In Which Mother Nature Wins

Tuesday morning, corner of C Avenue and Blairs Ferry Road. It's nice to the west, but rain is moving north and increasing.

There were sprinkles moving through Cedar Rapids Tuesday, and I decided to see if I could ride my bicycle. I fired up the iPad and checked the weather radar, where I found some ominous looking splotches, but they seemed east and where heading north, so I didn’t think they would hit me.

So I got Francis out. Foreshadowing—there were an isolated few drops falling from the clouds, but I figured the ride would be OK.

I started out, and as I rode the first half-mile to Blair’s Ferry, the “sprinkles” became a drizzle.

Then, as I was waiting to cross Collins Road at a traffic light, a drizzle became rain.

I really had no option but to soldier on—my wife had long left for work driving our van. So I did. I regretted my decision not to don a jacket—it wasn’t all that cold despite the rain, but rain sure is water and water makes one wet and I don’t enjoy, in this context, wet all that much. A warm shower or a swim in a cool pool on a hot day—those are good. Riding your bike to work? Trust me, dry is a far superior state to be in.

My pants and my outer shirt were soaked by the time I sloshed up the MMU hill. I took my shirt off and hung it on my radiator, where it was at least slightly dryer for the afternoon ride home.

My pants I wisely left on, since I had class, and frankly they dried more than the shirt did, but I think that’s because the light dress pant material doesn’t soak up as much moisture in the first place.

Luckily enough, my inner polo shirt was not too bad.

Thunderstorms were again in the forecast, and I had a music rehearsal so I could not leave campus early to ensure missing the mist, but the gamble that I lost in the morning went better in the early evening. Rain didn’t move in again until later.

Wednesday morning, very different, more biker friendly looking world--sun coming up as seen from C Avenue about 3/4 of a mile from home.

And since then, the rides have been a little cloudy, but nice. It does feel very springy. There is still snow about—the snow hills in the Rockwell-Collins parking lot look dirty and sad, a poor shadow of their more majesty, but they are still there.

Wednesday morning, I looked for, found and used a container of chain lube. Rides Wednesday and Thursday morning were very nice.

Happy spring to you, fellow bikers, and may I see you on street or trail enjoying the new season soon!

Above--my shadow during Wednesday afternoon ride. Nice for it to be sunny enough for there to be a shadow. Below, those low hills are melting snow at the edge of a parking lot.