Jan 23

Great Opportunity at Castle Rock State Park

California State Parks is seeking public input on the Castle Rock Roads and Trails Management Plan. The purpose of the plan is to provide specific direction for the long term construction, maintenance, and management of the roads and trails in the park.
Flyer

Tuesday, January 29, 2019
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Cal Fire Summit Station
12900 Skyline Blvd, Los Gatos, CA 95033
LEARN MORE: https://bit.ly/2sF89i7

Castle Rock is centrally located between Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space (MROSD) preserves, Sanborn and Stevens Creek County Parks, and Big Basin State Park. This plan will lead to more bike access within the park, creating key regional trail connections. Access to fire roads and potentially some single-track trails are possible outcomes of this process. We are working with Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBoSC) to assess access opportunities and will be sharing our position and recommendations in the coming weeks. Please join us to advocate for expanded bike access by attending this meeting.

This meeting will be an open house format where visitors will have the opportunity to view the latest planning information, discuss the planning ideas one-on-one with park staff, and provide written comments. Stop by anytime during the open house hours to share your ideas with park staff.

 

May 09

SVMTB Endorses Proposition 68, The Clean Water and Safe Parks Act

On June 5th, California voters will decide on Proposition 68, The Clean Water and Safe Parks Act. It’s a statewide measure that if approved by voters will authorize $4 billion in investments in habitat restoration, climate resilience, parks, water quality and flood protection throughout the state. Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers (SVMTB) is endorsing Proposition 68 because it aligns with our values of environmental preservation and sustainable access.YesOn68_NoTag_Full_Color-2@1000px

Here’s how funds will be allocated from the proposition that immediately impacts us here in the Bay Area:

• The Bay Area is eligible for $2 billion through competitive grant programs in areas ranging from drought preparedness and climate resiliency to coastal forest and wildlife linkages conservation.

• $3 million towards the protection and restoration of Los Gatos Creek and the Guadalupe River watershed in San Jose – one of the largest and most important watersheds in the South Bay.

• Over $200 million to the Bay Area to support clean water, habitat restoration and accessible parks here in our communities. $20 million of this is targeted towards the restoration of San Francisco Bay wetlands and bay shore habitats funding projects similar to our work at Bair Island.

• Over $1 billion to prepare California’s communities for drought, wildfires and other threats that we face as the climate changes. It will also provide clean drinking water to communities in need.

Proposition 68 is also endorsed by both the Mercury News and the San Francisco Chronicle.

 

Jan 02

SVMTB Dinner Party with Brian Lucido, 2017 Tour Divide Winner

Tour-Divide-News-06447-800x533@2xPlease join us for dinner and to hear guest speaker, Brian Lucido talk about winning the June 2017 Tour Divide, a  2,769-mile mountain bike race in 14 days, 22 hours 50 min. The Tour Divide is an ultra-endurance, bikepacking challenge to pedal solo and self-supported the length of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route – Canada to the Mexican border. As a teenager in Mountain View, Brian started mountain biking but had only raced a few times at Sea Otter and Downieville. He signed up for the Tour Divide race early 2017 and spent a lot of time studying the route. Besides discussing how he won this challenging race, he is going to talk about lightweight bike touring. His talk will cover his tours including the South America tandem tour with his wife.
 
RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW! – limited capacity.
DATE: Saturday, February 3, 2018
LOCATION:  Blue Pheasant Golf Course
ADDRESS: 22100 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, CA 95014
COST: $32 per person, $25 for 12 yrs or under (Cash Bar)
DRESS: Casual Attire
TIME: 6:00pm Doors Open, 7:30pm Dinner Served, and 8:30pm Coffee and Dessert

Please mail a check made out to SVMTB & mail to SVMTB PO Box #1723 Campbell, CA 95009-1723 Deadline Wednesday 01/31/18. Questions call Linda Wegner 408 257-8284 or email retrobiker@earthlink.net If space is still open some last minute reservations accepted after 01/31/18 – call 408 257-8284.
 
Names & Number of Attendees: ______________________________
 
Phone # : ______________________________
 
Email: ______________________________
 
Circle the entrée selection desired & note how many:
(All dinners include mixed green salad, fresh vegetables, french bread, coffee, tea, chocolate mousse dessert)
 
1. Pasta Primavera, Fresh seasonal vegetables sauteed with garlic, fresh herbs & white wine served over piping hot linguini – a vegetarian entrée.
 
