Thursday, March 22, 2018
Officially it started yesterday but I had a meeting away from the office so I couldn’t ride in to work. Oh yeah, and the troubled front tire on my 1983 steel-frame Fuji Del Rey was flat so I had to fix that last night, but I was good to go this morning. Two shirts, arm warmers, and a beanie under my helmet kept me warm starting out and by the time I got to work, I was perspiring some, but not too much.
A couple of observations from this morning’s ride: First, I was cruising along pretty good on the paved Walnut Creek hike and bike trail when I came across a small group of fawns nibbling grass alongside the road. I wish I could have gotten a picture but the situation caught me by surprise. I slowed down considerably as they saw me and began to scatter. Deer are very unpredictable and are just as likely to run into you as you are to run into them. It’s always best to slow down and be ready to maneuver out of the way when you come across deer. The other thing to remember – especially with fawns – is that other older deer are likely in the area but out of sight, so be cautious and on the lookout. Deer that are spooked move in pretty irrational ways and don’t look for cyclists, and they certainly won’t stop. You’ve got to look for them and respect them.
The second thing I noticed this morning was the number of people riding their bikes to work. I wasn’t counting but I probably saw six other cyclists on my route alone! This is encouraging to me because the more people who bike to work, the fewer cars there are on the road. There’s also a strength-in-numbers factor at work. As more bike riders claim their share of the road, drivers are more likely to pay attention and be on the lookout. We like drivers who pay attention.
The start of spring means warmer weather, longer days, and more opportunities to get out on the bike. Carpe diem!
More on this morning’s ride.
Austin Bike Sherpa 