My new office is just over a mile from the Little House here in Interzone, mes amis, and in the photo above I'm on my way just onto 15th Street and heading West. Mt. Oread is pronounced as "Oh ree add" so says Little Egypt.
New Bike Lane on 15th Street.
Actually I take 14th Street up the hill and I do believe it's the steepest road up. Once it warms up and school is out, I'll train on this hill on the Mighty Trek. The Old Desert San Campus Bike has been serving me well since I arrived--fenders are a must, Gentler Readers of This Blog. Oh yeah, the old San Campus Bike is a tank...
The two tower things up on Fraser Hall, and you can see how steep the climb is--my heart-rate goes up pretty fast and feels like it's going to punch out of my chest! The Campus Bike's front cassette has three rings thank goodness... I have to mention that the heart-rate monitor I bought last summer when Boss and I trained went on the brink. I must buy another to see what my hr is going up this bad boy!
At the top--wind and cold!
If any of you have ridden up to the TV Towers there in Phoenix--you know that last bit of climb that is so tough and steep just before you get to the parking lot--or when you're just about to the top of the front side of Gates Pass in Tucson--then you know what this climb is like up to the top of Mt. Oread!
When I'm at the top of Oread, I just need to cool down a bit while I lock up the bike. The bus stop is near my bike parking, and the handful of students waiting are usually standing by puffing on that last cigarette before they hop on for a ride. It's pretty foul smelling that shit just as I've climbed the hill that would probably cause them to suffer an asthma attack--or worse. It's the same when I'm off in the afternoon; students waiting for the bus and as it comes by the stop, they all flick their butts onto the sidewalk before shuffling aboard.
Street crews are starting to patch up the worst areas, but like every where else in the US right now--money for fixing stuff like pot holes is scarce. These kind of roads beat the crap out of your car. I must be cautious not to take a spill as I zip home from work coming down the mountain.
New Bike Lane on 15th Street.
When I visited this last September, 15th Street was getting re-paved. Nice new bike lane for a few miles and I get the rest of the way home pretty quickly!
Thanks for coming along for my daily commute, mes amis--all 2 miles round-trip!
Cheers! Bruce
3 comments:
Love the hat Bruce! 35 degrees is freakin' cold. You may have to do repeats on that hill if that's the steepest place in Lawrence. Ride on brother.
STef
That East Lawrence road looks like it was originally bricks. Fat tire country? The hat, is that what the riders wear there?
Hi Dan! Yep many of the streets looks like they were bricks--and asphalt's just been poured over 'em. By Spring and when all the snow has melted, there's the bricks. I avoid the streets that are still are brick as much as possible.
The hat is my own choice. The commute up to Oread is just over a mile and there's little or no traffic. My cap is wool and warmer than a helmet and cooler than a heavy hat. I don't know why, but the hat works for me. When I get a chance, I'll get a urban commuter helmet to be on the safe side. Really, unless you see a group of roadies coming back into town, or going out--most residents don't were a helmets--like me I guess they feel pretty safe as this is a bike town.
Cheers! Bruce
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