In Which This Human is a Tool User

 

City employee makes image of riders on June 8 Ride the Districts event. One is missing, because he's behind her making an image.

As you may suspect, if you’ve read this blog, I’m not exactly Mr. Fix-It. Tools and me don’t always get along. Unlike Kaylee in Firefly, mechanical things do not speak to me and let me know what’s wrong. A bicycle mechanic, I am not.

Still, there has been some tool use along my early summer rides, as inevitably there is.

And seats seem to have been the theme of this month’s tool use.

I had signed up for the city-sponsored “Ride the Districts” ride which took place June 8. Cedar Rapids is divided into four quadrants, and each June, the city likes to display the biking infrastructure in a different part of the city. This year’s ride was to show off trails, including the Sac and Fox trail, one of the most prominent nonpaved Cedar Rapids trails. It’s a place I like to ride, and I was looking forward to experiencing at this event.

Ashley Vanorney, city council member, speaks at start of Ride the Districts ride.

My bike parked at Prairie Park Fishery June 8, ready for ride.

June 8--I'm a bit worn at the end of the ride, Now, time for ride home.

I chose my mountain bike for the ride, given the trail we would be on. But as the day approached, rain encroached into the weather forecast, with a decent chance the night before and morning of the ride.

Still, there was a free shirt at stake, so when it was merely cloudy and threatening to rain, I decided to chance it. I left home about 8, giving myself plenty of time to bike to the Prairie Park Fishery, the start (and end) of the ride. And less than a mile from home, at the corner of C Avenue and Blairs Ferry Road, a light sprinkle turned to more serious rain. I was a little concerned, as I was carrying rather expensive digital cameras in a water resistant, but not waterproof, bag.

Fortunately, good fortune and the rain gods were in a good mood. I wasn’t really soaked, only slightly dampened, when the rain turned back to light drizzle and then to mere damp cloudiness well before I made it downtown.

At the ride site, I got my shirt and had some time to relax before the group set off. Despite the weather, there were around 50 of us on the ride. The planned route was to take the Sac and Fox Trail from the fishery, but part of the trail was flooded, so we headed down Otis Road to the Indian Creek Nature Center.

June 14--Before ride to Mount Trashmore, I change seats on The Fancy Beast.

While there, a woman who had borrowed her son’s bicycle was complaining about the seat. It was adjusted so it was tilted too far back, and needed to be straightened. One of the ride helpers asked if anybody had a wrench, and I do carry a bike took that has a wrench built in. He took it an tried to loosen the seat, but gave up when he couldn’t get enough leverage. I asked if anybody had a regular wrench rather than a bike tool wrench, and another woman was carrying one. (In a group of not-young bikers, tools are likely to be found—even those of us who aren’t tool people know they can be handy to have on a ride).

By then, the ride helper had moved on, so I used the wrench, loosened the nut securing the seat and readjusted it for the rider. It felt a little weird, a joke played by the universe, that I was the one doing the tool use, but it seemed to work out.

The ride then did proceed along a not-flooded section of the trail, and then took a route I’d never been on before to go from the north end of the trial to Bever Park for another presentation (this ride always features presentations about bike trails) and snacks.

The seat of the Fancy Beast, my mountain bike, is kind of worn, and the cracks in the cushioning were bothering me a bit on this ride. I have a seat I saved from a previous bike, and so a few days later I replaced the seat. Doing so took some time and experimentation, but I managed the job (although I still have to tighten the new seat, it got a bit wobbly on its first ride).

Summer rides have been fairly nice this first half of June. Besides the Ride the Districts ride, I rode out out past Center Point to the Interstate 380 tunnel one day. I also planned to go to the end of the Grant Wood Trail, since they’ve added a limestone section where there was a grass trail, but an unexpected trail closure foiled that plan.

Some images of the unexpected experienced on rides. On a June 2 ride, noticed a hunting spider had taken up residence on my handle bars. I didn't bother it, but one ride must have been enough to persuade it to move on, have not seen it since this day. First in a series of June surprise images.

My June 13 plans quickly change. Some project has Grant Wood Trail closed.

June 5--Last ride for a while on mountain bike trails off of Boyson Trail--they've stopped mowing the mountain bike trails here and they are almost impassible due to tall vegetation. Saw a fawn hiding in the tall grass just a few feet from me. This whole set of images are of June biking surprises.

June 11--Stopped at MMU campus during a ride, as I am trying to leave, back wheel suddenly seems uncooperative. Bolt holding on back rack has broken--I remove rack and stow if in my office, and am still able to ride home. Another unexpected adventure. (My wife kindly bought me a replacement for Fathers Day.)

And this week, I did my annual pilgrimage to Mount Trashmore. Mount Trashmore is an artificial hill on the south side of town, built from decades of refuse. It’s still located on a site controlled by the regional solid waste agency, but they don’t add trash to Mount Trashmore anymore, and have put in place several trails. There is a gravel road that you can bike or walk to the top one. There is also a pedestrian-only trail (it’s better to walk there than the rode). And there is a one-way dirt trail that goes from the top down. That trail is strictly for Fat Tire or Mountain bikes.

It was my first ride with the new seat. The forecast said it would get the the upper 80s the day of my ride, so I anticipated it being nice. It was, but it was also just a touch hotter, with the temperature instead getting stuck at 90.

Some nature images from June rides--June 14, view from Mount Trashmore on warm afternoon.

June 5--Thistle flower.

June 2--Late day ride, features rainbow.

June 13--Interesting sky reflected in pond at Noelridge Park.

Bike at Noelridge Park June 13.

June 7--On ride north, fence just looks pretty by trail in Lafayette.

I was thus a bit tired and worn by the time I rode my slowest (not counting the old tandem) bike on a very warm afternoon down to Mount Trashmore. After checking in (you have to register with the agency to use the trails), I took a restroom break and refilled my water bottle, then headed up the mountain.

And I was so focused on doing the hard work of not only climbing, but climbing on a sometimes loose gravel surface, that I didn’t focus on the few people around me, much to my embarrassment. Because later, I found out that my wife, knowing I was planning to ride up Mount Trahshmore, had driven there and walked to the top. She was on her way down the gravel road when I was going up, and vocalized a greeting to me, which I neither heard nor acknowledged.

Well. That wasn’t the smoothest move of my biking career.

June 7--Resting in Center Point Depot on longest ride north so far this year.

Despite that, I enjoyed the challenge. I had brought a snack, knowing I would want a rest for the tougher part of the ride. Ascending to the top of Mount Trashmore is one feat. Riding the mountain bike trial down—it’s less work, but way, way more fear.

I did slide to an inelegant stop at one curve where I nearly lost control—but “nearly” is an important modifier. In the end, I made it to the end, and I enjoyed the journey.

As of June 16, I have 221.88 miles for the month—not quite as many as I got in all of February, but I have a fortnight of June riding still to do. The longest June ride was the day before the district ride when I went north—41.73 miles on June 7. For the years so far, 1,295.65 miles.

And, to finish off the post, two deer seen on trail behind Linn-Mar High School June 15.

In Which May Brings Bike Maintenance, Warm Rides

 

April 15--Riding The Fancy Beast on mountain bike trail by Boyson Trail. Turkey in the woods.

April 15--Ready to leave campus on the Mountain Bike. Flag from RAGBRAI last year (no, I didn't ride a mountain bike on RAGBRAI, this is just where the RABRAI flag ended up).

April 13--Took my wife's bike, my grandson's bike and my bike to Lowe Park for a ride. Grandson just recently learned to ride sans training wheels.

April 10--First bike commute to work without a jacket this season. Don't need jacket in summer-like heat now!

It was cool today, May 28, a break from a long string of warm days we've had, and there were a few sprinkles, which came as a bit of surprise to me since I went into the office today to deal with some end-of-year paperwork and I rode a bicycle because I thought the forecast was for a dry day,. However, the sky looked dicey, so I chose to use my mountain bike (my most all-weather bicycle), and I’m glad I did.

