In Which My Attempt at Bike Maintenance Fails

Is it true? Truly not, and beyond my powers to fix.

I took Matt’s mountain bike inside the other day to try to fix the wobbly back wheel.

First, I checked to ensure none of the spokes were broken. None are, the good news. Then I watched a YouTube video on how to true a wheel.

Using a piece of cardboard for reference and the bike frame as my wheel holder, I took off the tire and tube and proceeded to try to use a screwdriver to tighten spokes.

Yeah, 90 minutes of work for naught. Total true failure. The video showed working with a spoke wrench, not a screwdriver, and I suppose I will try to get one of those tools.

But I will probably have to take the bike into the shop for someone whose better with tools (which I think probably includes the majority of species from age 3 to 80) fix the bike.

Oh well. Streets are still a bit dicey, but since my schedule is more open today, I may attempt a ride on Francis. We’ll see.

In Which the Trail Beats the Sidewalk

My bike at the gym. Clearing the bike rack is not a priority.

It’s about 30 degrees out and sunny today. This sunny Sunday follows a relatively OK Saturday in which no big wind blew and no new snow fell, so I figured what the heck? If I’m going to go to the gym, why drive there?

I was tempted this morning to try to bike to church, but decided against it, since the sun would have not had enough time to work on the pavement. It's a good thing I waited to bike. The late morning (almost noon) ride to the gym proved a bit more of a challenge than I thought it would be. My sidewalk is pretty clear—I had to scrape it off again Saturday due to snow that had drifted there Thursday and Friday, but it’s OK now. My neighbor to the west, on the other hand, has made zero effort to clear drifting snow, so I rode past my own house, and then hopped off and walked the bike through deep snow to get past the next house, and then hopped back on.

And rode up C Avenue hill. I don’t know when the sidewalk was cleared, but it’s pretty bad—soft, tan, sand-sodden snow—luckily it is cold enough that it’s at least not wet, but it was a pretty slow, careful climb up that hill on two wheels. Still, I think I rode pretty much the whole way up to Walgreens.

One of the spots along Blairs Ferry Road where the sidewalk required walking. I might have tried with a mountain bike.

When I got to the sidewalk along Blair’s Ferry Road, I was immediately stymied by deep sidewalk drifts in front of Unity Health’s home care location. Come on, St. Luke’s—shovel your walks. Anyway, there were several places along that street where I had to walk the bike, although I would say I probably cycled 75 percent of the way to the gym.

On the way home, for no particular reason other than I was not in any hurry to try to ride down the C Avenue hill through soft snow, I decided to check out the Lindale Trail. And, surprise, surprise the trail was in great shape. I got to Marion, went through some quiet residential streets to the western most branch of the Boyson Trail complex, and rode that route home, going over the Brentwood Hill. On the sidewalk along Boyson, when I got to Cedar Rapids, I had to walk my bike through 5-inch snow to get to Brentwood Drive. However, I still got to bike a lot more on the way home than I did on the way to the gym.

Near the west end of the Lindale Trail. Would that sidewalks looked like this.

When I got home, I got an old towel out of the garage and cleaned some of the road grime off of Francis as best I could.

Limestone side trail west of the main Boyson Trail in Marion. A bit of snow, but mostly clearly. Some rutted spots, but all of the trail was good enough to ride on.

I am hoping to get one of the mountain bikes in shape soon, which will make this kind of snowy ride a bit more practical, but at least I did manage about a 3-mile bike ride today, and that’s something.

Trail bridge over Dry Creek. Trust me, this is way better than the C Avenue Bridge in Cedar Rapids.

View of Dry Creek looking west from bridge on trail. It was the kind of day where you needed sunglasses due to the reflection off of the snow--but pretty nonetheless. Winter days like this are not bad, but would be better if sidewalks were clear!

In Which I Ride Like the Wind, But Sit in One Place

Me, riding like the wind. Just not today's wind. More like a gentle breeze.

When he needs to move fast, Woody the Cowboy shouts to his trusty steed: “Ride like the wind, Bulls-Eye!” Tonight the wind is creating blizzard conditions and is moving at over 40 mph—downhill near Guttenberg on RAGBRAI last summer I suppose I rode like tonight’s wind, but I don’t really want to do that very often.

We had several inches of snow Monday, and now an extra dusting has fallen on that still powdery layer (it has been arctic frigid all week, truly, colder than a big dog) and now the wind has whipped the snow into an old-fashioned whiteout.

I drove a car today. And I drove one all week when going to campus.

Normally, cold won’t force me to stop biking for long—but snow will. However, even I draw the line when wind chills are reaching 40 below.

My youngest sister posted a link to this article on Facebook and noted it made her think of me, which some people might take as a sign I’m crazy, but I prefer to take as a compliment. And there is some validity to the comparison she implies—I do bike year round, for the most part.

