First of September

September is here and we still see some good weather. 9/1/09 saw four riders and the distance was 20.1 miles. Our average speed was 11.5 mph. Only one penny found, but the ride was a treasure. Our time on the road was longer than the hour we started with earlier in the season. We are closer to two hour rides now.

A couple of us are looking forward to the "Fitness Fest" this coming Labor Day weekend. A late season sixty or one hundred mile ride will be fun, and the weather promises to be good. There are several other fitness events planned.

Split in Two

August 25, 2009 - Our ride this evening was a relaxed pace again. Two riders covered 13 miles at a gentle 12.5 mph average speed. We enjoyed good conversation and some of the best weather there is. Blue sky, temperature in the seventies, and very little wind made the trip great.

Only found one penny and we encountered one rider who had interesting stories to tell. It seems he smoked until two years ago and this year re-committed to riding a bicycle. He was a little discouraged with, "...one of those seats that splits you in two..." Patience and shopping had allowed him to find a bargain seat that was wide enough for his comfort. We gave him some hints on what to wear to help cycle into cold weather and wished him continued joy and safety with his riding.

A Few Relaxed

Just a few miles, compared to recent rides, and just a few riders. This August 18, 2009 saw only three riders cover 14.3 miles at a relaxed pace of 12 mph. One rider found one dime. It was great time to talk and enjoy the late summer countryside. The river near our route for a few miles, a gravel plant that no longer produces product, and corn canyons were all part of our conversations and the evening ride.

We encountered another rider, when our road intersected their route, and for a few brief moments managed to introduce ourselves and encourage participation in next weeks ride. Anyone new to town should join us for our weekly ride. Anyone should consider joining us and everyone is welcome. 5:30 pm each Tuesday we meet at First English Lutheran Church and just pick a route. Often the route develops as we progress.

Maps: http://felcbiking.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html

Two Finders

August 11, 2009 I finally got back to ride with the group after three weeks of missing rides for various reasons. We had five riders tonight and managed 19.5 miles at a 13.1 mph average.

Two riders found coins. Seven pennies were located by one and two pennies by the other rider. It is still a fun activity and humorous comments abound.

We rode the Cardinal Trail to Industries Road and then went west of town. I suspect I was not alone in my enjoyment of a beautiful sunshine sky. After the ride ended and participants were home it rained hard. It was great to get a good ride in with welcome weather.

We discussed continuing to ride at 5:30 pm each Tuesday until well into September.

Maps: http://felcbiking.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html

Warm Bugs

July 21, 2009 - One rider commented that it was finally warm enough to ride. It has been a cool year and tonight was a ride in the 80's. Eight riders enjoyed a 15.6 mile route at an average speed of 13 mph.

An interesting event on this evening's ride was the clouds of bugs we rode into. Most of us in the Midwest know of the bugs near corn fields that come out for just a few days a year. Our car windows quickly become coated with white splotches as the bugs spatter against them. We know not to turn the wipers on because they just smear a greasy mess over the window. These same bugs got into helmets and hair as we cycled into the flying swarm of them. It was almost as if the bugs were presenting us with a "critical mass" to disrupt our ride. Several of us were removing helmets to get the crawly creatures off of our heads. After passing the corn fields the situation improved.

There were a few hills and they spread the group out. Regrouping at the top of a hill was the norm for this evening. It was fun to ride in a double line on a flat section and converse with each other. The ending emotion was a pleased glow for a great ride.

Several admitted that they will not be there following week and it looks like the next ride will be more sparsely attended. There should still be four or more riders.

July 7, 2009 saw eight riders in our group. One was courageous enough to join us on a 3 speed just taken out of storage. Another new participant had fabricated his own disc to cover the rear wheel spokes for better aerodynamics. It is always interesting to see the varieties of equipment and the people who ride them. Bicycling is another way we celebrate diversity.

Our distance was 14.8 miles and the average speed 12.3 mph. The group kept spreading out as we encountered hills, but we frequently regrouped. Oh, I picked up a dime.

Right Past

I had to miss the ride on June 30, 2009. We were in Greenville baby sitting. I was told that they covered nearly 20 miles and the time was just under 1-1/2 hours. That suggests about a 13 mph average. When stepping out of my garage to mow the lawn, the group sailed past my drive. I counted at least five riders, and they were just finishing the route. I hope it was a good ride.