Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Providence Medical Center via Crater Lake Ave.

This review is my daily commute. I start at Coker Butte and finish at Providence. CL Ave has some decent hills for the amateur commuter, especially just south of Hollyhock. Crater Lake Ave north of Delta Waters is one lane in either direction, and the speed limit is 45+. The hills serve to make it a little more dangerous, since at some points on the ride, some folks fly through in their SUV's at 55, and don't see a cyclist until they come over the hill. It makes a dangerous combination when they're not paying attention anyway.

I've been honked at and yelled at multiple times on this ride, since there is very little shoulder, and it's darn near impossible to move over far enough to share the lane.

I'm a very conscientious rider. If I wouldn't do it in a car, I won't do it on my bike. That includes rolling down the right side of the road at an intersection. The cars I pass have already passed me and it seems counterproductive to make them do it again, so I wait my turn at stop signs and signal lights. I think this helps mediate the negative attention I seem to get, mostly on the north end of the commute.

I come home at 0630, so traffic is light on the way home, and I don't seem to get much flack on that side. However, I ride to work at 1715, right at rush hour, so I can understand the frustration.

So, now that the review is done -

Total mileage (one way): 2.8 miles
Average speed: 14.7 mph
Time (one way): Average of 20-23 minutes
Route Safety: *
Route Efficiency: ***** (Straight shot)
Route Hill Grade: ** / ***. Hills are bad on the north side, but south isn't bad.
Mechanical Damage Potential: Moderate (Due to cars passing very very close on the north side of the commute)
Be careful on this commute, folks. It is one of the more dangerous in Medford.

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