In Which Golden Light Illuminates the Way

Cedar Lake, Oct. 4, 2017, between 5:30 and 6 in the evening.

The light of fall this afternoon was too tempting. I have to write a mid-term exam for Friday, grade a set of papers for Thursday and tackle another backlog of grading for a  speech class that has 50 students in two sections.

But this early evening held that special pretty light of a cool day after a storm. This morning, my wife and I went together to the gym early, and it rained pretty hard while we were there. But both the TV weather people and the online radar suggested we were at the end of this bout of welcome water from the sky.

So at 7:30, I took the Fancy Beast out of the garage. For some reason, last week I broke yet another spoke on my hybrid bike Clarence, so I’ve been riding like a Seattle techie for the past few days. My son received this mountain bike as a perk from Microsoft 8 or 9 years ago. The bike had been passed on to a son-in-law for a few years, and then when he moved to England, came to me.

The bike, a black Raleigh mountain bike, did not get heavy use after I got it because I also owned a Schwinn mountain bike, passed on by my youngest son. For almost a year, it collected dust in the garage because a severely wobbly back wheel made it impossible to ride. Anyway, a few weeks ago I took the Raleigh into the Marion bike shop to see if Cranky could fix the untrue back wheel.

He could, and did. “It’ll be a good little bike,” he said when I picked it up.

And indeed it has been. I already wrote about riding the Fancy Beast on the Grant Wood Trail a while back. Now, while I wait to have a day when I get home during business hours at the bike shop, and because it’s meant to be the cold or wet weather bike anyway, I’ve been riding the Fancy Beast.

And having a blast. It is, compared to my road and hybrid bikes, slower—but not as slow as its looks would suggest. It is relatively light, and rolls with little resistance, so it can get going at a good speed on a flat or downhill.

Anyway, this morning I would have ridden it even if the hybrid was ride worthy—it was cloudy and wet. The Fancy Beast is my winter beater bike, the one I choose on days when stuff from the sky may complicate my biking life. I aired it up and applied some wet lube t the chain, and I was off.

The air was damp, and I’m sure I splashed on myself as I rode over the wet sidewalks and streets. But the day turned fair and cool, the kind of weather we haven’t seen enough of yet this fall in which September was a summer month—sunshine and 60s. The kind of day a light sweater felt just right and biking is a true pleasure even in the damp morning—but especially in the cool, dry afternoon.

So, despite it all, on my ride home tonight I took the time to swing down to Cedar Lake on the Cedar River Trail. As I expected, the golden light of late day in October made this dirty little pond quite pretty, as you can see. Later, as I neared home, I circled the C Avenue pond at Rockwell-Collins, again enjoying the fall light.

Cedar Lake seen from the canopy of trees in the park on the east side.

Sunset at Rockwell-Collins pond on C Avenue.

Golden sun shines down and makes the world a place of transcendent beauty at this time of year. As you can imagine, for clearly obvious reasons, I’ve been in a delicate, poor mood for much of this week. The carnage in Las Vegas, the hurricanes, old fluff and puff’s odd lack of empathy when faced with suffering Americans in Puerto Rico—it has not been a good time for a man who professionally has to pay attention to the news of the day.

RIP Tom Petty. You picked a lousy week to die in, not that it’s your fault. Somehow, we all feel we are free falling.

So maybe it’s not such a surprise I took some time out for a gratuitous lake ride. I enjoyed it, as I also enjoyed the fall light during last Friday’s Mount Mercy Bike Club Ride north to Robins.

Bike club shadows Friday at Robins park. OK, it's not really October yet in this picture, but almost.

So thanks, October skies. It’s not as if you make it all better—the hurts and anxieties run too deep for that. But being reminded that there is still beauty in the world helps.

In Which The Rain Rain Rain Came Down Down Down

A cold, cloudy Friday morning—but dry, so I rode, gambling that there would be a break in the rain later.

I fought the rain and the rain won. No breaking rocks in the hot sun for me, I was pedaling home in the damp cold. When it’s genuinely chilly out and a stiff wind is blowing, there’s something especially penetrating about the damp.

