In Which We Wait for Clear Pavement

One of my closest biking buddies, this 4-year-old grandson helps shovel this weekend. No biking for a while--I don't mind cold, and don't care if snow is in the yard, but I do need dry pavement.

It’s suddenly winter. We had a cold November, a warm December and a decent start to 2020—and how, on Jan. 22, I feel like I’m starting to lose it. Yesterday, I got home and seriously though of dragging the mountain bike out for a short ride.

I want to feel my body moving on two wheels again. Sadly, the streets do not. When the weather switch was suddenly set to “winter” recently, snow became way too common. We’ve not had a blizzard or major snowfall, but as I write this, another inch or so is accumulating outside as the snowpack become persistent.

The mean streets of Cedar Rapids are pretty but mean to a biker right now. Side streets in the city of Five Seasons aren’t cleared very well—the city seems satisfied to leave a thin layer of white, packed snow ice on residential streets.

Well, the city didn’t bring winter or snow.

Bike (not mine) seen at Mount Mercy University. When the pavement clears, I'm willing to park my mountain bike here, too.

But there are signs that 2020 will be an interesting biking year. My sister informs me that she can now reach Solon via the Hoover Trail. I have not tried—and can’t until a significant thaw—but that’s something. I noticed a new trail in Marion south of Wal-Mart, and am curious to see if it’s possible now to reach the Grant Wood Trail via that way. Blackhawk County is finally working on replacing a closed creek bridge on the Cedar River Trail way up in La Parte City (again, thank you biking sis who made me aware of that development)

The RAGBRAI route announcement is coming in a few days. As is usual in winter, I feel a bit up in the air about the ride. One of these years I would like to switch to doing partial RAGBRAI’s—it’s just getting harder to devote a whole week to the ride and I’ve been there, done that.

2020 logo from RAGBRAI.com

But I don’t want to stop entirely. Will RAGBRAI come near my neck of the woods?

We’ll see. Even if not, the other biking news makes it clear that 2020 and beyond may offer new biking adventures near my front door.

Cycle on, friends. And take heart with me. Spring is coming.