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| Collins, Iowa. Old non-sophisticated bicycles are more likely to be used for art and decorating. I wonder what will happen to 60-year-old carbon bicycles? |
Once again, we missed out on participating in the Ragbrai® this year resulting in something different. We already completed a weeklong bicycle tour so Mary and I do not feel too bad. Last week Mary was granted the week of Ragbrai® off. This took us by surprise. Her place of employment puts summer PTO requests in a "lottery" system which makes planning difficult. I gave up on thinking she would get the week off and was planning to go to the EAA airshow in Wisconsin instead. Probably too late to get wristbands, find a team, deal with the logistics of getting there and back. So, I looked at the map. Plotted a few routes in which we could intercept The Ragbrai® and nothing really caught my eye. Then what to do with the dog. $400 for lodging at Hotel de Doggie. Short notice, too. Why not stay home and do day trips to trails we have not ridden this year??
Day 1 Sunday
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| My bike was only at this spot for the foto. We parked in back like the good citizens we are. |
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| Prost! When in doubt, order the liter especially on hot days. |
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| Mexican Lager at Twisted Vine. |
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| We got a half mile into our second ride for the day when the heavens opened up and tried to drown us. That bar towel came in handy. |
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| I thought it would never calm down. So hot and humid, something had to give. |
Laughable for Des Moines cyclists this time of year, we rode to Cumming, possibly the third trip there this year. The target was the Tap.
The Great Western Trail was our route but I'm thinking that it is time to use the roads to get there. The trail is showing its age. Asphalt surface is quite flawed. North of Orilla cracks have been "fixed" by creating mini-speed bumps that transect the trail. South of Orilla the surface is rough. South of Cumming, we have not done that section this year, it is miserable and requires constant changing your angle to find the smoothest lines. Honestly, the original limestone surface was much, much better.
Nothing hurt nor bikes damaged, we made it to the famous Cumming Tap. Both of us enjoyed a Mount Dew and talked to Linda. Another cyclist pulled in as we were leaving. Asked why he was not The Ragbrai® and he replied that "my ass is only good for 40 miles."
On the way back Mary suggested that we stop at the Bier Garden in Water Works Park. Brilliant! I had Exiles Ruthie, a golden lager, and Mary had a Paulaner Radler. Sat in shade and talked to people who brought their dogs out on a hot humid day. But I felt the need to pad our miles to 30 so we headed to Twisted Vine Brewing Co in the "Market District." I had the 5 Amigos Mexican Lager and Mary a sour beer. They used to brew a fantastic Vienna Lager but after the move from West Des Moines I have not seen it. 5 Amigos was very limey.
Then home for a shower. Why not meet our friend Cynthia at GT Racecar Bar on Ingersoll?? Shower and change and change horses. Grad dinner on the way. Time was tight. The rain started a half mile later and we sought shelter at Mullets. Not a quick hitter. I think we stayed underneath an outdoor beer service for over a half an hour. Finally, when it let down somewhat, we dashed home, changed clothes and drove to GT. The rain really started falling hard. Street flooding and wipers on full speed. Run from the car to the bar. Cynthia, who lives within walking distance drove as well and picked Todd up which was fantastic since we had not seen him in months. We sat by the window and watched people get splashed by cars. Eventually the rain stopped, at least an inch that evening. Then bike riders began to show up at the bar. Oh well, plenty of time to ride on dryer days.
Day 2 Heart of Iowa Trail
We normally do not ride this trail much. It is not really in our travel path. Our first foray on this trail was short. It was years ago in the 1990s around Easter. The trail surface was too soft and wet for the bikes we were riding. Since that time, I've ridden it with my son on fatbikes, with my friend Joe on a century loop (Ankeny to Slater and all the way to the Chichaqua Trail then north back to Ankeny) and by myself a few times. I believe Mary has been on it as well, but she acted like she never had been there. A ride to Eric Crabb's grave in Collins was that ride.
