In Which the Planet Tilts to Winter

My trike, briefly parked at Thomas Park in Marion, Iowa, during a late November ride along the Boyson Trail, parts of which were recently paved.

The sun never gets super high at this time of year, but still looks pretty in the afternoon, seen on November trike ride to Cedar Lake.

Late afternoon sun at Lowe Park in Marion, Iowa. seen in November.

Well, it’s been quite some time, biking blog pals. I’ve been fine, but what with one thing and another, I have not been writing a lot here lately.

I place the bulk of the blame on my own aging memory but I’m willing to share some resposibility with the TSA and modern air travel. For three weeks at the start of October, I was off my trike and my bikes due to a pleasant journey.

My wife and I drove up to the Twin Cities to visit our oldest daughter who lives in a suburb of Saint Paul with her family. Then, we flew out from Minneapolis to visit our oldest son and his family in San Francisco.

We had packed our laptop computer, since I was planning to possibly use it to process images. But it would have been a pain to take it on a flight, so we left it in a suitcase in a closet in the basement of a house in Mahtomedi, Minnesota. Where, when we returned from San Francisco to visit for a few more days and then drive home to Iowa, we left it.

Shucks. It was inevitable this blog would be on hiatus for some time as I spent a fortnight and another week moving across the planet via planes, cars and feet. But that hiatus was extended by the delay getting our laptop back—the laptop is what I use to both edit images and write blog posts.

Long aside, I know, but after the voyage I spend the waning days of October and the whole month of November rolling across the planet, usually on three wheels and sometimes on two.

November, from a trike or bike riding point of view, was a decent month—it was warm and dry for late fall, with some frosty mornings and blustery, chilly days to remind me I live in Iowa. The world was much greener and pleasant than it usually is in the 11th month in this part of the Northern Hemisphere.

This and next images, me during unusually warm November trike rides. It's Nov. 22 in this image and I don't have a coat on.

Stopping by Oakshade Cemetery, were my parents rest, on Dia de los Muertos, Nov. 2.

I guess cemeteries were a theme. Riding my trike through Mt. Calvary Cemetery, where I visit the Sisters of Mercy who rest there. I taught at Mount Mercy University, founded by the sisters, before I retired to ride my tricycle.

Final selfie of this post. Nov. 13 ride takes me by Cedar Lake.

And then came the week of Thanksgiving.

The cool, sunny days turned colder. And then it suddenly got very cold. On the Saturday after turkey day, the winter weather switch was fully engaged—11 inches of dense, heavy snow carpeted my world.

That was Nov. 30, and it was Dec. 5 before I rode my first post-storm ride—and that was a short jaunt on the Fancy Beast so I had a mountain bike to cross snow or ice. I needed the wide tyres of that bike, and indeed walked about a mile of a 7-mile journey to get past the C Avenue sidewalk, which is both the most heavily traveled pedestrian route in my neighborhood and the one least well cleared.

The Fancy Beast, paused on C Avenue Dec. 5. I'm returning home from Lindale Trail and have dismounted to walk across the most ice and snow covered section of the sidewalk.

Lindale Trail on Dec. 5 ride--the trail, in both Cedar Rapids and Marion, is much clearer, although a bit of snow here and there means I'm not unhappy to be riding my mountain bike.

My November rides featured one 35-mile jaunt south to the nearby town of Ely and back along the Cedar River Trail. On that ride, I was interested in seeing progress being made on a new pedestrian-biking bridge that is under construction across the Cedar River between the New Bo neighborhood and Mount Trashmore.

It will be Eastern Iowa’s answer to the High Trestle Trail Bridge, I suppose. Not much of an answer because I’m sure the HTT will still be much grander and where all the cool Iowa bikers gather. Still, it will be very nice to have this new bridge crossing our largest local river in a couple of years.

Many deer seen on November trike and bike rides.

The new bridge being built between Czech Village and New Bo over the Cedar River. The bridge uses the old foundations of a closed railroad bridge. The project will soon close this segment of the Cedar River Trail, and I hope they create a bypass or detour and don't just close one of the busies bike trails in town.

Snake on a trail--seen on Cedar River Trail south of the river.

The weather in the world here at the start of November looked more like September, but by month’s end, even before the winter snow arrived, most trees had become bare and the world started to take on a bit more of its brown, sleepy winter hues. It was surprising this year how many bugs persisted into late November this year, but they aren’t persisting now.

Saturday, Dec. 6, another snowstorm was here. It was colder too, so I didn’t try to ride in the morning before the late afternoon snow blew in. Sunday, I spent my outdoor time clearing snow and filling bird feeders. I’m pretty sure the roads won’t be ready for a ride Monday (I drafted this post before Monday but posted after, and yes, roads weren't ride ready Monday). It will take some time for pavement to be clear enough to be passable.

