My Most Neglectful Mistake at High Speed

If this incident occurred on the starship Enterprise there would have been all sorts of alarms, klaxons, and shouting.  "Inertia dampeners offline!  Warp core breach!,  Hull integrity compromised!.  Enemy ship still attacking!"  Instead I only heard a loud screech.  A loud $55 dollar screech.

It's Tuesday in early June.  One of those days when it is still a bit chilly in the morning but warm in the afternoon.  I had to put on a long sleeve shirt to keep warm when I left my home at 430 am.  Since I took a road bike I used a laptop bag to carry what I would need for the day: wallet, keys, medicine, pump and tire repair.  I would stuff my work clothing in this bag for the trip home.  I would have to carry the morning shirt home since my short sleeve shirt would be adequate.  61F for the ride in, 84F for home.  Since my administrative assistant was on vacation I needed to be at work not only on time but earlier.  Since there was no work clothing to ferry to work I could get there quicker on a bagless bike.

In the past I have been able to secure a jacket or this shirt on the outside of the bag.  For some reason I thought I could get by with it draped over the main body of the bag and having it in between me and the bag it would stay put.

The wind was from the south.  I was feeling particularly strong and healthy on the way home.  On NW 123rd heading north I was already in big ring.  The speed limit was 25 mph and approaching was a hill with a curve along Campbell recreation Center Clive, Iowa.  I love this hill.  Zoom down it and then zoom up the other side to get to the sidepath on 128th that leads to the Greenbelt.

There was a car behind me.  I reached for the shift lever, downtube, and pushed it forward.  I was surpassing the speed limit, something rare for me, 30 mph was the last I saw on the Cateye before my attention was diverted to a most pressing issue.  The pedals locked up!

I looked down at them, nice and parallel with the road.  But that did not matter now.  Something was deadly wrong with the bike and I needed to safely come to a stop at a safe place.   A new sound was entering my ears.  The screech of a skidding bicycle tire.  Now the bike was beginning to buck like it wanted to throw me off of it.  It took a lot of strength to keep it upright and guide it to safety.

The entrance to the park appeared but I was still going too fast to make the turn.  A significant change in direction would have slammed me to the pavement.  As it was the bike was moving toward the curb which was preferable to heading out to traffic albeit traffic is light on this road and was probably empty now.

Finally I reached the curb and my speed was totally scrubbed to a point where I could unclip and stop.  The bike failed to buck me off like a bull or mustang.  Time to find out what the trouble maker was.  My shirt.  My shirt was sucked up by the wheel and jammed underneath the rear brake.  The wheel could not move.  The shirt would not move either.  I had to remove the wheel to free the shirt.

I looked at the road and saw a thin black line leading to the curb.  Time to check for damage.  Funny how this works.  Everything looks fine until the end.  I was thinking that I merely reduced the life of this tire as I spun it and it looked good.  Then I saw it.  Several inches long.  No rubber just kevlar threads ripped.  The very bottom of the tire left.  Miraculously the tube was not exposed although not much tire left to protect it.

What do we do now?  Call for help?  Walk 13  miles?  Walk it to Barr Bicycle and purchase a new tire?  nurse it slow to Anders Olson's baseball card shop, The Rookie, maybe 2+ miles away and see if he has duct tape that I could use?  Yes, to The Rookie!

I rode it.  Tried keeping as much weight as possible on the front wheel.  Avoided every crack, rut, stick and debris as I could.  I made it, tire still inflated.  No duct tape but he had packing tape.  Wrapped the wheel up with 2 or 3 layers of patches and wrapped those.  I learned this trick from Brad Dagget.  He once completed a few days of Ragbrai with a tire duct taped.

11 miles.  Take it slow.  Avoid cracks, ruts, sticks and debris.  Do not go fast.  13 mph is good.  So what if everyone passes you.  Forward progress.  You have extra tires at home.  Just keep going.  It will be over soon.

One stop on Water Works bridge for a beer with Craig and Kelly and other friendlies and then 3 and half miles home.  I made it.  Tire still wrapped in tape and inflated.  The tape patch worked.  the tube held.  Put the bike away and ride a different bike tomorrow and the next day and the next until the tire gets replaced.  It's good to have several bikes.  Now if I can remember to secure loads.

I would have to say that Continental's Gatorskin tires are outstanding.  Any lessor tire would have blown IMHO.  Well worth the money.  Such a shame is that this tire had a few thousand more miles left in it.  Another shame is that I could not replicate this for the Midwest Bicycle Rally Skidding Challenge.  Ask Loco Joe, he can tell you!

