Canal Trail South

I find myself amazed at how well two thin wheels and a sturdy frame can carry a body hurdling over rocks and roots. The first time over especially rocky patches of the Canal Trail, I either crawled or got off and walked my bike. On my return trip, however, I took the advice I’ve been reading in every cycling book or on every website I’ve found: speed is better. And, while these sections were bumpy and made me nervous, away I came unscathed. Even these small experiments in trusting myself, the bike, and basic physics have made me that much more confident in myself and my ability to ride. I’m not saying I’m ready – or interested – in pulling myself and my bike over boulders and fallen trees; but I feel much better about flying down these smaller trails and getting myself over smaller obstacles.

It’s actually very similar to riding horses. While I originally thought that going faster put me at a higher risk of something bad happening, such as the horse taking off and my having no control; the opposite is actually true. Slower paces allow the horse to stop and buck, stop and rear, stop and twist, and so forth. Now that I think about it, I’ve come off horses more frequently due to lack of speed than to too much. Even when I was eight and my pony took off galloping through the woods to escape flies (and my mother sprinting behind us and hollering for me to hold on), I stayed on. Last summer when my horse stopped, bucked, and reared, I came off and ended up in the emergency room. This is not to say that accidents don’t happen: people come off at high speed, over jumps, or a variety of ways. There are no rules, much to my chagrin; only advice and your own good judgment.

I believe this is the same when it comes to cycling. Generally, speed to get over or away from obstacles is a good thing. Speed on the wrong surface, or braking too fast on a wet surface, is generally bad or can cause accidents. I’ve heard the same thing about driving: too often people in cars brake instead of accelerating, and sometimes accidents can be avoided by a little extra speed.

I tested my theory about driving down to the Canal Trail and riding from there, as opposed to negotiating traffic again. The ride was lovely: mostly sand, grass, or compacted dirt with the occasional crushed stone or slightly bigger rocks. Riding by the Steel, after promising myself I could stop and stare on the way back, was awesome. I wasn’t able to get a clear photograph through the tangled branches, but cycling past makes me pause and appreciate exactly what I’m doing and where. To ride along old canals, in the old hoof prints of horses who pulled tug boats along; and beside the river that helped the steel industry in Bethlehem become second in the country; and in the presence of the building that represents such triumph and tragedy is an honor. I am thankful for those who came and toiled at the factory that I now admire as a historical giant; and I’m grateful to those who take the time and effort to salvage the trails for us to enjoy now.

I was actually surprised to learn that the distance was 2.8 miles; it felt longer heading out, but flew by on my return. The whole 6ish miles took about 45 minutes, including pausing to take pictures on the way home. I believe I would like to get to the point where I can leave my apartment, cycle down the Monocacy Creek Trail, cross my busy streets, and then cycle the Canal Trail as yesterday before heading back home. I believe that should be about 12 miles, so hopefully within two weeks I can give it a shot. For now, I’d like to drive down to the same spot but cycle north on the other section of the trail, which is four miles long. I’m just below the edge of my endurance at six total miles, and I’d like to push it to eight on the next ride. I tried a few sprints on the flatter surfaces and, like Selene Yeager suggests, I found it both a fun and rewarding way to raise my heart rate, as long as I wasn’t disturbing the fishermen. Another goal is to head out on the road and see how different the ride is. I’d like to try driving to a quieter area and then cruising around, maybe tackling some hills where there are fewer cars. I’m sure less traffic equals faster traffic in some areas, but I stand out fairly well against brown fields in my bright pink jersey…I hope.