Palmdale - Mojave commuting
 

Aussie moving to CA in about a month - looking for honest (preferably first hand) opinions on cycling the Aerospace Hwy (14) between Palmdale and Mojave.

I'm comfortable with the terrain and the distance, it's more the traffic and the road quality that I'm concerned about.

Not first hand experience. I drive out that way from time to time to Rosamond and what I always say is that you can never count on the temperature (I've been there when it is near freezing all the way to over 100 degrees), but you can always count on it being windy. Only other thought is that I don't know if bikes are allowed on the 14. The general rule is that no bikes unless there is no other practical route. My guess is that between Palmdale and Rosamond, they are not allowed. Rosamond to Mojave -- no idea.

Having lived in Lancaster and Ridgecrest...

Your first two concerns would be WIND and HEAT, then pavement and bike lanes.

The west wind is pretty steady. Mojave is just down the hill from the Tehachapi windmill farm. Gusts can be really impressive. On rare occasions they shut down the highway so the toy haulers don't blow over (and wrecked toy haulers are a pretty common sight on weekends). This also means sometimes there are dust storms. It's a desert, with temperature often going over 100 F in the summer, but in the winter it's pretty nice. Rain is very rare, coming in a few big storms each year. The air is very dry.

CA-14 is a freeway with overpasses. I don't recall but I doubt bikes are allowed. Sierra Highway, which runs along the railroad tracks parallel, is 2-lane blacktop, and is paved the whole way. There's a grid of surface streets more or less the whole way that you'd probably want to take. Most of them turn to dirt north of Rosamond, which means sand and washboards.

I don't recall any of these roads having bike lanes. Shoulders are deep and gravely. It looks like Sierra Highway has a fog line south of Rosamond, but not north. Traffic will be usually thin on the surface streets because they parallel a freeway, but anyone on them will be going 60-70 mph.

Edit: I can see on Google Street View at the Rosamond entrance to 14,
PEDESTRIANS
BICYCLES
MOTOR-DRIVEN
CYCLES
PROHIBITED

Another edit: here's a page showing weather for the last year
Weather History for Mojave, CA | Weather Underground

Thanks for the info. I wasn't counting on the crosswinds being so brutal, and as there are places here in Aus where it is frowned upon (but not actually illegal) to ride on major highways I wasn't sure of the rules over there.

Looking at the weather data, that is pretty amazing that the westerly stays strong all year 'round. Whilst in this case it could be better than a steady headwind every day, it's definitely killed my idea of purchasing some deep aero wheels for the flat commutes! Temperature wise, freezing to about 40C is my normal commute bracket - obviously I get better warning of the highs and lows though (not living in a desert).

I'll try and plot out another route between Palmdale and Mojave that doesn't touch the #14 Hwy, it might even be a good excuse for cyclocross bike if there's dirt involved!

Thanks again for the help, whilst it has narrowed down my choices it's great to have more information on hand.

Cheers.

Siearra Highway doesn't have any dirt on it, unless it's due to some rain runoff. You can certainly find trails off it, though. But road proper? All paved. An alternative is Soledad Canyon Road from Acton south. Nicer than Sierra Hwy due to lower traffic count.

And yeah, do not ride your bike on the 14.

It has been a number of years but I did a bike tour which took us on that stretch of highway 14 and it was legal. Normally if there is no surface street going to the same destination the highway is legal. And the wind can be out right brutal there. It is smart wind in can hit you from either side or in the teeth but never seems to be behind you. My good friend who lives in Ridgecrest has a strict only open one car door at a time when its windy. Otherwise everything gets blown out of the car. And when its hot there its well as hot as the Mojave desert. My friend in construction would quit everyday by 10am. Nice little bike shop in Ridgecrest TJ Frisbee

I, too, am from Ridgecrest and have traveled on the Sierra Highway for decades. I'd recommend using it for your commute but it's been at least 15 years since I was in that area.

Darth, when did you live in Ridgecrest**********

Yes, I lived in Ridgecrest for quite a number of years and have done lots of business at TJ Frisbee's bike shop in town.

That's where I bought my Hardrock, with my second paycheck, just after buying a mattress with the first one

2001-07

You worked on the base, China Lake??? (...not intending to hijack this thread but it's unusual to meet someone from RC.)