Bike Week Traffic???

Jeanzb1 · 06-12-2009, 09:09 AM

As we're new to this wonderful area, we have no experience with what traffic is like during Bike Week, June 13-21. We live on the lake in the Gilford/West Alton area. We were planning on family coming up from Mass. for Father's Day, but now we're wondering if we should postpone their visit because of heavy traffic. What say you?????? Many thanks!

ironhorsetim · 06-12-2009, 09:12 AM

Coming up from down south should be a breeze then,(unless you mean Fri. or Sat.) as everyone here will be heading in the opposite direction....hope this helps

jrc · 06-12-2009, 09:28 AM

Stay off RT 106 near the race track and stay away from Weirs beach and the roads near there, Rt 3, and Rt 11B.

The rest of the traffic should not be an issue.

LIforrelaxin · 06-12-2009, 11:33 AM

As the others have said there really isn't much trouble as long as you stay away form the hot spots....

The only thing I will say is that if your the type of driver that doesn't like to be around Motorcycles, then it would be best to stay home, because they will be everywhere.....

Martha Marlee · 06-12-2009, 01:37 PM

They call bike week HELL WEEK at Dartmouth -Hitchcock as unfortunately there are many accidents. so please beware , slow down and becarful of bikes

Whimsey · 06-12-2009, 02:48 PM

I wouldn't worry too much about the traffic as long as you stay on the Alton side of the bypass. Don't even think about driving through the Weirs area though.

Rattlesnake Gal · 06-14-2009, 07:30 PM

We were very surprised by the lack of motorcycle traffic on our way to the lake on Friday evening. We only saw three at the rest area and about nine more when we hit Alton Bay. This is not normal for the beginning of Bike Week. There were quite a few around in Alton on Saturday afternoon though. Hopefully everyone is having fun and staying dry.

Ropetow · 06-14-2009, 08:02 PM

I thought the bike traffic was light in Alton Saturday afternoon. Maybe a dozen bikes at JP China, and Shibley's actually had empty tables on their deck at about 4:30 in the afternoon as we headed back to the slip. Hope things pick up and all the local merchants have a successful week.

LIforrelaxin · 06-14-2009, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Gal

We were very surprised by the lack of motorcycle traffic on our way to the lake on Friday evening. We only saw three at the rest area and about nine more when we hit Alton Bay. This is not normal for the beginning of Bike Week. There were quite a few around in Alton on Saturday afternoon though. Hopefully everyone is having fun and staying dry.

RG you are not the only one that noticed that the motorcycle traffic was light on Friday.... I also noted that the number of motorcycles I noticed on the way done seemed to be down from past years (in short not as many day or weekend trippers)

However I was at the Wiers on Sat. and it was very lively.... once again I don't feel the crowd was a big as I have seen on openning days in the past.... however there certainly was no lack of people either....

Lakegeezer · 06-15-2009, 05:52 AM

Coming back from a Saturday outing around 7PM, we counted cycles headed west on Route 104 from Exit 23 (of Rt. 93) to Meredith. The results: 107 in eight miles, a density of about 13 per mile.

holiedonut · 06-15-2009, 07:45 AM

Does anyone know the website to view the bikers photo's that are being taken on RT 11 from the guy in the white van??
Thanks...

ApS · 06-15-2009, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Gal

We were very surprised by the lack of motorcycle traffic on our way to the lake on Friday evening. We only saw three at the rest area and about nine more when we hit Alton Bay. This is not normal for the beginning of Bike Week. There were quite a few around in Alton on Saturday afternoon though. Hopefully everyone is having fun and staying dry.

In a drizzly mission to the dump yesterday, I took a "circular tour" around a few of our highways and saw only three bikers rolling through. When I finished the dump-mission fifteen minutes later, I saw the same three again!

(Each were wearing "the minimalist" of all biker helmets—probably just to keep their hair dry!)

Slickcraft · 06-15-2009, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holiedonut

Does anyone know the website to view the bikers photo's that are being taken on RT 11 from the guy in the white van??
Thanks...

