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gibson
Banned
Posts: 250
Registered: 2-6-2007
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Alan
Have you evr driven this road? I can think of numerous blind curves. |
too many times but admittidely (sp) I'm taking the full length into account as that's what I drive. I see your point.
But even on a long flat wide-open stretch of road it may be necessary to slowWAY down to accomodate all utilising the hwy. I just have ZERO problem
with that and actually find myself cheering for the peddlers!! (the furtherist thing from these whiners' minds). different strokes I guess.
Interestingly and very tellingly (i'm on a 'ly' trip), while locals (and that's all that matters to me in the end) may consider the cyclists loco ....
they won't ***** about it or exhibit road rage. period.
done
[Edited on 1-19-2008 by Hose A]
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ridesouth
Newbie
Posts: 1
Registered: 1-24-2008
Location: The road
Member Is Offline
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Hello-
My name is Dave Liddell and I am the cyclist you have been conversing about. I had such a great time reading this thread, I laughed so hard reading
everyoneīs opinion of my trip and their assumptions about my riding style, my sanity, and my intelligence. Very amusing.
I thought I should give a little back and give you a glimpse of the view from the saddle. The roads are indeed treacherous but comparable to sections
of Hwy 1 in the US. Near TJ there was quite a bit of traffic but the shoulder was also wider. Riding south of Rosarito the shoulder quickly
dissapeared but so did much of the traffic. In the US I had jerks on the road mess with me daily. Down here Iīve had almost none. In general I find
that the drivers here are much more courteous than the US. They may drive faster but that doesnīt nessecarily mean they arenīt safer. The truck
drivers are very percise. They will not pass unless there is room to do so. I cringe every time I hear one of them slow behind me to wait to pass.
I hate to be the inconvenient gringo and try not to let that happen. There is almost no situation where I canīt pull off to the side of the road even
at the expense of a few layers of skin. Skin grows back and pain is fleeting, death is something entirely different.
Almost every single blind corner has a shoulder made of concrete to allow drainage. This is due to the fact that most of the serpentine sections are
in mountains and they need this drainage to maintain the roads. I never ride with headphones. If I hear a vehicle behind me and a blind corner or
hill is approaching I have a choice: either hurry around it and put some distance between me and it, or wait for the vehicle to pass. 90% of the
time I take the latter unless the vehicle is a great distance off.
If I see vehicles approaching and hear vehicles behind me I gauge the size of the shoulder and decide whether or not to pull off. The key to riding
these types of roads is to keep alert, decide what you are going as early as possible, and take your time to enjoy the view when itīs safe. This is
not a fast mode of travel. The most milage Iīve done in a day is only 65 miles. If I was in a hurry Iīd be on a plane instead.
Sure this is dangerous, but itīs also intensely rewarding. Death is NOT part of the program. I am doing this to live, to really live. I mitigate my
risk to a personally acceptable level. Danger, stupidity, sanity, are largely subjective.
The people here are extremely kind and helpful, the sunsets and vistas are mind blowing, the cactus is like nothing Iīve ever seen, and the food is
very very good in a very straightforward way. I feel more alive than I ever did sitting at a desk trying to save the world one dot com at a time.
Mexico is a beautiful place on a bike, on a human level. You should try it sometime.
-Dave
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gibson
Banned
Posts: 250
Registered: 2-6-2007
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all the best and keep rubber side down and beans intake up
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
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Good post Dave.
Interesting to hear the other side.
Welcome to the board and hope to get some sort of travel log of your experiences.
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rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
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good for you Dave. have you passed Loreto yet? or El Juncalito? I passed one cyclist making the climb up to our look out, stopped to wait for him,
give him an atta boy, etc, but he road on past my car parked at the top, didn't even stop to rest. boy, some legs and lungs.
feel free to u2u if I can give you local advice or assistance.
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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bajadock
Super Nomad
Posts: 1219
Registered: 12-20-2006
Location: Punta sur de \'Nada
Member Is Offline
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BRAVO!
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Mango
Senior Nomad
Posts: 685
Registered: 4-11-2006
Location: Alta California &/or Mexicali
Member Is Offline
Mood: Bajatastic
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Dave,
Welcome to Baja Nomad and thanks for sharing. It's good to hear about other peoples adventures and realities. I am glad you have had a great ride so
far. I hope it continues to get better as the world rolls by.
As you found out Baja is a special place. I think you will find that Mexico is pretty diverse as you head south on the mainland. Enjoy. It's a
beautiful country full of great people.
Take care and keep us updated.
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Bajabus
Senior Nomad
Posts: 892
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Elias Calles B.C.S. or NC USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: My friends..it's good.
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Kudos to you my friend and best of luck. One mans ceiling is anothers floor.
"Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. Frankly I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked of such a thing."
Dwight David Eisenhower
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
Member Is Offline
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First off, good on you for the reply. It is comforting to know you are keyed into the dangers and hazards of that and other roads. It's also nice to
hear you having no problems and are enjoying Baja. It's good you acknowledge the risk.