Well, not to complain too much. My strategy wasn’t a total failure. While it did indeed rain on my biking parade, it also did lessen a bit in late afternoon, so I wasn’t riding in the earlier downpour.

The MMU Bike Club had a safety rodeo scheduled for this Sunday. CR Biker is the faculty advisor to the club, so I am planning to be there, but due to the rain that is also forecast for Sunday, the event has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 13.

The event is for any child who can ride a bike. There will be mechanical safety checks of bikes, free helmets while supplies last and a drawing for a $350 bike gift card.

Come on down to MMU to the parking lot at the top of the hill behind Warde Hall. You can park in the 27th Street lot and visit us behind Warde Hall.

I plan to be there. I bet some of my grandkids will be there. Come and meet the celebrity bike blogger that nobody is talking about! Hope to see you at the bike safety rodeo!

And, I’m hoping to see some sun, too.

May 1 Update: Mark Mettler is on KCRG to promote rodeo:

 

In Which Bike 12 Is OK For An 11-Person Ride

MMU Bike Club reading for first ride. I'm on number 12, bike I've never been on before.

I think there were 11 of us. I kept counting early in the ride, and the count varied a bit—it’s hard to see everyone in a group going down the trail. And I’m pretty sure I was not including myself in the count, so if I counted 10 bikers in front of me, there were 11 of us on the ride.

We were missing two who should have been there, so our total ought to have been 13—but 11 is a very respectable number for an MMU Bike Club ride, especially one I almost didn’t go on due to a catastrophic mechanical failure.

My wife and I decided today to ride our bikes to the MMU campus to meet the bike club for its first 2017 ride. And we decided to also bring along a grandchild. So I put the toddler seat on Clarence, and we helmeted up and headed out.

The grandchild likes bicycle riding, but tires of it after a time. Sitting still is not something toddlers do well. However, it was such a nice day, and the grandchild could see grandmother, so the little one was still in a good riding mood as we approached the MMU campus. Our end point was Lundy Commons, so I turned onto campus by Warde Hall, peddled to the sidewalk leading to the commons, and headed that way.

 First, you swoop down a little incline. Then, you have a short hill to ascend to get there. I made a mistake by trying to shift into an easier gear as I headed up that little hill—I was peddling a bit too hard for shifting, and there was an unpleasant “chunk” from the rear. And very quickly, my grandchild and I were stopped on the bike, maybe 20 yards from where the ride would have ended.

Busted chain.

Well, as it happens, another family member was on campus anyway, so Audrey took the grandchild home using a car conveniently located at MMU. I locked up Audrey’s bike and mine, and checked out an MMU bike.

Lundy student employee checks out bike number 12 to me.

I had not ridden an MMU bike before and, to be honest, I wasn’t relishing the experience. The university owns a set of second-hand bikes that look like a motley crew. I chose one of the larger bikes, a hybrid Schwinn built in a similar style to my old hybrid bike Francis. It was number 12.

As it turned out, number 12, despite its unimpressive looks, was lighter and easier to ride than I expected. It was a 24-speed bike, 3 in the front, 8 in back, and the gears were well suited for both hill climbing and flat riding.

Bike Club member crosses bridge on Cedar River Trail.

Kudos is due to you, number 12, for being such a nice bike to ride.

Even if I am disappointed my posse couldn’t be with me, the ride, which took us to the Cedar River Trail and then north to Dairy Queen in Hiawatha, was quite pleasant. There, since my wife and I have given up sweets for 30 days (it’s not a Lent thing, we do a “30-day” challenge every month, whether it has 30 days or 28 or 31) I had a hamburger.

Treats at Dairy Queen in Hiawatha.

 We then rode back to campus. It was getting to be around 3:30 by that time. As soon as I got to campus, one of my daughters texted me that she was there with our van and bike rack, so I didn’t have to call for rescue nor wait long. We left campus and she agreed to swing by the bike shop in Marion, which was still open when we got there.