That is Matt Fassett; web site is: http://public.fotki.com/Digitalmagic/
and his studio it at the tip of Alton Bay, short row of shops immediately on east side of the bridge. I did not see the 09 bike photos on the web site yet.

Matt is a real artist (including the starving part) and has some great work on display.

tricia1218 · 06-15-2009, 10:34 AM

We came in through the Weirs on Friday night, no traffic. On Sunday there was a little bit of traffic, made it through in about 5 minutes.

SIKSUKR · 06-15-2009, 01:33 PM

There is very rarely heavy traffic until the Thursday-Sunday period at the end of bike week.Weather makes a huge difference.

dpg · 06-16-2009, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

There is vaery rarely heavy traffic until the Thursday-Sunday period at the end of bike week.Weather makes a huge difference.

Not sounding like a good week Wednesday sounds like the best day. For some reason it never seems to be a real nice week bike week...

fatlazyless · 06-16-2009, 07:20 AM

A caboose train.......................................on the way back home from Lowe's on Saturday, I took a scenic tour down past the Weirs' boardwalk just as a train was chugg'n through. It was the Hobo railroad train pull'n 19 different antique cabooses, two regular passenger cars and two locomotives, one front and one back. Never saw one train before with 19 cabooses....all very different...must have been some type of a caboose convention, or something? That seems like a lot of caboose traffic! Anyone around the area have their caboose stolen?

One caboose even had a 'for sale' sign on it. There's your chance...to own your very own caboose!

Dave M · 06-16-2009, 11:47 AM

Fatlazyless, these could be homes. Alot of people fix up passenger cars and live in them. Do the tracks at Weirs,etc go elsewhere.

Dave M

carole · 06-16-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holiedonut

Does anyone know the website to view the bikers photo's that are being taken on RT 11 from the guy in the white van??
Thanks...

The sign on the side of the van today says: roadpics.com

holiedonut · 06-16-2009, 10:22 PM

thank you for the update

BrownEyedGirl · 06-16-2009, 10:40 PM

Traffic seems to be plaguing this area even more than usual. Between the kids getting out of school and bikers coming off 93 and down through town to get to the Weirs, this area is very congested lately.

fatlazyless · 06-17-2009, 11:51 AM

Apparently, www.sbli.com thought bike week is worth the expense to hire a plane to tow their sbli.com airplane banner along the Governor's Island north shore, and the Weirs area. And, I thought for sure it had to be a pro-gambling banner.....you just never know what will do a fly over...& grab a piece of that Bike Week demographic.....looks like Progessive Insurance has got Budweiser out-bannered this year...

LakesRegionSpirit · 06-17-2009, 01:29 PM

Today is the Hill Climb and I live within 2 miles of Gunstock on Cherry Valley Rd. The m'cycle traffic is constant.

tis · 06-17-2009, 06:29 PM

I thought there were a lot of bikes on this side of the lake today, the first time since bike week started. Around three there must have been 50 or 60 of them parked in Wolfeboro.

Moss Creek Media · 06-17-2009, 07:37 PM

It's the caboose owners excursion train. They store most of them in Tilton. They contract with the Hobo RR to come down and get them, and then they take them up to Lincoln, where they stay overnight, and then return the next day (or sometimes they're up there for 2 days). There's a few pullman coaches in the mix as well.

I saw the train heading towards the Weirs a few months ago, and then was up in Lincoln the next morning and all the cabooses and pullmans were on a siding behind the McD's.

One day, I will own my own rail car and travel the country

(they all have Amtrak approved couplers, so they can be attached to the end of regular Amtrak trains). That's not cheap!

Kirk

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

A caboose train.......................................on the way back home from Lowe's on Saturday, I took a scenic tour down past the Weirs' boardwalk just as a train was chugg'n through. It was the Hobo railroad train pull'n 19 different antique cabooses, two regular passenger cars and two locomotives, one front and one back. Never saw one train before with 19 cabooses....all very different...must have been some type of a caboose convention, or something? That seems like a lot of caboose traffic! Anyone around the area have their caboose stolen?

One caboose even had a 'for sale' sign on it. There's your chance...to own your very own caboose!

