#biking
In order to compensate for the missed couple of days of cycling during the week, owing to snow, I went on a #Night #Ride today. This enabled me to get used to #riding in the #dark. On my usual route, there are some fairly quiet and hence secluded and #unlit stretches, where #BikeLights are essential although it's still very difficult to spot pedestrians in dark clothing (and also their dogs). Still, no close encounters today. Because of the recently passed #Storm #Bert, a lot of #trees and #hedges have shed #branches and #twigs, which can be more than just a mere nuisance. In the past, they have caused #punctures and have even jammed in the #spikes causing #skidding #hazards. Luckily, no problems today.
When I went #bike riding today, it was about 6°C but there's also a #NorthWind blowing, which is made it feel colder. So, no sweating to speak of but no ice either to contend with. Patches of direct #Sunlight made some difference but it's always nice after such an excursion to come home.
Here is my Monday update on the #construction work on the #Osgoode Link Pathway. They finally got the northern-most 2 km section completed and we were able to at least bike that far this morning. It looks like next they will be installing the bike crossing lights at the road intersection, as the ground detectors have already been wired in. That means that we will just have to pull up on our bikes and the lights will flash for crossing, I think.
The pathway is still blocked 2 km further south, waiting for the ground work to be finished on the crossing lights there.
It is Friday so I was just checking on this weeks' #construction work on the #Osgoode Pathway, hoping that the last 500 m of stone dust surface finishing would be complete. I went down and found that nothing at all has been done this week. All the piles of materiel are still sitting there, just no work done at all. The northern portion is all finished and that is it.
Speaking of #bikes, I photographed this one next to the #Rideau Canal in #Ottawa today. Not sure who threw it in the canal, who got it out or how long it was in the canal, but looks like at least all summer. It is possible it was stolen and disposed of. I hope the owner can be found and get it fixed up to ride again.
It has been raining persistently today, the type of rain which, though not too heavy, soak into you if you are out in it for a period of time. It means that there are relatively few #pedestrians around to have to be wary of. However, on a stretch which is completely #car-free and where the #cyclepath and the #footpath run in parallel, I nearly came a cropper.
A couple were walking in the same direction as me but I didn't notice that their dog was on the other side of my path and it was still leashed, meaning the lead passed across the entire width of the #cyclepath. As visibility was low and the lead was black, on a grey background, I didn't see it until the absolute last second. I got tangled in it but at least the person let go and so it didn't get too entangled and I was able to come to a controlled stop. I'm grateful that they didn't try to blame the incident on me and were reasonably apologetic about it. Ultimately, no harm was done to any animal involved. I just wish that sometimes people would think about other users.