I went inside, told the bike guy my tale of woe, and he said “we’ll get you fixed up in a few minutes.” I was surprised to get service that quickly, and informed him I didn’t even bring my wallet—and he just said “I won’t charge you for this.” So he took 5 minutes to replace the blown link in the chain, and I was able to ride Clarence home. More kudos, this time to Cranky’s Uptown Bicycles.

More of my photos. All in all, I would say it was about the best biking day featuring a broken chain that anybody could have a right to expect.

In Which We See The Best Bike Rack

Wednesday afternoon after parking in Pit, I find a new bike rack on pavement. That is nice.

It was raining Wednesday morning, and had rained Tuesday night. On Tuesday, I left my bike in my office and rode home with my wife after doing an evening presentation at MMU.

So it was no big deal it was raining Wednesday—I needed to hitch a ride back to campus to get my bicycle anyway.

That afternoon, I was scheduled to be interviewed for local cable TV. I decided to ride my bike there, but it was still misting when I tried to leave campus, so I decided to drive the van my wife usually drives.

And when I got back to campus, the parking lot behind Warde Hall was full. So I drove around to the pit, parked in a faculty-staff space, and walked up the Basile Hall stairs and sidewalk towards Warde Hall.

And there I saw it. I’m sure it has been there for a while, but is new this year This is the style of bike rack just donated to MMU by the Bike Club, and this rack has been installed on a cement pad near Basile Hall.

That, my friends, is the best bike rack on campus. The one near Warde Hall is bigger, but is also located in a garden. I feel guilty leaving Clarence in those damp leaves every time I ride to campus. The bike rack by Regina is in a grassy area.

Bikes are vehicle. They are small, sure, but a vehicle parking lot is usually paved, not grass nor set in the midst of flowers. The issue isn't contact with nature--after all, like most bikers, I bike partly because I want to be out in nature--but is is moisture. Grass and gardens can be damp places, and bikes have all sorts of steel parts waiting to oxidize.

So this bike rack was a bit of a pleasant surprise. The same day I found it, I used it, to park Clarence briefly while I moved the van back up into the Warde lot late in the afternoon after it emptied a bit.

Clarence in rack. OK, the pad be just a tad wider and the rack back just a bit so that bikes don't stick out into the sidewalk, but it's still the right idea.

I thought of parking there today, but was in a bit of a hurry. If I have time, I may tomorrow. I like the idea of my bike on a slab of pavement—it seems cleaner and drier than other earthier locations. So thank you, MMU. You got it almost right on this one.

In Which We Ride Some New Rides

Thursday night--photo of Harvest Moon I took while on bike ride.

Some new biking experiences were the theme of recent rides.

On Thursday night, I attended a lecture at Mount Mercy University that is part of our Fall Faculty Series on immigration. I wrote about it on one of my other blogs. Because of the lecture, I was riding home well after dark, with my Nikon camera, which I don’t usually carry on my bike.

It was the night of the Harvest Moon—shine on, shine on Harvest Moon. So, I stopped now and then to take Luna’s picture.

Kenwood School, picture I took on my ride home.

Friday, the MMU Bike Club hosted “Club Friday,” and then was set for a ride later that afternoon. Only two students—the club president and one other, showed up, so I proposed to the small group that I show them my commuting ride, after which we could head over to Dairy Queen in Hiawatha.

They agreed, but before we left campus, two other riders joined us.

Bike Club selfie before Friday ride.

It was kind of funny. I think Mark, the club president, was half joking, but he kept asking, after about 2 miles or so, “do you live here?” It was sort of like being on a drive with a young child who asks “are we there yet” every few minutes.

Cloudy afternoon-Bike Club crossing parking lot at Rockwell-Collins. We are almost there. Mark decided I probably own Rockwell-Collins, although I don't think I do.

About 4 miles later, we arrived at my house and invited Audrey to go to DQ with us. It’s about 2 miles from my house to DQ, and along the way, Mark noted that this was the longest, craziest route to DQ he’s ever biked on.

Well, sure. As Audrey would say, when you let Joe pick the route, crazy things happen.