Not this week, though.

I recall once, probably in the winter of 1973, going to our garage and hopping into a stone cold VW microbus with those special plastic seats that suck the warmth out of your legs and butt instantly. My dad was driving and I was his lone passenger, and my father was grumbling about the weatherman making a big deal about the “wind chill.”

“It’s almost zero. Anytime it’s near zero, it’s just cold,” he complained. “Let’s leave it at that.”

Dad was not much of a complainer, so the incident stuck in my mind. Then again, I recall that the incident took place in our first home in Muscatine, a rental next to West Middle School, and the particular van the family owned then, a 1969 model, being very cold weather averse—my dad had to stick a heating lamp into the rear engine compartment for a while each morning to get the air-cooled engine with the amazing German battery (just how in the heck did the same country that produced the U-boat make such unreliable car batteries?) warm enough to start at all.

Under the circumstance, I suppose he didn't care about wind chill. He just wanted to hear the amazing chug-chug-chug of those not-so-powerful four cylinders. (American cars of that vintage had speedometers than went up 120, although that was laughable for most of them. The van had a speedometer that went up to 80, and the upper quarter of that range was also pure fantasy).

I've learned, as an adult biker, that he was wrong. Zero is, frankly, not all that cold. No, really it’s not. It is a temperature that requires layers—three pairs of socks, with at least one being thermal, warm boots, winter long johns, thick pants, a t-shirt under a long-sleeved shirt under a very warm and thick sweatshirt or sweater, warm mittens (not gloves, unless they are thin ones worn under the mittens), a jacket that breaks the wind well, a hood that fits under a bike helmet, a think headband that covers the ears under the hood and a neck warmer or scarf, and you’re good to go.

Of course, as noted in “A Christmas Story,” it’s a bit like getting ready for extended deep sea diving. But if you dress the part, you can bike to work and not really feel unduly cold at all.

But it does have to at least be zero. And it has to be even warmer if it wants to be windy. Right now it’s about 10 degrees above zero, but a steady 40 mph wind with higher gusts gives us a minus 15 wind chill or so—that level of cold does not qualify, in my book, as biking-adequate conditions.

And there is the whole snow issue—I do like bare pavement to ride on.

Anyway, since biking outdoors this week has not been an option, I’ve taken to something else. My wife and I had purchased a rack intended to make a bike usable indoors in winter—one of those contraptions that has a brace and wheel for the back wheel of the bike and a holder for the front wheel. Audrey had used it last winter with her bike—but this winter, she has an elliptical machine in the basement that she prefers.

So we brought in the rack on Thursday for my use. I didn’t want to attach Francis to it—I’m reserving my commuting bike for actual outdoor biking, assuming that will happen one of these days. My two mountain bikes—the Beast and Matt’s old bike—aren’t in shape right now due to wonky rear wheels.

So, I brought in Amanda’s old bike. It has the words “inspired by women” painted right on the side of it, and since I am, too, I thought it was OK. And honestly the fact that it’s a lady’s bike has a huge advantage, in context. When a man’s bike is appropriate for my large frame for outdoor riding, I can’t mount it without tipping it. You can’t easily tip a bike that is held in an indoor cycling rack—so the lack of a middle bar on this “inspired by women” cycle makes it easier for me to get on the bike.

Yes, I am in touch with my feminine side and I don’t mind sharing it. I guess I figure being a bike commuter puts enough macho in my life anyway.

I rode Amanda’s bike for 45 minutes yesterday and 30 minutes today (we had visitors and were busy—I’m not striving to reduce my biking time). It’s not as much fun as outdoor biking by any means, although I don’t mind watching the evening news or “The Big Bang Theory” while cycling.

So I find myself pedaling and pedaling and not getting anywhere. And I enjoy it. Must be some sort of life metaphor there.

And another view. I moved the camera and tripod so you can see the full effect. On Facebook, where I also posted this image, one of my family members says it looks like Audrey is winning.

In Which Lady Cardinal In The Snow Bodes Ill For Biking

Magnolia bud in my back yard as snow falls Jan. 5, 2015.

“Lady Cardinal” sounds like a character from Downtown Abbey, doesn’t she? Come to think of it “Lady Cardinal in the Snow” would be a good fictional village name.

I watched the opening episode of DA season 5 last night, and, spoiler alert, it begins with Lady Edith riding a bicycle to a see a marigold. Actually, to see Marigold, her illegitimate daughter.

And that tells you enough that you either A) Would never want to see the show or B) Are kicking yourself if you missed episode 1. It was everything Downton Abbey is expected to be: an engrossing period soap opera that both immerses you in a faux 1920s England and occasionally sets your teeth on edge with dialogue that almost makes you weep for all the wrong reasons. Despite it all, I’m already hooked on season 5. Let’s hope Bates ends up pushing Barrow in front of a Lorry in London.

