Ever since I saw that that today’s high was going to be 60° I planned on going on my second bike ride of 2007. I was quite pleased to see that my Weather Channel widget indicated that temperature had already been exceeded by 1 p.m.

Since there were SSW winds, I choose to head south down the Mount Vernon Trail (bikewashington.org) so the wind would be at my back for the return. I made a quick stop at the Exxon at US 1 and 23rd Street to fill up my tires. The folks there are always good about turning the air machine on for me and saving me 75¢^*. I try to buy gas there to reward their thoughtfulness.

With my tires properly inflated, I headed down Eads Street to the Four Mile Run Trail for the brief journey under US 1, the Yellow Line, Conrail/Amtrak, the G.W. Parkway and some other unused bridge (possibly the never built I-595). Once on the Mount Vernon Trail, I was riding into a strong headwind which I expected. There were a lot of hikers wearing orange ribbons heading the opposite direction, but thankfully that didn’t really hold me up. Overall, southbound traffic was not heavy, so I was able to keep going at as good a clip as the wind would let me. The ride through the streets of Old Town Alexandria was uneventful, despite a fair amount of people spending their afternoon there. At the end of the street portion of the trail I discovered (or was reminded of) that the trail is detoured in the Wilson Bridge. Rather than go along the detour, I decided to turn around. As I did, I saw another cyclist, clad in hundreds of dollars of apparel and riding a bicycle that cost at least five times mine fall right on his hind quarters as he tried to mount it. It was pretty funny.

On the ride back the inland path that begins just after the railroad crossing near Canal Place. I like doing this because the portion that parallels Washington Street has a decline that I pick a lot of speed on. The only problem it leads to a merge with the river route and a viaduct through a marsh that has a few curves in it. I attacked it anyway and continued at a fast pace all the way to Dangerfield Island. The orange streamed hikers that I saw on the way down were mostly gone by the time I headed north, so I didn’t have to dodge many of them.

I rode up to the airport, took the connector to Crystal City and followed 15th Street home. I am estimating it was about a 10 mile ride, though I reserve the right to remeasure it once I get an odometer (possibly as early as tomorrow).

NOTE BENE: Using a more precise measuring tool, I determined I actually biked about 11½ miles.

2007 goal: 300 miles
Year-to-date: 26½ miles