Mountain View to Pleasanton

Mountain_View_to_Pleasanton, originally uploaded by alec_p.

Day 0

Google to Pleasanton

Distance: 33.68 miles
Total Trip Distance: 33.68 miles
Total Time (wheels spinning): 2:18:29
Average Speed (wheels spinning): 14.59 mph
Start Time: 16:53
Finish Time: 19:32
Total Time (w/ breaks): 2:39
Average Speed (w/ breaks): 12.71 mph
Maximum Speed: 30.5 mph



I decided to get a jump start the day before the 'real' start of my trip so that I could avoid Bay Area traffic. So today is "Day 0".

I left late at almost 5:00 p.m. (had planned to leave by 2:00 p.m. to miss traffic).

The trip went smoothly, though the path was slightly different than plan (Decoto road is a fwy after the bridge, so I had to divert South, then North over Decoto, then joined Decoto several miles further East).

On the way, I rode through Niles, which used to be its own town, but is now part of Fremont. Downtown Niles is filled with Antique shops. This is something I noticed on my training ride the weekend before -- all the small towns' main business seems to be Antiques. It makes me wonder -- is there really that much old stuff? Or is there just some big factory somewhere where someone cranks out "old" stuff... Hmmm. :-)



Interesting side trivia note: Niles was the home of Charles Chaplin for 4 months in 1914 while he worked at Essanay studios, and he filmed his movie "The Tramp" there. The famous shot of him walking away down the road was filmed here. Could this be Niles Canyon Road itself?:




A Metro article about Chaplin in Niles:

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/06.04.98/slices-9822.html

When I arrived in Pleasanton stayed with my friends the Jamaca's.