Fenders Ride

The perfect storm.  Discovered a new brewery through Face Book.  It is in Polk City.  Damn, that's a legit one day out and back bicycle ride from our home.  Mix in the forecast of a warm sunny day in early March, never mind the wind and we got plans!  Told the 16 year old daughter that she would be on her own for the afternoon.  She had to work anyway.

Saturday came and we waited until 11 am or so to roll out on fast bikes.  The first thing I did was strip off my jacket and gloves once on our back deck.  These would not be needed.  Mary stared at me in disgust.  "You'll need them.  I need them."  It was a sunny 55*F right now.  "Nope, taking these off now prevents me from stopping and taking them off 3 miles from now."  Is not the ideal clothing for cycling to make you feel as cold as you feel if it was 30* colder but you had more layers on?  Dead useless weight I did not want or need to carry.

Which route to take.  The easy and safest way to take would be the Neal Smith Trail.  Recent snow and ice and the fact that it is near the end of winter and the trail does not get plowed or cleared of snow and ice made us apprehensive about using the Neal Smith.  The trail is heavily shaded as well and it has been a long, long winter.   Reports have been few and the report of a massive ice patch in one section albeit a section we would not be using was disheartening.  See photo below.

Photo stolen from Bike Iowa's FB post

So we opted for a longer route that we mainly reserve for riding to the High Trestle or Firetrucker Brewery in Ankeny.  Basically get to Birdland Marina and head north on Penn and later Cornell and take that all the way to NE 60th and hang a Louie to NW 6th Dr and then a right and head north all the way through Saylor Township and finally hit Oralabor Rd in Ankeny.  Once there take the sidepaths all the way to the HTT and hang a left.  Another left at the Oasis, R38 or NW Sheldahl Rd,  and nice county road into Polk City.  Fenders is located next to Papa's Pizzeria on the square.  Fast and safe and traffic not bad.

Had the Oasis to ourselves!

We did not realize that the tailwind was pushing us until we stopped at the Oasis.  Should have known when I coasted at 20 mph for about 3/4 of a mile into the Oasis.  I thought the bikes would fall over from where we parked them.  This is a bad sign.  Riding home is gonna hurt!  Should have realized by the faces of the cyclists we encountered headed to Ankeny but I dismissed them as being old and out of shape.  The county road curves south so we felt the full force of the SE 20 to 35 mph wind.  At one point I thought that my front wheel was disintegrating but it was the wind.  Glad I do not have bladed spokes.

Dark Side Untappd Badge because Fenders' Night Tracks is a dark beer

Bar Explorer Untappd Badge

Fenders is a "Verified Venue" for Untappd

Finding the Source Untappd Badge

Ah...a well deserved beer or three!  We parked by the front door.  There were two Trek fatbikes there as well.  The first thing we noticed was the bicycle decor on the walls.  I regret not taking photos.  Nice touch!  We were able to belly up to the bar.  My first was the Night Tracks Black IPA.  Did the obligatory UNTAPPD check in and earned 5 badges for that first beer!  Mary had the cider from Wilson's Orchard, a guest tap.  I chastised her for not getting the local and her second was the Blonde Ale.  My second was the Bridge Road American Brown Ale.  And my third and last was the 8:13 American Pale Ale named after the time the owner/partner's daughter was born.  All these beers were great and I recommend that you visit Fenders.  We have to convince our friends to ride here with us.

Night Tracks

Bridge Road

8:13

So dude who was slinging the beer, I forgot to ask for his name or if he was the owner of co-owner or partner, is a cyclist.  He used to commute 17 miles one way to Meredith in downtown Des Moines.  Great to have a fellow rider behind the beer.  Even better to talk bicycles with someone in the know.  They have yet to install ornate tap handles but he said that they were thinking about using the downtube and seat tube of bicycles that had the braze ons for cages.  The threaded braze ons could be used to bolt on the name of the brew.  Cool idea.  We quizzed him about the NST but the fatbike couple gave us some intel.  They were visiting from Coon Rapids and pointed in all sorts of directions but said there was only one ice patch by a bridge.  They did mention something about a large tree being down but they were able to ride around that obstacle.  We were also told about a safer route to the NST.  But we opted for our regular route of taking 3rd St/415 to the trail connection.  Time to roll.

Food was on our mind.  When we pulled into Polk City we immediately noticed that the Subway was missing.  "That goddamn downtown Hy Vee struck again!" Mary who laughed.  We were later told that it was relocated to the new strip mall near the Casey's.  Makes sense, better traffic and visibility.  We would have ate at Papa's but we had pizza for breakfast.  Taco Casa was the chosen destination for food since I needed a photo of a taco and it was close to the Triangle Tap.  Satisfied we could make it there we said our good byes and rolled toward the trail.

Our break from the wind!

Early open on Saturday!

At the Sand Bar Grill

Not too far into this Mary said something about stopping at the marina and I said no but then I saw that the Sand Bar Grill was open so I said STOP.  I had their bleu cheese burger and Mary had an order of chicken strips and fries.  No Coast from Peace Tree for me.  We enjoyed our visit and wondered what friends we could get to ride here with us when the weather is better.  Bellies full, liver punished time to roll.

The Neal Smith was in great shape as far as winter was concerned.  Only one ice patch was encountered at Cherry Glenn campground and it was not bad as we could dodge the ice spots with ease.  Soon we encountered the tree that the Coon Rapids riders warned us about.  We were able to ride between the fallen tree and its stump without unclipping.  The wind, however, was bad.  Keep head down, ride in drops if necessary and grind it out.  Keep pushing on.  Read the trail markers and add two miles because that is the difference between the end of the trail and our home.  Yeah, 21 miles to go!!

Sycamore Access.  Construction about done on the road and the trail is open.  No detour!

Last stop was the Triangle Tap.  I feel bad that I have not taken very many opportunities to stop at this bicycle friendly watering hole.  Sure enough there were other cyclists here including Derrick Spoon, Iowa Weasel and George 'Old Man River.' were among the crowd.  Hard to stay for just one but we were exhausted and the temperature would prolly drop after the third round.  One Summer Shandy a piece for both of us.  Time to squeeze the last of the daylight and warmth for the trip home 6 miles maybe.  Remember who left their gloves and jacket behind??

44 miles.  Three beer stops.  Maybe seven badges from Untapped.  First trip on the NST for the new season and in reality for ages.  Even got to see some friends.  A day well spent!!

Author's Note:  It seems that these early season road bike adventures involve wind.  Our last outing on these bikes, Summerset Trail, was a day in which we fought the wind all the way down and then it switch while we ate and we had to fight it all the way home!

True Substance

Well I did it again.  N+1.  Acquired a new bicycle.  Not that I really needed one.  Just something to fill a certain niche.  Something that is a step closer to the perfect bicycle.  Something faster than the current touring bike.  Something that will allow me to procrastinate on fixing the others.  From the UK I present the Verenti Substance.

I found this bicycle on the Northern Ireland bicycle website ChainReactionCycles.  They started out small and then figured out to use the internet and became a wonderful supplier of bicycles and bicycle accessories.  But researching the bike I found out that Verenti is the house brand of another UK recreational supplier name Wiggle.  Wiggle had a better price so there I went and clicked BUY NOW.  The name Verenti is a play on letters for the Latin word for Truth but due to legal and copyright issues they spelled it differently.

What drew my attention is that Verenti has named several of their bicycles after album titles of the band New Order.  Substance, Technique and Movement.  How could I not support this?

Now many of my readers or people who will see me on this will attack me and say "hey bastard, what about the LBS??  Ihey need your money!!"  My answer is below.  Also, I am accessorizing it from LBS.  Already made two stops at Barr for flasher, computer and cages.

1988 Trek 820 Europa Cycles
1989 Trek 7000 Europa Cycles
1990 used 1986 Trek 7000 Europa Cycles
1991 Gary Fisher tandem Bike World
1993(?) Cannondale R400 used Bike World
1994 Trek 2200 Bike World
1996 Trek 930 Bike World
1996 Trek 520 used Barr Bicycle
1997 Schwinn Stardust Barr Bicycle
somewhere in the 90s two Trek mountain Cub kids bikes Bicycle World
Early 2000s two youth MTBs 1 from Bike World Warehouse the other Barr
2001 Cannondale RT3000 tandem Bike World
Sometime in the mid 2000s a BMX bike Rassy's
2007 Trek 1600 Bike World
2007 Trek FX 7.5 Bike World
2008 LeMond Versailles Bike World
2011 Giant Via Bike World
2015 Trek Soho Bike World Warehouse
several from the Collective
2015 Specialized Crossroads from Fred's

I think that is it.

So there's a bicycle named after a New Order lp that has disc brakes, wide tires, braze on for front and rear racks and a Tiagra 2x10 groupo, how could I resist?  Given that it is last year's  model and 40% off thus below the $800 tariff/import fee threshold, why not??  Reviews have been positive.  this could become my fast touring bike, gravel racer or geared commuter.  Basically, it is a steel frame bicycle with disc brakes, rack mounts and the newer style of STI brake/shifters that have the cables routed underneath the bar wrap.  I'm have tempted to swap its parts with the LeMond.

Once fully assembled it sat there for like a week.