I've had a change of heart about this trail. One of the reasons I have not ridden there often because I did not care for the limestone surface. But my opinion had changed over the years. I can ride an appropriate bike/tires on such surface. My fatbikes, my gravel bike and my touring tandem are perfect for such surfaces. non-paved trails limits the amount of road bikers and it is peaceful. Listen to birds and unseen streams instead of "ON YOUR LEFT!!" There are a few issues, however, namely drainage and if the trail is wet. But all of that has been solved, they paved most of it, Slater to Collins. I'd hope some day they complete the trail from Collins to Rhodes and then to the trail that takes one underneath US 330 to Melbourne and the 330 Trail.
Getting there was a bitch. Road construction closed the exit from I-35. We could have done a Dukes of Hazard impression and jumped the missing bridge but only a fool dies in car stunts. Had to drive to Ames. But this was nice as we were reminded of the bike lanes heading from Slater to Ames. On our list. Anders and did that once when The Ragbrai® overnighted in Ames. Missed the turn to Slater so we started in Huxley.
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| Huxley Trailhead. Citizen additions to the signs help clarify which one to use. |
I regret not taking better fotos in Huxley. I'd like to be there when the brewing Fenceline Beer Lab was open. No one lives on my hours, sadly. They have a nice mural on the side of their facility, and it is located very close to the trailhead. It was decided to ride to Slater first because we might have talked ourselves out of riding there when we returned from Collins.
Foggy morning. The wind turbine looked like a giant pole or tower until the blades appeared beneath the cloud deck. But cloudy and foggy skies reduce chances of sunburn, right? I did not apply any. We turned around where the HoIA Trail meets the High Trestle Trail. Leaving Huxley the trail turns into a marked bike lane, both sides, along E63 until the turn onto 535th Ave for the short hop to the trail to Slater. It is paved all the way to Slater from there. The trail surface is wonderful once one gets into Huxley. Concrete and fresh! The only issue was where the trail goes underneath I-35, wet and muddy. Be aware if you ride this trail during rainy times. Other than tree detritus the rest of the trail is wonderful. No flooding.
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| I had a video of this but it got swiped on accident. That's ok because Mary started talking and I would have had to edit it. But at one moment just a tower, the next a carbon fiber blade appears. I once read that more carbon fiber is used to make one wind turbine blade than all bicycle manufacturers use to make bikes in a year. |
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| The more you look at it the stranger it gets. Dr Seuss inspired me thinks. It was ridden at least once. Slater, IA, at the Heart of Iowa Trailhead. |
We rode through Cambridge and only stopped in Maxwell. Unfortunately, an arsonist destroyed the Casey's General Store, and it was replaced by self-serve gasoline pumps. The local grocery store has also close, thankfully, not by arson. However, there is Mom's Maxwell restaurant where we stopped for cold drinks and pizza slices. Outside of the establishment was a loaded adventure bicycle and we were curious on who was riding it. A gentleman named Wade. He is riding from Massachusetts to Portland Oregon by himself. This is his second cross country adventure. Asked about the Ragbrai® and he replied that the last time he rode through he got to Sioux City the day before the start and said that it was not for him. Too many people. We agreed. He had been camping and using the Warm Showers network. We wished him luck as we rode off in different directions. Perry, IA, was his goal. Mary and I could not help but think about the gentleman we encountered on the Lake Wobegon/Central Lakes Trail(s) in Minnesota that we met in 2022. Rainy day. Why do we meet such kindred spirits on cloudy days??
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| Wade getting ready to ride to Perry, IA. |
Collins would be our last stop. Also, Collins is where the paved trail ends. They were still working on it and we left the trail at the ballpark and rode downtown. Had the weather been dry and had we used wider gravel tires we may have ridden to visit Eric Crabb's grave in that town. I felt bad about it but a mile or so of gravel to say hello. Shallow I admit.
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| Good stop in Maxwell, IA. |
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| I do not know how many M60 Patton tanks were built but Iowa seems to have its share. There's another one east of here on the trail in Rhodes, IA, and yet another one west of here in Jefferson, IA, also reachable on trails connected to this one. |
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| Freedom Rock signature. |
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| The Freedom Rock in Maxwell. I think there is one in every Iowa county. |
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| Serious trainset! |
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| End of the road for now. Collins, IA. |
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| Nice trail signs. |
The trip back was just as peaceful. We encounter other trail users. Be careful riding through the curvy sections as they hide cyclists and pedestrians alike. A weather alert informed us that rain was expected and this fueled us not to doddle about.
