[SDCBC] The Poway Grade

[Tom Lettington]

This hot Sunday morning I decided (as the leader of our regular 
Sunday morning ride) to bring our small group to Poway.  Recognizing 
that the slow ride up the Poway grade on Poway Road is a bummer with 
no bike lane on a very narrow section of pavement, I brought our 
small group up the long slow grind on Community Road from Poway to 
Scripps Poway Parkway, up to SR 67 (*MUCH* longer and grinderier), 
north a bit on SR67, then down the Poway Grade on Poway Road.

This route decision was made to allow us to descend at speed on the 
Poway grade as to not impede traffic.

Due to "construction" in the area, the speed limit down the Poway 
grade (at least most of the way) is now 35mph instead of it's normal 
50mph.  I "let her rip" and against a small head wind I "took the 
lane" and flew down the Poway grade at 33mph.  To my amazement, an 
automobile behind me found the 2mph differential between the speed 
limit and his/her heat-thumping "need-for speed" to be totally 
unbearable.  A I took one of the two "slow traffic turn-outs" between 
SR67 and Espola Road to let traffic behind me proceed at their own 
pace, the tailgating perusers actually burned rubber to get around me.

As we neared the end of our ride westbound on Rancho Bernard Road, an 
area where on-street parking (mostly an informal used car lot) makes 
riding in the bike lane a door hazard nightmare, I again took the 
lane again and was nearly wiped out by a young soccer Mom in her 
Mini-Van as she veered left just enough to pass me with 8 inches to spare.

Oh my, we have to do something to educate motorists that cyclists 
have a right to use the roads in safety.  I believe that I have 
sensed an appreciable increase in the number of cyclists on the road 
recently. I also have noticed that a number of them are totally 
clueless as to how to behave responsibly as users of the roadways.

SDCBC  --  I believe we have an educational challenge of 
unprecedented magnitude before us.  Are we up to the challenge?

          - Tom