Country Views: Windy Again

Started out with clean, blue skies......and WIND!

 Sunday I managed to get out in the morning, but I did wait until the temperature had recovered from the low 40's and had gotten up into the 50's. No, this isn't March, or a chilly April day. This is late May. Crazy! 

Anyway, the idea was to push out against the wind, which was coming strong out of the Northwest, and then head over West a bit, and then come back with that wind. I decided to try a run up into Bremer County, and I also had decided to roll with a single speed, my signature Pofahl. A bike I haven't ridden in far too long. In fact, it has been maybe an entire year. 

Some late planting activity here.

It may look beautiful, but it was chilly and windy for a late May ride.

 

I had packed up my Winter gear on Saturday, but I held back my 3/4's knickers and my Twin Six Ritual wind vest. Good thing! While temperatures in the 50's aren't too bad, the wind, which was blowing around 22mph and gusting upwards of 30-ish mph at times, made it feel a lot cooler than that. In fact, my feet in my Shimano RX-8 gravel shoes were chilly to almost cold for the entire ride.

The vast expanse of farmland makes this tractor and sprayer rig loo like a toy.

A passing pick-up truck leaves a long 'contrail' of dust as it crosses Schenk Road

I went North up Schenk Road and it was a slog against that wind. At one point I had a blizzard of last year's corn leaves and dust blow across my path, nearly blinding me and almost knocking me off my bike. Fortunately that kind of blast only happened a couple of times during the ride! 

An old Pepsi Cola hauler out back of a farmstead along Schenk Road.

 

A small flock of sheep near the intersection of Schenk Road and Gresham Road.

Big, puffy clouds started rolling in with that Northwestern wind and it sure looked pretty out there. I was enjoying the views, but suddenly a dog drew a bead on me and I had to stop. It was a medium sized mutt and the owner finally called it off with an apology to me and a promise of a ball playing session to the dog. That dog heard 'ball' and was off like a shot! 

The Gnome Sanctuary along Schenk Road just before crossing into Bremer County.

A look North into Bremer County on Oakland Avenue.

Now I didn't know how far I was going to go North when I started, but I knew I wanted to get into Bremer County a bit. Once I reached the county line, I was really getting tired of the wind. It was loud in my ears, it made pedaling my single gear a chore, and there was almost zero coasting at all. I was ready for a change!

But since I am not really familiar with the roads up there, I ended up stopping and checking my map to see which way I wanted to go. I also took the opportunity to sit on the edge of a ditch and eat some beef jerky I had along with me. Eventually I settled on going one mile West, which I figured would still be a wicked chore, and then to turn South on Navajo Road. 

Barns For Jason: On Navajo Road in Bremer County.

Looks like a full house at Mt. Hope United Methodist for Sunday services.

I turned South on Navajo in Bremer County which turns into Sage Road in Black Hawk County. Needless to say, the tailwind was magnificent. Finally, I could coast some! That was a big relief, as was the quiet in my ears. No more roaring wind! 

Looking West at Mt. Vernon Road in the distance.

The Pofahl at the Big Rock

I got a nice, decently hard ride in, and it was fun coming home, bombing some of the bigger rollers at speed. That old Pofahl just rides so smoothly. I don't normally get stuff that can be reviewed on that bike, so when I am busy doing that, this bike sits. I have had a window of opportunity to ride my odd-ball rigs of late, so I've been doing that, but this will be coming to an end this week. 

It sure was nice to have some time to spend on this bike though. I really have enjoyed it over the years.