In Which A New Bridge Is Available for Light Tests

Evening of July 2--my bike parked on the new bridge on the Lindale Trail in early evening.

July 3--Seeing new bridge in daylight on Saturday afternoon.

Across Dry Creek (it’s the name of a creek and rarely dry) south of my house, along C Avenue, I encounter the nearest bike trail—the Lindale Trail, which leads east into Marion Iowa and the Boyson Trail area.

These are (currently) not very long trails, but change is coming. A trail that leads to the Cedar River Trail in Cedar Rapids is under construction, and it will link, in the future, to a side trail of the Boyson Trail.

The Lindale Trail is on an old rail line, and where it meets the Boyson Trail, there was a crumbling old rail bridge.

Rather inconveniently, in recent months, the Boyson trail has been closed, partly to clear derecho-damaged trees, but also, as the trails are paved and the old rail bridge replaced, as part of massive  expansion of bike trails in both Marion and Cedar Rapids.

So, while it’s been a bit inconvenient for me, I’m not all that unhappy to lose the use of the nearest bike trail. A short, paved section leading to Marion was paved years ago and remained open. But when the trail turns to limestone, after you cross a street, there was for the past year or so a “trail closed” barrier.

But, on Friday, that barrier was to the side. Had someone illicitly moved it? No, because a new sign, “Trail Closed Ahead,” had been installed. So, on an early evening ride, partly to test new lights, I rode on east. The limestone trail, which has been closed for so long, needs maintenance and is a bit rough, especially in dim light on a hybrid bike.

East end of Lindale Trail, for now. Void beyond barrier where another future bridge will be.

Wider angle view of new bridge and my bike from Friday night.

Bike on bridge Friday night.

At the bottom of the hill, seeing new bridge from below. Trail is messy from landscaping residue, but paved.

And then I got to the new bridge. It’s not the high trestle trail bridge, but it is pretty darn nice. It’s decorated with some rail motifs to recall its heritage--with a sign at one end pointing to Chicago, and at the other to Portland and San Francisco—pretty bold signs for this short trail. The expansion project is ongoing for several years, and the new bridge currently leads nowhere. There is a barrier to keep you from riding into the void where a bridge over a big, busy street does not yet exist.

In the past, the most challenging part of the Lindale Trail was the hill from the rail bed down to the Boyson Trail. It was rough, constantly washed out by every rain. Now, that hill route, and the Boyson trail south of that hill, is fully paved.

First sight of new bridge as I ride down Lindale Trail.

Reference to history of old bridge this new one replaces.

Ends of bridge have steam train decorative elements.

End of side trail by Menards--still under construction here.

Friday night ride--what is this? The trail closed sign no longer blocks the trail--trail closed ahead?

Where the pavement starts--and diverges, go down the hill to Boyson Trail to the left, or right to new bridge.

I suspect the route to the bridge is not open long-term. I expect they will include the stretch from the road to the bridge in future paving. But I enjoy seeing the bridge now, and the foreshadowing of a time when the Lindale Trial leads to downtown Marion.

I was on the trail late to test some new lights. For Father’s Day, my wife bought me some spoke lights. A few days ago, I put some on my mountain bike and went for a ride down to the MMU campus and to Cedar Lake. After campus, as I approached the lake, I heard a clatter—and found the guts of the light unit had fallen out. Centripetal force had popped the lid off of the light unit, and the lid and batteries were AWOL, had fallen out long before the guts of the lights.

I was a bit sad—the idea of the light unit was pretty cool, and now it was broken and pieces were forever gone. So I rode on, circled the lake, and had to consider the route I would take home. And I decided to ride exacltly the same route, with my eyes watching. Well, I didn’t expect much—I figured some car had probably crushed the missing pieces—but I decided to be optimistic (not my natural state of mind) and retrace my route. If the missing parts where there and intact, that’s the only way I could find them.

I was way down on J Avenue when the lights went out, so to speak. And it was almost back at the MMU campus, a good distance away, that I spied the AAA batteries and the lid to the light unit, all intact, by the edge of the street.

What shall we call our product? How about "Mide in China?"

Lights on wheel. Ready to spill their guts.

And I find the batteries and park my bike by them for dramatic imagery.

Found on the street.

 

So, I reassembled the unit, which flashed when I put the batteries in, which I thought was a good sign. I put it back on the wheel with the lid facing the hub, thinking rotation of the wheel would thus not cause the lid to fly off. However, as far as I could tell, the lights did not function. The box seemed to imply (in broken English, it was labeled “Mide in China,” for example) that the lights would automatically come on at night when the bike was in motion.

Of course, removing all of the parts and tossing them on pavement may have not been good for the lights.

Here and below, Cedar Lake on the ride of lost lights.

Deer near trail.

Well, I had a second unit, which I put on my hybrid bike Friday (with tape to ensure the lid stays on and parts don’t fly out). I was on the Lindale Trail because it’s a relatively shaded trail, but short and paved, so I thought it was OK to ride in dim light and see if the lights worked.

Finding the new bridge was an unexpected bonus. After inspecting the bridge, I rode down the hill and toured the paved part of the Boyson Trail. The far end, leading to Hanna Park, is limestone and I did not ride it in the late light. But the trail to Menards is now paved, and I rode that, although the project there is not done yet, as there are barriers at the end of that trail.

Unpaved part of Lindale Trail between the street called Lindale and the bridge area. July 3 daylight ride.

Bridge decorations recalling RR history.

Philosophy under the new bridge. But not great spelling.

More philosophy next to a heart and an Arby's logo.

