It was supposed to be a going away ride for someone who had never ridden to Seoul in the time he was here. Nice and easy. Mostly flat. He didn’t show up for the 6 AM start, but we weren’t surprised. He hasn’t shown up for a ride in over a year, no matter how many times we invite him and no matter how many times he insists (on Friday) that he’ll be there.
But we pressed on — two of the other riders (there were four of us today) had not been to Seoul yet, so it was bound to be a bit of a fun adventure for all of us.
I’ve been up around Lotte Tower a few times now — most recently back in December. It’s a pleasant ride that involves a lot of bike paths — nice and easy. But then some surface streets too, which are mildly challenging, but, once you get the hang of it, even fun. We got to the tower by about 9 this morning, so the traffic wasn’t too bad, but there’s a sweet spot in traffic too. Not enough of it, and the cars that are on the road are moving faster. Being in bumper-to-bumper traffic isn’t a bad thing on a bike. It slows everyone down, which is actually safer.
It was a beautiful day in Seoul today, too. Would’ve been a good day to go up to the observation deck and get a view. As I recall though, it costs about 20 bucks, so it’s one of those things you might want to reserve for special occasions. Jack, Jen, and Nathan are coming in a couple of months, so maybe we’ll hit it then.
We tried a few new things today too. Most of the ride was the basic route, but we did a quick lap around the tower and took the road that bisects Lotte World, then turned left to head back toward the T’anch’eon path. Only a bit tight in a couple of spots, and to tell you the truth, you find these things out by exploring. It only takes once to figure it out…although I might try a bit of a detour next time around to see if I can find any interesting and obscure passages along that corridor.
I was surprised that I had 71 miles in my actually. It’s been about two-and-a-half months since I’ve done a ride that long. But it turned out to be a rather enjoyable ride for all of is — and my first Gran Fondo this year (and this early). I hope it’s a sign of things to come for the year. We’ll see.
Did you see the well designed bike racks on the south end of the complex?
do you mean we’re gonna have to go back up there? no problem. where are they?