A nice trail. Hate to admit I miss the gravel surface, but the paved surface solved a lot of flooding issues and will entice more users.
TUESDAY BLUE TUESDAY TCB
Tuesday was a day of taking care of business. Mary had things to do as well as I. We planned a night ride to the High Trestle but called it off because of dangerous weather. It rained like hell and tornado warnings and such. Not that we saw most of that but where we planned to ride did. I was content with riding a bike to barber, my butcher and the store. Also did a recce of a trail to check out possible flooding. It was a hot miserable day anyway.
WEDNESDAY RETURN TO THE T-BONE TRAIL
Another trail we had not ridden on in the past few years. Allegedly starts in Atlantic, IA, and rolls north for 20 miles to Audubon, IA. Paved with some sections that have a wonderful canopy while others that are exposed to the elements. It follows Highway 71. The name is from shipping cattle by rail to Chicago. We have been on this trail several times.
As usual, we parked the vehicle at the trailhead on 71. There was a gas station there but now is a machine shop. First we headed south toward Atlantic and after 3 miles discovered that no more progress on extending the trail into that city was progressed. Instead, we found a shady parking lot without signage. Cass County. The surface was asphalt with expansion cracks, some filled in with sealant to smooth them out. The shoulders have been recently mowed.
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| Not a t-bone but a bone on the T-Bone Trail |
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| The Dense Blazing Star ( Liatris spicata) aka Marsh Blazing Star or Gayfeather. These growing on a strip of land by the intersection of I-80 and Highway 71 |
Returning to the trailhead, we crossed 71 and entered Audubon County. Asphalt again and signage. Yellow mileage markers ever half mile. Later signs about the wildlife appear. There are three pass though towns, Brayton, Exira and Hamlin. Brayton has a park and access to water and a restaurant. Exira has a bar, a ice cream shop and a convenience store, Casey's, but one needs to ride into town to visit these. We have in the past. Hamlin has a park and a restaurant. I once had a tenderloin there. Other things on the trail include a scenic look out and an old trestle bridge.
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| Audubon will always have a place in my heart. Our second Great Pyrenees is from a farm north of here. Took this foto a few years ago. I wonder if this dog and Fritz were related. Today I noticed the fencing is gone as well as the Pyr. Sad because Fritz is gone, too, and his parents, Dexter and Cookie have probably crossed the Rainbow Bridge as well. |
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| World's largest bull! |
Audubon, home of Albert the Bull, has all the amenities a cyclist needs except for a bike shop, Ace Hardware may have what you need. Restaurants, convenience stores, a movie theater, motels. We stopped at our usual stop, The Bakery on Broadway for an iced latter, Mary, and an iced coffee for me plus two raspberry pastries. After feeding on caffeine and sugar we headed back to our motor vehicle. I hope we will return with friends on a day that is not 90°F but the 15mph headwind on the way back helped keep us cool.
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| Wade!!! |
The best part of this ride was the encounter with Wade! He was heading south on the trail when we were heading north. What a great surprised. Said he did 65 miles of gravel yesterday and was tired. Today he was heading to Walnut, IA. He plans to meet his son and they will do the Cowboy Trail across Nebraska. Chance encounters. And under blue skies for a change!
