I still ride my bicycle frequently. It’s done wonders to take off and keep off the weight I gained in 2007/8.  I ride, depending on the weather, 3-6 days a week, anywhere from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours and usually at a pretty good pace.

In an effort to avoid the bad drivers that are common on the roadways, I tried a new route along the river.  The biking/walking paths the city has created along the Taewha River extend for miles. It reminds me of the path around San Francisco Bay. When I worked at Silicon Graphics in the 90s, visits to the corporate offices in Mt View would often mean a chance to rollerblade a few miles along the bay.  The Taewha River paths are similar, although not near so grand. With the recent addition of the pedestrian bridge across the river, one can ride all the way from down in the harbor where the Hyundai cars are loaded on ships up to Seonbawi, or Standing Rock, just across the river from my neighborhood.

With one exception. A small gap in the path from Guyeong to Daundong. For about a mile, I have to deal with a major roadway and the bad drivers. I hate that part. It’s got good shoulders to ride on, but going past the bus stops, gas stations and schools is a real hazard as drivers don’t always look going in or out of these places.  I often watch them pull out and then look to see if traffic (me) is coming.

I thought I would try this new path that appeared along the small farms and gardens along the river bottom. I have a mountain bike. I could do it. No problem. It turns out though that it’s more mountain than biking.

Parts of the path are nice and wide. More than enough room to maneuver along the rocks without plunging down into the river.

Other parts of the trail are sheer madness. Barely enough room for the handle bars and the path itself slopes precariously down the hill.

I tried several of these areas on the bike before deciding that I suck at extreme biking. I did a couple of endos (end over end crash) and slid several times down the right side into the trees. I walked several parts of the path afterward. Even on the flat bottoms, the going isn’t easy. The trail is strewn with small, baby-head sized rocks that will cause an endo. The small farms present their own hazard with stakes and small fences delineating the various plots, sometimes only enough room between for a pair of legs.

When I finaly made it to the next portion of a viable path, I did damage assessment.

The south side of the river is no better. Paths exist but all terminate at the edge of a feral bamboo forest. Of course I tried this, but never again

I suspect I’ll be dealing with the bastard drivers until the city finishes the path on this section of the river.