CR Biker

Spring Ride and What I Saw and Heard

2012-03-11T18:10:00.005-05:00

First flower on Mount Mercy campus, an iris-like crocus (or crocus-like iris) near Basile Hall. And a goose guarding trail by Cedar Lake.

I rode to Mount Mercy today to print off some papers I need to grade, and on the way there and back, I used the Cedar River Trail. It was cloudy, but nice—a good day to be on the trail. Among other things, I saw:

A goose who was very territorial when it came to the trail. He honked and was generally hissy, but didn’t actually attack, which I know some do sometimes.

The first crocus blooming at MMU. The same pretty blue one that is seen each spring near Basile Hall.

The first crocus blooming in my front yard. I've had some in back for several days, but now the ones in the front lawn, which I planted just last fall, are starting.

Lots of people, joggers and walkers and bikers. Had to stop for a tot on a bike who wasn’t wary enough, but safe biking is no accident.

The first robin. Granted, it’s been so warm this winter and early spring that I’m sure robins have been around since January, but it’s the first one I saw. Actually two, since it was a pair of contentious males.

A bike brake shoe with pad lying near 42^nd Street. Hope whoever lost this was able to stop.

Anyway, it was another beautiful spring day. A great sadness of modern life is all the empty parks you see—kids don’t play outside as they did when I was a wee lad. It was great to see some people out there today enjoying this fine weather.

Riding on the trail definitely gave me the itch. I’m leaning more and more towards the whole week of RAGBRAI—and decision time is coming within a week!

A slide show of what I saw today:

What Are Bikes For?

2012-03-10T14:38:00.002-06:00

I've not tried embedding a flickr slide show before, we'll see how it goes.

I have been working in my gardens today and stopped to snap a few photos. I'm trying to clean off some of the winter crud, and cutting back a few bushes. Anyway, this is all slightly related to biking.

Bikes are for being out in the world. For sun on your face during what otherwise would be a soulless commute in a metal box. For seeing the flowers and hearing the birds and sensing and hearing the breezes.

For enjoying this Earth we only get to borrow for a short time. Today, in early spring, it seems like a good place.

The Bugs of Busse Are Back, Baby!

2012-03-08T19:37:00.003-06:00

A fly on ledge of the glass entryway cover by my bike at MMU library this afternoon.

I parked my bike across campus from my office this morning, because I have two classes starting at 8. I had to go to my office first to pick up stuff and print stories, and barely had time to get across campus, so I used the bike, the fastest way to transit the MMU Hill.

I’m pleased to say no freshmen were crushed in the making of this blog post.

Anyway, it was a pleasant day to ride, albeit a bit windy and cool. But it only felt cool because Tuesday was so freakishly warm. Today wasn’t bad.

And in the cool, sunny afternoon, it was, in a few places, warm enough for bugs to boogie. Caught the fly on the inside of the atrium of the library building—an area covered in glass and protected from wind, so it was a bit warmer than the rest of the world.

Bugs are coming back. That’s not good news in itself, but it’s a sign of warmer times on the way. I broke a spoke Tuesday, but Northtowne Bike Shop quickly fixed it and replaced my worn chain and badly deteriorated brake shoes.

Took the trail home again today. It’s getting nice. I know for sure I’ll do a couple of RAGBRAI days, and I’m going to inquire to see if anybody I know might want to do more.

Bike season is underway—the only reason I can say hooray for bugs!

A Quick Ride With Mr. T

2012-03-06T20:31:00.003-06:00

Tristan, walking home with me. Note his "I voted" sticker.

Spring suddenly arrived in Iowa today. I don’t know if it’s here to stay or just in town briefly to check on apartments before making the permanent move later, but we enjoyed the visit.

I left campus as soon as I could and took the trail home. As you can imagine, I saw far more people on the trail than I have in other recent trips. The temperature was in the 60s, and I didn’t wear a coat or even a sweater over my short-sleeved shirt.

I didn’t actually see many other bikers, but there were lots of walkers and joggers on the trail, including what seemed to be a large group of runners from some junior high team—all shirtless boys, looking far leaner that I ever have.

The ground still seemed very brown. Spring hasn’t settled in enough to wake up the grass or other plants, although I did see a few crocuses poking up in my front lawn.

When I got home, around 4:30, Tristan was there, along with his sister Amelia, and his young cousin and Aunt Theresa.

Mr. T, of course, immediately wanted a bike ride. I installed his seat and away we went, headed up the Brentwood Hill. About halfway up, I learn a loud crunching thud, and immediately suspected I had blown a spoke. We went for a fairly short ride, just around the neighborhood, so I could get home and check.

Yup. Broken spoke.