Lakesrider · 06-17-2009, 08:10 PM

I'd say 8 out of 10 guys I talked to today said they were heading home tonight. Not worth the stay as the weather is going to go down hill after tonight for the rest of the week. So It probably won't be a busy weekend. I also overheard some of the vendors say that turnout was poor, sales was even worse this year. When vendors talk like that it is the beginning of the end.

BrownEyedGirl · 06-17-2009, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lakesrider

I'd say 8 out of 10 guys I talked to today said they were heading home tonight. Not worth the stay as the weather is going to go down hill after tonight for the rest of the week. So It probably won't be a busy weekend. I also overheard some of the vendors say that turnout was poor, sales was even worse this year. When vendors talk like that it is the beginning of the end.

On 93 North today between the White River Junction and the Loudon/Speedway exit (15E) traffic was so backed up 98.3 FM was calling it a "parking lot" and warning people to avoid it if possible. There were seemingly thousands of bikes headed this way. That was at 10:00 a.m. A journey from Manchester to the Weirs took me 2.5 hours. I hope it turns out well for the bikers sake.

mneck1814 · 06-17-2009, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrownEyedGirl

On 93 North today between the White River Junction and the Loudon/Speedway exit (15E) traffic was so backed up 98.3 FM was calling it a "parking lot" and warning people to avoid it if possible. There were seemingly thousands of bikes headed this way. That was at 10:00 a.m. A journey from Manchester to the Weirs took me 2.5 hours. I hope it turns out well for the bikers sake.

What? Is there a White River Jct., NH? The only WRJ I know of is in the town of Hartford, VT (where I live) and 93 doesn't go through it... However, I did drive to the lake today and traffic from VT to Meredith was pretty heavy, but not congested and no where near as heavy as other years.

fatlazyless · 06-18-2009, 06:43 AM

Last night at nine, it was about two miles of stopped traffic, mostly bikes, from the Weirs Bridge almost back to Fun Spot. That's a lot of Harley's stopped in traffic just sitting there.

The H-D road tour at Laconia city hall is here: history Harley internal combustion engine, everything Harley, and free rental Harley's ?

Weirs Bridge now closed to cars after 11am.

I hear hear that the Vietnamese jitney, a motorcycle with a roof, is not legal in New Hampshire for some reason? Free the jitney......isn't this the live free or die state!

jmen24 · 06-18-2009, 12:20 PM

White River Junction is in Vermont, you are correct. The sign that was being referred to is the beginning of 89 North on ramp. Most people refer to this as Bow Junction or south of 12s. The 15e exit is 393 the Loudon exit is off 393 not 93.

mneck1814 · 06-18-2009, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmen24

White River Junction is in Vermont, you are correct. The sign that was being referred to is the beginning of 89 North on ramp. Most people refer to this as Bow Junction or south of 12s. The 15e exit is 393 the Loudon exit is off 393 not 93.

That makes much more sense, thanks for clarifying!

BrownEyedGirl · 06-18-2009, 01:31 PM

Thanks Jmen that's what I meant to say! I was never great with signs or directions. Heck I could get lost in my own back yard!

Lakesrider · 06-18-2009, 08:31 PM

Yeah today I heard that due to the weather expected to be a bit better on Saturday morning that some of the guys were going to hang tight and stay for the weekend. There are some real die hard bikers in this world. So who knows, maybe the vendors will make some money this time....

06-12-2009, 09:09 AM	#1
Jeanzb1 Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Gilford Posts: 546 Thanks: 614 Thanked 173 Times in 94 Posts	Bike Week Traffic??? As we're new to this wonderful area, we have no experience with what traffic is like during Bike Week, June 13-21. We live on the lake in the Gilford/West Alton area. We were planning on family coming up from Mass. for Father's Day, but now we're wondering if we should postpone their visit because of heavy traffic. What say you?????? Many thanks!

