CR Biker: In Which I Regret the Choice of Shoes

On the sidewalk between Echo Hill school and the Lowe Park area, Marion, Iowa, at sunset.

Saturday, Feb. 5—At this point in January, I had zero bike miles done. February has been more rider friendly. I didn’t ride Friday—it was deeply, deeply cold in the morning with a slight chance of snow. And just after noon, for a short time, the world turned white as blowing snow pelted down.

The snow was quick, and maybe I was lucky to be walking back to my office so I could make some images of it. And the snow reinforced my lack of guilt in not riding on Friday. But despite taking that day off, I have a few miles in this month. And I rode a bit extra today, making a late afternoon journey to Lowe Park on the hybrid bike (I still won’t ride it to work due to some icy places on the route, but I gambled that the pavement would be largely clear on the ride today, a bet that proved to be well placed).

Statue of Sister Catherine, who founded the Sisters of Mercy, on the campus of Mount Mercy University Friday afternoon. Not regretting my decision to leave my bike at home.

Bike I usually ride in winter parked where I usually do not park it. Feb. 1--I arrive at Basile Hall just in time to deliver a guest lecture at an 8 a.m. class, so I did not go to my office first. In winter, I usually park my bike right outside my office door.

The Saturday ride was 12.19 miles, which gives me, with the earlier in the week commutes, 26.19 miles for February in its first five-day week, which I don’t feel is bad at all. So far, 141.58 miles for the year.

The ride today was a bit hurried. I was tied up earlier in the day, and tired, so my first agenda item for the afternoon was a nap. For an old man like me, naps are extremely important. It was 4 by the time I was awake and ready to ride, and it took a little time to get dressed (long underwear, thermal socks) and get water, so it as about 4:30 when I headed out.

These days, unlike a few weeks ago, 4:30 isn’t night yet, but it was cloudy, so I rode with some lights on.

And I faced the choice of shoes. I had already picked my route and my bicycle—my commutes for now will still be on the mountain bike, but today I wanted a bit of a break from The Fancy Beast, so I pulled Clarence out of the garage.

And had to pick shoes. Clarence has double-sided pedals, so I can wear biking shoes or anything else that I want to wear. On my winter commutes, I wear warm winter boots. Today was by far the warmest in February so far, with a temperature, in the 20s Fahrenheit. A grey, windy, cold 20s, but 20s are far better than the single-digits we had for much of the week.


My usual winter bike ride shoes--insulated winter boots.

What I wore today. Leather bike shows. Leather, when not insulated, conducts heat far too well, as I proved through painful personal experimentation today,

So, I decided the socks would be enough and I would wear my biking shoes for the first time in 2022.

I think I jumped the gun.

The ride out to Lowe Park was pleasant enough, and I was enjoying the crisp air, the snowy landscape, the occasional peeks of sun through the grey sky.

It's not the first time I rode this bike this year--I did use it to take two granddaughters on rides with the Tag-A-Long seat a week ago, but this was the first long ride of the year on the hybrid bike.

Passing by Bowman Woods Park next to Bowman Woods School on Boyson Road. Sledders doing a more mundane winter thing as a crazy old man cycles by. Winter sky.

Nearing Lowe Park, old bicycle with gnome. Garden decoration or warning to bikers to keep going before the gnomes attack?

But by the time I got done riding the length of the Lowe Park trail, my feet were preparing angry protest notes. “It’s colder than a big dog,” they wrote, or would, if their toes were fingers. “Where the heck are our boots, crazy old man?”

Sorry, toes, I left them at home. Lowe Park is north and east of my house, which means a good part of the ride home was into the face of a fierce south wind. The temperature didn’t drop, but with the sun fading over the horizon and the wind blowing on my face, I felt far, far colder on the way home.

Yet, to the credit of long underwear, my thin jacket that does cut wind, the biking hat one of my daughters got me for Christmas, only my face and my toes were displeased.

The toes especially. They gave up letter writing for a riotous tantrum, silent but effective.

Despite the pain top and, mostly, tippie toe bottom, I enjoyed the ride. It felt good to be on a lighter bike. It felt good to again visit Lowe Park. There was some ice here and there, and one short stretch where snow has blown across it, but it was pretty much all clear, bare pavement. Kudos, city of Marion.

And now, I’ve edited the excessive number of images I made. I’m watching the Winter Olympics as I write this, snug under an electric blanket, toes now happier in warm indoor slippers. I treated myself to a grilled cheese and ham sandwich, Fritos, an apple, and hot chocolate for supper, followed by Blue Moon for afters.

All in all, a good ride. And I promise, toes, the rest of my winter rides, on mountain or hybrid bike, will feature the warm boots. Lesson learned. Lots of images: