LET’S DO THE
Ask around about State Route 36W between Red Bluff and Fortuna and most locals will roll their eyes and caution you that there are better ways to get to the coast. These folks mean well, but they drive large pickup trucks or SUVs – 36W is a long, slow and sometimes nauseating means of travel in such vehicles. But if you’re on two wheels, or even four sporty ones, say thanks for the tip, twist the throttle and hold on tight. You’re off on a 140-mile roller coaster ride.
Considered by some to be the best motorcycle road in the state, 36W offers
12 Tehama - the Magazine, May 2011
just about every twist and turn you could ask for – few stalling hairpins, but plenty of tight bends and lots of sweeping, full- speed arcs – smooth, clean road surface, almost no traffic and a near-constant 55 mph speed limit – tame in the few straights, but more than thrilling in the twists. If you can peel your greedy eyes from that next line, which is a challenge until you’ve ridden 36W a few times, you are treated to spectacular scenery that shifts from classic rural ranches to sweeping mountain vistas and passes. As much as you won’t want to, you’ll find yourself stop-
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Best ride in California?
