The 30th Shrunken Nut Ride, the Toughest 10 miles of Cycling

 

Earling, Iowa, sunny and almost above freezing.  It has been a long cold week.

Been waiting to do this one for years.  Weather in February can be challenging, and I am weak.  This year the conditions were perfect.  Highs expected to reach 30°F, gentle southernly breeze bring in warm air.  Sunny.  After a week of hibernating inside from sub-0°F temperatures it was time to go outside and play.  No excuses this time.  The ride was supposed to be held last week but because of recent snow it was postponed preventing snowplows from hitting bicycles and vice-versa.  It was cold as a polar bear's ass anyway and the wind was howling.  Good call.  Load up the bikes and head to Shelby County.

Billed as the "toughest 10 miles of cycling" the route is flat as it follows Mosquito Creek along 191.  Take another road and hills come into play.

We have ridden in this county before.  A few years back on a return from cycling in Omaha, we stopped in Shelby, IA, and rode the Rock Island Old Stone Arch Trail.  Also, Ragbrai seems to have taken us through there multiple times, Harlan seems to be one of the most used overnights and Defiance rings a bell as a pass-through town.

Target acquired!  Google Maps had us exploring hidden byways.

Wonderful winter landscape of nothingness.

Mary and I love attending rides in other parts of the state.  We get to make new friends and ride in new places.  The Fools Ride along the Cedar Valley Nature Trail comes to mind.  Get out of town.  This one is almost in Nebraska.  People from Omaha attended.  Stacy and Natalie from Sac City also joined.  Networking.

We met up at PodunK Bar & Grill in Panama.  A hearty breakfast is available.  Ample parking on the street.  Most of us unloaded our bicycles before entering the establishment. We left after 12 pm.  Threw a leg over the bike and rode down Main St to Iowa Highway 191 and turned north.  This highway was lightly traveled by automobiles but the bumps between concrete sections are a tad pronounced.  The shoulder, though level, was packed with ice and snow.  AADT (Average Annual daily Traffic) is between 701 and 1500 according to my official Iowa map.  That is the second lowest paved road in the state.  

2 and a half miles later we stopped at "the bridge" on Fir Rd for a few of the ever popular "bridge beers."  I brought a cooler with 9 left over from Christmas Easy Eddys from Big Grove and a 4 pack of Stiegl Radlers.  Yes, I drink beer very slow at home.  Everyone packed out what they packed in.  Some people were sharing liquor and liquor recipes.  Fireball, schnapps, something like Rumchata ect.  Winter in Iowa.

The gathering on the bridge.  It was a tough 2.5 flat miles with a tailwind!

Structures in the snow viewed from the bridge.

Mosquito Creek.  Some of the riders on fatbikes considered riding the creek back to Panama.

On the road again for another 2 and half miles the town of Earling comes into view with St Joseph's Church dominating the view atop of a hill.  Someone said that there is a hill around here that one can view 5 or so different churches from the area.  Hang a right into town and avoid a hill and stop at the Freedom Rock.  One in every Iowa county.  Our destination is Troy's Bar & Grill and Farmhand Brewing Co.  I picked the brewpub first.  So little liver, so little time.  As we were getting off the street to park our bikes a family in their best clothes exited a building across the street.  I do not know if they attended a funeral or wedding, but it was a special occasion.  A small boy, perhaps 5 years old, bolted up the sidewalk shouting, "the first one to get to the truck is the winner!"  My ears heard "the first one past the drunk is the winner!"  How did he know??  Wait, I'm only 4 beers into this!!!!

St Joseph Catholic Church

John Deere green...

This is the way, step inside!

Marty was there representing Team Checker

Farmhand's taps and food specials.

Decision time!  Started with an IPA and then a Vienna Lager!  Hard to find a Vienna Lager so I do not pass them up when available.  We split an order of street tacos, too.  Excellent salsa!  Distilled goods from nearby Lonely Oak Distillery were also available but I needed to stay sober.  Lonely Oak was closed for a private party.  It is an off-route destination on this ride but with the Sun and warm air melting the tundra it would have been a muddy and hilly adventure there.  Things started getting a bit crazy as if a demon possessed someone.  But we all laughed.  That is all I will say about it.  I also admit that we failed to go to Troy's Bar & Grill.  So little liver, so little time...

Speaking of the devil and evil spirits that prowl around the world seeking the ruin of souls, Earling is famous for an exorcism back in the 1920s.  I recall Msgr. Beeson giving a talk on this event.  Serious event that took months to resolve.  Stories about a young girl pushing a wheelbarrow at superhuman speed in a torrential downpour, a car driving by a priest suddenly flung off a bridge and hanging on the side.  Basis for the Exorcist.  Read more about this Anna Ecklund Exorcism

Such a fresh and clean taste.  Not bitter.  Perfection in a can.  John says it is better from the tap.  Ironically, he was drinking Easy Eddy.

Mary and I had the bridge to ourselves for a moment.

Gotta keep in shape...

One of several fatties on this ride.

We stopped at the bridge on the way back.  Alone at first except for a large orange tailless cat that wanted to cross the road but interrupted several times by a truck or other bicyclists.  Here I enjoyed the best beer I have consumed in a long, long time.  Fairy Nectar from Kros Strain in Omaha.   John gave a can to me outside Farmhand.  Unfortunately for him, he parked his bike on the south wall of the building and melting snow and ice dripped on his saddle from the sun's love.  Lesson noted.  1 more Easy Eddy for the road.

The Bent Rim

Let's sit around the front end of a C1.

Mary and your humble narrator.

I forgot what he was talking about but it seemed funny at the time.

Patrick Stressman, host of the ride.

2 and a half miles back to Panama finished the riding portion of the ride.  Load the bikes up in the vehicle and then walk to the old gas station that now is a private brewpub owned by Dean Kloewer, co-owner and president of Panama Transfer trucking company.  20 beers on tap and none of it for sale.  Instead, donations are taken for brew.  The money is used for the development of Shelby County Trails.  A worthy purpose and I pitched in a few greenbacks for cause.

Dean, Mary and I.  Not the wasabi snacks in front of me.  HOT!!  Thank you Stacy Bellcock for the photo.

I really enjoyed this ride and would certainly do it again.  Toughest 10 miles?  Hahahaha!!!  The Most Fun for 10 miles, now that is the truth.  Something to look forward to next year.  Must invite friends.  Thank you Patrick!