# Blossom Valley/Almaden Valley to Sunnyvale commuters?



## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

I am at Blossom Valley/Almaden Valley area (near 85/Blossom Hill) and commute to Sunnyvale. Anyone else make a similar commute, or commute from somewhere nearby (Willow Glen, etc.)??? Branham (from Almaden Expressway), right on Cherry, left on Curtner, right on Meridian, left on Park, left on Newhall, right on Washington, left on Manchester, right on Bowers, left on Kifer, right on San Gabriel. Pretty hectic route but I like the adrenaline rush. I’ve seen a few quick guys along Monroe regularly but it only seems to be on the days when I’m driving (Tuesdays and Thursdays). Anyhow, will be riding Wednesday morning rain or shine.


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## Fr Ted Crilly (Feb 7, 2002)

Leopold Porkstacker said:


> I am at Blossom Valley/Almaden Valley area (near 85/Blossom Hill) and commute to Sunnyvale. Anyone else make a similar commute, or commute from somewhere nearby (Willow Glen, etc.)??? Branham (from Almaden Expressway), right on Cherry, left on Curtner, right on Meridian, left on Park, left on Newhall, right on Washington, left on Manchester, right on Bowers, left on Kifer, right on San Gabriel. Pretty hectic route but I like the adrenaline rush. I’ve seen a few quick guys along Monroe regularly but it only seems to be on the days when I’m driving (Tuesdays and Thursdays). Anyhow, will be riding Wednesday morning rain or shine.


I don't commute in the same direction but I am mostly familiar with riding in the southern half of San Jose. Why not completely avoid riding on Alamden Expressway and Meridian Ave (where presumably you have to deal with traffic merging on and off 280), by taking Hwy 87 bike path north to Curtner, then right onto Lincoln, through Willow Glen (and then crossing 280 without any on/off ramps), before joining Park Ave and the rest of your usual route?


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

Fr Ted Crilly said:


> I don't commute in the same direction but I am mostly familiar with riding in the southern half of San Jose. Why not completely avoid riding on Alamden Expressway and Meridian Ave (where presumably you have to deal with traffic merging on and off 280), by taking Hwy 87 bike path north to Curtner, then right onto Lincoln, through Willow Glen (and then crossing 280 without any on/off ramps), before joining Park Ave and the rest of your usual route?


I’d have to backtrack a couple of miles in order to get to the 87 trail from where I live. I don’t actually ride on Almaden Expressway, rather, I have to go across it via Branham. The 280 on/off area of Meridian isn’t too bad, since I pick up some insane speed before the Southwest Expressway overcrossing, and usually have enough momentum left over to fly past the 280 S offramp/N onramp.

The only other semi-direct route would be to go up Brahham, right Cherry, left Curtner, right Union, left Campbell, and then right on San Tomas Expressway… or I’ve even taken Campbell all the way to where it turns into Prospect, and then just sail down Wolfe into Sunnyvale. Many ways to go, but the “Meridian Death Crossing” ride seems to consistently be the quickest.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

No takers, eh? No problem. I’ve probably dropped a couple of you in the past week (there was the guy with the nice Cervelo mounted on Topolinos last Friday afternoon, this would have been on Monroe), and then there was the guy on San Tomas on Monday morning (yes, I have been varying my route somewhat), didn’t catch what he was riding since I was concentrating on the avoiding the detritus buildup on the shoulder of the road.


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