Northbay commuters

[GetOuttaMyWay]

What do you guys think of the commute from Oakland to Santa Rosa? Im pretty early in the process but talking to some some folks next week in downtown Santa Rosa about an opportunity. I'm in North oakland and my commute for the last 10 years has been less then 2 miles. Figuring it's reverse flow and I can take the FZ most of the time but I wonder if the distance/time will wear on me.

 

[JMardy]

Whatever it is will be SO much better than being in a car.
Guaranteed. It's a long ride though.

 

[davidji]

Figuring it's reverse flow and I can take the FZ most of the time but I wonder if the distance/time will wear on me.

What FZ? I don't see one listed under your name.

What is likely to wear on you is buying gas every day, if it's one of the modern FZs with a tiny tank and short range. In contrast my 1st gen FZ1 could do 230-250 miles per tank freeway commuting. Which if your commute is 60-65 miles one way is almost good enough to be convenient. Whatever FZ you have there are probably better choices for that commute.

Spending a couple of hours on a bike commuting isn't terrible. But it's obviously not as good as walking or bicycling a 2 mile commute.

 

[GetOuttaMyWay]

Yeah it's a gen2 fz1 so I would be filling up daily. There's a station right near my house at my on/off ramp but that could get old quick.

 

[gixxerjeff]

I've been doing a Vallejo/Santa Rosa thing for a few months now.
Reverse commute but your're slabbing it the entire way....shame, so many great roads so close by.
Regardless, the ride will be worth it. Santa Rosa is a cool place to be. :cool

 

[FXCLM5]

It maybe reverse, but you get gridlock in San Rafael, Marin, Novato, Petaluma, check the wave estimated arrival time.

It's gridlock at 1-2pm on Saturdays so rush hour is even worst, but good luck maybe smart train? :laughing

 

[gixxerjeff]

I ride a motorcycle.
I am not familiar with your term *gridlock*.

 

[KooLaid]

Buy a "utility can" and keep it filled at home, holds almost 6 gallons. This way you're making less gas station stops on days you just don't have the time.

 

[SlideSF]

I'm sure it goes against the spirit of a motorcycle forum, but you might consider riding to San Rafael, parking, and taking the SMART train to Santa Rosa. It's a great way to beat the traffic. I know they have free parking near the station, although I have not checked it out for motorcycle parking.

 

[gixxerjeff]

The SMART train is da-bomb!
Best kept secret in the north bay. (part of the problem)
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2...s-to-extend-sales-tax-to-fund-transit-system/

 

[GetOuttaMyWay]

Sounds like a time sink, but not a bad idea if I want to break things up a bit. I live 3 blocks away from a bart station... would be cool if the SMART train actually connected to something.

 

[FXCLM5]

I ride a motorcycle.
I am not familiar with your term *gridlock*.

U cray to split on the 101 stretch of Petaluma rise, the cars can't stay in the narrow ass lines complete with concrete dividers on both sides, everywhere else is ok but I wouldn't want to split 1hr day in and day out on 101, due to that specific stretch that has not been completed in the last 10+ years

 

[sjuels]

So, Richmond bridge is a shitshow in the morning.
Hwy 37 is just plain dumb.
Any traffic around Petaluma is dangerous, because of clueless, entitled drivers.
But I would support the SMART train suggestion, and also; commutes eat your energy and life - only one I ever had that didn't was bear Creek Rd.

/Soren

 

[S21FOLGORE]

I did “San Rafael to Santa Rosa” commute, from 2007 to 2016.

I also have done “San Francisco to Mill Valley” , “Berkeley to Mill Valley” , “Mill Valley to Berkeley” over the years.

From my experience, I can tell you a few things ...

1 Crossing bridge commute is something I would like to avoid.

I have had GG Bridge shutting down problem while I was doing SF - Mill Valley, I was stuck on Richmond - San Rafael bridge once because of multiple car accident. (The accident happened on the upper deck. They had to shut down the upper deck, so that ambulance and tow truck can come from Marin county side.)

When I was doing “Mill Valley to Berkeley”, the bridge was closed (from about 8PM to next morning) due to storm + high tide.

If you do the bridge commuting long enough, sooner or later, one of these things will happen.

2 The long commute WILL wear out you AND your vehicle.

Again, that depends on how long you do that commute, also depends on your vehicle set up.

When I was doing “San Rafael to Santa Rosa” commute, I was mostly commuting on my DD (’92 NA6 Miata).
I did ride my motorcycle every once in a while, but the commute was mostly on just 101, there’s no fun (on a motorcycle, to me), due to the time I was commuting, there was no traffic jam, so I did most of the commute on my NA6.

When I started this commute, I had RE01 (Potenza) on my car. They usually lasted about 12 months before I had to replace them. When RE01 was discontinued, I switched to RE11 (RE01’s successor). I still had to buy a set of new tires from Tire Rack every year.
When I started commuting, I had a set of STANCE coil-over kit. Over the years, not only they get worn out internally, but also, one night, when I went over the bump (in construction zone on 101) one of the top hat mounting bolt of the left rear shock broke off.

If you commute from North Oakland to Santa Rosa on the motorcycle, you will very quickly wear out tires and suspension internal, and possibly drive chain and sprocket, brake pads.

3 Every once in a while, I had to take the back road due to the construction.
Depending on what time in the day you are commuting, this may or may not be a problem.

 

[boney]

The north bay has some really odd traffic patterns these days. Besides the never-ending construction project between Novato and Petaluma, as well as the daily Richmond Bridge backup, there is now a crazy all-day traffic pattern from the east. I suspect a huge part of it is displaced residents (from last year's fires) and the related onslaught of contractors and whatnot who don't live here.

Coming out of Petaluma in the afternoons and heading east (I can't give you 101 S intel- I don't go that way) is mayhem. In the event you can't cross the Richmond Bridge, you'd be stuck with 37 or HWY 12 to get over to 80, or heading all the way into SF.

If you're willing to ride ALL THE TIME then it can be minimized as best as a motorcycle can. But getting in a car? Ugh. Shoot me now.

 

[GetOuttaMyWay]

So, Richmond bridge is a shitshow in the morning.
Hwy 37 is just plain dumb.
Any traffic around Petaluma is dangerous, because of clueless, entitled drivers.
But I would support the SMART train suggestion, and also; commutes eat your energy and life - only one I ever had that didn't was bear Creek Rd.

/Soren

I noticed the major red area on google maps this am was the Richmond bridge approach and either coming into Petaluma or SR from the south. With the bridge shitshow is it alright on a Moto using the carpool tollbooth or is it jacked regardless?

Also wondering if there's a lot of Moto commuters on the 580+101 and cagers are used to them? The only time I really ride that area is coming back from the coast on weekends so it's a different scene.