2. Broiled Salmon, Fresh king salmon broiled to perfection and topped with a fresh dill sauce with rice pilaf.
 
3. Chicken Buona Donna, Sauteed boneless breast of chicken with prawns, roasted red peppers in a sherry wine with rice pilaf.
 
4. London Broil, Strips of London broil served au jus with fresh mushrooms with scallop potatoes.
 
 

Oct 25

Sanborn Family Mountain Bike Park FAQ

What is the Sanborn Family Mountain Bike Park Proposal?
Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers (SVMTB) funded a bike park design concept at the South West corner of Sanborn Park near the John Nicholas Trail which is now an abandoned Christmas Tree Farm. The design concept includes several miles of bike specific trails, slaloms, pump tracks and kid-friendly features often found in bike parks. Since June 2017, SVMTB has been holding monthly meetings with the community to review the Bike Park Design that has resulted in the following:

There is a strong demand for bike specific trails.
There are people interested in building bike specific trails because they don’t exist in the Bay Area.
In order to prove the concept of a bike park in the Silicon Valley area, a limited number of trails from the bike park design concept will be presented to the Santa Clara County Parks Department to be built.

What will the proposal be? The committee has decided to propose the following:

1) A smaller gravel parking lot at the top of the property.
2) A children’s pump track area at the top.
3) One intermediate downhill trail with mountain bike specific features.
4) One multi-use trail back up the parking lot.

How much will it cost?
It is too early to know the cost of the project.

Why was the original Sanborn Family Mountain Bike Park Plan so extensive?
This is the full plan done by IMBA Trail Solutions, which is an analysis of what is possible for a full mountain bike park build at this location. The plan can be seen as a plausibility study and is not necessarily what is being proposed.

What are the benefits of a mountain bike specific park?
A mountain bike park will increase recreational diversity and use of the public lands by opening up opportunities for broad range of users to mountain biking especially young kids and families. Kids and families have a safe controlled space to develop mountain biking skills. Parks can be used as a hub for the community to host various events or fundraisers. Mountain bike specific trails also decrease the number of bicyclists on multi-use trails.

Is this a part of Sanborn County Park or something different?
This piece of property is owned by Santa Clara County Parks on the south side of Black Rd and is within the park boundaries. The site of the bike park is not within what is generally known as Sanborn County Park, though it is technically a part of Sanborn’s property.

Who is paying for this?
A number of volunteers have expressed interest is building the park. In addition, Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers and other groups have expressed interested in fundraising for the necessary capital. It is also assumed that Santa Clara County Parks would help construct some of the trails.

What are you going to do about the one-lane sections of Black Road? 
We encourage all users to avoid Black Rd and use Hwy 9 to Skyline Blvd. Any changes to the actual road are up to the county. We support any measures to improve the road and hope that increased recreational opportunities will encourage the county to make road improvements.

How many parking spaces will be available at the top (Skyline) and at the bottom?
It’s really too soon to tell.

Will you have water storage tanks?
There will be water storage for trail maintenance and any other uses deemed necessary. The planning stages are too early to determine the actual amount of water.

What are you going to do about bathrooms?
Yes, there will be a plan for bathrooms.

Are bike trails going to cross Black Road? If so, what will you do to ensure that these crossings are safe?
The planned trails are intended for people to ride down on a downhill only trail and then ride up an uphill only trail. The trail(s) will not have direct access to Black Rd, except at the main parking lot.

Will mountain bikers ride up Black Rd.?
There is no reason for mountain bikers using the park trails to ride their bikes up or down Black Rd. There will be an uphill only trail for riders to get back up to the top. For the most part, mountain bikers prefer to ride on dirt and be away from cars. The uphill only trail will provide a gradual dirt climb route back to the top.

How long until the park is built, from now and from approval?
This is hard to answer given that the process is still in the very early stages of approvals and plans still need to be finalized. We hope that our current proposal of one uphill only trail and one downhill only trail will take three years or less to complete.

Will mountain bikers shuttle Black Rd.?
We discourage shuttling and the use of Black Rd. in general. Users will be disincentivized to shuttle with the building of one-way trails.

WIll John Nicholas Trail be a hiking only trail after the park is built?
No, however bikers may prefer the park over John Nicholas Trail so it’s possible that it may take mountain bike traffic off of the John Nicholas Trail.

How will the park be patrolled after hours?
Any patrols or law enforcement in the park is done by Santa Clara County Parks. It is assumed that the ranger patrol hours at Sanborn will remain the same.

