Bay Area CA "Roads" (880)

Spud · Mar 8, 2010

This weekend I drove from the Oakland Airport to Reno on my way home. The 880 in California. I remember that road from when I last drove it about 15 years ago. I'm certain it's all the same pavement/concrete as it was then, as it appears to have never been maintained. If I had to ride that thing I'd want at least a BMW GS and probably something more like my RM 250 with full off-road motocross suspension. Wow--that is one torn up piece of highway. Hit the NV state line, and suddenly I'm on a normal (good) road again.

Between the road condition, lack of any run-off on either side and congestion, cudos to you if you ride that road b/c you must be very brave. On the plus side, I always find CA drivers to be very good and predictable.

exskibum · Mar 8, 2010

Spud said:
This weekend I drove from the Oakland Airport to Reno on my way home. The 880 in California. I remember that road from when I last drove it about 15 years ago. I'm certain it's all the same pavement/concrete as it was then, as it appears to have never been maintained. If I had to ride that thing I'd want at least a BMW GS and probably something more like my RM 250 with full off-road motocross suspension. Wow--that is one torn up piece of highway. Hit the NV state line, and suddenly I'm on a normal (good) road again.
Between the road condition, lack of any run-off on either side and congestion, cudos to you if you ride that road b/c you must be very brave. On the plus side, I always find CA drivers to be very good and predictable.

Sounds like you're talking about 80. It used to be that part of 80 through Sacramento was designated "880", but now it's just 80 and business 80. "880" is now in the east bay area on what was back then, IIRC, the northern part of 17.

Large parts of 80 over Donner Summit (east of Applegate to the NV state line) are pretty rough, at least in the slow lane. Lots of heavy trucks, and lots of chained up vehicles for a lot of miles through the Sierras make it difficult to keep up with all the required maintenance. But it is almost annually being resurfaced/reconstructed during the summer along some part of it.

If you're ever here in the summer on your bike, let me know and I'll show you how to ride most of the old Lincoln Highway (40) through there. There is only about 13 miles of the 80 corridor between Auburn and Truckee upon which you must take 80 (Baxter to Cisco Grove). Kinda requires local knowledge, though. Upon taking them over 40, I've gotten comments from riders who have ridden or driven 80 all their lives stating that they had no idea you could ride most of that corridor on uncrowded back roads that were around in the 40s. (Just yesterday, I was up 40 a ways, enjoying the beautiful day.)

BwanaDik · Mar 8, 2010

What's the "modern day" route number of the Lincoln Highway? From 40.net it looks like I-80 today

charismaticmegafauna · Mar 8, 2010

You're right about 'old 40' and (kinda) about the Lincoln Highway, too.

The Lincoln Highway, though, is US 30 -- but, due to realignments over the years it gets confusing.

The Lincoln Highway is the first trans-continental route, has an association devoted to its history, etc., and is planning a 100 year celebration soon.

exskibum · Mar 8, 2010

charismaticmegafauna said:
You're right about 'old 40' and (kinda) about the Lincoln Highway, too.The Lincoln Highway, though, is US 30 -- but, due to realignments over the years it gets confusing.

The Lincoln Highway is the first trans-continental route, has an association devoted to its history, etc., and is planning a 100 year celebration soon.

I'm aware of that, and it does have more than one current designation, to an extent depending upon where in the country it is. The old Lincoln Highway even has two routes in some places. E.g., part of 50 (through South Lake Tahoe and Carson City) was also a part of it when 40 was still its route through Reno. It is NOT 30 out here. In the I-80 corridor and west toward Sacramento, it IS and WAS Hwy 40. When I-80 was constructed to service the expected traffic for the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley, it took some of the Hwy 40 right of way. In some places the remaining parts of 40 are next to (but mostly not visible from) I-80. In other places it may have hills between 80 and 40 (though not much distance mileage-wise), in others, you have to know the side road needed to access its continuation.

There are signs along it that refer to it as the Old Lincoln Highway and Old Hwy. 40. I may be gettin' old, but in addition to having ridden it dozens if not a hundred times, I rode up the hill on it again yesterday and noted those signs in many locations once again. (When it's hot in the summertime and I need elevation to cool off, it's my go to route to Donner Summit -- fastest way out of Auburn to cool air without having to deal with all the traffic on boring I-80.)

exskibum · Mar 8, 2010

BwanaDik said:
What's the "modern day" route number of the Lincoln Highway? From 40.net it looks like I-80 today

Old Highway 40. See my post immediately above this one. Good luck identifying it on a map, though. Mostly, on maps, it bears names like Canyon Way, Ponderosa, Applegate Road, etc. Not for nothing that I said it pretty much requires local knowledge.