I got a bit sprinkled on—but only slightly damp, not really wet. It was maybe not quite as good as I wanted, but still good. Which has been the theme of my recent biking experiences.

For example, I’ve had the tandem bike out several times. My grandchildren keep growing, and some of them have gotten too tall to be comfortable on the Tag-A-Long seat. The tandem bike (needs a name, my other bikes have names already—it’s a 1970s era Schwinn, by decades my oldest two-wheeled steed, a deep red. Ideas?) solves the problem.

The first weekend of May, two grandsons, brothers, were staying for the weekend. I suggested to the older one, 12 going on 13, that we could go for a ride. He agreed. It was a fine afternoon, and we headed up to the Lindale Trail, first going west to Council Street, then doubling back to head through Marion on the Grant Wood Trail.

May 4--Tandem bike ride with my grandson, resting at east end of Grant Wood Trail. The trail has since been opened up.

It had not been my plan to ride that far, but the grandson was encouraging, and we just kept pedaling, ending up at the construction barrier at the east end of the trail. We hopped off to chat and take a short break, and then headed back west towards home. Our original plan was to circle Waldo’s Rock Park on the way home, but it was getting later, we were tired and so we headed straight home.

Turns out, the whole ride as 20.85 miles, which is quite a distance on that heavy old bike, although I divide the grandkid’s into “extra engines” or “luggage” on the tandem, and this day, the grandson was mostly a spare engine, which helped.

I took the 11-year-old on a shorter ride the next day—all in all, good use of the as-yet unnamed tandem.

May 3--Morning on the loading dock at Warde Hall, the building where my office is, ready to take bike inside and park by my office.

About a week later, I was with a different grandson, a 6-year-old. He’s just now getting too tall for the Tag-a-Long, and I I had to lower the rear seat on the tandem so he could reach the pedals, but that wasn’t hard to do. We set off, riding on the Boyson Trail. It was going to be a fairly short ride—this grandson is always willing to ride, but always lobbying for a ride to end soon, too.

Anyway, we were heading to the little hill that leads up from the Boyson Trail to the Lindale Trail. The old tandem only has a rear derailleur, controlled by one of those big lever controls (remember Schwinn bikes of the 1970s?). Maybe I shifted a bit too quickly or pressed the lever too hard—whatever the reason, the rear chain jumped off it’s front cog (in the middle of the bike, this tandem has two chains, front and rear) and jammed.

At least the chain didn’t break. I tried to pop it back into place, with no luck other than getting my hands super duper greasy. With the chain jammed, we could only walk the bike. Well, it was a bit of a walk, about two miles, to home from this place—but a walk-able distance. I called my wife, informed her and my daughter what had happened, and then the grandson and I started the march home.

About halfway there, we met my wife and daughter. My wife took over walking the bike, which I think was meant to be a favor, and I appreciate the thought, but honestly it made walking more difficult for me—I have aging knees that sometimes get sore, and my left knee was acting up. The bike, in effect, was a walker, something that could take some of my weight and ease the stress on the knee—without it, walking was slower and more painful. That last mile was a reminder of why, with my aging body, rolling across the planet is often much more pleasant than marching across its surface.

Coupled with the crippled tandem chain, my road bike had a flat back tyre at the end of April.

Luckily, I have Clarence and The Fancy Beast (my hybrid and my road bikes). So, as the school year heated up (the end of spring semester is always those most frantic, busy time of year), I could continue to roll.

The weather shifted. Our long-term drought has slowly abated, and May turned out to be a much wetter month than previous ones—good news for plants. In the past month, the world has shifted from an early spring of green grass and flowers but bare trees to a full regalia of shade. Many days have been summer warm, too.

May 20--Starting off on ride home, pausing to enjoy Iris in bloom behind Warde Hall.

April 20--Bike on trail behind Linn-Mar High School.

