In Which All Bikes Add to 58 Spring Miles

April 11--Spring signs. Greener grass and more bikes in bike racks. The Fancy Beast is the Raleigh in the rear.

My bike ride mile totals still aren’t all that fantastic—weather in Iowa has been cool and rainy, and during the semester my time is too constrained. It may be late May before I ever top 40 miles for a ride, but I will get there. And while I’ll ride in cold weather, I do have a thing about trying to stay dry.

But this cool spring, in which the first half of April was mostly March weather (rain and snow, freezing nights), things are slowly starting to shift. Days are growing longer, early flowers bloom, trees are still bare but grass is starting to be greener than brown. And I’m moving on to other bicycles.

For much of the winter, only one of my three bicycles has been ride-able due to flat tyres. However, since I usually only ride my mountain bike in winter anyway, that’s not a big deal. I stopped by a bike shop a couple of weeks ago and purchased the tubes, and Saturday, I took the time to put the new tubes on Argent, my road bike; and Clarence, my hybrid bike.

On Saturday, after I repaired the bikes, I took a 5-year-old grandson on a ride using my Tag-A-Long seat with the hybrid bike. It was cool and windy, and he was ready to head back home after a short ride, so we only went one mile. I rode a few more miles later using the road bike.

April 16--Stop at school on Saturday, finally on the road bike.

April 16--Sunshine on afternoon ride on Cedar River Trail, went to Robins park on the way home.

April 19--Argent parked in bike rack at Warde Hall.

After my winter riding on the Fancy Beast (my mountain bike), it felt both weird and exhilarating to be on Argent, my road bike. It seems like it just zips along if you just sit on it, which is literally true on downhills.

I am grateful for having my mountain bike. It makes some local trails, like the downhill on Mount Trashmore or the Sac and Fox Trail, much more fun. And it’s a nice to have that bike for winter commutes. But the main pleasure of recent days has been zipping along the rides on my nimble road bike.

Weather willing, I’ll be able to take it out for some real miles soon.

Besides riding all three of my bikes, I also got out the old tandem bicycle on Easter Sunday for a short afternoon ride with a 13-year-old granddaughter. (I have not named that tandem bike, it belongs to me and my wife and she is a not a bike namer--it's the oldest bike I ride, dating back to the late 1970s). The granddaughter's parents run a nearby martial arts school, and she wanted to show me the new robot vacuum cleaner they use there.

Easter Sunday afternoon selfie. We're sitting on the tandem bike and have just arrived back home after a quick visit to see Fred.

They named the vacuum “Fred,” a bit of an inside joke. They had purchased the school from its previous owner and wanted to rename it, and had people submit ideas for a new name. I suggested “Fred.” Maybe subconsciously I was honoring the founder of SDBC (Social Distance Bike Club started by Fred Zelt). My daughter who co-owns the school is skilled with graphics and created the new school logo, as well as fake logos she posted on Facebook in the weeks leading up to the name unveiling open house. Even if they didn’t name the school “Fred,” (it’s called Guardian Institute of Martial Arts) at least the name lives robotically on.

The Fred logo above, and the name and logo my daughter and son-in-law actually chose, below.

Anyway, the ride to and from the school was about 5 miles. It was warmer on Easter Sunday than it had been Saturday, and the granddaughter seemed to enjoy the ride.

I didn’t commute by bike today—rain. But Monday and Tuesday were road bike days, which were enjoyable. From April 10 to April 19, I rode 58 miles on four different bicycles. I have 139.18 for April so far, and 559.6 miles for the year.

In Which Hostile Dinos Don’t Spoil the Day

Grant Wood Trail April 9, warm sunshine.

April 8--A bit of snow on grass beside Lindale Trail.

In the past week, I’ve been on the bike for a bit more than 70 miles.

Given that I have not bought the inner tubes to fix the hybrid and the road bikes, that means all of those miles on The Fancy Beast, my creaky old mountain bike. So, I’m pretty OK with 70 miles in one week.

And what a week! The shift from Friday to Saturday helps illustrate. Thursday was too wet and cold for riding, and Thursday night into Friday morning, snow fell.

Just a dusting, but it was chilly and damp Friday. I was a bit worried that there might be slick spots, but the sun came out and I decided to chance it. And when I got on the road, I ended up doing an extra loop on the local trail just to enjoy being on the bike again.

The day ended up being breezy and cool, but I did like riding.

Saturday, in contrast, was sunny and warm. Crocuses are suddenly everywhere, early daffodils are starting and lots of new young plants are sprouting on the warming ground.

April 5--I detour a bit going from library to my office. I ride my bike to some gardens at MMU to make images, like this one of daffodils almost in bloom at Warde Hall.

April 5--Cool, but sunny afternoon ride home. Lots of clouds, wind and rain this week, but this was one of the nicer days.

I was with family for most of the day, which was pleasant. I finally headed out on my bike a few minutes after 5. I hadn’t gone there yet this year, so I went east to head down the Grant Wood Trail.

Besides being sunny and warm—not the norm this week—a south wind was blowing, which meant no headwind in either direction. And the south wind today was relatively tame compared to the many windy days earlier in the week.

I was making good time, and took a selfie during my mid-ride break at the end of the first leg of the Grant Wood Trail.

When I headed back west towards town, I paused for a few minutes at Waldo’s Rock Park. As I sat on a bench and enjoyed a small bag of nuts, a nearby blackbird scolded me. Then, as I circled the pond there, I paused when I saw a large goose gliding stately towards me.

