Bear Creek Road basically sucks in a car, lol

[W800]

Today went with friend for a drive in my car. We took Bear Creek Road towards Orinda. We had fun, but OMG - I never realized how bumpy that road really is!

On a bike, I just stand up on the pegs for the big bumps. But in the car I could feel them hard!

Also, lots of bicycles and since I am nice I give them wide berth. So much easier to do on bike.

My car is a 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe with the Summer Tire option (19 inch wheels, big disks, auto leveling suspension, etc.). It's really fun on smooth roads but on bumpy roads I am learning it's basically punishment!!!

Might do again however without passenger, lol. Might feel better faster.

Anyways, it was kind of trippy to me how the road was so different!!!

 

[Butch]

Yeah, two tracks to accommodate make for a different trip. All that other stuff too.
I took my ‘73 Porsche 914 for romp on Mt Hamilton today. Different than a moto, eh?
Enjoy the challenge.

Edit, oops, wrong car, but hey...

 

[W800]

Yeah, two tracks to accommodate make for a different trip. All that other stuff too.
I took my ‘73 Porsche 914 for romp on Mt Hamilton today. Different than a moto, eh?
Enjoy the challenge.

Edit, oops, wrong car, but hey...

Nice! I like the color too!!!

ETA: - plus, all my lines were wrong. It was actually more like "no possible line" since the road is so narrow and I don't cross double yellows.

 

[Abacinator]

I shouldn't be but I'm always dumbfounded when I see people hauling ass on that piece of shit road. Between the crappy surface, cyclists, and idiotic drivers, it's a sketchy one.

 

[Climber]

Before the repave, that was a great road to ride, there was only 1 bump on the entire road and the rest smooth and easily supporting triple digit rides.

They really fucked up that road when they repaved in about 10 (or so) years ago. Two riders lost their lives within 2 months after they repaved it do to the numerous bumps introduced with the thoroughly shitty job of repaving.

 

[W800]

I shouldn't be but I'm always dumbfounded when I see people hauling ass on that piece of shit road. Between the crappy surface, cyclists, and idiotic drivers, it's a sketchy one.

On a bike it's kind of fun (to me at least) after you make a few runs and memorize where the bumps are. Alhambra Valley road is same way.

 

[W800]

Before the repave, that was a great road to ride, there was only 1 bump on the entire road and the rest smooth and easily supporting triple digit rides.

They really fucked up that road when they repaved in about 10 (or so) years ago. Two riders lost their lives within 2 months after they repaved it do to the numerous bumps introduced with the thoroughly shitty job of repaving.

Interesting. Wonder if the county paved it that way intentionally? Alhambra Valley road is same way.

The way it is now you will be in a corner, hit a bump, then get kicked over to an all new line. So your lines are more like "desired" lines.

There's also a spot by the last trail head when you are coming down towards the power substation that will literally cause air.

The thing about roads like this, IMHO is that they make one a better rider on smooth roads.

They still suck though!

 

[Climber]

Interesting. Wonder if the county paved it that way intentionally? Alhambra Valley road is same way.

The way it is now you will be in a corner, hit a bump, then get kicked over to an all new line. So your lines are more like "desired" lines.

There's also a spot by the last trail head when you are coming down towards the power substation that will literally cause air.

The thing about roads like this, IMHO is that they make one a better rider on smooth roads.

They still suck though!

I think it's was just thoroughly shitty paving, kind of like San Pablo Dam rd where it was already breaking down less than a year after repaving and that was during an extremely dry year.

Both riders that lost their live got put into the guard rails, I think both thought that the road would be better with the new paving and got caught out with the bumps introduced into the corners.

IDK how the fuck you can be a professional and do such an incredibly shitty job. The people doing the paving around that area have no pride in their work and the people setting the blend are thieves.

 

[W800]

I think it's was just thoroughly shitty paving, kind of like San Pablo Dam rd where it was already breaking down less than a year after repaving and that was during an extremely dry year.

Both riders that lost their live got put into the guard rails, I think both thought that the road would be better with the new paving and got caught out with the bumps introduced into the corners.

IDK how the fuck you can be a professional and do such an incredibly shitty job. The people doing the paving around that area have no pride in their work and the people setting the blend are thieves.

Might be worth it to do a Public Records Act Request and learn more about how this all happened. As a taxpayer in that county it's disturbing that the County would make a road unsafe like this. It's actually not impossible to get it repaved, especially given the accidents.

