Cycling karma; soaring with turkey vultures
Wednesday, April 18th, 2007Jett has a post on his Atlanta Intown Cycling blog entitled “Cycling Karma,” where he posted a serene photo of Winn Park he hopes will make others feel good as well. I’m going to do the same thing here with a few photos; I hope he doesn’t mind my appropriating his term.
Monday night, I rode a modified version of the Water Works ride, adding a jaunt down Shady Side Drive and the Moore’s Creek Road section. There were strong winds, giving me a tailwind on my way out, making the rolling hills a lot of fun — I rode most of the way out in the big chain ring. When I got to the water works plant, I checked my bike computer and saw that I had averaged 18.2 mph to that point … Woah! That’s unheard of, for me.
I took a brief break and rode down Shady Side Drive, where Sarah and I had gone on a drive. It was better than going down the adjacent road to the recreation area, as it doesn’t involve going down a huge hill, turning around, and climbing back up that huge hill. Instead, there are several more gentle hills. It didn’t add a lot of mileage to the ride, but it was a fun extension. I took a few photos of some of the great views.
View of Lake Monroe from Shady Side Drive
Of course, on my way home, that tailwind became a headwind, and it was quite a struggle at times. It was a great workout, though, which I badly needed. Riding the Moore’s Creek Road section was fantastic. I accelerated as I approached the hill, and picked up more and more speed. I did a little braking that I probably didn’t need to do, but I’m still gaining confidence. As I coasted downhill, my eyes watered, and tears started streaming from my eyes. Tears weren’t streaming down my face so much as straight back due to the wind at high speed. I even experienced that weightless-stomach feeling that you get sometimes in a car, almost as if I was about to take off in flight. It felt like I was no longer riding on the road — I was floating above it. I stopped by the lake to rest again and take a few more photos.
A great place to rest before a big climb.
Another part of the view, without the bike
What comes down must go up (right?) so I had a climb ahead of me. I took it slow and steady and made it all the way up without stopping. It’s a long climb, with a pretty long steep section, so it felt great to make it all the way up. The rest of my ride was still tough, due to the wind, but I enjoyed it anyway.
Last night, I rode Mount Gilead Road, and as I came around a turn, I saw two turkey vultures feeding on some roadkill. I kept my speed, and they let me get a lot closer than I expected before they took off. They flew into the air, and I stood up out of the saddle and was able to stay with them for a couple hundred yards, until they turned around and went back to finish their meal. Turkey vultures may be ugly up close, but the way they soar can be awesome — especially when you get to soar with them from only 20 feet away.
I got a photo of the old couple I routinely see walking during my commute yesterday morning. It’s not the greatest photo, but you can see her smiling and him waving (sort of).
I was running a little late this morning and didn’t see them. I guess they’re more consistent with their walking time than I am getting to work.