There aren’t any days in the 10-day weather forecast that look warm enough for getting my as yet unnamed tricycle, or even my mountain bike, out for a ride.

Whatever. I’ll be happy to squeeze in any miles I can this December, as weather allows. In October, I rode 97.44 miles, not many even by my low standards, yet not all that bad since three weeks of the month were spent away from my trike and bikes. In November, I rolled for 262.78 miles. My total so far this year is 1,776.22 miles. I am pretty sure that I won’t make it to 2,000 miles in 2025, but with luck should top that in 2026!

In Which Summer Rolls Into Fall

Sept. 11--One of several rides this month down Grant Wood Trail, bike parked on bridge near east end of paving.

September—astronomical fall arrived late in the month on the equinox, but weather-wise, in the Midwest, cool, crisp air is a normal feature of this month, which usually feels like autumn.

We often see our first mild frost in September, sometimes by mid-month. Not this year. September turned out to be both very warm, with summer-like highs in the upper 80s many days, and very dry.

Since I have a new tricycle to ride—as yet unnamed, by the way—I took advantage of this warm month for some longer rides. I’m not doing any RAGBRAI-length days yet, but rolling beyond 20 miles wasn’t an unusual distance for me in September. For the month, I rolled 438.97 miles, almost double the total of any other month this year. So far in 2025, I’ve rolled 1,409.17 miles on my bikes or my trike (and not all my September miles were trike miles, I’m still a CR Biker, too).

It was a beautiful month for riding. Monarch butterflies, rare earlier this year, were common as they are flying through Iowa on their long migration from across the continent to overwinter in Mexico. Asters, those pretty fall flowers, appeared, while some summer flowers persisted. Often, I saw Monarchs drinking from Asters.

Asters by Basile Hall on Mount Mercy University campus, seen on Sept. 15 trike ride.

Another campus view, this one Sept. 28, Bee on Asters behind Warde Hall at MMU.

Sept. 22--Summer-like sun on first day of astronomical fall, Cedar Lake.

Long-blooming summer flower, Day Lily, in garden at Lowe Park on Sept. 21.

Sept. 21--Monarchs on Asters at Lowe Park.

Sept. 21--Flowers in gardens by art building, Lowe Park.

Early this month, I rode my nameless tricycle north as far as Center Point. On the final day of September I went farther south, riding to Ely.

That final ride was noteworthy because I rode with Mike Miller, a neighborhood friend. I usually ride solo, but in September my two longest rides were both just over 30 miles and both with companions, my sister Cate Sheller on one, Mike on the other.

On Sept. 30, Mike and I headed own the Cedar River and Herbert Hoover trails to Ely, visited the ice cream shop there, and headed back. We paused at the clock tower by the National Czech and Slovak Museum, and watched as it chimed 1 p.m. The clock puts on a bit of a show, playing music and opening doors to have cultural figures rotate into view.

Sept. 30--West clock face near Czech and Slovak Museum. Note this face shows months and zodiac signs. East face shows sundial. Analog clock is above those faces on both sides.

Sept. 30--My biking friend Mike Miller suggested staying at clock until it struck the hour. It was a good idea.

The clock has a standard face, plus a sundial on that same face, and a second face that marks the months and zodiac signs.

The clock marks time in many ways. As I mark distance in miles. Not many miles, I concede—my rides are modest for a biker—but the miles have been increasing, which is nice. When winter sets in, it’s likely that I’ll be doing more bicycling than triking, just because I can wear warm winter footwear when riding a bicycle.

The trike requires biking sandals or shoes. My specific bike footwear is not insulated.

Me at Center Point, 13 miles north on Cedar Valley Nature Trail, starting to do longer rides.

Rode to Ellis Park and crossed Cedar River on bridge there on Sept. 15.

Sept. 9--Common sight on Lindale Trail. Indifferent deer.

Sept. 23--Rode past paving and limestone to grassy end of Grant Wood Trail.

Riding the new trail on the west side of the lake--seeing Pelicans and other birds at Cedar Lake Sept. 22.

Mixed messages seen by Cedar River Trail at south end of Cedar Rapids Sept. 8.

Rode to east end of Grant Wood Trail on Sept. 23.

Still, that colder weather is a challenge for the future. How far into the future, I wonder, as summer weather has continued through the first month of what would usually be fall.

Not that I’m complaining. I’ve enjoyed the increased miles on the anonymous trike. My one question for your consideration and comment—what would you name this tricycle?