Is this open to hikers, and equestrians.
The downhill trail(s) are for mountain bikers only. We are proposing that hikers can be allowed to hike up the uphill only trail. Horses will not be allowed.

What is the current use of the park?
The site location was an old Christmas tree farm and is not currently being used.

How does this help promote outdoor stewardship?
We see the park as a potential hub for mountain bikers and outdoor recreation lovers to in the bay area. The park will be a great place for people to learn about trail stewardship and resource management. The park can also be used as a key location to spread the word about stewardship opportunities and outdoor ethics.

Who is this park for?
Everyone who wants to a ride a bike! That includes kids, teens adults, baby boomers, and whoever else wants to pedal! Very specifically, to learn to mountain bike, learn new skills, and to watch others in a space like no other.

How will locals benefit from it?
This park will continue to build upon the vibrant green belt of outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities along Skyline Blvd for locals and visitors alike. Mountain biking is an activity that promotes health, community, and an appreciation for the natural environment.

Why mountain bikers only?
Primarily a safety reason. The downhill only trail will be uni-directional so that riders do not have to worry about pedestrians or other riders coming uphill. This means that the downhill riders can focus on the trail. Being able to focus on the trail instead of watching out for other trail users, makes the experience safer and more enjoyable.

Can people picnic at the top who do not have bikes?
Yes, riders, non-riders, friends, and family can hang out, enjoy the outdoors and picnic.

How many people are expected to use this park during the week (M-F) and how many people will be using the park on the weekends (Sat-Sun)?
It is hard to determine an exact number. There is a growing demand for this type of park in the bay area and across the country. Many bike parks operated by local county park system are opening up every year, so there will likely be a lot of interest from the mountain bike community.

Will there be events with amplified music and/or a PA system?
The standard rules of county parks will be enforced and that is access times, noise, music etc. Events may have amplified announcements and music but will be limited to the upper parking area.

How do I get involved in making this happen?
Contact Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers at info@svmtb.org

Oct 17

Sanborn Bike Park PRC Meeting Nov 01

TIME: 6:30 PM
Isaac Newton Senter Auditorium
County Government Center 
70 W. Hedding Street, 1st Floor
San Jose, CA 95110

November 01, people who live near and around Sanborn County Park intend to show up at the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) Meeting and voice their displeasure with the Sanborn Bike Park Proposal. WE NEED TO SHOW UP. It’s really important to get as many kids and parents there as possible and have them address the committee. We are currently working on a Q&A regarding the Sanborn Bike Park and will distribute this next week.

During the Public Comment, which is second on the agenda, we will have a chance to speak on the Bike Parks behave. Speakers are limited to the following: three minutes if the Chairperson or designee determines that five or fewer persons wish to address the Commission; two minutes if the Chairperson or designee determines that between six and fourteen persons wish to address the Commission; and one minute if the Chairperson or designee determines that fifteen or more persons wish to address the Commission. If we are pressed for time, people can yield their time to someone else so they can speak longer.

I’ll be working with a few other people to coordinate this effort. I think it’ll be best if we are respectful of the commission’s time by selecting a few of us to represent the others in the audience. Here are a couple ideas for speakers: Kids, Parents, Neighbors of the Park, Trail Builders, Industry, Riders, other?

Jun 21

SANBORN MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK STEERING COMMITTEE

Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers (SVMTB) has developed a concept for a mountain bike park located in Sanborn County Park in Santa Clara. The specific purpose of this committee is to advocate, fundraise, build, and establish a bike park operation plan. To date, SVMTB has invested more than $25K, including a $15K Grant from REI, into the Sanborn Bike Park concept. We still need more help. If you have a passion for mountain biking and want to make this a reality please join us. This meeting is open to the public and will be held at REI on the last Wednesday of every month.

Dates: 6/28, 7/27 (Thursday), 8/23, 9/20
Time: 7pm – 8:30pm.
Location: REI 400 El Paseo de Saratoga, San Jose, CA 95130
Register: https://www.rei.com/events/sanborn-mountain-bike-park-planning-committee/san-jose/179884

May 16

CONGRATULATIONS BLACK MOUNTAIN COMPOSITE!

Every year SVMTB sponsors high school mountain bike cross country teams, and this year one of our teams, the Black Mountain Composite are the 2017 California Division 2 State Champions! Black Mountain Composite team are students from Cupertino and its neighboring cities. They are an official member of the NorCal league of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), a national high school mountain bike racing organization.p42
xzaiz0zb

Older posts «

» Newer posts