This morning more than made up for the previous day. With no one else stirring yet I got up, made my mocha latte, headed out to the back yard with the dogs and just sat on the porch and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Then I packed my backpack and headed out on the Trek hoping that I fixed the flat and got the rear wheel back on correctly. I've got some adjusting to do since to shift up a gear it is two steps forward and one back at the moment. But, I made it.
I saw another bicycle commuter in my neighborhood this morning. He pulled in front of me ~20 yards from a side street and I thought I was going to be able to catch up and say good morning at the traffic signal of doom, but he swung to the left and hopped on a sidewalk that goes through a group of duplexes. I continued on and lucked out with the light; a driver had pulled up earlier and the light turned green just as I got to the intersection. I turned left and headed down 103rd and right where I pull off to the right to join up with the trail, and I see this guy pull up to a stop on the far side of the road. Now, if I'd been stuck at the light for a bit, as is the norm, he would have had the advantage. So now the dilemma, the sidewalk has a sign that says "Private Drive" -- but it would cut out the majority of the only real traffic I face daily. I could try it and take the "It is better to ask forgiveness than permission" approach, but I'm a rule follower by nature. We'll see; once school starts and the traffic turns ugly again, I may give it a try.
I'll leave you with a shot of yet another cyclist on the Indian Creed Trail. Didn't catch up with him though...
5 comments:
My new homeward route takes me through 2 business parks that are clearly marked "no thru traffic" or "private drive". I really don't care. Mark Thomas led our whole monday ride (21 cyclists) through the same area Monday evening. I don't like cutting through peoples' yards, but I'm all for using a parking lot or access road on my bike if it's conducive to safer cycling or traffic avoidance.
Good point. The only real disadvantage is that I'd also be cutting out one of the two places I can really cut loose on my commute... Sometimes I feel the need, the need for speed!
Once, I hit 37.5 miles per hour going west on that stretch of ICT just east of Antioch :P 10 miles per hour my eye.
Try the wild side. Take the cut through.
Go for it, Warren!
Post a Comment