Juicy drops of rain were falling still at 7, and unless it dried out a little bit I had decided I wasn't riding to my volunteer gig through a drizzle on slippery streets.
It was a bit brighter just before 8 and the pavement was dry enough to persuade me to get the bike prepped and ready to ride.
The ride to Oakwood's east campus is surprisingly direct considering much of the ride is on former railroad beds. 21 miles of the Military Ridge, SW Commuter, and Capital City Trails.
A saw a couple of well-fed groundhogs along the Commuter trail. I noticed they were not checking out their shadows.
The trails were crowded with runners and walkers, bikers, and cross country skiers with wheels on skies.
There are several long stretches, even in the city, with no street crossings. But when there is a street to cross, it's important to slow way down because rarely can you tell if there is cross traffic before you get to the sidewalk.
It reminds me of something my Dad said a lot, "You may be right, but you could be dead right."
This year has been a deadly one for bike riders in Wisconsin - 15 have died already. Most of the accidents were beyond control of the riders, but all too often I see fellow riders blow through intersections or across streets at nearly blind crossings without pausing to check traffic.
Bikes can't win collisions - more vigilance and patience by drivers along with more safety first bicyclists will make more rides safe ones.
Ride on and ride safely.
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