I tweeted that I was going to drag myself outside today, and probably be glad I did. I did, and I was. I decided to go for a wander on my street bicycle. I’d not gotten more than a couple hundred yards when I had a little trouble shifting, so I immediately turned around to diagnose with tools at home. I eventually decided that the support for Sam’s sidecar was pinching the shifter cable. I removed it, tested and it was good enough to go.
I had figured to stay somewhere flat-ish as I kind of wanted some think time/distance from work which has been stressing me out a bit the past week or so. More than usual. I had thought maybe I’d go alone the Ohlone Greenway South into Berkeley and wander there a bit. But I felt I knew that area pretty well, and that I only knew major roads through San Pablo, so I decided to wander North. I ended up on a major road through El Sobrante, but in part because some of my side excursions ended up being dead ends. Also, as I was close to a bike shop I like, I stopped in as it was time for me to get a new helmet, which I did. I was also able to replace a lost screw that holds the cleats to my cycling shoes, so it was a good, accidental twofer.
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In all, it was about a 25 mile bike ride through San Pablo, El Sobrante, just about into Orinda, then along wildcat canyon through Tilden, and back into Berkeley, Kensington and El Cerrto. And while the stretch of San Pablo Dam road was pretty flat, trekking through Tilden and Wildcat was most distinctly not. Fortunately, the down was again mostly at the end. Which, of course is the exhilarating part, as there were sections of Central Park Drive and Arlington avenue where I was definitely exceeding the speed limit; even passing some cars back along Arlington.
Now, I’m beat. But not so beat I won’t clean off, suit up and take my motorcycle across the bay and across the city to a Beach BBQ hosted by a colleague from work (and former mentee), celebrating the presence of another colleague (normally in the Boston office, and current mentee). Because, you know, BBQ. On the beach. How could I not?