Ordered on a Thursday it arrived on the Following Wednesday.  Incredible!  I went home sick that day.  I guess when I puked in my office my boss realized that I should be there.  went straight home and straight to bed.  Fritz started barking later I saw the box outside in my back yard as i instructed DHL.  I love DHL.  Most carry bag services will just leave a not on your door and tell you to go to their place to pick up the goods.  not DHL.  they will call you at 630 am and say they are coming.  This time they texted me and asked how i wanted this handled.  my reply, carry it through the gate and leave it next to my trash receptacles.  They understood and honored my request.

Bubble wrap

The box was filled with airbags which was used for a photo.  The box contained a plastic flimsey with the packing checklist that was signed off and signed by the person that assembled and packed the bike.  The Shimano instructions for the various components were included.  Nice!  Overall, I was impressed with the packaging.  Having received several bicycles from Bikes Direct, this was impressive.  Assembling was easy though the hardest part was removing the protective wrap and cutting all the twit ties.  Other than that put front wheel on, put handle bars on.  Put pedals on.  I was surprised that the tires did not need airing.  Because I was ill and the weather was shit I had to wait a few days before the maiden voyage.  One last shout out to Wiggle.  the "MADE IN TIAWAN" sticker was placed on the the bottom of the BB instead of the head tube!  Nice!!  I may leave it on!!

The maiden voyage happened about 6 am on a Sunday morning.  Had to go to my ATM to find out how bad my spending was.  Had to stop at the store for something. Rolled downtown and took a few photos for Bicycle Ride & Seek, the best reason to be on FaceBook.  First thing I noticed was that the bike fit me very well.  The smallest frame available was a 50 cm and they asked what my inseam was.  I must have received the shortest stem.  My hands naturally fell into the brake hoods.  Another thing, they asked what side i wanted the front brake lever on.  Interesting...  Later that day Mary and rode to TNT Vietnamese restaurant.  Think I rode a total of 20 miles that day.  Then more crap weather.

The bicycle rack behind Iowa Heart Hospital

Friday was its second outing.  Had an appointment at Iowa heart hospital.  6 month check up.  I like getting there an hour early so I can meditate and calm down and then brag about riding a bicycle to visit my cardiologist.  I do stand by what I said that bicycling prevented my heart attack despite a clogged artery.  it certainly gave me strength to survive.  After the all clear, heart and lungs sounded good and EKG was good but BP still a bit high I was allowed to leave.  First trip was for breakfast at fuzzy Tacos because i could not think of anywhere else to go and I needed to end the fast RIGHT NOW.  Also stopped next door at DSM Brew for the coffee I had avoided until after Iowa Heart.  Then some photos for Ride&Seek and finally a visit to Gomez barber on the south side.  Next was to meet Craig for a ride to Cumming but we found a kewl spot for a few beers and then a bottle of wine at Jasper Winery.  Avoid riding past Confluence so we could get to Court Avenue Brew Pub for mugs and wings.  It was a windy day anyway.  Mary met us there and we drank are fill, rode our separate ways and went to bed.  Successful ride.

Craig's 520 hidden in this photo from secret location.

OF NOTE  We picked up a take and bake pizza at Hy Vee and managed to carry it home on the back of Mary's single speed without bungee cords.  I tied two plastic grocery bags together and used them as a makeshift strap.  the pizza never fell off the bike!

FUTURE

Originally I billed this as my fast touring bicycle.  I am hoping that Mary will want one since she could use a new touring bike.  But she is thrifty and I will have to put some TLC in hers to erase winter abuse.  I am considering the Gent's Race in April if a team needs a helping hand.

He Said it Was a Bad Idea

What 5.4" of fresh snow looks like after yours truly had to push through it.

Bookend commuting this week.  I rode Monday and Friday only.  Monday's ride home was one of the toughest if not the all time most difficult ride home ever for me.  Pretty sure I hit the Angina Zone a few times.  It was 11*F but it felt like 30*F because my body was producing a lot of heat.  So Tuesday I drove to give the city a chance to clean up the trails.  And Wednesday, too.  Thursday the Weather Guessers said we were due for another 8" of snow sometime Thursday night through Saturday so once again I drove so Mary and I could raid  a few grocery stores like Viking pillagers and be able to bunker down until Monday.  What a shame because Thursday would have been a great day to ride to and fro work.

The consensus at work was that it was a long long terrible week and that was on Tuesday morning.  The snow must have killed our spirits and work ethic.  Even Wednesday morning it felt like we had been there 200 years.  My lack of bicycling made it feel worse.  So I LMFAO when Bridget showed me this article Friday morning.  I have to admit that when traveling to work via automobile or car is a dangerous life threatening situation that you must do instead of remaining in the safety of your home until the streets are clean adds to our unhappiness.

