In Which a Cool Day Greets a New Trail

During my first trike ride on new section of CeMar Trail--headed south to Cedar Rapids from Marion.

It was a bit damp this morning, windy and cool. My phone’s weather app showed showers rumbling through midday, and that slightly changed my plans.

Today was a special day in Cedar Rapids—the CeMar Trail which links the heart of the city with its neighbor Marion was complete. The city of Marion has constructed the final leg of the trail, which was officially opened today.

I had planned to trike or bike to the ceremony and immediately experience the new trail after it opened. But there was that pesky rain forecast. Plus, my wife was willing to come to the event but not interested in riding a bike to it. So, we decided to drive to the street by Mount Calvary Cemetery, where the ceremonial ribbon cutting was planned.

New trail section is not flat, but not hilly, either.

As it turned out, I could have ridden. But I don’t mind not riding, for the experience was more pleasant with the company of my wife. Anyway, it was a pretty typical ceremony of its type, with both city’s mayors and city managers speaking, and ridiculously huge scissors then used to cut a handheld ribbon.

I’ve been looking forward to this trail opening. I often ride to central Cedar Rapids. My home in Northeast Cedar Rapids, however, wasn’t conveniently located by any trail that leads to where I want to go. The opening of this trail dramatically changes that and provides me with a new route whenever I want to ride to the middle of Cedar Rapids.

While it benefits me personally, I think it’s a nice feature for both cities, too. I think Nick AbouAssaly, mayor of Marion, pointed out a key reality.

“Good jobs and good, affordable, low-cost living are not enough,” he said. “We need more, we need to invest in the curb appeal of our communities.”

Marion Mayor Nick AbouAssaly

Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell

Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz

Marion City Manager Ryan Waller

Does the new trail have “curb appeal?” After the ceremony, my wife and I drove home. I ate a sandwich as she headed off to the gym, and then I got on my trike to ride to the new trail.

It was about 1:30 in the afternoon when I set out. My weather app called for rain around 2:30, so I was gambling a bit. As it turned out, while it got a bit damp and I felt a few drops, the rain never materialized, which I appreciate. Anyway, it was slightly confusing approaching the new trail by riding the Boyson Trail and the Krumholtz trails—the signs warning that the trail was closed are still in place.

They were not accurate. When I approached the end of the Krumholtz Trail, the barrier was down, the trail open. I suspect it may be intermittently closed still—it looked to me like there is some finishing landscaping as yet undone—but today the way was clear. I reached the T intersection where the Krumholtz Trail runs into the CeMar Trail, and I turned right, south, towards Cedar Rapids.

This couple were the first trail users I saw after the ribbon cutting. And below, bikers start to roll on the trail.

The trail runs under Highway 100 and winds and meanders a bit along Indian Creek. It’s not a very direct trail, but it’s also not long and is located in a very pretty creek valley, the beauty only somewhat muted by the many “No Trespassing, Violators will be Prosecuted” signs plastered along the trail by nearby landowners to cheerily greet trail users.

Well, landowners, there’s nothing along the trail to draw a biker or triker away from their route, so I doubt strangers tramping through your fallow bottomlands will be much of an issue, but thanks for the reminder of the covetous nature of the bipedal apes who delude themselves that they own parts of this shared planet.

Anyway, whatever. That minor discordant note didn’t significantly reduce my good spirits. I like and have frequently ridden the parts of this trail that had been previously open, but this final stretch is full of “curb appeal.”

It was cool, windy and a little damp. It was still a nice ride. I saw many walkers and bikers as I rolled around the curves and up and down the rises in this short trail stretch, and I encourage you, if you’re in this area, to give it a try. It’s very much worth it.

My trike ride totalled 11.2 miles. The new trail was just a portion of it—I paid attention to my bike app, and when I was returning home I checked my totals—I had ridden 5.99 miles before starting the return on the new trail segment. When I got to the end where the previous trail is, I was at 7.32 miles—so the whole new trail was only 1.53 miles. Not huge distance for a trail segment that will have such a big impact on my riding and on the community where I live.

