Last Ride Before RASDAK

Paved county highway with a town every 10 miles.

How come you only want tomorrow with its promise of something hard to do?

A real life adventure worth more than pieces of gold.

Blue sky's above and sun on your arms strength in your stride

and hope in those squeaky clean eyes

So you train by shadow boxing, search for truth but it's all used up

Break out your million dollar weapon but still you push your luck

--David Bowie, Teenage Wildlife 1980

Ah David, you left us alone too soon.  Here I am in Warren County climbing a hill on S23 wondering if next week is going to be like this all week.  Wondering why 90% of vehicles on this road are Chevrolets, the majority of which are the subpar Equinox.  Hoping that the dark red C1 Corvette would be sitting at the Casey's so I could take a foto of it.  Wondering what prevented training in April May.  But finally real hill work.

Next week at this very moment these that thoughts are haunting my brain, we'll be arriving in Hermosa, South Dakota, somewhere between the Badlands and Black Hills, for that State's version of Ragbrai.  For 6 days 225 cyclists plus support will be riding bicycles in a huge loop "west river", that is west of the mighty Missouri River.  We'll ride on the Needles Highway, up a mountain, see bison, cycle through tribal lands, pay our respects at the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre and view the Badlands.  Lots of other things to do as well.  This ride is very well organized and we have the option of sleeping inside every night and showers!

So, Bike Bitch, Co-Commuter of the Year, why the apprehension?   I don't feel like I have ridden enough to prepare for this.   Last year I suffered.  Wind and hills.  Changes were made.  I noticed that one week in May of this year I had more miles than I did for the entire month of May 2024!  I also broke out my "million dollar weapon."  I will be riding my 07 LeMond Versailles for it light weight and triple chainring.

For training, 3 rules:

Break your ass in

Build endurance

Climb hills

Since I commute to work on bike year round, my ass is already broke in and desensitized to bike saddles.  No chamois butter or "butt don't hurt" gimmicks for me.  I rarely take ibuprofen, maybe once a year for serious pain.

Endurance means get out and ride.  Long rides.  Easy to do where I live since we are blessed with so many trails (when they are open).  We have done a lot of them.  Our house to Carlise/Indianola and back, over 40 miles, Bill Riley/Jordan Creek/new bridge at Raccoon River Park then loop Easter Lake on the return is a 50 miler.  Waukee to Perry on the Raccoon River Valley Trail.  Our house to Polk City is an enjoyable mix of trail and roads with the Oasis being 19 miles from our house, over 40 miles.   Yeah, got the 40 mile in but time constraints and racing against weather seems to be a limiting factor.  Sadly, no 60s, 80s or centuries.  However, generally people can handle a ride that is 3 times as long, both time and distance as their average training ride.  I need to keep this in mind.

The Million Dollar Weapon

07 LeMond in Lacona.  The red ribbon hanging from the bars is a peace ribbon giving to me at Wounded Knee the last time this bike was in South Dakota at that site of the massacre.  I'm hoping to get another one this year.  Also visible is a poppy that I got in Carlisle for support of Veterans.

This year I thought long and hard about which bike to take to South Dakota.  My 2007 LeMond Versailles has been the one I have ridden since the last Tour De Kota, 2012, and most of the RASDAKs since 2013.  When RASDAK resumed after Covid, I rode my Trek Domane in every ride since 2021, the exception was in 2023 when we went to Wyoming instead of South Dakota.  This year I have choices.  the "TIE Fighter," my Linskey roadie, the Domane or the LeMond.  

The TIE Fighter was eliminated since it has 90's race gear.  I'm too weak and heavy to be pushing a 53/39T crankset up a mountain.  Also the drops on the handlebars are too short and give a rough ride.  But, man o man, that bike shifts so damn smooth!  Best shifting bike I ever ridden or owned.  Don't mess with it now.  Don't!  Maybe next time after I shovel some cash its way and replace the chainrings and bars.  

The Domane, too heavy and climbs like a dog.  So Big Bike decides that triples shift like shit, true, and that the drivetrain should be a 2x1 or 1x1 with a HEAVY cassette to make up the gearing loss from the removal of a lightweight triple front derailleur.  Make the tires wider, too.  Replace lightweight caliper road brakes with much heavier hydraulic disc brakes.  Sure, they are better at stopping bicycles but there is a weight penalty and every gram counts when climbing.  This year the route will be hilly.

