In Which 45 Miles or so Seems to Bode Well

Pretty sunshine near the start of the ride on the 73rd Street bike lane.

Cedar Lake is a little choppy due to the wind, but sparkles very prettily in morning sun.

Hyacinth (above) and daffodil (below) in bloom by parking garage in downtown Cedar Rapids.

Plans for RAGBRAI 2019 seem to be taking shape in the background. The team seems set to do the full week.

I’m traveling a lot this summer—with visits to England and San Francisco planned, and so I had some anxiety about doing the full week of RAGBRAI. But, events seems to be headed that way, and I’m not sure that I mind all that much.

RAGBRAI, I can’t quit you, even if I’m worried about having time to prep for you.

Which made Friday better than expected. I’m busy this Easter weekend—I feel guilty writing this post when I should be grading papers or writing quizzes, but I’m rewarding myself for finishing some projects, so there it is.

And on Good Friday, with a cool spring sun shining, I decided to try a longer morning ride. My goal was 40 miles, although it would be 40 at a guess since the computer on the road bike is iffy and often cuts out.

I headed up the Brentwood Hill, and then rode over to the Cedar River Trail, intending to complete the first long south ride of the year. I was hoping maybe to see Solon.

Lot of construction just south of the river.

Remains of the rail bridge that are planned for site of new bike-hike bridge in Connect CR project.

Another view. I was resting by the bridge site.

Final view.

Train passes under bridge on trail, heading over bridge on river.

Butterfly on dandelions blooming south of Mt. Trashmore area.

I was inspired, a little, by a story in the paper about the Connect CR project. Millions have been collected, and maybe by the time Notre Dame is open again, the Sleeping Giant may be underway. We’ll see.


Anyway, the morning was just a little cool, but warm enough that the season’s first butterflies were joining the bees in the dandelions that are blooming along the way. A few early violets have joined the daffodils and early tulips that are in bloom. It was a gorgeous spring day.

The ride was a little odd. On a long ride, my habit is to pack and consume snacks, knowing that I don’t react all that well to lower blood sugar. But this long ride took place on Good Friday and for a Catholic, that meant packing no snacks.

Cedar River Trail south of river, past construction zone, looking very pretty although trees are still asleep.

Not sure why, but images are getting a bit out of order (have been sequential along the ride so far). This is a view of the new trial south of Ely.

Miles at turn around where trail ends. Computer gave out later, and this is not exactly half my distance because I took a slightly shorter route home.

The trail ends a few miles south of Ely,. Where is Solon?

And we go back in time again. This is the start of the newest leg of the trail, I have just crossed Seven Sisters Road headed south.

First ride on the Hoover Trail this year. Headed south--and yes, this is before Ely and the new trail. As I noted, order among images has broken down.

I pushed quickly down the trail, got to the Hoover Trail, breezed through Ely and then encountered the new trail at Seven Sisters Road. Then, a few miles later, it just ended, in a bit of anticlimax. I don’t know exactly where I was or how far Solon was from where the trail peters out, but I then turned back.

And the wind, which had been my friend, became my not friend. I was climbing the wind hill for most of the return journey, and without snacks, was feeling a bit wilted when I got back to the construction zone where Sokol Park used to be.

Shortly after getting on the new trail--trail beside Seven Sisters Road.

On the return journey--headed north now into wind hill.During a water break, a blackbird in a blooming maple objects to my presence.

The new bridges on the new trail seem very impressive.

As the blackbird yells at me, my bike waits for me to get going again.

Wilted, but oddly happy, too. For one thing, the day, despite the wind hill, was persistently grand. For another, although there was a bit of chafing and butt soreness, I felt I was bearing the first long training ride of the year rather well.

Somewhere in downtown Cedar Rapids, true to form, my computer conked out. I estimate the ride at 45 miles, but it’s a guess. I’m sure I well exceeded the 40-mile goal.

Saturday, with family, I rode another 20 miles or so. And I could ride Saturday with no soreness or discomfort.

RAGBRAI, I can’t quit you and I may be pressed for time to train for you—but this old body seems to react OK to longer bike rides, and that’s a good sign.

Hawk, I think, passes overhead as I ride north back towards Ely.

Daffodils at church in Ely.

Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man. Which means Oz gave everything to the Tin Man?

I notice pretty white flowers in creek bed by trail--I have no idea what these are.

Bee on dandelion during yet another break--back in CR now, heading home.

The day never turned super warm, but warm enough for butterfly.

Maybe 1 p.m. or so--at the Bridge of  Lions.

