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Take It or Levee (click any image to enlarge) I happened upon this ride on the web site of the race-oriented New Orleans Bicycle Club. My judgment of the ride (which certainly suffered from the current state of construction) should in no way be taken as a slight on the NOBC, several of whose members were quite helpful in providing general New Orleans cycling guidance and pointing me toward a local bike shop (Bicycle Michael's) from which I rented. And it may be that the speeds at which the NOBC rides (reportedly in the 25-30mph range) mask the "scenery," long segments of which include construction, industry, commercial establishments, and highway. An alternate hypothesis is that the Giro Ride is a bit of friendly hazing for out-of-towners--I completed the route, and so hope that I've earned a spot on the periphery of their community! 
On the surface, my rental Univega didn't appear to amount to much. Pinker than the photo shows,
it sported pastel green bar tape and a canary yellow housing for the rear derailleur cable.
According to a staff member at Bicycle Michael's, however, its "watercolor" appearance belied something of a mean streak.
Although the details were hazy, the bike was rumored to have won a race or two back in its day.
My experience suggested nothing to counter this legacy--the ride was crisp in the manner of a performance bike
(a crispness accentuated by the harsh road surfaces I would encounter over much of the route)
and the rear shifting was lightning quick.
Not so in the front, stuck as it was in low gear.
No matter, though--the pairing with the small cog in the back provided just the right ratio at the high end.
I parked in a lot where West End Boulevard meets Lakeshore Drive a bit before the 7am sunrise, set up for the ride,
and walked across the street to the Lake Ponchartrain waterfront
Kona Fitness & Cafe
for a "natural break." I briefly met the owner, Rick,
who organizes triathlons along the lakefront.
He asked about my
Contour GPS
helmet camera.
I promised him still pictures from the ride (I wasn't planning to shoot any video), then headed out.
The first part of the ride along Lakeshore Drive is pretty spectactular.
The lake on the left with parklands and the levee on the right.
Progress came to a quick halt when I encountered road construction.
I was able to walk around the construction, but the tone was set.
Remounted, I continued a few more minutes before hitting a second patch of construction (pictured).
Again finding a walkaround, I was soon on my way once more.
I crossed the drawbridge just before Lakefront Airport and made the right-left jog over to Hayne Boulevard.
By way of reference, click on the NOBC image at left to see part 1 of their Giro Ride route map.
What had been a picturesque ride between the lake and the levee became a construction marred, heavily trafficked trudge.
The eventual right turn onto Paris Road promised relief, though, so I pushed on.
Because how could a thoroughfare named after the City of Lights be anything but a visual treat.
The turn saw the construction drop away, replaced by, well, an empty stretch of four-lane highway. The emptiness was soon replaced, thanks to my missing what I imagine was the direction to take a service road. While the NOBC route map was quite helpful at helping me find my way in general, the combination of small scale and thick highlighter conspired against me. Having missed the service road, I found myself riding on the shoulder of I-510 as it crossed with I-10. It wasn't until Lake Forest Boulevard that I was able to access the service road and part company with the highway traffic. 
I proceeded south on the service road before heading east on Chief Menteur Highway.
Strip malls and gas stations gave way to industrial plants and then eventually the flora and fauna
(the latter in the form of an aggressive and unleashed dog that prompted an intermediate sprint) of Bayou Sauvage.
(I challenge you to read "sauvage" and not think "sausage.")
Before too long, I rolled into the residential area called Venetian Isles.
After snapping a few pictures, fueling up with a Clif Bar, and hydrating,
I made my turnaround at the western end of the drawbridge by the sign for Fort Macomb (note the St. Patrick's Day theme leftover from the day before).
My return mirrored the outbound one until Lake Forest Boulevard, where I departed from the official Giro Ride and turned west to avoid Hayne Boulevard. I then headed north on Crowder, east on Morrison, and north on Downman to rejoin the regular route. 
The ride back along the lake afforded a few nice photo ops. While dodging one of the "road out" sites I'd encountered just after getting started,
I found myself atop the levee and decided to ride along it for a bit.
The expensive homes on my left caught my attention.
Whether modern or traditional, for all their luxury and grandeur, what should have been their view of the lake
was instead a look at the side of the levee.
I pulled back into the parking lot a shade under 50 miles, as mapmyride.com later informed me. With stops, the round-trip had taken a shade under 4 hours. Impressive pictures from a helmet camera, you might be thinking. To that point, a digression is worthwhile. Back in February, I'd taken the Contour GPS out for its maiden voyage during a day of skiing at Stratton. It has both video and still modes configurable via software. A two-position switch behind the battery door lets you choose between video and still (or between multiple video modes if you want different resolutions). A slider switch on the camera barrel starts and stops recording. During the ski outing, I was more interested in getting comfortable with learning the camera's features than capturing great video, but was certainly hoping for the latter. Mainly, though, I learned that if you don't press the "on" button at the beginning of the day, it doesn't really matter how many times you slide the record switch. The good news was that it was mostly a test run that taught me a lesson I won't forget. Fast forward to New Orleans. Before setting out, I powered on the camera. With each turning on of the record mode, I heard the tell-tale single beep. And with each turning off, the corresponding double-beep. Back at the hotel, I connected the camera and uploaded the photos. Lesson number two--remove the lens cap. And again, no pictures (I took the ones here with my Panasonic Lumix). Third time the charm? 
Few rides aren't worth doing, and this one was no different. As James E. Starr wrote, "Melancholy is incompatible with bicycing.
But all in all, next time I'm in Louisiana, I think I'll try NOBC's
Levee Ride (photo credit NOBC).
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