9.7 miles, 1 coop, 1000 feet of climbing
This coop loop is a fairly serious bike ride with 1000 feet of climbing in about 10 miles. This coop is in San Jose but not close to other coops so we created this cycling route and picnic!
Ride Reviewer said:
I did the Faithful Farms and Picnic route yesterday. Overall, it was a really nice ride and I’m glad I did it. Very pretty up there. Starting at the park is good. The only issue I found was that there were two very steep hills. The steepest one was on Porter (10.8%).
I would definitely not recommend this route for any kids on bikes and I probably would not ride up a hill that steep if I had a kid with me although you could just get off and walk it. If you can route to a flatter spot to more gradually get to Hamilton, I would do that. Hamilton is a challenging constant climb with no shoulder and steep drop is also not ok for kids. That said, it is a great ride if you are maybe an older teen or adult. Very pretty and doable.
For route alternatives – here are a couple of suggestions:
1. Start at Alum Rock Park parking lot, go up the closed paved road to Alum Rock Road (or actually ride through Alum Rock Park to add a few miles), turn left at Mt. Hamilton and continue the route coming back via either Migeulita to Alum Rock Rd.
2. Park in the unofficial-official Mt. Hamilton parking area with other cyclists, cross Alum Rock Rd and go up Hamilton to farm. Come back same way or go down Miguelita and come out where you started.
MAPS:
Click here to view the Ride With GPS on-line map of this route:
East_San_Jose_Bike_Coop_Challenge_and_Picnic – Cue Sheet
On this route you can visit the coop stop:
Faithful Farms houses 31 chickens on our 3 acre organic farm, 15 of which are only weeks old. Our herding dog Luna ( our 1 year old Australian Sheppard) keeps the chickens in line ( most of the time)
Faithful Farms Coop is run by Madelyn 8 and Emma 6 along with their mother. Our eggs are organic and free range eggs. We also feed our chickens organic fermented feed which is a natural process that makes for a stronger more healthier “super egg” and chicken. We also ascribe to the deep litter method in our coop to keep the coop clean by only adding shavings periodically and only remove the litter 2xs a year. We utilize the litter for compost that gives us a rich organic soil in the spring. This method makes for a a nearly odor free and healthier coop.
Silicon Valley - Tour De Coop 