Turns out, Home Ave. dead ends, after a short, yet steep, hill, just after crossing 94. Who knew? In looking at Google Maps I see I COULD HAVE cyclocrossed the bike up a steep little hill, but instead I wandered, losted, back to University Blvd. and continued towards Balboa Park.
I REALLY need to carry a map. And a magnifying glass!.
Oh, well, it all counts for miles!
Arrived at Balboa Park. Not too many people there on Sunday morning at 7:30 or so! Good time for a photo op. To wit:
I headed across Cabrillo Bridge, which is where Bob and I DID NOT drop pennies onto cars below, on our Day Off oh so many years ago. I headed over to the Quince Street bridge, which turned out to NOT be the bridge I was looking for. A perfectly nice bridge, but I was looking for a SUSPENSION bridge, and it's the Spruce Street bridge.
I turned on the camera timer, and attempted to get a pic.
Attempt 1:
Attempt 2:
Attempt 3:
After FINALLY getting a blurry-but-decent picture, I started to ride across the bridge, thinking since I just watched a guy jog across, what's the big deal?
After going about six inches, that is, not even getting my other foot strapped in, I decided that WALKING the bike was a MUCH BETTER idea.
Mind you, I've been across this bridge before, once with my son when he was like, six or seven. On our bikes, but walking them across.
I got about a quarter of the way across, and FROZE. I was scared. I put my hand on the hand cable. I KEPT one hand on the hand cable. I looked back. "No," I told myself, "You've done this before, what's the problem?".
The problem was, I was SCARED! Terrified!
I forced myself to continue, taking tiny little steps and sliding my hand along the hand cable. After I got a little more than half way, the fear went away, and I wasn't scared any more.
But I kept my hand on the cable!!!
After the bridge I headed south, passing the Convention Center and its non-existent bike lanes, and eventually meeting up with the Sweetwater River Bike Path and turning to the east. There are a lot of people using the bike path, and not just cyclists, but walkers and runners and joggers and strollers and fisherpeople. It's not crowded, but it's getting used. Very nice.
The bike path end nears Plaza Bonita shopping center and one must take surface streets. Since they STILL haven't finished the Quarry Road bike path (closed for two years or more!), one has to hump it up Briarwood. My left leg/knee starting hurting a bit, so that I started saying curse words. Also, there is no bike lane and it's kinda close in places. I used granny getting to the top of the two-stage hill, then coasted all the way down Paradise Valley Road to Spring Valley behind a cyclist couple who seemed to know what they were doing. Then I turned north on Sweetwater Road.
My knee/leg stopped hurting.
In La Mesa I decided to take the train the rest of the home.
Ha ha!
Memo to self: Carry sunscreen on bike, and get some lip sunscreen gunk, too.
Ride Stats
Trip Mileage 42.93 miles
Trip Time 3:18:55
Avg. Speed 12.94 mph
Week Stats
Schwinn: 42.93 miles
Jamis: 1.18 miles
Week Total: 44.11 miles
Odometers
Schwinn: 6,720 miles YTD 674 miles (YStart 6,046)
Jamis: 3,160 miles YTD 887 miles (YStart 2,273)
YTD Total 1,561 miles
1 comment:
Wow! That's quite a ride!
Mind you, I've been across this bridge before, once with my son when he was like, six or seven. On our bikes, but walking them across.
I still remember that! Didn't we see both bridges?
I know where Briarwood is -- I've got a friend that lives like a quarter mile from there. Cool!
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