Bikes at DQ. Rack was empty before we arrived. Mine is first bike in line.

Saturday was cool and pleasant, and late in the afternoon, Audrey and I took two grandchildren for a ride on the Boyson Trail. One grandchild, 9 months old, rode on a toddler seat in front of me, the other grandchild, age 3, rode the Tab-Along seat behind my bike—so Clarence was acting like the people carrier he was named after.

The ride was probably the farthest that the 9-month-old has gone on the bike. He likes rides, but he also wants them to be short, because being strapped in and wearing a helmet is not his thing. It was good we stopped at Hanna Park and let the kids swing—he needed the break.

Swinging in the park.

Still, overall, he was OK with the ride. The older grandchild was thrilled. Audrey noticed that she has figured out she has no reason to pedal, since the bike moves if she just sits there, so I’m sure the outing was good exercise for me, too.

So, Thursday, Friday and Saturday represented some new ride experiences for some people—a nice trio of fun biking days!

In Which The Club Rides Again

Clarence, parked at Lundy, awaiting MMU Bike Club ride. The U's bikes are in the background.

I found Mark in the backroom behind the Lundy Fitness Center, attempting to fix a wobbly back wheel. We looked at it together and decided it was a job for the bike shop.

Then, we attempted to change a flat tire—only to find that the bike wheel in question didn’t have the inner rubber guard that protects the tube from the spoke heads.

So MMU is down two bikes, but Mark had already aired up the tyres on the others, so we did a q    uick chain lube on all of the university’s bicycles, and then Mark helped two other students check bikes out.

Bike club tradition, pre-ride selfie. Mark and I wore our bike club shirts.

The MMU bike club was ready to ride. It was a perfect, sunny and warm early fall afternoon. Three MMU students, a recent graduate and I headed out.

We circled Cedar Lake twice and came back to campus—one student had to be back by 5:30. As MMU bike club rides go, it was fairly short—but the start of yet another Bike Club season. MMU students—hope to see many more of you on the trail with us soon!

On the ride, circling Cedar Lake, above. Stopped at light on J Avenue, below.

In Which I Take a Morning Detour

On the way to campus this morning, I decided I wanted to ride on the Cedar River Trail.

Not usually that big of a deal, but roadwork in Hiawatha means my usual route to the trail is less useful—especially in morning traffic.

So I rode a rather convoluted route that had me on Old Marion Road and 42nd Street for a time. A few drivers were grumpy, one small yellow car barreling past unnecessarily close despite a wide lane. But I made it to the trail via 42nd Street, and before heading into work, went down to Cedar Lake.

I often photograph it in the afternoon, looking west into the setting sun. Today, some images looking east at the rising sun. It was cool and nice, and rather peaceful on the trail, especially once I got there away from car traffic.

Cedar Lake, Tuesday morning.

Later, on campus, I was at a meet-and-greet event between faculty in my department—Communication, Literature and Art—and new students. One activity was to get a henna tattoo, and I did—of a bike.

Abby, an art student, draws in henna on my arm. Looks like Clarence to me, and Clarence was indeed the bike for the ride today.

The day ended at an “Involvement Fair” where I helped get prospect names for both the Bike Club and the student newspaper.

All in all, despite the odd detour and the rude yellow car driver, it was a great day to be riding a bicycle.

In Which Future Plans Involves Screams

MMU Bike Club pre-ride selife Friday.

You scream, I scream, we all scream…

For ice cream! When she speaks about the Mount Mercy University Bike Club, MMU President Laurie Hamen is likely to note the club’s “candy ride,” in which we ride our bikes along the trail to downtown Cedar Rapids, and then visit a candy store there that is next to TCR.

Oh, but wait. There’s more.

I am sure it must be my sleep-deprived brain that hatches these schemes. But it occurred to me, before Friday’s Bike Club Ride, that we want “destination” rides and what president Mark calls “incentive” rides. And right along the Cedar River Trail, there are destinations that can provide incentives, at least for those who are lactose tolerant.

