101 during rush hour truly blows

[Drunken Monkey]

I've had management meetings down at the Emerald City (Oracle HQ) for the last few days, and I have to say...

The 101 blows monkey chunks.

Saw two rear end collisions not 50 feet in front of me on the way in and had some jackass try and merge on top on me on the ride home.

I used to think city riding was "tough", but I now wish to revise my answer: The 101 is a demolition derby cleverly disguised as a freeway.

Any tips, beyond brandishing a firearm?

[ROBsS4R]

Yeah buy a helicopter 

Luckily for me I dont get into the office till after 10am so I miss the traffic but I have lane splitted from San Jose to SF and From San jose to Antioch on some really congested days.

Boy was I mentally drained 

[desmoquattro]

You might try taking 280 to 92. Sure, it's longer, but it may actually be faster.

[duqette]

Ahhhhhh, yes, Hwy 101. I live right off of it mid-Peninsula, so that's the freeway I take when I want to go anywhere. I ride up and back to and from SF all the time, and as far as I can tell there is no "rush hour." It's congested and unpredictable all the time.  Cagers don't pay attention, the construction has screwed up the lanes; it's a nightmare.

All I have to offer is this: Take your time. The road is one big pothole (except where it's newly paved, and that's slick).

 Watch out for rental cars around the airport. They are the late model American-made cars without a license plate frame. Those drivers are pretty much guaranteed to make some dumbmake the beast with two backs maneuver.

As you pass the It's It factory breathe deep. You never know when it's going to be chocolate cookie bake day....  Mmmmmm...

[mostrobelle]

You might try taking 280 to 92. Sure, it's longer, but it may actually be faster.

+1.

I avoid 101 like the plague.  Be careful on 280 though--lots of cops.  I had one of them pull out the radar gun on me while he was writing some cage a ticket a couple of weeks ago.  I'm sure it was sheer luck that the second cop a few miles up ahead (also writing another cager a ticket) was preoccupied at the time.  I seem to notice them mostly at that reservoir/body of water near the 92 junction.  g'luck.

[ducati_tim]

I lived that commute every day for three and a half years. Why do you think I have a stupid grin in the office every day? 

The 101 blows, but it is still better than any other route. 280 has cops and some of the most clueless soccer moms that I have ever seen, and 92 has the highest concentration of suburban cell phone talking morons that can cram on a five mile stretch of road. As for the 101, I think the hardest thing is not to give into temptation and join the other motos that are splitting at 40, 50 mph and above.

[gojira]

Yeah 101's always been sucky. 

Like duquette above, I'm just off it and it happens to be in the middle of the construction area where my northbound onramp's been narrowed and somewhat blinded by a temporary barricade. I can't count the number of close calls I've had at that point.

Plus the nice rut in the left most lanes that makes splitting tricky at times.

I agree with DQ ... 101 and 92 is the generally the better route. Yes, clueless drivers abound, but at least it's a nicer road surface than 101 these days.

[MendoDave]

I believe we were warned in the Matrix reloaded to "Never ever get on the 101" 

I usually do the 280-380-101 thing but then again I seldom go all the way down to Redwood shores.

[Desmostro]

I believe we were warned in the Matrix reloaded to "Never ever get on the 101" 

I usually do the 280-380-101 thing but then again I seldom go all the way down to Redwood shores.

   

+1   

I used to think city riding was "tough", but I now wish to revise my answer: The 101 is a demolition derby cleverly disguised as a freeway.

+11tyb 

I decided to mount automatic weapons on my bike after the last trip on the 101.

[darylbowden]

I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone, but the 101 is also a total PITA down here in LA as well.  Apparently, there is no escaping the evil of the 101, no matter where you are.

[desmoquattro]

I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone, but the 101 is also a total PITA down here in LA as well.  Apparently, there is no escaping the evil of the 101, no matter where you are.

Maybe Humboldt County

[Popeye the Sailor]

I learned to split on 101, on a thursday evening at rush hour going to the Zeitgeist. Getting on the single lane onramp, Jammen, true to form, decided to ride alongside the cars, cut through traffic, and take off at 50+.

I was left on my own-fun.


After that, the 101 never seemed so scary.

[ROBsS4R]

I learned to split on 101, on a thursday evening at rush hour going to the Zeitgeist. Getting on the single lane onramp, Jammen, true to form, decided to ride alongside the cars, cut through traffic, and take off at 50+.

I was left on my own-fun.


After that, the 101 never seemed so scary.

Hmm thats where I learned how to split as well. I still get scared shitless at times 

[duqette]

Yeah 101's always been sucky. 

Like duqette above, I'm just off it and it happens to be in the middle of the construction area where my northbound onramp's been narrowed and somewhat blinded by a temporary barricade. I can't count the number of close calls I've had at that point.

Are you referring to the Peninsula St. on/off-ramp?  It's about 2" wide, made largely blind by the barriers, treated like a go-kart track by the oncoming traffic, and even has built-in speed bumps and a challenging little jog in it just before you merge with the rest of the insanity on North 101. It's a test of your true desire to ride a motorcycle. "That which does not kill me will probably require a change of pants." 

[B.Rock]

I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone, but the 101 is also a total PITA down here in LA as well.  Apparently, there is no escaping the evil of the 101, no matter where you are.

I used to live immediately adjacent to the 101 in the SF Valley. Do you remember the bad old days of 2 lanes each way on that? 
So, 101 in LA is bad but it's not nearly like it is up here. There it sort of makes sense. In the bay it is like someone took every bad piece of freeway and stuck it together. As a freeway engineer I'm professional offended by that thing. And every time they work on it between SJ and SF they do some other stupid crap. Even up in Santa Rosa it's an amazing cement abortion. Interchanges that don't connect, weird lane tapers, lane drops in the #3 lane [out of 4], ramps that don't go anywhere, cement slabs that pre-date WW2...
None of that takes away from the horror of the 405/101 split though.