April 28--Clouds over Lindale Trail. Been dodging rain the last month or so.

April 27--Windy, but pleasant day for a bike ride, on Grand Wood Trail east of Marion.

I waited until the semester ended, but last week finally tackled some bicycle maintenance. I have a spare tube for the road bike, so changing it was not a big deal.

The tandem chain project turned out to be more of a chore. Try as I might, with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, I could not get the chain out. Partly, I was blocked by the chain cover, so I had to remove it. That was tricky and time consuming—only three bolts to remove, but they were not easy to reach.

Still, eventually, I worked the cover off and then, with better access the chain, I eventually (30 minutes or so, which is a very long time for your correspondent who does not naturally use tools) managed the chain extraction. Putting the chain cover back on proved even more problematic than taking it off, but again, I eventually was able to accomplish that task.

May 20--Getting ready to change tube on flat tyre on Argent.

Chain stuck on old red tandem. Help me, hive mind, what should this bike be named? Gemini? The Bus? Ying and Yang? Duo?

May 22--One more minor bike maintenance task--adding string of little lights my wife bought for now ride-able road bike Argent.

So it goes. I didn’t realize, until I checked, that I have not checked in on this blog in more than a month. April and May were both decent biking months, although with my recent health scare, I have not yet resumed long bike rides.

Still, summer is just starting and those longer rides are coming. And, in shorter distances, I have continued to ride. NPR recently had a story about the health benefits of bicycling, and I’m glad to do it for those, although mostly I do it because I enjoy doing it—alone on my newly repaired road bike or with a family member on the tandem.

I’ve gone from cool-weather biking to more summer norms—sunblock and bug repellent now being regular parts of my cycling routine. It has been a good April and May, and I hope you’re all enjoying rolling in your piece of the planet, too! Year-to-date as of May 28, 1,064.92. I rode 220.33 miles in April and in May so far, I have 197.28 miles.

May 20--Barrier at east end of Grant Wood Trail is down, rode a bit on new limestone trail. Didn't go far--it had rained recently. I'll be back on mountain bike on a dryer day to see the rest.

May 22--Bike ride to enjoy flowers at Lowe Park gardens. Bee there.

In Which My Brain Causes a Brief Biking Hiatus

March 24--I was released from the hospital Thursday, drove to work Friday due to a snowstorm, and rode six miles on Sunday. Back in the saddle again!

It’s turning out that 2024 will be a more new and interesting biking year than I thought. On the morning of March 20, I rode my bicycle to work, intending to bike home that night.

And I didn’t. Because I ended up in the emergency room. In the afternoon, as I detailed on one of my other blogs, I suffered a mini-stroke, what they call a TIA, and had a resulting overnight stay in the hospital. By Friday, I was able to go back to work but a morning snowstorm prevented any bike ride that day..

Well, what’s ahead on the biking road can’t always be anticipated. After my hospitalization, I’ve been told to engage in any physical activity “as tolerated,” and I can tolerate riding a bicycle. For now, my wife has informed me she doesn’t want me to do any solo 50-mile rides, and I think she has a point.

March 24--Going deliberately slow, using my mountain bike due to some snow left on trail. Put in a bit more than 6 miles on first ride in a few days.

So, we’ll see how this year shakes out. Since my last biking report, despite an unexpected hiatus, I have ridden more than 80 miles. This Easter weekend, I’ve enjoyed several rides with a 6-year-old grandson, doing two short rides with the Tag-A-Long seat. The weekend was grand, but so full of family fun that bike time was rather constrained.

I don’t feel myself, 100 percent. I’ve had a headache since the medical event, nothing serious, but irritating. I don’t know if I’m just tuning into aches and pains more, but I’m strapped to a 24-hour heart monitor, and I’ve had several “events” to report. Nothing serious, but some lightheaded moments.

Well, biking friends, when I saw my doctor’s PA post hospitalization, he was pleased that I had already been out on my bicycle. I intent to continue rolling—it would be a serious mistake to pull back too far on exercise, given my health issues.

