What do the Grateful Dead, Doritos, Mountain Dew, l’alpe d’huez, and the Chronic all have in common? Any guesses? Well, apparently you haven’t been on the interurban trail lately. They were all influential in the making of the new bike trail between Macarthur and Woodside Rd.
Holy sine wave or is it a cosine? I’m not sure anymore but I do know it is one hell of a tangent. The city engineer must have been sitting around his trailer one day smoking a phatty, drinking mountain out of a 2-liter bottle, eating a bag of Doritos (the original is still the best), and listening to the live version of “Dark Star” when he thought to himself: “how do I turn 5 acres of land into a flat version of l’alpe d’huez”? Come on, stoner, the switchbacks are a little much.
What is up with the new trail? One minute it is a straight, freakin’ shot from Macarthur to Woodside Rd and the next it is a 30 minute, vertigo inducing, 128 switchback, roller coaster, never-ending story.
Honestly, it is pretty cool. Much different than it’s other, mundane counter-parts. It just seems a little excessive. I guess if you weren’t incorporating it into a long ride and were just out for leisurely ride with the family it would seem invigorating. If I was on the verge of bonking in Chatham and had to contend with all the chicanes to make it back to some Recoverite it would just piss me off. I guess it depends on the moment. 
Hopefully, once it matures and there is more scenery than single and double-wides it should be pretty cool. Although, without some foliage it will get hotter than a snakes-ass in a wagon rut once July is upon us.
I left the house thinking it would be around 25 miles to Chatham and back taking the bike trails. It was late but I thought I would have plenty of time before it got dark. I was wrong. By the time I got back home I had logged 32 miles and just made it before 17:00. Now I know better.
About Jason
The switchbacks are going to be road crossings, similar to the north side of the crossing at Woodside Road. Lindbergh and lincolnshire are both going to be extended from Chatham Road to MacArthur
the word on the meandering path that I have heard is that with the retail development in the area, the path will work its way into the area where coffee shops & eateries will be. The idea is to be more bike friendly. Another impression I had while biking is that it will keep some of the biking studs from working up too much speed since the path seems to get a ton of family use. I would have like to have seen the straightaways kept intact along with the loops into the area to be developed. That may have made more sense in the long run. But then again, no one asked me!
Hahahaha! I second that emotion my friend. Without any sort of indication as to what may be there in the future the switchbacks seem at the very least unnecessary. At the very worst, downright sinister. I love the spooky tunnel before you go up the bridge though.
Ya, in all seriousness, it is pretty cool. Not the usual bike path. The switchbacks will keep the pace down so you won’t have kamikazes screaming past 9-year olds riding the trail. If there will be some businesses along the route that will make it even more enjoyable.
I hope that I am wrong but the curves and blind corners on the new trail are tailor made for head on collisions. I prefer the straight shot to Chatham. Right now the trail is uncrowded. Wait unitl a nice spring day. Of course those “daredevil bike racers” in the tight shorts will become the bogeymen of the trail a la Wash park. Even though we are the safest riders out there.