In Which Early Spring Brings More Than 30 Miles

During Feb. 25 ride, I stop to check if first flowers have bloomed at Mount Mercy University Campus. They had.

Between Ely and Cedar Rapids on Hoover Trail, resting on a bench and enjoying the woods on Feb. 25 ride.

Feb. 23--First commute to work on road bike after replacing front tyre.

Feb. 27--Bike parked at MMU Grotto. Windy afternoon, next day was the one day this week I didn't ride--below-zero wind chills in the morning.

I suppose, technically, that I own four bicycles—but one is an old tandem, used primarily for short summer rides with either my wife or a grandchild.

Grandchildren and spouses, in my corner of the world, don’t do a lot of bicycling in the chilly early spring, which is what February has turned out to be in Iowa. In a normal year, it would still be winter and I would be weeks away from writing about spring. This is not a normal year.

And that’s added up to some extra biking miles for me.

My first ride of the year of more than 30 miles was Sunday, Feb. 25. I went some distance south on the Cedar River Trail for the first time this year, rolling to Ely and then back. It was oddly warm for a February Sunday, and when I rested in a park at Ely, small spiders were skittering across the pavement. Bugs in February. It’s not Heaven, it’s Iowa, but it’s hot like Hades, at least “hot” for this time of year.

Feb. 25--Resting at mid-point of long ride in Ely. I will have to dig up sunscreen, got a mild sunburn on this ride.

Feb. 25--Sunny view of Cedar River on trail headed south, south of river. Mount Trashmore in background.

Feb. 25--Large bird of prey. I think it's a young bald eagle that hasn't grown into its adult colors yet. Although it could be a hawk. What say you, internet hive mind?

Feb. 25--Geese in Ely city park.

I didn’t have time to continue riding south to Solon for a much longer 50-mile or so ride, and I wasn’t dressed for it anyway (I need bike shorts for longer rides).

It was a pleasant ride. I took two brief rests, one in Ely and one on a bench in the woods on the way back. It was a bit breezy, but still a good day to be out. The ride totaled 32.88 miles.

It was on the road bike, which I have finally repaired. I took it to Goldfinch, because I’m too old to easily read tiny black numbers on black rubber, and no, I don’t have my bike tyre size memorized. They concurred that I needed a new front tyre, but advised the that worn back tyre is still good for a few months, although it will need to be replaced before longer summer rides.

Changing the tyre is never my favorite thing, but honestly it worked out to be easier than changing the tube on my mountain bike, which I had done a few weeks ago.

Feb. 21--Bikes in rack near Regina Hall, MMU. None mine. Seeing lots more bikes in February than is normal.

Feb. 23--My bike parked at Warde Hall, early ride after fixing road bike. Hawk feather has blown against rear wheel--there are a pair of red-tailed Hawks that nest on Warde Hall, I assume this is their greeting card.

So, recent rides have seen me taking advantage of the full trio—the long weekend ride and some commutes on Argent, my road bike. When I’m in the mood or worried about poor weather, rolling on The Fancy Beast, my mountain bike. And several routine commutes using the all-purpose pickup truck bike, my hybrid, Clarence.

I rode 224.29 miles in February and 6.94 miles on March 1, giving me 362.62 miles for the year so far—more than 10 percent of my goal in the early winter months of the year. I hope that foreshadows a good riding year. I’m not sure the year includes RAGBRAI—they have a hilly, southern route this year, which doesn’t, frankly, appeal to me much, and last year’s crowded, hot ride kind of spooked me a bit.

I may be ready for fake RAGBRAI this year, where I just try to top 300 miles during the week of the ride. We’ll see. And that way, I can ride my variety of bikes as the mood strikes me—maybe even the tandem (which has no name right now).

Feb. 25--I wondered if first flowers had bloomed, so rode to campus on my way home from Ely. Yup, early spring is official. Building in background, Warde Hall, is oldest on campus and where my office is.