# Moffett Field Bay Trail opens tomorrow (Monday 9/20)



## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

The Bay Trail bypass around Moffett Field finally opens tomorrow. This is the missing link between Sunnyvale Baylands and Shoreline Park. It is gravel/hard-pack but passable on a commute bike. Anyone going to the opening?



> After many years of work, this much anticipated opening will complete the missing link along a 26-mile continuous section of trail between East Palo Alto and San Jose. The trail opening is the culmination of years of collaboration among many different agencies and is one of several public access and recreation projects within the 15,100-acre South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. It will be managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

Great. I live about a mile from the Stevens Creek bike path. It will give me another option for extending my commute to or from work. I'll ride it tomorrow.


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## roscoe (Mar 9, 2010)

great news! 

how's the trail surface out there? suitable for road bikes? these bay area drivers scare the hell out of me


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

roscoe said:


> great news!
> 
> how's the trail surface out there? suitable for road bikes? these bay area drivers scare the hell out of me


The levees are all hard-packed dirt. I wouldn't do it on 23s. 28s would probably be ok.


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## roscoe (Mar 9, 2010)

thanks for the info, maybe it'll be a running route for me then instead of taking the roadbike


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

I rode it this morning on my rain road-bike with 23mm hard-pumped road tires (Continental Gatorskins). It is definitely passable on a regular road bike and tires, but I wouldn't take my nice bike on it. In general the hard-pack is very smooth with no ruts or significant bumps, and only a little wash-board in some places if you go off line. The western half is very easy to ride at speed (eg. 15-20mph) with only a little gravel. The eastern half is quite a bit trickier mostly due to more gravel. There's enough gravel in some places to make the handling go squirrelly and for the bike to squirm around a bit. You just need to slow down and take it easy in these places and it is easy to spot them coming up. Certainly it would be better on bigger tires. Surprisingly I didn't notice the gravel flicking up very much, and didn't hear any pieces pinging off the frame.


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## Drew Eckhardt (Nov 11, 2009)

robwh9 said:


> The levees are all hard-packed dirt.


With some loose gravel.



> I wouldn't do it on 23s. 28s would probably be ok.


The spots with more gravel are not pleasant on 25s.


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## twain (May 18, 2004)

My cube looks straight out over the path. I was wondering what all the fast moving objects were "holy ****, it's cyclists!". Very cool that this has happened!


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## MarkLef (Jul 12, 2011)

*does anyone know the gnat season there?*

Hi,
I took the trail last week and was met by wave after wave of gnats - at points it was unrelenting and very similar to a blizzard although decidedly worse .
Does anyone know when the gnats give up - I'd really like to get back onto the trail since my daily commute alternatively takes me along central expressway, so it is a great pleasure to get away from the cars.
Thanks.


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