In Which We See the Party and Skip the Party

Saturday at corner of C Avenue and Blair's Ferry, sunset on the bike ride down to the Sag Wagon. Pretty end of a pretty day, warm for January.

And they finally announced the RAGBRAI route—already being called the ISU vs Iowa ride. The 2018 RAGBRAI route starts in Onawa. On the way to its end in Davenport, overnight towns are Denison, Jefferson, Ames, Newton, Sigourney and Iowa City.

According to RAGBRAI.com, it’s a relatively easy and relatively flat ride, compared to other RAGBRAIs. That’s OK with me, I always ride RAGBRAI as a tour anyway, and, while I don’t mind a difficult day now and then, I’m not in this for the torture.

Image posted by RAGBRAI.com of route announcement.

And while RAGBRAI was not wise enough to follow my idea of a city-themed route, I still guessed three of the towns on the ride, which is a pretty high average for me.

I’m not entirely going to new places on this year's ride—I’ve been in, I think, almost all of the towns, but I do say I’m a fan of having both Ames and Iowa City on the ride. Iowa’s two college towns have a lot to offer. And while we’ve rolled through Iowa City a lot in recent years, we’ve never camped there. In the years I’ve ridden the ride, we’ve been near Ames, but never went through it.

One of my suggestions was that Des Moines would be a great lunch stop. The ride this year has to get from Ames to Newton, and the golden dome city is between the two. I’m guessing they’ll either just edge the metro area or avoid it completely by going north and east of it, but we’ll see.

The announcement party was a bit of a bust for your biking correspondent. The Sag Wagon had announced a live streaming of the party, and a daughter and I decided to go. Saturday was an unusually warm day, and we have lights on our bikes, so we decided to ride.

The party was to start at 6, and we got there a bit after 5. While there were a number of people in the bar/deli, there didn’t seem to be any particular RAGBARI stuff going on. The lone bartender-waiter on duty took our order. We got taco pizza and Angry Orchard, which seemed like a biker kind of meal.

Six rolled around, and we noted on What’s Ap what we were doing. My daughter-in-law, who lives in San Francisco, posted that it was still several hours before the announcement, and sent us a link to the RAGBRAI page that had the announcement countdown. We hung around until after 7, but the daughter who was with me had a bit of a drive to get home, and we didn’t want to push it too late.

We were also a bit surprised that very little RAGBRAI party was actually happening. No biking trivia game, no slide shows from the last time RAGBRAI rolled through town—honestly, nothing at all. If we were just going to watch the announcement, we figured we could do that at home. So, after enjoying our taco pizza (for the record, I do recommend taco pizza at the Sag Wagon—it’s not the most fantastic in the world, but they are generous with their toppings and it certainly is a meal you can pedal for miles on—we wolfed the whole thing down, but I think 3 adults could share one and be pretty happy), we donned helmets and reflective vests and pedaled home.

The RAGBRAI livestream began around 8, but it was music, a RAGBRAI Jeopardy game and images of past rides. It wasn’t until shortly after 9—minutes after my daughter gave up and hit the road, that the route was actually announced.

Oh well. Riding 8 miles to a bar for taco pizza and then riding back still felt like a very RAGBRAI thing to do. We definitely enjoyed the pleasant evening ride, and I do like this year’s route.

The busted RAGBRAI party culminated several days of good riding. I put the toddler seat on Clarence earlier in the day Saturday and took a 2-year-old grandson for a quick ride. He and I both enjoyed the sunshine. It was breezy and felt cool—but still great for January.

On Friday, after working in my office on spring semester stuff, I rode downtown to Brewed Awakenings to have coffee with two alumni. Celine and Mariah, thanks for the invite—I had not been to BA before, and enjoyed my time there, too.

Some images from Friday. Above, I sit on bench outside coffee shop--I was the first to arrive. A biker doesn't always know how long it will take to get somewhere, as it turns out, if the question is "how long from MMU to Brewed Awakenings," the answer is "not very long." Below, my coffee and scone. Biker snack. Bottom, Cedar Lake in dim light and clouds as I head back home along the Cedar River Trail.

Winter is coming back—it will cool down dramatically as January shifts into February. But February has only 28 days, so more biking weather is likely soon. And RAGBRAI is also coming!

A frosty morning earlier in the week, Wednesday or so, I think. It's the same photograph, I just thought it looked even better in black and white.

In Which I Don’t See the Armed Snowman

Sun illuminates the clouds and shines through holes in them this morning, view from C Avenue.

J Term 2018 is over and also not over. I’m still grading, which makes me green with envy over some other professors’ Twitter happy dances. But, I’m getting there.

