Going down to San Fran from Seattle this week. Besides Hwy 1 (which I have done and enjoy very much), any other winding roads that I should do, either around San Fran or nearby?

Thanks!

 

Head South on I280 from San Francisco. Exit west on Page Mill Road follow it to Pescadero Road. That will take you all the to HWY 1 at the coast. If have more time take HWY 1 south to Santa Cruz and then head back north on HWY 9 Big Basin Way back to I 280. The roads thst connect I280 and Hwy are some of the best sets of twistees in the bay area. The only thing to be careful of are the rice rockets. This area seems to be the proving grounds for every high HP bike in the world. Besides all the turns there is plenty of elevation change.

 

SKYLINE

 

sorry, reflex response. It's absolutely beautiful. It might be out of the way but honestly I think it's worth the trip.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyline_Boulevard

 

Thanks guys!

 

This is my back yard, so here goes.... Duane and Isaac are almost on the money. The change I would make is your trip from 280 out to Hwy 1, as Page Mill up to Skyline is borderline awful pavement. Let me quickly overview it and then I'll be happy to follow up tomorrow with it layed out on a Google Earth map tomorrow:

Hwy 280 South to Sand Hill Rd West
Join up to Hwy 84 that goes up to Skyline at the junction where famous Alice's restaurant is
Continue on Hwy 84 out the Hwy 1
South on Hwy 1 for about 40 mins along the coast
Just as you begin to come into Santa Cruz, head N or E on Hwy 9.
Hwy 9 is enjoyable for the next 10-15 mins in a canopy of trees before coming into a succession lights
20 mins of towns and residential stuff and then to the best stretch of Hwy 9!!!
9 all the way to Skyline and then cross Skyline down into Saratoga (lunch in this cute downtown area or perhaps back up to Skyline and N to Alice's?)

If you want more at this point, come back up Hwy 9 to Skyline (15 mins each way) and go North on Skyline all the way to Hwy 92 (about 40 mins) and East down to 280 again.

This catches almost every grand stretch of pavement in the area and can be done in 2.5-5 hours depending on your stops etc...

email me at mxdave74@genitope.com and I'll send you the map Tuesday.

 

Dave is correct that part of Page Mill was borderline 4 years ago when I lived in the Bay Area, if they haven't repaved it since..I'm sure its really rough now. Since you haven't been on these road before I'd follow Dave's course, its much more first time user friendly.

 

The routes posted are great drives. However, if you drive on Saturday, watch out of cops, especially on Hwy 9. I recommend doing the drive in the morning, as there will be less people that get in your way.

 

Yeah for fast driving I'd go in the morning, but you'd be outnumbered by superbikes though, we kind of treat that like the local tack ... :-)

 

Thanks guys....

I did it a little backwards, as I ended up in Saratoga/Sunnyvale after checking out a TT (no they did not let me take it onto hwy 9: I was in my own M3):

Started on 9, went down to Hwy 1. Then up Hwy 1 until Hwy 92, then cut back.

Very beautiful. Secluded on Hwy 9. Traffic backup on 92. The pavement was OK past Skyline, but then I was not going too fast because of the traffic.

Need to do: Skyline from 92 to 84, and 84 down to 1, and checking out Alice's restaurant.

Hwy 9 was beautiful. Not only were the curves challenging, the elevation drops add another degree of difficulty.

By the way: anyone here with a speed yellow 996TT and happened to be tooling around main street Half Moon Bay @ 4PM today?

 

92 and 84 usually have too much traffic to be any fun. You're better off on LaHonda and Alpine Roads. Local traffic only. Skyline is alway great as most North South Traffic stays on I280 or Hwy1