06-12-2009, 09:12 AM	#2
ironhorsetim Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Laconia/Ft Myers Beach, Fl Posts: 184 Thanks: 57 Thanked 26 Times in 23 Posts	Fathers Day Coming up from down south should be a breeze then,(unless you mean Fri. or Sat.) as everyone here will be heading in the opposite direction....hope this helps __________________ "If common sense was common,everyone would have it" Ironhorsetim "Always do sober,what you say you'll do drunk, That will teach you to keep your mouth shut" Ernest Hemmingway

06-12-2009, 11:33 AM	#4
LIforrelaxin Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Long Island, not that one, the one on Winnipesaukee Posts: 2,821 Thanks: 1,014 Thanked 880 Times in 514 Posts	As the others have said there really isn't much trouble as long as you stay away form the hot spots.... The only thing I will say is that if your the type of driver that doesn't like to be around Motorcycles, then it would be best to stay home, because they will be everywhere..... __________________ Life is about how much time you can spend relaxing... I do it on an island that isn't really an island.....

06-12-2009, 01:37 PM	#5
Martha Marlee Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 14 Thanks: 16 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	beware of Bike They call bike week HELL WEEK at Dartmouth -Hitchcock as unfortunately there are many accidents. so please beware , slow down and becarful of bikes

06-12-2009, 02:48 PM	#6
Whimsey Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Rum Point/West Alton Posts: 195 Thanks: 258 Thanked 37 Times in 24 Posts	Welcome to the Neighborhood I wouldn't worry too much about the traffic as long as you stay on the Alton side of the bypass. Don't even think about driving through the Weirs area though.

06-12-2009, 09:28 AM	#3
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	Stay off RT 106 near the race track and stay away from Weirs beach and the roads near there, Rt 3, and Rt 11B. The rest of the traffic should not be an issue.

06-14-2009, 07:30 PM	#7
Rattlesnake Gal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Central NH Posts: 5,252 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 1,447 Thanked 1,349 Times in 475 Posts	Last Friday Night We were very surprised by the lack of motorcycle traffic on our way to the lake on Friday evening. We only saw three at the rest area and about nine more when we hit Alton Bay. This is not normal for the beginning of Bike Week. There were quite a few around in Alton on Saturday afternoon though. Hopefully everyone is having fun and staying dry.

06-14-2009, 08:02 PM	#8
Ropetow Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Rochester, NH / Bartlett, NH Posts: 322 Thanks: 228 Thanked 33 Times in 13 Posts	I thought the bike traffic was light in Alton Saturday afternoon. Maybe a dozen bikes at JP China, and Shibley's actually had empty tables on their deck at about 4:30 in the afternoon as we headed back to the slip. Hope things pick up and all the local merchants have a successful week. Last edited by Ropetow; 06-14-2009 at 08:03 PM. Reason: my stupidity

06-15-2009, 05:52 AM	#10
Lakegeezer Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Moultonboro, NH Posts: 1,657 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 342 Thanked 618 Times in 278 Posts	Coming back from a Saturday outing around 7PM, we counted cycles headed west on Route 104 from Exit 23 (of Rt. 93) to Meredith. The results: 107 in eight miles, a density of about 13 per mile. __________________ -lg

06-15-2009, 07:45 AM	#11
holiedonut Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 9 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	bikers photo's Does anyone know the website to view the bikers photo's that are being taken on RT 11 from the guy in the white van?? Thanks...

06-15-2009, 10:34 AM	#14
tricia1218 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: MA/Paugus Bay Posts: 155 Thanks: 31 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts	We came in through the Weirs on Friday night, no traffic. On Sunday there was a little bit of traffic, made it through in about 5 minutes.

06-15-2009, 01:33 PM	#15
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	There is very rarely heavy traffic until the Thursday-Sunday period at the end of bike week.Weather makes a huge difference. __________________ SIKSUKR Last edited by SIKSUKR; 06-16-2009 at 08:17 AM.

