In following with Silicon Valley Mountain Biker’s mission of “fostering a community of riders,” we are excited to offer a series of mountain biking (MTB) classes taught by Bike Instructor Certification Program (BICP) coaches. These classes will provide an introduction to MTB for new riders, as well as on-the bike skills classes to cover MTB fundamentals for new and experienced riders to increase bike safety and confidence. If you are a SVMTB member through IMBA, you can take advantage of the discounted price for these classes. Join SVMTB to enjoy this benefit!

Mountain Biking Fundamentals Classes (click on the blue links to register)

November 30, 9:30-2pm (Co-ed): Mountain Biking Fundamentals Part 1 & 2 in Scotts Valley/Glenwood West. 18 yrs & over. We will teach you fundamental skills for balance, stability, and control on your bike. You will learn ready position, bike body separation, climbing & descending skills, braking and more. Then we will cover how to maneuver your bike including techniques like ratcheting, track stands, wheel lifts, rock dodge, switchbacks and more!

November 16th (Women’s only)@Santa Teresa County Park, San Jose, 10 yrs old and above:

• Women’s Mountain Biking Fundamentals Part 1, Nov 16, 9:30am-11:30am: We will teach you fundamental body position for balance, stability, and control on your bike. Fundamentals will ensure you ride your bike safely and help increase confidence which means more FUN on the trails! We will teach ready/neutral position, bike body separation, braking, shifting and more.
• Women’s Mountain Biking Fundamentals Part 2, Nov 16, 12-2pm: If you have taken MTB Fundamentals Level 1 or are already familiar with basic body position on the bike, up level your skills and learn how to maneuver your bike. In this class we will teach ratcheting, track stands, wheel lifts, rock dodge, switchbacks and more!

December 7th (Co-ed)@Santa Teresa County Park, San Jose, 10 years old and above:

• Mountain Biking Fundamentals Part 1, Dec 7, 9:30am-11:30am: We will teach you fundamental body position for balance, stability, and control on your bike. Fundamentals will ensure you ride your bike safely and help increase confidence which means more FUN on the trails! We will teach ready/neutral position, bike body separation, braking, shifting and more.
• Mountain Biking Fundamentals Part 2, Dec 7, 12-2pm: If you have taken MTB Fundamentals Level 1 or are already familiar with basic body position on the bike, up level your skills and learn how to maneuver your bike. In this class we will teach ratcheting, track stands, wheel lifts, rock dodge, switchbacks and more!

If you need a mountain bike, please message us via FB (@svmtb) or IG (@siliconvalleymountainbikers), or email (jessica.tseng88@gmail.com) and we would be glad to help!

Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers wrote back to the Office of County Supervisor Joe Simitian’s office to ask about the parking restrictions at the Sanborn Road north entrance of John Nicholas trail head. We appreciate the response from the Board Aide below. What do you think of this response? Write Supervisor Simitian’s office if you have additional thoughts on this topic: https://d5.santaclaracounty.gov/how-can-we-help/contact-joe

Response from Supervisor Simitian’s office:

“Regarding the parking at the end of Sanborn Road, I checked with Parks who provided the following information:

In response to residents’ concerns of illegal parking, Parks staff requested that the Roads Department install “No Parking” signs near the area of the start of Lake Ranch Trail. The concerns included vehicles parking illegally over the shoulder striping and blocking the roadway which caused traffic flow problems and did not providing enough access, or parking, for emergency vehicles (fire, EMS, etc.). It created a situation where those responders were unable to park and turning around was nearly impossible.

Based on an on-site engineering study, the Roads Department installed “No Parking” signs in areas where parking was a safety issue at the end of Sanborn Road.

Once the signs were installed, our office received feedback from a park visitor which we shared with Parks and Roads Departments. The current signage location is a result of the Departments taking a second look at the area to ensure access for emergency vehicles and to maximize available parking.

Again, thank you for contacting our office with your concerns on this matter.”

Thank you all for rallying together to write to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors last week about John Nicholas trail. We received a positive response from Supervisor Simitian’s office regarding our concerns and we really appreciate the swift response. Please see the full text of their response below and write Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors back if you have any additional concerns. We responded back asking about whether the parking situation on the Sanborn (north end) of the park could be alleviated as well for users who access the trails on the north. We can’t thank you enough for rallying together as a community to elevate our voice.

