Biking from ACE great america station to Google (Orange, Mountain View: light rail, bike)

[OrangeSunset]

Has anyone done it? How's the ride? Any information on routes would be appreciated.

Thank you!

[sonarrat]

You're going to work for Google and don't know about Google Maps' cycling directions? There's a trail system that goes around Moffett Field in the marshlands. It's about 9 miles.

[OrangeSunset]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

You're going to work for Google and don't know about Google Maps' cycling directions? There's a trail system that goes around Moffett Field in the marshlands. It's about 9 miles.

Google maps gave the Moffett Field route as the only option and since the cycling directions on Google are in Beta I was hoping for some other options and feedback on the actual ride.

Does it really take 45 minutes to ride these 9 miles? Is it all uphill? Is the trail paved? How fast can one go?

[sonarrat]

I haven't been on it, but I don't think there's any incline on the bayshore. The area is pancake flat and the trail is paved. So if you can ride 20 mph you should be done with it in a half hour or less.

[gr8west]

Originally Posted by OrangeSunset

Has anyone done it? How's the ride? Any information on routes would be appreciated.

Thank you!

I've been biking on that Bay trail some 10 years ago for fun, of course. The part from Great America to Baylands Park is paved and easy. The rest of the trail had a lot of gravel areas, tall grass, and Canada geese, which like to poop on it, and it smells terrible due to salty marsh around. At that time getting around Moffet Field was troublesome as the direct road had a locked fence. Maybe that changed now. It's fun biking there -- very easy flat trail, good nature and wild life, but the only time I was taking a bike to work was in the trunk of my truck to have some fun during the lunch break, I would never think of biking to work.

[jbunniii]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

I haven't been on it, but I don't think there's any incline on the bayshore. The area is pancake flat and the trail is paved. So if you can ride 20 mph you should be done with it in a half hour or less.

Pancake flat but often very windy. Only part of the trail is paved, the rest is gravel. Mountain bike almost required. You could try ACE -> VTA light rail to downtown Mountain View -> bike to Google. But the light rail is pretty slow, too - about 1/2 hour from Great America to Mountain View, not including waiting time.

[OrangeSunset]

Originally Posted by jbunniii

Pancake flat but often very windy. Only part of the trail is paved, the rest is gravel. Mountain bike almost required. You could try ACE -> VTA light rail to downtown Mountain View -> bike to Google. But the light rail is pretty slow, too - about 1/2 hour from Great America to Mountain View, not including waiting time.

Thank you. I was thinking of leaving the bike at the ACE station and taking the orange line shuttle when I didn't feel like biking the 9 miles. How reliable is the shuttle?

[gnomatic]

Originally Posted by OrangeSunset

Thank you. I was thinking of leaving the bike at the ACE station and taking the orange line shuttle when I didn't feel like biking the 9 miles. How reliable is the shuttle?

Are working for Google? Have you look into the company shuttle?