06-16-2009, 07:20 AM	#17
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,525 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 295 Thanked 957 Times in 698 Posts	A caboose train.......................................on the way back home from Lowe's on Saturday, I took a scenic tour down past the Weirs' boardwalk just as a train was chugg'n through. It was the Hobo railroad train pull'n 19 different antique cabooses, two regular passenger cars and two locomotives, one front and one back. Never saw one train before with 19 cabooses....all very different...must have been some type of a caboose convention, or something? That seems like a lot of caboose traffic! Anyone around the area have their caboose stolen? One caboose even had a 'for sale' sign on it. There's your chance...to own your very own caboose! __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

06-16-2009, 11:47 AM	#18
Dave M Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 395 Thanks: 4 Thanked 26 Times in 24 Posts	Fatlazyless, these could be homes. Alot of people fix up passenger cars and live in them. Do the tracks at Weirs,etc go elsewhere. Dave M

06-16-2009, 10:22 PM	#20
holiedonut Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 9 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	carol thank you for the update

06-16-2009, 10:40 PM	#21
BrownEyedGirl Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Lakes Region Posts: 27 Thanks: 4 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Busy Corner Traffic seems to be plaguing this area even more than usual. Between the kids getting out of school and bikers coming off 93 and down through town to get to the Weirs, this area is very congested lately.

06-17-2009, 11:51 AM	#22
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,525 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 295 Thanked 957 Times in 698 Posts	Apparently, www.sbli.com thought bike week is worth the expense to hire a plane to tow their sbli.com airplane banner along the Governor's Island north shore, and the Weirs area. And, I thought for sure it had to be a pro-gambling banner.....you just never know what will do a fly over...& grab a piece of that Bike Week demographic.....looks like Progessive Insurance has got Budweiser out-bannered this year... __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

06-17-2009, 01:29 PM	#23
LakesRegionSpirit Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Gilford Posts: 188 Thanks: 7 Thanked 40 Times in 21 Posts	Today is the Hill Climb and I live within 2 miles of Gunstock on Cherry Valley Rd. The m'cycle traffic is constant. __________________ __________________________________________ Lakes Region Spirit "Seeking the soul of the Lakes Region one story at a time" www.LakesRegionSpirit.com

06-17-2009, 06:29 PM	#24
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,405 Thanks: 719 Thanked 1,379 Times in 955 Posts	I thought there were a lot of bikes on this side of the lake today, the first time since bike week started. Around three there must have been 50 or 60 of them parked in Wolfeboro.

06-17-2009, 08:10 PM	#26
Lakesrider Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,129 Thanks: 380 Thanked 1,016 Times in 345 Posts	I'd say 8 out of 10 guys I talked to today said they were heading home tonight. Not worth the stay as the weather is going to go down hill after tonight for the rest of the week. So It probably won't be a busy weekend. I also overheard some of the vendors say that turnout was poor, sales was even worse this year. When vendors talk like that it is the beginning of the end.

06-18-2009, 06:43 AM	#29
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,525 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 295 Thanked 957 Times in 698 Posts	Last night at nine, it was about two miles of stopped traffic, mostly bikes, from the Weirs Bridge almost back to Fun Spot. That's a lot of Harley's stopped in traffic just sitting there. The H-D road tour at Laconia city hall is here: history Harley internal combustion engine, everything Harley, and free rental Harley's ? Weirs Bridge now closed to cars after 11am. I hear hear that the Vietnamese jitney, a motorcycle with a roof, is not legal in New Hampshire for some reason? Free the jitney......isn't this the live free or die state! __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

06-18-2009, 12:20 PM	#30
jmen24 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,139 Thanks: 223 Thanked 319 Times in 181 Posts	White River Junction is in Vermont, you are correct. The sign that was being referred to is the beginning of 89 North on ramp. Most people refer to this as Bow Junction or south of 12s. The 15e exit is 393 the Loudon exit is off 393 not 93.

06-18-2009, 01:31 PM	#32
BrownEyedGirl Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Lakes Region Posts: 27 Thanks: 4 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	That's what I meant! Thanks Jmen that's what I meant to say! I was never great with signs or directions. Heck I could get lost in my own back yard!

06-18-2009, 08:31 PM	#33
Lakesrider Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,129 Thanks: 380 Thanked 1,016 Times in 345 Posts	Yeah today I heard that due to the weather expected to be a bit better on Saturday morning that some of the guys were going to hang tight and stay for the weekend. There are some real die hard bikers in this world. So who knows, maybe the vendors will make some money this time....