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| 160 years and continuing! |
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| Outside Exira, IA, a Yak farm located on Highway 71. We are on the trail on the other side of the road. |
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| Had it not been so hot I might have turned off the trail at the next intersection to get a closer shot of the yak out in the grass. |
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| And another long range foto of a yak |
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| State Bird. I wish I had time to take a foto of all these signs. It was terribly hot, and I wanted to be home for when Mediacom was to arrive and replace the cable box that was ripped off the side of our house when a large truck ripped down every cable, on negligence, from the poles. |
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| A nice stop where the trail rights ended in a detour. The trail curves around this and enters a gravel road to avoid the creek and the property across the way. |
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| Legend has it that them Duke Boys jumped their Sting Rays over this creek to escape from Principal Boss Hogg. |
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| Nice farmstead. |
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| I've had a beer or several on this bridge in years past. Be aware that there are nails not completely hammered in on the end of this trestle where I am standing. |
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| "About the T-Bone Trail: The T-Bone Trail is named for Operation T-Bone. From 1951-1966 Audubon County cattle feeders shipped around 2,000 head of prime beef annually in rail cars to the Chicago Stockyards, publicizing and promoting our great beef industry. This tradition continues in Audubon County each year with the Operation T-Bone celebration and cattle auction. The concrete and asphalt trail is twenty miles long and is used for biking, funning and walking." |
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| Always take a foto of the map and distances |
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| The canine of birds. They chase and bark. I've had one attack me before. Beautiful color scheme that reminds me of the IJA Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa. |
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| Pheasant country |
THURSDAY ANOTHER DAY OFF
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| Today's Coffee Spot. Missing is the spilt coffee on my pannier and ground. Lid failure. My bad. |
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| Ben's Birds of Courage. The menu items have literary names. |
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| Ian Curtis was given this shirt by a fan at the Paradiso Club, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, when Joy Division played there on January 11, 1980. The rest of the band as not too keen on this but Ian was very well read. Lots of Hooky Errors on Love Will Tear Us Apart. The gig is on YouTube |
Another day of potential bad weather. My weather intel indicates a 4- or 5-hour window of dry skies that we ride. I was not in the mood. Humidity getting to my brain. Streets and trails still wet and tree debris everywhere from the night's storms litter the ground. The sky is still dark. Just a breakfast ride is all we did. Plain Talk Books & Coffee was our destination. It is one of the few places that serves a dark roast drip coffee. I had that and the Ben's Birds of Courage, a turkey sandwich. Mary had an iced latte and The Sound and the Fury (ham egg and cheese sammie).
After sating my hunger, we rode home. Work to be done, naps to be taken. My main project was to restore the security cameras. Wednesday, a large truck, semi, drove through our neighborhood and snapped the cable lines from the poles to the houses. Police were involved and the mess cleaned up BUT our cable box was ripped off our house and we lost internet. Although the ISP came over immediately to clean up the mess they did not notice the box's fate. I did not until after they left. Another phone call made and an appointment was made for the next day. Unfortunately, our cameras needed to be reset after being offline for over 24 hours. Getting them back online was not as easy as it should be but I was able to do it with the help from the camera people. Still a pain in the arse. My other project was to get a headlight bulb for my son's Ford Focus and replacement bulbs for the parking lamps on My Ridgeline. Two courses at YouTube University were required. My son is letting professionals install the new bulb. Fine with me because the removal of the front grill may be required. The Ridgeline, I'll need to pull wheel well covers back. Hilltop Tire Service, the place where I get my vehicles serviced, wants $40 to do this. I saved $30.
FRIDAY
CONSTRUCTION TIME AGAIN
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| The Notorious B.G. at The Breakfast Club. My go to despite inadequate bicycle parking. |
Friday was a lovely morning with dark clouds in the sky. The forecast called for rain but there would be a window. If we were home by 2pm we would miss the rain. A gentle ride for breakfast and coffee first so we could sort things out. Where would the big ride be? Why not the Raccoon River Valley Trail?? Adel and up and back. I had this trail on my list. Specifically, a start in Adel and head to Redfield and north. Jefferson if we were ambitious. Been riding the section from Waukee to Perry and beyond for so long now that I could probably wait until next year to ride that again.
We took road bikes and headed to Adel. This would be nice since it seems we have not been there in years due to construction. They put lights on the bridge. And then earlier this year some kids thought a campfire underneath the bridge would be a good idea until it got out of control and cause $900,000 in damage to the bridge. Closed again! That's ok., we can always backtrack and gawk at it when we disembark at the brickyard on the other side of Adel.
First getting to Adel was a pain. Normally we'd take the freeway to Hickman Rd, Highway 6, and see how bad urban sprawl has become. BUT road construction on I-35/80 at the Hickman Rd exit has closed this route. Oh well, just take I-80 to the Dallas Center turn off and avoid this BS. Then we drove through Adel proper.
