In Which Now There is One

Late in ride at MMU campus. It was sunny for most of the ride, but clouds moving in.

After today's bicycle ride, I’m reduced to a single bike, at the moment. Sigh.

Despite that I have a mountain of work to do this weekend—or maybe partly due to the work, which is a bit stressful—I decided to take a longer bike ride this morning. I knew that rain was going to move in this weekend, and I anticipate being busy inside when the sky is wet, so this was probably the one chance for any ride at all for a couple of days.

So, I got Argent, my road bike, out of the garage. My intention was to head south, possibly even to find the mythical road to Solon, about which there are so many local bike legends. (Well, my sister rode her trike there, so I guess calling it “mythical” is not accurate—let’s say it’s “legendary.”)

Goldfinch seen on Cedar River Trail early in bicycle ride today.

But, what with one thing and another, it was getting close to 10 a.m. by the time I left, and I didn’t want to spend all day riding. The transit of downtown became interesting—there are multiple places were projects are underway along the Cedar River Trial through Cedar Rapids, which seems a sad summer normal in this city. They did a bunch of rail crossings last year, but still have more projects going on. Well, flood control is important, so I’ll live with it.

Detours, the theme of the day. Detour sign in parking lot (above) bridge detour over Cedar River (below).

The trail wasn’t too crowded at Cedar Lake, but when I got south of the Cedar River, there were many more people. It was warm, and I wasn’t too thrilled with my cloth mask, which made my face hot, but still I wore it.

Trail traffic on south end of Cedar Rapids. Mask time!

After an hour or so, I took my first break on a bench by the Hoover Trail. Mostly so I could take the mask off and drink water. I’ll have to think of a summer bike ride system—either find emptier routes so I don’t feel the need to mask up, or a quicker way in and out of the mask for more frequent drinks.

After break, ready to resume ride, mask on. Bike, whole for now, ready to ride.

I rode down to Ely and turned around there to head back. I took a slightly different route home, heading over to the Mount Mercy University campus when I got to J Avenue. I had it in my head to shoot some images of flowers there for graduation weekend.

I also wanted to use the restroom and get more water in the building where my office is, but my card would not unlock the back door. Hmmm.

Bush on trail north of Ely--see the bee?

Hoover Trail between Ely and Cedar Rapids. Someone left some heart art. Is it the same person who hangs art along Sac and Fox trail?

Flowers along trail in downtown Cedar Rapids.

Anyway, I shot my images, and although I had finished all of my water and it was warm, I figured I was not many miles from home. But on campus, I also noticed a strange wobble on my bicycle. I tried to find a broken spoke on my back wheel, and failed—yet the wobble was real, and I thought I knew what it meant.

I rode slowly home, hoping not to cause more damage to the wheel. As it turned out, the wheel was already shot and I didn’t know it. Instead of a spoke snapping at the hub, as spokes usually do, the spoke head had ripped through the rim of the wheel.

Almost home, corner of Blairs Ferry and C Avenue. Sky was blue in morning, by early afternoon clouds are rolling in.

Ouch! I will need a new wheel. I would much rather just need a new spoke, but that was not my fate.

Still, I got some pleasant miles in. And I did grade all of the papers from a class this afternoon, although I still have a mountain of grading to do. And as I type this, it’s raining, which maybe is a blessing. I will be thinking of the class of 2020, which has its virtual graduation Sunday, as I continue to tackle semester-end grading tomorrow.

And now I’m down to one bike. I can’t be too sad about it—I do still have a bike, and the means to get the others fixed. In the scale of all that is going on the world, at least it’s easy to keep a busted wheel rim is one of the small things.

Ahh, found it when I got home. Was looking for a break at the wrong end of my spokes. Have not done this before! Hope I don't again!

Unclear what today's image is. Left side of incomplete portrait?