In Which Grandchildren Join the Rides

Nov. 28--After a warm Thanksgiving, it has turned colder, frosty grass seen at Collins Aerospace on Monday morning bike ride to work.

Nov. 28--Monday afternoon, ready for bike ride home with lights on.

We had a lot of family at our house for Thanksgiving—more than a dozen people packed into our modest home, enjoying two turkeys.

That day, I didn’t ride at all. But the day before and the days after turkey day featured rides, usually with grandchildren.

A young grandson who has just moved to Minnesota thinks it’s his grandfather’s duty to take him on at least one ride daily, and, honestly, grandad is not upset at that expectation.

Nov. 23--On Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I rode to work in the morning to catch up on some grading. Took a bit of a detour on the way home and headed down the Lindale Trail. After crossing the two bridges there, noticed this toupee-wearing shark beside the trail.

Nov. 23--Another nearby shark.

Nov. 23--My making images of sharks does not go unnoticed. Neighborhood watch at work on Walnut tree.

So the tag-along seat and Clarence, my hybrid bike, got several rides in. The longest was 9 miles.

On that 9-mile ride, the bike-happy grandson actually rode with my youngest son, as his son (the youngest son’s son, the grandson isn’t of reproductive age yet, absent cloning), rode in a bike trailer towed by me on my mountain bike, The Fancy Beast.

Of all the rides I did around Thanksgiving, that 9-mile one was the most challenging. The Fancy Beast is not my fastest bike anyway, and the almost-2 grandchild in back is rather large for his age, a bright, tall, solid, happy boy who could be heard chortling with glee anytime I was headed downhill.

The other grandson—the one who was my bike buddy most days—kept up a constant chatter, commenting on the sights, asking questions, telling tales. He always does that, any ride with him is guaranteed to be a communication workshop.

Nov. 26--Rode bike to Huntington Ridge Park on C Avenue with another grandson to meet family for some find weather post-Thanksgiving outdoor play. Milkweed seeds seen there.

Nov. 28--Rode down the trail to first roundabout in Marion on my way home. City Christmas lights seen there.

For another ride during the Thanksgiving season, I got the ancient tandem out of the garage and rode it with a tall granddaughter. She’s 11, but looks more like 13 because she’s a sapling, a thin, tall girl—one of two older sisters of Mr. Chatterbox biker.

I’ve ridden the tandem with that granddaughter before—and she’s a pretty good natural tandem rider. On a tandem bike, the two riders have to function as a team and must communicate about things like when to pedal and when to coast, when stops are coming up and when to launch the heavy two-person cycle into motion again.

That tandem ride went well.

As November comes to a close, winter is again taking hold. Today it was quite cold—the morning commute was at 18 degrees Fahrenheit, but with a stiff wind that yielded a wind chill of zero. Definitely a day for the long underwear and a scarf.

At least around Thanksgiving, we had been blessed with some warmer days, which made the rides with grandchildren a real pleasure.

Nov. 23--Warmest day of the week, sun low at 3:24.

Nov. 23--Morning views (above and below) of C Avenue pond at Collins Aerospace.

I finished November with 199.34 miles for the month—not bad for this time of year, but a little down from October. For the year, I have 2647.41 miles—about 350 to go to reach my goal for the year.

The weather in the final two weeks of the month, especially in the days after my semester ends, will got a long way to determining if I make it.

We’ll see, but I aim to enjoy the attempt!

In Which I Have My Own Trails

Nov. 17--Bike on campus after cold morning ride. Some flurries, but all-in-all, I could have ridden road bike.

Nov. 18--Walked my bike across the C Avenue Bridge. Rode the road bike today, not a bad move.

One reason to ride the mountain bike on Nov. 19. Parked on snow by trail bridge. Trail has been cleared, but there is a layer of the white stuff, which makes wide tyres nice.

It was cold in Iowa on Nov. 19—very cold for this time of year. It was a day that would not have been out of place in the dead of winter rather than late fall. The temperature struggled to approach 20, but the wind helped make up for that by not struggling so much to reach 40 mph.

So the wind chill flirted with zero Fahrenheit.

I had missed two days biking this week due to snow. I had commuted on wheels Thursday and Friday, however. And I am babysitting a daughters dogs, so I decided to head out on my mountain bike. My plan was to ride the Boyson Trail area, and then decide whether to continue to her house or return home and drive there.

Started my Saturday ride heading west on the new section of trail headed west from Lindale Trail. It was very cold going that way, but it proved I could ride that direction. And Blair's Ferry Road is now all open, as far as I can see--new trail project done?

Another view of bike on bridge in late afternoon, sun going down.

Although it's cold. I think mountain bike looks at home on mountain bike trail.

Heading home on Grant Wood Tail in Marion, enjoying Christmas lights at West End Diner.

Getting ready to walk bike across bridge.

Well, it was too cold to do the whole Boyson Trail complex, but I did have my mountain bike, so I indulged in the easy mountain bike trail by the main trail. It was a bit bumpy—frozen, uneven ground. Still OK to ride at slow speed on a mountain bike. And I always ride a slow speed.

I took the new creek trail out to Boyson Road. I knew that the cold wind was blowing from the west, and I was headed east, so if I continued on to my daughter’s house, I would face a very challenging ride home.

What the heck. YOLO. I went for it.

And. Wow.

That was a cold ride home. Still, I had my full winter regalia. Warm boots. Two pairs of socks, the outer one being thick winter ones. Long underwear. A t-shirt, a long-sleeved t-shirt, a warm sweatshirt, wind-cutting jacket, mittens, a scarf, a biking cap under the jacket’s hood. All in all, my face did get very uncomfortable and I had to ride in a lower-than-usual gear as I climbed a 40-mph wind “hill,” but the ride was doable.