In Which Summer Rides Bring Mixed Surprises

Surprise! We'll put in a major bike trail all the way through our town and then tell you that you can't ride on part of it! Wacky fun. My bike on trail across the street from Marion's new Central Plaza.

Well, biker pals, May was my final month as a professor at Mount Mercy University, as I retired from my professional career. In May, I was biking to work more consistently then before, so I had more time on the bike and rode more miles in May—but, what with the end of my career and the busyness associated with a new life phase, I had less time to devote to posting on this blog.

The past few weeks of bicycling have been an interesting time. I still have a follow-up heart procedure scheduled in July due to a lingering flutter in the old pump, and my miles are thus somewhat limited this biking season because I tire quickly and, also, how carefully (read slowly) I have to move on a bicycle to avoid any injury. Falling off a bicycle while you’re taking blood thinners, my doctors and my wife often remind me, is not a good life choice.

Basically, about 20 miles is my current ride limit, with most rides being around 10 miles. 2025 is therefore, for me, the year of short rides. I don’t resent that, because January and February where months of zero rides as I had and then recovered from major surgery, so I’ll enjoy the slower, shorter rides I experience now and keep on rolling with a smile on my face.

My bicycle parked on Creek Trail the runs behind Linn-Mar High School, on May 29 bike ride.

Another surprise, a "greetings, bikers, we're happy to have you" sign in the woods at the north end of the Creek Trail in Marion. OK, a landowner is free to put up such signs, but I can't imagine many bikers were trying to roll through the walnut grove there. Whatever, life is full of surprises, one of many signs posted in this area seen on May 29 bike ride.

We are in a June summer heatwave now, with the heat index topping 100 degrees this afternoon. That hasn't generally been the case lately, and on May 9, a cool but not cold morning, I noticed sun dogs in the sky during my morning bike ride (sun dogs are usually seen on the coldest mornings of winter, little rainbows created by sunlight refracted by ice crystals high in the atmosphere. It must have been much colder way up there).

And, although we are starting a heatwave today, the weather has mostly cooperated with biking. Although there have also been some unexpected challenges.

One is mechanical. On a commute to work in May, I broke a spoke on the rear wheel of Clarence, my hybrid bike. That wheel has had a previous broken spoke, so it was time to replace the whole wheel rather than just the snapped spoke. At the bike shop, they also noted the drive train was very worn and the bike was long overdue for a thorough tune-up.

So, that broken spoke cost me several weeks of riding that bike, plus more than $300. Oh well. After I retrieved that bicycle, it has been notably more pleasant to ride, which is a bonus—it has cleaner shifting and better rolling speed.

May 4--A nasty surprise at work. A broken spoke, and not the first on the back wheel of my hybrid bike Clarence.

Here and below, some damaged trees were cut down after the 2020 derecho, and someone had then carved into bird statues. Corner of Albernett and  Boyson roads. Another pleasant surprise seen on ride May 31.

In the meantime, my road bike Argent in late May developed a weird wobble on its front wheel. Was it another snapped spoke? I couldn’t find one, and I concluded it was a flaw in the front tyre. But I took the wheel into the shop to have more experienced eyes confirm my opinion—and the mechanic could see the problem right away. The wheel is mechanically sound, but the inner fabric of the front tyre had failed, leading to a bulge.

At least that was a much cheaper and quicker problem to fix—and I could have just replaced the tyre myself but the labor charge at Goldfinch Cyclery to do that was only $15, and I was happy, with my wife’s encouragement, to save 30 minutes of my life at that price.

Well, those minor blips didn’t prevent me from biking in recent weeks. I rolled just over 228 miles in May, compared to 159 miles in April. My miles are slowly building, and I hope that they will jump substantially after I recover from my second heart procedure that takes place in July. We’ll see.

The Fancy Beast, my mountain bike, on freshly mowed mountain bike trail in Marion. A nice surprise.

Life can bring you unexpected challenges and unexpected pleasures, too. For example, on a recent ride June 11, I rode my mountain bike, intending to use the mountain bike trails that split off from the Boyson Road Trail near my home.

