Southern Cal stupidity and the Angeles Crest highway

[latony007]

Ok so its slow at work today lol.

I went riding with my brother up the Angeles Crest highway in southern California this weekend. Its a great ride anywhere from 1 to probably about 6 hours just depending on how far you want to go. its a nice wide twisty highway going all the way up the mountain and over the other side starting off the 210 freeway and going to the 14 freeway on the other side of the mountains. Its in really good shape as well, starts out with a great view of the city and has one of those motorcycle hang outs about half way up with food called Newcombs Ranch.

You can google satellite it to take a look or check this picture. This brings me to the point of my post.

Its a very long twisty going for many miles, im going to guess somewhere between 40 and 60. The funny thing is that when we got there after not having been for a month or two to my utter surprised it was completely re-paved and re-painted. Now if you live around here you know that there is a ton of roads you can barely go down they are so bad. Yet they take one of the longest and twistiest and best roads around and re-pave it again? Only In California. this must have cost at least triple digit millions. Now granted I like that they repaved this road for us motorcycle riders, even though it was fine before, however the state is in massive debt and they may want to learn something called prioritizing a little better. Must be City council member has a cottage he spends one weekend a year at so wanted the whole highway repaved.

If anyone has any good crest stories or photos share them. if you haven't been out there now is a good time with fresh pavement!

 

[Detrich]

ACH is my backyard, and I'm there every weekend. Absolutely love it, and like u said, there are so many options & combos of routes, u can always find some fun & variety up there.

That said, totally agree with u about the repaving. No idea why they did it either.

Personally, I'm not crazy about the new asphalt, yet.. Granted it's still fresh & will take some time for it to break in. But u can tell its definitely paved with cars in mind- not motorcycles. And, I've heard about two ppl who've gone down on the new asphalt already.

For one, it's extremely coarse and eats tires for lunch. Second, it's super sticky but in a bad way- ie all the dirt and gravel & rocks that cars & trucks track through seem to stick on there and doesn't blow off to the side over time. This makes it tough for bikes.

The only good thing is its dark in color and gravel lights up like a Xmas tree. But then again oil or other slippery fluids disappear and become impossible to see or detect.

That's why I'm torn and riding more conservatively on there now.

 

[latony007]

points

some good points, i noticed when we stopped that it seemed to be big ol chunks they did it with instead of the finer material you normally see. And i did notice the gravel or anything just showed very visable. Made me think all that gravel must be there all the time but normally cant see it. It wasnt slowing anyone down that was for sure. as usual i always see a couple guys screaming around there. Im going to try some off shoots next time, maybe that big tujenga or something. That road is never used... so they are probably repaving that next lol

 

[MiltonDorkenhoff]

From your description, it sounds like a chip seal job - CalTrans has been doing that to the popular motorcycle roads in the SF Bay over the past couple years as well. They describe the process here. What they don't tell you is that sometimes the gravel doesn't stick to the crap they put down first, which is not so great for traction.

 

[latony007]

where

From your description, it sounds like a chip seal job - CalTrans has been doing that to the popular motorcycle roads in the SF Bay over the past couple years as well. They describe the process here. What they don't tell you is that sometimes the gravel doesn't stick to the crap they put down first, which is not so great for traction.

Wow where did you find this? This isn't supposed to be better for bikes or provide more traction correct? its just to keep costs down?

 

[Detrich]

Upper Big Tajunga Canyon road was repaved about 2 years ago already. And, it's simply awesome. The closest thing to a public road race track as u'll ever see. Fun as heck and 9/10 times no bacon in sight. Highly recommended.

 

[DevlDog]

Man that road looks pretty sick. Anyone know if there are any like that out around here in Virginia?

 

[MiltonDorkenhoff]

Wow where did you find this? This isn't supposed to be better for bikes or provide more traction correct? its just to keep costs down?

The description I found on the Internet. The crap excuse for repaving I'm finding all over on the popular bike roads here in Northern CA. If I was paranoid, I'd think that the state was doing it on purpose to cut down on the number of bikers on the popular roads.

 

[Detrich]

I think they are repaving it as cheaply as they can just for cars and leaving bikers to fend for ourselves. It's really sad.

 

[latony007]

I think they are repaving it as cheaply as they can just for cars and leaving bikers to fend for ourselves. It's really sad.

id have to agree, who cares what cars are driving on their not worried about going down, you would think that since its packed with motorcycles they could do a decent job on it, since it didn't need repaving in the first place. Use the cheap crap down on the city streets.

