Cobb County Paved Trails

"Tell your girlfriend black women was looking at your booty!"

Yeah! It was that kind of ride!

This past Tuesday I got out on the road for a few hours after work. I don't usually have much to say about a ride like that, but this one was a little different.

First off, my road bike was back from the shop and I'm not sure what magic Glen did to it, but it's never been quieter and never felt more solid. No chain noise. Every gear seemed to drop in perfectly... I left it with him to get the pedals rebuilt, and when I got it back it was like the whole drivetrain had been upgraded.

What's the most appropriate thing to do with a bike in such perfect working order? Ride directly into a storm, of course.

That's what I ended up doing.

The weather looked good from my house, but the further east I went, the worse and worse it got.

I was checking-out/mapping some of the various paved trails that I've seen over the past 15 years living in Atlanta. There's a trail leading from the Silver Comet over toward the mall, and one on Spring Road, and two popped up recently over where 75 crosses 575... Where do they all go?

Well, the one goes over to the mall. Cumberland Connector, it's apparently called.

Then, there are several that are just sidewalks with a badge declaring them to be trails. I don't mean extra wide sidewalks. I mean, literally just the original sidewalk that was built when the road was built and then someone came back later and declared it a trail. The Interstate North "Trail" and Windy Ridge "Trail" are good examples.

The "trail" along Cumberland Drive (I think) is another example, but it does feature an nice little point of interest: an urban waterfall.

Yeah! Waterfalls are few and far between in the metro ATL. I'll take what I can get and I declare that to be an urban waterfall.

The trail that popped up over by the interstate is apparently called the Bob Callan - Rottenwood Creek trail.

It parallels Rottenwood Creek and part of it uses an old bridge that was once part of the Interstate North Parkway. I remember driving on it back in the early 2000's. Now you can stand there and get a decent view of the creek.

Some guy was actually fly fishing in the creek, under the 285 bridge.

Heading back in the direction of home, it started raining a bit. I passed over 75, headed towards where they're building the new Braves Stadium...

...and then started getting hammered by rain. It was a warm day, and the rain wasn't cold, but I just couldn't see anything. It eventually occurred to me to take off my glasses. It always takes me a minute to remember that I'm wearing glasses.

I stood there for about 5 minutes on the corner of Windy Ridge and South Cobb, waiting for the light to change, soaked to the bone, watching the wind blow the rain around, happy to be out in it. I got some funny looks but I'll tell you, tolerance is freedom. It turns being stuck in the rain into enjoying the rain.

The best part was the next intersection though, at Spring Road. Miraculously, the rain had gone from a downpour to a sprinkle in those few blocks, and again, I was waiting for the light, looking around. A window rolls down in the car behind me, to the left...

"It's working for you! Mmm, hmm."

Ha! That made me smile. Then the light changed and we all started moving.

"Tell your girlfriend that black women was looking at your booty!"

Ha ha! That made me smile even bigger and laugh. Kind of made my day, actually... the idea that my booty could make people so happy.

Then the duality set in. So, does that count as sexual harassment? Should I manually override the flattery and humor that I was feeling, and force myself to be offended in deference to other victims of sexual harassment? Should I even declare myself a victim? I've felt harassed before, but that exchange was different. Why?

I guess, the big difference is that I didn't feel threatened. It also doesn't happen often enough to be a nuisance. I guess I also don't care if people are generally enjoying my booty. Some people don't like the idea that people are looking at them at all. Not me. The outdoor adventurer is poorly served by modesty. My booty is for everyone. "Black girls, white girls, skinny girls, fat girls, tall girls, small girls, I'm calling all girls..." And guys. Guys too. I'm sure guys are looking at my booty. That's fine. Have at it. Just keep the comments friendly, and the frequency low, and I'm good.