Road trip: The Road to Paso

Sometimes, you just need a break from the drudgery of the day-to-day and do something a little different to recharge the batteries. I hit this point around the end of July this year and decided to treat myself to a couple of days away. The goal was to put in a full day of riding to clear my mind, ending in a destination where I could grab a good meal, have a drink or three, and then just relax and get a good night's sleep. With the goal of arriving at my destination by early evening, I scoured the map, trying to find a location that would provide the right mix of great riding, great food and drink, and relatively inexpensive accommodations. Thinking back to our trip to Monterey for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago, I settled on the Central California winery town of Paso Robles. And to maximize the fun riding, I plotted my ride through Ojai and up through some windy roads of the central valley before heading back west towards the Pacific Coast, saving the more direct ride along the coastal route for my return trip.

Editorial: Riding the Rails

When I was a freshman in college over a decade ago, Metrolink and I became well acquainted. It was an easy way to get from the small town where my school was, which fortunately had a stop, and the Inland Empire or Downtown LA. The trains were reasonably comfortable, seeing as they were intended for commuters making the daily slog to their jobs in the city, and the ridership during the weekend tended to be largely students going home or the occasional tourist who opted not to rent a car. The trip duration could tend to be on the long side and since rail infrastructure in Southern California is not exactly well developed, once I reached the end of the line, it could take a fair amount of planning to actually reach my final destination. Being a poor college student at the time, that often meant the "last mile" portion of my trip was either another form of public transit or an awful lot of walking. However, after I got a car my sophomore year, I pretty much have never set foot on Metrolink again...until yesterday.

Editorial: California legalizing lane splitting is hugely important

The debate has been a long and boisterous one, but after all the battling, the stats finally won out and the state of California is the first in the US to officially make lane-splitting legal. Lane-splitting has always drawn a lot of controversy in America, a country dominated by car drivers who selfishly believe that the roads are theirs and theirs alone.

Even in California, the practice had previously only been allowed because it was not expressly disallowed. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) supported it because it allowed their motor officers to move more freely through the gridlock traffic that burdens the greater LA and San Francisco areas during nearly all hours of the day. Motorcyclists support it because it allows riders the ability to move through traffic and keep air flowing to prevent overheating (mostly of the rider, though some older bikes benefit from it too). Car drivers, however, have long disliked the practice because it requires that they be more attentive about lane position and lane changes. Still, most drivers who have lived in California long enough have grudgingly adapted to it, some better than others.

But by taking it from a tolerated act by virtue of lack of legislation to a totally legal act backed by legislation and with guidelines to be provided by law enforcement, California has changed the game. By making it expressly legal, California is saying that lane-splitting is not just safe enough to be a practice, it is safe enough to be a law. That has long been a major argument used by detractors of lane-splitting to fight its implementation in other states. Many opponents have argued that by allowing one kind of traffic to travel between other traffic, it increases the chances for collisions, even though this has not been backed by the statistics. If anything, it has reduced one of the most common car-motorcycle collisions, which is motorcyclists being hit from behind in slow moving or stopped traffic. When practiced with abundant and appropriate caution, lane-splitting makes motorcyclists safer with little impact on car drivers at all.

By taking the step to make lane-splitting a fully legal act, California is hopefully the first domino to fall in what will eventually be more states allowing the act. Attempts have been made to legalize lane-splitting in states such as Arizona and Oregon, but all were quashed by legislators representing car-centric constituents who are fearful of change. But now that someone else has taken a major leap, hopefully more attempts will be made to bring up lane-splitting legislation and more "trial periods" will be considered as other state legislatures begin to realize the potential safety and traffic relief benefits that lane-splitting can bring.

Road Trip: San Diego (sort of) by storm

San Diego skyline off in the distance

Mother Nature can be a real pain in the ass, especially if you enjoy activities that are heavily weather dependent. During the days leading up to our trip, I was checking the weather obsessively. The plan was for my wife and I to go skydiving on Saturday morning, but there was a greater than 50% chance of rain that was threatening our chances. As the week proceeded, the probability of rain seemed to drop ever so slightly and by Thursday evening, when I picked up our long-term MDX for the weekend, the forecast was looking promising, with less than 10% chance of rain in the area surrounding our jump zone. Fingers-crossed, I loaded our bikes into the back of the MDX along with our luggage and after work on Friday, we hit the road headed south.

News: CA revises rules for EV incentives

We hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th of July.

In the funding plan for the upcoming 2015-2016 fiscal year, the California Air Resources Board has put in place new rules that are going to make EVs bit less expensive for a lot of people, but a bit more expensive for a select few. The new rules create a tiered structure for qualifying for the state rebate program on alternative fuel vehicles. Before, what had been an across the board rebate for all income brackets now has bands delineated by a combination of federal income poverty limit and and absolute gross annual incomes.

This new rebate structure is intended to make EVs of all kinds more affordable to lower income buyers while also ensuring that more funding is available for future investments. While some may see this change as unfair, odds are that someone with the finances to purchase a $100,000+ loaded Tesla Model S is hardly going to notice the difference that the $2,500 additional rebate was going to make and those individuals are still eligible for the even larger federal rebate. Plus, the increased incentives for lower income families should hopefully make the idea of an EV more appealing for those that commute to a job that is not too far away and can charge the vehicle at home.

As EVs continue to become an increasingly viable form of alternative fuel vehicle, it is good to see the state of California recognize that the incentives have largely benefited those who need it the least and is taking measures to help increase access to EVs for those in lower income brackets.

Road Trip: Ojai, CA

The idea was to take a vacation with my wife's family. We would head somewhere fun and enjoy a couple of days away from all of the craziness of LA, especially in the post Christmas shopping rush. Ideas were thrown around and various destinations proposed, but the one that stuck was to visit the small secluded mountainside town of Ojai, CA. Known for being a haven for Southern California travelers seeking a boutique tourism experience, the city that once dubbed itself "Shangri-la" would prove to be the perfect destination for this particular weekend away.

As the plans for the trip began to take shape, my desire to spend sometime with my K1200S, especially after seeing some of the roads that we would be driving through, got the better of me and I proposed that to make everyone more comfortable, I would ride while the rest of the family could take the car, allowing us all to travel without cramming five people into a car for the multi-hour drive.

Road Trip: Monterey Bay

It had been many decades since I had visited Monterey Bay. My last trip would have been when I was about 8 or 9 years of age and we took a family trip to San Francisco, stopping in Monterey along the way. I recall rather vividly that night, my dad white-knuckling the rented Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme along the then much less well-developed 17-Mile Drive in near total darkness while we sang along to the endless stream of Chinese pop songs pouring from the cassette player. Our hotel was difficult to find because it had changed names literally within the week before our trip and in the age before email and smartphones were popular and readily available, the hotel had not gone through the trouble of updating all of its guests.

This time around, while it was still a family trip, things were significantly different. We would depart during the day to ensure that there was plenty of daylight along the way and our ride was not a rented car, but rather our trusty and spacious 2014 Acura MDX.

Road Trip: Sierra Madre, CA

The faces of everyone in the car were tense and screwed into all manners of of contortions. White knuckles were visible in my peripheral vision as my passengers gripped the handles scattered throughout the cabin. Not a word was spoken as I danced the nose-heavy sedan down the twisty canyon road, deftly dodging small patches of slippery sand and oncoming cars to make it into the relative safety of the freeway where everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. It is hard to imagine that not three hours ago, we had been strolling down the few blocks that comprise the tiny town of Sierra Madre, set in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. As we pulled the car into a parking spot just outside of Pasadena city hall, the adrenaline having drained from my system, I reflected on the rather eclectic day that had just passed.

Road Trip: Biking the CA coast at night

The warm autumn air ebbed around us as we set out towards the water. The plan was to ride along the Marvin Braude path into Marina Del Rey and then cross through into Venice where we would be attending a film screening at a community garden for the film Growing Cities, a look at urban agriculture's development across the United States. It was late in the afternoon in the middle of November, but the weather was a balmy 80 degrees and even with the slight sea breeze, it was a comfortable day for a ride.