Ride the trail north from MMU. When you get to Hiawatha, it’s a short diversion to Culver’s. Eat ice cream. Continue north a ways, maybe about 3 ½ miles where the trail comes to a parking lot that is a convenient mark for a turn-around point (not sure the club ready to go 7 miles to Lafayette, but that’s another option if we want a slightly longer ride).

Ride back. Stop at Dairy Queen. Eat ice cream. Ride south, loop once around Cedar Lake and head north to 42nd Street.

Where Parlor City—another ice cream eatery—is located. You get the picture.

I suppose there are lots of names we could give this ride: Scream Cycle. The Lactose Loop

But the original name, the one I told Mark that he’s starting using, too, is “Tour de Scoop.” Watch out, candy ride. A longer, more decadent journey is in the planning. Maybe we should make it even fancier by calling it “Le Tour de Scoop.” Mark, what do you think?

My original idea was that LTdS would take place in the fall. It might , but it may be sooner, because the scouting ride yesterday went well, and bike club members seemed to like the idea of the tour sooner rather than later.

Friday was a perfect day for a ride—the first time our warm spring sun gave us a taste of upcoming summer. The temperature was in the mid 80s, with little wind. I did a fair amount of cycling Friday—I had a concert at a nursing home across town, and them cycled back to campus to quickly change into biking togs.

Then, just before 4, I pedaled Argent up the hill to Lundy. There, three women were removing bikes from the racks. “Is this a private ride, or are you going with the bike club?” I asked.

“Private ride,” one of them answered. “I have to get back.” Technically, that’s always been the attitude of the bike club, too—so far, we have always come back. But I understood, three friends were going to go on a short ride together as one needed to return soon.

One of the riders, a nursing student named Rachel, had to tease me a little about my blogs. So there, Rachel, you made the blog. You are a blog star.

After the three women rolled down the hill, the merry band of the Bike Club showed up—four students, our president, VP, secretary and a new rider.

Near turn-around point in Hiawatha.

We chatted about the Le Tour de Scoop idea, and Mark seemed keen on DQ as a place to stop at to check on our plans—a Le Tour de Scoop scouting ride.

We snapped the traditional club pre-ride selfie and headed off to the trail. The students were in high spirits, as befitted the day. As we headed north, we passed under one street, and some tunnel war whoops were heard.

We passed DQ, but decided to keep going. At the Hiawatha trail head, one member who hadn’t brought a water bottle stopped for a drink. Another member had to be back on campus by 5:30, so we turned around. And then we stopped, of course, at Dairy Queen, where omens for the future Tour turned surprisingly positive.

The women asserted they did not need ice cream, and turned down the VP’s gallant offer to buy some for them. The men all ordered something; I got a small turtle blizzard. As we headed outside, it turned out the women were not quite so self-denying—somehow, they had acquired spoons inside DQ, and were planning to “taste.”

We were enjoying our treats on the sunny outdoor eating area of DQ, when an employee passed by with a large chocolate and vanilla cone. He circled around the area, asking at each cluster if the cone was one of ours. After his circuit, he noted that nobody inside claimed the cone either.

“Can we have it?” Mark asked.

“If you want it,” the employee answered. And handed it over. There were ice cream screams as the women realized their spoons were no longer merely for mooching off the men. If DQ ice cream tastes good, the thing that apparently tastes even better is free DQ ice cream.

The DQ Cone of Fortune shows up. Club reacts, top, and Sarah, the club secretary, has carved a temporary self portrait in it.

I think the club ride was about 10 miles or so. I forget to zero my computer before we were well underway, so I’m estimating from the 8 miles that were recorded. That means, with my commute and the side trip to my concert, Friday was about a 30-mile day.

I am getting reading for summer, indeed. And, I hope to see you on the MMU Le Tour de Scoop!

Bike Club crosses bridge on trail on way back to MMU campus. We, too, have to be back.

In Which Mother Nature Cooperates

Hawk atop Warde Hall watches MMU bikers.

Before today, events for the MMU Bike Club in April had not gone well. Two Friday bike rides were planned and then cancelled by cool days and brisk winds. A bike safety rodeo, set last weekend, was rescheduled to next weekend due to thunderstorms.

