Back in the saddle again, taking the 7ish mile, one way, to work and back home again on my beloved commuter bikes. I'm starting off using my blue Trek 7.3 FX, which is an absolute joy to ride. Of my steed, she is one of the top ones. I've also been riding my 2008 Raleigh SuperSport -- not the carbon model, but the entry-level racer coverted to a commuter.
I love that bike too, but being a racer, she is just not as smooth as the 7.3 -- but I do go a bit faster.
So here are some pics from my ride home, in the late evening. It was preceded with a typical South Louisiana downpour that was loud, heavy and wet and lasted about 10 minutes.
At this point, in the late afternoon, people were asking if I needed a ride home. In just an hour, despite this deluge and the zillions of lightening bolts, it was sunshining and I was on my bike.
For most of the route, there is a designated bike path. Nice, but I have procured three flats in just a few months of riding the path. Better than no path, though.
On other parts if the ride home, it's a ride through quite neighborhood side streets.
Baton Rouge is full of magnificant, sprawling trees. This giant lives outside a school near the bike path.
Part of the Lush Life that inhibits Baton Rouge. This is part of the drive-through neighborhood I use, far from the exhaust-coughing cars.
However, some of the bike path is along very heavily traveled streets, and of course, people can't resist the temptation to use the path for a convenient parking space. Fortunately this does not happen often.
This summer, several of my most-traveled streets are being resurfaced.
Of course, it can't all be scenic. This leads to an older industrial corridor of the city.
Back in the day, this was the booming part of the town. All of these drivers are headed out of town, to the 'burbs. This little side street offers relatively traffic-free biking for 4 miles or so.
Part of the fun of commuting this part of the year is getting to enjoy the sunsets.
A look-back at the final long stretch. This is not during the peak hour of traffic, but this side street rarely is congested.
The final turn into an adjacent subdivision, north of mine.
Finally, my own little neighborhood. It's a breeze from now on, about two mintues away.
And once home, the panniers are unpacked, clothes are put up to dry out, clothes for the next day are assembled, and the bike is put away. It'll get cleaned/oiled this weekend, both of them actually. This is the rain-free ride. At least a few times before this Fall, it will be inevitable that the ride home will be through a thick shower. But today -- just the setting sun.
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