1000 Mile May

Taken from McKinley Rd 

Despite all the rain, cold weather, crappy weekends and my poor health I managed to clock in over 1000 miles for the month of May, 2016.  This is my first 1K month since October 2015.  Big debt of gratitude goes to having the first week of the month off and the 240 miles ridden Monday through Friday that week.  Another key to this was riding the extra 3 miles every morning to work despite the rain.  It adds up.  And my lovely wife Mary who stoked the tandem with me or rode along for various adventures.  I cannot forget Donnie and Joe Hildreth for a great 62 miler to St Mary's last week.  But it comes down to the final ride, the last full measure, crossing that line.  Today we made an adventure out of it.

Mary and I on the Trestle first week of  May.

Late start.  I needed a mere 24 miles.  Just waking up and hopping on a bike would have made it easy.  But I was scheduled to distribute Holy Communion at Church at 830 am and it being the feast day of The Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ it would look bad if I no showed.  Afterwards we sat around home and ate pancakes and played on computers.  Motivation was wilting away as the temperature increased to the 80s.  The 1000 mile point would be crossed on Tuesday going to and fro work if all else fails.  Around noon we decided to roll and changed into biking clothes.  I remembered to apply sun block for once.

The Hildreth brothers and me on our ride to St Mary's.  I really hate my jersey now.

Outside the door the decision was made on the destination.  By this time of year we have ridden in every direction and just a mileage goal was not helping.  Bondurant was considered but it seems like we were just there.  Were we up for a 40 so "late" in the day?  Maybe north to Johnston and the ice cream shop?  Rode that way Friday night.  Cumming, a 23 mile round trip which would suffice since we rode 1 mile to Church and back.  Mary said no since she thought the trail would be too crowded.  But she could not make a decision either.  In the end we picked Cumming.  Mary counted all the bikes we encountered from Mullets to Orlando's.  79 going the opposite direction.

But when we were crossing Park Ave about 30 bikers got on the trail.  Damn, she was right.  Fortunately I had to stop and deal with a phone issue.  Let them go.  New plan:  turn around and ride to Pleasant Hill and have margaritas at that Mexican joint in Copper Creek.  Maybe have Crabb meet us there.  But we pushed on to McKinley.

New Plan 2  take McKinley up to the the first paved road north and ride home.  It's been neaqrly 4 years that I've ridden that road.  Used to take it all the time home from work when i worked at the PFG call center.  Sadly, the road has really rotted.  I don't know why they bother mowing the shoulders.  but we we topped it Mary suggested he continue west toward Walnut Woods.  It has been even longer since we rode there.

Some hills but that was good.  We rode through the park itself and exited and continued on.  Take the back roads to Orilla or Cumming.  County roads are solace when trails are crowded.  better to be passed by an occasional car than deal with 300 bikes.  Besides this close to the Ragbrai and we really need to be on roads instead of trails for better training.

My phone went off near Army Post Rd so we stopped.  It was Quin our second son wanting to borrow a tent.  We pulled over to the closed road and talked.  About that time the large group of bikes that we saw earlier were coming from the south to this intersection.  Ends up they were the Dream Team or something akin training.  I asked if they were heading south, no.  We headed south up the hill to Moffit Lake Rd and took a left at the first paved road.

That road had like 4 names and soon turned to gravel but lead us to the road that bisects Cumming.  Good gravel which was a miracle because we both were riding 700x23s.  I had to laugh because within a minute of entering the gravel a car passed me.  The west wind prevented me and more importantly from being covered by dust and grit.  Mary and I are hard enough on bicycles without intentionally destroying them by riding on filthy surfaces such as this.  guess we were hip, riding on gravel.  We got what we wanted, a road to ourselves like we had yesterday albeit crappy surface.

Once in Cumming we did not even stop.  Had to get home, child in need of a tent for camping that night.  And a sleeping bag.  The pancakes were long gone anyway, need to eat.  Now we had a tailwind to keep our speed up.  Enjoyable.  Weave through the bikes.  The closer we got to Des Moines the thicker the bikes.  Should have taken county roads back.  Then there right near the end was Nikki and Aaron with their two kids pulled off the trail dealing with an issue surely related to riding with young children on hot days (well the hottest day this season).  I almost texted Aaron to say it will get better about 10 years from now when they will only phone you when you ride asking for a tent or when's dinner.

The rest of the way was fast and crowded.  I should have slowed down but the energy was with me and I wanted to get home.  Had my miles.  And suddenly our oldest child appears and we stopped and regrouped.  head home and determine when tent pick up would be then off to Court Avenue Brew Pub for post ride/pre-dinner beer and wings.  Life is good!  Celebrate the success!

Lessons:  Early starts.  Stay off trails during peak hours.  Explore old roads and new ways.  Empty county highways.  It's almost June and hill training is in order.

The Morning Sun

There is an older gentleman that rides a recumbent around town.  I see him all the time.  One day we met on the Des Moines River Trail.  It was after work.  He said that he was returning to the exact spot where the sun's final rays turned the woods into a bright orange glow.  I tried finding it there the next day.  Never did see it.  Just had to be there at that one magical moment when all conditions are perfect.  The earth's position and atmospheric conditions and being at the precise location.  Not easy.

This morning I found my spot.  Sunrise.  The darkness of winter so far away and now it's getting close to full daylight on the commute to work.  I feel it is so late when I get to work and have not needed bike lights to see.  But today I knew I was not late.  My health was the best it had been in months and the bike was moving fast.  Actually left home early for a change.

Somewhere on Clive's Greenbelt Trail it happened.  About 11 miles into the commute.  Just passed the 3 mile marker and headed into the curves.  Tight little switchbacks not unlike skiing.  Carved the bike to the left and prepared to turn it back to the right and I saw it.

Everything was bathed in a red glowing light.  My first thought was that there was someone behind me with a large red light.  I glanced over my right shoulder and saw the deepest and brightest red sunrise ever between the trees,  Instead of stopping and taking a photo right then and there I pushed on hoping for a clearing.  No clearing until NW 114th was reached.  Missed the best of the reds but I am happy with the photos I took.

Big Week 2016

Perry, Iowa

It's not been a great year for cycling for me.  Health issues aside, and I've overcome them, 2016 has been  loaded with rainy, windy and cold weekends.  Seems that Tuesday has generally been the best day of the week.  My miles have been mostly Monday through Friday commuting to and fro work.

Looking to the future has been bleak as well.  The skeleton crew at work beats me to the punch in getting vacation approved months before I ask.  My June requests fell on deaf ears since everyone asked for those weeks off.  I got Ragbrai approved, thankfully.  But I did not use all my PTO last year and rolled it over for this year.  I do not recall taking significant time since Ragbrai last year except for a few days here in there for medical reasons.  I needed a break.  I needed to do some riding.  Then I saw the first full week of May was available.  Mary was not able to get the entire week off but had Wednesday through Friday off.  So a few days of solo and a few days with Wifey.  Do it.

The Map

The plan was loosely simple.  Ride as many miles as possible, pray for good weather, pray for health.  Close call on both.  The first weekend was cold and rainy and flooded out major trails.  And two weeks prior I came down with bronchitis and a torqued ankle.  But by May 1st the antibiotics were doing their job and I could walk without a limp.

Originally I wanted to take off on Saturday and ride to the High Trestle Trail, camp out at The Bridge on a picnic table and then ride to Slater and ride the entire Heart of Iowa Trail and camp in Melbourne.  The third day would be to ride home via the Chichaqua Valley Nature Trail.  Colin Lamb was going to be my partner in crime for this.  My Gravity Vanquish single speed would be the steed.  It's wide tires would be needed on the unpaved HoIT.  But the rain and cold and my desire to have a few more days of healing told me otherwise.  My other idea would have me get up with Mary and ride her to work and then break off for a century on the Raccoon River Valley Trail.  While people would be working I'd be at the office of my LeMond Versailles cranking out miles.  Back to back centuries.

That moment, on the Clive Greenbelt

Monday came and I was an hour late leaving.  Not organized but I did manage to roll out by 530 am.  Breakfast consisted of two egg & cheese tacos which started the food theme of tacos everyday.  Had to take Ingersoll Ave instead of the Bill Riley Trail because of a correct suspicion that the trail would be flooded.  I was right.  I did a clockwise loop of the RRVT.  Felt great to be on the old friend.

Redfield, Iowa

I was blessed with gifts from nature.  Somewhere in the canopy north of Redfield I witnessed two Blue Jays chase a large owl.  The owl got about a foot off the trail using the ground effects for speed but every time he/she climbed for the safety of the canopy the jays attacked.  Eventually the jays gave up their pursuit and the owl landed on the the right shoulder.  As I passed we stared at each other.  The owl stood almost to my knees and gave me the look of a very pissed off cat.

