|
A
Destination Highway is usually not a major route and often
not even a secondary one. It’s the kind of road you’d travel to, to
journey on – it is the destination. And Destination Highways Northern
California is the most comprehensive guidebook ever produced for the
enthusiast touring Northern California motorcycle roads.
Using TIRES,
or the Total Integrated Road Evaluation System, paved roads are
rated from a street motorcyclist’s unique perspective. TIRES identifies
and evaluates elements – some obvious, some not – that together
determine if a road is good enough to be called a Destination Highway.
In technically evaluating a road, TIRES counts and categorizes every
curve for Twistiness, classifies every mile (1.6 km) of a road’s
surface for Pavement, and assesses lane width, shoulder width,
sightlines and camber for Engineering. It also rates Scenery
and Remoteness according to specific criteria. A road’s
Character is determined by how the other five components blend
together, reflecting the overall quality of the riding experience – that
“feeling” you only get aboard a bike on a good road. You know the one.
A higher number of points is assigned to those TIRES components that
more directly result in a better motorcycle road. The total number of
points determines a road’s TIRES rating out of 100. With this, the road
earns its DH number – its ranking among Northern California’s 74
Destination Highways.
While the total rating of every Destination Highway shows how one DH compares to
another overall, that isn’t always enough. Two roads with close, or even
identical total ratings may offer entirely different experiences, depending on
how they score their points. So the important thing is to zero in on the TIRES
components that most appeal to you. Do you seek twisties above all? Is it that
remote, biking experience you prefer? Or are you a stickler for smooth pavement?
Once you ride a few roads, you’ll get a comparative feel for the numbers and be
able to use TIRES to find the roads you like, according to what you like.
However, even TIRES doesn’t tell the whole story. The numeric ratings are
complemented by written descriptions of the unique riding adventure each
Destination Highway offers. At A Glance gives you a short summary of the DH’s
most noteworthy features. Access gets you there. For those who want more detail,
On The Road provides an in-depth, corner-by-corner chronicle. And if you’re
looking for more, you can always check out the video of each DH at destinationhighways.com.
What about those roads you wouldn’t “travel to, to journey on” but are worth
checking out if you happen to be in the neighborhood? In addition to the 74
Destination Highways, DH NorCal guides you to 260 Twisted Edges. Described in a
single paragraph, TEs may be quiet bypass routes that offer alternatives to
major highways, access roads to out-of-the-way lakes, parks or tourist
attractions, links to other DHs or TEs or simply winding dead-enders that gravel
out in the middle of nowhere. In other words, they’re all those little side
roads you tend to pass up because you don’t know whether the time spent going
down them will be well spent or wasted. Not any more
Of course, there’s more to motorcycling than smooth, twisty, traffic-free
roads. Your baby needs fuel and maintenance. And these can be a hassle
to find, especially in more remote areas. Where’s the nearest gas when
you’re hitting reserve? Where’s the most convenient bike shop to arrange
that new back tire that you’re going to need in two days? Or that just
went flat.
And what about you? Maybe you’re wondering if there’s a nice pub on
the water nearby. Or perhaps it’s just getting late on a beautiful afternoon,
you’re having a great day and want to keep going for an hour or two but
you’ve just hit a town and the “where am I going to eat/sleep” thoughts
start to nag. You don’t want to be riding tired and hungry four hours
from now, so you stop. Or get into an argument about whether or not to
stop. With the detailed LO-LITE maps, you can easily confirm what service
options are down the road, call ahead if you want to and get back on
the road, worry free.
Northern California has been subdivided into eleven regions, each with
between four and nine Destination Highways. Regional maps show how
all the good roads in a given area fit together while the Local maps for
each DH (and affiliated TEs) focus in on specific rides. And there’s no
need to try to pre-plan your whole trip. As you enter a new region, you
can make choices quickly and easily to ensure you won’t miss any roads
that appeal to you.
Spiral bound for longevity and sized to fit a standard tank bag map
window, DH NorCal is designed so that you’ll spend your valuable time,
rubber and gas on good roads rather than mediocre ones. For the price of
just two or three fill ups, you’ll possess the kind of knowledge that is normally
acquired only after riding a given area for years. Even if you’ve
never ridden here before, Destination Highways Northern California turns
you into a “local” wherever you are, while helping you find and enjoy your
favorite Destination Highway.
Our motto:
"Stop riding like a tourist
and start riding like a local!"
What does our motto mean?
|
