Ride Journal: 7/26

Route

Just a few blocks from my house is the Mississippi River, across which lie all sorts of treasures. Izzy’s Ice Cream, Trotter’s Cafe, some great coffee shops, etc. All places that I want to bike to. Only there’s one problem – a gigantic hill. I’ve avoided biking across the river for weeks, just so that I don’t have to slowly wheeze my way up the hill while jeering cars speed by.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to get better at riding hills other than by riding hills, so yesterday I finally decided to give the climb a try, although I planned to take side roads instead of biking on the main road.

For this first ride I kind of zig-zagged my way up; I’d zig a block up the hill and then zag for a block off the hill. This worked pretty well, although I noticed that if I could manage two uphill blocks in a row, I’d actually be over the worst of it. Maybe next time.