Office of County Supervisor Joe Simitian response re: Black Road Parking Information on 3/18/24:

“In follow up to your communication with Supervisor Simitian about recent changes to public parking along Black Road near the John Nicholas Trailhead/Sanborn County Park, and after working with the County Parks and Roads Departments, we wanted to provide you with the following information:

Sanborn County Park is open to the public from 8 a.m. to sunset. In response to numerous complaints from Black Road/Skyline Boulevard neighbors regarding unlawful after-sunset issues at the John Nicholas Trailhead, Parks Ranger staff requested that the Roads Department install “No Parking Sunset to Sunrise” signs at the John Nicolas Trailhead. The intent was to discourage the unlawful behavior during after park hours.

As with any new signage request, the Roads Department conducted an on-site engineering study to ensure public safety. In addition to the afterhours issues, the study also found that some of the parking that was happening on the north side of Black Road (trail side) was in unlawful locations as the vehicles were parked such that they illegally encroached on the roadway. In addition, the study found that parking on the south side of the road resulted in pedestrians unsafely crossing Black Road which has limited sight distance due to steep grades and blind curves. Based on these findings, and to ensure safety of park users as well as users of Black Road, Roads recommended restricting daytime parking on the north side (trail side) to those areas where feasible with enough room for cars to safely park without crossing the fog line and “No Parking Any Time” on the south side.

In response to information shared with our office by a John Nicholas Trailhead visitor, Roads has relocated the “No Parking Sunset to Sunrise” signs to no longer block potential parking spaces. Roads has also indicated that it will look at improving the pavement drop-off on the north side (where parking is allowed) once the weather permits.

The Parks and Roads Departments also informed our office that they will be adding more roadway signs directing the public to the additional parking lots off Skyline Boulevard, including Sunnyvale Mountain and Summit Rock parking lots, that have trail connections to the John Nicholas Trail.

Finally, Parks has indicated that it has no plans to disturb the natural environment of the trailhead and create a paved parking lot at this location. Parks also reported that it is evaluating the possibility of expanding the Sunnyvale Mountain parking lot which provides trail connectivity to the John Nicholas Trail. As we get more information from Parks on potential expansion of the Sunnyvale Mountain parking lot, we will provide that information to you.

Thank you for your patience while we gathered the above information.”

By Ed Dee, SVMTB Board Member

On December 13^th, 2023 after many years of public comment meetings and efforts by all interested trail use groups, Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers (SVMTB)  obtained a verbal confirmation from a MROSD Board Member that trail Alternative 3 (See 11/29/23 Map) has been chosen to be developed. (Hopefully open to the public in 2027 or sooner). 

In our opinion, this will be an important connector trail as part of the larger Bear Creek Open Space Preserve plan to ultimately connect to the Bay Area Ridge Trail (BART). This will give bike riders coming up from Los Gatos, around Lexington reservoir on the Highway 17 side, a nice ~1.7 mile section of mostly single-track to ride to the parking lot on Bear Creek Road at the former Alma College site. From there trail sections are being planned to ultimately connect with the Bay Area Ridge Trail near Hwy 35.

This is a “baby step” (that has consumed much time, energy and diplomacy) towards an important local trail system, and an excellent example of SVMTB working with the biking community, equestrians, hikers, and other trail users for a win/win solution.

SVMTB’s Public Comment at the 12/13/23 MROSD Special Meeting

On behalf of The Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers (SVMTB), and regarding tonight’s proposed trail alignment Alternatives 1, 2, and 3 (see Attached Map);

We are very happy with the District and Staff’s hard and determined work to investigate and identify trail alignments to provide for the greatest enjoyment and safety for all trail users. We do prefer an alternative that provides for the safest and earliest opening of the preserve to public access and enjoyment.

All three current alternatives (as listed on Attachment 2 dated 11/29/23) do appear to minimize trail use conflict within the preserve, and appear to provide for as much separation as possible between the various user groups. Alternative 2 and Alternative 3 (with the Equestrian Bypass) appear to be the most effective at mitigation concerns around the “critical area” at the confluence of Briggs Creek.

