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[JCZ]

On the way to Jim's and Metal Dragon I decided to take Miguel down Lombard Street.  For those that have never been, it's a very steep, twisty road that's billed as "the crookedest road in America".   Here are some images of it.....   https://www.google.com/search?

https://www.google.com/search?q=lombard+street+images&biw=1920&bih=947&site=webhp&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiTgs--r6HNAhVJJ1IKHarzAJUQsAQIGw


NOTE:  This is the first time Babe ever volunteered to get off and take pictures.  Actually, she insisted! 

[2k]

And it runs at a 27 degree angle

[Ironhorse]

JC, you forgot to mention that the side going up to the top of Lombard can be a challenge too. It may be straight, but it's VERY STEEP. So much so that you probably should keep at least 3 car lengths distance from the vehicles in front, just in case the driver ahead is slow getting from brake to accelerator and they start rolling back into you. Really need good confidence working the clutch, throttle and brakes to keep yourself from rolling back too. And the angle at the top is so steep, that when cresting it in a car, the hood blocks your view of the street and you loose sight of everything directly in front of you.

As the infamous comedian Bill Cosby said in one of his routines, the flower beds along the side of Lombard Street are where they "buried the bodies of all the people who didn't make it".

[JCZ]

We stopped by Jim's at Metal Dragon for my service and then on over to Don & Carols for a very nice b-b-q, conversation and we spent the night.  Up early the next morning, Don made breakfast for all of us and then we were off to Corbin to get the p-pad fitted to Miguel's bike.

Since we were in Hollister, we had to stop by Johnnie's.  Some of you older folks will recognize this magazine shot taken in front of Johnnie's and the accompanying story.  As soon as this came out, Marlon Brando and Lee Marvin filmed The Wild One based on this story.  That's why they call Johnnie's "The birthplace of the American biker".






and another interesting story based at Johnnie's........

[JCZ]

and another wino, nodding on the bench out front....





and a pic of my bike in the exact same location as the Life Magazine photo that was taken in 1947....

[JCZ]

We headed on down Hwy 101 however, it quickly started heading towards the triple digit temps and so we turned ouf at Jolan Rd. and headed over to Nacaimento-Ferguson Rd. to the coast and Hwy. 1 again.

[2k]

As the infamous comedian rapist Bill Cosby said in one of his routines, the flower beds along the side of Lombard Street are where they "buried the bodies of all the people who didn't make it".

Just calling a spade a spade

[JCZ]

JC, you forgot to mention that the side going up to the top of Lombard can be a challenge too. It may be straight, but it's VERY STEEP. So much so that you probably should keep at least 3 car lengths distance from the vehicles in front, just in case the driver ahead is slow getting from brake to accelerator and they start rolling back into you. Really need good confidence working the clutch, throttle and brakes to keep yourself from rolling back too. And the angle at the top is so steep, that when cresting it in a car, the hood blocks your view of the street and you loose sight of everything directly in front of you.

As the infamous comedian Bill Cosby said in one of his routines, the flower beds along the side of Lombard Street are where they "buried the bodies of all the people who didn't make it".

The grade on both the up hill and down hill sides of Lombard St. is 27%......very steep.  Since you mention the up hill side.  It's three or four blocks to the top of the hill and a stop sign (up hill) at each cross street.  As we approached the second stop sign I grabbed my front brake like I've always done on the hills in San Francisco (I've lived there twice).  However, at the second time we had to come to a complete stop due to cross traffic.  My bike started sliding backwards (car right behind me) and it was going to pick up speed quickly as I applied the front brake even harder (thinking I didn't have it tight enough).  Just about the time I realized it was the weight of my loaded Bushtec trailer pulling me backwards I had just enough balance (I was doing the fast back pedal, trying to keep the bike upright as I slid back down the hill) to be able to stab the foot brake while simultaneously revving the motor way up and gradually letting the clutch out.  Let me just say it's very hard to get a bike moving up hill at that grade from a dead stop but tie a loaded trailer on the back of that and you can imagine just how hard it was to get it rolling up hill from the backwards slide.  It was very scarry! 

[SDCVO]

The grade on both the up hill and down hill sides of Lombard St. is 27%......very steep.  Since you mention the up hill side.  It's three or four blocks to the top of the hill and a stop sign (up hill) at each cross street.  As we approached the second stop sign I grabbed my front brake like I've always done on the hills in San Francisco (I've lived there twice).  However, at the second time we had to come to a complete stop due to cross traffic.  My bike started sliding backwards (car right behind me) and it was going to pick up speed quickly as I applied the front brake even harder (thinking I didn't have it tight enough).  Just about the time I realized it was the weight of my loaded Bushtec trailer pulling me backwards I had just enough balance (I was doing the fast back pedal, trying to keep the bike upright as I slid back down the hill) to be able to stab the foot brake while simultaneously revving the motor way up and gradually letting the clutch out.  Let me just say it's very hard to get a bike moving up hill at that grade from a dead stop but tie a loaded trailer on the back of that and you can imagine just how hard it was to get it rolling up hill from the backwards slide.  It was very scarry! 

It is amazing how far Miguel has come since that first ride not that many months ago. Good for you El Diablo!!!

[ultrarider123]

As always, it was a privilege riding along with you, JC, even if it was via 1's and 0's instead of blacktop.  Thank ya sir. 

[JCZ]

Turning south on PCH 1, the ocean is on our right.....the best direction of travel for this highway.

[JCZ]

The fog is quickly rolling in again.  At least it's above the road so we'll not be riding directly in it and will still be able to see down the Hwy.....

[JCZ]

Further down the highway we stopped at Ragged Point.  Live music, a little sun peeking through the fog.....

[JCZ]

Another great ride with friends in the wind.......

[Rooster]

Nice close up shots guys.