Finally today was the first day I commuted by bike this year! 2 March is, I think, the earliest start date for me—though I need to check my database from years past.
Temperatures: 28°F at 07:20, 43°F at 10:20
Clothing: Top with 3 layers, with closely-woven wool-acrylic cycling jacket included; lycra tights; ankle socks. Wool-acrylic balaklava, Thinsulate gloves. (Cold fingers at ride's midpoint, coolly comfortable otherwise.)
Time: 0:54:xx for 12.5 miles
8:03—depart from home, via city streets through Upper Dayton View, Lower Dayton View, and Grafton Hill areas to the Miami River. The river flooded the bikeway by about 3 feet, so I took the gravel path above the river and beside the YMCA, through Riverscape, and to the Mad River bikeway.
8:17—Zig-zag down from the Green Pedestrian Bridge. I found that the Mad River Bikeway was also flooded, took Monument Avenue through to Findlay Street, and crossed to the Mad River Bikeway as it moved above the river banks at that point. The bikeway was clear for ths part of the route.
8:29—West Gate of Eastwood Park. The gate was open at the rail underpass, and the maintenance area of the Park Service was open, with some activity inside the shed. Below the hill at Springfield and Smithville, about 12 feet of runoff had frozen across the bikeway. I noticed it in enough time to decide to walk the bike, and good thing: I slipped a bit as I crossed the first bit of solidly-frozen, fairly thick ice. It looks like two light manufacturers have ceased operations—the metal worker at Ridgeland and Fair Park avenues (maybe Green Machine Tool) and the bulk dry cleaner Multi Service Inc. at Radio Road. In the shady areas south of Burkhardt, a nicely sawed-up tree evidenced the winter work of the Park Service. I surprised some half dozen deer who were grazing on the fairways surrounding the DP&L headquarters. Gentlemanly and light traffic at Springfield, Airway, Burkhardt, and Linden.
8:43—Trestle abutments at the junction of Creekside and Iron Horse trails. The repair work of the subsidence has held up well over the winter, though I notice now some other areas that are rippling from upthrust. No traffic at Woodbine Avenue and Spaulding Road, and distant traffic at Woodman. Very light traffic at Research Boulevard.
8:57—unclipping at Eastman Kodak.
