In Which There is a Lull Before

Airing my tent out in the backyard July 20. It's my second RAGBRAI tent, much smaller and simpler than the first. Less complex is sometimes good.

I had not really planned it that way, but Wednesday was my final bike ride before RAGBRAI.

On Monday, I had gone to Des Moines to visit my youngest son, daughter-in-law and grandson there. The daughter-in-law has a new bike given to her for her birthday by my son, and it was a momentous gift, marking her foray into the world of biking. She never learned to ride a bike as a child, and just last week they went to Gray’s Lake, where she glided around for a while on my son’s bike, and then started pedaling.

He shot a video. She pedals by him, saying something about blessed excrement. It turns out, in your 30s, if you're motivated, it's possible for your body and brain to learn the subtle balance needed to keep moving on two wheels.

So, we brought our bikes to Des Moines and pedaled along the paths near Gray’s Lake Park with them. Our speed was pretty slow, dictated by a very young grandson who waffled between riding in a trailer (faster) and zooming along on a glider bike (slower).

On a trail near Gray's Lake, Des Moines, newest rider, daughter-in-law, leads the way.

Still, it was a pretty day, it was fun to enjoy a ride with a new adult biker, and we did also stop at a playground, always fun.

Tuesday, I only did a little riding, going to campus and back and doing a minor amount of work there.

And on Wednesday, pre-RAGBRAI riding reached it climax. I got my mountain bike out of the garage that afternoon, planning to ride on some grassy walkways through a prairie flower garden at Waldo's Rock Park in Marion. It was a fine, warm afternoon. On the way, I encountered a group of turkeys crossing the Lindale Trail, and made some images of them.

And when I got out to Waldo’s Rock, there was a pelican at the pond, which was cool to see.

Pelican (above and below) leaving Waldo's Rock pond.

Pelican in the pond.

Turkey (above and below) seen on Lindale Trail.

Turkeys (above and below), Lindale Trail.

The final ride was thus already a win but it would get even better. I was headed back west, intending to ride the mountain bike trails by the Boyson Trail, when I ran into my wife riding the other way. We decided to ride on the Boyson Trail together. We went out to Menard’s and then turned back. When we got to the mountain bike trail, I took it and she stayed on the main trail. By pushing pretty hard, I managed to finish the mountain bike trail in the same time that she rode the main trail. We rode home together.

She rode 10 miles that day. I rode 17.4 miles. The miles this week were far fewer—deliberately so, taking it easy the week before RAGBRAI is a time-honored strategy to have your body well rested for the long ride.

And it’s shaping up to be a long ride in at least one way. A heat wave is expected, with temps approaching triple digits by mid next week. Hot weather riding—well, I have done that before. Was it 2012? It was my second RAGBRAI, and it began in a heat wave. Temps that year soared to more than 100 degrees.

The strategy was clear—begin each day as early as possible and ride as far as possible before the heat really kicked in. Take hydration seriously. Any time you felt a bit off, stop, find some shade, rest a while. It was a tough RAGBRAI, but I got through it.

I was younger then. And my style of RAGBRAI riding has evolved. During that ride, the goal was to ride every mile. Now I’m on a family team where we share driving duties, and so I have the choice whether to ride a full day or half day.

The hydration and rest strategy will be in place. The start early strategy is also important. The let the ride be what it will be and don’t fuss about riding all the miles idea is new. I plan to enjoy the ride as best I can, let the weather be what it is and roll with it. In the RAGBRAI spirit.

In July so far, I have pedaled 346.9 miles. Year to date, 2,035.9 miles. And more miles next week as I roll most of the way across the state. See you on the other side. My RAGBRAI will probably end Thursday, my plan is to ride 5 days and then be home to see visiting family members.

Good luck to you if you’re doing the ride this year. And next week on RAGBRAI, start early, take it easy and drink—water. Lots of water.

In Which My Sister and I Pass a Century

 

Bike in driveway ready to roll on 100-mile ride.

What does 100 miles on a bike feel like?

I’m about a week before leaving home to ride RAGBRAI. My sister contacted me earlier this week and suggested we plan a longer ride for this week, with a goal of reaching a century—a 100-mile ride.

We’ve done it before. A 100-mile practice ride shows that we’re RAGBRAI-ready, but 100 miles on a practice ride is a lot easier than 100 RAGBRAI miles, since RAGBRAI involves many more hills than our long practice ride does.

On the other hand, neither of us plans to ride the optional loop to reach 100 miles in one day during RAGBRAI, so our last very long training ride does have some meaning.

The goal was to start at 8 a.m. I arrived at my sister’s house about 8:10, so I was a little late, but it means my ride began before 8.

The morning was sunny and pretty. It would turn into a warm day, but was very pleasant at the start of the ride.

My sister on her trike as we head north on a warm, fine sunny Iowa summer morning, Cedar Valley Nature Trail north of Center Point.

As we headed north to Urbana, it felt like we were flying. We had lots of miles where our split speed was over 12 mph. Now, I know for many serious bikers, that’s a slow pace, but for a 10 mph rider like me, we were kicking it.

My sister saw a fox on the way north, although I missed it. But sunshine, flowers, birds, etc., Iowa was looking quite fine. We rode past Jams coffee shop to the end of pavement and then came back for our first long break. We both had savory scones and I had iced coffee.

Watching robin family, munching a nice scone at Jams in Urbana.

My sister bought a bag of Chex Mix and then we were back on the road.

We paused as we headed south, resting at Cedar Lake and at the city park in Ely. It was getting to be afternoon and turning hot, and I suggested we might want ice cream in Ely as an appetizer rather than an after-lunch treat, but we decided we would need the break and the desert more later, so we pushed on.

I was glad to have my sister with me. Granted, I would have been able to use Google, but when we got to Solon, I had no idea how to find the local brewery, our designated lunch spot. Hello Big Grove marketing department, many some signage along the popular trail brining traffic into town from Cedar Rapids would be in order?

Headed south on trail towards Solon.

Anyway, it turned out it was happy hour, so we each had two beers. My sister ordered cauliflower wings as an appetizer, then she had a salad and I had a burger. The food was very good.

There was a little drama, as my sister misplaced her keys to her bike like, but they were quickly found by a helpful waitress. We also stopped at a bike shop in Solon hoping to get my sister’s mirror on her trike fixed, and the mechanic there tried to help, but the screw seems to be stripped.

Sister trying to fix mirror. Trail fixes didn't work. Something to fix for RAGBRAI.

Anyway, back on the road. We headed north again towards Ely, making good time, although the sky in the north was starting to look a little dicey.

We had our ice cream break, but when we again started riding, we were just outside of Cedar Rapids when I saw lightning in the north sky. A check of the weather app confirmed an approaching storm.

“Should we stop at the park?” my sister asked. I agreed to that plan.

A open park shelter may not be the ideal shelter in a thunderstorm, but it felt better than being out in the open. We stayed in place for about 40 minutes as the storm passed.

Watching storm in Hoover Park shelter--this is sky starting to lighten as storm ends. Below, as rain falls.

A young lady rode up and joined us. She was riding with her dog in a backpack, and she described him as a cranky old man who enjoys biking.

Sounds like me.

Young lady riding in rain with old dog in backpack She stopped and waited with us in the park shelter.

By the time the rain passed, it was getting close to sunset. We were 80 miles into the ride. I was thinking we would only get about 90 miles, but as we neared home and the ride had reached the mid-90s mark, it became a quest. So, despite the dim light, we turned down the Lindale Trail, riding east until our way was blocked by a fallen tree, and then riding past Thomas Park for a ways on the Boyson Trail.

When I reached home, it was around 9 p.m. and my bike computer showed a ride of 101.1 miles.

Sky and river views late in the ride after the storm.

Goal reached. It was an easier century ride then the time we went up to a suburb of Waterloo, since the whole ride was paved. We both decided if we survive to be 100 years old and decide, like crazy bikers, to ride our birthday in miles, this century route is a better bet.

With those 100 miles, I’ve reached 309 miles so far in July. I rode 571 in June. So far this year, I’ve rolled 1,998.05 miles—so even if my rides the next week will be a little less long, I’m sure to top 2,000 miles before RAGBRAI. And 100 miles felt good.