I love this series and your commentary deserves big views! ❤ In future videos, Would you include your feelings on the safety of each road? As an avid car enthusiast but just a new road cyclist, I'm pretty nervous to ride some of the main roads around the Peninsula and Marin. Thanks!
Thank you, you’re too kind! Great suggestion, I try address how it feels on future climbs. As for this one, while the shoulder is not large on the Empire Grade, it was for the most part a quiet morning on the road. Especially on the top half so I never felt unsafe by any means. I think the more you get out there, the more comfortable it begins to feel.
Another class is to ride out on Highway 1 to Bonny Doon Road, then take Boony Doon Road to Ice Cream, and use that to get to Empire for the descent. There was a large fire in 2020 (the CZU fire) that went through Bonny Doon and stopped near the UCSC campus. They evacuated the campus and all of the places your rode through. A lot of folks lost houses and some have never been able to rebuild. It is amazing how much the vegetation has recovered.
Appreciate the suggestion, I’ll give it a go next time I’m down there. And that explains the area about halfway up. Sounds like quite the devastation, such a beautiful place to lose. I’m glad some of it is growing back.
I haven’t found a strava list yet but hope one gets created in the future. For now I’m just referencing the list on here: pjammcycling.com/zone/13.San%20Francisco%20Bay%20Area
Fun watching while on the trainer doing climb portal. Can’t wait to get out there.
Happy to provide the background inspiration! Thanks for watching
I love this series and your commentary deserves big views! ❤
In future videos, Would you include your feelings on the safety of each road? As an avid car enthusiast but just a new road cyclist, I'm pretty nervous to ride some of the main roads around the Peninsula and Marin. Thanks!
Thank you, you’re too kind!
Great suggestion, I try address how it feels on future climbs. As for this one, while the shoulder is not large on the Empire Grade, it was for the most part a quiet morning on the road. Especially on the top half so I never felt unsafe by any means. I think the more you get out there, the more comfortable it begins to feel.
I was born and raised in the Santa Cruz area and I still have to pinch myself often. We are surrounded by natural beauty!
That’s awesome, what a beautiful place to grow up. Looking forward to spending more time down there
Another class is to ride out on Highway 1 to Bonny Doon Road, then take Boony Doon Road to Ice Cream, and use that to get to Empire for the descent.
There was a large fire in 2020 (the CZU fire) that went through Bonny Doon and stopped near the UCSC campus. They evacuated the campus and all of the places your rode through. A lot of folks lost houses and some have never been able to rebuild. It is amazing how much the vegetation has recovered.
Appreciate the suggestion, I’ll give it a go next time I’m down there.
And that explains the area about halfway up. Sounds like quite the devastation, such a beautiful place to lose. I’m glad some of it is growing back.
Is there a Strava challenge or list of all these climbs? Or some I would love to see my Bay Area Climb Count in strava.
I haven’t found a strava list yet but hope one gets created in the future. For now I’m just referencing the list on here: pjammcycling.com/zone/13.San%20Francisco%20Bay%20Area