Local government gets away with crap like this because county supervisors often are not aware of these things. It's even worse when they are aware and do nothing.

 

[Abacinator]

It wasn't repaved. It was chip sealed

 

[KWeezyXB12]

i never really liked bear creek road. always some car that was pulling out from the shoulder or a drive way of a blind corner, i also noticed a lot of cars on that road making illegal u-turns just anywhere they desired because they missed summit road im guessing. i dunno if its true but there used to be rumors of a dude in a water truck that would spray the road down.

 

[AbsolutEnduser]

It wasn't repaved. It was chip sealed

^^^ this probably would explain it, ...assuming that it is correct (because I haven't seen the road)..

but..

IDK how the fuck you can be a professional and do such an incredibly shitty job. The people doing the paving ...

IMO a TON of re-made roads end up feeling bad/bumpy. "How" and "professional" are exactly the first words that come to my mind when I see new roads sometimes.
Many many new roads or highways that I've seen over the years have had bumps, holes, dents (drainage or other indentations), loose asphalt, etc ... would have quality problems.

I don't know if it's contractors, planners, materials, or oversight.. but it's not uncommon!

IMO "Why", "how" are they being redone if still have problems afterwards???

 

[W800]

It wasn't repaved. It was chip sealed

What is cheap sealing? Sounds like a shortcut? Like re-roofing by putting shingles on top of existing shingles?

 

[Abacinator]

Pretty much. It's just adding a layer of tar and gravel to the already shit surface.

 

[W800]

Pretty much. It's just adding a layer of tar and gravel to the already shit surface.

Oy vey! So that would explain the bumps, since I am guessing it makes everything worse.

Seems like I have seen these machines that can level this by grinding off the high parts or something?

That road is literally the dividing line between 3 county supervisors. Crazy.

 

[Maddevill]

Oy vey! So that would explain the bumps, since I am guessing it makes everything worse.

Seems like I have seen these machines that can level this by grinding off the high parts or something?

That road is literally the dividing line between 3 county supervisors. Crazy.

Old timers will remember Skyline before it got chip sealed. Was pretty smooth. Now there are bumps that smack you out of the seat. Especially on the North half. Great paving job. I was hoping they'd keep paving with the new asphalt like they did at the extreme north end. That's some good pavement right there.

Mad

 

[Bay Arean]

The thing about our locality is that when you build a road on Contra Costa clay and it has a lot of hills, you are going to have constant movement. I think it takes a lot of engineering and also, many very old roads have years and years of shale baserock built up. I don't know the history of that road, but it's entirely possible that when they went from a presumable small country road, they didn't take care to engineer it correctly.

I have been on that road many times because I spent a ton of fun times out at that particular entrance to Briones. I don't actually like using my bike on it either. Because it's so wide, a person wants to treat it like a real highway but the the aforementioned bumps penalize you for going fast on it.

I think its kind of a dangerous road but fortunately not so heavily-traveled that you have too many accidents.

 

[W800]

The thing about our locality is that when you build a road on Contra Costa clay and it has a lot of hills, you are going to have constant movement. I think it takes a lot of engineering and also, many roads have years and years of shale baserock built up. I don't know the history of that road, but it's entirely possible that when they went from a presumable small country road, they didn't take care to engineer it correctly.

I have been on that road many times because I spent a ton of fun times out at that particular entrance to Briones. I don't actually like using my bike on it either. Because it's so wide, a person wants to treat it like a real highway but the the aforementioned bumps penalize you for going fast on it.

I think its kind of a dangerous road but fortunately not so heavily-traveled that you have too many accidents.

Yes! In my car, couldn't really go much over 40 without getting jolted all around. Bike was a little better - but still not confidence inspiring.

 

[SFSV650]

Isn't Bear Creek one of the smoothest roads in these parts?
I've always found it a lot easier to handle than Skyline / Grizzly Peak / Redwood / Pinehurst, whether on two wheels or four.

 

[Climber]

Isn't Bear Creek one of the smoothest roads in these parts?
I've always found it a lot easier to handle than Skyline / Grizzly Peak / Redwood / Pinehurst, whether on two wheels or four.

It used to be, when I moved out to that area in 2002, there was only one bump on the whole road, about 200 meters from the top of the first big hill coming from Alhambra Valley rd, the rest of the road you could easily do triple digits on with full confidence.

Since the resurface, it has been one of the most horrible roads in the area. Absolutely shit job.

The sad part was that it really wasn't in bad shape at all before they screwed it up. They should have left it as is.