Scenic Route

We are solidly into the "salad days" of the bicycle year in these parts, when the weather is glorious and conditions are pretty much ideal for bike transportation. (Or bike-anything.)

Due to some crazy schedule conflicts, I've been missing my cherished afternoon rides, so I get in a few miles when I can. This morning I left home early so I could take the scenic route to the office.

My ride took me over the Curtis Road overpass. (For those not familiar, underneath is I-184, a major corridor for traffic from the west, headed into downtown Boise. It serves the majority of our "bedroom communities.") Underneath me were hundreds if not thousands of cars, sparkling in the morning sun, at a complete stop in their four or five traffic lanes. Ah, the freedom that a motorcar provides!  (... NOT!)

I rode on. The cars and trucks on Curtis Road would surge ahead, and then I'd catch 'em at the next traffic signal. It must be really frustrating for drivers, when signals are timed so poorly, and traffic is so heavy, that a fat guy on a bike is not only keeping up, but getting ahead of 'em! Of course, it's a tradeoff because for the fat guy, the situation is a source of inner satisfaction!

After 10 minutes or so on Curtis, I reached my desired route - the greenbelt along the Boise River. As I left the noise of the traffic behind and rode up the winding ribbon of asphalt, sunlight sparkled on the river through the trees. It made me think of the sunlight sparkling on all those cars, a few minutes earlier. And made me glad for my choice of transportation.

The greenbelt was relatively empty. Despite temperatures in the mid-50s which is at the lower end of my "shirt-sleeve range," most of my fellow cyclists were wearing a jacket... and a few were downright bundled up! Heavy gloves, earmuffs, scarves. Wow! Must be California transplants... or they're just getting back into their cycling groove, perhaps.

It's great to be in a cycling groove.