Monday, April 06, 2009

Balboa Park Bike Ride

Me kind of mountain biking
I went on my first mountain bike ride on my semi-new, hybrid bike. That means my bike is neither a street bike nor a mountain bike, but it handles good on any surface except deep sand. We met at our friend's house and rode to the trails around Balboa Park. It was the best day for riding, with temperatures in the 70s and a cool breeze blowing. My friends had been on this ride before, but I was never able to join them. I thought the dirt trails would be more difficult on my bike, but I had no problems with traction and was able to keep up with the leader. It was funny, some of the hills didn't look steep, but at the top my legs were burning. There were only two hills I couldn't peddle all the way up, mostly because my bike wouldn't shift into the easiest gears. I need to get that adjusted.


(most) of the group
We had no real plan, so we biked here and there, stopping along the way to rest. We ended up going across the Cabrillo Bridge (or Laural Street as I call it) and into the main square of Balboa Park. I then realized how long it had been since I've been to any of the museums in the park. I have not been to the San Diego Zoo in over 20 years!

As we headed back home, we accidentally rode around a park where there were lots of men laying out on the grass in very tight shorts. We quickly made our way away from this spot. That's Balboa Park for you. Then Steve, Woody and I took one last trek down into a valley as the girls waited for us. When we met back up, Judy's front tire was flat. So I got the pump from my bike which I never use and eventually got air in her tire. Then we made it back home safely.


Balboa Park fountain
Our plan was to wash up and then go to Woody's for a BBQ dinner. We (or I should everyone but me) made an excellent meal with double cheese burgers topped with green chile and a mustard/horseradish sauce. Rice and macaroni salad for sides and washed down with cold beer. An excellent reward for a two hour, eight mile bike ride. I got home after 10, which is past my usual bedtime but it was worth it getting less sleep. I had fun and hope to do more spontainous bike rides this summer.

1 comment:

Karen said...

Great bike! Looks like a fun way to see SD.