Vaughn Road

Vaughn Road. Every time I climb the steep hill on Vaughn Road I tell myself I am never riding down this road again. And every time I get back to my house I am already making plans for the next time I can ride on Vaughn Road. I think cyclists have masochistic tendencies.

I only rode 20 miles today but it included some rolling hills and a few good climbs. I intended to be on the road by 7 a.m. but didn't make it out of the garage until 8. The best way to beat our current heat wave is to get out early. It's also a good way to avoid most of the traffic. Apparently I'm not the only one to think this way as I saw several other riders this morning. Two of them were speeding down Vaughn Road as I was struggling to get up it. I waved and said "good morning" to them while secretly wishing them as much pain in their climb as I was experiencing. Most of the hills around here are caused by creek and river valleys. Vaughn Road is no exception. The ride down to the creek is fun, but you pay for it on the other side.

Despite the short stretch with the steep climb, Vaughn Road is enjoyable. It is one of the few roads on this route where I won't get passed by cars. Unfortunately because of where I live traffic cannot be entirely avoided. Some of the roads I ride have lots of cars. I choose routes that use side streets where the traffic is lower, but at some point on the route I'm going to have to get on a busy road. Even at 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning, I still have to mix it up with the cars and trucks. Except on Vaughn Road. Maybe I should ride this route again next weekend.