My Ford Exploder has been in the Repair Shop for the last several days. I needed to pick it up today but Jacque, my sidekick and only available ride, had multiple places SHE needed to be, thus unable to give me a ride. I decided to just ride my trike "to town" and load it into the SUV and bring it all home.
I hadn't previously ridden to that particular area on Menaul so I looked it up on Google Maps to see what its recommended bicycle route would be. Google did a good job of recommending routes on non-major less-busy streets but I noticed the major part of the route was what I had ridden several times in previous years so I went for it.
Since I knew it would be over 20 miles (it's 15 miles just to Tramway from our house), I stocked up with extra carbs. I originally planned to follow the shorter, less traffic, Google route south to old Route 66 via Guiterrez Canyon Road but a call from my daughter Sarah telling me they had a package for me - changed my route to Frost all the way to North-14 and south to Tijeras and catch old 66 there.
The weather today was absolutely perfect for such a journey. I encountered dozens of fellow cyclists coming and going. A couple of them greeted me by name as they passed, but their memories are less foggy than mine and I was unable to recall THEIR names.
Nice and cool and almost no wind except going through Tijeras Canyon, where the funneled wind rarely stops entirely.
Here's a clip from the GoPro as I achieved 33+ MPH coasting down 14 toward Tijeras and Route 66...
I was pleasantly surprised how nice this trip was. By the time I got halfway through Tijeras Canyon I had shed all my layers. I had also somewhat forgotten how pleasant it is to ride many areas in Albuquerque, with it's almost level streets and mild grades. Lots of traffic, yes, but also lots of bike-only lanes and routes around town.
By the time I arrived at the intersection of Pennsylvania and Menaul I thrilled to see a 7-11 on the corner, and I used it for a potty break and candy bar treat.
The Google route saved on my Iphone suggested riding up to Phoenix St. just north of Menaul, but I spotted the alleyways just behind all the stores and shops paralleling Menaul and within a few minutes spotted the back side of Chet's and my cycle trip was done.
Ride Started: 9:31 AM Ride Ended: 12:52 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.7 Ending Voltage: 13.0 Lowest: 12.5
Beginning Blood Glucose: 180 Ending BG Reading: 62
Lowest Temp 53F Highest Temp: 82F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 22.41
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
7.0 MPH 9.4 MPH 33.5 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
3 hours 12 mins 2 hours 23 mins 49 minutes
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