March 27--Rode down the Lindale Trail for some extra distance on the way home. Weather getting more into spring, deer by trail keeping an eye on me.

But this past fortnight has had its share of reminders of reality and mortality. If we’re lucky, we grow old. That inevitably has an impact on our bodies and lives. And yet, if we’re also lucky, those bodies will be all the better because we choose to bicycle.

In other personal biking news, Team Joe, my RAGBRAI team, has made a big decision. We’re going to do joint rides the week of RAGBRAI, but not RAGBRAI. The route this year is very hilly and very southern Iowa, and doesn’t go through our towns. So we'll enjoy our own rides in the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids areas.

I still want to train and gain miles as the weather turns to summer. How far will I go? Nobody can tell for sure, but I hope to roll many more miles. Hope to see you out there on the trail, Lord willing, the creek don’t rise and my body holds up.

In March, my miles totaled 291.63. I’m sure they would have been more than 300, but for, well, you know. Still, I have 647.31 for the year. I don’t have Spring Break in April, but school ends a couple of weeks into May, so by the time spring is rolling into summer, I’m hoping that I can have rolled more than 1,000 miles. We’ll see!

March 28--Family is coming home for Easter weekend tonight, and I have Friday off work, but I ride to Cedar Lake in the afternoon on the way home. Warm, pretty afternoon, starting to feel a bit more like myself.

In Which Long Rides Bring Various Encounters

Rode with this flag on the front of my mountain bike in mostly blue, sunny skies. An image from one of my final commutes to work the week before Spring Break.

Spring Break 2024—in the past, my wife and I have sometimes planned a trip for the week I have off teaching at a university. We didn’t do that this year, partly because we knew there were several times we were going to watch grandchildren, but unusually warm weather (which is over for now) made for some good opportunities for bike rides.

For example, on March 11, a Monday, I went on my first ride of more than 50 miles this year, riding down the Cedar River Trail to the Hoover Trail, ending up in the town of Solon, about a 25-mile journey from my house.

It was a warm day, with the temperature reaching 70, but also quite windy, so the ride was something of a challenge. It was a cross breeze most of the time, but was more against me as I headed south—which was by design, I was hoping the wind would help me a bit on the way back home.

My bike in Nature Rec Area in Solon, Iowa.

A few days before the ride, I had a mildly unpleasant encounter with a group of teen boys on the Lindale Trail. Nothing too scary, they were just a bit rude to an old man on a bicycle.

And I had a feeling of déjà vu as I left Solon. Behind me I could hear adolescent voices chattering. In my mirror, at some distance, I could pick out three riders rolling along together, headed my way.

In the scheme of things, I’m a relatively slow biker, and I assumed what I knew was a group of teens would eventually overtake me. I decided I would try to not to care, and not rush myself.

Anyway, I was on my road bike, my fastest vehicle. As it turned out, while the following bikers would sometimes approach a bit, at other times I would roll ahead. They never got close enough for me to see them well.

A few miles north of Solon, I got to a rest area that is across a county highway, where I planned to rest a bit. On a ride of this length, I’m deliberate about taking some off-bike time, and this was a designated break.

And I was there, resting on the bench, when the teens rolled up. And it was a slight surprise—three teen girls, indifferent to an old man. It’s amazing to me that, at a distance, the conversational noises made by groups of adolescences can sound like the same background noise, whether made by girls or boys.

Anyway, the girls hopped off of their bikes and gathered to take a selfie, jostling for position for the phone camera.

“Do you want a picture from farther away than arm’s length?” I asked.

Well, they did. And I shot a picture for them with one of their phones.

Shortly afterwards, I headed out, and wished them a good ride. “You have a good ride too,” they cooed like a flock of birds.

That encounter was the more pleasant one. And the earlier one, to be fair, was a minor incident on an overall nice ride. The wind was sometimes a challenge this week, but rides were still unexpectedly good for this time of year. Not all my encounters were human--I saw lots of wildlife, including the first butterflies.