That leaves the Versailles aka Century Machine.  In 2022 I replaced its stock wheels with a set of Campagnola Sciroccos and then the shifters died last year.  On a ride to West Des Moines, the bike put itself into the hardest gear and refused to downshift.  After returning home, yes, pushing Big Ring and the smallest one on the cassette, I hung up the bike and considered options.  Since I have several other road bikes fixing the LeMond was not a priority.  The major issue is that no one manufactures STI shifters for 10 speed triples WITHOUT the cable housing sticking out like some sort of WWII German radar equipped night fighter (Bf 110 G, He 219, Ju 88 ect).  I want the cables to run along the bars.  So I decided to purchase a pair of Dura Ace bar end shifters and have a lesser amount of cable housing sticking out from the bottom of the bars instead of the top.  Since there are friction shifters, I'd get more control in moving the front derailleur.  I let the shiny box of shifters sit in the bicycle room until the day before this ride.

Took a quick course on how to install these shifters, albeit for aerobar placement, on YouTube University and put them on.  Of course, I messed up a bit.  Cut the housing a bit too short.  BUT IT WORKED!!  Shifts nicely from the start.  Did not have to redo although after the trip I'll probably replace the housing and cables with long ones and line it up better.  I will most likely draw shark teeth and eyes on the bar wrap where the cables exit like the Flying Tigers.

The Ride

Bikes in the Ridgeline.  Saftest place for bicycles during transport inside the vehicle.  

The bicycles for this ride and for our adventure in South Dakota.

We loaded the bikes into the Ridgeline.  Fold the rear seats up, remove the front tires and place the bicycles inside.  That vehicle will take us to South Dakota since I have been informed that the Pilot has a ripped CV Joint Boot and the axel could run out of grease.  The $500 replacement will wait a month. We drove to the McVay/Summerset Trail Head in Indianola.  From there we took the McVay Trail to highway 92 and turned east on the decent shoulder until we found S23.  Just 2 miles or so on 92, shoulder on both sides.  Watch out for gravel at driveway entrances.

This is our route for many adventures.  We have taken S23 to Ottumwa, Ragbrai and part of a century loop we rode with Graham that had us turn west in Lacona and connect up with New Virgina and eventually the Great Western Trail for the homebound section.  The Des Moines Bicycle Club used to host a ride, BRAWCO, with many distance options back in the 1990s.

S23 is a beautiful paved county highway that offers flat stretches and hills.  One can only do so much training on hills.  Sure you could ride the new connector to Carlisle and back repeatedly until boredom set in but the Big Hill is not a hill one would ever encounter off a trail.  Long stretches of road with hills develops rhythm and skills one needs for non-trail hill riding.  Thus, Warren County is the best place for such training.

C1 Corvette

The LeMond worked like a charm.  Ate up miles and climbed quite nicely.  The city of Milo is roughly 10 or 11 miles from the trail head.  There is a Casey's and a bar.  There is also a dark red C1 Corvette (1st gen for those not in the know) that passed us north of town.  I have him a thumbs up and he returned the gesture.  By the smell of his exhaust, that motor was not restricted by emission controls.

Downtown Milo, Iowa

Big chairs popping up everywhere.  Milo, IA

Heading south out of Milo, the town of Lacona is another 10 miles south.  We encountered a few photogenic barns.  Flags decorated the cemeteries along the route for Memorial Day. The main hill is presented by crossing Wolf Creek.  It's a long steep and long one, just what the doctor ordered.  There is also a hill going into Lacona.  We stopped at the gas station to the west of the road in the town proper.  To the east is an Irish bar and the city park that we once camped in coming back from Ragbrai a few years ago.

Rudy's closed.  Bummer.  Last time we were here, they were selling pints of Peace Tree's Blonde Fatale for $4.  That is dangerous.

Our Iowa heritage.

Turn around and head home.  41 miles.  I felt ready for South Dakota.  The bike did not break.  I wish we had done this earlier and more than enough.  In a week or so I'll let you know how I survived.

 

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!

The Nightmare Before Ragbrai

 

Twas the night before Ragbrai when all through the overnight

Not a freewheel was spinning, not even a cassette.

All cyclists were sleeping in makeshift beds, visions of paved roads in their heads.

That is all I have.  This post is about a real nightmare I experienced.  This is not my attempt to rip off a renown and beloved Christmas poem.  I lack the creativity and patience for that.

This bottle of vino was purchased by me when Mary's Heroes, my bicycle team, rode out west.  There is a winery near Elk Horn, IA.  A minister is the son in-law of the owner.  He took us upstairs and sang Brown Sugar with guitar and then apologized for the awful racist lyrics.  Good times!  Down the road is the Danish Museum where I purchased a bottle of Viking Blood, a STRONG mead.

A few nights ago...

My dreams usually make little sense.  I'm in a suit at some meeting and spend most of the time in the dream searching for where I parked my car or bicycle, walking through buildings and once scaled down a driveway retaining wall passing by three Pugs on a ledge.  Nonsense.  Or they are often involving a job I had 20 years ago but with current colleagues in a stressful situation. Sometimes I'm with my dead parents.  Dad drove the Ragbrai bus in one.  And yet others.  I have come to believe that this REM activity is my brain trying to wake up so I can empty my bladder and let the dog out for her bodily relief.

If 1989 was a sweet red...This one is produced a few miles from my house just off the bike trail.

So, it was.  A rare dream about riding a bicycle on some sort of massive cycling event such as The Ragbrai.  The night before the ride during the dream, I dreamt that we partied like in was 1989.  If you did not party in 1989, let it be known that it was the Summer of Love for my generation.  No details in my dream I just knew we were all lit as the kids say.

Got up and threw a leg over my touring bike and headed out.  Rode by myself.  I guess I was late.  5 miles into it at some generic country intersection at the top of a hill was a friend of mine off his bike and drinking a bottle of red wine.  So I stopped, pulled out my chair and produced my own bottle of red wine and drank with him.  This friend was a composite character, not anyone I knew from the Awake World.  Bottles empty, we rolled on.

Another Iowa wine.  I once got very ill on my friend's homemade Catawba.  Damn that was delicious!  But after overindulging on it post beer consumption, we were outside in the rain.  While he was wondering why he could not get his cigar lit, rain, I was making a birdfeeder.

5 miles later we stopped at a farmhouse belonging to the parents of an acquaintance of his.  Well, 7 hours later it was after 7pm.  Normally not an issue.  But it was an 81-mile day.  Just then I discovered that I left most of my stuff back at the overnight.  Important items were money and medication.  SHIT!!!!!  81 miles plus 10 back and another 10 to get to the farmhouse it was quickly becoming a century day.  7 pm.  Panic set in.  I guess my sleeping heart rate was increasing.

What to do???  As much as I begged, no one would give me a ride back to the overnight.  Someone gave me some cash and said good luck.  So, I went to the barn where I parked my bike and said thank you and farewell while riding past a shiny aluminum Citroen.  Yeah, weird, classic strange French car in an Iowa barn.  Polished Element 13.  My dreams are like that.

I woke up.  Sat at the edge of the bed and processed that thought vomit. WTF was that?  I was angry and upset.  Why is this bothering me so much?  It is not real.  Just a dream, Ché, just a dream.  Libby scratching at the door.  Looked at the clock, 4 am, my usual time.  Take the BP meds now.  Beat the alarm.  Time to get coffee brewing and thank the Lord that I was safe at home.

Smokey Row to Smokey Row: A Coffee Ride

 

We were supposed to be in Minneapolis.  We were supposed to see OMD (Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark) at First Avenue.  We were supposed to be against the rail up against the stage waiting for that short server, God bless her, wading through the crowd with a tray of PBRs as we danced to History of the Modern and singing about the end of the Universe.  Then load up on screw top white Monsters, a large coffee and get on 35 South and drive the 4 hours back to Des Moines in the pitch black darkness of Minnestoa and Iowa, stopping at the Kum & Go at Diamond Jo's Casino just to get a reload on coffee, a snack and to see the blue haired woman who is just a trip at 2 am.  God bless her, too.  Mary's request for the day off was granted.  I do not work on Fridays.  But due to an illness in the band the gig has been postponed until June of 2025.  What to do?