Sept. 30--Trike in Ely, south end of final day of September ride. What should this trike be named?

In Which I Birthday Roll on Three Wheels

 

Aug. 30--Pausing on my birthday to take a picture of my new recumbent tricycle.

A conspiracy was afoot that I caught a few hints of, but didn’t get the whole story of until after the fact. And as a result, my biking life has significantly changed.

Is there anything for a biker more exciting than new bike day? For me, my Aug. 30 birthday this year was that exciting day. Although I had gone to the neighborhood bike shop and helped pick it out, and I rode it home, I was enjoined not to ride the new bike much until it was presented the morning of my 2/3 of a century day.

And “bike” is a loose term, related to bicycle, meaning two wheels. The new bike is technically a “trike,” a recumbent tricycle. Although I think the terms “bike” and “biking” are still broad enough to cover what I do on my cool new teal vehicle.

Sept. 5--Rode to campus where I worked before I retired, mostly to make flower images there and for a restroom break on trike ride. Model of the new trike shown on frame.

Tricycle parked at MMU bike rack.

Trike brand.

Me, reflected in campus building window.

The conspiracy started in January when I had heart bypass surgery. I’m getting up there in years, and while I was in the hospital, or so I’m told, one of my sisters suggested to my wife that maybe a trike would help me continue to roll as I become, shall we say, more mature. My children, my sister and my wife pooled resources to pull this off (a trike is an investment).

I have long been open to the idea of getting a recumbent tricycle. My four-person RAGBRAI group—comprised of my two younger sisters, a brother-in-law and me—has three members who ride trikes. They are slow uphill and fast downhill, and can stay even with this slow biker on the flats. And my teammates can ride all day without feeling the sore butt that bicycle riders must endure. An advantage to trikes.

A three-wheeled trike is, by its nature, more stable than a bicycle. Second advantage, one that grows more important as I age.

There are a few disadvantages, however. A trike is a larger vehicle than a bike, with a more substantial frame—add more metal, more structure, to anything and you add weight. And a recumbent tricycle is lower to the ground, which enhances its aerodynamics, but also means car drivers don’t see you as well. Nor, because you as the biker are lower, do you see them as well.

On balance, whether a tricycle makes sense depends on who you are and what kind of biker you are. I do a significant portion of my riding on bike trails, and a tricycle is perfect for that riding environment. And I haven’t given up bicycles. Just today (today being a loose term for when I first drafted this post, not the day I published it), I went for a bicycle ride on my hybrid bike because I was going to stop at a gym for a while. There is some street riding to get there. For in-town commuting via streets, I’m still going to ride a bicycle.

My sister Cate precedes me on Labor Day ride north on Cedar Valley Nature Trail.

Visiting new bike trail at Cedar Lake with new tricycle Aug. 31.

I parked trike outside during family lunch Aug. 31, when I came out for second ride, I had a visitor on the tricycle.

New trail at Cedar Lake, seen Aug. 31 while riding tricycle.

But I’ve also really enjoyed the new trike. I had decided well in advance of my birthday that, due to my wacky health history this year including heart bypass surgery and a follow-up procedure, I would split my usual birthday bike ride. I turned 67 this year on Saturday, Aug. 30, and I decided any rides Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday could count as birthday rides.

Well, I rolled way over that 67-mile goal, with most of those miles ridden on three wheels. On Friday, I rode my hybrid bike 12.86 miles. Then, on my birthday, I broke the trike for 20.6 miles. Then, on Sunday, I rode twice, 6.59 miles in the morning and 18.34 miles later in the afternoon (there was a very enjoyable family birthday lunch that day, hence the two rides). My sister, who lives in town and is on Team Joe, went on a 32.59 trike ride with me on Labor Day.

Counting all four days of my birthday weekend, I rode 90.98 miles. Just on the new trike alone, I put in 78.12 miles. All in all, a good 67^th birthday ride!

A few bike ride images to show I have not neglected by two-wheel steeds. On Sept. 2, I used my mountain bike to ride the Sac and Fox Trail, including one of the side mountain bike trails--although the limestone trail itself is best ridden with a mountain bike.

My mountain bike parked at south end of Sac and Fox Trail. I rode the Fancy Beast on the trail after parking at north end--after rest I had to ride the 7 miles back to the start. The ride was a bit over 14 miles, due to added distance from also riding a mountain bike trail beside the main trail.

In Marion, there is a side trail east of the Boyson Trail. It's been closed for months due to a large city utility project, but on Aug. 29, on my first birthday ride, I noticed it was again open. Bicycle on that trail. I don't know if I will trike this trail--tricycle may be too wide for a narrow bridge at one end of the trail.