Fortunately, Mr. T was not upset at having a short ride. And he readily agreed to a walk, so I took him with me as I strolled to Peace Church to cast my ballot. The poll worker let Tristan have the “I voted” sticker, and he had to tell me all the way home that “Tristen get sticker.” I think the sticky was pretty much worn out of it by the time we got home.

Never mind. It was a good biking day, and if I had to break a spoke, glad it was during the short ride at the end and not the long commute.

NOTE: Earlier version of post said something about "canceling Audrey's vote." Not true, she voted for the tax extension, too.

A Mushy March Snow Day Ride

2012-03-02T20:23:00.003-06:00

Snow at midday, and what bike rack looked like (I parked inside). C Avenue sidewalk this afternoon.

Well, the morning commute wasn’t much of an event. We were about to head out the door — Audrey was going to give me a ride — when she casually said, “Well, you know, it’s not raining or snowing yet, you could ride your bike.”

Yes I could, and I did.

Then, in the middle of the day, it snowed. When it snows a lot, does it snow cats and dogs the way it rains? Or is it faeries and pixies, since snow dances down?

It didn’t dance much today—it was heavy, wet spring snow, driven by a wind. It snowed anvils.

But, by Club Friday, at 3 p.m., it seemed to not be doing much. Audrey texted and wanted to know if I wanted to go to the “Artist” tonight, since it’s playing at the local “cheap” theater. I replied I did, and she texted back that perhaps I also wanted to bike home since the snow had stopped?

Well, hmm. Not as sure on that one. But she was right, it was not snowing. It looked a bit wet out, but what the heck. Why not try?

So I did. I left work at 4. And it was very splashy. I will wash my coat and vest tonight.

The streets were very damp, the sidewalks slushy, but it was too warm for there to be any ice, which was good. I actually made it home in pretty much the regular time, with only the sidewalk on C Avenue being really bad—and even it was slushy bad, not slippery bad. I had to change almost every stitch of clothing I had on—only my socks were dry—but after a quick change I was ready and we headed off to enjoy “the Artist” which I think is worth seeing in a theater.

There you have it. I expected to bike only 2 or 3 days this week, and ended up doing 4. Next week seems like it will start with a couple of nice warm days.

After today, I’ll have to do a good job of cleaning and lubing my chain. But am I ready for spring biking season to be underway?

Heck yes. And it was off to a cool, slushy start today.

Here Comes The Rain Again, Sort Of

2012-02-28T20:41:00.001-06:00

Will it rain today? Sure it will. It’s raining now. But it’s odd how sometimes it takes so long for rain to arrive, and I end up missing a ride because I anticipate rain that comes later. If I had left work at 5 tonight, I could have made it home before the rain really got going.

Anyway, did not ride today due to the forecast of rain. I could have this morning, but it was a bit cold and damp tonight, so I’m glad I didn’t. I hope to ride tomorrow, but we’ll see when the rain ends.

And today’s rain song, featuring a slightly creepy Eurythmics video:

In Honor of Past Modes of Transportation

2012-02-27T15:18:00.002-06:00

As I noted in my other blog, I’ve sold my Chevy Van—actually, a Venture minivan, which had seen better days.

So, what horrible ear worm was running through my mind as I biked today, an ear worm in honor of past modes of transportation?

Those of you unfortunate to have grown up in the 1970s probably already know, but I found this ridiculous video of this awful song, and who can resist? Clearly not me.

A Preview of Coming Biking Attractions

2012-02-26T20:53:00.004-06:00

Me in bike mirror, kids at C Avenue Bridge, melting snow on slide.

I missed a few days last week due to snow and a flat—and this week is forecast to be, well, “active” in the weather area.

So it was nice to have a good weather day today. We were a bit rash Saturday, as I noted on my other blog, we bought a new (well, new to us) van on Saturday. Then we went to Katy’s for supper—and decided to invite Nikayla and Tristan over to spend the night.

And it turned out to be a fun party. We fixed pancakes in the morning, went to church, visited Shirley Schultz at Promise House and went for a walk in which we took a close look at Dry Creek.

When it was time to take the kids home, I offered to take Tristan by bike. He was thrilled by the idea.

It was a warm and sunny day, not sure how many there will be in the near future, but it’s a foretaste of nice biking days to come. Tristan and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Later, I had to go to the office, and took the longer trail route on the way home.

A nice biking day, the start of many more to come, I hope!

The Snow and Why I Did Not Go By Bike

2012-02-24T12:00:00.001-06:00

Feb 23-24 2012 snow in Iowa., a set on Flickr.

It's pretty today, the sun is out. Here are some images of why I'm not on two wheels. I hope it's only a brief break, at this time of year snow cover is not usually persistent.

A Flat! And a Rave to Make Up For It ...

2012-02-22T01:06:00.004-06:00

I had a flat on Fat Tuesday, sad day.