 

And as I turned around to head home, there was a flicker. The lights on the front wheel of the hybrid were coming to life. The box says it makes several flower patterns, but I could not really see from my vantage point, other than to know that the lights were coming on now and then.

I’m not sure how they are supposed to work—the “documentation” with this product was nonexistent—but at least these lights do shine.

Friday night lights.

Pretty sky on newly paved Boyson Trail Friday night.

More important, the new bridge is open. I saw it again in daylight today as I used it on the way to ride to Waldos Rock Park on the Grant Wood Trail. The new bridge may not lead anywhere, but if you’re a biker in the Cedar Rapids area, you may want to check it out before the Lindale Trail is closed again as this construction project proceeds.

And I do appreciate the foreshadowing of even better biking to come as this trail expands and improves. (And now, for something completely different--images of an unrelated Thursday night ride to Lowe Park):

Sunset on Thursday night ride to Lowe Park. This is on the way home on Boyson Road.

In Which I Climb Two Mountains in One Day

My bike parked on top of Mount Trashmore June 12, a hot, dry summer day in Iowa.

Sorry, bike pals, it has been a while. A lot is going on this summer that that has reduced my usual habit of longer summer rides. Last week, I flew out to Massachusetts and then drove back over three days, helping a son move to Des Moines.

But two weeks ago, or so, on June 12, I did get one longer ride in. It was 21 and a half miles, on my mountain bike, which is pretty significant for an old man like me.

Since that ride, not so long ago, the weather has shifted completely. Our hot dry summer, where the heat and dryness of late July arrived in early June, shifted—and suddenly the usual wetness of early June has rolled in to finish the month. When it rains, it pours, in this odd year.

This was to be a ride on two mountains. I headed to campus and rode up the MMU’s central campus—I was after a jump drive I had left in my office. Mountain number one was just my normal ride to campus.

My bike, above and below, parked at MMU.

I was after something a bit more challenging. So I headed down to Cedar Lake, and circled it.

Then I headed down to the Cedar River, crossed it and went over to Mount Trashmore. I checked in at the new building—the check-in system has changed since I was here in previous years, and I used a kiosk to enter my information. I agreed that if I fell off the mountain, it was all on me, and then I headed up the gravel road that leads to the top of Mount Trashmore.

My front derailleur on the mountain bike has not been working well—not shifting at all, actually—but before this ride I cleaned and lubed it, and it started shifting between gears 3 and 2. I would not be able to get into granny year, but I assumed gear 2 in front and 1 in back would give me enough of an edge to climb this hill.

I was hot and sunny and I was wrong. Halfway up the hill, I started to feel very wonky and decided to stop at the next bench—sadly, not in shade, but it was a least breezy and the break was important to take. While on break, I put the control on gear one and pulled on the derailleur, which did the trick. The rest of the ride to the top was still too warm, but at least was in granny year.

I may ride up hills very slowly, I may stop and rest halfway, but I do ride up hills. I do not walk them. Not even Mount Trashnmore.

I rode to the summit, which is a bit beyond the outlook, and then returned to the outlook, where I rested a while and at a snack. The descent, I knew, would be the most interesting part of the ride.

Dry grass on hillside while I rest on way up Mount Trashmore.

Downtown Cedar Rapids seen from top of Mount Trashmore.

Watching rider head down the trail.

Mount Mercy University campus seen from Mount Trashmore.

Looking south towards Kirkwood Community College. I suppose you can see all 3 college campuses in Cedar Rapids--Kirkwood, MMU and Coe--from Mount Trashmore, but I don't know Coe well enough to recognize it at this distance.

Seeing a hawk fly by while resting on way up Mount Trashmore.

I could, of course, just coast down the hill on the road that leads up. But there is a special mountain bike trail route, which leads just down, but along a dirt track with some humps and sharp turns, just so an old man can experience the nearness of mortality and test his cardio vascular system.

I had stopped at MMU partly to tighten my loose rear brake, and I’m glad I did. I’m not much of a mountain biker, and the ride down did have what was for me some harrowing turns. I tried to brake before the turns and just ride through it—and even so I did slip sideways a few times. But I never spilled, never got off the trail and never hurt myself, so I guess we’ll call it a win.

Trashmore Trail--the mountain bike route down the hill.

Bike at the top of the trial, reading for me to ride down, but am I ready?

Overlook near the top of Mount Trashmore, where I stopped and snacked.

This and next two images, flowers in a garden at the bottom of the trail. I made it.

 

 

Besides the day that I climbed the two mountains, I took a later ride around Cedar Lake, where I met two Coe College students who are part of a biodiversity project. She encouraged me to submit some of my images, so I did, although my pictures were of pretty common sights so I doubt I added any new species to the project.

Flowers seen on ride.

Catalpa  in bloom, here an below.

Geese near trail south of river. Geese are dangerous.

Sunshine at Cedar Lake.

Seen on the ride back home after Mount Trahsmore, signs atop the levee route (I took the lower route to Mount Trashmore).

Milkweed by lake.

Family swimming on the lake.

Flowers by Cedar Lake.

Coe student makes image of a fish for bio diversity lake project.

Still, trying to be a helpful part of the crowd trying to help this worthwhile project.

I also took a quick evening ride to Lowe Park, in which I broke the pedals on my hybrid bike.

So, for now, I’m reduced to one bike. I can swap the pedals with the road bike. In the meantime, I had my week-long break from biking due to moving.

This week is already shaping up as another busy one. Summer 2021, with my family fully inoculated, seems to be full of making up for lost time—which I enjoy a lot. But I hope there are some more biking adventures to be had soon, especially since the early heat has broken.

Bike at Lowe Park at sunset, on ride where I broke the right pedal.