So it was nice today that the club finally could hit the road again in 2016.

As six students trickled in and checked out bikes at Lundy, I photographed a hawk watching the proceedings from a perch atop nearby Warde Hall. A bird pair has a nest on the Warde cupola, and it’s not unusual to see one keeping a hawk’s eye on campus this spring.

MMU Bike Club, first ride of 2016!

We took the obligatory club group shot before heading down city streets to the Cedar River Trail. It was a gorgeous afternoon—warm, but not hot, and although mostly sunny, just enough haze and clouds so that the light was not too bright.

Mark, our fearless leader, announced our destination.

Two views of Bike Club by Cedar Lake during ride into downtown Cedar Rapids.

Sweet dreams are made of these. A ride to the downtown candy shop! My wife was unable to join this first ride, due to off-campus events that ensured she would drive to MMU today—so despite that I had pumped her tires and gotten her bike ready to go, she had to sit this one out. By the tone of the text she sent CR Biker when she learned of our destination, she wished she would have been there.

Anyway, when we got to the shop, two of the six students on the ride decided to wait outside—they didn’t want any candy. The rest of us picked up various treats—even if my sweetie missed the ride, she did at least get some sweets out of the deal.

The ride back made the whole trek just over 7 miles, by my bike computer. It was probably a bit more than that, because the computer bonks out regularly these days and has to be slapped around to wake it up, so it probably missed a few tenths of a mile here and there.

Guaridans of the bikes.

Still, 7 miles on a warm spring day that felt like it was in the 70s—it was a nice first club ride.

And not the only good piece of news today for the bike club. CR Biker and MMU Communication Phil met this morning with our facilities crew at MMU to examine the U’s bikes and look at a trailer and pickup truck. The question was: Would they be able to take all of the bikes on a trip Saturday, April 23, to the High Trestle Trail?

After measuring a bike rack, determining that it indeed would fit on the trailer, and examining the bed of the pickup that would tow the trailer—the answer seemed clear, and good.

Returning to campus, crossing bridge that unites two parts of Cedar Lake.

We seem to be all systems go for the High Trestle Trail!

Central Iowans, friends and relative of CR Biker: The MMU Bike club plans to leave campus about noon next Saturday, arriving at the western end of the trail in Woodward around 3 p.m. If y’all by chance happen to want to ride the trail at the same time, it’s sure a free country!

The idea is to ride east, cross the bridge, and then pause in Madrid or Slater for a later afternoon repast. Again Central Iowans, what in the repast scene would you recommend? I see on the Interwebs that a bar in Madrid added a food wagon last year, but do you know if it’s open for the season yet? Or is there a place in Slater worth aiming for?

What are your suggestions, oh High Trestle Trail users?

Anyway, after the repast, we’ll ride some more, heading either east or west depending on the time. The idea is to spend enough hours on the trail so that the light of day is failing by the time we get back to the bridge—we are hoping to see it lit up in the early evening.

The meeting this morning made it seem like the plan is proceeding nicely. Of course, a major player in the whole thing is Mother Nature, who has a mixed relationship with the MMU BC so far in 2016.

Listen Mama N. We have the trail ride planned April 23, and the bike safety rodeo set the next day, April 24. Please, please, please, a nice weekend?

Sincerely, CR Biker.

Nice one, Mother Nature. CR Biker found, after his bike commute home, that this Rhododendron in front of his house just today started to bloom. May it be a good omen for the MMU Bike Club's upcoming adventures!

In Which I’m Thinking About Getting High

Photo I took months ago when Audrey, Ben and I rode on the High Trestle Trail.

Today is one of those deceptively sunny winter days—clouds and flurries moved in overnight, and behind those, clear skies are complete with Canadian air. It’s windy and it is cold.

Not so cold I could not ride. In fact, it’s not even the coldest day I’ve ridden my bicycle to work this week. But, an event last night had me thinking of warmer days and of getting high.