It took a few minutes to fix, and a while to find a functioning bike pump at MMU. I proved, by the way, that my frame pump is naught but decoration. Still, the tire was eventually inflated and the ride home was on two wheels.

And then, on my other blog, I raved for a while about a rude dude and his anti-bike bigotry.

That felt good. See it here.

"Some By Bicycle, When They Can ...."

2012-02-18T10:33:00.003-06:00

The city of Cedar Rapids--and the nearby cities of Robins, Hiawatha and Marion--is planning for a 4-lane Tower Terrace Road to link Highway 13 and Interstate 380.

I have mixed feelings--as a lover of nature, I'm not that sanguine about our urban area taking over more fields and trees. But on the other hand, if the growth is going to occur, there will increasingly be a need for an alternate east-west road so that Collins and Boyson and Blair's Ferry don't continue to grow more congested. Tower Terrace as a "big" road makes more sense to me than Boyson. (Planners, figure out pedestrian and bike routes over this big road as part of the planning stage--otherwise, like Collins and Blair's Ferry, the road becomes a giant river of autos that is more daunting to ford to a biker than an actual river would be.)

Anyway, regardless of the merits of the plan, one line in the Gazette story caught my eye. It noted that 40,000 residents will soon call the area home, and that most of them will commute by autos or "some by bicycle when they can."

Trust me, they can most days, year round. I know it's been a pretty mild winter, so this season isn't a good test--I lost of most of January 2011 due to persistent snow cover, for instance--but I've been commuting by bicycle most days this winter. And by the end of February, even in years with harsher winters, the bike commuting season is usually underway.

Nice to see the Gazette mention the possibility that some of the new residents in these north regions of the metroplex might ride bikes. Cedar Rapids has a policy of trying to be a bike-friendly community, and figuring out how to incorporate bike routes in a way that won't be too expensive nor interfere with car traffic would be nice.

More Adventures on the Bike Built Now for Two

2012-02-17T21:10:00.005-06:00

Looking very grown up, the young biker by the chill waters of Dry Creek in Cedar Rapids.

I unscrewed the new child seat from the bike before my morning commute today, and although the bar that supports it got in the way a little bit, it was a lot easier to ride that way. Fortunately, removing the seat, and putting it back on, are easy.

As I found out when I got home. Katy and company were waiting, and Tristan was desperate to go on a bike ride. It took only a minute or so to put the seat back on. Originally, Nikayla wanted a ride, too, but she agreed to go on a walk with mom, grandma and two babies (Audrey was also watching a younger grandson and, of course, Katy had Amelia with her).

Mr. T and I headed off on a pleasant neighborhood jaunt. It was warmer than our first ride, and I don’t think he suffered from the chill this time. We went north, crossed Boyson Road using the light in front of Bowman Woods School, randomly circled around in that neighborhood, crossed Boyson at C Avenue (Tristan could reach the light switches and activated both lights while sitting in the bike seat, something that thrilled him—like Ringo, he’s a born lever puller) and rode around the Lost Quarry neighborhood before heading home.

We beat the ladies home, and I asked if he wanted to walk behind the fence to see the creek.

Yes, he did. We strolled down to the water and just stood at the edge for a while. After five minutes or so, I asked if he was ready to leave, and he said, “no.” So I took his picture to spend a few more minutes, and then we finally headed back.

When the women got home, it turned out Nikyala still wanted a ride. It was getting a little dark, so I ran with my lights on and made it short—just a circuit of the Lost Quarry area, but she was satisfied.

When I rode with Tristan, we went up Brentwood Drive hill. I did not do what with Nikayla.

Well, the front bike seat is still a hit. Nikayla is obviously at the upper end of its capacity and won’t be able to ride in it for long, so I’m glad she was able to ride today.

And of course, Mr. T, my little biker pal, had a ball.

Riding With No Passenger

2012-02-16T21:39:00.005-06:00

Me and Mr. T before ride . Note I'm on tiptoe.

Well, Wednesday I didn’t ride because rain was in the forecast. Silly me, it turned out to be dry.

But I was back on the seat today. And found that commuting with the new seat on the front of the bike is a pain. In the past, every time I stopped, I would hop off my seat—but with the toddler chair in front of me, there is nowhere to go, so I was just waiting (uncomfortably, on tip toe) firmly planted on the seat at every corner where I had to stop.

I miss the breaks.

The good news is that a thumb-tightened nut holds the seat on, so when I got home I removed it. When Mr. T comes over again, it will take only a few seconds to screw it back in.

Looking forward to a ride tomorrow without the extra seat, but the bar that supports it might still lead to some problems. We’ll see!

Cheap Mechanic, Part Dos

2012-02-12T20:53:00.002-06:00

Tristan and me on bike. The new front bike seat, two views.

