Northern California - People don't actually ride on 17, do they?

So we're moving from S. San Jose to Los Gatos soon, somehow we found a place for less rent (i.e smaller, no dishwasher, no garage). The good news is we are really close to downtown so good access for both mountain and road biking.

I have been eyeing the roads around Lexington for a quick after work ride. Does anyone regularly take their road bike up the Los Gatos Creek trail where it turns to dirt? Any thoughts, annoyances, challenges? If I want to get up to Summit/Skyline is the best way to go up 9 instead?

I've lived in the mountains up there for the last 10 years. In that time I have seen someone riding up 17 from Los Gatos once, and someone riding down into town once.

I'm very confident about riding on the road but I would not ride that part of 17. I regularly ride the part from the Bear Creek overpass to the Alma Bridge road turnoff- there is one drainage grate that forces you to go out into traffic but other than that, and some glass, the shoulder there is not bad. But farther on there is no shoulder at all, and drivers can barely navigate the changing radius turns there.

I have not ridden the los gatos creek trail for a while. It's normally easily passable on a mountain bike and challenging on a road bike.

The road up to/past Aldercroft is fun (beware of dogs). Montevina is a nice climb. Black is a good hard climb but gets more car traffic. You can also ride up old Santa Cruz rd to Summit. There's lots of routes from there.

The section of Hwy 17 adjacent to Lexington Reservoir is not too bad since you're on the exit ramp or shoulder for the whole distance.

Below the reservoir, the Los Gatos Creek Trail is fine for road bikes, except when there is construction going on and they close the trail (which seems to be somewhat frequent).

so it sounds like 17, not so much. The LG Creek trail, possible, but don't plan on it.

... Montevina is a nice climb. ...

If you ever decide to try this one out, there's a dirt trail at the top that connects to Bohlman/On Orbit, which, if you go down it, will connect you to Saratoga and Congress Springs Rd (Hwy 9).