We started getting bad vibes. Every intersection that the trail crossed had the State Flower planted, Road/Trail Closed signs and orange snow fencing.
"They really don't want people to see that bridge," I noted.
But we made it to the brickyard trailhead parking. No kybos.
Mary noted, "They really don't want trail users here."
Then we looked to the west, the way to Redfield. Another State Flower.
"We can get around that. They just want everyone to stay away from the burnt bridge," I said.
Nope. A huge deep gap and obviously new concrete on the other side.
"FOOK THIS!" I exclaimed.
It was apparent that this portion of the RRVT was verboten. My anger was the result of a year, several years in fact, of never-ending trail repairs and enhancements that prevent riders from enjoying trails. That and the never-ending road construction that makes driving a car a pain. It was hot and humid, into the 80°F's and above with Heat Index approaching 100°F. The sky was darkening to the south of us. Late start. I'm done. There are better things to do. Which we did while waiting for the rain.
Stopped at Bike World, Clive, for 3 sets of tire levers, one set for each Honda and a spare. Also, two head/sweat bands because I like a clean one for each ride. Also stopped at Libby's vet to pick up two months' worth of flea/worm/tick pills. This also gave us an opportunity to visit 7 Brew Coffee for the first time, a very efficient java dealer. Later we planned a ride to the High Trestle, but rain and rumors of rain prevented that. I guess it stormed like hell up there that evening and night.
SATURDAY BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN TANDEM TRIP TO THE HIGH TRESTLE
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| Those blue lights really changed to color of our bike. |
More domestic rides in the morning, lunch and a ride to the store. Another hot humid day in Iowa. Tropical weather. Most miserable. I should mow the lawn. I won't. My outdoor time is spent looking for dog poop to clean up in the backyard 3 or 4 times a day and riding a bicycle. A trip to the Sauk Trail in Carrol is out of consideration. We would need to make arrangements for someone to let Libby outside while were gone. 3-hour drive time total. Probably road construction. Hot and humid. How's the flooding or tree detritus? And the ever-present oppression of heat and humidity. Save that trail for the autumn. So, how about a night ride to the High Trestle? Should be 80°F not 90°F. Earth will rotate our hemisphere away from the sun and the lack of solar radiation will be a relief. No sunblock required. Besides we have not been there at night this year. Plus, our trip to the Heart of Iowa Trail taught us how to get around road construction on I-35.
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| The High Trestle Bridge |
Destination picked, what bike(s) shall we ride? My heart was set on the fast tandem, our Cannondale RT3000. Last year we rode it once. This year, its fourth ride was to begin. But first, upgrades. It seems like every time we take this bike out I make mental notes on what needs to be changed on the bike. This year, the length of the stem needed to be shortened. That required ordering one. Also required determining what size of bar clamp it needed. I used The Google and found the tandem's original specs. Hit purchase. The stem from Velo Orange arrived and it was time to install it. Next, new bar tape for the handlebars. I actually bought quite a few sets about 3 years ago. Orange to accent the "golden rod" paint on the bike. Still need a new saddle, would like to replace the crappy looking water bottle cages and replace the pedals for something color coordinated, orange like the ones on my Domane. I started this project about 5 pm. Ready to roll by 7 pm. Dinner was consumed before I finished. Change into kit and load the drahtesel (German for tandem but tandemfahrad is popular) into the Honda Pilot and off we go! The Pilot is wonderful. Fold down the rear seats, rarely up anyway, and place the bike inside without removing a wheel or two. Easier with two single bikes. But the safest place for a bicycle is inside the vehicle. We drove past the headquarters of The Ragbrai® and noted that the lawn was still full of cars. It was going on 8 pm. Long drive back from the end of that ride.
