Best Road Close to Home

[Cormanus]

Gi60! As much as we rue the interstate grind, imagine a world without them. My dad used to talk about the torture of fighting your way to a destination on a crowded 2-lane highway, in the days before multi-lane divided highways, when non-air conditioned cars would blow radiator hoses and fan belts at the drop of a hat and having a good spare tire was a serious necessity.

A good motorcycle road close to home, almost by definition, has to be a road that is less traveled.

Gone in 60, great write up! I haven't ridden Santiago since 2000 and would probably be dismayed at all of the recent development.

We have a similar road here, Bear Creek Canyon, which is 11 miles of smooth, curvy, two-lane nervana, from Evergreen to Morrison, CO. 35 mph speed limit but it tempts you to go 70, with nary a passing lane in sight. It's a scenic and sensory delight on weekdays but on weekends, watch out. Everyone's on it, from bikers, to bicyclists, to drunks, to gawkers. I absolutely avoid it then.

Re: 35 mph, I'm reminded of Django's "Colorado pampers the traffic" comment.

Edit: By the looks of it, that is easily a 65+ mph road. Here in Kentucky we would put up a sign at the end of town saying "End 35 mph limit" and turn you loose on it. The lack of visibility-killing vegetation on that road would be delightful. We only enjoy that on ridgetop roads. Most everywhere else, vegetation grows close the highway and you have to be vigilant if you want to ride at the lawful 55 mph speed.

And, I suspect, one you don’t have to commute on.