Riding Mountain Roads on a Tour: Hairpins, Altitude, Weather Swings and Fuel

On a tour, mountain roads change four things at once: the bends, the temperature, the air your engine breathes and the chance that the road is closed. Slow down before blind bends, pick a lane position that lets you see, expect it to be colder at the top than at the start, and check that the pass is open before you commit. This guide is about planning and judgment for a touring day; it does not replace a rider course.

This guide sits within our riding in different conditions series, and it supports our route guides for Europe, Norway and Italy.

What changes on a mountain day

Check the pass is open

Pass roads are closed in winter and can close at short notice. For example, Visit Norway says the Trollstigen road is usually open from mid May to October or November, may close at short notice due to heavy rain, and points riders to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration for real-time status of mountain passes. It says to check the route in advance of your journey.

We have not sourced opening dates for the Alpine passes, and the tourism pages we found disagreed with each other, so we give none. Check the road authority for the country you are in on the morning you ride, and again at lunch if the weather is turning. See our long-trip planning guide for building spare days into the schedule.

Hairpins and blind bends

A regional motorcycle tourism guide notes that a descending-radius curve gets tighter as you ride through it, and that many mountain curves are blind, with little lead time to see what is coming. It also advises slowing down in an unfamiliar area, because slower speed gives time for split-second decisions.

That page, citing a North Carolina rider-safety program, describes three lane positions: nearside gives an early view of right-hand curves, offside an early view of left-hand curves, and central gives margins on both sides and is the pick on a hill where you cannot see the other side. We have not verified this against a national rider-training manual, and the page is from 2011. Treat it as one source, not the rule.

On slippery surfaces, smoothness matters. The California Motorcycle Handbook says any sudden change in speed or direction can cause a skid, so be as smooth as possible when you speed up, shift, turn or brake. Gravel and sand collect on some roads, as do mud and leaves. Ice patches tend to form in low or shaded areas, and on bridges and overpasses.

We did not find a primary source for hairpin technique such as lean, steering or the line through a switchback, so this page gives none. A rider course is the place for that; the page we used says the same about its own lane-position summary.

Descents

We did not find a primary source on braking and gear choice on long descents, so we give no rule. What we can source is general: use both brakes, squeezing the front lever gradually rather than grabbing it, and slow before entering a bend, not in it. Because a descending bend can tighten, enter it slowly enough to adjust.

Temperature, altitude and the weather swing

The standard atmosphere falls 6.5°C per km in the lower atmosphere, about 3.6°F per 1,000 ft by our conversion, but that is an average convention, not a forecast. As an illustration, a 25°C valley with a pass 2,000 m higher would be about 12°C (54°F) at the top in the standard atmosphere; real mountain weather, wind and cloud can make it colder. This is our arithmetic, so check the actual forecast for the pass.

Cold on a motorbike is mostly about wind. Our wind chill table shows how a few degrees of air temperature become much colder at riding speed. Rain makes it worse: hypothermia can occur above 40°F (4°C) if you are chilled from rain or sweat. See riding in the rain and is it dangerous.

Mountain storms need a plan. The NWS says there is no safe place outside when thunderstorms are in the area, and that rain shelters, small sheds and open vehicles are not safe. Flooded roads matter too: 6 inches (15 cm) of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult.

Altitude and the bike

Thinner air means less power. A 1995 Cycle World article says that at about 12,000 ft (3,650 m) air pressure is only 65 percent of sea level, and maximum power falls by roughly the same fraction. It says a fuel-injected engine's loss is in simple proportion to air pressure with no extra penalty, while a carbureted engine runs too rich at altitude. The article is old and bike-specific, so check your own manual and the mountain conditions. Our reading, not a sourced figure: expect slower climbs, and leave more room when you pass.

Altitude and the rider

The CDC says unacclimatized travelers are at risk of altitude illness at a sleeping altitude of 8,000 ft (2,450 m) or more, and sometimes lower. Headache is the main symptom, usually with loss of appetite, dizziness, fatigue, nausea or vomiting, starting 2-12 hours after ascent. Above 9,800 ft (3,000 m), raise your sleeping altitude by no more than 1,650 ft (500 m) a night. If symptoms worsen despite rest, descend; improvement usually follows a descent of at least 1,000 ft (300 m). This is about sleeping altitude, not the height of a pass you ride over in the daytime.

Fuel

We did not find a source for fuel-gap distances on mountain passes, so we give no figures. Two things are sourced and pull in opposite directions: altitude reduces engine power, and extra weight lowers fuel economy and handling. Plan fuel from a map or the route's own services page, with a margin, and fill up before a long climb rather than after it. That margin is our judgment, not a sourced figure. See how to pack for motorcycle touring for load.

Gear for a mountain day

A cold summit and a hot valley can be on the same day, so adjustable layers help. The store says touring jackets have zip vents that let air in on warm days and should be closed when the air turns cool, and it adds reflective piping to be easier to see. Our touring gear hub has more, and Leather Collection's motorcycle jackets are one place to look at vented and touring styles.

Frequently asked questions

How to ride a motorcycle in the mountains for beginners?

Slow down for bends you cannot see through, use lane position to see further, keep your inputs smooth, and take a rider course before a pass tour.