I took the Grant Wood trail home. The new bridges there are like the C Avenue bridge—covered in snow and ice, so I did walk across the curvy new bridge. The Milwaukee Road bridge, which is straight and shorter, I did ride slowly—although, given the choice to live my life again, I would have walked that, too.

I did see a possum on the trail in the dim light on the way home. I was expecting maybe to see deer, but none were out. Only mad dogs and Englishmen may go out in the midday sun, but only CR Biker is crazy enough to ride the trail on a super chilly day like today.

No other bikers were in sight. I felt like I owned the trails today, like they were made only for me. Delusional, I know, but if my grip on reality were strong enough, would I have been out there to begin with? My only other human contact were two dog walkers that I encountered—even when it’s cold, a dog has to be walked. Which, by the way, is one reason that I have owned one dog in my life, and am done with that phase, thanks.

I made it home, only mildly frozen. My wife, who had been out all day visiting a different daughter and helping her with a house project, had made a nice hot dinner of shrimp, french fries and green beans. It was just the ticket to warm a chilly biker.

Above and below, stopping to make images on mountain bike trail off of Boyson Trail. I didn't have to worry about blocking bike traffic on this cold day!

The rides to work Thursday and Friday were quite cold, too. To be honest, we’re just at the edge of when CR Biker would give it up—zero Fahrenheit, whether actual or in wind chill, is generally as low as I go. But the weather is to return to a more seasonable range in coming days, and I don’t regret my cold rides this week.

I rode almost 47 miles this week. There are six weeks left in the year, and I am 438.36 miles short of my 3,000-mile goal. I had been thinking I would have to aim for 100 miles a week to get it done, but that’s not the math. I will have to do more than 47, but if I managed a bit over 70 miles in each seven days I could get there.

So far this month, 113.57 miles. So far in 2022, 2,561.64 miles. With 438.36 miles left to reach my goal, it’s way too early to either claim victory or give up, but I don’t feel like I’m in a bad place.

Well, we’ll see if I make it. In my mind, I’m already a winner.

Or crazy. You be the judge.

In Which CR Biker is Hot on a Cold Day

Nov. 13--Heading home from work late on a Sunday afternoon. sunset (and my bike) at MMU's Warde Hall.

Nov. 13 sunset without the bike.

Monday, Nov. 14, represents, sort of, halfway through November. We are supposed to get up to 3 inches of snow on Tuesday, so I will skip couple of biking days this week.

I’ve ridden 87.36 miles so far this month, and have 2,535.43 for the year. My goal is 3,000, which means I would have to ride just under 470 miles in the next 6 weeks—a bit iffy, unless there’s really good December weather once the semester ends.

Still, I’m feeling pretty good. Despite Mother Nature cheating me out of an expected experience today.

You see, snow was in the forecast today, too—not accumulating snow (I don’t ride in accumulating snow), but just a few flakes. Today is the first day I wore my full winter outfit—winter boots, long johns, double socks, hood and biking hat as well as gloves. It wasn’t quite the complete cold weather gear—I would add a third shirt, mittens instead of gloves and have a scarf at really cold temperatures—but it was windy and in the 20s this morning, so worth some weather respect.

I rode the mountain bike, just in case, and brought my camera, ready to record the first truly winter snow ride. And it didn’t happen.

Nov. 14, morning sun shines through clouds at C Avenue pond. But the clouds did not produce promised snow.

I was actually pretty comfortable despite the wind and chill—I do know how to dress and can stay warm. And the sky was pretty, even if it didn’t snow.

Images from other recent rides:

Nov. 11, riding by C Avenue Pond, great place to contemplate sunrise.

Nov. 7--Heading into MMU library late in afternoon to work on student newspaper.

Nov. 7--Sunset seen from MMU Library at end of bike ride there.

Nov. 7--Starting on bike ride home later--Moon seen through trees at MMU Rohde Family Plaza.

Nov. 4--Before weather turns cold, nice fall day, bike parked by Warde Hall.

Nov. 4--Rode bike to Mount Calvary Cemetery to make images of MMU class visiting and cleaning graves of sisters buried there.

Nov. 4--Cemetery crow.

Nov. 2--Dia de los Muertos, perfect day to swing by Mount Calvary Cemetery on the way home. What's a more peaceful place than a cemetery at sunset? The cemetery is by a new bike trail in Cedar Rapids.

Nov. 2--Another view of the sunset and the cemetery.

Oct. 31--Swung by Cedar Lake on the way home on Halloween.

Oct. 31--Hunting at Cedar Lake.

Oct. 31, above and below, reflections on Cedar Lake.

Oct. 31--I wonder at this bike I see at MMU. Always propped on a tree, never in a bike rack. And front brake taken apart. Exciting to get off of the hill on this bike, I bet!

Oct. 30--Checking out newly paved part of Grant Wood Trail.

Oct. 30--Bike parked at end of east segment of Grant Wood Trail.

Oct. 30--Same bike, same place, different angle.

Oct. 30--Waldo's Rock pond.

Oct. 30--Another view of pond.

Oct. 30--Nearly home as darkness falls, Halloween decorations in the neighborhood.

Oct. 30--Selfie on Grant Wood Trail. By the sign of the buffalo.

Oct. 31--Different camera, view of Waldo's Rock Park pond.

Oct. 30--Pretty light on trail bridge