yesterday there was a window of opportunity for a short ride
not that much time... but enough time to get the blood pumping and get out of the house
totally worth getting out of the house
so... with no objective I had no firm trajectory
just got on the bike and rode the wave around town
with my camera in my bag I was ready and willing to snap a few shots
it is a tough thing to mix... taking photos and getting some exercise
taking photos means stopping the bike
the more I stop the bike... the less I push the pedals
the less I push the pedals... you do the math
on my way home I was in the bike lane headed up 14th Street
headed down 14th the other way I saw this Bike Share BIke with another red bike in tandem
so... I chased him down
I caught the rider who was riding so confidently down 14th and asked if I could take a picture
with the answer yes I asked him which way he was headed
before hitting Thomas Circle he said New York Avenue when meaning Mass Ave
we hit the circle... he must have made all the lights because I took things at speed counter clockwise and was not staged on Mass Ave with the camera for more than a second when he arrived
managed to get one shot
then sprinted ahead and tried to get another
I blasted through a few lights and then stopped on the side of the road
just as I was pulling the camera from my bag there he was
again making good time
managed to get these somewhat blurry shots
they capture the moment
if the bike is not moving neither are my legs
if my legs are not moving... my legs, lungs, and heart are not getting a work out
my trip around town took my no place unfamiliar
I meandered down 16th Street weaving through traffic
at H Street I kept straight towards 1600 Penn
the streets were moderately quiet
bicycles were few and far between
the infrequency of the bikes had me lose my focus on photography
my path weaved in and out of the Pennsylvania separated bike lanes
staying in the bike lane if and when it made sense
clusters of pedestrians, parked cars, U-Turning cars, left turning traffic
all of these variables not only obstructed my flow but also put me at risk
the bike lane is not a force field of safety
the bike lane is a false sanctuary
down to the Capitol Building and up the little hill that is Capitol Hill
with no particular place to go I just rolled with the flow of the traffic and the lights
when I was forced to stop at a Red Light that would not turn green for another 30 plus seconds I figured that turning around made more sense than waiting
by this time the ride was more about pushing the pedals than taking photographs
there were a few bicycles on the street
but nothing that merited pulling the camera from the bag
on the Specialized cyclocross bike with flat bars and nearly ineffective brakes I hustled back across town
not enough coffee in the system to find this information interesting... but it may be interesting to you
it may be more interesting to me after I wake up
Bike Sharing Unbanked