May 14, 2007
It's taken some planning to get the commuting to work plan from idea to reality.
Yesterday I rode the route from my house to my office; it took around 32-33 minutes at a leisurely pace (no hammering) with little to no traffic. The route requires a climb up Red Mountain and back down, and climbing is unavoidable. Some routes are less steep than others. I am going to ride on my aluminum frame Specialized Dolce Comp with a set of thick tires; I'm interested to see if I can make the climb without falling over. ;)
I went downstairs to the service level with two of my coworkers who are also commuting to work on Friday to find the best route from the parking deck to the locker rooms, since the service level of the building is a maze of doors and hallways.
The plan is to bring Friday's clothes on Thursday and leave them in a locker to minimize the weight I will carry in a backpack during the commute.
The two sections I am concerned about are 21st St from Highland Avenue to the viaduct, and 1st Ave N to 5th Ave N on either 21st or 18th St (to be determined).
I hope this works out, because I think it will be a lot of fun.
Posted by megabeth at May 14, 2007 03:13 PM
I am my mother's son. That is to say, I believe truly that by saying to you, "Be careful!" you will indeed be safe. So, please be careful.
Posted by: chris robinson at May 15, 2007 08:25 AM
If I understand your route, you're looking at going north on 21st Street towards downtown? That can be a little steep once you go by the Quinlan Apartments. You might want to take a right at Magnolia Park and go a couple of blocks north east. It's a bit flatter that way.
I do see a guy occasionally on my commute home who tackles Red Mountian, up 20th Street past Vulcan. Whew!
Posted by: southtrek at May 15, 2007 12:12 PM
Yes, there is a climb next to Quinlan Castle (are they apartments now?), but that one is short. The more difficult climbs are OTM routes like Woodcrest. I would not ride on 20th street over the mountain because the lanes are narrow and the field of vision for drivers is limited. Sounds dangerous.
Posted by: megabeth at May 15, 2007 12:32 PM
Do I understand you are taking Woodcrest Place/Road from Homewood into Highland Avenue? Doesn't Woodcrest go STRAIGHT UP? Hoo boy...I am tired just thinking about THAT climb.
But I do agree it would be much safer than 20th street over by Vulcan. I walked the 20th street route a couple of times and even as a pedestrian it was not good.
Posted by: Stan at May 18, 2007 08:43 AM
I did take Woodcrest on my trial run last Sunday. It is challenging, but climbing is my favorite type of activity on a bike. This morning we took the English Village route.
Posted by: megabeth at May 18, 2007 08:53 AM
Post a comment