Day Miles: 44.0(J) / 44.1(S)
Cumulative Miles: 183.1(J) / 186.4(S)
Day Hours: 3:29(J) / 3:32(S)
Cumulative Hours: 17:55(J) / 18:04(S)
It turns out that, if one is planning to ride through the Oakland Airport, weekday evenings are a good time to do so. We rode a huge swath of the city today. The streets weren't dense (making it easy to cover a lot of ground), but they were long. Neither Joel nor I had done much riding in the last month (my excuse was that I got married and had my honeymoon in May-June), so 44 miles in some headwinds felt difficult. At one point we stopped at a taco truck to share a burrito, as we were both tuckered out and hungry.
Not a lot of neighborhoods to see today (mostly industrial areas on this ride), but I was very interested in the Columbian Gardens community near I-880 and between Hegenberger and 98th Avenue. The neighborhood had a few nice parks, and seem relaxed and safe, with some kids playing on the street. Joel and I both thought this an interesting open space creation in the neighborhood.
I suspect, despite all the concerns people have about other East Oakland neighborhoods (on the north side of 880), that they will also feel relaxed and safe. I guess a lot depends on the time of day and just sheer randomness. Joel had a quick chat with one of the residents of the neighborhood who collected classic VW vans/trucks.
Some personal favorites on the ride were seeing the Oakland Aviation High School and discovering that there is actually a union for pile drivers.
Cheers,
1970