I taught a speech course this winter term—at Mount Mercy University, where I teach, there is a 3-week January term when students usually take just one class, and professors teach just one. For four hours a day, four days a week. It’s not exactly a mid-winter vacation.

Anyway, classes ended Monday, and I entered final exam grades today. And with the January term classes now done, it was nice to have a little foreshadowing of spring today. We’ve had lots of weather extremes this winter, with a relatively warm December followed by snowy, icebox January, with some breaks now and then.

Today was now and then. While it was cloudy and cool, it was also dry, with dry enough pavement that I greased the chain and pumped up the tyres on Clarence, my workhorse hybrid bike, for the commute to campus this morning and the continuation of gradefest 2018.

I like a nice sunny sky, but I appreciate clouds, at least if they aren’t completely unbroken. And this morning, the sun was playing a game with this bike commuter, peeking out now and then through interstices in the cloud layer. As you can see, the view on my morning ride, while winter stark, still featured a bit of interest from the sky. It also just felt good to be on the "regular" bike, which allows me to extend my legs more. And while The Fancy Beast is a decent mountain bike, a hybrid is just a much livelier ride.

I teach a core education verbal communication class, with a long unit on public speaking. During the final exam, I usually have students view a speech and apply course concepts to it—and I often use a TED talk as the exam speech, honestly because they have readily available transcripts.

For this January term, I used a speech by Gavin Pretor-Pinney, founder of The Cloud Appreciation Society. You have to watch his talk for the headline to make sense—when the sun just peeks through a few holes in the water vapor ceiling, there aren’t that many shapes in the clouds. But a biker still has plenty of time outside to look up and appreciate the variety of textures in even a mostly cloudy sky.

When I’m scrambling to catch up on grading and worried about the mountain of work awaiting me for the spring term that starts too soon, and which I don’t have time to prep for, perhaps it’s selfish to take the time to ride a bicycle to campus.

I could get there 15 minutes faster via car. But I would not see the clouds as well nor appreciate them as much. And I agree with Gavin. That would be a shame.

In Which We See Snowy Trails

A lone bike parked at Lundy on the Mount Mercy University campus. I had distributed papers in the afternoon Jan. 17 and saw this bike, unused in the winter. At least my winter bike was nice and dry in my garage--until today, when I finally rode it again.

January has not exactly been a biker’s paradise in Iowa. I did commute for a few days near the start of the month, but then Arctic air and snow moved in and stayed for the long haul.

Cold, I can typically dress for, but I draw the line somewhere around zero degrees—and there have been plenty of mornings below the line. And even if it is warmer than zero, I’m wary of riding on ice and snow.

But yesterday was such a pretty day that I felt bad having driven to work. I didn’t honestly have time to bike in the morning—I was giving an exam and needed to polish and print it before class—but it was sunny and pretty and even a bit above freezing.

Jan. 19, 2018, Lindale Trail about 9 a.m. It's cool, but not super cold. Despite ice and snow on trail, I was fine riding slowly on my mountain bike.

So today, I rode my mountain bike to the gym in the morning. I decided to add a little distance and take the Lindale Trail. That trail is largely snow covered, but I just rode very slowly, and on the wide-tyred mountain bike, I didn’t slip at all. Later, I rode to campus and took the longer trail route. Most streets were OK, but several were snowy in parts. However, but the winter beater bike served me well. It was nice to get down to Cedar Lake after a long biking hiatus.

All in all, I estimate I rode around 15 miles today. I could have used “Map My Ride” and been more accurate, but I didn’t bother. Distance wasn’t really the point. The real bonus was simply getting back on the bike again.

Approaching Cedar Lake on the Cedar River Trail about 11:30 in the morning. I will like it in a few months when green returns, but there is a quiet beauty to winter, too. And there were several fat-tire bikes on the trail this morning, besides crazy old me on my mountain bike.

In Which The Fancy Beast Acquires Lasers

Sunset at Kenwood School, seen as I ride my bike home on a warm Monday.

January thaw: The morning ride was a bit dicey, with lots of icy spots, but I was riding the winter bike and never felt I was slipping. I took it slow and arrived safe and sound.

It got up into the upper 30s today, and January sunshine created a bit of a melt. I avoided my usual route in the morning so I would not have to travel down some snowy hills, but by afternoon the streets were OK, as long as you watched it. Still some slushy or icy spots, but the afternoon ride was far easier than the morning ride.

Looking west at Sunset on C Avenue across Rockwell-Collins parking lot.