For giggles, I routed it on MapSource from Auburn to Truckee. Maybe 75 miles (don't know right now, because that's on another computer). I don't know how familiar you are with routing in that program, but by now, I'm pretty good with it. I don't even want to guess how long that took or how many waypoints were required. Even then, the 2009 MapSource maps got one section wrong (apparently had a westward one way section mapped where none exists) between the West Paoli crossing over I 80 and Paoli Way's intersection with Ponderosa Road south of I-80.

What I really should do is ride it east with my GPS in tracking mode and then ride it west doing the same. That'd be the best way to get a clean transcription of the route in a mapping program.

Old Michael · Mar 8, 2010

exskibum said:
charismaticmegafauna said:

You're right about 'old 40' and (kinda) about the Lincoln Highway, too.The Lincoln Highway, though, is US 30 -- but, due to realignments over the years it gets confusing.

The Lincoln Highway is the first trans-continental route, has an association devoted to its history, etc., and is planning a 100 year celebration soon.

Click to expand...

I'm aware of that, and it does have more than one current designation, to an extent depending upon where in the country it is. The old Lincoln Highway even has two routes in some places. E.g., part of 50 (through South Lake Tahoe and Carson City) was also a part of it when 40 was still its route through Reno. It is NOT 30 out here. In the I-80 corridor and west toward Sacramento, it IS and WAS Hwy 40. When I-80 was constructed to service the expected traffic for the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley, it took some of the Hwy 40 right of way. In some places the remaining parts of 40 are next to (but mostly not visible from) I-80. In other places it may have hills between 80 and 40 (though not much distance mileage-wise), in others, you have to know the side road needed to access its continuation.

There are signs along it that refer to it as the Old Lincoln Highway and Old Hwy. 40. I may be gettin' old, but in addition to having ridden it dozens if not a hundred times, I rode up the hill on it again yesterday and noted those signs in many locations once again. (When it's hot in the summertime and I need elevation to cool off, it's my go to route to Donner Summit -- fastest way out of Auburn to cool air without having to deal with all the traffic on boring I-80.)

exskibum said:
BwanaDik said:

What's the "modern day" route number of the Lincoln Highway? From 40.net it looks like I-80 today

Click to expand...

Old Highway 40. See my post immediately above this one. Good luck identifying it on a map, though. Mostly, on maps, it bears names like Canyon Way, Ponderosa, Applegate Road, etc. Not for nothing that I said it pretty much requires local knowledge.

For giggles, I routed it on MapSource from Auburn to Truckee. Maybe 75 miles (don't know right now, because that's on another computer). I don't know how familiar you are with routing in that program, but by now, I'm pretty good with it. I don't even want to guess how long that took or how many waypoints were required. Even then, the 2009 MapSource maps got one section wrong (apparently had a westward one way section mapped where none exists) between the West Paoli crossing over I 80 and Paoli Way's intersection with Ponderosa Road south of I-80.

What I really should do is ride it east with my GPS in tracking mode and then ride it west doing the same. That'd be the best way to get a clean transcription of the route in a mapping program.

Damn. And ya wonder why people take I-80? :blink:

Old Michael · Mar 8, 2010

Spud said:
Wow--that is one torn up piece of highway. Hit the NV state line, and suddenly I'm on a normal (good) road again.

Yup, Spud.

California - beautiful scenery - ****** roads?

Nevada - the opposite.

exskibum · Mar 8, 2010

Old Michael said:
Damn. And ya wonder why people take I-80? :blink:

Well, hehehe, I'm not at all sure that's a bad thing. All the years in north Tahoe and in the Auburn area allow me to know the route and to ride it (or use it as a detour around weekend Tahoe traffic) without a buncha ***-clowns F'ing up the ride/drive.

