated. we'd hang on Sunday a.m. at around 6:30 and I'd get the history lesson of a lifetime. In the late 90's they opened a previously unlocked safe and found a gifted pistol from a US President for the opening! Virgin piston still in case. 100+ years old. Mt. Hamilton is the gold standard for technical riding in CA. Get real good at it before heading to the Isle of Mann.
 
I went to high school at James Lick, about 4 miles from Mt Hamilton rd. and alum rock ave. The dude in charge of the observatory went to the same high school 3 year before I graduated. we'd hang on Sunday a.m. at around 6:30 and I'd get the history lesson of a lifetime. In the late 90's they opened a previously unlocked safe and found a gifted pistol from a US President for the opening! Virgin piston still in case. 100+ years old. Mt. Hamilton is the gold standard for technical riding in CA. Get real good at it before heading to the Isle of Mann.

I've taken to calling SH130 "The Isle of Ham" personally, even though it's been congested with cagers seeking out the nearby snow as of late.

If doing Mines Road first, it's "Mines over Mt. Hammy." :D
 
Well, I rode a B&S 5 HP minibike up to about 2 miles form th eobservatory (past Kincaid road) when I was around 13 to see the snow. Never got a ticket on that road despite myriad abuses of speed and vehicle compliance. Well, I did get one, but we won't talk about that as it was more of a "Cheech and Chong" thing when I was 16. Dang, I'm 64 now and survived it all. My pop was the superintendent of the East Side Union High School District, so I could do nothing wrong without getting caught. Now, if you are ever coming off the Mt. Hamilton side, go down Alum rock 1/4 mile turn R on Mckee Rd, go about 1/2 mile and eat and have a beer at Antipastos. Ask for Nick De Rose the owner and tell him Ed sent you. Nick and the gang there are die hard Hamilton riders and longtime "sport" touring buddies.
 
I'm surprised there aren't more $1000 challenges. The bikes are awesome. Thought they would all be choppers (which would be even tougher to do for $10000. Glad to see other bikes like the SV650 in the mix. Lots of good video too. Thanks for posting.
 
Beautiful roads. I learned to ride on those roads, I wish I rode them more frequently. Now it all feels like a distant dream, but good times were had.

I definitely miss riding in very foresty roads.
 
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CA-4 East to West (the road that convinced me to move to California)
I enjoy the videos and I recognize some of the Bay Area highways but not the smaller back roads away from the Bay. Can you post a little snippet of Google Maps showing your route when you post videos like this one? It would be nice to put 2 + 2 together.
 
I'm surprised he didn't lose a right side mirror during that encounter. :lol2:
I'm not of a very violent nature. Vocal, sure. Violent, not so much.

I enjoy the videos and I recognize some of the Bay Area highways but not the smaller back roads away from the Bay. Can you post a little snippet of Google Maps showing your route when you post videos like this one? It would be nice to put 2 + 2 together.
Sure! I'll edit the post above with some maps.
 
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Sure! I'll edit the post above with some maps.
That was helpful. I didn't ride back then and although I lived in Modesto I didn't venture off of 99 very much other than to go to Yosemite one or two times. It appears that I really missed the boat on some good riding.

I did drive this road one day and even though I was the one doing the driving I thought I was going to get carsick; I'd like to try it again on a bike.

Screenshot 2021-06-08 4.11.18 AM.png
 
That was helpful. I didn't ride back then and although I lived in Modesto I didn't venture off of 99 very much other than to go to Yosemite one or two times. It appears that I really missed the boat on some good riding.

I did drive this road one day and even though I was the one doing the driving I thought I was going to get carsick; I'd like to try it again on a bike.

View attachment 294859
130 over Mt. Hamilton is one of my more frequent jaunts, but it's not very common I do both the DPC (Patterson-Junction) and Mt. Ham (Junction-San Jose) in one shot, instead coming down Mines from Livermore and making a loop to either the east or west. I do a lot of Mines -> Mt. Ham -> Calaveras Rd. in a big loop just because it's fun and easy and pretty much literally my backyard.
 
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