Brown Season: Crossing Paths

Escape Route: Cedar River Bike Path with new 11th St. Bridge in background

 We went through a BIG weather change this past week. It was 80°F on Monday and Tuesday and Friday it was in the 40's. In between it was massively windy. It also rained a lot, for the first time in a long time, so all those days were not really conducive to getting out into the country. But Friday......oh my!

The winds were mere whispers and the Sun was out. So, I waited until it warmed up a bit, dressed head to toe in Twin Six gear, and hit the bike paths and streets to get over to Foulk Road and hit up those short Level B sections and then do my "Southern Black Hawk County" route off of that. 

The Cedar River at Evansdale

The Cedar Valley Nature Trail is getting repaved.

Of course, with all the winds we had the leaves are mostly off the trees now. Only some random trees here and there are showing colors. And the oaks, which hold their leaves most of the Winter here, they still show off their rusty-brown hue. 

McKellar Road

The Level B section of Weiden Road

So, I wasn't very sure how I'd find things on the dirt roads. We had a LOT of rainfall on Wednesday evening into Thursday morning. Would it be too muddy? I was betting that it would not, since this was the first significant rain we've had since August. I was right in my guess, as only a few big puddles remained. 

But one of those puddles spanned the original tread of the roadway at one point. Vehicular traffic had made a wider spot in the roadway to get around this, but I decided to try and see if I could wade through on the bike. And........I failed!

I didn't fall over, thankfully, but I went in way over my ankles when I dabbed with both feet so I had soaked shoes for the remainder of the ride. Oh well!  But that wasn't the only thing that went haywire at that point. 

I was riding the good ol' Tamland Two. (Shot pre-mud  puddle here)

There were scraping noises big time and I immediately thought it was the brakes, because this was some pretty silty water and I had gone in hub deep. But after trying all my tricks to clear the calipers I was still hearing a random, rotational squawk and I decided to stop at the end of the road to check the Tamland over. 

I found that it was coming from the crank set, which was alarming because it was new. But upon further inspection I found that the Third Eye chain watcher gizmo was the culprit. It must have moved ever so slightly and was juuuuust kissing the inner part of the big chain ring in spots. A few minutes with a multi-tool later and I had that sussed out. I will say that a rubbing chain watcher can make a horrendous noise! I wasn't aware that was possible until Friday!

Foulk Road

After a swing through Washburn, Iowa, I hit Foulk Road just West of there and turned Left. Then I ran into dog trouble. First was at that old lonely house on a hill just South of Washburn Road and on the West side of Foulk. That house was a shambles for years but has recently been renovated and someone is living there now. They have some terrier breed, possibly a Yorkie by the looks of it, that was tenacious! It came at me three separate times. Little ankle-biter! 

The next dog I have had a run-in with before. It's a Labradoodle and it lives on an acreage on the West side of Foulk Road just South of Schrock Road after the farm on the same side. It won't let you by until its owner comes out and drags it away. I'll tell ya, if your dog won't heel when you yell at it, that pretty much tells me you do not have control over it. Not the dog's fault, by any means. 

Looking North up Hess Road

Somehow these trees managed to hold on to their leaves this past week.

The roads were freshly graveled if traveling North/South. The East/West roads seemed to have a finer gauge gravel, and they were mostly covered, but easier to handle. Of course, I don't have a Redshift Sports ShockStop stem on the Tamland out of vanity because it would ruin my red/white/blue color scheme. Silly me.....

I sure could have used that stem though and I was regretting being so fashion conscious a few times on the ride. Especially going the one mile North on Hammond that I rode. That was brutal! 

North on Hammond's super-fresh chunky goodness.

Ansborough looking North.

I almost never meet other gravel riders as I ride around Black Hawk County. Last time I can remember running across someone was back in 2020 when I came across Tom on this same route, coincidentally. But Friday I did see another rider, and it was someone I did not ever expect to see on a gravel ride alone by themselves. It was Cindy, a long-time road rider and a former customer back in my bike shop days. 

She stopped and we chatted for a bit. She was heading out and I was coming back toward town. She did not much like my report on the roads! But she  was determined to ride every gravel road in Black Hawk County, much like what I did in 2020. Looks like I was not the only crazy person running around trying to bag every gravel road in the county! I hope she completes her quest. 

Three hours and twenty minutes time for the loop today including stops. Not bad. I'll take it.