Ducati Monster Forum

Last weekend I went up to James Lick Observ. in a truck. I was dropped off to ride a scooter back down (fun). It has been a long time since I was on that road. I used to bicycle up there once in a while. I was thinking as we were going up the road that I would be in first gear, on my duc, a lot of the way up.

I was wondering what gear and how fast you all ascend/descend that road? Right now there is a fair amount of sand on the road because of the recent snow. I am more curious how you would ride it if it were clean.

Going up or down the Mt Hamilton side is fairly slow, because the sand & gravel is always there...even in summer. And there are a lot of hairpins that require a double-apex turn. Speeds are a bit higher when I ride up the other side via San Antonio Valley Rd from Mines Rd. Either way, everything back there is something of a goat trail so I tend to take it easy.

What Desmo said... that road should always be treated with a lot of respect.  It's a crappy place to go down with sketchy cell coverage, steep slopes, and distant emergency services.  In winter you can get snow; in summer it can be 100+.  Those aren't the conditions in which I'd like to be waitin' around for my helicopter ride.  Ask Scott Nelson what he things of that route.  A cattleguard decided to have his Monster for lunch.  Most folks who can and have gone fast there have E.R. stories to go with their bragging rights. 

And let's not forget that you can find tarantulas roaming the road in certain years. I was buzzing along on a ride one year and swerved to avoid a huge one in the road. I stopped to check it out, and the thing was 6" wide, just loping along the road. Pretty cool, actually.

Mines/San Antonio Valley/Mt. Hamilton is a great place to ride, but the key is to take it easy. It's not a racetrack, and the squids dragging knee as they pass you will eventually end up in the hospital. There are much better places to go fast...like residential neighborhoods.

It's a great road for a bicycle.   ;D

...or a supermoto ;D

+1, my vehicle of choice for there. [thumbsup]

Those hairy spiders are really cool. I've seen many of them mountain biking through Grant Ranch.

The reason I was wondering what others think is that some time ago on another forum there was a discussion of motorcycles that go too slow for that road and should stay off.  I just wondered what too slow is? I know I wouldn't go screaming up there. To read some of their statements, you would think that slowing down for a hairpin turn is sacrilegious.

Lemme guess...that "other forum" goes by a four-letter acronym meaning to vomit? If so, that kind of talk is not surprising. In any event, screw them. Mt. Hamilton Road is not a racetrack. If you're flying blind around corners at high speed, the burden of responsibility is on you. They've got no right to demand that others stay off that road.

Btw, this sounds like crazy-fun.   [thumbsup]

It was fun. It could have been steeper though. It's the most fun in dirt. I may take it to  Northstar this summer to use their lifts. I'll wrap myself in bubble wrap.

Perfect for that.

If you're going to push it on Mines, ride it often.  Otherwise enjoy the scenery.  Stay on your side of the road.