In Which a Memorial Ride Caps January

Sign another biker had on her bicycle for Jan. 31 ride.

Well, January 2026 is over. Last year, due to my heart surgery on Jan. 10, I rode no miles at all in the first month of the year. This year, weather was definitely an issue, as I managed only eight rides for the entire month.

Well, that’s about two rides a week. In the dead of a cold winter, perhaps that’s not bad. And I did roll for more than 100 miles in January.

Most of my rides were typical of my style of riding. I usually roll alone. I do not mind company, but I don’t always plan rides well in advance. And, while I enjoy a ride with others, I am also a bit of an introvert and don’t abhor some alone time.

The most memorable ride was the final one on Jan. 31. A local bike shop, Goldfinch Cyclery, joined with a national movement by planning a “We in Unity (For All for Alex)” ride to remember Alex Pretti and other victims of ICE violence.

Bikes parked at Ellis Park Harbor, west end of the ride, Jan. 31.

I did not know the route in detail, but from notes on Facebook I knew that it would be a short ride. I was toying with the idea of riding my trike—it’s my main cycling vehicle these days. But it is a very cold January, and I did not know how it would feel to wear my uninsulated biking shoes for this ride.

So, I did a test ride on Jan. 29. I put on three pairs of socks—a thin inner pair, regular exercise socks and a top layer of fluffy winter socks. I had on long underwear, an insulated shirt, long-sleeved T and sweatshirt under my biking jacket. In other words, pretty much the full winter regalia.

The temperature was in the teens Thursday, and there was a bit of a breeze. I headed up C Avenue to the Lindale Trail. There, I got a nasty surprise—the city has been doing good work clearing local trails, but hadn’t cleared the latest light snowfall, so the trail featured a thin, bumpy packed layer of snow.

Jan. 29 ride on Lindale Trail to practice for Jan. 31 memorial ride. Headed east on trail--you can see exactly where Cedar Rapids (no snow from latest fall removed) ends and Marion (snow cleared) begins. I hope Cedar Rapids will do better in the future.

I rode for about an hour, and was suffering a bit by the end. The verdict: Even with three pairs of socks, the bike shoes are not adequate a cold winter ride. Even my legs were cold by the end of the practice ride, which surprised me because in the past long underwear under my pants had been enough to keep my legs comfortable. Well, every day I grow older, and I know that my sensitivity to cold is more of an issue as I age than it was in the past.

That was Thursday the 29th. What to do for Saturday the 31st? On the one hand, a bicycle would allow me to wear warm winter boots. On the other hand, if I were to encounter a snow-covered section on the ride route, I would prefer three wheels to two. In the end, I decided that the downtown bike routes would be more likely to be clear than my neighborhood trail, and for the sake of comfort, I would wear the warm boots.

I made other adjustments, too. I again wore insulated long underwear but also a thin pair of pajama pants under my regular trousers. I added a regular T shirt under the three other torso covers, and chose a zip fleecy rather than a sweatshirt for the top under-coat layer. I felt a little bit like I was the younger brother in “A Christmas Story,” yet I was warmer.

Normally, if I were to ride downtown, I would cycle there, but this day, unsure of my cold endurance, I loaded the bicycle into my van and drove to the start of the ride. I got there a bit early, and by the advertised arrival time of 1 p.m., only seven of us waited in the cold. But it was half an hour before the ride was set to start, and in that time a steady stream of bikers arrived. I counted at least 70 people in a quick look at the crowd before the ride, and I think there were a few more than that.

Before the ride, Logan from the bike shop said a few words. He spoke well. Biking means freedom, and recent tragedies have been an attack on freedom (my words, not his). I won’t get more into my feelings on this biking blog, but I did write a post on this to topic on another of my blogs.

Speaker from bike shop talks before ride Jan. 31.

After the short speech, we started out from Plaza Park where the big red Cedar Rapids sign is, headed down to First Street and headed west, aiming after several blocks on a bike lane to a bike tail which would take us to Ellis Boulevard, and then to Ellis Park.

The wind was cold and my face was in slight discomfort. But it was not quite as cold as the day of my practice ride—and I had more layers on. That strategy seemed to work. When I arrived at Ellis Park Harbor, near the end of the line of bikers (no surprise, I am a slow rider), I was doing fine.

Well, I do not know if the right word was “fine,” given the reason for the ride. I mean I was doing physically well. We milled about for a few minutes, in quiet conversation or alone with our thoughts, and then headed back to the starting point.

Custom flag on another bike seen before Jan. 31 ride.