Mary suggested that we do the Pleasantville, IA, to Pella Smokey Row Coffee Ride.  This is something we created.  Load up the vehicle with our bikes and drive to Pleasantville, unload and ride to the Smokey Row Coffee Shop in Pella, IA, drink a coffee and then ride back and have another coffee in Pleasantville at their Smokey Row.  We have done this twice before although the last time ended in a bloody mess.  Why not?  I need to ride and riding in Des Moines in 2024 has been nothing but closed trails, roads and "easy" pain in the ass "work arounds."

The SRtSR ride is a mix of county highways and trails, all of which is paved.  Road bike action!  Park in front of the Checkerboard Cafe in Pleasantville and head east to County Highway G40.  9 miles later turn north on Highway 14, cross the mile long bridge, we measured it, and turn east again on G28 and climb to Cordova State Park, 12.5 miles from the start.  At last, a trail, the Volksweg Trail that rolls along the north edge of Lake Red Rock and ends in Pella.  Google Maps has this as a 52 mile trip.

We left our house about 9 am to give the sun a chance to warm things up.  It was in the 50s and the high was forecasted to reach 68° F.  We decided that light long sleeve jerseys would be best.  Let the legs be uncovered and no jacket or gloves.  The wind was in the low teens from the east northeast.  Tailwind for the return.  Quick run to the drive thru at McDonald's for breakfast sandwiches and a drink.  Of course, needed gas for the Pilot.  Someone's Jeep Grand Cherokee died in a turn lane causing all sorts of issues delayed us a bit more.  Eventually, we got to Pleasantville and parked on the main drag on the same side of the Smokey Row, the Checkerboard Cafe was across the street.  Unload and roll.  

Finding the way out of town is easy enough.  Just head east and take the first right, go two blocks and take a left, G40.  This county highway is relatively flat with a few rollers.  There is an adequate shoulder marked with rumbles to ride on and give cagers more room to pass.  The surface of G40 is fairly smooth as is the shoulder.  There are spots of gravel washed up from the shoulder or gravel intersections that are easy to avoid.  It is harvest season so there were a lot of farmers out in the field.  Not much for grain trucks on the road, however.  But a good number of men in overalls and seed store caps driving pickup trucks on the road.  No issues.  This is why I use a mirror and ride without headphones, ear pods or a stereo.  I like to hear what is behind me.  I have 300,000 songs in my little brain and usually a tune is playing at all times so the need for audio equipment is unnecessary.

Action photo of Mile Long Bridge.  I miss real cameras.  I took better photos when riding with them. Believe it or not, there is enough room to ride a bike between the white line and the railing.  I've done it several times and I'll do it again.

G40 ends with a downhill to the stop sign.  This is where the ride goes on Highway 14 for 2 and a half miles.  A larger shoulder to ride on and more traffic.  The mile long bridge soon appears.  Google Maps labeled it as Mile Long Bridge as it crosses the Des Moines River.  Not much of a shoulder here but bicycles are very visible.  Be aware that there are divots that allow the rain to drain off.  Expansion joints cross the bridge at several locations.  They look worse than they feel.  It wasn't until the return trip that I got my arse off the saddle when rolling over them.  Should have done this from the start.  Hy Vee has several semi-trucks going up and down 14.  They are courteous and gave us wide berth.  After the bridge the shoulder returns.  Climb a bit and soon G28 appears, turn right and climb a bit and Cordova Park will be on the right.  That was at 12.5 miles.  Now the "safety" of the trail.

The new part of the trail has yet to show up on Google Maps.  Rest assured, it has been there for 5 or 6 years.  Smooth, windy and small hills.  The first mileage marker appears, Mile 13, IIRC.  When Robert's Creek parking lot and restrooms appear so does the trail on Google Maps.  It was here that we had a bad crash.  On the return I was contemplating the need to slow down for the curve near the restrooms, not that I was going super fast and WHAM!!! I was on the ground.  My front wheel must have been grabbed by the lower surface of the original trail and the higher surface of the new trail section.  As I lay there, I felt something and looked up and saw Mary's bike flying above me.  She ran into me after I crashed.  Those nanoseconds seem to take a lifetime.  We were scraped up and bleeding.  The chain of my LeMond got sucked between the BB and crank.  I had to straighten the front wheel to be proper with the bars, too.  We hurt.  Mary's head hit the ground, fortunately, she always wears a helmet.  I crashed on my side as usual.  Fixed the bikes and brushed ourselves off and rode the 14 miles or so back to Pleasantville.  We were too bloody to visit the Smokey Row, looking like we were part of the Pulp Fiction cast.  I thought about going back and spray painting that crack and donating a bench dedicated to this spot.  I think they resurfaced that spot and there is a bench there now.

