How fast do you drive?

How fast do I drive?  Apparently not fast enough.  I'm the recipient of a lot of one finger waves.  But the friendly waves outnumber the finger when I use the highway turnouts, especially Hwy 20 between Willits and Fort Bragg.

i speed along with the flow of traffic,,,rarely in the fast lane......passing those who drive slower than I... sorry if i mislead any adult, children or pets who may be reading this, into thinking speeding is good....it leads to death.

Well said, Baitman.   

Two X-Factors stay on Thule racks with two straps each at 70ish up and down 101's Humboldt section.

Between 65 - 70 mph when carry kayak on top.

My truck is old and kind of worn so speed limit is the way I go.  When I had the F-150, 70-75 was no problem.

  Been thinking about this for a few days now.     Why's everybody always in such a hurry?

65-70, max...
Not because I think my kayak's gonna fall off if I go faster, just because speeding doesn't make much sense.

My typical trip involves less than 45 miles of freeway driving. If I go 85 instead of 70, I save about 6-7 minutes of drive time, use considerably more gas, and put more wear on my car. Not really worth it if you ask me.

    I see people in luxury cars with all the comfort anyone can dream of,,,yet while driving they tailgate, cut in and out of traffic to get just one more car ahead, only to reach the next bottleneck.  Competitive driving,   from gas to brake,,,  only to take the next turn off for a latte...    Speeding just doesn't make sense.     Makes less sense when you're just headed out to go fishing.

   If you believe the scientist view that we need to reduce greenhouse emissions NOW or face serious climatic changes  to the planet.      Take a good hard look at what is happening.  All predicted  years ago. Western drought, rising sea levels... etc.       We all point the finger else where,,, but we're all either part of the problem or part of the solution.   How much you contribute is controllable.       It's about our children's future.
 
    I don't drive in the slow lane because I don't possess  driving skills or can't afford gas.  I was probably one of the worst offenders.     It took many years to learn it's much more relaxing to take my time.
   
   A kayaks drag  doesn't improve mpg as speed increases.

Well said.

Here's a funny little saying that's somewhat related and fits well for the Bay Area:

"You aren't stuck in traffic, you ARE traffic..."

I love my cruise control. 70 mph with two kayaks I get 20-21 mpg.
I drive mountain roads as my commute, and I see dumb drivers almost each day. Motorcycles passing over a double yellow, cars passing 3-4 cars at a time....just crazy stuff. Then they crash and I have to call 911 or a tow vehicle.....or even tell them where they are because they don't have any idea.

I like driving at 50mph frankly, and I often take the slow lane all the way home from fishing with fish in the cooler. Bliss has to be savored, and a mellow drive home after a successful fishing day is one of my favorite things in the world.
 

My speed will vary according to the driving conditions.  The most noticeable difference I've seen driving with a kayak strapped to my rack vs no kayak is the truck becomes more top-heavy and doesn't corner quite as nimbly as it does without a kayak.  So on icy/snowy roads, I will approach those sharp curves of a mountain highway much more carefully when I have a kayak on the rack.

But as for "mellow" driving conditions with a dry surface and only gentle curves, I'll drive with the flow of traffic.  Two ratchet straps coupled with my Malone kayak saddles make the kayak extremely snug on the rack, and I've never had issues with it moving out of place.  Not yet anyway.

I've got a couple yaks atop an old previa in J-hooks. Two straps each to the hooks, a third on each to an eye bolt in the center of the roof rack rails.  On long trips I'll put a bow line on the boats to the tie-down under the front bumper.

I can't feel any difference with or without the yaks up top going up to 75 or so MPH with this setup. 

Keeping an eye on the boats through the sunroof, there's very little movement up there.

you must also consider the head wind..I was heading south on 101 near Gaviota once...going about 70 when I got hit with a serious 50mph gust  so.... 120mph  at the bow... luckily I had the bow and stern straps on...  ... that's right, he said strap on!

you must also consider the head wind..I was heading south on 101 near Gaviota once...going about 70 when I got hit with a serious 50mph gust  so.... 120mph  at the bow... luckily I had the bow and stern straps on...  ... that's right, he said strap on!

True, I've yet to come against the serious head-wind, but definitely fear it.

Sean wrote:

Bliss has to be savored, and a mellow drive home after a successful fishing day is one of my favorite things in the world.

So, so perfectly true! Well said. I often end up using the pull outs, cruising home, savor the glow.

There are times, however when I scoot along on the way to the fishing!

Overall though, never more than 5 mph over posted limit.

102 mph one time with 2 kayaks on top.

Not sure on the actual speed I was going, but I made it from Fresno to Trinidad in just over 5 hours for TRW-1. Of course it took me over 9 hours to get home after a long rest ;0)

Do ppl loop the straps through the door frame inside the car? I don't tie my kayak to the rack as I feel if anything will go it is the rack itself. So I rest the kayak on the holder but loop the strap through the inside of the car and ratchet it tight, then I close the doors on the straps.... The kayak does not even budge with my full weight pulling on it.