The Almshouse Road Hill & Rude Drivers

Yesterday I decided to bike a variation the 32 km ride from Hilltown to Holland I had written about two days prior. This is a simple variation make a left onto Turk Road which is about 1 km or so prior to intersecting with Route 611, and then making a right another 1.5 km down the road onto Almshouse Road.

The purpose of taking this route is two fold. Firstly, this is a route I know fairly well as I have driven it many times as it is less travelled and involves passing through a small park area which is always nice to see. The second reason being that a different set of hills are involved via going this way, and one particularly nasty one at that.

Upon crossing 611 on Almshouse there is a nice series of downhill curves which allow for some very nice speed all the while providing a nice wide lane in which to travel. This however comes to an end at what is by far, the single nastiest hill I have ever had conquer via bicycle. To give an idea as to the grade of this road I can simply say that in my car I usually downshift two gears.

Another problem with this particular section of road is that there is no shoulder at all, which normally isn't an issue, but the road being on a twisty hillside also proves to be almost too narrow for automobiles. The first section of this hill forced me to succumb to it and drop into my lowest gear. When that first section of road plateaus one can jump up to their mid-gearing cogs and make some speed, however they will find themselves dropping back down a cog or two to traverse the last section of road.

The rest of the Almshouse route is pretty calm with lots of flats and a few slight grades until crossing route 263. Approximately 1.75 km after the Almshouse Rd. & 263 Intersection is one of the best downhill areas I've ever ridden, road or park paths included and it lasts for about 1 km. Needless to say the road is a little bumpy and the speed is awesome not to mention the wind in my face helped to cool me off on a day which was pushing 29&deg of heat.

This segued into a slight hill at a railroad crossing, followed by a very minor uphill section for a few kilometers more. The road flattens out after crossing Hatboro Road but then finishes with a nice downhill area where it intersections with Route 232 (2nd Street Pike). Making a right at that intersection and staying towards the left lane for ¹/₂ km allows one to follow the directions from the Shopping Centre on the previous route directions.

It was at this left lane that my next issue comes into play. I was in the left lane ready to make my turn waiting for the turn arrow (yes, this intersection is sensitive enough for our bicycles to trigger the turning traffic signal) that I first noticed her. A woman driving what I believe was a Dodge Neon (Class C) type vehicle chatting away on her mobile phone. The signal turns the left arrow green and I proceed having the right of way.

As I'm mid intersection she mindlessly turns cutting me off. I don't know if she saw me and wanted to get in front of me because she feared I might delay her ride by ¹/₁₀^th of a second, or because she was completely enamoured in her phone conversation. I quickly yelled at her that I had the light and the right of way and that she should hang up her mobile and focus on the road behind the wheel of her 1.5 tonne weapon. That was the end of the conflict and I honestly hope she heard me, but I fear that being as oblivious as she was that it was all for naught.