With that said amigo, you've convinced me that you are a prudent rider. It isn't your cautious nature of biking that worries me..... it's the driver
who because of their lack of skills, eyesight or whatever that pose the biggest threat. Some drivers are just plain dangerous any time on any road.
The fact that few brave souls ply the road means that they are not a common engagement.
Good luck and keep enjoying Baja. Remember if none of us here cared for life and yours in particular than perhaps this thread wouldn't have existed.
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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bajalid
Newbie
Posts: 15
Registered: 12-19-2007
Member Is Offline
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dave,love your thread.Wish I was riding down baja! and you are so right about the people in baja! keep pedeling will be looking for your next msg.
and people give him a break!
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bajadedom
Nomad
Posts: 124
Registered: 12-12-2007
Location: Oregon
Member Is Offline
Mood: Ready for a change of latitude...
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Wonderful to read a polite reply to some of the stuff that gets thrown at people making a simple post here-You are a brave man and may God bless your
journey.
[Edited on 1-26-2008 by bajadedom]
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gibson
Banned
Posts: 250
Registered: 2-6-2007
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajadedom
and may God bless your journey.
[Edited on 1-26-2008 by bajadedom] |
oh please!!!
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tajo
Junior Nomad
Posts: 37
Registered: 9-12-2005
Location: San Diego, CA
Member Is Offline
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Roads in Baja are not only for car drivers - also for pedestrians, cyclists and cows - we should remember about it. Some nomads think that Mexicans
consider cyclist to be "loco" - maybe - but it is rather an opinion of Sunday drivers, and more likely US-American than Mexican ones. I know that
road cycling is very popular in Baja - and if you have questions about it, you may contact with the Club Ciclopista Tijuana, which very often
announces road bike rides in the yahoo newsgroup Bajacamping.
I did not biked in Baja much , only once from San Telmo to San Pedro Martir, and another time on the road nr 3 near Ojos Negros - up to Laguna
Hanson and Rumorosa - but I agree that the truck drivers are very kind in Mexico. Somebody advised to use dirty roads - but really you should have
special tyres, because of jumping cholla and other cactus thorns - I repaired my flat tires three times between Laguna Hanson and Rumorosa. And you
need plenty of water, because there is a small chance to find it on a dirty road.
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Sallysouth
Super Nomad
Posts: 1835
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Capo Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: missing Baja...
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| Quote: | Originally posted by gibson
| Quote: | Originally posted by Sallysouth
My family has been put in harms way because of bike riders in the past on certain dangerous parts of the Hwy1 Go do the math.
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your family's in harms way in 'certain dangerous parts' because you're driving like an burro! your OWN family!! how does that feel? & congrats.
do.the.math.
"inconceivable" (the princess bride) |
gibson, you needn't go name calling here.I was not even in the
vehicle,and how do you know the person was driving like a "burro"? You have a problem , dude.See I didn't even call you a nasty name and got MY point
across.Congrats on what? Take a pill or have a cerveza.
Happiness is just a Baja memory away...
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Mexitron
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3397
Registered: 9-21-2003
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Member Is Offline
Mood: Happy!
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tajo--yes, that's the tricky part of riding on the dirt roads--you have to very careful about finding water...the good news is that there are lots of
tinajas and springs throughout the peninsula--finding out about them ahead of the ride is the challenge.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64479
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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"Roads in Baja are not just for cars", yup... I can agree that is true from what I have seen on them... BUT, the fact is they were NOT designed for
bike riders to use along with traffic. In other words, there is NO shoulder where a biker can pedal without being in a traffic lane, like most
highways in the U.S.
I do respect Dave for posting here and being intelligent enough to know how to share the road with cars that may not be able to safely get around him
or thinking that he has some 'special privilages' on a Mexican highway.
I hope your trip is a safe and rewarding one Dave... Thanks again for posting your reaction to our concerns for the safety of you on vacation and
others who must use that narrow road in autos or trucks.
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gibson
Banned
Posts: 250
Registered: 2-6-2007
Member Is Offline
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nice 'backpeddling' guys & gals!
hilarious
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Sallysouth
Super Nomad
Posts: 1835
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Capo Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: missing Baja...
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Well said DK.I too , hope for Dave's journey to be an experience of a lifetime.His post said quite a bit about his knowledge and his being aware of
the dangers that could be around each and every corner.I still think it is a death wish, but that is MY opinion.Hopefully we will get a trip report
from him!
Happiness is just a Baja memory away...
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Sallysouth
Super Nomad
Posts: 1835
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Capo Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: missing Baja...
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| Quote: | Originally posted by gibson
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajadedom
and may God bless your journey.
[Edited on 1-26-2008 by bajadedom] |
oh please!!! |
you have a problem with someone wishing your friend well in the name of God? Thats just
downright mean.
Happiness is just a Baja memory away...
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bajadedom
Nomad
Posts: 124
Registered: 12-12-2007
Location: Oregon
Member Is Offline
Mood: Ready for a change of latitude...
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Gibson must be in politics....probably anti- Pledge of Allegiance too.... Hope he doesn't drive south while Dave's on the road...
Thanks for the support Nomads-God Bless all of you!
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