# Looking for a decent mid week climb around Lexington Res in the South bay



## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

Anything around Lexington Res that reasonably safe? 

I'm looking for something like 4-6 mi long that steady, but not stupidly steep like Hicks Road.

I was thinking of getting to Lexington then going up Old Santa Cruz Highway for my midweek training climb. It doesn't have much of a shoulder, but I was hoping there would be low traffic.

I also look at Black rd (on the other side of 17) on the map, but can't really tell if it's low traffic or has a shoulder. 

Any suggestions?


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Take a look at Montevina Road - the South Bay's equivalent of Alpe D'Heuz! It is a dead-end for cars so the only traffic is locals driving in/out from their houses. I understand that it can be a little busy at the beginning or ends of the work-day, but it ought to be very quiet at lunch-times. It does have some steep parts on the switch-backs, and particularly right at the very top where it probably qualifies as stupid steep. If you are ambitious you can ride over the top to Bohlman too, though it is a gravel/mud road so a cross-type bike would be preferable for this.

Here's the 2008 low-key hill climb page for Montevina.


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Or Soda Springs Road on the other side of the reservoir. You are spoiled for choice really!


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

Black and old santa cruz have the most traffic of the four mentioned. Commuters coming down hill in the morning and up hill in the evening. Both also have schools so there is also traffic going to/from the schools in the morning and afternoon.

Montevina is a nice climb, pretty steady grade until the end. Soda Springs is a similar grade only longer. It's a lousy descent- narrow road, tight turns and short sight lines. My hands are tired by the time I get to the bottom. And there is no view at the top. I have nearly been hit on Soda Springs more often than on the others. Montevina residents seem pretty friendly, a lot of them wave to me. It's a fun descent although the bottom is narrow and you have to watch for oncoming cars. There's some pretty good views when you get close to the top.

All of these roads have no shoulder and drivers who go quite fast during commute hours. I often ride during commute/school hours and while I wouldn't call it unsafe, I've done a lot of riding in safer situations. I am happy when school is out for the summer or a break.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

Thanks everyone for your input

(on a side note, carrots and coffee don't go well together for a snack)

I may have to take each suggestion each week here. 

I think I may go Old Santa Cruz Hwy today. Maybe I'll strap 20 flashing LED safety lights to my butt and not have a commuter force me into the hill.

Now, if I could climb that at 25 mph, then I could just have my wife run a blockade with the 4Runner.....................................LOL, Me, climbing at 25 mph??? What a pipe dream


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

I've been itching to get down and climb Soda Springs after the LKHC there last year.. Old Santa Cruz Hwy is a very mellow climb - I did it on a weekend so very little traffic.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

ratpick said:


> I've been itching to get down and climb Soda Springs after the LKHC there last year.. Old Santa Cruz Hwy is a very mellow climb - I did it on a weekend so very little traffic.


I'm actually looking for some longer low key mellow climbs. My weakness (at least on the mtb racing side) are those long climb hills. My buddies joke about having to beat me to the top of the Downieville race by 10 min or I will pass them on the downhill.


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

ziscwg said:


> I'm actually looking for some longer low key mellow climbs. My weakness (at least on the mtb racing side) are those long climb hills. My buddies joke about having to beat me to the top of the Downieville race by 10 min or I will pass them on the downhill.


You might want to head over to Saratoga instead and simply head up Highway 9. I find Highway 9 interesting because it is pretty long and slightly too shallow for me to keep my power up, and that's something I need to work on.


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## orangeclymer (Aug 18, 2009)

Just did old santa cruz around Lex res last sunday with a friend and leaving los gatos @ 8:30 we managed to miss a lot of foot traffic in route to the dam as well as road traffic once there.


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## robbyracer (May 30, 2007)

I second Montevina. The only climb I've ever puked on.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

I ended up doing Soda Springs Rd last Thurs................... It was a good work. I needed to pace myself a little better. I was cold up there at the gate!!! I should have brought the shoe covers and long sleeve wind shirt.

There were maybe 10 cars that passed me in my 50+ min climb. (yeah, I'm slow. That's why doing them) 

On the way down I found out how inadequate my brakes were. Well, at least the pads. 

I hope to have more time tomorrow and get Old Santa Cruz hwy in and Soda Springs rd.


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## WMBigs (Aug 29, 2009)

It's been awhile since I've done any riding down there. Lived in South San Jose for 5 years. One of my favorite hill rides was Kennedy Road. At the summit there is a fire road that continues up for about 45- 60 minutes before it tees into another fire road. Great work out, mostly middle ring, a few short grunts. Gets you above the smog level. Kind of spooky when getting way up there. Always had a feeling there were pot growers up there. 
The easy side of Hicks was fun. The hard side was that, hard but great for getting strong. 
Highway 9 was a favorite also. 
Short hill, fun ride up to Caleros Resevoir. 
Ride up to IBM from eithr side is also good.
Hope I'm remembering this all correctly. 
I'm in Montana now. Been snowing on and off for a week. Cold, windy, sloppy- not fun. 
Have fun, great roads down there!


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

WMBigs said:


> It's been awhile since I've done any riding down there. Lived in South San Jose for 5 years. One of my favorite hill rides was Kennedy Road. At the summit there is a fire road that continues up for about 45- 60 minutes before it tees into another fire road. Great work out, mostly middle ring, a few short grunts. Gets you above the smog level. Kind of spooky when getting way up there. Always had a feeling there were pot growers up there.
> The easy side of Hicks was fun. The hard side was that, hard but great for getting strong.
> Highway 9 was a favorite also.
> Short hill, fun ride up to Caleros Resevoir.
> ...


What is the easy side of Hicks Rd? 
I have always come up from the Camden Ave side then down the other to that reservoir area way back there. If that's the easy side, I need to train more.


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## WMBigs (Aug 29, 2009)

ziscwg said:


> What is the easy side of Hicks Rd?
> I have always come up from the Camden Ave side then down the other to that reservoir area way back there. If that's the easy side, I need to train more.


I had to look at Google maps to refresh my memory. That's how I remember it also. The steeper side wasn't much fun up or down. Hard going up and too twisty to let it rip going down. 
I remember riding my Peugot up the easy side back in 1986. I was 25 and had a cast on my right hand. I was riding to get in shape for the upcoming ski season. Skiing was great, but the biking was a blast and my whole life style changed because of it. Good roads, great weather, lots of hills- cycling paradise. 
Contrast to today- Rode to work 28F and snowing, took a long way home after work- 38F, cold wind out of the north, had a blast! Snow and wet roads kept me off the bike for three days and I couldn't take it anymore. Weather be damned, I'm riding today!
"Training never gets easier, you just get faster" Greg LeMond
Keep at it! I'm a toad now and trying to get faster/stronger.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

ziscwg said:


> Anything around Lexington Res that reasonably safe?
> 
> I'm looking for something like 4-6 mi long that steady, but not stupidly steep like Hicks Road.
> 
> ...


MAN! The nerve! You callin’ my hill “stupidly steep”??? Dude, Hicks is nothing. You should try Umunhum Road. First mile gains 800 feet of altitude, and it’s totally pothole-ridden. What’s more, when you get to the top, you are verbally accosted by inbred ******* meth lab technicians.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

Leopold Porkstacker said:


> MAN! The nerve! You callin’ my hill “stupidly steep”??? Dude, Hicks is nothing. You should try Umunhum Road. First mile gains 800 feet of altitude, and it’s totally pothole-ridden. What’s more, when you get to the top, you are verbally accosted by inbred ******* meth lab technicians.


Well, for me on a road bike it's stupidly steep. I do it when I ride in the Almaden area. So, I guess I'm stupid.  

If I really want that kind of "fun," I get out my mtb and climb Kennedy Trail a couple of times (warming up going up Kennedy Rd from downtown Los Gatos.) On the 2nd climb I entertain the idea of climbing in the middle ring until I nearly fall over near the middle of the "relentless" section before the tree midpoint. 

So the next time I climb Hicks, I'll know you are the blur passing me like I'm standing still. Humm, it will just be like that race a few weeks back at Santa Teresa when Spec Pro, Ned Overend, lapped me climbing up to Rocky Ridge. I blinked and he was gone.


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