Cresting the final hill, we descended to the water and picked up the trail, joining the stream of cyclists and other pedestrians enjoying the remnants of the afternoon sunlight. The beach is always a wonderful place to be in Southern California. We pass by families with children building sand castles along the water line, people playing volleyball in Manhattan Beach, and hang gliders taking off near Dockweiler. As we cross the bridge into Marina Del Rey, the sun begins to cast that deep orange glow that signals that it is about to set. Another 30 minutes and we finally arrive to catch our movie, but the real adventure had just begun.

Road Trip: Downtown LA by Metro

It has been nearly two decades since I have taken any public transportation in Southern California. Much of that has to do with the fact that I have spent the last decade on the East Coast, but even on visits home to Southern California, the transit options that have dominated my outtings have been cars and, on occasion, bikes. Now that I am back in the area full time, it seemed like a good time to revisit some of the transportation options that are available, but have not explored in a while. What better way than to take an evening and explore the city that I grew up around? The perfect opportunity arose when my wife arranged to catch up with a former professor and we decided that afterwards, we would hangout downtown and grab a bite to eat before heading home.

Editorial: Making the DMV experience less painful

For once, a slogan that is actually true
(image courtesyof NextAdvisor.com)

In the last few weeks, I have had occasion to visit the CA DMV twice. Usually, the very thought of visiting the DMV makes me want to curl up into the fetal position and babble uncontrollably. It is so bad, I look for every possible way to avoid having to do it, taking care of as many things as I possibly can ahead of time so as to minimize my time spent in the wretched place.

My experience in VA, for instance, was standing outside behind at least 100 people on a swampy, muggy late summer morning, fully an hour and a half before the DMV opened, just to make sure that I could get out of there before noon. In DC, at least the location was indoors, but despite arriving an hour before opening time, there were already at least 100 people in line in front of me and it still took over three hours to finish a few simple procedures. By far the worse experience was in MA, where I not only ended up spending an entire afternoon at the DMV, but was forced to go twice because each visit to the DMV can only include three transactions, a limit that was met by my need to get a new license, title a vehicle, and then register that vehicle. Given all of these rather miserable experiences, it should be no surprise that I was not exactly looking forward to paying the CA DMV a visit.

Guest Post: Discovering a mountain biking gem on the California coast

Our regular guest contributor, Christine T., shares with us her discovery of a gem of a riding spot for mountain bikers along Southern California's coastal hills. The collection of trails offers tremendous variety for riders of all skill levels and offers up an opportunity to see some of CA's most gorgeous scenery, especially at sunset.

With over 600 feet of elevation to bomb down Del Cerro attracts all types of riders from hard tails to double crown 29’ers. Technically, the area where the riding takes place is Portuguese Bend Reserve and links with Forrestal Nature Reserve. Trails range from wide, lazy fire roads with moderate climbs to loose, technical downhills. Although the park is open to bikers, hikers, and equestrians, not all trails are open to everyone, and no trail is unidirectional. On the upside almost all trails have great visibility, making on coming traffic a minimal issue.

My first introduction to Del Cerro was a sunset [unplanned] evening ride around Forrestal Nature Reserve. Being that I was visiting, my friends had to bring all the gear, and it took a little bit before we started pedaling. We started from the neighborhood just below Ladera Linda Community Center and hiked our bikes up some stairs to the start of Fossil Trail. From there we did a quick warm up loop through Red Tail Trail to Cactus Trail and back to Fossil Trail, a relatively easy cross country loop.

Road Trip: Conclusion (Cross Country Road Trip Ep. 7)

With most of the country behind them, our intrepid travelers power through the home stretch, passing through Lake Las Vegas as a final stop before completing the final leg to Southern California. Missed their last adventure? Click here to read all about it.

The excitement of the trip rose to a crescendo with our stay in Moab. The reality that the trip was coming to an end finally hit home as we packed up the car the following morning and made our way to the final stop. Along the way, we ran into a little trouble with the Thule bike rack, resulting in the need to do a little roadside repair and a whole lot of anxiety about whether or not we would manage to make it back to Southern California with both bikes intact. I will save the gory details for our full review of the Thule rack, but to put it mildly, I would seriously think twice before purchasing another Thule product because of this experience, especially with the subsequent terrible customer service.