Friday I rode and had a great ride to work for a winter day.  19*F with a favorable cross wind to work.  A bit of an interfering wind on the way home but I was going to meet friends at a local watering hole and took a great photo.

Back to the morning ride.  Just a minor dusting of snow overnight.  The trail was damn near perfect for what happened on Monday.  I had my clothing dialed in just right.  I was making good speed and very happy to be riding again.  It was Friday and I was going to have a great day!

Just a jet or so over 3.5 miles from my home lies the pedestrian bridge over the Raccoon River in Water Works Park.  As I approached the 90 degree right turn to cross said bridge, my lights illuminated another cyclist at the kybo.   When you gotta go you gotta go I thought.  We exchanged greetings and then he said "I think this was a bad idea."  That was his assessment of his situation.  I knew he was talking about riding his bicycle at what must have been 445 am on a trail still partially snow and ice covered and streets in worse shape.  It was a mere 19*F and if he was heading east or north into the wind, well, life had to suck.  "Tires, man, all about the tires," I said as I climbed to the top of the bridge.

In retrospect I should have stopped and asked if he needed help.  But then again he did not ask for help.  Not much I could have done for him.  I could have given him some cash or made a phone call for him.  I'm bare bones, riding clean.  Not even bothering to put the panniers on this bike.  Zero tools.  No food.  My water bottle probably was not frozen at that moment.  No extra clothing.  Time, I had none to spare.  Had to get to work on time and before I started getting cold.

A half a mile later I encountered Joe Ayers on a cross bike instead of a roadie.  There's snow and ice on the trail and Joe rides the appropriate bicycle.  We say hello.  I have not seen him all week so I actually said "Joe I presume!"  "Hi Chris!"  If something was amiss on the trail he would have said something.  After passing I thought that Joe could help the Bad Idea Man since Joe is retired and only riding for the sake of riding.

The rest of the trip was uneventful.  Once on University Ave I had to race to intersection to intersection to get off that road in case the snow plow was on my ass.  There were two plows working that road, blades down but not much snow to push.  They needed to drop a bit of salt and sand IMHO.  But The Red Phoenix climbed that hill quite well and then picked up speed once past the peak.

The last bit of the commute has me getting on the sidewalk/sidepath at 50th on the corner of the Sheraton Hotel.  There I saw my bad idea from Monday's ride home.  Perfectly preserved for all to see and a reminder of my failure/struggle/hubris/sin.  My tracks left from walking the bicycle when the sidepath was utterly useless.  They were several feet away from the path.  That's how far I had to get away from the shit the plow deposited on the trail.  I stopped for a few photos.  Amazingly straight for that death march.  A reminder that I should have gone straight to the trail and dealt with the 4 mph condition instead trying to cheat.

Great idea!  Needed this photo for FB's Bicycle Ride&Seek.  Fruit!

Tip The Cow by Single Speed Brewery, Cedar Falls, Iowa.  I had to go to Untapped and check my post there  because I could not remember the name of this.  Here is what UnTapped says about this one: "Have you ever reveled in the essence of a chocolate-covered espresso bean? How about in form of a beer? Here is your shot. This full bodied, creamy, Milk Stout has been touched by the gentle hand of Sidecar Coffee Roasters. A rich, but smooth option, boasting notes of roast and cocoa right alongside velvety sweetness."  Bad Idea.  Met Craig and Kim at Extra Innings then went to Mullets.  Damn near a quart of a coffee beer in this jar.  Meet the beer that kilt me!  After getting home I fell asleep on the couch and when I woke up to go to bed I could not find my glasses!  Found them the next day after a thorough search including moving the couch and leaving it like a ghost did it.

Well, it Was Safer Than Driving

Trek 7.5 FX with 700x35 Kenda Klondike studded tires.  great snow tires of the skinny variety.

Had I known that the consistency of the snow was akin to that of fine sand I may have drove.  But no, I got to be that person who brushes of the "ride safe" comments with "have a safe slide home in your car" remarks.  And that was working well with reports of multiple car pile ups brought to us by the 3 to 5" of snow that hit the metro.  But then again Todd Adamson rode his Surly Krampus into a school bus last Monday and more or less left his face there and damaged several vertebrae and hurt a knee.  So now the ball is in my court.  "My tires say Klondike, what do yours say?"

I tried to escape work early but my boss asked me to do something for him which delayed my departure but almost an hour.  Eventually I got to leave only to have to walk back to my office twice.  First time was because I forgot my light.  Once I put that on the bike I had to return to my office to grab my helmet.  At least I got warmed up.  It was like 11*F but the lack of wind made it feel more like 30*F once I warmed up.

