The Village Bikers

 

We are a group of guys (and gals) who have organized to ride (usually) twice a week, mostly on local paved trails, mostly on flat land, typically of about 20 miles round trip, for the purposes of fun and  exercise. The typical ride includes a stop for coffee and comeraderie. All bikes are welcome new bikes, old bikes, clunky bikes, racing bikes (as long as you dont race), mountain bikes, dual sport bikes, tandem bikes, recumbent bikes.

 

Invitation to join:

If you are interested in joining this group, send email to:   j_stratakos@yahoo.com

 

Calendar:

To view the upcoming ride schedule:   ride calendar

 


 

Coyote Creek Trail - April, 2020


At Bird Rock on 17 Mile Drive in Pacific Grove (Claire, Tony, Wate, Frances, Deb, John, Bill, Dave)

At Coyote Creek Country Club (John, Jim, Bill, Wate, Dave, Tony, Chris, Deb, Jerry)

At Morgan Hill Starbucks (Joel, Scott, John, Dave, Wate, Tony, Frances, Jim, Deb)

Members:


Jim Brady



Lou Figone



John Stratakos


Tony Taylor


Wate Bakker


Dave Roberts


Deb Siedband & Frances Wilson

Bill Johnston
                   
Susan Brown

Claire Hintergard

Deb Siedband

Gretchen Greco

John Riehm

Steve Ford

Jerry De St Paer
 
 
NAME STEED
1 Jim Brady Specialized mountain bike, 40lbs
2 Lou Figone Trek 7300 dual sport, silver, 3x8 Shimano gears, front shocks, spd pedals, 38lbs
3 John Stratakos Trek 8.5 DS (dual sport), dark blue, , 3x9 Shimano gears, front shocks, disc brakes, 53.3cm, 32lbs
4 Tony Taylor Trek 8.5 DS (dual sport), stealth black, 3x9 Shimano gears, SPD pedals, front & back shocks, disc brakes, 57cm, 33lbs
5 Wate Bakker Specialized, fire engine red, carbon forks, 2x9 gears, 27lbs
6 Dave Roberts Bianchi Giro road bike, blue, 20lbs
7 Deb Siedband Cannondale Synapse, carbon 105, 22 speeds, 18.4 pounds, Shimano components, black/white/berserker-green
8 Bill Johnston Navara Strada, grey with blue trim, 3x9 Shimano gears, spd pedals, carbon fibre fork, 25lbs
9 Susan Brown
10 Claire Hintergard Specialized, purple, carbon forks, 2x9 gears, 27lbs
11 Frances Wilson Trek 300, silver & black, 33lbs
12 John Riehm Trek 8.4 DS (dual sport), color: blue ink, 3x9 Shimanno Deore gears, front shocks, dics brakes, 53.3cm, 31lbs
13 Steve Ford
14 Jerry De St Paer Bianchi Talladega road bike, 631/525 steel frame with carbon fibre forks, drop handle bars,  biachi green, 3x9 gears, 21lbs
15 Paul Hartrey
16 Greg Tucker
17 Gretchen Greco Specialized, 2x10 gears, light weight



Rides:

Coyote Creek Trail to Coyote Creek Golf Course (18 miles)

Sportsplex > Malech > Country Club (20 miles)

Coyote Creek Trail to Morgan Hill (30 miles)

 

Coyote Creek Trail to Morgan Hill (20 miles)

Basking Ridge > Morgan Hill (20 miles)

 

Guadalupe Creek Trail (18 miles)

 

Los Gatos Creek Trail (18 miles)

 

Pacific Grove, 17 Mile Drive (17 miles)

 

Stevens Creek Trail (15 miles)

Chynoweth > Los Alamitos Trail

               


Coyote Creek Trail to Coyote Creek Golf Course (18 miles)


Directions to trailhead:

-          Go over the hill on Silver Creek Rd.

-          R on Hellyer Ave.

