Convince me to ride in your city

[DougE]

Figured we leave the politics a bit and discuss riding a bit more. Let's discuss our local riding areas and highlight what a new visitor might encounter.

Here's mine, Aberdeen, MD: A lot of farms and mild curves. plenty of backroads but they are not too twisty. Really close to the water as well so you get the best of both worlds (water and countryside). You are likely to find Harley riders 60% of the time time but that's because of the HD dealership. You can also take a spirited ride to Baltimore or Philly and get there within the hour.

 

[Slowstang305]

Miami FL: Everything is developed. Your neighbor lives in your personal space and if you whisper they can hear you. The drivers suck, its a nightmare to get on the road. The weather is brutally hot during the day so most of the riding is done at night. 80% of all motorcycles here are Harley Davidson. You have to keep your head on a swivel here.

But... A1A (Collins) is a road that is right by the beach. Its very scenic. You can head south and hit the Keys. The speed limit is very low so dont be super excited. The views are pretty nice! No twisty roads here, everything is North of us. LOL I still love Miami for its beaches and that is what keeps me here and family.

Was that convincing enough?

 

[HayaWakened]

Fontana, CA - Crowded and congested, yes, but adjacent to 2 national forests and their abundant twisties. Try some lane splitting on an interstate, a couple hrs S to the border of another country, a couple hrs W to the world's largest ocean and its coastline. Very little rain. Bring water, sunscreen, and risk getting discovered in Hollywood.

 

[Bumblebee]

Figured we leave the politics a bit and discuss riding a bit more. Let's discuss our local riding areas and highlight what a new visitor might encounter.

Here's mine, Aberdeen, MD: A lot of farms and mild curves. plenty of backroads but they are not too twisty. Really close to the water as well so you get the best of both worlds (water and countryside). You are likely to find Harley riders 60% of the time time but that's because of the HD dealership. You can also take a spirited ride to Baltimore or Philly and get there within the hour.

Your area sounds like my area...mostly country roads and a couple that follow the river with a few good twisty parts and a few good long unpopulated straight parts...

Decent scenery, there are some smaller mountains not far away and a few water falls...

Mostly HD or cruisers here as well but the nearest HD dealer is 2 hrs away.

The only downside is our very short (comfortable) riding season...accompanied with some very hot, humid summer days which shortens the season (at least for me) even more...

 

[RacingJake]

Here in Abilene it's not much fun in stop and go traffic when it's 100 degrees. The country roads are where it's at. Long straight roads you can see for miles to get it on and twisty roads too to cut a rug LOL. But watch out for Wild Hogs and Turkey Vultures. Years ago I was taken out by a Vulture coming around a corner in the hills. Never had a problem until they put up all theses cell towers.

We used to have a club called Abilene Hot Bikes but they slowly crashed one by one until no one was in the club.

 

[RacingJake]

Fontana, CA - Crowded and congested, yes, but adjacent to 2 national forests and their abundant twisties. Try some lane splitting on an interstate, a couple hrs S to the border of another country, a couple hrs W to the world's largest ocean and its coastline. Very little rain. Bring water, sunscreen, and risk getting discovered in Hollywood.

Back in the 70's I would ride up to Idyllwild on a GT750. Made the mistake doing it on Sunday, going up was great but coming down you get stuck behind campers and I mean a lot of them.

A few years later I'm driving my Pinto with a 302, tunnel ram with dual 600's, 4.63 rear end on N50 tires with centerline wheels on I10 heading to Beaumont near Ontario Motor Speedway and break down. My step mom show up to tow me, she forgets she's towing me with a strap and were doing over 70 mph and make's a suddent lane change and I almost pass her. Now those were the days LOl!

 

[HayaWakened]

Made the mistake doing it on Sunday, going up was great but coming down you get stuck behind campers and I mean a lot of them.

Forgot to mention: Avoid weekends

 

[DougE]

Miami FL: Everything is developed. Your neighbor lives in your personal space and if you whisper they can hear you. The drivers suck, its a nightmare to get on the road. The weather is brutally hot during the day so most of the riding is done at night. 80% of all motorcycles here are Harley Davidson. You have to keep your head on a swivel here.