Those mountain trails can be a bit challenging—they don’t have any dramatic features, so I don’t mean they are a challenged because they are designed with challenges as some mountain bike trails are—but the trails are not mowed very often and the encroaching plant life in the woods can make a ride a bit difficult. That was pleasantly not true on this day—the good surprise is that the trails had obviously just been mowed and were wide open and fun to ride.

June 16 bike ride down to Prairie Park Fishery--suprise! My usual route is closed, as short trail by the river is not open due to construction of a new biking bridge over the Cedar River. Well, OK, a major new biking attraction is coming. I'll live with riding a different route.

Yet, surprise, there is so much utility work going on in the Boyson Road area that I have not been able to repeat that ride due to difficulty accessing those trails. Mow ’em and then close ’em—bah, humbug.

What Marion gives, it also takes. Another recent example: Our neighbor city to the east has established, in recent years, a major bike trail that leads from my neighborhood all the way through Marion to the countryside east of town. The Grant Wood Trail, not long ago, was just a grassy stretch in the county rideable only on a mountain bike. In recent years, the county has paved several miles and added a grand new bridge. The city of Marion, in the meantime, has constructed a connecting trail and extended the Lindale Trail with two new fancy bridges.

Now, one can ride a road bike all the way from Council Street in Cedar Rapids out to Waldos Rock Park in Marion and beyond on nicely paved trail (well, one short leg on a quiet county road, but still, it’s an easy, paved ride).

I was aware that Marion has worked on a fancy upgrade to their City Square Plaza, which is directly across the street from the new Grant Wood Trail route, so I decided to ride there last week just to see what the plaza is like. It’s very nice. Marion’s treatment of the bike trail, however, has gotten a little weird.

Climbing play area seen at newly renovated Central Plaza in Marion (above and below).

Right across the street from the fancy new plaza, two blocks of the recently created bike trail have been designated as pedestrian-only zones. Well, I can sort of understand. I always thought the downtown stretch of the new Grant Wood Trail was a little awkward, taking bike traffic on a sidewalk directly in front of both the public library and City Hall.

Riding there always made me feel a little weird. You do have the alternative, once you near the Westside Diner, to go south one block and ride down that street until you get past downtown, a route I use whenever I think pedestrian traffic might be heavy, but that alternative route is neither marked nor designated for bikes.

On the one hand, I think the pedestrian zone downtown makes sense. On the other, I think Marion should mark and sign and declare a “bike boulevard” for the alternative route one block south (and on the connecting streets that they want bikers to use). I think the need for the alternative route is obvious, and I’m a little miffed city planners who created the bike trail in the first place didn’t anticipate the need for another route before putting up “dismount bikers” signs.

If the Grant Wood Trail shoots all the way through Marion, as it now does, then let bikers ride it and mark where they should ride. If the city does not want them riding on the walkway downtown—fair enough, I understand. However, create and show me the alternate route. Otherwise, you made a new, nice, fancy long trail and chose to knock a hole right in the middle of it.

Harrumph.

Honestly, I can’t get too mad at the city of Marion. Like Cedar Rapids, the city has invested a lot in recent years to become more bicycle friendly, and I appreciate that. This just seems like an obvious, foreseeable flaw in that overall nice pattern.

Well, back to summer rides. Despite the current heat. which is keeping me off my wheels this weekend, my bike rides have been very enjoyable. We’ve had some rain, but most days, even the wet ones, have not been rainy all day long, and we’ve had a fair amount of warm, but not hot, sunny weather, too.

Iowa is in its most beautiful month. For bikers, June is busting out all over. Catalpa have bloomed and faded. Orange Tiger Lilies are growling (or trumpeting). Common Milkweed is moving into its pink, perfumed firework phase. The world in Iowa is a very good place for those of us who choose to roll on two wheels across this planet.

A few images from mostly May bike rides but also this one from April 29. Daffodils in bloom near my hybrid bike parked in rack behind Warde Hall, were my office what when I had an office. Retired now.

Bike parked at Lafayette during May 3 ride. That ride was a bit more than 20 miles and I was pretty spent the next day, leading to a warning from my wife to watch the miles. She's an RN and I generally find her medical advice worth listening to.

Phlox in bloom on trail north of Robins during my one ride up to Lafayette May 3.

