# Sunnyvale Cloverleaf Time Trial



## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

I was looking for a new workout that I could do readily from home or work, and came up with a "6" mile time trial course. The idea was to find a reasonably flat route with no lights, stop signs, left turns or other reasons to have to stop. And be somewhere convenient that I could go to get my heart rate up when I don't have time to head for the hills. 

The best I came up with uses Central Expressway in Sunnyvale and the cloverleaf intersections with Lawrence at one end and Mathilda at the other end to turn around. It turned out to be 5.86 miles in length. Obviously not much fun at commute times, but at the weekend you can blast away with little traffic (though taking care with the fast merges). Any head or tail wind on one leg gets compensated on the reverse leg.

My first lap was 15:03 (23.4mph) and second lap was 14:57 (23.5mph), for a total of exactly 30 minutes. This was on a standard road bike, in the drops with no aero gear. It was a lot more fun that I thought it would be, and a pretty decent workout. After 2 laps I had no legs left for a third attempt. I'm thinking about doing "The Hour" on this course, though I don't think I'll get close to finishing the 4th lap.

Anyone have any other flat Bay Area routes that are suitable for open road time trials (other than the obvious Canada Rd)?


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## Miiles (Oct 25, 2008)

ukbloke said:


> Anyone have any other flat Bay Area routes that are suitable for open road time trials (other than the obvious Canada Rd)?


On a weekday, or cold day, I would take a trip to the Coyote Creek Trail. Its pretty busy on the weekends, but its relatively flat with some rolling hills, no cars, and pretty scenery. I think its 16 miles one way (not a loop) and its all nice trails. It's near 101 in Morgan Hill.

You seems to be pretty close to 101, so it shouldn't be that far.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

The only danger I would think would be the people not paying attention who are pulling onto Central (south) from California Avenue, as that is a pretty blind setup with the bushes separating the two. Sounds like it’d be a great challenge to try out though. I work right off of Wolfe and Central expressway, but live in San Jose… although I grew up right down the road around Wolfe/Evelyn/Reed.

Meanwhile, my “time trial” seems to be my commutes to/from work (Almaden Expressway/Blossom Hill/Branham area to Kifer/Wolfe), wherein I am always trying to go faster and faster, while loaded down with about 5 pounds of commuting safety gear (lights/batteries, spare tubes/tires, tools, and backpack full of work stuff and shoes). Anyhow, it’s between 17.5 and 18.5 miles each direction (still need to get a more accurate gauge on the distance), and my best time so far is 46 minutes. If there were no stop lights/signs or traffic to have to navigate around I could probably shave off another three to six minutes… but without the extra commuting weight I am sure I could go even faster.

Meanwhile, contemplating my Monday morning commute… should be able to crank out another five days this week (did five two weeks ago, and 4.5 last week).


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Miiles said:


> On a weekday, or cold day, I would take a trip to the Coyote Creek Trail.


Thanks, good idea! I was going to suggest that trail in the "Safest, warmest, bay area cycling?" thread, but didn't get around to it.



Leopold Porkstacker said:


> Anyhow, it’s between 17.5 and 18.5 miles each direction (still need to get a more accurate gauge on the distance), and my best time so far is 46 minutes. If there were no stop lights/signs or traffic to have to navigate around I could probably shave off another three to six minutes… but without the extra commuting weight I am sure I could go even faster.


Dude, that's smoking! I find it hugely difficult to get a 20mph average speed in commute mode (sub 30 minutes for my 10 mile commute) and I need almost all the lights to be green to have any hope. If you could do 18 miles in 40 minutes, that would be 27mph, only 3mph slower than Merckx's Hour record!


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

ukbloke said:


> Thanks, good idea! I was going to suggest that trail in the "Safest, warmest, bay area cycling?" thread, but didn't get around to it.
> 
> 
> 
> Dude, that's smoking! I find it hugely difficult to get a 20mph average speed in commute mode (sub 30 minutes for my 10 mile commute) and I need almost all the lights to be green to have any hope. If you could do 18 miles in 40 minutes, that would be 27mph, only 3mph slower than Merckx's Hour record!


