Nevertheless, I wanted to ride 20 miles. I set out from the river arts district at about 1:00 pm. Went south on French Broad to Choctaw, across to Biltmore ave. Biltmore Ave is a very busy street full of hospitals and a bunch of whatnot that it seemed like every fucking body was eager to get to. I took up the right lane and rode at a decent pace, however there were still the occasional assholes who seemed to stomp their feet and throw a fit because they had to pass me. I have taken to blowing raspberries at these folks. One immature move for the other :)
Once off of Biltmore I picked up Swannanoa River road for a 3 mile ride on a two-lane road with no shoulder, eeep! Terrifying at times, especially UPS/Fed EX trucks seem to have no knowledge of how much space they actually take up. I have decided to purchase a classy helmet mirror. I noticed that I do spend quite a bit of time turning around (glancing really) to see what is coming up behind me. This throws me off balance and actually puts me in danger of falling/drifting into traffic. No good. Yes, buying a mirror.
Once off the tiny tiny road I urned onto Azalea for about 4 miles (?). This takes you by the WNC Nature center, the dog park, and a bunch of micro farms that I found to be so adorable. For a second I imagined I was cycling in some rural European farm country...not so much. The beautiful quiet road opened up to hwy 70. Otherwise known as Tunnel Road, hwy 70 runs 2,385 miles from eastern NC to Arizona. The majority of the road is two-laned and rather calm, however not this particular section. Google maps new biking directions have a few kinks. I dont think this particular stretch of road is safe for cyclists. Speed limits of 55 mph....people (like myself) often surpass this. Terrified, but I kept on.
I reached my destined milepost, turned around and sprinted for the calm roads again. Whew. This is the longest I have ever been on my bicycle. When I take my trans-NC bike trip I will cycle 3-4 times this distance. I clearly need some practice because I was exhausted to the point that I could not pedal up the final hill on Biltmore. I got off my bike and walked, no shame. Later on that night I went to a holiday party and could not keep my eyes open, quite unlike me. I was slightly disturbed by this. The last thing I want is to be a drag to folks for the next 6 months. However, I suppose I will get used to it, and people that really care about me will understand.
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