Get a Back-light, Bub!

That's what some fucking teenager (on a squeaky mountain bike no less) said as I passed him going down Harvard Ave towards Eastlake. Sure, I passed him going down 10th, but with my shiny new 53x11 whaddya expect? I think he was just mad I passed him, it was less about the lighting. Wasn't my reflective vest and bright front light enough?

Sorry, I wasn't a christmas tree w/ a million lights - as far as I know, by law Seattle only requires a front light, but it seems that uptight Seattleites also require a rear one. So sue me.

This is going out on a limb, but: Is a rear light going to save me from distracted drivers? If I'm gonna get hit I'm gonna get hit. People get hit while using rear lights all the time, so I don't put a lot of trust into them. A front light has much more use, it lets drivers at intersections know I'm coming, and you can see it from the side.

If there's one thing in the world I hate, it's being told what to do by a stranger. I'm a nice person and all, but I don't think it's anyone's business whether or not I'm wearing a rear light! Uptight Seattleites can kiss my ass. (So if you see me spinning around town on my Ciocc without a blinky rear light, or I'm not wearing a helmet, or something else crazy, keep it to yourself!!)

(end of rant)

Anyway, I was heading over to the Ballard Locks to meet up with Dennis, Rachael, and John. We did a little tour of north-side hills, including Carkeek Park and Golden Gardens. I hadn't been to Carkeek yet, and at night it was hard to see a lot, but the descent/climb was decent. And there were these weird warm/cold spots in that area - my theory was that it was the sewer-grates on the road that sometimes spew hot steam into the air, but who knows.

Here's a graph of the ride's elevation changes - nothing big, but enough to get your heart going:


And here's a link to the ride.

Stay safe out there, no matter how you do it!!