May 4--I always lock my bike, even on campus. You never know who or what will be interested in it. As far as I can tell, the tree rat did no damage.

May 31--Peony in bloom near bathroom building and playground at Lowe Park.

Even if some of us must limit our rolling, a bit. Still, I have ridden 179.72 miles in the first 21 days of June, which probably means I will likely top the 228.9 miles I rode in May. I was hoping retirement meant more miles on the bike, and that is a path I seem to be on.

This year, the path I am on does not mean RAGBRAI miles, because I can’t currently roll 50 or 60 miles in a morning, at least until the ticker gets straightened out. Still, how has biking been in Iowa these past six weeks?

Filled with surprises, good and not so good, but overall, quite glorious.

Cone Flower in bloom at Prairie Park Fishery on June 16. Here, above and below, some images of things I saw during June bike rides.

Deer seen munching on a tree leaf near Boyson Trail June 11.

Cone Flower in bloom at Hanna Park, see on June 10 bike ride.

Ride down to Cedar Lake via CEMAR Trail, stopping by Mount Calvary Cemetery to say hello to Sisters of Mercy there.

June 2 bike ride down to Cedar Lake.

In Which I Try a New Lion Trail

Feeling good riding the new trail behind Linn-Mar High School.

I could not resist the cheap pun—dad jokes, right? When I posted an image of today’s bicycle ride, a selfie on Instagram, I captioned it: “New bike trail behind Linn-Mar High School is quite nice, I’m not lion.”

Because, of course, the school’s teams are the Linn-Mar Lions.

Anyway, earlier this year, a new trail leading from the Boyson Trail to Boyson Road in Marion opened. A new crosswalk was painted at Boyson and 10th Street, and a bit north of the intersection, there’s a new crossing light that takes the trail across 10th Street.

I had not ridden that new leg of the trail behind the high school before today. This afternoon, seeking a break from grading, I decided to go on a quick bike ride.

I got the mountain bike out. There are some short mountain bike trails off of the Boyson Trail, and I was just in the mood, since the ride would be short, to ride those trails. One is “easy” and the other “also easy but not quite as easy,” and I rode them both.

Bike parked in twilight at end of mountain bike trail near Boyson Road.

Bike at end of mountain bike trail, pretty light.

And then decided to explore the new trail behind the high school. It was getting to twilight, and I turned on my lights and headed north.

My chilled cheeks and cold toes weren’t that happy with my decision, but I carried on.

The crossing of Boyson feels a bit weird. It’s just a crosswalk at a busy interstation that, to me, has needed a traffic light for many years. Adding a bike trail to that already overloaded intersection feels a bit strange, but at 4 or so on a winter afternoon, traffic was light.

On 10th Street about to ride on new trail. The walkers are the nice people I chatted with.

New bridge on new trail--nice view.

Another view of the same bridge.

I crossed 10th and came to the new trial. I paused and made a few images there. A nice couple was out for a stroll, and told me that they walk that trail daily.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. The trail went under 29th Street and beside the track where the Linn-Mar football stadium used to be. The trail crosses a creek several times, and winds its way through pretty woods. It’s not a long trail, but it’s nice, and it does go all the way to Tower Terrace Road.

It can give me a way to ride with a grandchild to the playground at Indian Creek School, and also can be part of a loop to the Lowe Park Trail via Tower Terrace Road.

Here and below, views seen from the trail behind Linn-Mar High School, Dec. 3, 2022.

Well, that was nice. Cold, but nice. I got to chat with the my walking trail buddies several times—once, they passed me while I was on a photo pause, and the next time was when I had gone to the end of the trial and came back.

At one point, the new trail was dug up, but I was luckily on the mountain bike and could easily navigate the bare ground beside the hole in the trail.

It was getting dark by the time I got back to the Lindale Trail, but I went across the bridges and turned back when I got to the sidewalk at the end of that trail. By doing that, I was able to squeeze in 10.4 miles. Not bad for a late-day winter ride, and I’m sure I’ll be visiting the new trail again!

Map of Dec. 3, 2022 ride.

In Which I Scout A Short New Trail

The Boyson Road end of the new trail that heads east from the Boyson Trail, meandering along a creek there.