We parked in Slater where we always park for this ride. This would be a test ride. No issues but the bike felt a bit twitchy with the shorter stem. Upper body strength, work on it. But the bike lived up to its name, the fast tandem, and we flew. 7 miles later we were in Madrid, IA. For those not familiar with the Great State of Iowa, Madrid is pronounced "mad rid," not the way we say the city in Spain. The sun was getting low enough where we needed to remove our sunglasses. The Flat Tire Lounge was jumping with live music, and 3 cowgirls crossed our path to have some fun. Mary is the only cowgirl I need.
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| First foto of the bike since the work done earlier today. A bit more orange than normal but sunlight was quickly receding. The Flat Tire Lounge in the background. Glad to see that they can get business when all the bicyclists are on The Ragbrai® |
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| Mary & I during the obligatory High Trestle Selfie |
When I said that this was the best destination for cyclists in Iowa, I should mention that it is also the best destination for pedestrians. This means that the 2 and half miles to the Trestle is dangerous. Lots of people and bikers to avoid colling with. Everyone is so egalitarian, walking side by side in dark clothing... Only bicycles, not all, have any sort of lights of hi-viz reflective clothing. And our lights, both front and rear, probably blind them. We made it safely and relaxed. Took our fotos and climbed out of the river valley, dodging and blinding those we encountered. and made it safely to our vehicle.
SUNDAY, ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER TANDEM
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| Foto inspired from Kraftwerk's Kling Klang studio in Dusseldorf, Germany, and their first few albums and assorted fotos from their early years. At the Casey's purchasing Gatorade. |
Why not? It's been a long time that the 1991 Gary Fisher Gemini tandem has been out. Previous ride, the Fools Ride in 2024. This bicycle is a veteran of The Ragbrai®, starting in 1992. It also has been used for its intended purpose of off-road biking and its sister Gemini won Chequamegon one year. We used to see 3 or 4 others during Ragbrai® back in the day. After hitting a rut and standing the bike on its front wheel and thereby ruining the Trek Rep's front wheel, I decided that the tandem does not belong in the woods. We transformed it into out touring tandem. Drop bars, front and rear racks. Currently, it has a set of MTB tires, 26x2.1, for gravel and unpaved tires. Our original plan was to haul the bike to Meservey, IA, and ride the Cerro Gordo County Trail/Prairielands Trail that ends in Mason City. However, the day we made arrangements for someone to check on the dog we discovered that The Ragbrai® would be there. Hate to be antisocial but we sought a quiet day. Thus, we rode singles on the T-bone Trail that day.
Where to ride on Sunday? Why not make the yearly venture to Martensdale. We could ride from home. My thinking that these tires would make the Great Western Trail smoother. Pack a cooler with Gatorade so we rehydrate somewhere in the shade. Another day in the 90s with super high humidity and a searing sun.
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| Still has a lot of battery left after I charged it 16 months prior. |
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| The Fisher in all its touring glory. Union Grove State Park |
Retrieve the Fisher from storage and clean the dust off, air the tires and check the frame bag. To my great surprise I found a NiteRider Sabre 110 USB rear flasher with a seat post mount. Turned it on and it worked! The battery indicator light was blue. This light was last charged at the beginning of April 2024. The rear flasher on the peat post, a don't recall what brand or what batteries it uses, also worked.
The first thing we noticed about this tandem was how loud the tires are. Get it up to speed and it has a distinct mosquito scream. No need to shout "ON YOUR LEFT" as the bike is very audible. But I announced our presence anyway.
We got as far as Cumming. Sat in the shade and drank a quart of Gatorade each. My shoulder was killing me. We got to bed after midnight, and it was excessively hot and humid. Weather Alerts told people to avoid the heat. We turned around. Showers and the last Gatorades and a nap. It was a good week.
IN SUMMATION
I don't know if we will ever do Ragbrai® proper ever again. Maybe if we could get a good team together. Maybe if the route was the dull north of Iowa. Maybe if it was not so damn hot and humid. I'd like to load the touring bikes up and drop in. There are other weeklong rides and other long trails that take a week to complete in other states. I've enjoyed my time riding across Iowa and I always feel a certain longing if the ride is going on and I'm not on my bicycle. I recall being with Eric Crabb and Bob Moural at the Lean To on the last day of Ragbrai and saying to them that you are on the ride when you ride your bike during this week.