So, I show it to my riding bretheren*, but keep it a bit of a secret for when the freeway is a parking lot on snowy nights (I used to live in Applegate less than a half mile off the route and the ex now lives maybe 200 yds off it) or I need to head for altitude on the bike and wish to encounter neither traffic nor the CHP LIDAR trap that 80 has become. B)

*E.g., madmike2, rogdeb, Bluestreek, Highlander and Ric in Sac, et al. have all been along it for the ride. Bring your camera one upcoming spring morning and I'll show it to you if you want. Heck, we can make it a day through Tahoe City and around the lake for some other good riding opportunities there.

Old Michael · Mar 8, 2010

exskibum said:
Bring your camera one upcoming spring morning and I'll show it to you if you want. Heck, we can make it a day through Tahoe City and around the lake for some other good riding opportunities there.

Bring "the blonde" and it's a deal, Rich.

puppychow · Mar 8, 2010

I know the avoid I-80 way only up to Colfax, most CHP is camped out en-masse between Applegate and Auburn. However, there are still a few more waiting to pounce near Truckee. Saw one pull over to the side of the freeway after the I-80 & Hwy 89 junction in Truckee, turn all his lights off and lie waiting to prey on some poor soul (this was after dark). Then another time, there was one waiting along the side of I-80 when you start the descent on the other side of the Sierra's. Fortunately for me an oncoming motorist flashed his lights and warned me well before time of the upcoming ambush, and a few minutes later Christmas was being celebrated in my car with lots of red light flashing and annoying braps courtesy of the V1.

Would love to learn the rest of the avoid I-80 route, if you are willing to teach

exskibum · Mar 8, 2010

puppychow said:
I know the avoid I-80 way only up to Colfax, most CHP is camped out en-masse between Applegate and Auburn. However, there are still a few more waiting to pounce near Truckee. Saw one pull over to the side of the freeway after the I-80 & Hwy 89 junction in Truckee, turn all his lights off and lie waiting to prey on some poor soul.
Would love to learn the rest of the avoid I-80 route, if you are willing to teach

You're right about that revenue collection zone. It's really between the Dry Creek and Meadow Vista overpasses and onramps. The west bound is the predominant one, though lately, they've ramped up their eastbound collections. One LEO sits on the overpass or under it in its shadow on the side sighting through the LIDAR unit. They usually have 3 to 5 other cars in the operation, staged on the onramp from which they swoop down to get behind the laser target, light 'em up and they're on the side of the road by the next offramp writing awards. Once done, they get off the exit, go over the freeway and head back to the lineup. Sunday afternoons are almost a certainty, but that's not to say that other afternoons or anytime on a weekend they aren't there. Even without that operation, that entire stretch from Auburn to Colfax is a great place to get your speedometer checked by department owned RADAR. Used to see them in the morning up around the Applegate overpass tagging work bound motorists.

The best part of the alternative roadways is probably the part above Colfax. When the snow's gone between Baxter and Donner Summit, I'd be happy to lead a ride. A good part of the distance between Gold Run and Auburn actually has a couple alternative routes, with one typically being Old Hwy 40 and the other being its ******* son. Each is a lot better than 80 for scenery, twisties, lack of traffic and the general absence of LEOs aiming laser beams at motorists. Obviously, 80 is usually much quicker in terms of getting from one place to another until it gets backed up and gets to level of service D or F.

You just gotta take a blood oath that you won't go disseminating those routes to the general public that's jamming up I-80 every Friday and Sunday afternoon/evening.

puppychow · Mar 8, 2010

exskibum said:
You just gotta take a blood oath that you won't go disseminating those routes to the general public that's jamming up I-80 every Friday and Sunday afternoon/evening.

No disseminating, only for personal consumption, I make the Folsom to Reno (Fernley actually) trek about once a month and usually on weekends, while I don't go the I-80 route on the motorcycles, I do hop on it in the car, avoiding the I-80 stretch between Auburn and Colfax. Just don't know the rest of the way - the V1 can only do so much, with LIDAR I would be pretty much screwed anyway.

madmike2 · Mar 8, 2010

exskibum said:
*E.g., madmike2, rogdeb, Bluestreek, Highlander and Ric in Sac, et al. have all been along it for the ride. Bring your camera one upcoming spring morning and I'll show it to you if you want. Heck, we can make it a day through Tahoe City and around the lake for some other good riding opportunities there.

Once the snow melts we need to make that a day ride. Hmmmmm....between WFO and WCRR?

Late June?

