Bohlman - Montevina

Bohlman may be one of the toughest road climbs in the Bay Area, but Montevina is one of the funnest descents. It has it all: steep straight sections, wide fast curves, tight hairpins, with great views on the South Bay, the Lexington reservoir and the Sierra Azul range thrown in, and with very low car traffic.

Can’t believe I waited so long to do this ride, it really is in my backyard and if I wouldn’t have taken it easy (as today), I should be able knock it off in less than two hours door-to-door.

Bohlman stands for grueling suffering of course, but the good thing is the worst is in the early to mid sections. I didn’t throw in On Orbit this time, but that would make an interesting addition for increased agony.

At the top of Bohlman you need to navigate through some dirt roads, as you pass through a section of the Monte Sereno Open Space Preserve (follow Montevina Ridge trail). Not too big a deal on the road bike, but I had to watch out a bit with my traction-challenged slicks. Same when you cross Alma Bridge road at the bottom: I took the short singletrack section parallel to 17 to avoid traffic – it leads to the Lexington Dam where you hook up with the Los Gatos Creek trail and another mile or two of dirt.