The trip around campus told the story of the ride home.  It would suck.  The bike moved usually slow.  Still possible but it would be a long journey.  Just get me to the trail.  I was stupid and decided to take my shortcut to avoid a few miles of trail in hope for better time.  Wrongo boyo!  The sidepath was worse than the trail and I actually had to walk it hoping that my co-workers would not see me.  It was not plowed and had the extra snow that the snowplows threw on it from clearing the streets.  What should I have expected.  It snowed steady from 9 am and did not let up until 5 pm.  It could have been worse.  I saw a man in a wheelchair waiting for a bus.  He had to roll to the entrance of ADP in order for the para-transit to pick him up.

I eventually made it to the trail by accessing it at Greenbelt Dr.  Of course someone and their dog had visited the trail first,  But this time the foot prints became a guide since determining what was trail and what was not trail surface was obscured by snow.  By now the bottom pedal stroke was hitting the snow.  I could hear the tires squeak as it rubbed against the snow.  My glasses fogged up constantly making it harder to stay on the trail and more difficult to maintain best possible speed.  Breaks, I took a few.

Wishful thinking had me half expecting Windsor Heights having cleared their section of trail.  Nope.  Decision time was approaching. I was averaging 3 to 4 mph.  This meant that if I continued on the trail I'd be out for two more hours unless Des Moines Park & Rec plowed the Walnut Creek and Bill Riley Trails.  Even if they did and another 2" of snow fell on them it would still be an improvement over Clive's unplowed Greenbelt and Windsor Heights.  But this was a gamble I could not afford to lose.  Ingersoll Ave became my choice.

About this time I heard a voice of another cyclist.  He was on a fatbike making about 1 or 2 more mph than I was but having issues.  He had to walk it up the incline underneath 63rd.  He had issues with the snow just like I did.  I felt a bit better.  Maybe it is not just me or the hybrid bicycle I was riding.  I added steam and caught up.  We chatted a bit.  He thought there would be more fatbikes out, too.  He had a quarter mile left to ride.  Lucky bastard.  I  had over 6 miles if I continued on the trail,  Decision made.  Hit the streets!

That gamble paid off.  I climbed Ingersoll Ave from 56th to Polk Blvd at 5 to 6 mph.  Not bad considering that the road could have used a plowing.  Nobody honked at me.  They did honk at the Subaru that blocked the intersection of 56th and Ingersoll to allow a black sporty car to back down and pick another route.  And I did see many cars stuck at intersections spinning their wheels and ruining transmissions.  It was a relief to reach Polk Blvd.  Now to find the bike lane!

But the bike lane was covered in snow.  I did my best to stay between the lane and the curb.  Not an easy feat because the snow was what we refer to as mousse.  But I soon heard the cavalry.  Three snow plows in echelon formation heading my way.  I got on the sidewalk and gave them a thumbs up.  Should be easier now.  And it was.  

Crossing MLK my objective was to reach the MLK Trail/sidepath.  Easier said than done.  17th was a mess.  Intersections were horrid.  Snow was pushed up high and I had to walk across them.  But the trail was plowed at one point.  A light up ahead gave away the oncoming bicycle.  Dude on a fattie not pedaling but pushing with one foot while seated.  Mechanical?

Soon I was at SW 5th and it was plowed to the Jackson St Bridge.  My ticket home.  I stopped for a photo.  The photo does not describe the hell I went through but it is a reminder.  Whatever they call the trail on the south bank of the Raccoon River was plowed at one point and it was easy riding until I reached Mullets.  Mullets was closed due to the weather.  SE 1st was clear so I took it to Jackson and then cut over to 3rd but it was a mess and I walked that block or so.  Got to my street and took the sidewalk.  Not shoveled except for our portion but the lack of car and footprints made it rideable as opposed to the street which was an awful mess.  As I pulled up to my home the mobile rang.  I knew who was calling and I'd be inside with her in 30 seconds.

Honestly, one of the toughest rides in my life.  At least I survived unscathed and can brag about it.  Whisky, I need whisky and a large glass of water.

Crunchy Snow

The sound of the furnace announced that my slumber was nearly over.  The wind was still strong and a world in white greeted me earlier when I took the dog out about midnight.  A fine layer of fresh snow on top of fresh rain.  But snow and ice do not bother me.  I have a bicycle for that.  It was 30*F at 4 am, the high of the day for me.

I had hoped for a bit more warmth and packed the single speed (non-winter tires) instead of removing the panniers and placing them on the winter bike.  Damn the lack of bags, roll on a naked bicycle!  All I needed was my wallet and mobile phone.  I've enough clean clothes at work for the rest of the week.

That damn wind.  Strong from the north.  I would take the full brunt of it as a broadside as I headed west along the river.  Every north turn would be miserable.  Just keep pedaling....