Other sights included a fox running across the trail west of Jamaica and two pheasants at an intersection near Dawson.

Not a lake but a corn field.  What water was not standing was flowing south toward Des Moines.

One thing I did see that I did not like was all the water standing in fields and low places.  They got a lot of rain north of the metro and what was not standing was flowing south into the tributaries that feed the rivers and streams that flow through Des Moines.  Prospects for long time closed trails.  The water below the bridge between Dawson and Perry was extremely high and 5 times beyond its banks,

The one mistake I made was not recovering properly once home.  I had time to shower and consume a drink and take my daughter to her band concert.  No feeding, no real replacement of fluids.  This probably would not have been an issue except that the only food I consumed for the 111 miles was two egg and cheese tacos before leaving, two PowerBars and 1 bag of PowerBar gels.  No road food.  Lesson learned--EAT!

Tuesday was a recovery day.  I knew that I failed to recover properly.  Take it easy.  14 miles on the Trek Soho to view flood damage and then ride the Vanquish to Cumming for Taco Night with Colin.  I stayed in my pajamas all day for all 44 miles.  I recovered.  Steak and Ramen for lunch.

Steak and Ramen

Causal Tuesday.  I rode 44 miles dressed like this

The Soho was the hack bike of the week.  Grocery runs through flooded trails ect.  It got over 25 miles this week.

Colin and Randy at the Cumming Tap.

Sam at the Lean To.  He helped me drink the bottle of Sangria since Colin was too chickenshit.

Tacopocalypse on Tuesday at Cumming.  Day Two of the Taco Theme.

Wednesday Mary was able to ride all day.  To our displeasure it was windy.  Since the LeMond was still filthy from Monday's century and her roadie nearly as dirty we opted for the Cannondale RT3000 tandem.  La Machine.  Light and fast.  No racks, no bags, not even one of those frame bags, built for untamed speed.  Breakfast was at Fuzzy Tacos in tradition of the Taco Theme.

We rode to Bondurant, Iowa.  Our route was the new trail extension from Berwick.  but to get there we took MLK all the way to E 30th and one block north to Scott Ave and then a right to the Gay Lea Wilson trailhead in Pleasant Hill.  Wunderbar!!  Ja!!  MLK is not completed BUT it has a side path all the way except for the last 50 yards.  This eliminates the industrial zones we used to take and most of the railroad crossings and traffic.  Now the jaunt on E 30th may involve some trucks but it only lasts about 2 minutes.  Once on the trail we turned toward Copper Creek to catch the 4 Mile Creek Trail to catch the Chichaqua Nature Valley Trail near Berwick.  NOTE  none of these trails were flooded.

Reclaimed Rails Brewery.  Opens at 4 pm.  It is 11 am in this photo.

Bondurant was as far as we went.  Mingo would have been nice, Baxter an ultimate goal but we were not in the mood to fight the wind anymore.  We both were disappointed that the new brewery, Reclaimed Rails, does not open its taproom until 4 pm.  It was 11 when we got there.

We took the old way home.  First we rode to the trailhead of the Chichaqua Trail and then county roads all the way to Altoona where we caught the eastern start of the GLW Trail.  Scott Ave to E 30th then MLK.  We were flying on the way back.  Sustained 30+ mph on the flat until that damn stop sign north of the graveyard.  Felt great to work well together and get the C-dale up to speed.

Best water station I have ever seen.  Bondurant, Iowa.

Once home, a quick nap and then I took the Soho through the flooded Des Moines River Trail to get to Fareway to get the fixin's needed for dinner.  55 mile day.  Yes, my feet got wet but I rode at a No Wake Speed.

Thursday's preride meal was at Margarita's Mexican Restaurant.  I had the Two Tacos lunch.

Thursday was more ambitious.  Ride to the High Trestle and stop at Snus Winery.  Because of the delayed Neal Smith Trail closure for repavement of a certain section that is most likely flooded, we essentially took 6th Ave all the way to Ankeny.  Normally we turn at the Italian restaurant in Saylorville, fly down the hill and intercept the connection of the NST to Oralabor Rd.  This time we continued north and ended up exactly where we wanted to be: The Git n Go on the corner of Oralabor Rd and Irvindale Ave.  It was a pleasant road with a nice fast hill and residential. This cut off maybe 2 miles.  Once on Irvindale Ave head north to the High Trestle Trail.  Straight shot, no bullshit or hills and sidepath available.  5 miles from the Oasis and Julie Hugos bench.

A quick respite at the Oasis and then straight to The Bridge.  The tandem was once again traveling fast.  There was one quick stop at the git n Go in Madrid for Gatorade.  Said sports drink was needed to was out the airplane bottle of tequilla we each did on the Bridge.  It was Cinco de Mayo and we needed to rehydrate.

Snus Winery was a wonderful stop.  I wish we had time to split a bottle but we did not.  However, since we were on bicycles we were given a free glass.  Mary chose Kitten which is their sangria and I picked the Marechal Foch, the only variety that grows in Iowa that truly competes with Napa Valley in terms of a dry red.  We sat on on the big white rocking chairs and relaxed until it was time to go home.  I want to return and perhaps witht eh other tandem or a bagger bike.  Spinna, their moscato take wa delish and I also like Blushing Clair, their rose.  Another ride.  As it was we were able to take 2 bottles, Marechal Foch and the Kitten home plus two glasses to add to our collection.

Relaxing at Snus Winery.

One of these rides I plan to split a bottle while resting on Snus' rocking chairs.

We scored two bottles and two glasses.

Bad timing. It was rush hour and there's a reason all the crossroads on the HTT are paved, people live out here and drive to and fro their places of employment.  originally we were going to head to Polk City once we reached the Oasis and eat at Papa's Pizzeria, a highly recommended destination, and then take the NST home.  But we worried about the trail whether it was flooded or not and I really rather not have a big meal for some odd reason.  We headed back to the Git n Go at Oralabor Rd and then took the NST connection.

Unfortunately, we forgot about the construction on NW 66th at Sycamore Access.  There were signs, we ignored them, too busy of a sign to read.  There was a detour but we got on it late having to walk the bike across 66th.  The rest of the way was good.  Despite the flooding the river only came within a few yards of the trail and we had no issues.

Two days on tandem, 44 and 75 miles, gave way to our singles which were cleaned and lubed and aired up and ready to roll.  It was Friday and time to roll south.  Head to Carlisle and take the Summerset Trail to Indianola.  The McVay Trail would take us to highway 92 and then about a mile to Annelise Winery.  On the way back we hit Summerset Winery.  Honestly, I think the glass of  Summerset's Marshal Foch wine was the best glass of wine I had in my entire life.  True, I purchased two bottles back in February  but something about today's glass was outstanding.  The only downer was that I only had room to carry back one bottle today.

In Carlisle stop at Fiss's for their giant tacos.  I had two.  12" tortilla.

Annelise Winery.  The owner is putting a lot of money into this place. in expanding parking and festivity rooms.

Summerset Winery.

Back on the trail we rode hard to get back to Des Moines to join the cycling community at Confluence Brewery for the Bike Month Kickoff.  Delayed by a train in Avon Lake and then gambling that Hartford Rd would not be busy since the Des Moines River Trail, our normal route, was flooded, we managed to get to the brewery by 7 pm and enjoy a beer with our bicycle friends.  We stayed until dark.  I was glad I put a light on my bike but thought it was dim until I remembered I was still wearing my prescription sunglasses.  Made it home alive a little more baked from the sun but just as good as I was when I left.  60 miles.

Essentially this was a Ragbrai tune up.  I put in 340 miles from Monday through Friday.  Discovered that I really should eat on the road but eat light.  Despite all the opportunities I kept my alcohol consumption light as well.  Zero mechanical issues.  greater appreciation for the tandem and the road bike and most of all my loving wife Mary.

Taking the Silver Machine to Grinnell

September 19, 2008

Press the video button the scroll down and read.

Been thinking about one of the greatest rides I ever rode.  Newton to Grinnell on a beautiful September night.  Perfect weather, perfect riding partners, perfect attitude.  Bad new resurfaced road and a giant blood red harvest moon plus a destination of all encompassing awesomeness.  We had loaded touring bikes and no cares in the world.

Long day at work until I could throw the 520 in back of the F150 and drive to Altoona and pick up Eric Crabb and his 520.  Then the drive to Newton to Shawn's house where we unloaded and took off on bikes.  Well, sat around and drank beer and then left for a bar.  Someone else whose name escapes me joined us.  He had a Cannondale racer pulling a Bob Trailer. IIRC Shawn's parents owned the bar and he had a shedload of drink tickets.

After nearly consuming our fill and making sure it was dark out, we headed out for the road.  A quick stop at a big box store for batteries for the CycleSound and to adjust the front pannier that fell off my bike were the only delays.  Crabby was very concerned about the pannier since a similar incident nearly killed him.