There is a new creek trail taking shape in Marion, a trail that heads east off of the Boyson Trail. I’ve seen the ends of it, one at Boyson Road near 10th Street, the other at the Boyson Trail.

I was taking a quick ride tonight. For context, I did some gardening on a warm day Wedneday, and I think I got myself a bit dehydrated. My plan was to walk with my wife to a diner a bit over 2 miles from our house, and then go on a bike ride.

But the morning was already getting warm, and although the diner breakfast was excellent, my right knee didn’t appreciate the walk and was sore on the way back home. Instead of hoping on my bike, I hopped on a couch and spent much of the day napping.

Well, it was 90 out there, and I just don’t do heat as well as I once did.

Tunnel under Alburnett Road leads to city park. I don't recall it's name--my wife calls it "the park on Alburnett," while to me, since I use Geode to bike there, it's the park on Geode. Getting there will be more pleasant with this nice bike trail leading there.

Anyway, the day was ending and it was near 8 in the evening when my wife got the itch and wanted to go out for a walk. She already knew I wasn’t going to walk with her—I can’t walk as fast as she does and my knee was already bothering me.

“Are you going on a bike ride?” she asked me.

It had not been my plan—the sun is going down at 8, but I figured what the heck. I have lights, I could avoid streets for the most part, and why not get a few miles in? I ride the Boyson Trail a lot because it’s near my house, but I figured the familiar was better as the light would be fading. I turned on my lights, headed up Devonshire to Boyson and then went over to the trail.

Biking along the new trail.

Where something a bit unexpected happened. They have opened the new trail. I decided to take it. It leads to a city park on Geode Street we like to take a grandson to sometimes, and then terminates at Boyson Road. All told, it’s probably about a mile along a creek bed. It curves a bit and includes a few rises and dips, but it is a nice little trail, even late in the day.

So I scouted it and enjoyed it, and also rode a bit on the Boyson Trail. All told, I did 7.31 miles, not bad for starting at 8 p.m. For July I have 217 miles, compared to almost 491 I did in June—not sure my July miles will beat my June ones, after all. My year to date is 1,524.62.

Another view of new trail.

In Which We See New Bridges

First look, heading east to go under First Avenue on new underpass.

Heading back, going west under First Avenue.

New bridge and underpass, looking west to First Avenue.

My sister asked me if I had ridden under First Avenue yet, in response to a Facebook post. I had not.

So today, on a quick late afternoon ride to campus, I decided, on the way home, to head over to the trail.

Shadows on the street in front of MMU as I cycle to campus.

Riding up the Hill at MMU, arriving on campus. Pretty afternoon sunshine on Warde Hall.

A murder on campus! Of crows, which I see while leaving campus.

Well, it was a very nice digression. Passing under First Avenue, going from a residential neighborhood through a light industrial area, then by a cemetery, to where the trail ends.

It was a very pretty afternoon—late enough I had lights on, as it gets dark early in late November. But, the low sun made everything glow, the new underpass is very nice. And even if the trail doesn’t lead anywhere yet, it’s another sign of how trails are growing in the Cedar Rapids area.

Approaching First Avenue at 29th Street on new part of Cemar Trail.

Approaching underpass, riding north on new trail beside First Avenue.

Riding east on short let of trail after passing under First Avenue.

Turned around, now heading west back towards First Avenue.

Almost back to Fist Avenue, bridge in front, Raining Rose Factory on my left.

It was the second time in one day that I saw different ends of one part of that growth. Earlier, an afternoon walk took me along the Boyson Trail to the Lindale Trail. A new bridge is being built over 7th Avenue in Marion as the Lindale Trail is being joined with the Grant Wood Trail.

Within a couple of years, the Boyson-Cemar-Grant Wood Trails will join central Cedar Rapids with uptown Marion. Thus a new almost all-trail route between my house and Mount Mercy will also be open.

New bridges. New trails. A good time to be a biker in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Seeing new Milwaukee Road Bridge from Boyson Trail--"Live Like Ur Dying."

New bridge viewed on afternoon walk. Some months before it will be opened.