Approaching the bridge over the river in Water Works Park two dim lights were heading my way from the opposite bank.  Only one person I know that routinely rides with the weakest lights possible.  That person is David L.  His commute is about the same distance as mine, 12 to 15 miles depending on the route.  He lives in Urbandale and rides to the State House on one of several older MTBs while wearing a backpack.  No racks, no bags, rather, a large stuffed backpack.  Seems miserable, I prefer the bike schelp my stuff.  I am not a mule unless I take a rackless roadie.  But he is out almost every day even in winter.  The trail is a bit out of his way so sometimes he takes the streets.  I want to see him on New Battery Day.  David is one of the few cyclists I truly respect.  Plodding along in the snow on an old bike and dim lights.  He stopped to talk on the bridge.  Said he was having a great ride and enjoyed the crunchy snow.  Tailwinds are great mood enhancers.  We parted and I wondered if I'd see him on the reserves ride.

So now I had his tracks to stare at.  Also had fox tracks and the occasional deer tracks and a few rabbit paw prints to stare at.  But then I realized that there was was a second and third set of bicycle tracks on the trail.  Appeared to belong to a road bike.  Given how straight they were I was 99% certain that they belonged to Joe Ayers.  Joe is retired and rides every morning for about 20 miles unless the weather is bad.  I see him most mornings.  Today he turned around at the bridge.  His tracks left the trail at Pal Joey's where we have parted ways before.  It had to be him.

My winter route has me exiting the trail at 22nd/86th St.  I  then get on University and take it all the way to work.  Today I did something I normally despise.  I took the side walk all the way to 50th before crossing to the other side and taking the sidepath.  Why?  Traffic was light as usual.  However, the street was icky and wet.  What little snow we had was mixed with salt and sand and made a dark slush on the the side of the road where I'd likely ride.  For once, and thanks to the Sun's love and the rain, the sidewalk was free of snow with the exception of the fresh stuff.  I opted to keep the bike clean.  It was my pit stop just before getting off the trail.  The back of the cassette was still shiny like new.  It would be a shame to get road spluge on it.  I hate to surrender the road but the sidewalk was clean.

I parked against the building beneath the overhang.  Normally I only park there if there is any or will be any precipitation.  There was and would be none but the bike rack had snow around it so leaving it empty would not hinder the maintenance team from cleaning the snow up.  Todd parked his Krampus likewise.  Unfortunately, they did not remove the snow.  Oh well, the warm up later this week will.

Today was one of the rare days that it was warmer when I left for work that it was when I left for home.  30*F at 430 am.  27*F at 330 pm.  The promised sunshine never appeared.  At least I had the tailwind to push me home.  The snow on the trail melted a bit leaving ice in its place.  The bike's studded tires gave that ice no quarter and I remained upright the entire journey home.  Not even a slip.  I will have that same ice to look forward to tomorrow in the dark and hopefully the promised warm up will finish it off by the time I leave work.

One last note.  My footwear was perfect.  I wore my decades old Sorel boots with liners, a pair of Smart Wool sock liners and a new pair of cold weather socks that Mary gave me for Christmas.  When I took my boots and socks off at home I noticed that my feet were dry.  Not only did they stay warm but dry as well.  The liner in the boots wicked all the sweat from my feet as evidenced by the moist bottom of the liners.

Good day to ride despite the strong north wind.  Tomorrow the wind is supposed to be weaker.  I hope so.  I'm sick of fighting it.

I Should Really Ride To the Pub More Often

The winter bike at CabCo

Another awful week.  Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I did not ride to work.  Too damn cold and windy.  I can handle -5*F if there is not a 24 mph headwind all the way to work.  So I opted to drive.  Wednesday after work Court Avenue Brewery had a Mug Club party.  Well, I can handle a 3 mile round trip.  Four mugs later I enjoyed a tailwind home.  But despite seeing friends and enjoying the fruits of the brew master arriving home was the best part.

Right to left: Sam, Randy and me.  There was a strange woman at the bar who offered to take our photo out of the blue.  Something about memories she said.  At first we thought she was going to use her phone but she clarified and used Randy's iPhone albeit backwards until he explained how to work it.  An odd experience of kindness.  Before she did that when I was at the bar placing my order she looked at me and smiled like we knew each other but I have never seen her before.  I will refrain from judgement because I do not know what was going through her mind or her state of mental health.  We all thought it was a bit weird. 

BOOTY!!!

Mark Reeder: Mauerstadt.  Walled City for English speakers.  Mark is from Manchester UK and got stranded in Berlin about 1979 and was in various German bands at the time and Shark Vegas.  later he made a name for himself remixing tracks for other bands.  His association with the band New Order has led to some incredible music.  Two New Order tracks appear on Mauerstadt, Academic and the Game.

