Eased out for the commute home a little after 6pm.
The last bits of my route put me on the east side of some hills, which
meant that I rode in shadows for a couple miles. It felt great -
a dry and non-cool September evening in Northern California - short
sleeves and shorts. The route allowed me the pleasure of uphill passing,
as they’ve added a traffic signal halfway up the road that has well and
truly screwed those drivers who used to sidestep the commute freeway
pokiness. I however get to thread my way past them as they madly
flip open their phones and give action-news reports to whoever they
were supposed to meet or pick up.
But, the shadows remained consistent, and when I finally popped into
sunlight again, it finally occurred to me - the sun hovered too damned
low on the horizon. Maybe a couple fingers up, but we’ve hit “that
week.” It’s time to charge batteries and check connections, make
sure that the blinkies are bright and get ready for lighted
commuting. By next week, the sun will be down before I get home,
or if it isn’t, there won’t be any room for error - an unanticipated
delay or flat could mean creeping home commando style.
Like the solstice rides of high summer and darkest winter, it is one of the drumbeats of the cycling seasons.