Ides ride

Today was a rarity for August, a day when it was plenty cool enough to allow an afternoon ride.

I tried a new route down to the Capitol.  The route needs some work but it is promising in that it avoids the giant climb over the railroad tracks.  That climb starts at the bottom of one of the iterations of Glacial River Warren found here in town (think really deep valley) and then goes high over some tracks and then down off the bridge to a spot back on top of the other side of the glacial formation.  Big hill.  Hills are one thing but this totally artificial uphill just to get over some railroad tracks has gradually come to irritate me.

I got to the newly renovated Capitol to find that the front lawn has been completely restored to lawn.

Count me surprised but glad.  That was always the wrong place for a parking lot.

But here is what surprised me the most, located on  the curb in front of an area school building that I ride past on almost every ride, both north and south.

It's a bicycle repair station.  There is a pump, some tire tools, a couple of wrenches and a couple of hex wrenches, all of the tools cabled to the stand which also includes a stand to place your bicycle on while you do the work.

I just hope that my next on the road flat tire occurs somewhere near this new public amenity.