Introductions - Greetings and Salutations.. from Ca

18 year old road biker. The only one I know of actually. Just bought a 2002 Bianchi Imola and put 50 miles on her this weekend. Incredibly tired and mind not function so well. I go sleep now. Thank God I found this forum, because talking about bikes to people who don't care is really depressing.

Welcome to the BikeForums, theshinu.

There're plenty of other folks from the Bay Area here. I live in Cupertino and ride mainly up the Peninsula and the Santa Cruz Mtns.

SteveE

Wow, really. I live in Cupertino, too! I'm going to UCSC next year for college and I'm really considering biking from here to there whenever I have time. Besides my lack of fitness, I was mainly worried about the roads I'd take to get to santa cruz. I only know of 2 roads that lead there and niether seem very bike friendly. What roads/paths do you take down to SC?

I'm sure I'll be able to make that ride sooner or later, hopefully sooner than later.

Welcome to the world of cycling.Stay straight in the saddle and watch out for the semis.

On Monday, we did a ride up Hwy 9, through Big Basin, up Jamison Creek, and down Empire Grade into SC. On the way back, our route took us back Hwy 9 to Felton, right on Graham Hill Rd., left on E. Zayante, left on Summit Rd., right on Bear Creek, left down the shoulder of Hwy 17, right on Alma Bridge Rd., bike path below the dam to Los Gatos, and back Hwy 9 to Saratoga, and a mix of the Saratoga-Sunnyvale Rd. and side streets home. Roundtrip was about 95 miles and a bunch of climbing (~8,000 ft.).

Another option would be (from S.C.) to use Glen Canyon/Mt. Hermon/Scotts Valley/Bean Creek/Glenwood/Mtn. Charlie/Summit/Mtn. Charlie/Old S.C. Hwy/Hwy 17/Alma Bridge/bike path at Lexington Dam to Los Gatos. Use residential streets back to Cupertino.

Up Hwy 9 from Saratoga isn't a bad climb as there's a reasonably wide shoulder most of the up until you get about .75 miles from the summit where they did a bad job re-paving and didn't extend the shoulder. At that point you either have to hold your line on the roadway or move over onto the chopped up shoulder and stay there.

If you're a glutton for punishment, you can avoid the first half of Hwy 9 by taking Stevens Canyon Road around the reservoir, bearing right at the intersection of Mt. Eden Rd, and turning left onto Redwood Gulch Rd. This brings you onto Hwy. 9 about 3 miles from the top. Bring some low gears because it's pretty darn steep.

Good Luck!

I am convinced that Triple Rings were invented for the Bay Area, of course I could be mistaken. I am certian they weren't invented for say Chicago though.