Autumn Riding Along the Han River Before Winter Sets In

Cycling · Published 11/2/2023 ·

Summer was so brutally hot this year, and now it’s gone like it never happened.

Mornings and evenings have turned cool — cold, even — and up in the mountains there’s already been ice.

Time slips by so fast, completely indifferent to any of us.

I’d been using “work’s been busy” as my excuse, neglecting my body and letting my workouts slide. So naturally, my riding fitness is back to square one…

Seeing the autumn leaves made me want to ride. I want to get in as much riding as I can before the year’s out.

Once winter arrives, this season’s over.

The fallen leaves are still crisp and stiff — they look lovely.

For the first time in ages, I hooked all my gear up to the chargers and got ready. I topped off the tires that had gone soft, and charged up the Garmin speed sensor and the Garmin radar too.

The radar lets me know when a vehicle is coming up from behind, which is really handy for spotting bikes overtaking me on public roads or dedicated bike paths.

I can really feel how much it helps with safety.

My riding buddy and I grabbed a bowl of noodles, too.

And we had a cup of coffee at this lovely café near Worldcup Bridge.

It was a strange café — right on the Han River, yet you could actually get seasick. It was floating on the water, you see.

The view of the Han River, with no dust and no haze, was almost blinding. The iPhone 15 Pro really does take a great photo.

Past Banpo, I made it to the spot across from the Sangam district (the old Nanjido). From here on, the headwind was so strong I could barely hold 15 km/h.

Getting all the way back to Ilsan in one go wasn’t going to happen, so I stocked up on a few more supplies at the convenience store before Haengju Bridge.

A bit of a rest helped, at least.

It’s something I feel every time: nature doesn’t go easy on you.

I fought my way home against that headwind — a real struggle. Battling the cold, battling the wind… only once I slowed down did I start making any progress at all.

I hope you all wrap up the rest of the year well.

Thank you.

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