ninjette.org - View Single Post - Stockton to RoadRider in San Jose via Mines Rd or Calaveras Rd 6/14 or 6/15

iamjacob · June 18th, 2014, 12:18 AM

Hey Tim. thanks for the nudge.

Alright so I've been in the market for some boots and I wanted to try some on and didn't want to do the mail order thing. I asked around and heard that Road Rider in San Jose was a pretty well stocked shop, it is, but more on that later.

I should point out first that I have never driven or ridden Mines Rd in a car or on a bike so I didn't really know what to expect. I also don't have much if any real experience on twisty roads. With that being said, man Mines Rd is a super long supper twisty road. I definitely was not expecting over 50 miles of smile inducing vehicular solitude. From the start of Mines Rd in Livermore all the way to the Lick Observatory, 46.5 miles, I think I only saw 15 people in total and at least 12 of them were on 2 wheels.

The ride to Road Rider went great but I did learn a few things.

1. Without GPS on the bike, one should give the directions on the map more than a cursory glance or else you will miss some turns. Actually reading the directions before leaving would be recommended. I made an accidental detour to Del Valle Park where a very nice park ranger told me where the turn I missed was.

2. Reading about a skill and learning a skill are two different things. I know that braking in a turn does not assist in making the turn but that did not stop me from going wide on a couple of turns due to coming in too hot and trying to slow it down. Luckily no accidents or anything, just crossed the yellow line into the other lane.

3. My butt is good for about 200 miles, the trip was 225. The last 25 miles I wanted to do standing on my pegs. Also I didn't realize how out of shape I am. The outsides of my quads were quite sore the next two days.

Road Rider is a pretty well stocked moto shop. They easily had 20 different pair of boots, tons of jackets of all sorts, a whole wall of gloves, parts, fluids and more. I ended up picking up a pair of Cortech Latigo Air boots and rode them home.

I was pretty beat by the time I was ready to head home so I didn't hit Calaveras Rd on the way back. Maybe next time.

TL/DR

Mines Rd is a super blast to ride, I have a crap ton to learn about riding a motorcycle, and I'm out of shape. Oh and Road Rider is a solid store.

June 18th, 2014, 12:18 AM	#7
iamjacob ninjette.org guru Name: Jacob Location: Stockton, CA Join Date: Dec 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2011 250R SE Posts: 326	Please Move to Ride Report Hey Tim. thanks for the nudge. Alright so I've been in the market for some boots and I wanted to try some on and didn't want to do the mail order thing. I asked around and heard that Road Rider in San Jose was a pretty well stocked shop, it is, but more on that later. I should point out first that I have never driven or ridden Mines Rd in a car or on a bike so I didn't really know what to expect. I also don't have much if any real experience on twisty roads. With that being said, man Mines Rd is a super long supper twisty road. I definitely was not expecting over 50 miles of smile inducing vehicular solitude. From the start of Mines Rd in Livermore all the way to the Lick Observatory, 46.5 miles, I think I only saw 15 people in total and at least 12 of them were on 2 wheels. The ride to Road Rider went great but I did learn a few things. 1. Without GPS on the bike, one should give the directions on the map more than a cursory glance or else you will miss some turns. Actually reading the directions before leaving would be recommended. I made an accidental detour to Del Valle Park where a very nice park ranger told me where the turn I missed was. 2. Reading about a skill and learning a skill are two different things. I know that braking in a turn does not assist in making the turn but that did not stop me from going wide on a couple of turns due to coming in too hot and trying to slow it down. Luckily no accidents or anything, just crossed the yellow line into the other lane. 3. My butt is good for about 200 miles, the trip was 225. The last 25 miles I wanted to do standing on my pegs. Also I didn't realize how out of shape I am. The outsides of my quads were quite sore the next two days. Road Rider is a pretty well stocked moto shop. They easily had 20 different pair of boots, tons of jackets of all sorts, a whole wall of gloves, parts, fluids and more. I ended up picking up a pair of Cortech Latigo Air boots and rode them home. I was pretty beat by the time I was ready to head home so I didn't hit Calaveras Rd on the way back. Maybe next time. TL/DR Mines Rd is a super blast to ride, I have a crap ton to learn about riding a motorcycle, and I'm out of shape. Oh and Road Rider is a solid store.