In Which the Season Turns to Bike Time

Sept. 28--I arrive on campus early (to grab student newspaper). Pretty, cool morning, frosty in low areas, although up on the hill, it's mostly dewy.

Sept. 28--Frost in low grass by C Avenue bridge--first frosty morning.

Sept. 28--Early in the ride--I've stopped to make image of frosty grass. Wearing winter jacket. Have not had to wear it consistently, it's warmed back up to sweater-sweatshirt weather, but it's time is coming.

We’re in a bit of a drought in Iowa, and one of my other interests is gardening, so I sort of would like more rain to fall from the sky, please. Not Ian rain, but still, some moisture.

But as far as the biking part of my life, well, dry and fall equals just about the best biking of the year. Makes me look forward to the time in a few years I’m retired, and I have to bike now to potentially be in shape to bike then.

It’s a burden that, in this wonderful weather, I’ll gladly take on.

Sept. 19--Late afternoon sky at Waldo's Rock Park, Marion, alone the Grant Wood Trail.

Sept. 9--Morning sun at C Avenue Pond, Collins Aerospace.

Sept. 22--Late day sun at Blairs Ferry, seen on ride home.

The morning of Sept. 28, the temperature dropped into the 30s. It was not cold enough to be a hard freeze, but frost formed on some roofs and low grassy areas. It was the first morning where I felt the need to drag out my winter biking jacket.

I don’t mind wearing that. It means weather is growing cooler, and while winter may sometime get a bit too cool, for me, cool-weather biking is comfortable biking.

Sept. 28--Pausing by C Avenue Pond on first frosty morning--Argent, my road bike, and shadow.

Sept. 19--In bike rack by Warde Hall. Earlier this month, I was parked by Basile Hall and had a bit of a walk to Warde--not very convenient when I wore biking shoes. The bike rack is sideways to the sidewalk, it was moved a few days later. Honestly, I sort of liked it this way, it felt like I was not parking in the Hostas this way.

Sept. 19--Deer on Lindale Trail. Be a little careful on this trail, there are deer living there that just don't care about a bike.

Sept. 30--Clarence in bike rack at Warde Hall. Rack moved back to its previous location.

I’ve used all three of my bikes, but most of my recent rides have been via my road bike, Argent. In the past, I always thought of my hybrid bike, Clarence, as my main commuting bicycle, but the bags that fit the back rack of that bike wore out. I do have a bag, currently on Argent, that would fit on the rack on Clarence, but since I use my hybrid bike to tow a Tag-A-Long, I would have to remove the new bag to hook it up. It’s more convenient to just leave the bag on the road bike.

Can’t say I’m hating the change. While I like the hybrid bike, I admit the lighter road bike is more fun to roll along on.

So we’re past the equinox. The dark is just now growing longer than the light, which is not bike convenient. But the cool is pretty cool to ride in, and I’ve been having lots of fun. It’s been warm enough—just a few light frosts with no freeze, and although you can tell it’s fall, the foliage over all hasn’t moved into late autumn mode.

Well, we’ll get there, the brown months. For now, I roll along in the quiet, pretty, dry autumn. I hope, if you’re north of the equator, you’ll enjoying this change of seasons. Total miles in September: 273.49. Total miles year-to-date: 2,191.06.