As it neared, it bobbed its head, a threat display. I though it was a bit weird for a goose to go to that effort (cross most of a pond to sass at me), then I noticed a second goose resting in grass nearby, on a large nest.

Oh. Spring. Defending the nest. Well, OK blackbirds and geese, I’ll leave you be. Even angry dinosaurs could not spoil the nice ride today. The nicest in a week, where I had to tough it out for some of those 70 miles.

Images from April 9 ride--Sun going down on Lindale Trail as I'm close to finishing ride.

Turn around point, end of first leg of Grant Wood Trail east of Marion.

This and below, sunshine on cattail seeds beside trail.

Goose moves across pond to defend its nest.

Cat rests by Grant Wood Trail.

Another image of sunset on Lindale Trail.

Friday, snow melting by Lindale Trail.

Me on ride April 9.

In Which I Enjoy Spring, Phase 1

March 27--Bike at Mount Cavalry Cemetery on a sunny spring Sunday afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 1--No fooling, some bicycle parked at MMU. Mine is the far one. Spring, and a few more bicycles are starting to appear.

To me, many Midwestern seasons are broken into parts. And maybe it’s just the way my brain works, but I think of most of them in thirds. Take my recent bicycle rides, for example.

I’ve not reported them since March 19, which means this post covers almost a fortnight. And it’s definitely a fortnight of spring, phase 1. Here is how I think of spring in Iowa:

• Phase 1—Some early signs of change. A bit of greening in brown areas of grass. The first flowers, glory of the snow and crocus. Stuff that falls from the sky may be wet or white or transitioning in between. Nights are often or usually below freezing, days vary a lot, with lots of clouds, but some sunshine and some days that give the hope of better weather ahead—but the world is still largely brown, the trees, while there are early signs of change (blooming maples), are largely barren.

• Phase 2—Color suddenly bursts into the scene. Daffodils and early tulips and magnolia appear. Smaller trees and early trees start to tentatively show leave. Buds on red buds swell pink and pretty. Snow is not rare, but more rain falls from the sky. You think of planting outside, but wisely decide to wait a bit. Usually, Easter.

• Phase 3—Iowa is a verdant, green place. Trees are coming to life. The smell of lilac and crab apple (and, unfortunately, pear). Late daffodils and tulips galore. Peonies are springing up and the frilly fancy ones are budding and blooming. The later native flower plants—milkweed—can finally be seen. You know which trees and vines “made it,” and which fell to winter. The last frost, the first day in the 80s, you think of sun screen, bugs are becoming an issue.

Anyway, this stretch of rides is in Phase 1. I’ve seen it all, chilly drizzle, wet snows, beautiful sunshine, much variety.

On one Sunday in early spring, I had to ride to campus for some newspaper duties, and I took an indirect route, riding along the slowly growing Cemar Trail in Cedar Rapids, going under First Avenue, and I ended up looping around Mount Calvary Cemetery. There is something weirdly refreshing about a slow circuit of a cemetery on an early, sunny spring day—a reminder of life and eternity at the same time.

March 27--I arrive on campus after cemetery detour. Sunny Sunday.

Seen in the cemetery.

Statue of Saint Francis in cemetery.

I also chanced a rain in a wet morning snow—it was snowing very lightly, it was too warm to stick or freeze on the streets, and the afternoon was supposed to be drier. It was a gamble that worked out.

March 24--Riding on a snowy morning.

March 24--Riding to work on a snowy morning, but it's melting as soon as it falls.

March 24--Road closed? Turns out I can use sidewalk to first cross street, so the project on C Avenue didn't have as big of an impact as I thought.

March 24--I arrive at work a little damp, but not wet. At loading dock--going to park inside in the hall today. Bikers get the best parking places.

March 25--A grey, cool day, but dry. A sparrow rests on my bike as it's parked in a bike rack near the library.

March 26--Sunny Saturday afternoon ride on Boyson Trails. By creek on the trail to Mendards, sun makes old grass from fall shine.

March 26--Bike on bridge.

March 26--Deer stare at me as I photograph them from trial.

March 26--Late afternoon shadows on trail.

March 26--Cardinal sings spring song beside trail.

Most recently, on April Fools Day, I rode a bit extra, going down to Cedar Lake before heading home and taking my usually 7-mile commute and making the total for the day just over 10 miles. After arriving at home, my wife and I drove to a park. It was a cool afternoon, but somewhat milky-sunny, and we enjoyed a stroll around Lowe Park—there, we met artist Drew Evans.

Evans, a Marion bicycle mechanic and welder, also does art made of metal objects, often bicycle parts. One of his sculptures was a woman formed from bicycle chains.

April 1--Bike chain woman.

April 1--Artist Dale Evans with one of his sculptures. "It needs cleaning," he said.

It was a pleasant sight. He’s supposed to have a show later this year at the art gallery at Lowe Park, and I’ll watch for it. Maybe I’ll ride my bike there.

By then, it should be phase 3 of spring and a lot warmer. Still, even if I need gloves and a winter coat, even spring, phase 1, is a nice change of pace from winter bike riding.

Total for March: 157 miles. Year to date: 430.65 (10 of the miles in April).

April 1--Ride home via trail by Cedar Lake. Milky sunshine ends blue sky day.

April 1--C Avenue Pond on morning ride.