Northern California - New to Mountain View, CA

Just moved here about a week ago. I'm wondering where are some of good trails and routes to ride to get myself acclimated and what are some of the clubs I can join. I just moved here from Dallas so not quite ready to tackle any hills right now. How do I find out about scheduled rides around the area?

Thanks.

http://www.actc.org/

http://www.westernwheelers.org/main/index.htm

http://www.bikecal.com/index.asp

http://www.bbcnet.com/

Welcome to the Bay Area. Here's some clubs in your area. Even if you're not riding over the hill to Pescadero for lunch at Duarte's, there's tons of great riding in your area. My club across the Bay from you likes to ride over the bridge for the riding there.

Do you know of any good bike shops around here? I know of three in the area but I don't know their reputation.

The Bicycle Outfitter in Los Altos just off Foothill Expressway at Loyola Corner is pretty good. I like Shaw's in Santa Clara, too.

Welcome to Mountain View! I personally like Chain Reacton bikes a lot in Los Altos. They're a quick 15 minute ride from my place in downtown Mt View. They have a lot of local rides on their site. I personally enjoy doing "The Loop" ride a few times a month. http://www.chainreaction.com/

If you're looking for cheap accessories, Perf Bike on El Camino is pretty good, even though they're a chain store.

Bicycle Outfitter is great, there's Performance at Rengstorff and El Camino, Mike's Bikes near El Camino and Page Mill, and Palo Alto bike shop in downtown PA.

If you're a Campagnolo aficionado, don't bother with Chain Reaction. As good a bike shop as they are, I don't think they sell a single Campy-equipped bike. If you're into Tri's, Cupertino Bike Shop would be a good choice. They appear to cater to the triathlete crowd.

If you want a nice flat (well gently rolling) ride then Canada Rd. is excellent.

There's a Performance Bike Shop in my area. Should I trust them with my bike? I'm always a little suspicious when it comes to chain stores for services.

I wouldn't. There're enough local shops you can take your business to.

I've had good work done by Performance in Campbell before, but I don't know if the same technicians are still there.

If you're a Campagnolo aficionado, don't bother with Chain Reaction. As good a bike shop as they are, I don't think they sell a single Campy-equipped bike. If you're into Tri's, Cupertino Bike Shop would be a good choice. They appear to cater to the triathlete crowd.
+1 for Cupertino Bike shop
Welcome to the area. Tons of good rides out there, lots of hills. If you get on Foothill expressway on a weekend, you could tag along with some of the riders out there and learn new routes. Most people will be more than happy to let you ride with them.

There's a Performance Bike Shop in my area. Should I trust them with my bike? I'm always a little suspicious when it comes to chain stores for services.

Outfitter's or Mike's will probably be a safer bet for service work.