At Deer Lakes Park
A couple of days ago, I did a short 20 mile out and back bike ride that I used to do with a good friend of mine when we were in high school…was that really 38 years ago? Back then Dave F. and I started in the Allentown section of Pittsburgh and rode Rt. 28 to Shaler and then rode up Saxonburg Boulevard to Deer Lakes Park. That was a bit of a suicide mission back then as the 10 mile ride along heavily traveled Rt. 28 was unnerving…I wouldn’t even consider trying it today.
Instead of the full trip from Allentown, I strapped my bike to the Thule rack and drove the car to Shaler Plaza…the beginning of Saxonburg Boulevard. The weather was perfect and the ride brought back some really good memories…and really bad ones too…the hills!
Despite the challenges the hills presented (I am probably +40 pounds since high school), I didn’t push the bike once. Actually, it was a very manageable ride…nothing like the 65 mile killer I experienced in Oregon last summer.
Stopped at the halfway point and had breakfast at the Deer Creek Diner where the food is excellent and the portions could feed a family of four.
A really great short trip and I certainly didn’t miss the stress of riding on Rt. 28–inches away from cars going 60-70 mph. Funny how getting older makes you much more risk averse…or smarter…or both.
Some pics:
