Via the Pfister
Adam Kimmel presents: Claremont HD from adam kimmel on Vimeo.
So these younguns are bombing claremont in oakland on their longboards at speed while passing a HD camera between the two of them. Yikes. Having ridden this road more or less weekly for about 5 years, I can say that the first couple turns are actually much tighter than they appear on the video. Secondly, they are most likely descending faster than I could on my bike. Thirdly, the road they are on probably is lousy with eucalyptus nuts and detritus, firebellied newt carcasses, mid lane reflectors and the like. I am pretty sure I have almost died on my bike over cooking the big bend on this road.
So thats starting at grizzly peak and claremont (A) and heading downhill which is to the left.
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Maybe it is because I know this road pretty well that it really struck a chord with me, but the drama keeps on building as they keep on getting to the bottom with the auto traffic, residential parking and side roads increasing in frequency. When I lived in the east bay, I would often see downhill long boarders dropping off the ridge to oakland, but they were power sliding every corner to keep their speed under control. These guys are barely checking their speed except for the two big bends at the top.
I don't think I am even of the same species.
Ghost bike follow up
10 hours ago
6 comments:
We are just getting old Tarik! Think back to when you were 18 and invincible.
Oh... I wrote that comment while the video was still loading, I was never quite that crazy. Those boys have got some big balls and some serious skills.
THEY OVERTOOK A CAR!
yikes! no you do not have to have ridden that road to appreciate how insane that was! oh my word that was fast!
Ohhh ... I am old now. And when I was young, I was not that brave.
Wow - those guys have balls the size of the Claremont Hotel. But one thing I've realized after riding a semi-lowracer recumbent through hairpin turns in the Oakland Hills, is that a low center of gravity turns a suicidally fast turn into just another funhouse ride.
The road surface on Claremont was pretty good the last time I descended it (about 2 weeks ago), but you get some potholes and crappy pavement near the bottom where it flattens out.
Antoine,
Yeah, even at 18 I was old compared to those guys.
Mo,
yep,
Andy,
Agreed
Steve,
Yeah the bottom bits I recall were rutty and well refelctored, but I have not been down or up claremont since 2000 or so.
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