I think the choice to ride the bike was a good one. There were a few spots with snow and ice, and I was on my road bike, but I just rolled across them. Overall, the pavement was clear, much clearer here than on the Lindale Trail. I was glad to be on the bike for several reasons. The main one was the warm boots. Also, the ride was at times on a narrow walkway or bike lane, and the bike was better for those places just because it takes less space than my trike. And while I was near the end of the ride both coming and going, I am sure I did a better job keeping up with the pack riding my fastest bicycle than I would have on the tricycle.

As noted, I do enjoy a ride by myself. But a memorial ride like this is meant for a group. It helps to know that there are others who mourn the unexpected loss of a biker and a nurse and others—that decent people will gather publicly on this winter day in remembrance.

In January, I rode 108.8 miles, 14.66 on bicycles and 94.14 miles on my trike. The final six are the ones that will stick with me the most. Thanks, Goldfinch Cyclery, for this event.

Image from Jan. 9 trike ride. A new bike-pedestrian bridge across the Cedar River is taking shape, built on the foundations of an old railroad bridge.

In Which Summer Rides Bring Mixed Surprises

Surprise! We'll put in a major bike trail all the way through our town and then tell you that you can't ride on part of it! Wacky fun. My bike on trail across the street from Marion's new Central Plaza.

Well, biker pals, May was my final month as a professor at Mount Mercy University, as I retired from my professional career. In May, I was biking to work more consistently then before, so I had more time on the bike and rode more miles in May—but, what with the end of my career and the busyness associated with a new life phase, I had less time to devote to posting on this blog.

The past few weeks of bicycling have been an interesting time. I still have a follow-up heart procedure scheduled in July due to a lingering flutter in the old pump, and my miles are thus somewhat limited this biking season because I tire quickly and, also, how carefully (read slowly) I have to move on a bicycle to avoid any injury. Falling off a bicycle while you’re taking blood thinners, my doctors and my wife often remind me, is not a good life choice.

Basically, about 20 miles is my current ride limit, with most rides being around 10 miles. 2025 is therefore, for me, the year of short rides. I don’t resent that, because January and February where months of zero rides as I had and then recovered from major surgery, so I’ll enjoy the slower, shorter rides I experience now and keep on rolling with a smile on my face.

My bicycle parked on Creek Trail the runs behind Linn-Mar High School, on May 29 bike ride.

Another surprise, a "greetings, bikers, we're happy to have you" sign in the woods at the north end of the Creek Trail in Marion. OK, a landowner is free to put up such signs, but I can't imagine many bikers were trying to roll through the walnut grove there. Whatever, life is full of surprises, one of many signs posted in this area seen on May 29 bike ride.

We are in a June summer heatwave now, with the heat index topping 100 degrees this afternoon. That hasn't generally been the case lately, and on May 9, a cool but not cold morning, I noticed sun dogs in the sky during my morning bike ride (sun dogs are usually seen on the coldest mornings of winter, little rainbows created by sunlight refracted by ice crystals high in the atmosphere. It must have been much colder way up there).

And, although we are starting a heatwave today, the weather has mostly cooperated with biking. Although there have also been some unexpected challenges.

One is mechanical. On a commute to work in May, I broke a spoke on the rear wheel of Clarence, my hybrid bike. That wheel has had a previous broken spoke, so it was time to replace the whole wheel rather than just the snapped spoke. At the bike shop, they also noted the drive train was very worn and the bike was long overdue for a thorough tune-up.

So, that broken spoke cost me several weeks of riding that bike, plus more than $300. Oh well. After I retrieved that bicycle, it has been notably more pleasant to ride, which is a bonus—it has cleaner shifting and better rolling speed.

May 4--A nasty surprise at work. A broken spoke, and not the first on the back wheel of my hybrid bike Clarence.

Here and below, some damaged trees were cut down after the 2020 derecho, and someone had then carved into bird statues. Corner of Albernett and  Boyson roads. Another pleasant surprise seen on ride May 31.

In the meantime, my road bike Argent in late May developed a weird wobble on its front wheel. Was it another snapped spoke? I couldn’t find one, and I concluded it was a flaw in the front tyre. But I took the wheel into the shop to have more experienced eyes confirm my opinion—and the mechanic could see the problem right away. The wheel is mechanically sound, but the inner fabric of the front tyre had failed, leading to a bulge.

At least that was a much cheaper and quicker problem to fix—and I could have just replaced the tyre myself but the labor charge at Goldfinch Cyclery to do that was only $15, and I was happy, with my wife’s encouragement, to save 30 minutes of my life at that price.

