legs like tree trunk!

[topaz]

I got another annoyed note under my windshield from a ticked-off Arlington resident (sigh) so it's time to find someplace else to park. Today I decided to try something I've been wanting to do for a while, which is drive to Bedford (a fifteen-minute drive) and bike from there down the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway into Cambridge, and continue on to Kendall Square from there.

In fact, as I often do these days, I took the bikeway only as far as I needed to cross Route 128, and followed Massachusetts Ave. the rest of the way through Lexington and Arlington. I believe it's actually a bit faster that way -- the road is more direct than the bike path, and there are fewer stop signals.

Nevertheless, I was downright amazed when I reached Arlington Center, after 8 miles of heavy riding, glanced down at the bike computer and saw my average speed:
18.0 mph
Now, granted that Lexington to Arlington is generally downhill. I don't usually get up going that fast on a sprint, let alone as an average speed over several miles. Even more amazing was that it only went down slightly on the rest of the way in to Cambridge. I ended up at work with a total trip average of 17.3 mph. Total travel time from home, including the drive to Bedford: 80 minutes.

Wow. I could get used to this.

Comments

[boutell.livejournal.com]

Go speed racer...

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

What were the annoyed notes about?

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

Parking all day in a residential neighborhood. I do have some sympathy for living in East Arlington and not wanting your neighborhood to become Alewife Annex... but on the other hand, some of the places I was parking were over a mile from the station. Didn't seem likely to cause a major problem.

In any event, I don't want to provoke a pitched battle over this, so when I start making people grumpy I find somewhere else to park.

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Holy shit. Go you!

[harimad.livejournal.com]

Pretty cool when that happens, isn't it? Way to go.