Well, the new seat was a big hit. It took a bit of doing to install it, and I had to remove my bell, although the bell is getting old enough it’s not that effective, and I use a spoken warning when approaching pedestrians or slower bikers anyway.

The new child seat itself was smaller than I expected and the space between it and handlebars is a bit cramped. But, I installed it and took Old Blackie on a test ride, and all seemed well. I loved the tighter brakes. Audrey called Katy and told her I had installed the seat, did she want to come over for supper?

She did.

Tristan was excited by the seat, but also totally baffled when he saw it.

When he showed up, he was wearing a dark blue jacket—he insisted on that particular jacket, Katy said, because he thought he needed to match his grandpa for the ride.

He was a bit agitated when he and I got ready to go—Katy thought he was unsure I was going to take him with me, since I had no trailer attached to my bike. But, he was pretty happy when he was strapped into the seat and got the idea that a bike ride was indeed in the offing.

We headed out. I went along C Avenue south, no particular goal in mind, but I thought I might take him over to the bridge where Council Street crosses Dry Creek. Tristan still talks daily about going to “see water” with Grandpa Joe (my new title, for some reason I’ve gained the Grandpa moniker and am not just “Joe” anymore), so I figured he would like the path under the bridge that goes right by the creek.

He loved the ride. He constantly narrated it, repeating the phrases “go on bike ride” and “wear our helmets,” while patting his helmet. I think he was in an odd euphoric state, babbling happily because being up so high and being able to see was just SO COOL.

It was also too cool. After heading under the bridge, with no particular goal in mind, I decided to ride up to Cate and Paulette’s house and then head home on 74^th Street. We turned around in their driveway—could not tell if they were home and didn’t want to go through a rather involved dismount process that the new seat requires, so we passed along without stopping.

But, when we got to 74^th Street, it was closed. A sign stated utility work would continue from Jan. 1 through May 1. Wow.

Well, we doubled back. What with one thing and another, the ride turned out to be much longer than I expected—around an hour. Tristan was loving it until about four blocks from my home, when suddenly he wanted mom now. He calmed down when I promised him we were close to Grandpa Joe’s house, although he started chanting “close to grandma’s house?” It’s interested that, although I told him we were close to “grandpa’s” house, he interpreted it immediately as “grandma’s” house. To Katy’s kids, Audrey is the homeowner, although I supposed that’s fairly accurate.

I didn’t fully understand why he had been a bit upset until we got to the house. When I went to take him off the seat, his poor little legs were shaking—the kid was shivering with cold. Although dressed for cool weather in several shirts and a jacket, he was no doubt much cooler than I—I am more insulated that he is anyway, and I had been biking. The poor little shivering fellow had just been sitting there.

Having a good time, but also growing increasingly and uncomfortably cold.

Well, recovery was pretty quick. He snuggled with his mom, had a cookie, then went downstairs and started running around jumping in the ball pit. In a few minutes, he was warmed up and back to normal.

No doubt I will take him for a ride again. But, also no doubt, I will wait for warmer temperatures first.

It was warmer today than yesterday, plenty warm for CR Biker—but it was a bit too cold for a little passenger on a one hour ride. Sorry about that Mr. T. I know you had fun, but it would have been even more fun without the chills. More comfortable rides that are just fun are in your future.

The Cheap Bike Mechanic, Part Uno

2012-02-12T13:16:00.007-06:00

Photos out of order. Wire on brake, no good. The tools I needed. Wrench in place. And brake before I stared.

The brakes are fixed. I spent a bad 25 minutes gathering tools (I hate the chaos of our garage and the worst part of any good repair job is the hunt for tools—of course, the worst part of any bad repair job is that after the stressful hunt for tools comes abject failure …).

I know from other bikes, but not from Blackie, that brakes are pretty simple devices, and I should learn to tighten them on my own—and recent rides down the MMU hill have been a bit scary due to the need for auxiliary brakes (my shoe on the cement) to stop the bike. Brakes just naturally get a bit loose after a while, and I have every reason (aka, I don’t want to die) to get them fixed.

The basic process is to clamp the brake shut, loosen the screw that holds the brake cable, tighten the cable with pliers, tighten the scew and then unclamp the brake.

My first obstacle is that I don’t own any clamps. So I decided to use wire. Yeah, I know, if there had been a way, I probably would have tried duct tape. What can I say?

I did the front brake first, figuring that in the scheme of things, the key brake is the rear one, so the front one was the volunteer.

I wired the brake shut and loosen the cable screw, which required that I spend a few minutes finding the correct hexagonal wrench.

And the brake promptly loosened. Try as I might, the wire was using would not act as a adequate clamp for holding the brake shut.