I rode the Sac and Fox Trail on Wednesday. That day, I cycled down the Cedar River Trail to the New Bo area, and headed down Otis Road to the south end of the trail. After circling the lake at Prairie Park Fishery, I entered the Sac and Fox Trail, an unpaved trail that I ride on my mountain bike several times a summer.

My bike on mountain bike trial next to the Sac and Fox Trail.

Frog statue in park at north end of Sac and Fox Trail, someone in the neighborhood always dresses it for the season. It's ready for Saint Patrick's Day.

The trail proved a pleasant surprise. In the past, there have been some soft sandy spots and some rocky gravel areas. I skipped about 2 miles of the 7-mile trail by taking a mountain bike route through the woods, but the 5 miles or so of the Sac and Fox that I did ride were in great shape. Last year, they must have covered most of the trail with a new limestone layer—there were no tricky soft sandy spots, no gravel areas to crunch over. The Sac and Fox is always a nice trail because of its scenery , but it was much more ride-able than in the past. I could have ridden my hybrid bike here.  I probably wouldn’t—I like having a mountain bike on this trail, partly for the option of cycling the woods—still, early in the season in 2024, Cedar Rapids bikers, check out the Sac and Fox.

What else is new in my corner of the biking universe? Something important to me.

A week ago, a daughter had an out-of-town trip planned, and my wife and I agreed to watch her 7-year-old son for a couple of days. And my wife decided that, with the nice weather, we would help him practice riding a bicycle, a skill he had not yet mastered.

She drove him to a school parking lot in Marion on Saturday, and I rode a bike there to meet them. By the time I got there, he was already practicing and doing fairly well. He only could ride a few yards, but was starting to get it.

In his final ride that day, he went maybe 25 yards, his longest solo bicycle journey. He had agreed to the biking session in exchange for playing at the school playground, so we stopped the Saturday practice and played.

Sunday, we went back, this time to a nearby intermediate school with a slightly newer, larger, flatter parking lot.

And the breakthrough was achieved. That weird transition that a person makes, when biking seems too difficult and scary and theoretical, and them something between their brain and body clicks, the balance that eluded them starts to appear and their muscles learn that all you have to do to balance a bike is to keep it rolling—well, it’s magical to see.

Grandson is suddenly a biker!

Another biker has joined the tribe this Spring Break. I hope it foreshadows some pleasant rides coming this summer.

The 50-mile ride March 11 was my longest of 2024. We spent several days in Des Moines at the end of this week, which has also turned seasonably cold, so after Thursday I didn’t add any miles. Still, between March 9 and 14, I rode almost 150 miles (149.47). It included the 50-mile day and several days over 25 miles. It included using all three bikes. It was a nice spring biking break.

So far, on this Saint Patrick’s Day, a bit over halfway through this month, this old half-Irish rider has cycled 210.53 miles for the month, and 566.21 miles this year. More pictures from this Spring Break week:

March 9--Grant Wood Trail east of Marion. It must be a spring thing--usually I see these blackbirds 1 or 2 at a time, but they were in large groups today. Felt a little Hitchcock.

March 12--Deer crossing Lindale Trail.

March 14--Pretty sky seen at creek bend on trail in Marion--the side trail off of the Boyson Trail near Menard's.

Riding alone the Sac and Fox Trail March 11.

More deer March 12, Lindale Trail. A group of more than a dozen were crossing the trail and disappearing into a small patch of woods.

March 14--Is this bridge on the Lindale Trail? The Grant Wood Trail? Somewhere where these trails run together.

Start of Sac and Fox Trail March 13.

March 10--Bike at Cedar Lake.

Pretty sky March 9 on Grant Wood Trail east of Marion.

March 14--Final late-day ride of Spring Break.

Seeing more insects in general, but this butterfly, on final Spring Break Ride March 14 beside Lindale Trail, is a bit unusual to see at this time of year.

March 11--Stop at the rest area between Ely on Solon during long ride.

