Thursday, 14 February 2013

After a day of honing a sales proposal and making bunches of sales calls, I was able to break away for errands and a ride at 3 p.m. First to the library to drop off some CDs that were due today, then a visit with Lucy Siefker at FiveRivers MetroParks to talk about volunteer plans for the season.

Before 4, I was on the Mad River Bikeway, flowing with the gusty winds from the southwest. At Eastwood, I crossed the lagoon and zipped up the rough underlayment for the new bike path toward Huffman Dam.Though the paving carried me only to the well field overlook of the Harshman Mansion, I saw significant developments.

• The tunnel underneath the active railway is fully excavated and all the obstructing wiring had been relocated.
• The 20-ft descent to the tunnel is cut away into a flowing curve that flows down into the embankment.
• The descent has its final sloping, though it is still a slowly drying, clay layer. Perhaps in the next month a rough asphalt underlayment can be placed.

My next visit to the trail has to be with my trail bike or the hybrid bike, so I can explore the trail between the railway underpass and Harshmanville, and from Harshmanville up to Huffman Dam. Doug Schauer reported that the underpass on Springfield Street has already been divided into one lane for bicycles and the other for autos.

On my way back, fighting the wind and winning, I met Lucy Siefker running the trail with her bud, Jorge Sanchez.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 46°F at 16:45
Precipitation: none
Winds: 17 to 22 mph (gusts to 31) from the west southwest
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed 48x16
Time: 00:55:00 (15:45 to 16:40) for 15.33 miles
Heart rate: no data
Bikeway users: 7 cyclists, 4 pedestrians