Fixed the chain on my ancient (1970s vintage) tandem bike--wife and daughter and grandson rode a couple of miles with me on my birthday. My grandson and daughter rode this bike, after the derailed chain was put back in place. The biggest part of the project was removing and putting back on the chain guard (not shown, this is just after I fixed the chain).

 

In Which A New Bridge Opens

Aug. 12--Bike parked by new bridge near Cedar Lake.

When did the new bike trail bridge over the creek that feeds Cedar Lake open?

I don’t know for sure, but the detour on the Cedar River Trail north of the lake has changed—coming from the lake, the route now goes down a road to a new street bridge that crosses the trail. I was taking the trail north at that point (I had ridden down to the lake via H Avenue), and before crossing the new street bridge, I turned right and crossed the new bike trail bridge over the creek.

It’s very nice, a foreshadowing of the new trails near Cedar Lake that aren’t open yet but are being constructed. I crossed the bridge on one of the longer rides of summer 2025—a 17-mile ramble that took me to the Mount Mercy University campus before I continued to Cedar Lake.

A bunch of images from Aug. 12 ride. As I rest at Cedar Lake mid-ride, I watch a Stork that was fishing in the lake.

Monarch butterfly on Thistle flower near Cedar Lake.

Aster, fall flower, on Mount Mercy University campus.

Pausing on MMU campus.

Cone Flower in garden near Basile Hall on MMU campus.

For various reasons, summer 2025, the first summer of my retirement, has not featured the usual summer distances of bike riding. I didn’t, for example, participate in RAGBRAI this year. I had a heart bypass operation in January and a follow-up procedure in July.

In August, four grandchildren from Minnesota were visiting for a week. That precluded any long bike rides that week for me—but the good news is that one of my bikes has a Tag-A-Long seat, and a 7-year-old grandson was very happy to put it to use. Sadly, other events and very hot afternoons constrained those rides a bit, but nonetheless, most days that week we headed out for at least a few very pleasant miles together.

July 26--Deer on Lindale Trail are pretty socialized to bikers. Fawn lets me get pretty close to make this image.

Bike on Lindale Trail July 26. Note milky sky, it's been a wet summer but also a hazy one; sometimes the haze, from Canadian forest fires, has limited biking.

Anyway, back to my lake sojourn on Aug. 12. I missed one day riding last week due to yardwork—mowing and clearing weeds. But in the past four days of the week, I used all of my bikes.

On Aug. 12, I rode Argent, my road bike, on the longest ride—the 17-mile cycle to campus and the lake.

On Aug. 13, I rode my mountain bike, The Fancy Beast. It’s been wet lately. I planned to ride the Boyson Trail, the paved and unpaved parts, on a day that would turn too warm for this old man to ride in the afternoon. So, I went on a late morning ride, which went well, but the mountain bike trails beside the Boyson Trail looked too muddy, so I stuck to the main trail. The ride was about 8 miles, but given the heavier bike and warmer day, felt like it was as much work as the 17-mile ride the day before.

July 29--another day, another deer. I know it's farther away,but I like this image of the Lindale Trail.

Reflecting ball in Lowe Park seen on July 27 bike ride.

I skipped riding, as mentioned, for the Aug. 14 yard work day. The forecast was for hot, humid weather after this day. It was too bad to avoid riding on Aug. 14, but it was good to get the yard work done, too.

On Aug. 15, the afternoon was forecast to feel like 100 degrees, which dictated a shorter morning ride. I was going to ride part of the unpaved Boyson Trail again, but it had a bit more time to dry out and I decided that Clarence, my hybrid bike, would be a good choice. It turned out to be a 10-mile ride where I headed up behind Linn-Mar High School on the Creek Trail and road part of the Boyson Trail, too.

My biking goals have become modest in 2025. I’m accepting, for now, of shorter rides, although I’m hoping the 17-mile ride, accomplished with no problems, is a sign of longer sojourns coming as soon as the weather improves. However, I’ve already decided it’s OK to take several days to ride my birthday later this month.

I turn 67 later this month. Maybe by next year, 68 miles in a day would be a doable goal. For now, I’ll just be happy to roll 67 miles over several days and be satisfied that I can keep rolling.

As of Aug. 19, I have 851.02 miles for the year. I’ve ridden 85.46 miles in August. July’s miles totaled 112.16.

Aug. 15--I have some Goldenrod planted in my garden--it's a great late-season flower that feeds pollinators as fall is setting in. This is not in my garden, however--Goldenrod by Boyson Trail seen during bike ride.