This is usually the point in the process, where, ala “Blast from the Past,” I start speaking French, if I haven’t already Frenched a bit while searching for tools.

Blog fans, I am happy to report that no romance language was abused in the making of this post. Before I had time to get really frustrated and start dropping “French” bombs, I had a thought.

I have two hands. I don’t really need to tighten the nut holding the wire in place until after I have tightened the wire—I can use my tools (pliers and the wrench) in sequence, with the my master hand (the left) while my slave hand (the right) holds the brake shut.

So I did. And the front brake ended up very snug. I repeated the process on the rear. I ended up not quite so snug, my theory is because the cable is longer and naturally has more “play.”

I’ll have to take a test ride later to confirm it, but I think I fixed my brakes in about 2 minutes (after a 25 minute tool search). I’ve decided that the pliers and wrench can now ride along with me—in my man bag during commuting seasons, in my camel back during recreational bike season. That way, whenever I think they are getting a bit loose, I can quickly tighten them.

CR Biker is feeling pretty cool at the moment. But wait, there’s more. We found a “silla caguro infantile para el centro de la bicicleta” on clearance at Wally World (yes, we shop there about twice a year, probably just to check the clearance aisle for odd items not found elsewhere in Christendom). It’s a child bike seat that sits in front of the rider, rather than behind him.

That will be “bicycle maintenance, part dos.” Numbering en espanol, of course, in honor of the box the seat came in.

Stay tuned, blog fans. Another post coming later, about how easy it is (knock on wood) to install this new seat. And I do have to take Blackie out on a test drive to confirm the cheap mechanic didn’t French up the brakes.

Riding in Single Digits

2012-02-12T11:57:00.003-06:00

What you need for cold biking, coat, second socks, second underwear, warm gloves. My bike alone on the trail and my frozen face when I arrived at MMU.

I don’t recall the exact temperature Saturday morning, but I don’t think you would need to take off your shoes to count the degrees—and there was a very brisk wind from the northwest, making wind chill feel subzero.

It was cold, blog fans. Too cold to bike to MMU for Scholarship Day?

Naw.

I know at least one of my sisters will say I’m crazy, and some of the others may think it without saying it, but I rode my bike yesterday to MMU. It was very cold, and I did get a bit uncomfortable on the way in, but by the afternoon, when the winds were still quite brisk but the air had warmed at least to the 20s, it was surprisingly pleasant—so pleasant that I took the long route home, via trail, rather than the short route.

Did not see any other traffic on the trail at all—nary a biker nor walker. Hmm, maybe my sister would have a point.

Anyway, biking in single digit temperatures is made more practical with the right “stuff.” To me the right stuff means warm gloves, multiple layers (I had on a white t-shirt, a long-sleeved turtleneck and a sweater under my coat, as well as long underwear and two pairs of socks—one a regular white pair, one a fuzzier warmer grey pair intended for winter insulation) and the right coat—the right coat being a fairly light jacket that nonetheless does not let the wind through, and that has a thin, yet fairly warm, hood that can be worn under my helmet. And a scarf—a scarf wrapped around the neck makes a surprising bit of difference on a cold ride.

Well, I survived the cold. Now, I have to adjust my brakes, which have loosened up in recent weeks. And I bought a new child seat. No doubt, there will be more bike news later!

Gambling on a Dusting of Snow

2012-02-08T10:48:00.003-06:00

Bike seat before ride home Tuesday night. World was lightly white this Wednesday morning.

Yes, I know, I probably should know better. My personal rule is not to ride when there is snow on the ground.

But, this was just a little snow. And it was cold, so the snow was not at that dangerous half-melted stage. And it’s supposed to get sunny today, so the afternoon commute should be fine.

So I did it. I ride my bike today.

Luckily, there is not much else to report. I was a bit nervous at points, particularly when crossing the busy C Street-Blair’s Ferry corner (not a place you would want to slip)—but nary a slide took place on the way in.

I only regret is that I wore just a single pair of socks. I decided, and I think I was right, that it was not quite cold enough for long underwear. But a second part of socks would definitely have helped, as the one part of my body that suffered a bit on the way in was the part on the pedals.

Still, here I am. Another riding day. The dusting of snow was not enough to prevent me from biking.

It was close, though.

Rack Me Up

2012-02-04T10:21:00.006-06:00

New York City Dep. of Tran. image, from New York Times story on bike racks.

Rang some bells this morning at the Trans America building in Cedar Rapids— MMU bell-ringing group was taped for an Eastern Iowa Variety Telethon, a children’s charity, in March.

I noted as I entered the big insurance company building at the corner of 42^nd and Edgewood that they have a bright blue chunk of metal right by the entry.

It was a bike rack.

Well, cool for them. I’m not totally sure, in context, how useful it is, because 42^nd Street is pretty dicey for biking, but it’s nice that a company encourages biking and puts the rack right by a door.

Would that all places of business were so thoughtful. The gym that I belong to recently changed locations. They used to have an old neglected bike rack at their former location, but removed it. I then began chaining by bike to the railing that led to their entrance—always on the outside of the railing in the hopes that it wouldn’t get in the way.

They have moved to a new building. There is no railing, no bike rack, no obvious place to park on two wheels. In the summer, if I start biking there, I wonder what they’ll say if I park my bike inside?

It seems to me that a neighborhood gym ought to anticipate that some of its members would rather not drive there … after all, isn’t the percent of bikers (or walkers) a bit higher among the types of people likely to use gyms?

Mount Mercy has a fair number of bike racks, one near my building, Warde Hall, although it’s also true that the newest buildings—Basile, the U Center, even the library—are sans racks. That lack isn’t a problem for me except when I want to park near the library, when I end up doing the “chained to a railing” strategy.

Anyway, in a country battling sedentary lifestyles, I think it only makes sense for employers and places of business to be both bike and pedestrian friendly. I realize that the reality is that most employees/students/clients/customers will drive and need parking lots and that cars and stupid ugly oversize SUVs have to be a priority, but walkers and bikers have fairly modest, inexpensive needs that can be met.

I don't know if you can tell, but in my opinion an ugly old bike is way cuter than a shiny new Suburban.

And bike racks can be whimsical and fun, just so long as they are thoughtfully located and functional.

First Trail Ride of the Spring on Feb. 1

2012-02-01T19:40:00.002-06:00

Ducks on stream that feeds into lake. The trail with snow nearby, but non on trail.

I wondered, before leaving work, whether the trail would be blocked in places by snow and ice. Yet, the streets were mostly clean on the way in, so I decided to take a chance.

Well, it was fine. A bit damp in a few places, got a bit muddy near Quaker Oats, but by and large the trail was clear. There were a number of other bikers, walkers and joggers out today, too—and even some fowl.

It felt good to be on the trail on a semi sunny afternoon, and it felt a bit like I was taking my first training ride for RAGBRAI.

Geese and Ducks were enjoying the open waters of the stream that feeds into Cedar Lake, a large polluted pond near downtown Cedar Rapids. The south part of the lake is open, too, and many birds were there.

All in all, a slightly mushy but pleasant ride, especially for Feb. 1. Clearly, bike seasons is underway—for how long, I don’t know. I overheard a man at MMU say, as he strolled across the central plaza at MMU, that “we’ll pay for today.” Yeah, he could be right. But then again, maybe 20 degrees above normal just won’t be that odd this year in Iowa.

Which is great on Feb. 1. On Aug. 1? Not so much ….

50 on the Final Day of January

2012-01-31T21:19:00.001-06:00

It was a nice March day in Iowa today—just odd that it was last day of January.

Then again, the warm temps were even stranger at the start of the month. At least it’s almost February, a month that traditionally is warmer than January.

But not this warm. Not 50s.

It was weird how wet the pavement was this morning. It was wet everywhere. Not just where snow was melting and water running across it. It did not get below freezing last night, and there must have been a lot of moisture in the air. And the relatively cool pavement gave the moisture a nice place to form a heavy, heavy dew.

Well, blog fans, I’m sure you’ll be relieved to note that CR Biker waited until afternoon before heading to the office today. It was still very damp in places, but not damp everywhere. My cool yellow vest is being washed tonight due to the tossed mud of this damp day. Lubing my chain is a daily chore due to the wet.

But heck, can’t complain. Sunshine? 50? Heck yes I’m back on the bike again.

Twice In a Lifetime?

2012-01-29T08:06:00.005-06:00

Des Moines Register map of 2012 towns.

Last year, I did the full week of RAGBRAI with my son Jon. The decision to do so was fairly spontaneous, based mostly on the fact that he invited me while Audrey and I were staying in Seattle with him and his lovely wife Nalena.

It turned out to be quite an experience. I had avoided RAGBRAI in the past because it seemed like the kind of noisy, circus, crowded event that doesn’t appeal to a person who prefers a good book or an old movie to a disco.

Yet, I had a great time. It was, I think, the combination of hanging around with Jon and conquering the physical challenge. Serial eating, a key part of RAGBRAI, didn’t hurt either—I don’t mind Hobbit-like eating habits. Second breakfast—eggs in some cheese sauce with sausage, for instance, or a ham ball on baked beans—seems like a good idea.

And I met up with a Mount Mercy group for one day, although I managed to miss them for lunch. Oh well.