And I was sooo thinking of taking big Tujunga when I went by it on Saturday. Didn't cause I had my brother behind me and he was headed towards Anaheim. I definitely will next time!

 

[latony007]

virginia

Man that road looks pretty sick. Anyone know if there are any like that out around here in Virginia?

While im sure there are a lot very beautiful routes in VA im not sure your going to find one like this. Its really long and the road was always in great shape, mainly because its not getting pelted by rain and sleet all year
Honestly this road takes as long to ride as it does to cross VA if im not mistaken if you ever make it out here at least rent a bike and drive it!

I live about a half hour away but Detrich lives right there. Detrich how long does it take to get all the way across from the 210 across to say pearblossom / 138 on ACH? I could swear we were riding at least an hour and hadn't even hit newcombs ranch yet but I wasn't watching the clock. And while we are at it how long if you break off at big tujuna off ACH how long is that ride until you get back into town over by the 210? How about upper big tujuna and the angeles forest highway (just checking out the map here) wish I lived over there lol

 

[flyingminno]

I usually make a whole day of ACH. I take it from La Cañada, up to the 138, then across the 138 to Silverwood Lake. Then I take advantage of my bike and take another hour off road to the 15 freeway, then back home. I do love that road and can get lost in the curves for hours, especially now that GMR is mostly screwed with fresh tar snakes.

 

[Bert-Aus]

Northern Loops that are good to spend a day on.

Here is a picture looking east over the Walker Flats area and my brother re-enacting the brrrrrrm, brrrrrm, braaaagggggh, brrraargh, brrrrmmm's

 

[latony007]

Northern Loops that are good to spend a day on.

Here is a picture looking east over the Walker Flats area and my brother re-enacting the brrrrrrm, brrrrrm, braaaagggggh, brrraargh, brrrrmmm's

nice shot, your not kidding about "flats" that little 10 foot hill your on looks like the highest elevation for a hundred miles!

 

[MichaelInVenice]

That road is subject to regular freeze/melt cycles in the winter and with the warmer winters, those cycles have been getting worse. If it isn't sealed every few years, it'll quickly crumble to dust. Budgets mean that the emphasis is on the quality of the seal, not the quality of the resulting pavement.

 

[JT]

Northern Loops that are good to spend a day on.

Here is a picture looking east over the Walker Flats area and my brother re-enacting the brrrrrrm, brrrrrm, braaaagggggh, brrraargh, brrrrmmm's

sweet pic.........

 

[Bert-Aus]

nice shot, your not kidding about "flats" that little 10 foot hill your on looks like the highest elevation for a hundred miles!

Our (South Auss) highest "mountain" doesn't even top 1000m,
but there are still plenty of twisties

When in LA earlier this year looking towards those mountains, I was in awe

 

[MichaelInVenice]

Our (South Auss) highest "mountain" doesn't even top 1000m,
but there are still plenty of twisties

When in LA earlier this year looking towards those mountains, I was in awe

Those are pretty small compared to a lot of mountains not far from here.

 

[latony007]

Those are pretty small compared to a lot of mountains not far from here.

Yea big bear is a lot bigger and mammoth about 5 hours from here. but I don't think any ride is as good as ACH, too bad AUS didn't get to ride it while here. Its weird going to places flat as a pancake. I have been to Chicago, Florida and Cancun all locations that have no hills never mind mountains. Its really weird for me.

 

[Detrich]

id have to agree, who cares what cars are driving on their not worried about going down, you would think that since its packed with motorcycles they could do a decent job on it, since it didn't need repaving in the first place. Use the cheap crap down on the city streets.

And I was sooo thinking of taking big Tujunga when I went by it on Saturday. Didn't cause I had my brother behind me and he was headed towards Anaheim. I definitely will next time!

Ironically, right after the ACH re-pave, many "car accidents" were occurring on ACH too.

One weekend I went up I got stuck when they completely shut down the road, because a passenger car going down the mountain lost control and drove up into the mountain, flipping the car with multiple ppl being seriously hurt.

It was a hot day and sweltering being stopped in bumper to bumper, on an incline, with no ETA in sight. Cars have AC, we do not.

I got off the bike, turned her around, went back down to the 210W, and headed towards Sunland & AFH, which was about another 5-10 miles down the 210.

So many options.