Bear Creek Road basically sucks in a car, lol

[Bay Arean]

I think it would be a great place to experience tank slap! You all go right ahead and try it.

 

[W800]

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.

Agreed - I never rode it before they "fixed" it, but it's nasty. The reason is that it looks like you can go much faster than you really can. A friend and I rode it Saturday, and he ended up way behind me. The reason was that I ride it about once every couple weeks for some masochistic reason, so I have subconsciously memorized where the bumps are!!!

The other thing I learned is to never really sit down - even when I am sitting, I have a lot of weight on the pegs so the bike can pivot if it needs to. When I feel it getting unsettled, I put more weight on the pegs. IDK if I learned this from dirt, since it's been so long ago - but it really does remind me of riding a hard fire road or something.

That last ride got me really thinking about new shocks, BTW! The factory shocks on my retro bike are true retro, unfortunately. My gut tells me that less compression damping and more rebound damping would probably work well for that road.

 

[Slow Goat]

Alhambra/BearCreek/Wildcat is my backyard ride and yeah, it looks like it’d be fast but you better know the road and your bike to burn it up.

I still enjoy it as it’s got fun lines* and a nice landscape.

*As long as the farm trucks and Briones hikers aren’t in the way.

 

[Maddevill]

Grizzly Peak has a lot of new pavement and is pretty nice. Just too much traffic. Redwood is an acquired taste. You can go through pretty quick but you will get jolted. Kind of like Polomares.

Mad

 

[W800]

Alhambra/BearCreek/Wildcat is my backyard ride and yeah, it looks like it’d be fast but you better know the road and your bike to burn it up.

I still enjoy it as it’s got fun lines* and a nice landscape.

*As long as the farm trucks and Briones hikers aren’t in the way.

Agreed re: Alhambra! The bumps and narrowness and bikes and stuff make it like riding trials or something!!! Add in some off-cambers and farm trucks that come out of nowhere and it's definitely spicy.

I like to take 80 to Pinole Valley Road, then continue on Alhambra Valley Road, then Bear Creek Road. Want to start exploring some of the other ones too. Although the nice thing about learning a road really well is that you tend to know it well.

 

[Bay Arean]

Agreed re: Alhambra! The bumps and narrowness and bikes and stuff make it like riding trials or something!!! Add in some off-cambers and farm trucks that come out of nowhere and it's definitely spicy.

I like to take 80 to Pinole Valley Road, then continue on Alhambra Valley Road, then Bear Creek Road. Want to start exploring some of the other ones too. Although the nice thing about learning a road really well is that you tend to know it well.

I grew up in Martinez and know it well. What is really scary is the shady spot where its kind of narrow. THis is about 1/2 mile east of the old Pig Farm as you head towards Mtz. The sun never shines there. That spot haunts me as a potential accident.

 

[W800]

I grew up in Martinez and know it well. What is really scary is the shady spot where its kind of narrow. THis is about 1/2 mile east of the old Pig Farm as you head towards Mtz. The sun never shines there. That spot haunts me as a potential accident.

Ya - went that way on Saturday with a friend. Totally narrow and dark! No way to see if road is wet or not, either.

 

[Climber]

I grew up in Martinez and know it well. What is really scary is the shady spot where its kind of narrow. THis is about 1/2 mile east of the old Pig Farm as you head towards Mtz. The sun never shines there. That spot haunts me as a potential accident.

My closest call in hitting a deer with a car (aside from the stupid one that ran into the side of my car) came along that stretch of the road. Fortunately, the BMW had really good brakes.

 

[W800]

My closest call in hitting a deer with a car (aside from the stupid one that ran into the side of my car) came along that stretch of the road. Fortunately, the BMW had really good brakes.

Yes - saw two deer Saturday. We were on Alhambra, south/e of Bear Creek Rd. - heading down into that first little settled area. One crossed in front of us, then a beeped my horn and another one was just getting ready - but luckily stopped.

 

[Slow Goat]

Deer, turkeys and squirrels

I totaled my moto avoiding two deer on Alhambra Valley back in May.
Juuuuuust missed the mama deer but kind of lost the front and boom, into the ditch. No injuries. Fuckers!

 

[W800]

I totaled my moto avoiding two deer on Alhambra Valley back in May.
Juuuuuust missed the mama deer but kind of lost the front and boom, into the ditch. No injuries. Fuckers!

Dang! Sorry to hear it. Glad no injuries!!!!

 

[Eldritch]

I totaled my moto avoiding two deer on Alhambra Valley back in May.
Juuuuuust missed the mama deer but kind of lost the front and boom, into the ditch. No injuries. Fuckers!

I had the same thing happen in 2008 at 15th and California, except instead of Deer it was Hobos!

 

[W800]

I had the same thing happen in 2008 at 15th and California, except instead of Deer it was Hobos!

Lol, for humans you probably already know the safest drill. Shout MOVE and hard brake, but don't steer. Reason is that the pedestrian will see your initial countersteer and instinctively walk into your path.