But... A1A (Collins) is a road that is right by the beach. Its very scenic. You can head south and hit the Keys. The speed limit is very low so dont be super excited. The views are pretty nice! No twisty roads here, everything is North of us. LOL I still love Miami for its beaches and that is what keeps me here and family.

Was that convincing enough?

The scenery from Miami to Key West was amazing. I'd like to ride down there instead of driving just for the views but the straight roads would be boring.

 

[mabupa]

Miami FL: Everything is developed. Your neighbor lives in your personal space and if you whisper they can hear you. The drivers suck, its a nightmare to get on the road. The weather is brutally hot during the day so most of the riding is done at night. 80% of all motorcycles here are Harley Davidson. You have to keep your head on a swivel here.

But... A1A (Collins) is a road that is right by the beach. Its very scenic. You can head south and hit the Keys. The speed limit is very low so dont be super excited. The views are pretty nice! No twisty roads here, everything is North of us. LOL I still love Miami for its beaches and that is what keeps me here and family.

Was that convincing enough?

Reading your post gives me flashbacks. LOL!
3 years of it was enough for me to pack and move 4hrs north, but now the crowd is coming here too.

 

[DougE]

Reading your post gives me flashbacks. LOL!
3 years of it was enough for me to pack and move 4hrs north, but now the crowd is coming here too.

Have you taken the bike across the skyway bridge?

 

[mabupa]

Riverview, FL. When I moved here I was in the outskirts and half a mile down the road there was nothing but cow pasture and woods. I really enjoyed it and used to spend hours playing in my “backyard”, even though, it’s all flat and straight. 14 years later and the two lane roads are now 6 lanes, cow pasture turned into subdivisions and if I want some backroads to ride I tend to go 1hr north of me to the dade city and Brooksville area.
I know, I did a terrible job selling my area as a good riding area.

 

[mabupa]

Have you taken the bike across the skyway bridge?

Plenty of times. Some days make me feel like they should rename it the “sideway” bridge. The wind up there can get pretty sketchy on a bike and feels like you are crossing it sideway leaned against the wind to stay in your lane.

 

[DougE]

Plenty of times. Some days make me feel like they should rename it the “sideway” bridge. The wind up there can get pretty sketchy on a bike.

I don't think i could cross that bridge. I've been on a bridge where i was struggling to keep the bike in my lane due to the wind. Took me a while before i crossed it again.

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

My lil town is about a mile long but nearby are lots of great riding roads. See all the traffic?

 

[Bumblebee]

Riverview, FL. When I moved here I was in the outskirts and half a mile down the road there was nothing but cow pasture and woods. I really enjoyed it and used to spend hours playing in my “backyard”, even though, it’s all flat and straight. 14 years later and the two lane roads are now 6 lanes, cow pasture turned into subdivisions and if I want some backroads to ride I tend to go 1hr north of me to the dade city and Brooksville area.
I know, I did a terrible job selling my area as a good riding area.

I have a sister living in Dade City....nice place...

 

[mabupa]

I don't think i could cross that bridge. I've been on a bridge where i was struggling to keep the bike in my lane due to the wind. Took me a while before i crossed it again.

It sure can be nerve racking when you are being thrown around like that.

 

[mabupa]

I have a sister living in Dade City....nice place...

Small world!!! I love dade city, but moving there would mean my commute would go from 15mins to over an hour each way.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Reading your post gives me flashbacks. LOL!
3 years of it was enough for me to pack and move 4hrs north, but now the crowd is coming here too.

Where did you move to Miguel?
Its funny coz I always thought Florida would be the ultimate place to live with all the beaches and warm weather… reality is often so different huh?

 

[Bumblebee]

It sure can be nerve racking when you are being thrown around like that.

Sometimes when it's windy out breaking out of tree cover into the open can be harrowing...I've almost been blown off the road a couple times...

 

[Bumblebee]

Where did you move to Miguel?
Its funny coz I always thought Florida would be the ultimate place to live with all the beaches and warm weather… reality is often so different huh?

My sister was telling me between the Cuban gangs, high cost of property insurance, hurricanes and humidity, she almost moved back to Canada a couple times...then she remembered all the snow and cold....