Drive this Road

Yes, please drive this road. As long as that road is 3200 West. I'll bike the road while you drive it. That's when it gets fun. You see, last night traffic got jammed up right around 4700 South, and for the next 5 km I passed car after car after car.

I really don't remember the last time I so enjoyed a traffic jam. It was great. These cars whose drivers thought they were all that were being passed by a lowly bicycle, whose rider was struggling up the 2-3% grades on the road. (Yes, I know that's a sad commentary on my fitness level.) I even passed traffic when the road briefly turned up to a 5% gradient. I kept passing them all the way to 6200 South. Then, I rocketed down the hill and kept the -- now smoothly flowing -- traffic at bay until 7000 South. Between there and 7800 South a few cars got the better of me, but I caught them all at the light before turning east to finish my ride home. For nearly 9 km in total I passed or kept pace with the traffic on that road!

There's something really fun about going from the slow vehicle on the road to being the only vehicle moving on the road. Maybe somewhere in that 5 km line of traffic there was someone who had considered riding his or her bike, but thought it would take too long to get where they were going. Maybe they'll think a little differently next time.

Maybe I'll realize that I can maintain a high heart rate for a longer period than I thought, given the right motivation.

Maybe this morning all will return to normal and I'll be passed by nearly as many cars as I passed last night. But, that will not take away the joy of being the passer, even going up the hill.