...was this morning. But first, let me back it up to the season opener.
This past Saturday, my best friend Luis and I both had our first ride of the season. We've known each other since Autumn of the year before my bike was manufactured, and have been riding bikes together for just as long.
We rode out at Fermilab that day. It was about 55 degrees, sunny, and very windy. I would estimate wind speed at about 15-20 mph. Thankfully we rode into the wind on the first half of the ride, and the wind was at our back on the return side.
We saw the bison herd well across the pasture, and stopped in to see the exhibit on the new accelerator upgrades they're doing.
Fermilab has the feel of going back to the 60's & early 70's when space and the universe were just opening up. It's sweet pastures and wooded glades atop big, cool American science, and it rocks.
Today was another kind of adventure. I did my usual ride North to the Prairie Path, but instead of hitting the long trail West as I love to do, I went East in search of ways to cross State highway 83, and Interstate 88. Both of these roads are pretty much impassable to bicycles due to the speeds vehicles move on them. I still can't get to Oak Brook Center mall, and I'm not sure about the Cook County forest preserve. (Which is full of bike paths)
I was able to cross IL-83, but FAR North of the mall. I couldn't get across I-88, and downtown Elmhurst was very bike-unfriendly, with signs about anything with wheels not being on sidewalks. These drivers here routinely do 15-20 mph over the posted limits, and will bump bikes for slowing them down. I'm not kidding. Try riding on anything other than a residential side street around here, and you'd best be able to routinely beat Lance Armstrong AND have electric assist, or you're doomed.
Tomorrow, a co-worker and I are hitting the Lake Michigan path at 6am. Spring has just begun...
Ride on,
Dan
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