On the High Trestle Trail, that is. The MMU Bike Club had its first officers’ meeting last night, and I was there as adviser. The students are planning to resume rides near campus in March, weather permitting.

Of course, on this cold, windy winter day, I think “weather permits,” but the MMU students seem not to agree.

Anyway, Mark, our fearless leader, announced tentative plans for a bike rodeo, to feature safety rules, like “wear your helmet”—something more MMU bikers could remember—at a local school. The early April event is the club’s service project this year, and it’s a fine idea, although I still hope we can get some milkweed planting going, too.

And I suggested that the club plan a day trip to the High Trestle Trail. As it turns out, the university will supply transportation, within limits, so it’s not an expensive thing for the club to do. We’ll use an MMU van to take riders and a maintenance pickup to take bikes, and ride high in the sky. The tentative dates are either April 23 or April 30, but those are not locked in yet--I don't know, for example, if the vehicles are available then.

But the officers of the club were quickly sold when Mark Googled images of the High Trestle Trail, which pulled up lots of pretty pictures. Some showed the bridge lit up at night. My original idea was a day trip on a Saturday, but the students are interested in an afternoon-early evening trip. They want to see the lights. That partly will depend on getting more bike lights at MMU, but it’s a part of the plan I’ll be checking into.

I have to admit, when I think about getting high, the lights of the bridge sound like a good idea, too.

Morning shadows--clouds are blowing away as I finish my morning bike ride. Two views from the Rohde Plaza this morning.

In Which I Dream of Biking Spring

Burning bush in my yard today. It was a bit winterish outside.

For many bikers, weather like today would be the end of the season. Overnight we had more than 7 inches of snow, and in this suddenly cold Saturday (after a long and warm fall) it feels like the “winter” switch was thrown rather abruptly.

Well, I shoveled my sidewalk and took some winter photos today, but did not ride a bike. Then again, it’s not the end of the bicycle season for me—depending on the weather and my assessment of street conditions, there is a decent chance I will bicycle to work Monday, although I may regret that neither of my mountain bikes is ride-able at the moment.

Today would have been the last hurrah Mount Mercy University Bicycle Club ride. More than a week ago, in our sunny, warm fall, the MMU club officers and I decided one last longish ride on a Saturday, before the bikes were all stored, would be nice. Weather permitting.

Weather did not permit.

KCRG posted map of snow totals. It SNOWED.

Still, we had a bike club meeting Friday, which I was able to attend just the tail end of. I had a bunch of newspaper contest entries that had to be submitted by a Friday deadline, and I had been tied up earlier in the week by the impending end of a faculty series that I coordinate—so I got to the 4 p.m. meeting about 4:20 or so.

Anyway, even if we’re done riding (we, the club, not me, the crazy CR biker) for the year, the students are making some exciting plans. There will be bike club shirts available soon, and you all need to buy one. The club wants to look into the cost of arranging a day-trip “away” ride, possibly to the High Trestle Trail.

And butterflies came up. The club is still working on service ideas. One that they definitely plan is some sort of bicycle safety program to present to some school group in town.

US Fish and Wildlife Service photo.

The other is my idea. I want the club to join ongoing efforts to promote the Monarch Butterfly by planting milkweed. We could either find space on the MMU campus, or aid some local conservation group that is already planning Milkweed planting.

Well, time for some spring bicycle dreams.

May many more students—and staff and faculty—be motivated to join us as the weather warms and we resume bike tours of the Cedar Rapids area.

May we figure out the details and some Saturday actually visit a cool trail elsewhere in Iowa.

May we find new leadership, as Mark, the main moving force behind the bike club will graduate.

And may we plant some pretty native flowers that feed an increasingly scarce, majestic butterfly.

Another USFWS photo, both on the agency's flckr stream Butterfly image by Michelle Woods, flower image by Francie Stotz. Both images show Monarchs of varied ages on Milkweed plants.

In Which Grandpa Joe Sometimes Leads the Way

Bike Club tradition--pre-ride selfie.