If you build it, we will come! :yahoo:

exskibum · Mar 8, 2010

madmike2 said:
exskibum said:

*E.g., madmike2, rogdeb, Bluestreek, Highlander and Ric in Sac, et al. have all been along it for the ride. Bring your camera one upcoming spring morning and I'll show it to you if you want. Heck, we can make it a day through Tahoe City and around the lake for some other good riding opportunities there.

Click to expand...

Once the snow melts we need to make that a day ride. Hmmmmm....between WFO and WCRR?

Late June?

If you build it, we will come! :yahoo:

Mid April to late June works for me. WFO is in late July and WCR is in September. You've been working too many hours, Mike.

charismaticmegafauna · Mar 9, 2010

exskibum said:
charismaticmegafauna said:

You're right about 'old 40' and (kinda) about the Lincoln Highway, too.The Lincoln Highway, though, is US 30 -- but, due to realignments over the years it gets confusing.

The Lincoln Highway is the first trans-continental route, has an association devoted to its history, etc., and is planning a 100 year celebration soon.

Click to expand...

I'm aware of that, and it does have more than one current designation, to an extent depending upon where in the country it is. The old Lincoln Highway even has two routes in some places. E.g., part of 50 (through South Lake Tahoe and Carson City) was also a part of it when 40 was still its route through Reno. It is NOT 30 out here. In the I-80 corridor and west toward Sacramento, it IS and WAS Hwy 40. When I-80 was constructed to service the expected traffic for the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley, it took some of the Hwy 40 right of way. In some places the remaining parts of 40 are next to (but mostly not visible from) I-80. In other places it may have hills between 80 and 40 (though not much distance mileage-wise), in others, you have to know the side road needed to access its continuation.

There are signs along it that refer to it as the Old Lincoln Highway and Old Hwy. 40. I may be gettin' old, but in addition to having ridden it dozens if not a hundred times, I rode up the hill on it again yesterday and noted those signs in many locations once again. (When it's hot in the summertime and I need elevation to cool off, it's my go to route to Donner Summit -- fastest way out of Auburn to cool air without having to deal with all the traffic on boring I-80.)

You right...!

The Lincoln Highway (and all 'named' national roads) ended in the late '20s and were replaced by 'numbered' routes -- like 30, 40, and 50. Many alignments existed -- both as the L.H. and for the numbered routes.

Did you know that the L.H. once used the 'snow sheds'?

Much of US 40 is now I-70 (in other parts of the country) and in KS, the last US 40 alignment is available as KS 140.

Keeping my nose out of California business would help eliminate some (of my) confusion... :huh:

exskibum · Mar 9, 2010

charismaticmegafauna said:
Did you know that the L.H. once used the 'snow sheds'?

No, I didn't. Where? And what happened to them? The only transportation snow sheds I was aware of are those over Donner Summit covering the railroad tracks above Donner Lake.

painman · Mar 9, 2010

Spud I rode my HD over the current 880 last summer with our CMA group when we attended the open house at Oakland HD. Which by the way had police motorcop competition. Worth the 880 ride to watch.

Oak PD 2

But there were sections of the 880 road had not only potholes but sections of concrete that were about 4-5 inches wide and deep and 10 feet long . Needless to say you don't want to get your front tire in one of those. I have heard they have been patched up but don't bank on it. Also sections of the slabs are starting to lift due to all the trucking traffic and you feel like your eyes are going to pop out of your head from the bounce. All in all CA roads are like the rest of the state, imploding in on itself and in the hole, literally. Take care, PM. <><

charismaticmegafauna · Mar 9, 2010

exskibum said:
charismaticmegafauna said:

Did you know that the L.H. once used the 'snow sheds'?

Click to expand...

No, I didn't. Where? And what happened to them? The only transportation snow sheds I was aware of are those over Donner Summit covering the railroad tracks above Donner Lake.

From the book, Greetings from the Lincoln Highway by Brian Butko: "The LH passed through four of those snowsheds in the fifty miles between Donner Pass and Emigrant Gap. ...motorists had to stop, slide open a door, check for trains, slide open the opposite door, drive through, then stop again to close both doors. ...a train could and did kill travelers that failed to pass through before the next train arrived."

The book is a detailed, state-by-state, study of all routings of the LH -- including 9 pages of Nevada to Sacto via Truckee and 3 pages of Nevada to Sacto via Pioneer Branch (todays US 50..., mostly

).

Bay Area CA "Roads" (880)

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