Screen shot of opening of episode 1, season 5, Downtown Abbey, viewed at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/

Still, I have to get my biking fix from watching Lady Edith. There won’t be much bicycling in Iowa for some time. We’re getting multiple inches of snow on this Monday, and the week ahead is forecast to be windy and bitterly cold. Under the right conditions, I’m often back on two wheels within 48 hours of snow—but it doesn’t seem that this week will feature the right conditions.

Anyway, of course I drove to work today, and I left a bit early due to the heavy snowfall. When I got home and looked out the back window, a pretty boy cardinal was hanging about in the fading afternoon light, so I grabbed my camera. As soon as I did, he rapidly retreated.

His girlfriend was a bit braver and stuck around, sneaking seeds from the ground beneath the bird feeders I have in the back garden.

I think Lady Cardinal looks a bit pissed off as she collects seeds in the snow beneath a bird feeder. Honestly, if you look at them up close, cardinals usually look a bit maniacal and robotic, so maybe "pissed off" is her default mood.

You’re welcome to the food, Lady Cardinal. Tell Master Cardinal it would be OK for him to eat and be photographed, too. What is the point of his ridiculous scarlet coloring if he’s too shy for the camera?

And Lady Edith, spend more time on your bicycle, it may lift your mood and prevent you from moping about and burning down the abbey. Opps. Spoiler alert number two, too late!

In Which I See B&W and Dam Photos

I wasn't really planning, at first, for the first bike ride of 2015 to be the kind of adventure it turned out to be.

I had a new Canon PowerShot camera with me, one that my wife and I purchased so she would have a decent portable camera to take to England later this month. And it was after 2 in the afternoon when I headed out. Somehow, the low sun and the new camera said “black and white” to me, and I decided to my mission for this ride was to take some photos that would look good without color.

As it turned out, late in the ride as the daylight faded (I didn’t get home until 6), I shot some sunset images that I really like in color, so I’ve posted a slide show on YouTube that I’ll include in this post of the color pictures

I also took a number, however, that I thought worked well in black and white. I posted those grey images to flickr, and will put in a link to that flickr album.

It was windy and cool, with an air temperature near 30 but wind that made it feel much colder. But I was pleasantly surprised to encounter some walkers, joggers and other bikers on the Cedar River Trail. I went west to the trail via the Noelridge Park route, and considered going to Ely. As it turned out, taking photos meant that by 4, which I already decided was a sane turnaround time, I was just barely on the Hoover Trail, and I stopped at the first bench I encountered, had a light snack and turned towards home.

It was fully dark by the time I got past Cedar Lake on the return journey. Some of the emptier sections of trail felt really dark, but I plodded along.

Headed south on trail, crossing Cedar River. One of the black and white photos.

The new Canon performed very well, I thought—focusing when I zoomed, taking decent images in very low light.

I missed shooting a pair of deer who bounded across the trail not more than 10 yards in front of me. I didn’t notice any eagles on my journey, although I saw a photo on flickr today by another Cedar Rapids photographer of an eagle that is here now.

Turnaround point--Francis by trail as I sit on bench.

I did notice a beaver dam near the trail a bit south or east of the Mt. Trashmore area. I was mildly amused because there is a “trespassers will be prosecuted” sign right in the midst of the pond the animals formed with their little dam.

I hope the sign did not apply to them.

Shot view of the moon after shooting beaver dam.

Anyway, it’s my first post of a new year. Happy biking to all of you in 2015. In 2014, I did end up topping 3,000 miles by a bit more than 40, although my mileage figures are pretty rough estimates. Still, I think 2014 was a good biking year.

Early evening sky shot just after I crossed Cedar River on the way home.

What will 2015 bring? More adventures on two wheels, I hope!

Estimated miles per month biked in 2014. Peak is RAGBRAI month.

In Which I See Water Smooth and Roads Rough

The rough surface of the Lindale Trail. So I turned back and rode on pavement.

The longest ride of the Christmas break so far, and it came on the same day I spent two hours at the gym and the weather also cooled off so the day was below freezing. Strange how that worked out.

I woke up early, for no particularly good reason, and went to the gym a bit after 4 a.m. “Law and Order” did not start until 5, and my wife and I (she had showed up just before 5) enjoyed first one, and then a second episode. We decided by 7 we had to leave, so she want to pick up doughnuts for breakfast as I went home.

Well, after that sugary breakfast, I went back to bed and slept most of the morning away. I woke up after 11 a.m., had some leftover pizza for second breakfast/lunch, and spent a little time putting out birdseed and putting used bottles in the van.

