After Hours Climb

Akron's name comes from the Ancient Greek base "akro" for high place, lofty, or stretched high.  Back when it was founded in 1825, some people joked that it was named for the mythological river of pain in Hades, Acheron.  But the truth is, the name comes from the fact that is was the highest point on the Ohio & Erie Canal.

If you're driving around Akron, you may not notice its unique and hilly topography.  We never notice the climbs we make while behind the wheel.  The only spots that you may appreciate them are when you descend into the Valley on Portage Trail (great view) or climbing up the famed "Cadillac Hill" (around 20% grade).  Most of the time, though, we are oblivious to the topography.

This is not at all the case on a bike.  Everywhere you go in every single direction you have hills that present quite the challenge.  And you'll have different brutal hills on the way back.

Case in point, West Market St.  If you were heading from Main St. to N. Portage Path this is the climb you would be dealing with:




There's that fun climb at Rand St. to deal with almost as soon as you leave downtown.  After a brief descent, you get one giant uphill climb from Valley St. onwards.  Ok, this isn't the steepest or toughest climb in all of Akron.  What really gets the blood going and the legs burning is the traffic.  During the day, Market is the main drag through the city.  Its the route of choice for local drivers and the congestion doesn't end until around 9pm.  With all that traffic comes traffic lights.  Now, you're not only trying to stay strong to get up that hill, while maintaining your claim to the lane ,while being intimidated by every jackass in Akron, but you constantly have to stop at the lights.  This is no easy route and only a very experienced cyclist should attack it (and by experienced I mean you're ok riding in traffic and following the laws while under duress, not that you ride like Andy Schleck).  

We took on this climb last night after a meeting downtown and dinner.  Being full of spicy Thai, the climb up Market was a little more gut wrenching than usual.  We didn't have any trouble with motorists since it was later in the evening, but the pedestrians were causing some concern.  You see, during daylight hours W. Market is pretty benign, but after dark the crazies come out.  Its like a zombie movie or I Am Legend.  As soon as the sun starts going down, you have to get out of there!

Last night we did really well.  We found a good rhythm and made it out of downtown without too much cardiac suffering until I had a minor mechanical with a brake line and had to stop to adjust it.  Momentum lost.  But, we continued with our successful pace until we hit our first red light at Merriman.  This is where traffic remains tricky until the wee hours of the night because its near the narrow section in Highland Square.  After being stuck for 4 mins at the red, my legs were dead.  No time to recoup though, the Darkseekers were coming.  I don't know what these people are doing exactly, but they're scary.  One guy stepped out in front of me by the aptly named Shady Park, right out in the road.  I don't know what he was after or if he even saw me, but thankfully I had plenty of room to avoid him.  Meanwhile, there are other people walking around and shouting or fighting or just looking menacing.  Really, I'm not exaggerating.  Its a whole different city after sundown.

We made it back home just before dark, quite tired but pleased we had conquered W. Market climb after eating Thai, wearing jeans, and carrying about 30 extra pounds in the panniers.  We're also thankful the Dark Seekers didn't get us.