The trip encompassed 18 days and kept us behind the wheel for some 4,643 miles through 21 different states. We actually stopped and properly visited locations in 17 different cities and saw nearly two dozen friends and a dozen family. The trip required 10 fuel stops and the TSX turned in great fuel economy at around 27.16 mpg, frequently going over 500 miles between fuel stops, despite the regular stints at 75 mph on the interstates. We were fortunate enough not to experience any major problems along the way and aside from running out of fuel in Nashville, we encountered no problems at all.

The TSX was an impeccable travel companion. Despite carrying all of our luggage and the bikes, it drove well no matter what we threw at it. Even as the air thinned climbing up to the heights of Denver and beyond, while the performance suffered as is expected of naturally aspirated engines, the balanced chassis, clean handling, and excellent manual transmission make the TSX a joy to drive. However, it is not entirely without its faults. The cabin noise, for instance, can reach slightly irritating levels, especially on surfaces that were anything but perfectly smooth. Also, the dated electronics, especially for a car built in 2012, meant we were supplementing the in-car systems with a portable GPS unit and our cellphones. An inconvenience that Acura thought drivers of manual transmissions were okay with as the 2012 model year TSX was only offered in a single trim with the excellent 6-speed manual.

All told, this trip was an amazing opportunity to see parts of the country we might never have otherwise spent much time in. Having grown up on the west coast and spent my last decade on the east coast, the middle of the country has largely been flyover territory. This trip changed that and for me personally illuminated some amazing places that I would like to return to in the future. This trip was also an opportunity for both my wife and me to experience the cycling culture of various cities and see just how much progress cycling has made in returning to the limelight as a mode of transportation. Most cities in the US are still a long ways from becoming paradise for cycle commuters, but at least things continue to advance in the right direction as cities start to realize the value and importance of having infrastructure for cyclists.

This was an extraordinary trip and we feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to do it and to share our experience. It may be another decade or more before we can do it again, but it would be fantastic to take an even more extended period to try to reach the remainder of the lower 48 states we have not yet visited. But for now, we are going to enjoy our time in Southern California with friends and family.

Crazy of the Week: Post #1 - Losing it in Los Angeles

I enjoy my fair share of YouTube videos and the Autos category is a regular stop for me. Sometimes, one just comes across something that is just too crazy to pass up. So starting with this post on our nation's birthday, whenever we come across something so completely outrageous that we just cannot pass up sharing some thoughts about it, we will take the chance to share with everyone.

This week's video is one that takes place near downtown Los Angeles. An insane driver in an Infiniti I30 wearing plates from Illinois just loses it on another driver, swerving back and forth between lanes, brake checking, and generally driving like a complete idiot. Lucky for us, the poor victim of the lunatic was fortunate enough to have a dash cam running at the time, recording then entire encounter and posting it to Youtube.

What caps this entire thing off is that the driver of said Infiniti even goes so far to stop his vehicle during a busy weekend crush on an LA freeway and actually exits his vehicle to confront the victim of his tirade, banging on the glass and screaming at him. Clearly, this guy needs to cut back on his caffeine intake because this sort of behavior is uncalled for, even in the craziness of LA's legendary traffic. The number of lives this moron endangered with his erratic driving and hair-trigger temper likely numbered well into the dozens, all over what was apparently his own poor driving (check out the crumpled rear quarter panel on his car). The amount of patience exhibited by the victim is downright Zen-like.

I must admit, I am not sure I would have been quite so patient had I been caught in this situation. In fact, with a dash-cam running, I honestly would have been tempted to "forget" to brake and just crashed into his car. Of course, my first call would have been to the police to get them on scene so that I could show them the dash cam video and have the idiot arrested. Of course, given his mental state at the time, this might just send him off the deep end. Maybe the best thing to do would have been to just try to get off of the freeway altogether to avoid further confrontation or, at the very least, put a lot more distance between myself and the aggressor.

Watch the video after the break and tell us what you would have done if this had happened to you. Have a crazy story of your own, please feel free to share as well.

Hope you all have a safe and happy 4th of July!