March 7--Turkey on Lindale Trail.

In Which Early Spring Brings More Than 30 Miles

During Feb. 25 ride, I stop to check if first flowers have bloomed at Mount Mercy University Campus. They had.

Between Ely and Cedar Rapids on Hoover Trail, resting on a bench and enjoying the woods on Feb. 25 ride.

Feb. 23--First commute to work on road bike after replacing front tyre.

Feb. 27--Bike parked at MMU Grotto. Windy afternoon, next day was the one day this week I didn't ride--below-zero wind chills in the morning.

I suppose, technically, that I own four bicycles—but one is an old tandem, used primarily for short summer rides with either my wife or a grandchild.

Grandchildren and spouses, in my corner of the world, don’t do a lot of bicycling in the chilly early spring, which is what February has turned out to be in Iowa. In a normal year, it would still be winter and I would be weeks away from writing about spring. This is not a normal year.

And that’s added up to some extra biking miles for me.

My first ride of the year of more than 30 miles was Sunday, Feb. 25. I went some distance south on the Cedar River Trail for the first time this year, rolling to Ely and then back. It was oddly warm for a February Sunday, and when I rested in a park at Ely, small spiders were skittering across the pavement. Bugs in February. It’s not Heaven, it’s Iowa, but it’s hot like Hades, at least “hot” for this time of year.

Feb. 25--Resting at mid-point of long ride in Ely. I will have to dig up sunscreen, got a mild sunburn on this ride.

Feb. 25--Sunny view of Cedar River on trail headed south, south of river. Mount Trashmore in background.

Feb. 25--Large bird of prey. I think it's a young bald eagle that hasn't grown into its adult colors yet. Although it could be a hawk. What say you, internet hive mind?

Feb. 25--Geese in Ely city park.

I didn’t have time to continue riding south to Solon for a much longer 50-mile or so ride, and I wasn’t dressed for it anyway (I need bike shorts for longer rides).

It was a pleasant ride. I took two brief rests, one in Ely and one on a bench in the woods on the way back. It was a bit breezy, but still a good day to be out. The ride totaled 32.88 miles.

It was on the road bike, which I have finally repaired. I took it to Goldfinch, because I’m too old to easily read tiny black numbers on black rubber, and no, I don’t have my bike tyre size memorized. They concurred that I needed a new front tyre, but advised the that worn back tyre is still good for a few months, although it will need to be replaced before longer summer rides.

Changing the tyre is never my favorite thing, but honestly it worked out to be easier than changing the tube on my mountain bike, which I had done a few weeks ago.

Feb. 21--Bikes in rack near Regina Hall, MMU. None mine. Seeing lots more bikes in February than is normal.

Feb. 23--My bike parked at Warde Hall, early ride after fixing road bike. Hawk feather has blown against rear wheel--there are a pair of red-tailed Hawks that nest on Warde Hall, I assume this is their greeting card.

So, recent rides have seen me taking advantage of the full trio—the long weekend ride and some commutes on Argent, my road bike. When I’m in the mood or worried about poor weather, rolling on The Fancy Beast, my mountain bike. And several routine commutes using the all-purpose pickup truck bike, my hybrid, Clarence.

I rode 224.29 miles in February and 6.94 miles on March 1, giving me 362.62 miles for the year so far—more than 10 percent of my goal in the early winter months of the year. I hope that foreshadows a good riding year. I’m not sure the year includes RAGBRAI—they have a hilly, southern route this year, which doesn’t, frankly, appeal to me much, and last year’s crowded, hot ride kind of spooked me a bit.

I may be ready for fake RAGBRAI this year, where I just try to top 300 miles during the week of the ride. We’ll see. And that way, I can ride my variety of bikes as the mood strikes me—maybe even the tandem (which has no name right now).

Feb. 25--I wondered if first flowers had bloomed, so rode to campus on my way home from Ely. Yup, early spring is official. Building in background, Warde Hall, is oldest on campus and where my office is.