Over the past nine months I’ve been getting faster and faster, so something’s working out right. I’d been encouraged to try out crit racing by some fellow riders before, but I sort of have shrugged it off time and time again. One of the guys’ (Tony is his name) team held the four-man flying mile record (in California) back in 2006, and he was the first to let me know. Maybe the commuting is worthwhile training?

But yes, for sure, getting all green lights is key. The ABSOLUTE WORST killers for my dreams of going any faster are the lights at Kifer and Wolfe and at Kifer and Lawrence Expressway, since they’re on lame-o timers instead of true meter setups. The real problem is that there is no real direct route, I sort of end up zig-zagging across the valley. But yeah, if you’re up for some serious speed, try going down San Tomas Expressway Northish (toward Santa Clara from the Campbell direction) during the morning commute time, as the cars push quite a nice helping volume of air in your favour—there’s nothing like a three or four-minute sprint in a 53x12 all bogged down with 8+ lbs. of commuting stuff.


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Leopold Porkstacker said:


> But yes, for sure, getting all green lights is key. The ABSOLUTE WORST killers for my dreams of going any faster are the lights at Kifer and Wolfe and at Kifer and Lawrence Expressway, since they’re on lame-o timers instead of true meter setups.


Tell me about it. My nemesis is Evelyn/Wolfe, then Evelyn/Fair Oaks. At least I figured out how to bypass the lights at Monroe/Lawrence. I've stopped racing my personal bests as you just start thinking irrationally about lights that are about to change to red. I could just do Central Expressway but I figure that eventually someone will tag me at one of those merges.


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## Kwantani (Sep 26, 2002)

ukbloke,
Here's my suggestion for flat TT course:
-frontage road on the Newark/east bay side of 84 Dumbarton bridge.
start from the Don Edward wildlife reserve in newark side where the expo building all the way to the pier is 2.5 miles. 
So 1 lap is 5 miles. 2 lap is exactly 10 miles.
-down side: road is "cracky" and a little rough, typical frontage road quality, but still ridable. use your winter tires instead of race tires should be ok.

traffic usually is zero, but occassionally some fishing traffic and other cyclists exit the dumbarton bridge.


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Kwantani said:


> ukbloke,
> -frontage road on the Newark/east bay side of 84 Dumbarton bridge.


Thanks! Is that the one labelled Marshlands Road, off Thornton Ave, on this map?

Is that route exposed to wind off the Bay? I don't get over that way very often, but I'll keep it in mind. Cheers!


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## Kwantani (Sep 26, 2002)

correct. 
gets windy after 10am or so. Which provide a good workout.
If you head out there early enuf like 8am or so, wind is bearable.

let me know if you decide to organize a mini RBR TT over there. could be fun...



ukbloke said:


> Thanks! Is that the one labelled Marshlands Road, off Thornton Ave, on this map?
> 
> Is that route exposed to wind off the Bay? I don't get over that way very often, but I'll keep it in mind. Cheers!


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## Superunleaded (Jun 19, 2006)

Kwantani said:


> correct.
> gets windy after 10am or so. Which provide a good workout.
> If you head out there early enuf like 8am or so, wind is bearable.
> 
> let me know if you decide to organize a mini RBR TT over there. could be fun...


I did this yesterday and I got 2.8 miles from the stop sign to the bollards at the end of the road. Headwinds and crosswinds seems to be all over the place back and forth but it was fun. But the thing to watch is that STOP sign, the park ranger does wait by the parking lot and give out tickets for not stopping at that sign.


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## grrrah (Jul 22, 2005)

Kwantani said:


> ukbloke,
> Here's my suggestion for flat TT course:
> -frontage road on the Newark/east bay side of 84 Dumbarton bridge.
> start from the Don Edward wildlife reserve in newark side where the expo building all the way to the pier is 2.5 miles.
> ...


You can even go all the way to University Ave./Menlo Park on the other side of the bridge.

I do this a couple times a week.


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