-          L on Embedded Way

-          Go to end of the road, and left into the Sportplex parking lot

-          Dropped pin:  http://goo.gl/maps/T7amE

Ride description:
This is our regular Tuesday ride. Starting at the Sportsplex, we take the Coyote Creek Trail all the way to the turn-off to the golf course for coffee at the country club. Typical ride time is 40 to 50 minutes each way.


Sportsplex > Malech > Country Club

Directions to trailhead:

-          Go over the hill on Silver Creek Rd.

-          R on Hellyer Ave.

-          L on Embedded Way

-          Go to end of the road, and left into Club Sport parking lot

-          Dropped pin:  http://goo.gl/maps/T7amE


Ride description:
This ride is a variation of our usual ride to the Coyote Creek Country Club. Due to the heavy rains this year (2017) there is flooding on part of the trail. To get around the flooded section, we jump off the trail at Metcalf Rd, go over the 101 freeway and then an immediate right onto the frontage road - Melach Rd. After a mild hill, we turn right onto Bailey Rd and go back over 101 and back onto the trail.

on the trail

on the trail

Coyote Ranch

Coyote Ranch

OH! Claire Bridge

OH! Claire Bridge

OH! Claire Bridge

a painful backstop

fish ladder ... with no water

Really? no fishing!

as water level lowers ...

... things start to re-appear

newly walled in PG&E facility

stop along the trail

coyote on the golf course

country club viewed from the golf course

Ah! Coffee at Coyote Creek Country Club

  


Coyote Creek Trail to Morgan Hill, coffee at Starbucks (30 miles)


Directions to trailhead:

-          Go over the hill on Silver Creek Rd.

-          R on Hellyer Ave.

-          L on Embedded Way

-          Go to end of the road, and left into Club Sport parking lot

-          Dropped pin:  http://goo.gl/maps/T7amE

Ride description:

On This ride, we start from the same location as the previous ride, only instead of stopping at the Coyote Creek Golf Course, we continue on another 5 miles into Morgan Hill where we stop at Starbucks for coffee.


Coyote Creek Trail to Morgan Hill (20 miles)


Directions to trailhead:

-          Go over the hill on Silver Creek Valley Rd.

-          L Hellyer Ave

-          R Silicon Valley Blvd / Bernal Rd

-          R Monterey Hwy ramp

-          L Monterey Hwy

-          L Menard Dr

-          R Forsum Rd

-          basketball courts on left, park in street

 

Ride description:

On this ride, we start on the Coyote Creek Trail about half way to the golf course and ride all the way into Morgan Hill.


Basking Ridge > Morgan Hill


RIDE MAP

Directions to trailhead:

 - Go over the hill on Silver Creek Valley Rd.

- L Hellyer Ave

- Straight at Silicon Valley Blvd (road becomes Basking Ridge)

- Parking lot is on the right (after almost a mile)



Ride description:

Due to flooding on the trail after heavy rain, we start at Basking Ridge. After about a mile, we make a short jog onto Malech Rd, ride for a couple of miles and then turn right onto Bailey which takes us back onto the Coyote Creek Trail which takes us all the way to Morgan Hill.




left to golf course .... right to Morgan Hill

on the trail

an interesting bridge

tank

look out for blue horses

lake

Santa Clara County Model Aircraft Skypark

mechanics on the runway

nice model

model under repair

chicken coup?

where did all the chickens go?

french plum tree

plums

coffee break



Guadalupe Creek Trail (18 miles)


Directions to trailhead:

-          Take 101 North

-          280 > 87 north

-          exit Taylor

-          L on Taylor

-          R on Irene St

-          Dropped Pin:  http://goo.gl/maps/4E0cl

 

Ride description:

- start from San Jose on Guadalupe River Trail to Alviso

- return via San Thomas Aquino Creek Trail, around Levi's stadium

- stop for coffee at Peets, Rivermark




SJC Airport
silver mammoth

silver mammoth, Deb, Tony

on the trail

on the trail
on the trail

Alviso junk yard

Alviso harbor

Alviso harbor

Alviso harbor

rest stop on Gold Street, Alviso

high tech in San Jose

high tech in San Jose

yes! the trail goes by entrance to Levi's

ready for Super Bowl 50

coffee at River Mark Peets

see the blue heron?

