At the moment I found myself heading eastbound beneath the I-25 underpass, with lots of energy left to go before I would get tired, the sentiment echoed through my head. "This is the shit." With that, I decided to be more ambitious than previously planned, and see if I could find a way all the way to downtown Denver. I got close enough to call it viable.

Though I didn't time myself from here to there, I did clock the return trip. I started back at 16:45. After cycling at a leisurely but mostly steady pace almost constantly back, I arrived at the Neighborly Abode at 18:18. Slightly over 1.5 hours one way. If I ever want to go to downtown Denver again, I can estimate a round trip of 3 hours travel time from here.

Most of the ride was very pleasant. The route I took (completely unplanned) may not have been the most direct, but it was very scenic, even during the part that touched on the outskirts of Commerce City. Except for a few little stretches, most of it was free from being anywhere near noisy cars or narrow sidewalks.

Toward the end, my enjoyment factor did plummet when my supply of kaltaka ran out, and some allergens hit in force. But here I am, victorious!

Very soon, after a little more rest and web surfing, I will make the final leg of the journey back to mom's, which will complete this most excellent day of cycling.