thomson

What time are you starting Sheldon?

And, btw, you ARE that Sheldon.

thomson

One thing that helps is a mirror. However, you will probably note that I am the only dorkwad here that wears one.

merider1

I'm considering it. You boys are so much faster than I am and I'm still nervous about the whole time thing. I may get up and ride at 5:00am straight from my door, though. I've been wanting to ride from my place to Chantry and back again. I doubt I can get that in, but I can get up to the RB canyons and back for sure with time to spare.

merider1

You're a smart dorkwad. My dad keeps telling me to buy one.

CMY

Ehh.. well, that was going to be my next purchase.

thomson

Now, Chris, I don't mean a mirror to blind drivers coming around the turns. I mean one that mounts on your helmet or glasses to give you some rear visibility.



I have been through a lot of them, the best, by far is Take a Look

thomson

Yeah, I tried with you guys too. The furthest I got was Scoot bought one but never installed it.

Kar3368

Ya know I have one of those Take a look mirrors, I tried it 1 1/2 years ago when I started road riding, but I am a dumbass, I kept wanting to turn my head! And then I would just keep looking @ my shoulder...DUH! It drove me insane, I took it off after 2 rides.
Maybe I should try it again....

merider1

Or, just always ride with Thomson.

CMY

Well then- got any recco's on an oil slick or smoke screen?

Thanks though, I'll definitely consider that. I've been avoiding streets out of backwards sight paranoia (not hard to do when the Strand is 100' away).

thomson

Karen, after a while, you can actually focus on the mirror and straight ahead simultaneously. That is the coolest.

But, in its normal use. you should be able to have a 100% view behind with just little head moves. There are no blind spots.

I will admit it is not for everyone, I have heard of people not being able to focus and even some becoming nauseated (motion sickness?) But, if you have one, I would give it a try. try it for a few weeks before giving up.

thomson

merider1

Or, just ride with Thomson.

nesdog

Here is the e-mail from CVC:

"Bad Ass Coffee/First Bank and Trust parking lot. ( Westlake Village)

9.00am start

Via Juan Bautista De Anza park, Mulholland and climb to top of Stunt Road. Probably around 40 miles total.

Return same way."

nesdog

Well, Adam is that fast...not me! Wanna cut the time down and still join us? Park your car at De Anza Park at Lost Hills. We'll roll by there and then you don't go as far and have a shorter return ride.

Sheldon

rubic

I have to agree with the posters here that the many roads in the area are terrific for cycling but do have their risks. Just out of curiosity, what have you done in the past that is making you feel so guilty and leery of your karma?

CMY

Growing up, those roads were my playground away from civilization. Blitzing through them drunk/high, racing at high speeds (let's just say that I had a timed 'lap' for Stunt Road) and deliberately causing property damage are just some of the offenses.

It's not like I'm a reformed alcoholic who teaches Sunday school now (not that there's anything wrong with that) but I just shudder to think of what I used to get away with around there- it's not a stretch for me to imagine someone else doing the same.

pedalmyass

I live on Point Mugu Naval Air Station and started mapping my routes going through all the canyons south of us. I live 15 min from the base of Deer Creek and 20 min from Yerba. Other than the occasional shaking of their heads as they drive by I personally have not had any bad run inn’s with motorist. Knock on wood.. I do tend to ride by myself so I’m not as hard to get by as a pack. I also make an effort to be seen when I’m climbing, which means coming out to the top of a turn apex for traffic that is coming up behind me, I make sure to get back to the bottom of the apex as to not to slow them down, it's simply a way to be seen. On the way back down I dare Joe Porsche to try and keep up.



https://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=5436

CMY

THAT is what I'm talking about.

It's not for every road- but hopefully bikes and motors can co-exist on the ones that appeal to most of us with just a little effort and understanding. I'll let Joe's friends know to take a late apex.

Allez Oops

That's an interesting question, SunFlower, and I think one that is difficult to answer without bias.

In the past, we've had similar discussions on these forums about the safety of riding on city streets as a commuter, versus the safety of riding the mountain roads on weekends, and opinions have been sharply divided. Who do you believe? Beats me.

I would argue against those who would dismiss your (and CMY's) non-cycling observations as being irrelevant. You know what you've seen and experienced, and that should be factored into your decision-making process about cycling on those roads.

And, of course, the responses you receive on this message board may or may not give you the whole picture. People who ride those mountain roads recreationally will have a bias toward believing them to be safe, while others will have a bias in the other direction. (For example: my friend who is a forest ranger on one of the more popular weekend cycling roads in the mountains, and is a first responder to the accidents. His point of view is bit darker, as you might expect!)