Finally we hit highway 6.  The road was just resurfaced and striped.  Smooth black asphalt and fresh painted lines all illuminated by a giant red/orange moon.  Picture perfect!.  Smoke from a bonfire drifted occasionally across the highway adding to the mood.  Autumn in Iowa on an empty highway.  Does not get much better than this for a night ride.

Barely 3 miles out of town, on top of a hill Shawn and Eric pull off at the farm house that was the source of the bonfire.  "We know the people that used to live here," said Shawn.  "I bet these people party, too.  We stopped here last year."

Well we did not know these people, two young men throwing logs into a large fire but they did not mind us dropping in and sharing a beer or two.  They gave us a bag of jerky before we left.  Two or three beer stop.  Eventually we resumed eastward.

Just an empty highway lit up by a giant moon.  Our next stop would be in Kellogg.  I think we hit both bars but preferred the one lower on the hill.  Only stayed for two and then walked out to the bikes and had a bike beer.  Just as we were leaving a local hippy chick with an old man walked past and flashed us her boobies as she bid us farewell.  She had been friendly to us when we were inside.  I wont be too descriptive but Crabby put it best when he said "it was like two pepperonis and some bacon."

Back on the road was good riding until I noticed that the ass end of my bike felt a bit loose on curves.  Sure enough I had a flat tire.  Everyone stopped and opened a beer.  The dude with the Cannondale and Bob produced a floor pump.  Wow, that saved time.  Two beers and we were rolling again.  Never ever put 28s on a touring bike.  32s are much better.

Oakland Acres was the next stop.  I have a fondness for this place dated back to The Ragbrai 1991.  That was my first Ragbrai.  Somehow this golf course is noted on Iowa maps as a town.  We sat in parked golf carts and Shawn poured us Moscow Mules.  We were almost to Grinnell.  Like an idiot I left the copper cup Shawn loaned me on the golf cart.  Fortunately, it was still there when we rode back in the morning.

Eventually we reached Grinnell and the park where people were staying for the Fall Equinox Ride.  IIRC, Human Bike In and Fall Equinox Ride all blend together, Stretch was still awake.  We must have rolled in at 1 am.  Sleep was not on our agenda at that moment.  Set up tent and have another beer among friends in preparation for tomorrow's adventure.  It would be another great ride but as they say the journey is the best part.

Crabby, get your fat ass back on your bike.  We need to do things like this again.

Returning to the Scene of the Crime: Health Update

It's been 11 months since I visited mercy West Walk In Clinic.  Last time I was there I went in for bronchitis and/or exercise induced asthma.  I was one sick puppy.  It hurt my lungs to ride up hills.  That day I was on a Campy carbon fiber bike and I hated the pathetic excuse of a hill from the swimming hole to the clinic.  It was there I learned that my BP was out of control, dangerously out of control.  And BTW I had bronchitis and pink eye caused by said respiratory illness.  This reinforced my avoidance of doctors.

Well it has been a miserable 10 days.  What started out as possible Spring allergy turned into never ending coughing and spitting out brown phlegm.  In addition to that, a few days after sneezing began I somehow torked my right ankle.  I forget what exactly happened except that I was home and it did not hurt that bad but I knew there would be great sorrow when I woke up.  Sure enough the foot locked up on me and hurt like hell in the morning and I was limping like I had stepped on a landmine.  Normally for both issues I let it ride for a week and wait for signs of improvement.  None.  A week later I am worse.  Time to bite the bullet and see a doctor.

This time I am on a single speed bike which needs a bigger cog.  The 16T is a bit too tall for me. I would like a 20T for spin and hills.  If I wanted a Go Fast Bike I'd ride one of my roadies.  So I know the drill.  They will take my BP when I get to exam room.  My name and high BP sets off alarms.  But I got a trick:  wait outside for 15 minutes to relax and return the BP to normal.  After all, I rode a single speed bike to the clinic.  Sure enough, the nurse mentions that my BP was extremely high a year ago but this time it was good, 124/75, better that the 179/120 or whatever.  It probably would have been lower if I was not nervous about them taking it.  Should have dropped another Metoporol an hour before this encounter.  Should have dropped 20 lbs since last year.....

Lungs first.  Should have heard the wheezing when the stethoscope was placed on me.  She said since I had this cough for a week without improvement then it was not viral and therefore bronchitis.  Antibiotics prescribed.  Since I have had a lot of drugs this year my prescriptions are free now!  First time ever I met a deductible!!

