Wednesday, July 11, 2007

That Was Much Better

Temperature at departure = 69° F (21° C)

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:

Noah said...

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.

Warren T said...

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!

Noah said...

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.

amidnightrider said...

Try the wild side. Take the cut through.

Yokota Fritz said...

Go for it, Warren!