In Which CR Biker Rides Again

Late afternoon light at Cedar Lake.

Well, my personal ban on biking lasted just a bit over 24 hours. I re-read the city’s phone alert that I received Thursday, and recognized that it didn’t ban recreational biking.

It seeks to reduce public interaction, and on bike rides, I’m pretty solitary. I don’t mean to trivialize the city’s warning—I plan to take it seriously and bike as responsibly and distantly as I can.

That part about people over 60 not being on recreation trails—it was not an order or rule, but a suggestion. And one I don’t plan to ignore. I won’t avoid trails completely, but will endeavor to emphasize riding more along on solitary streets and avoiding crowded trail areas at busy times
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The almost 4 miles between my house and the Mount Mercy campus are mostly quiet residential streets.

So, after supper tonight, I decided to take a solitary bicycle ride. I rode to the Mount Mercy University campus and shot some images of flowers in gardens there. It had snowed overnight, but by afternoon, all the snow was gone and the flowers looked fine.

Forsythia bushes in bloom  along the "hard way" onto the MMU campus--the back drive that goes to the library. It's the way I biked today.

Rohde Family Plaza as the daylight fades.

Daffodils are still blooming, and tulips are getting close, but still buds. Images of Robyn's Garden near the MMU library:

Some other campus images:

There were some blips on the radar, so I decided to ride the hybrid bike tonight. Bike (and shadow of biker) on Rohde Family Plaza, Mount Mercy University.

Statue of Sister Catherine McAuley, who founded Sisters of Mercy, at MMU.

Peonies (above and below) in garden at MMU plaza.

Rohde Family Plaza, MMU.

I then headed down to Cedar Lake. That involved some trail riding, but I figured few people would be on the trail at sundown on a cool Friday night. I passed two people in total, doing my best to maintain distance.

I decided not to circle the lake—I could see some other people walking on the other side, and after riding to a city park on the east shore to shoot some sunset images, I turned back.

Low sun at Cedar Lake.

Another view of the lake.

I did see some cool wildlife. A white pelican was hanging out at the lake. Some redwing blackbirds objected to my presence. And some deer darted across the trail and a street in front of me.

Where the wild things are:

The drake is king of the rock at Cedar Lake.

Pelican, view 1.

Pelican, view 2.

A herd of 6 or so deer crossed the trail and street on J Avenue.

Deer looks back.

The blackbird was not singing in the dead of night. He was angrily sounding an alarm at a passing biker.

Another blackbird.

I am adjusting my rides to try to keep more distance. I won’t be on the Boyson Trail, for example. I won’t head north on the Cedar River Trail, since it seems to be busy around Robins.

So, I’ll be more choosy and probably ride a bit less—but I think it’s OK for me to ride. It maybe is important for me to ride. It reduces my stress and helps keep me healthy, as long as I avoid the virus.

The danger is not the outdoors, it’s proximity to other people. So that’s what I plan to avoid. My bikes, on the other hand, I plan to use.

Sign on trail where it crosses J Avenue.

Hyacinth in bloom at Noelridge Park as I get near home.

Tonight's ride summary, and ride summarized on 2 apps (below).

Wednesday's ride, app finally updated map of that ride.