The scene of the crash.  I almost could smell my blood.

From here the original surface of the Volksweg Trail is our home.  The trail enters and leaves canopy quite a bit.  Beautiful views of trees and the lake.  A few weeks from now the foliage will be at its peak.  Only one black walnut tree along the way.  There were plenty of leaves and insects on the ground.  We noted the color of the woolly caterpillars, to see if more of them were brown or black, to guess what winter would be like. More brown, mild winter, more black hard winter.  Click here for more info Weather Predication Accuracy of Woolly Bears  Be cautious on the bridges and the curvy wooden ones.  Some are shaded, full of leaves and still were wet from last night's rain.  Also be aware that there is a long stretch of shoulder to shoulder length cracks that make the ride uncomfortable unless you are riding fat tires or low pressure tires.  These really need to be repaired.

At times the Volksweg parallels G28

Two turkeys!  As close as I could get without startling them.  One was still there on the return trip.

After the cracks and playground, we entered a tunnel that took us under Highway T15 to the picnic area.  It was here that we left the trail, fearing that the trail would be closed because they are working on the dam, and took T15 to Idaho Drive and after about a mile or so we resumed riding on the Volksweg.  Just look for the gas station on top of the hill.  The trail took us all the way into Pella.   

This must be the place.  Smokey Row Coffee Shop, Pella, IA

Barely visible on the table, my iced coffee

The Orange Cone Plague has hit Pella and we detoured from the trail to get to downtown near the square to the Smokey Row.  No bicycle parking.  Tons of people on the sidewalks and cars in the streets.  It is a Friday during Banker's Hours, don't these people have jobs or school for the children.  I got bumped by a bag that some kid was carrying walking side by side with 4 of his family.  I thought to myself that the East Village would sacrifice their first and second born for such foot traffic.  What is going on?  The we looked at the square with it's replica windmill, Netherland's style, home coming event for Central Collage.  Sports related holiday!  I was glad the coffee shop was not busy.  I had a cold brew with oatmilk and Mary had an iced latte with a cookie.  She asked if we were going to eat.  I should have listened better.  Nope, caffeine is an appetite suppressant.  I should have thought of her.  Could explain her headache during the ride back.

After the consumption of caffeine we reverse the course.  Drivers were friendly as the endless parage of SUVs paused to let us cross the street at Central Campus and return to the trail.  The ride back was much faster as we now had a 10 mph tailwind.  I believe we were an hour shorter on the return.  Wind makes a difference.  Nothing to note except that the cracks seemed worse.  A roadie on a Felt, still in big ring, stopped with us at an intersection and we all bitched about the trail surface.

We stopped to use the restrooms at Robert's Creek.  No water available but I felt like I had enough.  Mary mentioned her headache and I remember that I had a baggie of Aleve in my backpack that I took to our South Dakota adventure, and I gave her the allotment.  Empty bladders for the last time and roll home.  Although no incidents on 14 or the mile long bridge I was happy to see the sign indicating the turn for Pleasantville 9 miles away.  I did a countdown.  More harvesting equipment and dust.  Glad I took my Claritin.  P-Ville did not appear until we were right on it.  Trees too tall Mary said.  Frustrating.  I did my best riding here.  Finally had some speed and I felt like my hill game on the rollers was fine.

History Lesson.  On G40 aka Stringtown Road

Very delish drink!  I could have drank a gallon.  Only one swallow left in my water bottle!!

We loaded the bikes up once we reached the car and then went into the coffee shop.  I was really in the mood for a gallon of Gatorade but settled for a caramel apple refresher with caffeine.  It was green and delicious.  And then once again the drive into the sun and home.  Mission accomplished 54 miles.

Further reading and better photos click THIS BLOG FROM 2020.  Same ride, better photos.