Country Views: July 4th, 2025

Escape Route: Waterloo's vast alley network

I've been doing "July 4th" rides for as many years as this blog has been around, I think. So, of course, I was out again this year.

It was a 'firecracker' day, for sure, with temperatures in the upper 80's. This was cooler than last week's Tree In The Road Ride, however, the humidity was worse, so it felt almost exactly the same.

Now, it was July 4th, so I wore my ancient Stars and Stripes jersey and a new-to-me cycling hat which was in a red, white, and blue theme. You know, it is weird how some folks in the cycling community are against whatever they are against, and this may mean they won't celebrate something like the 4th of July. You know, the alternative scenario for us here isn't known. Can't be. But I'd wager it wouldn't be as good. Probably worse. And this is our country. Not perfect, by any means, but with so many people trying to get here, it must not be all that bad either.

Something to think about, anyway, and that is all I have to say here about this. 

The route was the anticlockwise Tour of Southern Black Hawk County. Seeing as how the winds were out of the Southwest, this made sense to me to go South first, then East. So that is what I did.

First quick rest stop about seven miles in.

There used to be two cool old barns here. Now it is just another nondescript corner.

The wind was pretty stiff at around 20mph. There was almost no clouds. The Sun was heating things up, but I seemed to be doing okay. I was concerned because ever since the Tree In The Road Ride my legs have been in some form of pain. One day my hamstrings were sore. The next day it would be my glutes. Then another day my knees were sore. Weird! Of course, I was riding a little every day and many days on a fixed gear.

There used to be a home here. All that is left is the swing set and flowers someone planted years ago. 

I stopped again at the intersection of Aker and Quarry Road to stretch. I was riding my Honeman Flyer single speed. This bike is weird, and I shouldn't like it as much as I do, but I love getting out on it. There is a certain smoothness to this bike which is just great, and the stability of the bike is good. This means it doesn't get pinged around on chunky, loose gravel and it mostly allows me to ride whatever line I want regardless of the state of the gravel. 

I know I said Friday I was going to ride my red, white, and blue Tamland, but the siren song of the single speed won me over.  

The corn is about as high as usual. I didn't think it would get there, but it did!

Black Hawk County views may not be as good as Cass and Audubon County views, but I'll take it. 

Once I started East up Quarry Road, I noticed a set of bicycle tracks meandering along on the same side of the road as I was on. The tires looked bigger. Maybe 650B's or fat 700's. Whatever size they were, they were fairly fresh. Probably they were laid down earlier on the 4th, or maybe on the evening of the 3rd, but no older than this. I kept wondering who these tracks were laid down by. My bet was Tom, but it could have been anyone. 

I did not see the bird here in this image until I got home and was processing the images I took. 

 

A surprising number of people walk gravel. Maybe I should start a site called "Walking Gravel"!

Eventually the rider I was tracking must have turned aside as the tracks ceased to exist on Quarry Road. Oh well! It was fun while it lasted. Just about this time I ran across a set of tracks left by a walker. I actually saw a few folks out walking on this ride. This is not totally uncommon either. I think there are more folks walking gravel than we might think. 

This place is always neat as a pin.

Now this is an impressive "grass farmer". Look at the size of this mown field!

Farmers love to either have a wild, unkempt appearance to their lands or they seem to manicure the living daylights out of their homestead. I never could understand why some mow such huge tracts of tillable land. Why not grow something and make a bit more money off of it? Perhaps allow it to be pasture for some farm animals. But to mow these huge tracts of land is doing what? Taking up a lot of resources, I would say.

 

Foulk Road is really pretty flat. You have to pedal every inch of it.

Heading back toward Waterloo, I was still having some assistance via the quartering tailwind, so it was not as bad as it could be with this route. Foulk Road is one of those roads you get no relief from. Pedal, pedal, pedal. It is flat and coasting is rare. But the tailwind helped and at least the road wasn't super-chunky as it has been in recent years. 

A random American flag was spotted just down from the intersection with Foulk Road and East Schrock Road.

A 'detour' for some Level B road action.

Once I got back to more urban areas, I went on a bit of a lollipop route to take in the dirt of McKeller and Weiden Roads. The irrigated field on McKellar has some monster-sized corn this year! I was thinking it may have been the tallest I'd seen all day. Then I went and road down Weiden Road's Level B section, which takes you to Washburn. From there I went down the blacktop East to catch Golinvaux Road. This then looped me back toward Evansdale.

 

Weiden Road looking South.

Golinvaux Road looking North.

I ended up back home after 3.5 hours and I wasn't too bad as far as being whooped goes. I did double up on dosage with electrolytes this time, and I was sweating a LOT. It was soooo humid Friday! I was wishing I would have brought gloves or that I had worn Sun-sleeves as my sweat was making my grip compromised. I also wished I had brought something to eat as I was bonking by the time I reached the house. A bite or two of chicken kabob and some chocolate milk later and I was all fixed up.

It was a great way to celebrate my freedom to ride and my thankfulness for this country.