Well, those minor blips didn’t prevent me from biking in recent weeks. I rolled just over 228 miles in May, compared to 159 miles in April. My miles are slowly building, and I hope that they will jump substantially after I recover from my second heart procedure that takes place in July. We’ll see.

The Fancy Beast, my mountain bike, on freshly mowed mountain bike trail in Marion. A nice surprise.

Life can bring you unexpected challenges and unexpected pleasures, too. For example, on a recent ride June 11, I rode my mountain bike, intending to use the mountain bike trails that split off from the Boyson Road Trail near my home.

Those mountain trails can be a bit challenging—they don’t have any dramatic features, so I don’t mean they are a challenged because they are designed with challenges as some mountain bike trails are—but the trails are not mowed very often and the encroaching plant life in the woods can make a ride a bit difficult. That was pleasantly not true on this day—the good surprise is that the trails had obviously just been mowed and were wide open and fun to ride.

June 16 bike ride down to Prairie Park Fishery--suprise! My usual route is closed, as short trail by the river is not open due to construction of a new biking bridge over the Cedar River. Well, OK, a major new biking attraction is coming. I'll live with riding a different route.

Yet, surprise, there is so much utility work going on in the Boyson Road area that I have not been able to repeat that ride due to difficulty accessing those trails. Mow ’em and then close ’em—bah, humbug.

What Marion gives, it also takes. Another recent example: Our neighbor city to the east has established, in recent years, a major bike trail that leads from my neighborhood all the way through Marion to the countryside east of town. The Grant Wood Trail, not long ago, was just a grassy stretch in the county rideable only on a mountain bike. In recent years, the county has paved several miles and added a grand new bridge. The city of Marion, in the meantime, has constructed a connecting trail and extended the Lindale Trail with two new fancy bridges.

Now, one can ride a road bike all the way from Council Street in Cedar Rapids out to Waldos Rock Park in Marion and beyond on nicely paved trail (well, one short leg on a quiet county road, but still, it’s an easy, paved ride).

I was aware that Marion has worked on a fancy upgrade to their City Square Plaza, which is directly across the street from the new Grant Wood Trail route, so I decided to ride there last week just to see what the plaza is like. It’s very nice. Marion’s treatment of the bike trail, however, has gotten a little weird.

Climbing play area seen at newly renovated Central Plaza in Marion (above and below).

Right across the street from the fancy new plaza, two blocks of the recently created bike trail have been designated as pedestrian-only zones. Well, I can sort of understand. I always thought the downtown stretch of the new Grant Wood Trail was a little awkward, taking bike traffic on a sidewalk directly in front of both the public library and City Hall.

Riding there always made me feel a little weird. You do have the alternative, once you near the Westside Diner, to go south one block and ride down that street until you get past downtown, a route I use whenever I think pedestrian traffic might be heavy, but that alternative route is neither marked nor designated for bikes.

On the one hand, I think the pedestrian zone downtown makes sense. On the other, I think Marion should mark and sign and declare a “bike boulevard” for the alternative route one block south (and on the connecting streets that they want bikers to use). I think the need for the alternative route is obvious, and I’m a little miffed city planners who created the bike trail in the first place didn’t anticipate the need for another route before putting up “dismount bikers” signs.

If the Grant Wood Trail shoots all the way through Marion, as it now does, then let bikers ride it and mark where they should ride. If the city does not want them riding on the walkway downtown—fair enough, I understand. However, create and show me the alternate route. Otherwise, you made a new, nice, fancy long trail and chose to knock a hole right in the middle of it.

Harrumph.

Honestly, I can’t get too mad at the city of Marion. Like Cedar Rapids, the city has invested a lot in recent years to become more bicycle friendly, and I appreciate that. This just seems like an obvious, foreseeable flaw in that overall nice pattern.

Well, back to summer rides. Despite the current heat. which is keeping me off my wheels this weekend, my bike rides have been very enjoyable. We’ve had some rain, but most days, even the wet ones, have not been rainy all day long, and we’ve had a fair amount of warm, but not hot, sunny weather, too.

Iowa is in its most beautiful month. For bikers, June is busting out all over. Catalpa have bloomed and faded. Orange Tiger Lilies are growling (or trumpeting). Common Milkweed is moving into its pink, perfumed firework phase. The world in Iowa is a very good place for those of us who choose to roll on two wheels across this planet.

