The street to and from Allison Hill starts in downtown as Fourth Street, becomes Mulberry Street on the bridge over the train yard, and, at the top of the hill, merges with Derry Street.
[NOTE: I like embedding the GoogleMaps viewer of the places to which I refer, but I realize it might slow down loading of the blog, so I'll just link to it.]
Coming down the bridge on a bike subjects the rider to cross breezes coming perpendicular to the direction of travel. The negative effect of a strong cross breeze on the cyclist's speed is greater than might initially be expected. The bridge slopes down into town, continuing a general trend of roads leading off of the Hill (as one might expect, per the name of the neighborhood). Achieving top speed approaching the downhill, and continuing to travel fast (approx. 15-20 mph) while coming downhill, then, is the preferred way to combat cross breezes. It does, however, endanger any pedestrians on the bridge's sidewalk.
Since my bike does not have a bell, my preferred strategy is to shout "Passing on your left!" as I approach pedestrians. They turn, look shocked, and step to the right, letting me by. Recently, there were two pedestrians on the bridge, separated by a good deal of distance. The first pass went normally. On the second one, the guy turned around, arms spread wide for a bear hug.
"Whooooa! Heyyyy! Whoooooa! It's Spider-Man! Hey Spider-Man!" he shouted.
I waved, and was gone before I realized what he had said.
1 comment:
Greg, you need a new superhero identity. Maybe, "The Little Drummer Boy," whose superpower is the ability to use music to defuse tension in any situation.
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