... start and end at the Heritage Rose Garden

 


Los Gatos Creek Trail, coffee at Purple Onion


RIDE MAP

Directions to trailhead:

- 101 to 280 north
- take Southwest Expry exit
- turn left at Fruitvale
- turn right at Meridian
- turn right at Willow
- drive to end of Willow, park next to the trail
- should take 20 to 30 minutes 

- dropped pin:   http://goo.gl/maps/6VE7Q

Ride description:

         - 16 miles round trip
        - mostly flat, follows flow of creek upstream going toward Los Gatos
        - ride goes through Vasona Park, and around the lake
        - some steep (but short) sections at over/underpasses
        - may need to walk some over/underpasses if congested
        - must watch out for traffic - pedestrians, cyclists, dogs, strollers, etc.
        - one block on street to/from coffee shop (can walk if necessary)
        - coffee at Purple Onion, Main St, Los Gatos





at the trail head

above Lake Vasona - Wate & Jim

along the trail

coffee at Purple Onion - Wate & Tony


 


Pacific Grove, 17 Mile Drive


Directions to trailhead:  park in the street, near:  702 Pine Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950

Dropped pin:   http://goo.gl/maps/Xkw2S

 

Ride Description:

-          start in Pacific Grove at Park St & Pine Ave, park on Pine Ave on the street

-          go uphill on Pine Ave

-          turn left onto 17 mile drive

-          at Pacific Grove Gate, go around on bike trail on the right

-          follow 17 mile drive along the coast

-          Bird Rock is a good place to stop for viewing, and rest rooms

-          continue on 17 mile drive to the Lodge at Pebble Beach, where there is a shop for souvenirs, lunch, coffee. From there you can walk or ride a short distance down the hill to the 18th hole at PB. There is also a deck there overlooking the ocean.

- return by retracing the way we came.




Bird Rock
the group at Bird Rock
Pebble Beach 18th hole

view from 18th hole
view from 18th hole

the group at the 18th hole

 



Stevens Creek Trail.

 

Directions to trailhead:

- go N on 101
- go N on 280
- go N on 85
- exit at El Camino and turn right
- turn right onto Dale Ave
- park on the right when you see the ramp up to the trail

Dropped Pin:   http://goo.gl/maps/nixQo

 

Ride Description:

 

We start where the trail begins, near El Camino and hwy 85. It's about an 8 mile ride to Shoreline Lake (all on paved trail) where we can have coffee at the Lakeside Cafe. We'll do some of the trails around Shoreline, then return. Starting at 9:30 to avoid the worst of the commute traffic, we should get back home about 12:30 or 1pm.

 

 


Chynoweth > Los Alamitos Trail


Directions to trailhead:

    - take 85 freeway towards Mountain View

    - Exit at Santa Teresa

    - L onto Santa Teresa

    - R onto Thornwood Drive

    - R onto Winfield Blvd

    - L onto Chynoweth Ave

    - after 1 block the street ends at the trail (park in the street)


963 Chynoweth Ave, San Jose, CA 95136
Dropped pin: https://goo.gl/maps/KCmZ9JwbWRD2



Ride description:

The ride starts on Guadalupe River trail. This is where Guadalupe RIver begins as the outflow from Lake Almaden. You go a couple of miles on Guadalupe trail, then go around Almaden Lake, onto Los Alamitos Creek trail which parallels the creek which flows into Lake Almaden. The trail ends Harry Rd, near Almaden Quicksilver County Park.

























Full size pictures: PICTURES