This week my group rode up into the hills southeast of Morgan Hill towards Gilroy. We took the beautiful Burchell Road to its end at Hecker Pass highway. After crossing the highway (carefully due to potential for fast traffic) we picked up the bike path that leads to the Gilroy Sports complex, passing the Uvas Creek Preserve on the way. We took a side trip through Christmas Hill Park, which I had not been to in years. I’d forgotten how nice it was. After reaching the sports complex we took Santa Teresa Boulevard back to Morgan Hill and lunch, for a bit over 30 miles riding.
The next day I had an errand down in Gilroy so I took my e-bike on a more direct route down Monterey highway. Although this can be busy it is still safe due to a wide shoulder and bike lane. It was pretty quiet and pleasant at the time I went. My e-bike has 3 levels of assist. I had it in 2 on the way down and got to my errand in 47 minutes. I discovered another bike path I was unaware of for about 1.5 miles along a canal. On the way back I had plenty of battery left so tried 3 (also called “turbo”), and made it in a fast and fun 37 minutes. This would have taken around 40 minutes by car but I wouldn’t have gotten a workout or enjoyed it as much.
Original source: https://bionicoldguy.home.blog/2023/12/02/group-ride-south-to-gilroy/