Okay, here's the rundown, more or less, for Saturday, August 23, Moto Meccanica RAT Ride:
Start at... Moto Meccanica, 1111 Petaluma Hill Rd, SR
9 - Coffee and donuts
9:15 - Rider's Mtg. and sign-in sheet
9:30 - Off we go
We have two routes to choose from, depending on the weather. If the temps are reasonable we'll go north toward Lakeport. If it looks like it will be a hot one, we'll go south along the coast.
Northern route:
101 north to Mark West Springs Rd. Out MWS and left onto Franz Valley Rd. This is a little gem of a backroad. Good pavement, lots of turns, and low traffic. That takes us to 128. This section of 128 going south to Tubbs Lane also has great turns and excellent pavement. Up over St. Helena Road - nicer going west to east - we make our first stop at Perry's Deli in Middletown. After a break at Perry's we head out on 175 to Cobb. Nice twisty road, can have some traffic. Then at Cobb we go left onto Bottle Rock Road. This is a great motorcycle road. Excellent road surface, lots of sweepers and very little traffic. That takes us to Hwy 29 just south of Kelseyville. We go north on 29 then make a left onto Hopland Grade. Hopland Grade is a twisty mountain road that demands your attention. The pavement is great, but there can be debris in the corners and the turns are tight. Watch for oncoming traffic. In Hopland we have two choices for lunch. The Bluebird Cafe has excellent food, specializing in burgers with a variety of meat selections. A little more spendy than your average deli. There is also a more basic burger joint next to the gas station at the south end of town... about a block and half south to be precise. Seating is outdoors and casual but the prices are lower and the burgers are pretty good. After lunch we can meander over Mt House Rd, about 8 miles of quiet and scenic but bumpy backroad, to 128, then south on 128 into Cloverdale. through Cloverdale we stay on Dutcher Creek Rd. which brings us to Dry Creek Rd. Dry Creek down to Healdsburg and 101 south to Moto Meccanica. Those who are in a hurry can slab it back to town on 101 from Hopland.
Southern route:
We'll head over to Tomales, then south on Hwy 1 to Pt Reyes Station for our first stop at the Bovine Bakery. Leave out of PRS going south on 1 until we end up at Mill Valley or Sausalito for our lunch stop. Even though it's tourist season, we should have a decent ride going south. Coming back on Hwy 1 there will be more traffic, but the cool breezes coming off the water make it worthwhile if it's a hot day.
Notes about these rides:
- All are welcome. Ride is organized so that riders are grouped according to ability.
- Bring water.
- Gas up before the ride.
- Have Fun, Ride Safe!
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