In Which the Biker Loses and Regains Mittens

Pausing at a bridge on the Boyson Trail.

The streets were sometimes snowy this week, and one morning, I madethe decision that the weather wasn’t good for biking.

But despite the one-day break, I rolled through 32 miles this week, including some today, a very cold winter day.

A bit dicey on some streets Monday morning. The bit of sun that day improved the evening ride dramatically.

My bike, mountain this time, parked at Mount Mercy University.

I think this was Wednesday. I took longer trail route home, and briefly stopped down by Cedar Lake.

Today, I rode the hybrid, but only because I was riding with a grandson, and that’s the bike that has the Tab-A-Long attachment.

Most of my rides this week, after the exciting near fall last week, were on The Fancy Beast. On some cold days, that old mountain bike felt a little creaky. I think some bearings in the rear may be iffy—but then again, it rode more smoothly on warmer days, so perhaps some frozen moisture was most to blame.

In any case, the week was mostly a pretty, if chilly one. The highlight was the ride today when I took along a young grandson. The 6-year-old was enthusiastic about getting  a ride, even in the cold.

Maybe it helped that we had spent some time in the morning playing the backyard. He already knew that if he dressed for the weather it was not too cold to be outside.

Riding with a young child on a cold day is an adventure. We stopped at Walgreens to stare at movie ads in the rental box outside—not because we were going to rent a movie, but just because the boy wanted to check to see which movies he had seen and chat about them for a while.

Ready for ride Saturday afternoon.

Bike parked on bridge over Dry Creek on Boyson Trail Saturday.

Watching duck in Dry Creek.

And we stopped on a bridge where he could toss some sticks and snow into the open water of the creek below. I tried to discourage the snow. He was earing knitted gloves, and if he played too much in the snow, they would get wet and his hands would get cold.

Which is exactly what happened. So for brief intervals, I took off my own mitten and had him wear them to warm up his unhappy hands.

Which meant I was biking bare handed. In 18 degrees Fahrenheit.

That’s why the intervals were brief.

Anyway, I got him home and then rode home myself. I had toyed with the idea of going on a longer ride after dropping off the Tag-A-Long, but my face was complaining about the chill.

So I stayed home. Which is OK. More than 30 miles in a week isn’t all that bad in February, I’m thinking. Now, I have 103 miles for the month and 218 for the year so far.

Went to an art reception at Mount Mercy University for artist Gail Chavenelle. This is one of her sculptures.

Morning sky early in the week.

Clouds are pretty, but I'll take more mornings like this. Cold Friday morning.

Final look at Feb. 29 ride.