Monday means morning open shop at Yellow Bike and then pick up grandkids from school.  Decided to repeat part of Saturday’s route.  Yesterday’s ride  was full of contrasts.  And an opportunity to try out a new iOS 6 feature with panorama camera shots (and annoy you with them).

Weather

The morning started humid with low foggy clouds.  Gray.  Thick air.  Not cool but less than sultry.  The afternoon turned clear, windy and hot.  Hotter than I was expecting.  Mid-afternoon on hot pavement.

Geography

Howard-Harris Branch-Giles-Johnny Morris-Loyola-Manor-Springdale.  Residential sprawl morphing to horse ranches giving way to industrial complexes.  Crossing Parmer, 290 and 183.  Back into residential and retail; some light industrial.  Rolling terrain.  A nice view of downtown Austin and a fun descent.

Springdale-5th-Airport-Montopolis-Stassney-Westgate-William Cannon-Southwest Parkway-Barton Creek.  Mostly residential interspersed with strip malls. Crossing 71 in industrial and warehouse land.  View of the airport.  East Stassney has a country feel that returns to residential.  Crossing I-35:  hectic traffic going someplace important.  More residential and strip malls.  Crossing Mopac and 290 (again).  Semi-processor plants on William Cannon.  Back into country and ginormous expensive homesteads of SW Austin.

Drivers

No scientific or statistical basis for this observation.  Just an impression.  Driver reaction (and behavior) to a cyclist on “their road” seems to be universal. No road is immune to this reaction.  In fact some of the most egregious behavior is not where you would expect it.  Crossing the major highways was no big deal yesterday–drivers were courteous and attentive despite their big hurry.  But on a quiet neighborhood street I was somehow in the way.

Satisfying ride.  Good shop.  Awesome time with grandkids.  Another one for the plus column.