View Full Version : Foothills ride advice


Havok
October 7th, 2010, 10:51 AM
I was thinking of taking a ride out to the foothills this weekend and ride some of the roads. I was thinking of going up gmr, across Glendale ridge and conning down baldy. I wante to go up the harder roads and down the easier one.

I have 1300 miles under my belt and have not rode these roads yet. I will go slow ride my ride an be cautious. To those who have been on these roads is it to much for my skill level and bag gmr and just go for baldy? Should I bag baldy all together and just go ach at nominal speed?

dubojr1
October 7th, 2010, 10:58 AM
Be careful what ever you decide.

Blackwidow
October 7th, 2010, 01:44 PM
i haven't been on those roads with my bike...yet, but going up with a car it gets really tricky. Be careful and really pay attention. I do see lots of riders up there going high speeds, but i'm not sure of their experiance level. Just take it easy and go at your own pace and come back safely. we like having you on here.

Havok
October 7th, 2010, 04:31 PM
i haven't been on those roads with my bike...yet, but going up with a car it gets really tricky. Be careful and really pay attention. I do see lots of riders up there going high speeds, but i'm not sure of their experiance level. Just take it easy and go at your own pace and come back safely. we like having you on here.


will do! TBh i am good at keeping with in my limits, Not that i am not aggressive i just know when things are a bit too much for me. comes from when i use to surf, I knew when it was time for me to get out of the water when it got to big. I have been looking at GMR on maps and am pretty sure i am going to skip that one, looks way too technical for me right now.

ally99
October 7th, 2010, 05:16 PM
My advice, set your entry speed slow. Enter corners and any area with shortened sight distance going only as fast as you can see. Speed up as you apex and start to come into some sight distance. Start slow, leave fast. Have fun, gear up, and ride safe!

Ryosen11
October 7th, 2010, 05:54 PM
GMR can be dangerous for inexperienced riders. And it's long and not much turnouts and they are mostly unpaved. You should definitely go uphill for your first ride there. ACH is not as steep and more high speed road but of course you don't have to go fast. Many paved turnouts too.

Havok
October 9th, 2010, 07:18 PM
My advice, set your entry speed slow. Enter corners and any area with shortened sight distance going only as fast as you can see. Speed up as you apex and start to come into some sight distance. Start slow, leave fast. Have fun, gear up, and ride safe!

That was great advice! I kept it in mind all day and such an amazing experience riding ACH today! I'll post a ride report and pics of my ride later tonight or tomorrow as I am exausted from being on the bike 8+ hours today. I still have a giant grin on my face. Was almost a religious experience being on the mountain today!


Thank you all for the advice was a great day to pop my canyon riding cherry lol.

ally99
October 10th, 2010, 04:58 AM
Hooray! :-) Glad it helped!

I pop my mountain riding cherry on every new road. lol! Blissful is the word to describe it. I've learned the hard way that one must keep check of adrenaline and ride smart.

Riding the mountains is a test of patience and endurance, and dayum, is it FUN!

Havok
October 10th, 2010, 11:06 AM
Hooray! :-) Glad it helped!

I pop my mountain riding cherry on every new road. lol! Blissful is the word to describe it. I've learned the hard way that one must keep check of adrenaline and ride smart.

Riding the mountains is a test of patience and endurance, and dayum, is it FUN!

It was beyond fun! It ended up being a feeling I have a hard time putting in words. I was nervous heading out in the morning as comming from a surf background I didn't know if riders were the same way about outsiders to there spots as surfers but that was not re case. The first two guys I ran into at the jack in the box squashed that, both on liter bikes both cool as hell. Checked out my ninjette commented on starting off right and how nice and how much fun the 250s are.

Then once up the mountin, the hum of the engine, cool air just me and the bike and the road. Nothing else mattered at that point. The beautiful forest it is hard to put into words how I felt on the mountin yesterday.

collector000
October 10th, 2010, 10:37 PM
GMR isn't too bad if you just take it easy. The scenery is epic. It seems to me that as long as you take it easy it isn't a problem, no different than riding anywhere else. There's pieces of fairings and reflectors littering the shoulders but after riding GMR and GRR I feel like it's not a problem if you know your limits and stay a notch below them. I'm not super experienced on the street but I didn't feel uncomfortable, I just cruised, took my time, and had a blast. I went on a Friday and didn't see another bike the entire time. It's definitely a very fun road, lots of tight corners that are a blast even at a slow speed. You don't have to go fast to have fun, just being there is the thrill.