What are your favourite major roads?

Posted by: @mrsponz

I may not see that for a while here in Calif cause of the Coronavirus lock-down. 

Live in touge heaven and have the original Sierra Nevada in the back garden so to speak but.... four weeks into lockdown now. 

The situation is well under way of being under control now but free roamning top down fun.... not in a few weeks I think 😥 

It´s neccessary and a luxury problem, but with nature exploding in an abundance of flowers and living right ín a network of mountain roads it does itch.

@dev

Lol. I'm glad. I had a broken flex pipe a few weeks back and that was LOUD. But it didn't sound good. I hope yours is loud and sounds good.

Random: Here are some pics of a spyder I randomly saw at a used car lot while driving somewhere. It's an 01, 130k miles. Looked like an aftermarket exhaust manifold and a raptor muffler was installed. Underside was very rusty. Any idea what front lip this is?

It’s loud but a good loud. I wish it was a  quieter but then it wouldn’t sound as nice. When it’s on the high cam people have commented that is sounds exotic or like a liter bike. It just surprised me especially since my neighborhood is dead quiet these days.

You guys aren't allowed to go out for recreational purposes? Here outdoor recreations is allowed... Hiking, biking, just taking a walk, etc.... As long as people maintain social distancing parameters. 

Our shelter orders literally have the "etc" at the end of the allowance for recreation, so I take that as "I am allowed to go for a drive if I feel like it"

Weather permitting, my top will be down. If I get pulled over and asked to state my business I will respond with "recreation." If inquiry persists I will mention how I was perfectly socially distanced while going down the road until the citizen contact came about.

Here in Central California,  I could go out for a drive and may, sometime soon (rain this week), mostly haven't lately due to working too much.  I am grateful to have work at this time when so many people are out of work.  If I'm able to get out soon,  I'll try to remember to take some pictures to post.  It's absolutely gorgeous outside in the spring here!

Posted by: @ria

Drove the tail of the dragon for the 1st time a few weeks back.

... it got me thinking, what other roads are worth taking a detour for?

You may find these sites useful.

www.motorcycleroads.com

www.sundaymorningrides.com

Be advised that the suggested roads are often clogged with motorcycle traffic.

I can be at the foot of the Scottish Highlands 45 minutes after leaving my house, less if I'm on the Z100SX. I normally hit Tyndrum for a coffee, then through Glen Coe (Part of Skyfall was filmed here) up and round into Oban, down to Inverary then home. 213 miles all told.

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As I wrote I live smack bang in the middle of touge road heaven. To the next village or the nearest larger supermarket it´s wonderful mountain roads.

To and fro a gf at the coast or simply for the hack of it, there is a sheer endless variety of local roads between the coast and the southern mountain range which stretches from Jerez to Murcia.

Because they go from coastal villages up to and through mountain villages there is nó though traffic nor touring motorbikes. Only on the better known there are cyclists on Sundays. The Spyder is ideal for them. Anything larger, wider, more powerful would be overkill and only more dangerous, not quicker. One of my favorites is from Almuñecar up the A4050 all the way up to the outskirts of Granada. Then westwards on the A385 and subsequent roads, past Alhama, Zafarraya and continue over the A341 and MA4100 back to the farm.

That observed just about áll the roads ging up into the mountains from the coast are a joy. From Estepona to beyond Almeria, it does not matter where you turn north from the A340, it is all drivers´ fun through great views. Take the Michelin map for Andalucia and forget the GPS. Múch more fun that way. 

Thanks for posting this.  I am not familiar with the region where you live.  I would love to see some pictures of the area(s) you are describing, if you have time to post some and are so inclined.

@uncle-mush

Have a google for the ´carretera N340´ in Spain.

It runs from Huelva in the southwest all along the coast first to the southeast corner and then up to end in Barcelona.

It was first started by the romans as Via Augusta. 

Glendora Mountain Road aka. "GMR" in Southern California.

It has 2 entrances, either Azusa or Glendora.

The Glendora side (pictured below), starts with long/aggressive uphill switchbacks and favors cars with a bit more power than ours.  Speeds are fairly high here (60ish).  Going downhill on this section at speed is what gets a lot of drivers in trouble.  Because of the nature of the switchbacks you have a good idea of on-coming traffic ahead of you.

The Azusa side (not pictured) starts off fairly tame as a highway.  You cross a bridge and make your way through a small town and then up a very technical part of the mountain.  Low speed, thin lanes; you're sitting up in your seat the entire time looking around your left A-Pillar and rarely ever deep in 3rd gear.  This is where our cars were meant to shine (40ish).  Only motorcyclists are having a better time than us here.

Both entrances finally meet at the top of a 3 way hill (pictured below).  This lookout spot is pretty famous for anyone that knows this road.  You always stop and chat.  You can continue downhill either side.

There is a third route that people rarely continue to.  This is Glendora Ridge Mt. Baldy Loop.  It basically follows the top of the mountain and is a fairly flat single-lane road.  It actually great for cyclists.  It is the least populated of the three routes and still my favorite.  It's peaceful and unnerving at the same time.  No cell service and no gravity to bring you back down if you get stuck up here.  

At the entrance to the Azusa Canyon Road there is also a damn area that attracts a lot of off-road cars as well.  There is an outdoor gun range half way up the Azusa Side (Burro Canyon) and a small state park that has fishing/camping areas.  This is all a couple of miles north of the 210 freeway.  Hidden Gem of an area.

@petrus

Love the graphics! I'm always playing with the idea of doing something crazy with vinyl wraps and your samurai makes me want to pull the trigger.

@oldman 

Thanks. I'm going to look through those sites to plan roadtrip routes.

Posted by: @scotched

Glendora Mountain Road Only motorcyclists are having a better time than us here.

 

Raced motorbikes for over two decades and rode them on the rode almost by principle and  there are some snags.

Mountain roads are almost as a rule very hard tarmac to stop it flowing downwards on hot summer days meaning limited grip. The insides of the hairpins get REAL slippery through wear.  Pushing anything near spiritedly on a motorbike mean you can only ride a lighter bike because you WILL have front wheel slides. The Spyder is imo móre fun: You do not have to wear sweltering protective gear, not a helmet and if you get it wrong which you WILL when driving spiritedly, you mostly get away with a scratch or dent on the tin instead of your skin. 

Point is that you can push a car to right on the edge whereas a bike not so. Secondly a car is éver so much quicker through corners. With only short stretches between corners, there is NO WAY a motorbike is as quick as a car and because they ride very different lines and accellerate a lot quicker, there is no way to get past them so if I get behind some alway peel off for a coffee at the next opportunity. That observed and being master of my time, I avoid the routes/times either they of cyclists are out. 

I just came back from a drive. I usually start out slow for the first drive to make sure everything is safe and no issues with the engine. As I was coming home I hit lift in third and at max torque I felt the rear pull. I think its just the tires working in from sitting too long. The car was smooth and gear changes were slick.

I pulled into the gas station and like clock work a postal worker in front of me checked out my car and gave me several complements.