If Alternative 3 is chosen, with the equestrian bypass, it almost completely eliminates potential use conflict, while offering equestrians the option to avoid proximity to Highway 17 and the CalFire Heli pad which both were noted as source of anxiety for the horses, without the additional time and expense required in Alternative 2.

Thank you to Bear Creek Stables, The District Board and Staff, and so many other future users of the preserve who have put in so much time and energy since the formation of the preserve 5 years ago, in a concerted effort to meet as many needs, requirements, and preferences as possible; Truly a team effort.

This is a post in support of the Waterdog Open Space Stewarts:

The Belmont Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Master Plan process is making its way through the Parks & Recreation Commission and ultimately to the City Council. The Master Plan is a planning blueprint for the next 15-20 years to guide the city’s network of parks, facilities, and recreational services for the future, including the Waterdog open space.

There is a small but aggressive group of anti-recreation activists in Belmont whose goal is to severely limit mountain biking from the Waterdog open space area. They are waging a campaign to have Waterdog designated as a “nature preserve” in the Master Plan, which would severely limit recreational access to the trails. If they succeed, mountain bike access to Waterdog could be lost for the next 20 years. They are very organized and have a dedicated website that vilifies mountain bikers. This group is working hand-in-hand with the local Sierra Club chapter to skew the survey results against continued multi-use access.

The PROS Master Plan Committee’s survey is live, so it is urgent that viewpoints supporting shared use are represented. Please take 5 minutes to fill out the survey. The survey is only open until April 23, 2021.

Oftentimes people think surveys don’t matter, but this one is very important. The PROS Master Plan Committee will be reviewing the results of the surveys—if the majority of survey results have negative comments about mountain biking, the committee could recommend restrictions or bans.

You do not need to be a resident of the City of Belmont to fill out the survey. In his State of the City address, Belmont’s Mayor encouraged all park and open space users to fill out the survey, even if they don’t live within city limits. Please spread the word to others you know who use the Belmont parks and trails so their voices can be heard too.

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Here are the positions SVMTB supports:

Question 1) Open Space
Question 4) Bike
Question 5) Select Waterdog Lake Open Space (John Brooks. Waterdog Lake and Hidden Canyon). Select all that are appropriate. 
Question 7) Select “Bike pump track”
Question 8) 
Strongly Agree:                          
• Repair and maintain existing trails
• Widen and improve select existing trails
• Add additional trails
• Add more signage for trail safety and etiquette

StrongDisagree:
• Reduce/limit number of trails
• Designate certain trails for certain uses
• Prioritize habitat protection

Question 9) Strongly Agree: Volunteer opportunities (trail work, restoration, etc.)
Question 16) Waterdog is the only place in Belmont and San Mateo County where cyclist have access to local trails. It is a wonderful place for children to learn to ride their bikes and for an after-work fitness ride. Waterdog’s trail were built by mountain bikers and the volunteer opportunities allows us to give back to community.

MidPen is stepping in to renovate and then take ownership of Dirt Alpine… Arguably the route has been neglected by its current owners, San Mateo County, since it was built in 1895 for $7,216. The estimated $2.55 Million renovation will cure its erosion problems and convert most of its length to trail width. The work is described in the first 28 pages of this 300 page plan the District is now seeking comments on. We are very supportive and hope you will be too. As its the only bike accessible trail from the populated eastern half of the peninsula to the expanse of bike accessible open space areas along Skyline, its the most important trail on the peninsula. These improvements will insure its survival into the future. Most of the work will be above “the bypass” lots of repair/replacement to culverts, drainage improvements, regrading to prevent “a creek” from running down the center of the road in the winter and a complete redo of the “dam break” wash out about 2/3rds of the way up the hill. (see illustration above) Below the bypass they’ll build a new pair of retaining walls just inside the gate. These projects should be fully designed, permitted and constructed by the summer/fall of ’22. we are told the route will be closed for 3 months during the construction, so plan your out of area cycling vacations accordingly. This Winter MidPen plans to design a new, less steep, “bypass section” to be constructed, hopefully, in the summer of ’23. SVMTB lobbied for the inclusion of this route in the 2013 MidPen Vision plan, lobbed for its inclusion as a top funding priority in the 2014 measure AA Bond Measure and campaigned for the bond measure which passed by the slimmest of margins. Soon the work will begin.