As you see, the sky was quite pretty tonight. On a whim, I decided to cut over to C Avenue and head home using the bike lane there. The sun had melted all snow off of the street, so that was OK, but the lane ends south of Collins Road, and I had to ride the sidewalk for a block—which would be OK, except not everyone along that stretch has started to shovel the new sidewalk. In particular, there is an office complex at the corner of C and Collins which is ignoring the sidewalk. Not cool.

New sidewalk on C Avenue--business complex at the corner is not shoveling yet.

Anyway, the ride featured the world premiere of new lights on The Fancy Beast. My wife got me a new rear light that features lasers to create a virtual bike lane.

A January thaw—and lasers! Despite some slush, it was a good biking day—and it’s nice to be back on two wheels again.

In hallway near my office, ready to leave for home. Lasers!

In Which A Winter Ride Works Despite the Seat

Me after I arrive on campus. Winter biking look, wearing new reflective vest.

Well, the seat slipped all the way down. It compressed the supports for the back light, shoved the reflector off to the side and made the lock a bit difficult to extract.

By the time I got to campus Saturday morning, Jan. 6, 2018, the seat on The Fancy Beast was resting as low as it could go, which made pedaling inefficient. To climb the hill at MMU, I had to stand on the bike—and that’s not good, a fat old man like CR Biker puts a lot of stress on a bike when he stands while going up a hill.

I wasn’t sure riding my bike to campus was a good move in the first place. It was zero out, but I had found my headband, which I wear under my hood and helmet in winter, and I took that as a sign. And I was a bit “bike crazy,” having not ridden yet in 2018.

So I did it.

Sidewalk on C Avenue as I start out. Some snow, but enough bare pavement to ride my mountain bike.

Staub Court, the road with the most snow. It's a little hilly too, which made it a bit exciting, but no slips.

Riding down Eastern Avenue late Saturday morning--some other poor soul out in the cold walking a dog.

Parked in Warde Hall.

The streets were a bit dicey, icey in parts, but I was riding the mountain bike, and I never felt a slip, although I did go slowly.

It took me 40 minutes or so to get to campus, a commute that is under 30 minutes on bare pavement. I was being careful. I’ve fallen before, and have no desire to repeat the experience.

Despite the cold, it was not a bad ride. I was bundled up, in full winter outfit, including long underwear, two pairs of socks, three shirts and warm boots. Honestly, I was sweating a little bit, although my face did suffer a bit from the cold.

Biking has begun! Back at you, 2018, despite your winter cold CR Biker is back on the road! And I did raise my mountain bike seat again. I hope it stays up.

Seat as I lock bike in Warde Hall--it has fallen as low as possible. I fixed it, for now, I hope. The contrasting position (below) after I arrive home in the afternoon.

In Which We Could Tour Iowa’s City Life

I know some of the ideas are a bit unlikely, but I still like the quaint theme I’m going to suggest for RAGBRAI this year: Iowa’s City Life. RAGBRAI, The Register’s annual bicycle ride that crosses Iowa, is a celebration of small-town America, at its heart. But a lot of us Iowans live in urban areas. And I think this could make for a fun RAGBRAI theme—to see as many of Iowa’s largest cities as possible. So here is my plan:

         
I was hoping to get all of Iowa’s largest cities in, but couldn’t figure out how to get Sioux City and Waterloo into a route that included Ames, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Davenport.

Plus, while I’m sure it’s unlikely (the idea would have occurred and been rejected years ago for logistical reasons), actually starting on the Omaha side of the Missouri River in Carter Lake, Iowa, would just be cool (and convenient for all the West Coast riders flying into the Omaha Airport). Getting across the Missouri River would, of course, be the problem and would require a lot of cooperation by Nebraska, but it would be cool.

If not that, of course, Council Bluffs could be the start.

2018 Logo from RAGBRAI.com.

We’re due for a middle route anyway, and somehow I like the idea of making Des Moines a “super lunch” rather than overnight stop (and it made it easier to fit other cities in). In the years I’ve done RAGBRAI, we haven’t had an overnight in Ames yet, and I think the Iowa State Center would make a great campground.

If the route is like this, memo to Cedar Rapids: Don’t divide the riders between too many campground and don’t bend over backwards to have a fancy show downtown. Let the riders all sleep at Noelridge Park—and if you plan well, there would be relatively easy bike routes to the amphitheater for the Tessa Violet concert.

Just saying. You had needlessly complex plans last time RAGBRAI came to town—behave a bit more like what you really are, a small overgrown Iowa town, and less like a place with city pretentions, and you’ll do better.

I say this as a supportive CR Biker. Keep it simple.

Anyway, please don’t copy my city list in the annual “guess the route” contest. I don’t do well in those contests anyway, so it would not be a good move on your part!