By around 2, I decided the day was too nice to stay inside, and I dressed for another bike ride. It was cool, but I wasn't sure long underwear was called for. I decided warmth was better then coolth, and opted to risk over heating rather than hypothermia.

I set out, planning first to do the Lindale-Boyson Road trails and then maybe head over to the Cedar River Trail. But, once I got past the half-mile or so of paved trail to the limestone surface, it was both uneven and mushy in places. Although it was only 30 degrees, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the low winter sun was still warm enough to make water on rock liquid rather than solid.

I decided that once I get one of the mountain bikes fixed, it would be OK to ride this rutted trail, but I probably won’t do it on Francis and definitely not Fancy Bike.

So then I had the bright idea to stick to paving—and to go down to the Prairie Parks Fishery via the Cedar River Trail.

Birds on Cedar Lake.

I think it was a good idea. Cedar Lake, when I got there, has started to ice over again (early next week we’ll have lows near zero and it will probably mostly close). There were some walkers and riders on the trail, and plenty of birds were on the lake where water and ice met.

Closer look at some ducks. I like how the blue sky turns both ice and water blue.

Traffic was light as I traveled through downtown. When I go to Otis Road, the approach road to the fishery, Cedar River looked quiet and peaceful—even Mt. Trashmore was pretty reflected in the river.

It was such a pretty day even Mt. Trashmore, viewed from Otis Road, looked nice.

When I got to Prairie Parks Fishery, I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few people strolling or fishing—it’s good to see a park in use. The other surprise is that, unlike Cedar Lake, almost no water birds were crowding the lake. Then again, the river is nearby and birds seem to like it a lot—maybe the moving water stirs up more food.

On north end of Prairie Parks Fishery Trail, look south (top) and you see the lake, turn around (bottom photo) and you're looking north across the Cedar River.

Anyway, I ate the snack I had brought and then headed back home. The last half hour, I was riding with lights on, but by 5, when I go home, it was dim, but no longer fully dark.

While the coldest six weeks of mid-winter lie ahead, it’s nice to realize that the star which warms us by day is slowly rising higher in the sky and giving use more light each day.

Part of the route between the Cedar River Trail and the Prairie Parks Fishery--two blocks of brick street near downtown.

With my computer on the fritz, I’ll be guessing wildly at mileage. But I know this ride felt longer than the trip out to Lafayette yesterday, and that’s about a 20-mile ride. Did I go close to 30 in a bit over three hours?

It’s possible. And whether it was 30 miles or not, it was still a pleasant ride. As the sun slowly sank and the air turned colder, it turned out the long underwear was a good idea, too.

Traditional view of low sun over Cedar Lake, but it does look nice, no? Turned on lights after taking this photo.

In Which I’m Bathed in the Pink Glow of Fusion

Bike at Lafayette.

Boxing Day was another biking day in Iowa.

I had gone on a nostalgic trip to Middle Earth with my youngest son around noon, but The Battle That Ate Two Hours was over by about 2:30. When I got home, I suggested a bike ride to my wife and son, but he opted to stay at home, and she said “go away.” In her defense, she was trying to take a nap at the time.

So away I went. I briefly toyed with the idea of taking Fancy Bike out, but it had been ridden just yesterday, and my shoes aren’t as sturdy as my young son’s—I’ll probably swap out pedals before I take Fancy Bike out.

It was about 3 when I left home. I took the northern route through my sister’s neighborhood—I had texted her to see if she was interested—but it turned out she was busy.

So I was alone on the trail. Honestly, if the ride is not a long one, “alone” is not a terrible thing to be on a bicycle. This time, instead of heading south to Cedar Lake, I struck out north.

My goal was to make it to Lafayette by 4. I made it by 3:55.

It was cool and grey, but there were some breaks in the clouds, and I was hoping for a nice sunset after a quick snack break in Lafayette. The sky did not disappoint. There were a few breaks in the clouds, and they were strategically located in the southwest sky, so as the sun sank to the horizon, it bathed me and the trail in a pretty pink glow.

Picture one. Sky a little while after I left Lafayette, heading south on trail around 4:15 or so.

I don’t know yet how the photos turned out, but I took some of the pretty sky as I headed south. If they turned out well, I will post several.

A few minute later.

By the time I got to Hiawatha, she’ll be rising. Sorry, ghost of Glen Campbell making a pointless guest appearance. By the time I got to Hiawatha, the light was definitely fading, but I had turned the lights on before I left Lafayette.

Getting close to Hiawatha, near Tower Terrace Road.

Final sunset picture on final leg of trail before Boyson Road.

Well, I rode around 35 to 40 miles on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Biking in Iowa in late December doesn't get much better than that. And the rear derailleur is still working, too. It was a nice late afternoon ride.

Lights of Hiawatha as day fades to night.