I've been riding in the city because it's too darn cold to come down the canyons, and I am missing my uphill escapes.
I miss the quiet, the much reduced number of cars, the smells of trees and leaves and the occasional wood fire, the long continuous demand of the incline, the absence of stop lights, all of which allow me to escape to that meditative state I love.
city riding is full of stops and starts and vigilance, not too conducive to mental jaunts to distant shores.
however, as I'm currently in the process of trying to gear myself up for a ride a bit later, I thought I'd focus on the positive, and list a few excellent things about city riding. (I'm working hard, here, and I hope you appreciate how deep I've dug for some of these.)
- the smell of freshly baked bread as I pass Great Harvest
- the aroma of brewing coffee as I pass that strange hangout on 33rd and 20thmore street signs to read, offering words to sound out and play around with in my mind
- more people watching
- more opportunities--on residential streets--to ride dead smack in the middle of the road
- none of those awful, swooping, really fast descents that freeze your fingers and cheeks and chin
- more obstacles in the bike lanes and shoulders, allowing me to test my maneuvering skills
- more opportunities to study architecture and personal taste
- lots of opportunities to stop at rest at stoplight after stoplight after stoplight. m-hmm.
okay, that's it, I can't try any harder.
I miss my canyon, I crave the peace and calm of that routine, and the opportunity to numb my mind. decision time: will I go for numbing my entire body just to reap the reward of numbing my mind?
it's a tough call.
I'll let you know the decision.
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