Technique by New Order.  The band took 1988 off and flew to Ibiza to record this lp in a shitty studio that had a swimming pool and a 24 hour bar.  Instead of working on the lp they discovered ecstasy and partied every night for 6 months before packing it in (only a demo for Fine Time and 16 drum tracks to show for their effort) and returned to England and finishing the lp at Peter Gabriel's brand new state of the art Real World Studio.  Needless to say they tore the studio up when they had two busloads of Manchester's finest acid house ravers come celebrate the completion of the record.  Technique brings the warm Ibiza sun into the stereo.  Hooky mentions in his book, The Hacienda How not to Run a Club, that they last saw Nico (Velvet Underground) alive in Ibiza.  A day or two later she died from a head injury caused by a bicycle crash.  No helmet.

Two packages arrived on my doorstep while I was hoisting the mug.  Both were vinyl records.  One I ordered from Germany way back in December, Mark Reeder's Mauerstadt, his 2017 lp of electronic dance mixes and collaborations with other bands.  The other was New Order's Technique, the Ibiza classic missing from my rebuilding of the vinyl collection.  Damn, go for a beer and come home to prizes!  I have one more package somewhere between here and the UK.  I should go to the pub again!

More importantly, this really motivated me to ride to work again.  Well, maybe the fact that Thursday morning it was to be like 22*F with less of a interfering wind.  One of my theories is that riding on cold mornings with a slight hangover is good because my body is usually warmer when I am hungover.  However, I was not hungover.  I feel like such a damn slacker.  This is my worst January since I became a full time commuter.  I've missed 7 commutes to work this month.  Then again so have a lot of my hardcore friends.  Life goes on.

My regular commuter aka the Single Speed

Thursday.s ride was good.  The strong southwest wind hindered my progress but I left early enough to get there in time to enjoy coffee before having to become productive.  I should have not ridden the winter bike.  It is really slow thanks to its studded tires that have additional flat protection added to them.  I meant to replace them this season but never pulled the trigger.  But it was a good work out that I needed.  On the way home I took a shortcut, University to 109th and then got on the trail at 107th.  As I got on the trail between two houses I spotted a red fox in the woods across Walnut Creek.  Unfortunately, it ran off before I could get close enough for a photo.  So I have seen three species of canine on the Clive Greenbelt: fox, coyote and domesticated dogs.  Later not too far away I ran into a herd of deer.  Must have been 20 of them.  Never seen that many on the Greenbelt before.  Oddly enough, when I was on the Walnut Creek Trail after N Valley Dr I saw another large herd of deer, perhaps 20+.  Deer on the move in large numbers.  Maybe they drank beer last night!

I stopped at Windsor Heights Hy Vee.  Needed a large bag of dog food for Fritz and a carton of half and half for Saturday's and Sunday's coffee.  I was supposed to pick up something for dinner but was uninspired and came home with no food in my panniers.  Send Mary out for pizza.

Friday I threw caution to the wind and rode my regular commuter.  My average speed improved greatly.  Since I saw all the trouble spots the day before I knew where to use discretion.  Good Lord it felt great!  Amazing how a different set of tires can make a difference.  Remarkably, the winter bike is lighter.  Goes to show that wheel weight and rolling resistance affect speed the most.  Unremarkable ride to work except for the bonus of speed.  On the way how the temp had risen to 47*F and the reduction of snow was very apparent.  Ice and snow on the trails was greatly eliminated and road bikers were seen.  Once again I stopped at Windsor Heights Hy Vee for groceries.  Fritz should work for TSA or law enforcement because he spent a lot of time sniffing my panniers.  I had sausages and a whole chicken in them.

The forecast for the rest of the month looks good.  I'm only 180 miles behind last year.  I think I can make that up if I so desire.  I am considering transferring to downtown which would reduce my commute to less than 5 miles per day.  That would free up a lot of time for other things or better rides.  It also would kill any chance of reaching 10,000 miles in a year again.  Is there room for one more go?

Those Epic Winter Commutes

Rider welcome!

More blowing than snow.

A few years back it started snowing like a son of a bitch while I was at work.  Must have began about 2 pm.  Although I left in daylight I stopped and turned on all my lights.  Visibility was close to zero.  Downtown Des Moines businesses closed early and told all their employees to GTFO.  Traffic was horrid.  Grid lock.

I took my short cut and rode on Westown Pkwy and Buffalo Rd to get to the trail in Windsor Heights.  Because of poor planning I had to stop at Boulevard Sports to pick up a set of studded tires for my winter commuter.  I was riding my 520 with touring tires.  No issues.  There may have been 3" of snow.