The foot.  X-rays.  I look down and it is glowing green right now.  They will call tomorrow.  But the more I think about it now I wonder if the pad between the leg bone and the foot bone has worn out or messed up.  For good measure I suggested gout so I got to do a gout blood test.  Since I have BP and heart issues anti-inflammatory is not advised.  I got nothing.  Should have moaned when she touched the foot searching for the trouble maker.  Rule #1 ALWAYS OVERDRAMATISIZE THE PAIN.  I seem to forget this rule.

That being said, my foot hurts when I wake up, totally stiff and painful.  I almost need a cane.  Somehow it does not hurt when I ride.  Well, if I clipped into pedals it would be a bitch but the Vanquish has platform pedals.  I usually swallow 4 Aleve and put on high tops.  Seriously, I could ride a century without issue, a little soreness yes, but ask me to walk a half mile and I would drop to the ground curl up and cry.

Waiting for the phone call...

Fools Ride 2016

Outside the starting bar.  When we got back this sign was inside.  It was windy!

I almost thought that the 2016 edition of the Fools Ride was not going to happen.  The organizers of this free bicycle adventure were deadly silent on social media and the BikeIowa page until almost the end.  Team Cornpone and Team Jet Fuel host and promote the ride but do not sponsor it.  Always the first Saturday of April this ride is a 24 mile adventure from La Porte City to Brandon, Iowa, and back along the Cedar Valley Nature Trail on the banks of the beautiful Cedar River.  In September they start the ride in Brandon and ride to LPC and back and call it the Sloof Ride.

This would be my third attendance and Colin's as well.  The last time for both of us was in 2014.  Mary was unable to attend but my son Joe made his debut.  To our heartbreak, Dave Hatcher had to work this weekend and was unable to join the festivities.  He usually hosts us and prepares a wonderful breakfast on Sunday morning.  Mikey was unable to join us either.  He was missed as well.  Because of Dave's absence we planned to camp at the gazebo along the trail in LPC.  Mary and I camped there once during our IARBGAR adventure.

I don't recall the time we arrived at LPC.  I know it felt late.  The Saris 3 bike rack was still at my daughter's home and had to be picked up and reconfigured to be placed on a Ford Explorer.  Normally, it rests on a Toyota Corolla.  I was running behind anyway due to wayward distractions with friends south of County Line Rd Friday night.  But there were a lot of bicycles in front of P n B's Brew Pub in La Porte City.

As expected, most of the riders were locals although we met some people from Iowa City and Wisconsin (from the area originally).  I was a little disappointed that Des Moines only fielded 3 participants.  You must do this ride one year.  Perhaps the wind was a huge deterrence or the Gents Ride.  Teams were present.  Team Bedwetters had yellow shirts, The Bullfrogs, from LPC, were donned in black but they only do this ride and the Sloof Ride.  There was a Melonhead and a Diehard and somebody with Shamu representing the late great Jeff Logan (RIP).

More unpretentious bicycles.  Butts on bikes!

Bicycles varied. The trail surfaced is crushed limestone.  Road bikes could handle it but are the best choice.  they have had a lot of rain last week and it was evident from the standing water in the low spots that bordered the trail in many places.  The Cedar was also almost bank full.  More fat bikes than in 2014 albeit I left mine at home.  Mostly crossbikes (hybrids), MTBs, touring bikes and department store bikes.  Someone even rode a BMX!  I really do not recall seeing a pure roadie although some people dressed the part.  At least one rider pulled a trailer full of beer.

One of the few rides that one sees and expensive bike near a department store bike.  If it gets butts on bikes and people outside and riding I am happy.  4 mid aged women rode Roadmasters, Huffy's and Nexts on this ride and enjoyed themselves!

As for us, Colin brought his Bruce Gordon BLT touring rig, Joe his Mercier roadie with 700x32s for tires.  I was impressed that we could get wider tires on that bike.  My Gravity Vanquish single speed cyclocross bike carried me.  Its Salsa Anything cages that held the stainless steel growlers became the focus of many conversations. and I did point out that there were fatbikes here with similar fork mounted cages.  Colin told people that the growlers were milk cans.

Heaven forbid I have a photo of the three of us but I did take a photo of our three bikes.

