I woke up more-or-less on time this morning, but simply could not get motivated to get out of bed and start on the morning pre-work rituals. I did most of them, but slowly. My legs were telling me that they would not relish the ride to work today, so I drove.
David posted last night under the title "Commuting by bicycle-a love/hate relationship." He didn't delve deeply into the topic, mentioning that he doesn't hate anything about the cycling part of commuting, but allowing that he dislikes "closed-minded idiots." He's right: closed-minded idiots can ruin anything (if we let them).
Like David, I enjoy (or at least try to enjoy) my bike rides to and from work (and most of my errand-running bike riding is enjoyable, to boot). Sometimes, I have to work to find the fun part--during yesterday's ride, part of the fun was imagining the reactions I was getting from motorists seeing some guy on a bike in the blowing snow. Sometimes it's even harder.
On my ride home from work yesterday, I was almost blown over by a gust of wind. This has not happened to such a degree in several years, and was all the more surprising because the wind gusts were forecast to only be twenty-five knots or so. On the other hand, I was on my Raleigh, and as I may be a bit large for that bike (judging from how far the seat post is out of the frame), I sometimes feel a bit more precarious atop it than I ever feel on my 'bents. As I approached the Clark Bridge, I noted that the flags by the Southern Indiana Tourism agency at the foot of the bridge were almost straight out from their poles, and opted to walk my bike (on the sidewalk) rather than ride across. I spent more time getting across this way, but felt far safer doing so. At times, gusts were pushing me around more than I like as I walked, so I don't feel bad about my decision. I was not in the mood to get blown over by a gust of wind just as a car came along.
The rest of my ride home was almost uneventful, the event of note being that for the second time this week, I've turned off Shelbyville Road onto St Matthews Avenue to find Jenn walking home from her bus stop at the corner. We get a chance to talk outside of the home this way, and it's fun.
Boulder, Louisville, and press coverage of crashes
16 years ago
4 comments:
Last night's wind was interesting. I did ride across the bridge, but I was northbound, so the wind would have blown me out of traffic instead of into it.
It was strange (and tiring) to ride while leaning into the wind. I felt like I was riding sideways. I was on my upright bike also.
David, after having been blown around on that bridge a few times already, it was strangely settling to walk across. I'm normally a pretty confident cyclist, as you no doubt figured by now. I guess the expression "discretion is the better part of valor" applied here. I wasn't in the mood to be squashed by a car over a wind gust.
I'm going to figure out where the best bus stops are for getting across that way, just in case I need to know that some day.
I would have done the same as you if I had been southbound. I'm not calling you out about this... really.
The wind was from the west, riding southbound would have meant the wind pushing you toward other traffic lanes.
I was northbound, and the wind was pushing me toward the sidewalk.
You did the right thing.
Nor was I thinking you were "calling me out." You and I both know the result of gusts starting and stopping with respect to our directional control. Whitecaps on the river? I'll probably walk the bridge.
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