Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.Spacey
09-05-07, 07:53 AM
I just thought I would give a quick report on my ride this past weekend. I rode my road bike south from my cousin's house in Los Banos and made my way to 165 (a terrible road with no shoulder). I rode this to its end and then road south on Pole Line Road. I rode this for a couple of miles before I finally hit the aqueduct. Going back north the gate for the service road was marked no trespassing. I think this was because there was a pumping station just to the north.
Going south however the gate for the aqueduct service road only said no motorized vehicles, no disturbing the peace, etc... Sounded like riding a bike was all good! Lifted my bike over the single lock bar in the gap in the gate and I had a flat paved road all to myself. Road this a little over 10 miles south at about 20 MPH until I hit J1. The shoulders are covered in a couple of inches of loose gravel from when the road was originally paved but the middle section that the vehicles drive on is solid. The road is a little bumpy and hard on the hands but not bad overall.
Anyway, my main point of posting this was to let people know about this route through this section of the central valley since I saw several reports about the aqueduct being off limits to bikes. This was my last scouting mission for my eventual trek from Salinas, CA to Los Banos, CA via Paicines and J1. By being able to ride this aqueduct service road I will shorten that trip from around 130 miles down to around 110 miles. It will prevent me from having to ride about 10 miles east to catch the next northbound road and then double back 10 miles west. That will be nice after over 100 miles and probably very hot temperatures!
Going south however the gate for the aqueduct service road only said no motorized vehicles, no disturbing the peace, etc... Sounded like riding a bike was all good! Lifted my bike over the single lock bar in the gap in the gate and I had a flat paved road all to myself. Road this a little over 10 miles south at about 20 MPH until I hit J1. The shoulders are covered in a couple of inches of loose gravel from when the road was originally paved but the middle section that the vehicles drive on is solid. The road is a little bumpy and hard on the hands but not bad overall.
Anyway, my main point of posting this was to let people know about this route through this section of the central valley since I saw several reports about the aqueduct being off limits to bikes. This was my last scouting mission for my eventual trek from Salinas, CA to Los Banos, CA via Paicines and J1. By being able to ride this aqueduct service road I will shorten that trip from around 130 miles down to around 110 miles. It will prevent me from having to ride about 10 miles east to catch the next northbound road and then double back 10 miles west. That will be nice after over 100 miles and probably very hot temperatures!