At left is a picture of the real Hillview hill that some of you thought I was referring to when I really meant Hanover which is more formidable and much steeper. This is the part of Hillview, a little over a mile from my house, where Xerox has its research lab named PARC where the mouse was invented and other important computer innovations were concocted. Nestled here in the foothills behind Palo Alto, all of the office buildings out here are in a wooded setting with many walking paths, horse trails and nearby pasture lands where wide open thinking is readily encouraged.
As I passed through this area, a guy called out from a car window, "Good luck on your ride - I read about you!!" I said thanks! It also made me feel good as I could tell he was happy to have spotted me.
After reaching Arastradero, I kept going straight, instead of turning left and gave myself some more hill work in Los Altos Hills, where as I've said in other posts there is not much in the way of cars speeding by on narrow roads. And since the Eagle encourages me to explore, I took a little road that was introduced by a hill. Not what I was looking for, it ended up being a short cut to downtown but I did notice something about climbing on turning ascents. I just have to be pay more attention to using my arms to jockey the bike back on forth...
After working my way back into the quaint shopping village of Los Altos, another man called out to me as rolled by him. He was on foot. He exclaimed, "You should roll into a bar and tell everyone, the hi-balls are on me". I expressed my pleasure at his originality.
From there I stopped at Whole Foods in Los Altos for an energy bar, then rode a busy but tolerable El Camino for a ways to El Monte Road which soon turned into Springer (at right). What a pleasure these two roads were! With bike lanes so wide in some places that there is a sign that says it is illegal to pass in them, I much enjoyed this east west run across this part of the Silicon Valley. The speed limit is 30, the three widely spaced stop signs still kept the cars moving well within the posted 30 MPH speed limit and after this road nurtured me for just under two miles I was ready for the little more aggressive Foothill Epwy which I rode to Homestead and back.
On Foothill on the way back, I stayed in the saddle for the underpass (pictured at left) at Loyola Corners Indeed I have come a long way. It used to be hard to keep the front end on the ground even when standing on the pedals because I was afraid to throw myself too far over the handlebars. And now, in a month I will be doing this kind of road grade for 40 miles when I undertake Mormon Immigrant Pass in the Sierras!!
I was taking a picture of the cars passing me on San Antonio Rd, when the huge truck at right showed up in my view finder.....
THX 4 all of U!!
1 1.50mi Enter sweet little tree covered bike path - half of which is bordered by ivy covered tall cinder block walls ! Always look forward to this little escape - it ends at Hanover
2 1.78mi Hanover ascent - not a problem
3 2.00mi Hanover descent still fun!
4 2.60mi Hillview ascent begins
5 3.05mi Begin descent that I have to control c-o stop sign at bottom
6 3.38mi Enter rolling hills of Los Altos Hills
7 5.28mi Enter road that would be easy to miss in a car. I took a chance on it because hills don't scare me anymore on the Eagle
8 5.38mi And it put me right here - close to the light that crosses Foothill Expwy into the quaint Los Alto s shopping village
9 5.73mi Here a man called out that I should roll into a bar and tell everyone that the hi-balls are on me!
10 7.31mi - $ Whole Foods energy bar
11 7.37mi El Camino Real was busy but I did not feel endangered
12 8.29mi Enter wide bike laned road with nice asphalt
13 8.69mi Straight ahead of me was more pleasant riding with wide bike lanes, a few churches and only 3 stop signs the whole way that I was able to roll right up to in the bike lane
14 13.28mi I sprinted for this light and got it then had enough brake to slow down and make a U-turn!
15 14.67mi at underpass here I stayed in the saddle both down and then up. I will have 40 non stop miles of this when I do Mormon Immigrant Pass soon here in the Sierras
16 14.81mi end underpass
17 19.63mi Enter Wilkie Way bike bridge
18 19.74mi Exit bike bridge
End 20.80mi
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