Scouting Big Basin
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 8:39 pm
One of the most fun rides we do each year is The Insanely Great Big Basin Adventure. It's generally the longest ride of the year which takes us down through Big Basin (236), and sometimes to Santa Cruz. For this year I wanted to get a really flowing route with very little boring straight stuff. This is usually accomplished with massive hours of Google mapping the ride in street view, and sat-view. But sometimes that's just not enough. Sometimes you just have to go on a scouting mission. No one else was available so this was to be a solo mission. 
I was pretty sure that I had come up with a fantastic route for this year, and the Malossi bike had brand new MC18s so it was time to check it out. This was to be a very magical ride. Probably the best of the year for me. While the bike was still a little bit rich it was running decently enough to have fun. Plus these tires were just amazing. Benji had gotten in the super soft version of the fronts. The rear was still the normal compound. I couldn't believe how much confidence this tire provided. Even though some of the roads were covered in leaves (thankfully not wet!) the bike would just grab traction through the corners. It was awesome. If you have one of these bikes I cannot recommend these tires strongly enough. They don't fit on the later models, but you can get the MC50s for those. If you have a 2002/4 GPR, or an pre 2006 RS50 the MC18s are just the perfect tire for these bikes. Look at the last photo in this post. Zoom in on the tires. You'll see no chicken strips! :lover:
Tunitis is one of the more twisty roads that we like to incorporate into the TIGBBA. It was covered in quite a bit of foliage. I also felt that it was more open then I had remembered. This was largely due to riding Bo-Fax which is actually much tighter than Tunitis. Having found the bike zoomed right up Tunitis it was time to cross 35 and head down Kings Canyon. Kings is another super twisty road that these bikes just love zooming about in good weather. Then a hop over to 84 which I took up to STP/Alices. Then down 84 to Stage.
I had heard that Stage was freshly paved and was like riding on a brand new kart track. Stage is known for being a bit goaty (rough), but always fun. I get there and it was the kind of road dreams are made of for these bikes. It was so much fun I couldn't stop. I know I should have taken more photos, but at least I grabbed this one.
After Stage I rolled into Pescadero where one of the ride hangouts has recently burned down. Very sad.
I also made a point to stop and pay respects to Gary J who crashed out here on his Ninja 250. He was an awesome dude. To be clear I didn't leave the flowers—someone else that cares did so before I got there. I just took some time to remember him.
After Pescadero I rolled up Alpine. This is probably my favorite rode in the Santa Cruze Mountains for Moped riding. And by Moped I don't mean these Replica bikes. I mean my Monza. Still super fun on the GPRs. This corner gave me a bit of a scare though. I actually felt the front start to go. I think it was because of some gravel on the road, me having a blast with these new tires, and it being a very tight up hill off camber corner. Still I was able to save it since these bikes are so amazing. Gave me a reason to pull over and take a photo.
Mid way through Alpine is this nice little hang out spot where we wait for folks to make it up the hill.
A quick right at Four Corners to head south on HWY 9. Lots of folks love HWY 9. It's quite a bit of fun, but I always seem to skirt its best parts to ride 236—and you'll soon see why. lolz
I get to 236 (Big Basin) and there's a construction sign that states no passage until 4pm. I checked and it was about 4:30 pm, so I was good. It turns out they were repaving 236. Like Stage it was great only even smoother with more elevation changes and tighter corners. It was the very best riding I've even had in the Santa Cruz Mtns. I ran laps until I had to switch to reserve, and then did one more! I probably shouldn't have, because the closest station was quite a few miles away.
I ran laps until I had to switch to reserve, and then did one more! I probably shouldn't have, because the closest station was quite a few miles away. I did a lot of coasting and low speed to make it back to STP. I did make it, and it was worth it because Big Basin was totally magical. They were still paving so at that time they hadn't gotten as far as the Big Basin sign. The next time I went out there though it was fresh pavement all the way down to the Ranger Station, but that's a tale for another time.
I was pretty sure that I had come up with a fantastic route for this year, and the Malossi bike had brand new MC18s so it was time to check it out. This was to be a very magical ride. Probably the best of the year for me. While the bike was still a little bit rich it was running decently enough to have fun. Plus these tires were just amazing. Benji had gotten in the super soft version of the fronts. The rear was still the normal compound. I couldn't believe how much confidence this tire provided. Even though some of the roads were covered in leaves (thankfully not wet!) the bike would just grab traction through the corners. It was awesome. If you have one of these bikes I cannot recommend these tires strongly enough. They don't fit on the later models, but you can get the MC50s for those. If you have a 2002/4 GPR, or an pre 2006 RS50 the MC18s are just the perfect tire for these bikes. Look at the last photo in this post. Zoom in on the tires. You'll see no chicken strips! :lover:
Tunitis is one of the more twisty roads that we like to incorporate into the TIGBBA. It was covered in quite a bit of foliage. I also felt that it was more open then I had remembered. This was largely due to riding Bo-Fax which is actually much tighter than Tunitis. Having found the bike zoomed right up Tunitis it was time to cross 35 and head down Kings Canyon. Kings is another super twisty road that these bikes just love zooming about in good weather. Then a hop over to 84 which I took up to STP/Alices. Then down 84 to Stage.
I had heard that Stage was freshly paved and was like riding on a brand new kart track. Stage is known for being a bit goaty (rough), but always fun. I get there and it was the kind of road dreams are made of for these bikes. It was so much fun I couldn't stop. I know I should have taken more photos, but at least I grabbed this one.
After Stage I rolled into Pescadero where one of the ride hangouts has recently burned down. Very sad.
I also made a point to stop and pay respects to Gary J who crashed out here on his Ninja 250. He was an awesome dude. To be clear I didn't leave the flowers—someone else that cares did so before I got there. I just took some time to remember him.
After Pescadero I rolled up Alpine. This is probably my favorite rode in the Santa Cruze Mountains for Moped riding. And by Moped I don't mean these Replica bikes. I mean my Monza. Still super fun on the GPRs.
This corner gave me a bit of a scare though. I actually felt the front start to go. I think it was because of some gravel on the road, me having a blast with these new tires, and it being a very tight up hill off camber corner. Still I was able to save it since these bikes are so amazing. Gave me a reason to pull over and take a photo.Mid way through Alpine is this nice little hang out spot where we wait for folks to make it up the hill.
A quick right at Four Corners to head south on HWY 9. Lots of folks love HWY 9. It's quite a bit of fun, but I always seem to skirt its best parts to ride 236—and you'll soon see why. lolz
I get to 236 (Big Basin) and there's a construction sign that states no passage until 4pm. I checked and it was about 4:30 pm, so I was good. It turns out they were repaving 236. Like Stage it was great only even smoother with more elevation changes and tighter corners. It was the very best riding I've even had in the Santa Cruz Mtns. I ran laps until I had to switch to reserve, and then did one more! I probably shouldn't have, because the closest station was quite a few miles away.
I ran laps until I had to switch to reserve, and then did one more! I probably shouldn't have, because the closest station was quite a few miles away. I did a lot of coasting and low speed to make it back to STP. I did make it, and it was worth it because Big Basin was totally magical. They were still paving so at that time they hadn't gotten as far as the Big Basin sign. The next time I went out there though it was fresh pavement all the way down to the Ranger Station, but that's a tale for another time.