One of my favorite bike stores is The Off Ramp on the El Camino Real. They’re a bay area bike store that has been around since the 70s. They have everything you ever wanted, including tons of those groovy-retro looking bikes with baskets and streamers. I bought black leather streamers for my bike from them. They even put the streamers on for me so I could ride home in style. Just a block away from that store is Performance Bicycle. And there’s also a great selection of bikes and bike-related-stuff at REI. REI let me race around in the parking lot behind their store on a few test rides before I made my final purchase.

 It’s easiest to ride your bikes on the Stevens Creek Trail or on any streets that have a Bike Lane. Our city is very bike friendly. Here’s a link to the official Bike Map for the city. Bicyclists should know what streets have bike lanes and the volume of traffic that travels on those streets. The map shows you the recommended streets, the streets that have Bike Lanes and it also gives you a list of safety tips for bike riders. And the city website has a link called Stevens Creek Trail Etiquette. It’s probably a good idea to familiarize yourself (and your family) with the proper rules to riding on our trails. We all want to be on our best behavior out there since the trail isn’t very wide in some places.

Even though it’s raining today, the warm spring weather will be here in no time at all and you’ll want to have your bike ready for action. Now is the perfect time to replace worn tires, try on a new helmet and shop for some squishy gel-filled gloves so your hands don’t get tired. We’re lucky to live in a climate where we can actually enjoy the outdoors year round. So get your bike spiffed-up and I’ll see you on the trail.

 For more information about biking in our city, please visit: Bicycling in Mountain View.

 Another possibility for dining with your dog is Amici’s Pizzeria on Castro. Every single time I walk past that place I see people sitting on the outside patio area with their dogs. I love that about Mountain View. And dogs are welcome on the patio seating at all of the coffee shops around town.

 Dogs aren’t allowed inside Shoreline Park, but they are allowed on the bay trails on the other side of Shoreline Park. If you take San Antonio Road east, all the way to the end, you’ll see tons of parking on the left side for the levy trail. This trail is mostly dirt. Dogs do need to be on leash because this area is a bird preserve, but they’ll still have a great time. There is a restroom and a poop-bag dispenser at the trailhead.

 Dogs are always welcome on the Stevens Creek Trail. The trail is rather narrow in places and bicycles fly by rather quickly, so keep your dog close to you.

Please leave a comment about your dog’s favorite places around town.