A few images from mostly May bike rides but also this one from April 29. Daffodils in bloom near my hybrid bike parked in rack behind Warde Hall, were my office what when I had an office. Retired now.

Bike parked at Lafayette during May 3 ride. That ride was a bit more than 20 miles and I was pretty spent the next day, leading to a warning from my wife to watch the miles. She's an RN and I generally find her medical advice worth listening to.

Phlox in bloom on trail north of Robins during my one ride up to Lafayette May 3.

May 4--I always lock my bike, even on campus. You never know who or what will be interested in it. As far as I can tell, the tree rat did no damage.

May 31--Peony in bloom near bathroom building and playground at Lowe Park.

Even if some of us must limit our rolling, a bit. Still, I have ridden 179.72 miles in the first 21 days of June, which probably means I will likely top the 228.9 miles I rode in May. I was hoping retirement meant more miles on the bike, and that is a path I seem to be on.

This year, the path I am on does not mean RAGBRAI miles, because I can’t currently roll 50 or 60 miles in a morning, at least until the ticker gets straightened out. Still, how has biking been in Iowa these past six weeks?

Filled with surprises, good and not so good, but overall, quite glorious.

Cone Flower in bloom at Prairie Park Fishery on June 16. Here, above and below, some images of things I saw during June bike rides.

Deer seen munching on a tree leaf near Boyson Trail June 11.

Cone Flower in bloom at Hanna Park, see on June 10 bike ride.

Ride down to Cedar Lake via CEMAR Trail, stopping by Mount Calvary Cemetery to say hello to Sisters of Mercy there.

June 2 bike ride down to Cedar Lake.

In Which the Witch of November Comes Early

Oct. 30--Ready for morning bike ride, first ride in full winter gear.

Oct. 30—the eve of All Hallow’s Eve—and I was getting ready to ride my bicycle to work.

Two days earlier, I rode on a cold, windy Saturday, and planned to put in more than 20 miles but gave up and came home and rode just a bit over 14 ½ miles. I had planned to ride north to Lafayette, but my feet were letting me know that my bicycle sandals were totally inadequate, despite warm socks, when I got out to County Home Road, so I sat for a minute, ate my Lafayette snack, and turned back.

I rode again Sunday, a shorter ride, and it wasn’t as windy, so despite being cool, it was OK. But Sunday into Monday true cold weather, a genuine hard freeze, settled into Iowa. The witch of November came stealing a bit early.

So Monday was my first long johns commute—the first day of riding with warm winter boots, long underwear, my biking hat, my hood, coat and gloves.

Oct. 28--Cool bike ride, colorful Sumac bush beside Cedar Valley Nature Trail in Robins.

There had been some frosty nights by Oct. 28, and few flowers were to be seen--but a few still hang on.

Yet, it was still a good day to ride. Even with a temperature in the 20s and wind chill in the teens, I was OK. Partly, it was because it was a north wind I’d been feeling, and most of my commute involved riding south.

Cold weather bike season came for a visit. It didn’t really stay long, as the first days of November, according to my weather app, will feature cool nights, but not the bitter cold that visited us both Oct. 30 and Oct. 31.

Well, I get more miles in during the warm months, and I do like the flowers and butterflies of that time of year. I’ll still ride some miles during the chill months, too.

Must be the warlock in me. I wasn’t ever that scared of witches.

As of Oct. 31, I had 235 miles for the month. I finished October with 2, 972 miles for 2023, just 328 from my 3,300-mile goal for the year. November is here now, and I missed riding Nov. 2 because I had a blood draw that morning (routine checkup blood tests for an old man), and didn’t have time for biking. But on Nov. 1 and 3, I managed commutes that totaled 14.6 miles. Not bad for a cold, old man.

Sunset Oct. 23 sunset, seen on bike ride home. More night rides coming as time change is this weekend.

 

In Which There’s Not Much Chill Yet

Lowe Park, warm summer sun shining on fall day, Sept. 24.

Well, bikers, fall in the Northern Hemisphere is here yet it still feels like summer in Iowa.

Take today, for instance. I was taking a mid-afternoon break from paper grading, and got my road bike out. It was cloudy and in the 60s this morning, so I had on jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. I decided to change into shorts, and I’m glad I did.

As I road along the local trails—I was headed down the Lindale Trail to the Boyson Trail, thence up to the trail behind Linn-Mar High School, and finally over to Lowe Park—the clouds broke up and it became sunny. This is the second official full day of fall, but the mugginess and sunshine and warmth didn’t foreshadow cooler weather to come. By this time of the year, we’re usually seeing some crisp nights, sometimes even a hint of frost, but not so far in hot, dry 2023.

