Feb. 23--Sunny morning at C Avenue Collins Aerospace pond.
Pause on the Feb. 23 morning ride--street is a bit icy, and I have to ride slowly, but I don't really have any problems. Pause at street in front of Kenwood School, mostly just to shoot street and bike image.
It does seem like years since it’s been here. In the last week of February, we got well above the melting point of water—on a sunny day one week ago, the ice was slowly melting.
I didn’t ride a week ago on Monday—it was the first day of this melt, and there was way too much snow on too many streets, we did get some new snow Sunday.
But Monday Feb. 22 was a change—after a grey morning, the sun came out and the melting began.
So by Tuesday Feb. 23 I was again on the bike. After an icy morning, the sunny afternoon represented a change that brought many people out of winter hiding:
Taking some care on sidewalk on C Avenue early in ride.
Streets are a bit iffy in the morning--this is residential street late in the morning commute.
Bike on Rohde Family Plaza, MMU. I have arrived. Still cold, but the sun is pretty and will warm up during the day.
Street near campus closed--trees damaged in storm last August are still being cut down.
Relatively warm--in the 30s--afternoon draws people out for walks. Seen on Prairie Drive during bike ride home.
C Avenue bike lane--it had been blocked by snow, but is slowly melting clear. Good enough to ride with care--still lots of winter crud on the surface.
A few places--like Collins Road--where plows left snow barriers.
C Avenue sidewalk, my route home. Still ice and snow, but passable with mountain bike.
Unfortunately, on Thursday, Feb. 25, on the morning ride to work, somewhere in that cruddy, messy surface left by melting snow, the back tyre of The Fancy Beast managed to roll over something sharp. I rode to work that morning and, but the back was flat that afternoon and I had to have my wife come rescue me.
I don’t get all that many flats, and it had not been that long since I had fixed this back tyre. I wondered if wear and tear on the back tyre might be contributing to issues—it was well past its prime and I thought the edge that goes inside the bike rim looked a bit worn in spots when I fixed the last flat. So when I got this second flat, I decided to get a new tyre.
So on the final Friday of February, I took a side trip to the bike shop. The tyre I bought there is much fatter than the previous one and very knobby, but the woman who sold it to me assured me it would fit my wheel.
You may recall that my injured left index finger meant I needed my wife’s aid last time I changed my tyre—I’m happy to report that, although it was a sometimes uncomfortable struggle, I did manage on my own this time—although my wife was still partly due credit because she found me a tool I was having trouble locating.
Morning sun, Feb. 25. Rode to work, but had to get a ride home--flat tyre.
Bike hall by my office. Bikers get the best parking places!
Pretty image Thursday afternoon, but I am waiting for my wife to pick me up--the bike has a flat tyre. On the loading lane at Warde Hall.
Changing the tyre.
Well, once the new tyre was on the bike, I've been treated to some great biking days here in Iowa. The final two days of February and the first two days of March have seen me in the saddle, which is where I want to be. The first two mornings of March were cold enough for long underwear, but the afternoon sun has been slowly warming my part of Iowa.
Feb. 28--Sunday night ride is a bit late, working into the evening with college newspaper staff. My ride, and the moon, when I get home.
Pretty view of Dry Creek valley as I start my morning ride March 2.
March! In Iowa, it’s a transition month that can be very wintery or very springy. It’s starting cool, but we’re getting an ideal snow melt—cool nights that freeze things again followed by afternoons warm enough that bare ground is starting to appear and early flowers are starting to knife through the chilly ground as the sunshine grows more powerful.
Many more images from these rides, I hope you like them. The Feb. 27 ride to campus was via Cedar Lake, and I was OK with some image-making pauses:
Feb. 27--I have holders for my bike computer on my road and hybrid bikes--but improvise one for longer ride on mountain bike when winter streets are not ready for the other bikes.
Feb. 27-Unexpected pause at 42nd Street on Cedar River Tail. Luckily, the train was not a long one.
Feb. 27--This bridge had been pretty rough. City recently replaced many of the rougher boards and it's pretty nice now.
Feb. 27--Some project just north of the lake has the trail closed--but the city has placed in a bike detour down to H Avenue. Nice.
Feb. 27--Down by Cedar Lake, looking north at closed trail.
Feb. 27--Sunny final Saturday afternoon brings lots of traffic to trail by Cedar Lake.
Feb. 27--Above and below, birds cluster on ice of frozen Cedar Lake--they are near the one patch of open water at the lake's north end. Gees taking off.
Feb. 27--Passing by MMU athletic complex on trail on the way to campus--facilities at work clearing snow.
I assumed I would have to take bike inside library building, but no, snow has melted enough I can park at bike rack by Regina Hall.
Feb. 27--In the sunshine on some snow near bike--a lady bug slowly crawls. First bike ride bug of spring!
Feb. 27--Daffodil emerges near library on campus.
Feb 27--Melting snow cascades off of front of library.
Feb. 27--As I head home, I pass by Warde Hall, guarded (above and below) by this hawk.
Feb. 27--Corner of Boyson and Coucil Street on ride to Cedar Rive Trail. Snow blocks.
Feb. 27--Warm enough this Saturday to bike in sweatshirt rather than winter coat.
I decide crowds by lake justify the biker bandito look.
Feb. 27--Daniels Park has far fewer trees after storm-damaged ones cleared away. Riding by park on J Avenue on way to campus.
Feb. 27--Ride is slow, but hey, it's mountain bike in winter. The 2 hours of pause included 90 minutes working on campus.
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