Originally Posted by
FBinNY
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So it is a trick of camera angle. That makes more sense.
BTW -- there are a few roads not that far from here that present the same illusion to people riding on them. You'll be riding down what seems to be a long shallow grade, and struggling to maintain speed. I've gotten off and checked my bike a few times, but finally learned the secret by going the other way and coasting up.
Wow, that sounds like one of those Mystery Spot tourist traps where water runs uphill. It's similar to what cyclists call "false flats"...a section of road that looks perfectly level, but is actually a grade. John McPhee said bikes are like those two-mile long coal trains--both can feel, and struggle with, even the slightest grade.
One street with such an invisible grade (E. Michigan Ave.) happens to be one of my favorite streets to ride on. It's five-lane arterial with metered parking on both sides, but the right lane is fairly wide. The speed limit is 30 to 35, so it's not at all scary. (No bike lanes) It has some cool things along it like good restaurants, coffee shops, and a great independent bookstore. Also "The Ave." links Lansing and East Lansing, and runs past a huge university campus. Riding west, you see the state Capitol building at the end of the Ave. along it's entire run.