We made several stops along the way to socialize and consume some of our refreshing beverages.  Colin brought 9 cans, I brought 2 growlers from Confluence and stopped at the supermarket in LPC for a 6 of tallboys.  I brought back almost half a growler and all 6 of the tallboys.  Not sure how much Colin brought back.  So  much for jihad on sobriety.  Most people carried something and one woman handed Colin a margarita which consisted of ice and tequila only.

My milk cans!

It was a very windy day but sunny.  The clerk at the Dysart Casey's said that the wind was to die down at 5 pm.  Well, wind usually calms down at sunset but we planned to leave Brandon after 5 pm anyway.  We had a tailwind of sorts pushing us to Brandon but could hear it howling all around us.  Lots of sticks on the trail and a few dangerously hanging dead trees waiting for a windy day to push them down onto the ground were seen above the trail.  The half way point was the old rock quarry.  Many bikes fell over because of the wind.  That was funny.

A clip of the Bryce Janey Band with Sketter Lewis in 2014.

The Bryce Janey Band was playing at Phat Albert's in Brandon.  No cover charge.  Usually the band performs in the beer garden but due to the wind and the cold they played in a very crowded bar.  In 2014 I filmed the band playing with guest singer Skeeter Jones but this time I failed to bring my spy camera for such purposes.  Not that my recording was any good but it conveys the greatness of the band.  Food was available as well as the music and beer.  Joe and I had everything on the menu: burger, brat and chips.  We later had another brought before leaving.

More Bryce Janey with our foolish discussion of shoes back in 2014.  For historic purposes only.

I noticed that these pebbles, rocks, sand and rock fragments landed on top of my bags.  I know I know, fenders would probably prevent this but this bike will see many changes in tire sizes

We left before sunset and the wind was not as bad as it was earlier.  The sky was dotted with purple clouds.  We had lights and were prepared for a night ride.  This time Colin did not crash in front of the local cop.  P n B's was kicking with the country band Wild Card and non-biking locals joined in the fun.  Some woman rolled her ankle and was carried out by two men to her SAG vehicle.  Bummer, Pulled pork sandwiches were available, too.  Personally, I was still full from Brandon and not feeling the best from a day of eating poorly....Casey's pizza, burger, brats, chips ect.  We stayed for one beer and decided that we should just drive home instead of camping.  It was 34F outside.  As we reached the truck the local cop drove by.  Colin did not fall off his bike and we did not receive the shakedown.  Honestly, we were the most sober we had ever been on this ride especially the driver.

Just because the driver is sober does not guarantee a good ride to or fro.  The Explorer is a high profile vehicle and was tossed around like a wooden ship on the high seas on the way up.  What was the wind?  25 to 30 sustained from the northwest.  Gusts up to 50 mph.  On the way back it was better BUT>>>>a tire blew out somewhere between La Porte City and Dysart on highway 8.  We had a spare wheel, a jack and 3 men, two of which are very experience in changing flat tires.  Unfortunately, none of us were experienced in removing the spare wheel from its place underneath the back of an Explorer.  Colin drives a Ranger which is almost the same vehicle and year with the spare in the same location and he could not get the wheel off.  We thought the nut was rusted on and had to be broken off.  It would not move. We took turns trying to break the bastard to release the wheel.  No joy.  Giving up we tried to call a towing service to come out and help.  The one we called wanted $500 for a tow!  NOPE!!  We called the former owner of the vehicle, well, his father and our friend Keith, to ask about it and to look up phone numbers for towing services.  We were on the edge of our data service.  Keith had no clue about wheel extraction but provided us with a phone number.

Then a truck stopped and a man and his young son stopped.  He looked underneath at the project and determined that we would not be able to bust it off with the tools we had and his clippers.  Although unfamiliar with the Ford, they were in a white Chevy, the kid said that there should be a small hole in back where the jack handle goes in to crank the wheel down.  Wow!  simple solution!  He even went home to retrieve his floor jack to aide the wheel swap!  Angels don't exist you say.  Yes they do!  Rolling again without further incident.

Well, maybe one other incident.  Back in Capital City closing in on Colin's home we drove past Scores Sports Bar on Hickman Rd in time to see all the patrons drive away like rats fleeing a sinking ship and at least 5 police vehicles in the parking lot and others on the way.  So damn immune to shots fired at local bars we almost laughed.  WTF is wrong with people?  Moments earlier before we saw the situation we joked about the need to be packing and wearing Kevlar before entering certain establishments in case people were conducting "business."  Waiting for the news on this.  It was 130 am.

Another successful Fools Ride.  Looking forward to 2017.  I hope you will join us.