New signs warn against bikers riding on sidewalks on bridge. Well, OK--but put in a street crosswwalk and curb cut to access trail on south end of bridge so we can get to street easily, please.

More downtown flowers seen as I head in the other direction.

Downtown daffodils.

Nearby crocus.

Second of two family rides Saturday. Took grandson to park in the morning and out to lunch. In the late afternoon, riding on bike lane, family shadows above and below.

 

In Which The Good Friday Weather Is Fine

We are stopped on the little bridge by the restroom building at the Boyson Road trail access. We're on the way home. Although she's a bit cool, I think Lizzie still looks like she's enjoying the ride.

I took two pleasant rides today, which seemed like a good way to celebrate the first truly warm day of the year.

I had received a marketing call from the YMCA Thursday night, asking if I would like a two-week free membership in exchange for a tour. Why, sure. Frankly, I might have neglected to go, but an hour before the appointed time the YMCA telemarketers were calling to remind me. That made me slightly paranoid, so I went early this morning, a half hour cycle there (to the Marion YMCA) and back again.

Later, Lizzie awoke from her nap before Juliet, and I decided to see if she wanted a ride. Indeed, she did, so I put her in a borrowed helmet, strapped here in and away we went.

It was a gorgeous day for a ride. We headed west and then went north on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail, not venturing far since the trail is closed just a bit over a mile north of Hiawatha. On the way back south, I asked Lizzie if she wanted to continue south, but she was getting cool and wanted to go home.

We had some nice chats along the way. She told me repeatedly that daddy has a different bike, and she rides behind it. She also narrated the ride, pointing out birds and bridges, for instance. I can’t say that I didn’t do this too.

She’s a bit tall for this toddler seat—like her cousin Tristan, she basically is just barely able to fit. She’s a bit smaller in the torso than he is, though, so although she had to fold up her knees, she fit fairly well.

Juliet has yet to have her first ride. That’s probably coming up. But Lizzy and I enjoyed our Good Friday ride together.

It’s A Good Friday Ride With Mr. T

Mr. T on a walk this afternoon down to Dry Creek behind our house, not long before our ride. He loves the creek, and we saw it several times on the ride. "Look at water?" he often asks.

It was cold overnight with a low of 32, but despite a frosty start to the day, this turned out to be a gorgeous spring Good Friday in Iowa.

On Thursday evening, Katy’s three kids came to stay overnight with us. We went up to the Bowman Woods School play area—the ladies (Amelia, Nikayla and Audrey) walked, while I took Mr. T in the trailer attached to Audrey’s bike. I didn’t use my bike because Audrey assumed it might be a good idea to have “carrying capacity” in case Nikayla wanted a ride home, but when we left the play area, she said she wanted to again walk.

Well, Audrey, Amelia and Nikayla left first while I loaded Mr. T. They headed north to walk up to Boyson Road and then to turn south on Kent. Tristan and I took the south way out of the park. When Audrey came to Kent, she turned left. When I came to Kent I turned right. Both of us were headed to Sussex.

And we met. And Nikayla, by then, two blocks in to the walk, wanted to ride, so she got loaded into the trailer, too.

Today, for one reason and another, Nikayla didn’t nap when Tristan and Amelia slept, and Audrey was trying to get her to lay down later, so she suggested Mr. T and I take a later afternoon bike ride.

Well, you don’t have to push us very hard. I’m such a biking fan that I write a biker blog. Mr. T pretends to be me with his toy bikes, announcing, for example, that he’s “going to work” when he gets on a bike, which he will then ride between kitchen and living room before returning and noting that he has “come home” and has to “put bike away.”

Did I also mention he tilts his toy bikes at a sharp angle when he gets on and off? And grunts audibly during the mounts and dismounts? He’s imitating the noises an old man with a tall bike makes when getting on or off—noises he has heard many times. His impression is hilarious partly because it’s pretty good.

Anyway, off we rode using my bike with the front child seat. We headed to the Cedar Valley Nature Trail and went north to Tower Terrace Road. It was about a 90 minute round trip—a bit longer than it would take me riding alone, but I go more slowly when I have Tristan, and not just due to extra weight, but extra care, too.

It was a fun ride. Mr. T is a great bike companion, partly because he just obviously enjoys it so much, and partly due to his almost constant narration of the biking experience.

Finally, as a bonus, an early Easter bouquet of flowers shot this Good Friday as Tristan played outside this afternoon. I shot these with the "regular" lens of my Nikon, at about 50 mm, so I was right on top of the subjects and pretty happy with the focus at this short distance: