Originally Posted by sjshaw
I'm going today to pick up my first road bike, a Specialized Allez Sport. Any people on the board who ride in the South Bay area, such as Sunnyvale, Mountain View, etc.? As a newbie, I don't want to ride with the crazy traffic yet, so I'm hoping some of you can suggest more serene roads on which to learn. I know the Los Gatos Trail is a good choice. Any other suggestions are welcome!
Also, any suggestions re: what to buy along with my bike are welcome. I'm getting a helmet, jersey and shorts for sure.
I am in SJ and frequently cruise up Foothill to do some of the climbs up that way (Old La Honda, 84, Page Mill, etc.).
The Los Gatos Trail is
not really a good choice, unless you go at off-peak hours or in the off season . . . it's very crowded with peds and casual cyclists, you spend a lot of time dodging and saying "on your left" to clueless fools rather than riding. Stick to the roads instead. Foothill is great for that . . . true, there's a lot of traffic, but it has that massive shoulder with no parking allowed and as such is a great cruise route (stop lights are good for resting!). Try going south all the way down to Stevens Creek Reservoir (or even further, if you're up for tackling some hills).
"The Loop" might be a good choice, too (see
http://chainreaction.com/theloop.htm), very gentle, good scenery, not *too* much traffic. Actually check out the other rides on the Chain Reaction site, too.
Have fun . . . see you out there!