Anyway, so this year I figured I would do a day or two. Frankly, that’s still the plan, but the route is very tempting. See the Des Moines Register map that I took a screen shot of on Ragbrai.com. It starts in northwest Iowa and passed close to the area where we lived—I wonder how close the route will go to Early, Iowa? It goes from Cherokee to Lake View, which means it cuts through that area of Sac County …

And it ends in Clinton, Iowa. I went from third through eighth grade in Clinton, and played a lot a Riverview Park, where the ride will terminate.

It’s going to be a while before the full route is announced. I will be curious to see how they get into and out of Cedar Rapids. Last year, eastern Iowa was the worst due to traffic—hopefully CR will put Iowa City to shame on that score.

A day or two? For sure. The full week? Don’t know. That worked last year partly due to the group I was in.

But, now that I see the overnight stops on the route—being advertised by the Register as a much easier ride than last year’s—I will confess it.

I’m tempted.

The Biker Is Back With a Wet Back

2012-01-26T17:39:00.002-06:00

Why I parked my bike inside, and my bike parked inside. Why 3 gnomes? My point-and-shoot has had a sick computer for a while, but seemed healed today, for some odd reason. Must be the Karma from my bike computer. I was just trying the backlit shooting mode.

There was some slosh to my rides today, but I decided to take a chance and try it.

And it wasn’t too bad. I altered my route and stayed on E Avenue headed south rather that ride my usual route west of Kenwood School. I know that the back streets were ice and snow covered, and I didn’t want to try them on two wheels.

So I took 35^th Street from E to Eastern, a busier street than I usually prefer, but the employees at Rockwell-Collins were apparently at work before 8 a.m., and the traffic wasn’t bad.

I was a bit surprised, because it was foggy this morning, that many drivers didn’t have their lights on. Mine were. I had a few spots where the pavement was caked with ice and straddled my bike with my feet on the ground and skated across, but they were few and far between.

So, a bit damp, I arrived at work. The ride home was wetter but less icy—only one “skating” spot, and in this case, I was actually more sloshing through slush.

Has biking season started again? Not sure. Snow is in the forecast for Friday night and I don’t know if I’ll bother go to campus Friday at all (one term has just ended).

Still, after a long bike break, it was nice to be on two wheels. I had to wash my new vest once I got home, but the ride was pleasant. Given the amount of free pizza, scones and pretzels I ate today (thank you, biodiesel class, English class that went to Britain and MMU ACE) it was good that I rode again.

Playing The Waiting Game

2012-01-25T12:24:00.002-06:00

Ice on my drive, many streets are in worse shape. Come on, old Sol, melt it away!

It’s a bit misty-cloudy in Iowa at mid-day today, which is too bad. I’m playing the waiting, game, just hanging around, hoping for the ice to melt.

Many of the streets that I would commute on might actually be passable, but many are not. We need some ice melting.

It will be warm enough today. You don’t have to get to 32 degrees to see ice recede—even when the air temperature is in the 20s, sunshine will warm pavement enough to turn a little bit of ice to water, and in dry winter air, trace amounts of water quickly dissipate. And water, a tricky substance, can go from solid to vapor.

But, I’m clearly nowhere near ready to ride. I expressed the wish earlier this week to get back on two wheels by week’s end, but on Wednesday that looks pretty dicey. Maybe if the sun shines for a while this afternoon ….

Probably wishful thinking. See photo of my driveway. As ice encrusted as it is, it’s much clearer than many back streets in Cedar Rapids.

I can and will alter my route some once I think my driveway is clear enough. When will that be? Don’t know.

Waiting, just waiting.

In the meantime, yeah, I shouldn’t … but I did:

You Need a Sleigh to Bike Today …

2012-01-22T12:07:00.004-06:00

Jan. 21--Amelia as bike mechanic, Tristan in sled.

It may seem weird on a day with freezing rain falling from the sky, but the biking forecast is improved a bit in the coming week.

We’ve been through an active patch of Iowa weather lately. After an unusual warm spell that allowed me to bike early in J Term, snow has returned to Iowa for the past week and a half. I’ve been vanning it for the past week, since that fateful ride last Sunday, and will try to be a bit more patient as I wait for the slick white compacted snow on Cedar Rapids’ unplowed side streets to slowly melt.

But, there is nothing set to fall from the sky for nine days of the 10 day forecast on the “local weather” forecast I get form Microsoft. Not that the MS weather is particularly the most reliable, but with luck I might be on two wheels by week’s end. A frustrated biker can dream, anyway.

Saturday was a lesson in alternative winter transport. I had a “play date” with my grandson Tristan, and we spent several hours outside, trudging through snow that was sometimes waist deep on a 2-year-old.

But, he loved it. It took some persuading to get him to try a sled, but then I got to play pack animal and pull his sleigh through the snow for a while, and he was giggly, especially when headed downhill.

