far out on Marine Drive unpleasantness

[maxadders]

So I checked out a N / NE ride from the Rubber To The Road (vol.2) book a few weeks ago-- the loop that starts by the Broadway Bridge and runs up Marine Drive around the peninsula up by Rivergate and back down Lombard in St. Johns (ride #5?).

This was a Tuesday afternoon, and there was quite a presence of heavy trucks sharing my space after N Portland Rd splits from Marine--
there were a couple very hairy segments!

The first occurred by the entrance to Kelley Point Park, where the road travels over a narrow bridge (and turns back into Lombard) with no bike lane and plenty of semis travelling 45+ mph. The drivers didn't seem to expect bike traffic at all.

Further along the route, I headed up N Burgard and was met with what seemed to be a very dangerous intersection at the top of the hill where Time Oil Rd ends-- tons of truck traffic from the shipping container yard and elsewhere, and a tight hill and blind corner when Lombard starts up again. I understand 4pm on a weekday is probably one of the busier times for the area, but the situation definitely made me feel like I was taking my life in my hands.

Anyone got a better route for squeezing pleasant milage out of the peninsula?

[bikieboy]

Max. I think that route is pretty much it. The bridge at Kelley Point is fairly short, at least, so if you time it right you can avoid the squeeze.

there is one potential alternative, albeit illegal - aways after passing Kelley Pt Park, heading back toward St Johns, you can hang a right on Ramsey, go to the end of the cul de sac, dismount & hop the RR tracks if there's no train blocking it, continue on to Rivergate Rd., hang a left, and then bear right on Time Oil Rd. to where it dumps out on Lombard/Burgard. Can you spot the illegal part? Not sure if this is any more comfortable than the route you took.

I ride this generally on weekends/holidays and it's really quiet, no truck around at all as Terminal 6 is closed. Weekdays, as you discovered, are a very different story.