The Nemesis Road

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Alhambra Valley Road and I go way back. When I moved with my parents to El Sobrante, CA (Which literally is Spanish for “the leftovers”) I had to learn new ways of getting to work and school and Alhambra Valley Road (AVR) was one of the more direct ways. The road itself is a two-lane road that is a rural back road that connects Pinole, El Sob ante, and Martinez.

Often bordered by abandoned mattresses and other assorted refuse, the road is very out of the way and pretty twisty.

Back in the day, a young driver and his 65’ Mustang lacked the skills or the desire to test his mettle on such a road. I was just interested in getting to work. One morning I was running late for a meeting and came out of the last left-hand twist a bit too hot and paid the consequences. The rear of that freshly restored Mustang broke loose and slammed against the metal guardrail. I’d never get around to repairing that damage, but the Nemesis road and I began our relationship. We’d tangle at least two more times.

After that incident, you’d think I would have learned my lesson. Once again, mix time crunch and a car, along with a spectator and you have the recipe for another accident.

My car at the time, a Toyota MR2 needed a new starter motor, and as luck would have it a parts store had one in stock. I commandeered my father’s Toyota pickup and headed out with a buddy in tow. In a hurry and showing off for Mikey, I quickly lost control and ran the truck off the road in to a barbed-wire fence. Needless to say, the resulting repair bill and pissed-off father had further sullied my desire to drive on AVR.

Time passed and the Nemesis road and I had a shaky truce. I would drive very carefully and the road would leave me alone. I hated that road and I was pretty sure the feeling was mutual.

Fast forward some time and history would repeat itself again on two wheels.

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I made a rather foolish “oomph” sound as I braced myself against the oncoming pavement. I had just made the classic rookie mistake.

One of the most important concepts of basic rider training is the idea of looking where you’re going. Riders, especially inexperienced ones tend to be affected by a phenomena “target fixation”. Simply put, your bike will tend to go where you are looking.

I had spent the previous weeks gaining experience on my new bike. “Experience breeds confidence” - but as someone once said; it’s a hard thing to gain, but an easy thing to loose.

So I cursed and picked myself up off of the road. My heart was pounding in my chest. I actually felt high from the adrenaline moving through my system. A quick look around revealed that nothing was about to run me over so I walked a few paces over to my bike, which had proceeded up the road a few yards further than I did. As I squat next to the fallen bike, my mind raced around. I already was playing the blame game with myself.

I had already figured out the basic idea of what I had done wrong. As I entered that left hand turn, I was afraid of the small divider “island” in the middle of the intersection. As I was afraid of hitting it, I spent the turn looking at it and sure enough; I headed right for it. Panic took hold of me and I grabbed a whole lot of front brake, which most riders will tell you that in a middle of a turn isn’t a good idea. The little bike; known as a “girls” bike in many circles, threw my 190lb body off like a professional judo instructor. It was both devastating and painful.

The third time was the charm. I now officially feared that road. I spent the next couple of weeks off the bike while my strained ankle got right again. Determined to learn from my mistake, I went right out to that area again and made that turn over and over again until I felt comfortable again. Time would pass and experience would heal my confidence, but I never forgot that feeling of broken courage. I still have a scar on my knee that reminds me of that tumble.

Time would pass and many more rides on the AVR have healed my relationship with the Nemesis road. It’s a rather nice piece of tarmac to ride; often deserted and nice and twisty. There are some very pretty views and some interesting side roads. I recommend the road to any rider; just take care not to make it your enemy too.