As I detailed on my other blog, he discovered the utility of snow as ammo when a tempting older gentleman is handy to serve as “target.” He always wants a walk in the woods, and so we went through the get into the semi wild Dry Creek bed behind the house, where he was carried half the time and trudged through deep snow the other half.

Water, it turns out, is fascinating, particularly when it’s just a small patch of bubbling open stream under the C Avenue bridge.

Well, I’m on bike holiday, snow induced and now ice enforced. But the weather ahead has some promise to it, and it was nice to have a bit of outdoor time, even if a sleigh is more practical than a bike right now.

Here’s hoping for more biking in the coming weeks!

What the F Avenue? Or Why is my Butt so Wet?

2012-01-15T23:05:00.004-06:00

The good, the bad and the ugly. First the bad: E Ave, white glaze. The ugly: F Ave, where my sense of foreboding started, half slush, half white ice. Finally, 35th Street, looking like one would expect all streets to look three days after snow.

Well, blog fans, it was a surprising and interesting day for CR Biker. For the second time, I slipped on ice on a day when I really had no business slipping on ice.

You see, it snowed last week in Cedar Rapids. Four inches of fluffy white stuff fell from the skies Wednesday and blew around Thursday.

We were a little worried about whether there would be school Thursday, but there was.

Anyway, I chalked up last week as a loss, from a biking point of view. Thursday and Friday were minivan commute days.

But I watched the neighborhood streets. We had a cool but sunny day Saturday and an even warmer sunny day today. Brentwood Drive and C Avenue were bare pavement this morning, which seems right, 72 hours after any snow problems. Surely, I thought, it ought to be OK to ride my bike today.

Yeah.

I can see why the people in Kenwood neighborhood think their city government has forgotten them. Or at least the street department has. Beyond main streets, old CR is a slick mess. There is either a slushy slurry on the street, waiting for nightfall to turn to black ice, or, even more widespread, a thick frosting of polished snow, a special white glaze which grows slicker on a warm day like today as its surface becomes more polished.

I had no trouble navigating sidewalks (nicely cleared) to Rockwell Collins or transiting Rockwell Collins parking lots (not so nicely cleared, but RC, you’ve got CR beat all to heck) until I came to the crossing of Collins Road at F Avenue. As soon as I crossed Collins, I entered a treacherous multi-block zone of winter horror.

I had a harrowing ride to my office early this afternoon. And slush makes for a damp and chilled backside, I can tell you. Once at my office, I hoped the afternoon hours of sun would improve the situation, and at 4 I started for home.

But the temperature had started to fall, and rather than improving, the streets had grown even more treacherous.

Hence the slip, which happened on E Avenue north of Kenwood School.

Now, there is good news. Two years ago, the last time I slipped on ice, I was badly hurt and had a sore right knee for months. The knee was still touchy when Jon issued his RAGBRAI invitation last year, but now all is pretty well in my knee-ther regions because today I was going very slowly (about 4.4 mph as my still working computer recorded) when the bike attempted to buck me off by slipping sideways.

I had time to react and put my feet down. What could have been a disaster instead became a non-event, like Rick Perry’s or Jon Huntsman’s presidential campaigns.

I’m safe and sound, and not sore, at least not in body. But I’m a bit sore at the city of CR. When we residents shovel our walks, we’re expected to get down to bare pavement. We don’t leave an inch of snow to compress in traffic to a white glaze.

And I’m not some Stephen Bloom, some outsider who is a Joey Come Lately to Iowa. I graduated from Sacred Heart School in Clinton in 1972 and Muscatine High School in Muscatine in 1976 and Marycrest College in Davenport in 1982. I lived for 10 years in a tiny village in northwestern Iowa.

I know snow. I know Iowa snow. I’ve seen many Iowa cities wrestle with snow plowing. None, I am sad to report, as pathetically as Cedar Rapids, the land that plows forgot. Yeah, the main drags are nicely cleared, and that is a big job.

But ALL the streets need to be plowed, Ron, et al. As I wrote in this blog after my first spill—and I still mean it today: Mayor Ron, if you really want to favorably impress the voters of CR, take one dramatic step. Plow the darn streets.

It can’t be that hard. In fact, in all my Iowa residences and years, I’ve never seen a hamlet, village or town that had so much of that odd white frosting that dominates CR’s quiet streets. I think the fifth season is a time of traction to recover from injuries (or a time of no traction that causes them).

It seems other towns can plow even quite streets down to the bare pavement.

Why can’t we?

Bah. I had been all excited this morning, I wrote on my garden blog about what a springy day it was, and as I got ready to ride I put on sunglasses, yeah, due to the snow, but also due to my sunny mood. It lasted until I crossed Collins Road. I had a cheerful earworm all planned, CR, until you spoiled it. Oh well, I did have the shades, so even if it no longer matches the mood of this post, here it is: