Up Early and on the Bike

I have been leaving the house early to on my rides. Early as in the crack of dawn early if not earlier. The sun rises around 6:30. I'm usually out the door by 5:30 ish.

 

Needless to say it's dark outside. The sky might be getting a little light but not much. Now that doesn't make much of a difference in the city because of all the lights. In fact the Metropolitan Branch Trail, which I take to get down to Union Station, has lights all along it. The streets downtown have lights too. It's a little dark when I'm actually down by the Smithsonian Museums but still not bad. 

 

 

 

However once you get across the Memorial Bridge it is a very different story. It's dark out. More to the point it's dark along the path which makes the path sometimes hard to follow. (Yes it would help if I actually had you know a light on my bike but right now I don't).

 

The Mt. Vernon Trail follows the George Washington Parkway. So the lights from the cars help light up the trail. Expect when they are directly in your eyes and you can't see anything at all (yes I know I should get a light but I don't think it would help in this situation). Yesterday I stopped for a minute until the cars passed and went on my way. It wasn't as bad this morning because there was less traffic. 

 

 

 

By the time I get close to Gravelly Point, there is close to enough light so you can see. However yesterday I was getting close to Gravelly Point and I notice two lights heading toward me. As in a light in each of the lanes of the trail. I get close and realize the guy in my lane is not going to move over (yes this would have been the perfect time to have a light). So I move over instead. I thought at the time a light would have helped in that situation. But then it occurred to me if I had been a jogger I wouldn't have had a light. I have a feeling if I'd been a jogger the guy wouldn't have moved for me either.

 

I went 20 miles today. I'm hoping to go at least that tomorrow. And maybe I'll leave fifteen minutes later so there's just a little more light to ride by.