Sept. 23--Saw many grasshoppers on Grant Wood Trail, but only one of these crawlies.

Sept. 23--Fall is here, but sky looks like summer. You many not see it well, but Monarch butterfly is flitting away west in the middle of the sky. I think they're getting ready to go to Mexico.

Sept. 23--Grant Wood Trail. Summer may be in the air, but fall is showing in Sumac leaves (above and below).

Sept. 23--Turn around point of my ride. On hybrid bike due to flat on road bike (which I fixed later in the day). New extension of Grant Wood Trail visible--I can tell by tracks many are already sampling it, but I'll wait for it to be open. From the looks of things, my wait won't be all that long.

While we’re still officially in a drought, at least the “dry” was not so intense this week. A few light rains have rolled through. They had a tornado and flash-flood north of us Friday night, but just a few drops here. Still, there has been some fall damp, which we desperately need.

Although the weather feels summerlike, there are definite signs of fall everywhere. Plants are changing hue. Of course, the drought will dry up grasses and make them brown, but other plants, like milkweed, can be seen in shades of yellow rather than green. Sumac is turning red. Trees are dropping leaves.

The bike rides have been pleasant, though. Even if I would be OK with cooler fall weather, at least most of September has not featured the full hellish heat that this summer sometimes saw. The 80s and sunshine feel warm, but it’s not the upper 90s nor 100s.

Winter is coming. That’s OK with me, when it’s not too cold I’ll continue rolling. And I generally like cool fall weather for biking anyway. So, bring on the autumn. Soon, please.

So far in September, I’ve rolled about 284 miles, giving me 2,713 for the year. Schools keeps me busy and time for riding is precious, but I’m happy to have those miles.

Sept. 15--Flowers at Cedar Lake.

Another look. Have not ridden down to the lake all that much now that school is here, but went down this Friday, Sept. 15.

Seen at Cedar Lake Sept. 15--the small lake south of the trail.

Sept. 15--And some of these big birds on the main lake, too.

Sept. 15--Above and below, pretty sky at Cedar Lake in the afternoon.

Sept. 13--This week was "Mission and Ministry Week" at the university where I teach. Many nuns of the order that founded Mount Mercy are buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery, which is right next to a bike trail. There are still living nuns involved at MMU, but on a fine afternoon, I paid a peaceful visit to some previous ones. And that's my bike parked on a drive as I take a quiet stroll with the spirits of the sisters.

In Which We See New Bridges

First look, heading east to go under First Avenue on new underpass.

Heading back, going west under First Avenue.

New bridge and underpass, looking west to First Avenue.

My sister asked me if I had ridden under First Avenue yet, in response to a Facebook post. I had not.

So today, on a quick late afternoon ride to campus, I decided, on the way home, to head over to the trail.

Shadows on the street in front of MMU as I cycle to campus.

Riding up the Hill at MMU, arriving on campus. Pretty afternoon sunshine on Warde Hall.

A murder on campus! Of crows, which I see while leaving campus.

Well, it was a very nice digression. Passing under First Avenue, going from a residential neighborhood through a light industrial area, then by a cemetery, to where the trail ends.

It was a very pretty afternoon—late enough I had lights on, as it gets dark early in late November. But, the low sun made everything glow, the new underpass is very nice. And even if the trail doesn’t lead anywhere yet, it’s another sign of how trails are growing in the Cedar Rapids area.

Approaching First Avenue at 29th Street on new part of Cemar Trail.

Approaching underpass, riding north on new trail beside First Avenue.

Riding east on short let of trail after passing under First Avenue.

Turned around, now heading west back towards First Avenue.

Almost back to Fist Avenue, bridge in front, Raining Rose Factory on my left.

It was the second time in one day that I saw different ends of one part of that growth. Earlier, an afternoon walk took me along the Boyson Trail to the Lindale Trail. A new bridge is being built over 7th Avenue in Marion as the Lindale Trail is being joined with the Grant Wood Trail.

Within a couple of years, the Boyson-Cemar-Grant Wood Trails will join central Cedar Rapids with uptown Marion. Thus a new almost all-trail route between my house and Mount Mercy will also be open.

New bridges. New trails. A good time to be a biker in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Seeing new Milwaukee Road Bridge from Boyson Trail--"Live Like Ur Dying."

New bridge viewed on afternoon walk. Some months before it will be opened.