Crossing Grand Ave near the Art Center traffic was back up in both directions as far as the eye could see.  I had to weave between the cars.  I was laughing.  A little bit later as I was on the Bill Riley Trail I encountered another cycling commuter and we both greeted and saluted each other.  He looked at me and said "They call us stupid.  Who is stupid today?"  True.  We were not only safe, making forward progress but relatively on time and stress free.  The snowy world was beautiful.  Such a gorgeous world to be in.  We laughed at the plight of all the muggles stuck on the streets in their steel and plastic cages and rode off in different directions.

When I got to Mullets I had a powerful thirst hit me.  It was the feeling one gets when they do something epic and extraordinary.  I just cycled through one of the worst snow storms in the metro and came out the other side safe and in a great mood.  Celebrate success a former supervisor of mine used to say.  Damn right, time for Fireball and beer!  My timing could not have been better.  As I entered the establishment a song from my favorite and just started.  Am I in heaven?  Now it's Iowa.

The Germans used to call this a "birthday party."  If one crashed their plane or were shot down but made it back everyone would make sure you got real drunk to celebrate the fact that you got another lease on life.  Well I beat the odds once again.

Thursday was another one of those rides.  Doom and gloom in the forecast.  Supposed to rain all night and then have a sudden  severe drop in temperature to below freezing and snow.  Somehow it was still 42*F when I left and the rain was over except for a mist.  I could take a roadie, I thought before remembering that the temp was going to fall through the floor and I'll need extra clothing for the ride home.

And the temperature did drop.  It dropped to 24*F by the time I got to work.  Yes, 18*F drop in an hour and a half.  I remember the wind picking up when I was about 3 miles into it.  A few miles later I felt the cold on my chest.  9 miles into it the sleeves on my jacket were icing up.  At one point when I hit the brakes the right (rear) brake lever was frozen and would not move for a moment.  I saw ice on the streets for my last two miles but this did not concern me since I was riding on studded tires.

When the muggles at work asked me if I rode the bicycle to work they were amazed.  I told them that my tires say Klondike on them, what do yours say?  Honestly, I feel safer biking on days like this because if I drove I could possibly damage my vehicle, damage other peoples' property and possibly kill someone.  On a bicycle I just look stupid to those that lack the knowledge and magic, muggles.

When the snow began we stared from the inside of the building with coffee in our hands.  Looks bad.  Looks to be more than an inch or two that they forecasted.  "you going to be safe riding home?" the cagers asked.  Yes.  "Safer than you," I replied, "You have to deal with each other, I get an empty trail."  Over 55 Crashes  See?

I could not wait to get out.  I wanted to hit the trail before everyone and their niece and their 3 dogs stepped on every possible square inch of snow covered trail.  I wanted virgin snow covered trail to myself.  On the Greenbelt I saw one set of boot tracks and paw prints on both sides of the trail.  There also was a fatbike track.  So all in all the trail was in good shape.  Two people on MTBs were attempting to ride on the ice covered walnut Creek near 73rd St.  Fools, the ice is less than 12 hours old.  It was maybe 13*F now and dropping.  Later I saw a fatbiker.

The wind was at least 26 mph from the NW.  I had a tail wind of sorts.  I did not have to fight it.  I encountered a man on a crossbike heading west into the wind  on the Bill Riley Trail as it parallels the Raccoon River.  I've seen him before.  We always nod or do a finger wave whenever we cross paths.  Today I said howdy.  His response was classic, Quote of the Winter.  "THIS WIND CAN EAT A DICK!!!!"  True.

Great parking.  Thought I'd see some fatbikes here.

ChewBocka!!!!

New England IPA.  Probably the finest IPA I've ever had.  Well done, Confluence, well done!

Two miles later I was at Confluence Brewing Company.  Time to celebrate.  Time for my birthday party!  It was the release of Chewbocka Winter Bock in cans.  As expected, I had the only bicycle there until Mary showed up.  Where are all the fatbikes?  Russ met me there as he said on FaceBook.  I missed two other friends because we left after 4 beers.  Mary had only two.  Had to get dinner.  Had to work tomorrow.

1.5 miles later we were at Mullets but it was closed.  I am glad I decided to stop at Confluence.  Mullets closed for the safety of their employees.  It may have been 6 pm.  I don't blame them.  But of the Beacon of Light establishments play for weary travelers?  Damn, 15 miles into this bitch of a ride and no joy here.  I admit I was very disappointed.  I even thought about taking my Mullets Mason Jar there for $5 beers.  Frozen pizza from the gas station.  At least it was DiGiorno.  As far as booze, could have stopped at Extra Innings.

My ride that day.  Good on the way to work.  Great on the ride home.  Not that I want to do this day after day.  But every now and then during this season I feel the need.  I miss warm weather.  Spring cannot get here soon enough.