[FREE.] Insane Bike Trip Pt I.

Photo Credit: Alvin Lee

I've been to so many places on my bike I could practically say that I've been just about everywhere. I'm always looking for new places to go, craving that adventure and trying to immerse myself in a new environment just so I could slowly figure out my surroundings. Sometimes, I don't know where I'll end up and I'll get scared, but part of that experience is conquering the fear of the unknown. I journey to become lost and make it my quest to find my way back. I found that experience during the summer--a trip I'll never forget. Enter Joaquin Miller Park.

Sandy, Alvin, and I. I suppose you could call us thrill seekers that day. We planned to go to someplace far, someplace unfamiliar. Joaquin Miller Park. I wasn't a complete stranger to those parts, I went on occasional field trips in elementary school to do some environmental stuff but I really couldn't remember much about that area. The way there was a good build up of excitement. I've never biked down Fruitvale before and it was an uneasy experience to begin with. The drivers in Oakland aren't exactly the most friendly people on Earth, let alone that whole Fruitvale area, but we got through it without much trouble. We reached a checkpoint and took a break to gather ourselves for the rest of the way ahead.

This part of the trip was absolute hell. The inclines were steep that none of us could bike up. Mind you I'm on a fixed gear with a high ratio while both Alvin and Sandy had not-so perfect gears. Most of this essentially became a hike. Constant breaks and what seemed like an endless set of inclines made it really hard on us. We were completely unprepared for what we were about to encounter..