In Which I Ride Through Faux Summer

Evening sky on my bike ride home Nov. 5.

Nov. 7--Collins Aerospace Pond on C Avenue.

 

It’s been a while, biker friends. Your correspondent has indeed been on two wheels a lot lately—weather in Iowa turned warm for this election week. Too warm—hot like our politics is.

Must be all that hot air blowing around.

It’s been almost like late summer or at least September—days in the 70s, nights in the upper 40s or low 50s. I have enjoyed it, a bit, although I’ve also been so busy that I have not had any long rides. I rode 12 miles today, and it was the most miles I’ve had in a fortnight, although I did squeeze in at least one ride down to Cedar Lake during this warm stretch.

While the temperature says “Labor Day,” the light definitely says “November.” Morning and afternoon shadows are long. I wrote prematurely about the time change, but it’s in the past now, and darkness falls by 5 p.m.

Today, to celebrate a bit of euphoria (I won’t get political, but my wife and I are registered Democrats), my sweetie and I took an afternoon break. We rode our bikes to a Dairy Queen about 4 miles from home. After an indulgent treat—eaten outside, at a distance—I biked home with her and then took off my myself to gain a few more miles.

Starting out on bike ride Nov. 7 (above) with my wife. Later (below) the light fades on the Lindale Trail as I pedal home.

It was getting dim, so I stuck to some trails near my home. At a bridge over a creek, I paused to admire the pretty fading light, and noted clouds of insects dancing near the bridge. Not big clouds, and nothing was feasting on me, but still—one is not used to clouds of bugs on Nov. 7 at this northern latitude.

The ride was nice. I have been fascinated with light in these dark times, and spend some of my rides shooting sunrise or sunset images, or pictures of shadows.

Nov. 3 view of Cedar Lake.

Nov. 3, deer near Cedar Lake, seen during ride on Cedar River Trail.

Shooting shadows of a rider on trails this week, above and below.

 

Sunrise at C Avenue Pond, morning bike ride to work on Nov. 6.

In other recent biking news, the seat on the Fancy Beast did what it does at times, and settled, which makes for a rather rough ride, knees tucked under my chin, no leg leverage. I got my tools out and got it fixed, I think, and I have ridden it several times since tightening the seat post, but mostly I’ve been riding on the hybrid bike.

Well, summer can’t last forever. I think. Winter is coming. A gallery of some late October rides, ending in images of the repair project on the seat of the Fancy Beast: