Last night I went out for a short ride of about an hour and found myself at the top of local Tumwater Hill. This area used to be covered with trees as recently as last year, but now is denuded with 360 degree views around the area. For the moment, you can see Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and the Olympics all in one sweeping view, with the Port of Olympia in the foreground. Soon, though, this spot will be covered with houses, as some parts of this development are already under construction. The grid of streets in the development have been paved, and these offered a chance to practice cornering, picking lines, and sprinting. I didn’t do so badly in this race against myself, but I was glad nobody was watching.
Riding on the trafficked streets yesterday was a little bit of a bear. I changed my hours this week at the office, which should give me time to ride on Tuesday nights… but I forgot that it’s bad lighting right about then, and I forgot my lights. Because of my previous work schedule, I can’t remember the last time I rode in weekday traffic! When the time changes, the local Tuesday night rides start up and I will be able to participate in them now. It’ll give me one more chance to ride with a group to keep developing my race riding.
