Follow me

My bike commute has covered the same roads for the last five years.  My curious nature has led me to explore dozens of variations over that time.  I remember when I first rode the route I had to scrawl out the turns on a make shift Que-sheet. 

On one of my early forays I purposely rode into a dead end because I thought there was a bike friendly escape.  My recollection of that particular adventure was that I was looking into a dark abyss that seemed to go nowhere.   I turned around and stuck to the proven route.

This morning I caught sight of another bike commuter in the pre-dawn darkness.  Actually I only saw his red blinky about 200 meters ahead of me.  He was going the same way I was so I found myself compelled to close the gap.

As we approached the intersection where I turn right every time I watched for him to turn so I could count the seconds until I passed the same point to get an idea of how soon I would catch him.  He went straight right past the DEAD END sign.  This was the route I had deemed impassable five years earlier.  Whisky Tango Foxtrot.

Although it was totally dark I followed his blinking red light.  He went down a gravel path and through an opening in a metal fence.  I followed and threaded my bike through the opening.  It reminded me of the fences around schools and parks that are designed so you can’t go barreling through.  An opening and then a mini fence overlapping the opening.

I continued and there was a baseball field to one side and a football field on the other.   Above the fields on a hill were well lit buildings.  They were big brick buildings.  This was either a business campus or a school.  The sports fields told me it was a school.  I followed a service road up and around the buildings.  I was thinking I was home free when my headlight picked up a chain stretched across the road just in time for me to swerve onto the grass avoiding a head over heels adventure.

Soon I was back onto public roads and I rejoicing that I had found a new route through one of the few spots that didn’t seem to have any variations.

I wish I could replay what I saw or thought I saw five years before.  I didn’t see the rider after I passed the first gate.  If I see him I will thank him.

You're welcome Davo !