Lately I've realized that although I'm often reluctant and grouchy getting on my bike to ride in to work, I've come to enjoy the ride home at night, even with the dark and bad weather. All the irritations of the day fall behind, the lights of houses and cars flash by on either side, and I skim along the road, breathing deep, blowing the workday's tedium, frustration, worry and aggravation out of my mind.
Smith Road, where I turn off the northbound road to cross over the freeway, before turning on to the final stretch inside Ferndale city limits, has been a significant leg of the ride this winter. Last weekend my odometer turned 2000 miles on the Smith Road overpass. That's since I bought my new Surly back in August, meaning I've averaged about 280 miles a month over the past seven months, mostly in the winter. And I had my first flat tire on the new bike on Smith Road one night in September.
Friday night I had a not so pleasant encounter as I approached the intersection of Northwest and Smith Roads. A car coming through the intersection with super-bright halogen headlights on high-beam almost blinded me. I squinted and looked aside, but with glare on the wet pavement and puddles along the road side, I couldn't see the edge of the lane. I ran into the curb at less than 10mph, but it was a jarring stop that knocked my rear wheel crooked. My tail-light blew apart, too. The batteries fell out and the red cover landed in the car lane, where it was immediately run over and crushed. I only had to open the quick-release to put the on wheel straight, but I'll have to do without a real tail-light until spring. Or maybe when my REI dividend comes in.
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