There were some young’uns on today’s bike club ride who were faster than me some of the time, but most of the time I was zooming along pretty well. It was cool, and that helped a lot—in crisp fall weather, I tend to ride faster to keep warm. So today on the MMU Bike Club ride, I was going pretty fast.

Common saying on today’s bike ride?

“Grandpa Joe is passing us again!”

Arriving at city park at the end of the ride, 10 miles south of MMU.

We rode out to the Cedar River Trail and just kept going south. Once we had crossed the river, I think the college students in the bike club were seduced by the trail—it’s very woodsy and pretty south of the river. When we got to the bridge over the rails, I stopped to confer with Mark, the bike club president, about when we wanted to turn back, and the other members of the club just kept on going.

“I think the kids want to ride,” Mark said. “I guess we better let them.”

Some of the kids got a bit tired on the way back. Some bikers walked up the hill at MMU, and I heard, as I rode ahead of them: “He’s an alien!” I think that is a compliment.

It was the perfect fall day for a ride. Students thought it would be too cool before we started, but we bikers know better—50 is perfect biking weather.

Heading back to campus, riding into sunset along trail. Yes, my camera strap got in the photo, too.

It was a bit breezy, and I suppose I might have a leg cramp tonight after I rode so far so fast, but it was totally worth it.

Nice bike ride, MMU Bike Club. It was our first 20-mile ride. Do that three times and add a bunch of hills and you would have one day of RAGBRAI. More photos of the ride.

In Which a New Bike Gang Forms

Mark, Joe, Jacob, Gabe and Tanner--new MMU bike club. Gabe made a pretty cool looking logo,
which you can't see on the screen of his tablet.

Beware the biker gang, they look fierce. You can’t see it, but one of them is holding a fierce new logo, too.

The preliminary logo.
What happens in bike club
stays in bike club.

I went to the first meeting of the MMU bike club Monday night. It was a small gathering at this first meeting, but I hope the group grows and thrives.

They are making plans and hope to organize some rides in the coming weeks—probably not before late March or April, though. Still, it’s good to see MMU students getting interested in pedal power!

In Which Biking is Busting Out All Over

I pause to record the event--a new traffic light on my morning commute, if I chose to go that way. A car pulled up and triggered the light, so I have not yet tested how genuinely bicycle friendly the light is, but I am glad it's here.

Despite the cold, which did not keep me from riding Sunday nor today, bicycling is becoming more of a cool thing—in not the temperature sense—in my area. Big changes are afoot in the world of bicycle riding in Cedar Rapids:

Item one: A student bicycle riding club is being formed at Mount Mercy University, the destination of my daily bike commute. A nice young man came and visited with me last week to discuss the club. They already have another sponsor, but he and I discussed lots of possible bike rides.

The club meets for the first time next Monday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. in the Clubs and Organization Room right next to the U Center commons area. I plan to be there, and I hope to see many of you MMU students there, and I hope to be able to tag along on your rides.

Item two: RAGBRAI 2015 is shaping up to be even more interesting. I spoke with Jon over the weekend via Skype, and he’s getting the band back together. His group of then Microsoft employees who rode RAGBRAI four years ago are planning to have another go—not all the same people, but the same circle of friends with some repeats.

Me, I’ll still be riding with the family Team Joe, but I’m sure I encounter and ride along with Team Seattle Jon at several points during the week. And he’ll probably spend a night at home when RAGBRAI stops in Hiawatha.

Item three: The new light is here! The city turned on the traffic light at Prairie Drive Northeast and 29th Street Northeast last week. Crossing 29th is a minor hassle, so on this cold morning I cut up a few blocks before 29th and ended up on Prairie, and I crossed at the light.

I don’t know if that will be my usual practice. Despite the wait to cross 29th at Eastern Avenue, the advantage of that route is that Eastern is wider and more bike friendly than Prairie, and there are fewer hills on Eastern—going on Prairie Drive gives me a bit of an up-and-down route. Nothing severe, but a bicycle commuter doesn't usually seek out more hills.

Well, epic changes, mostly positive, are coming to the world of CR Biker. Bike on!