Country Views: Moody

Escape Route: Burton Avenue

The weekend and first day of this week were brutally hot and I did not venture out of town on the bike at all. But after a severe storm outbreak, from which we barely escaped damage, the weather cracked. 

It was cooler on Tuesday and still humid, but a refreshingly cool Northwest breeze was in the air and I felt like I needed to get out there again and enjoy some riding. Plus I'd be able to inspect the countryside for any damage after the storm. 

Since the breeze was out of the direction I mentioned, I went into it first, which meant that I had to ride North out of town. I decided this breeze wasn't too bad, so the "Northwest Passage" out of the wind to get to gravel would not be necessary this time. I meandered around town and ended up on Burton Avenue going straight North..... Well....not exactly straight, but definitely North.

As you can see, Burton Avenue is not very straight to begin with!

Things started out windy and mostly Sunny.

With all the rains we've had, and the last night's rain being a particularly hard one, the roads have come out nicely. No fresh gravel to speak of, hardly any dust, and smooth going, for the most part. I'm still marveling at the conditions of the gravel roads this year because it has been a long, long time since they've been this good. 

There was a little traffic out here on Tuesday.

East Janesville Church

I had the Wahoo Elemnt ROAM with me on this ride and I was having some fun watching the climbing add up, the elevation readout, and the gradient readout. Of course, I did not need a GPS device to tell me riding out North on Burton was mostly uphill, but it was nice to see some hard data on this fact. 

I've done some elevation hunting South of Waterloo, but not really anything North of town. I was wondering if I'd see anything close to 1,000ft elevation, and in fact, I did. I saw 1,014ft! I know.....it's nothing, but when you live in a state where the highest elevation is a little over 1,600ft, you know you are not going to see big numbers around here. What you will see in Iowa is that to get to 1,014ft from about 800ft where I live, you will ride upward over 1,000ft in less than 30 miles. It was a lot of "up and down"! It's worse in other places in Iowa. And half of the route I rode was against the wind, so there was that to contend with too. 

I didn't realize that the clouds were gathering behind me

Heading back South I had the wind at my back.

It was cheery looking going North and when I went back South the skies were all moody and grey-blue. A random drop of rain would strike me from time to time, but it never even got close to a sprinkle. There was a chill in the air, probably because it felt less like 100 degrees, like it had for days, and was feeling more like the 70's now. But I was reminded that Fall is only a couple of months away. 

I ran across this large dog in a random place.

As I crossed Bennington Road I saw something very large and whitish at the edge of the ditch. At first I thought it might be a large bag, or a piece of abandoned furniture. But as I approached I saw that this was a large dog. A very large dog. 

It sat there and looked at me sheepishly. As I got closer it ran out into the road, but not at that "attack angle" you might have experienced. It looked like it wanted to run with me. I was having nothing to do with that idea! 

So I stopped and began talking to the dog nicely. It stopped and gazed at me as if he were listening intently. As I looked at this animal, it seemed to have characteristics of a Great Pyrenees, but it had a different face. Almost Labrador-ish. Maybe it had a Labrador personality? I wasn't all that interested in finding out, so I turned and went back to the intersection and went around the mile instead. 

The rest of the ride was pretty non-descript. As I said, it never really rained, but I was getting random drops on me the rest of the way home. It was good to get out into the countryside again. Can't wait for the next ride....

Country Views: Into The Night

The bottle config has been sussed out. More on that later...

Saturday was a bit of a wash what with family obligations, a trip to a small town to pick up our locally grown, butchered, and packaged meat, and then some family time. In between I worked on the Project Wide Gravel Wheels v2 and my bottle configuration on the pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD. 

Sunday I had to play guitar at church and then I waited until the evening to ride. Why? Because I needed to get some night riding done to wrap up a review on some lights for RidingGravel.com. I also was able to load up the BMC MCD as I would be riding it at Gravel Worlds. So, it was a double-purposed ride. Besides, it's been awhile since I've been out riding in the night.

So, after the evening meal I got ready to do a bit of a ride out South of town to see the lay of the land at night by bicycle. Fortunately the weather had straightened out and there wasn't much wind at all. In fact, it was almost perfect out. Almost except for the clouds of gnats! Flying protein snacks are not my favorite thing. I had to remind myself not to be a mouth-breather. 

The added bags on the bike are Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags. I've used those a lot over the last ten plus years and - in fact- the one on the left side here is about one of the first Chaff Bags available. I got that about ten years ago. The other side, the left one, is like the newer ones which you can get you hand all the way into. I'll use the right one primarily as a water bottle cage. The left one will carry nutrition. The idea is to not have a top tube bag, (other than the gas tank style bag), and not have a saddle bag.

I got treated to a really spectacular Sunset.

This was where I had to finally turn on the lights.

Once I got out into the country I was relieved of having to keep breathing through my nose exclusively. The bugs were still around in large numbers, but at least they were aiming for my lights and not my head! Getting my lights sorted was fun. I had three lights and three tail lights to check out during the ride. 

Testing......one....two...three!

Well, it wasn't much of a long ride, but I did have a bit of a surprise at one point. I heard a dog, and well, I wasn't too concerned, but I did scan for the mutt and was expecting to see it converging on my path. You know- dogs are experts at that. And so, when I saw a large mutt taking a rather different line that would put him way off from converging on me, I was a bit confused. 

Then I saw an animal, about the size of a small dog, and white-ish in color, jetting across the road and I realized the dog had taken no notice of me, but was on the chase behind this unidentified animal. Whatever the dog was chasing, it was an expert climber because it went through the ditch and straight up the utility pole that was there lightning fast. It was rather startling. 

The dog, a German Shepherd, saw me then and I told him, "Good boy! You treed that animal! Good boy!" and the dog acted like I was its master and cowered and looked for affection from me, then took off to see that the varmint didn't escape. I simply rode away. That was a lot easier than I was expecting!

I heard a few deer running alongside the bike path on the way back in and I even came across another night-cyclist! Sometimes these shorter trips are the most interesting ones! Especially when they take you into the night.

Country Views: Into The Night

The bottle config has been sussed out. More on that later...

Saturday was a bit of a wash what with family obligations, a trip to a small town to pick up our locally grown, butchered, and packaged meat, and then some family time. In between I worked on the Project Wide Gravel Wheels v2 and my bottle configuration on the pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD. 

Sunday I had to play guitar at church and then I waited until the evening to ride. Why? Because I needed to get some night riding done to wrap up a review on some lights for RidingGravel.com. I also was able to load up the BMC MCD as I would be riding it at Gravel Worlds. So, it was a double-purposed ride. Besides, it's been awhile since I've been out riding in the night.

So, after the evening meal I got ready to do a bit of a ride out South of town to see the lay of the land at night by bicycle. Fortunately the weather had straightened out and there wasn't much wind at all. In fact, it was almost perfect out. Almost except for the clouds of gnats! Flying protein snacks are not my favorite thing. I had to remind myself not to be a mouth-breather. 

The added bags on the bike are Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags. I've used those a lot over the last ten plus years and - in fact- the one on the left side here is about one of the first Chaff Bags available. I got that about ten years ago. The other side, the left one, is like the newer ones which you can get you hand all the way into. I'll use the right one primarily as a water bottle cage. The left one will carry nutrition. The idea is to not have a top tube bag, (other than the gas tank style bag), and not have a saddle bag.

I got treated to a really spectacular Sunset.

This was where I had to finally turn on the lights.

Once I got out into the country I was relieved of having to keep breathing through my nose exclusively. The bugs were still around in large numbers, but at least they were aiming for my lights and not my head! Getting my lights sorted was fun. I had three lights and three tail lights to check out during the ride. 

Testing......one....two...three!

Well, it wasn't much of a long ride, but I did have a bit of a surprise at one point. I heard a dog, and well, I wasn't too concerned, but I did scan for the mutt and was expecting to see it converging on my path. You know- dogs are experts at that. And so, when I saw a large mutt taking a rather different line that would put him way off from converging on me, I was a bit confused. 

Then I saw an animal, about the size of a small dog, and white-ish in color, jetting across the road and I realized the dog had taken no notice of me, but was on the chase behind this unidentified animal. Whatever the dog was chasing, it was an expert climber because it went through the ditch and straight up the utility pole that was there lightning fast. It was rather startling. 

The dog, a German Shepherd, saw me then and I told him, "Good boy! You treed that animal! Good boy!" and the dog acted like I was its master and cowered and looked for affection from me, then took off to see that the varmint didn't escape. I simply rode away. That was a lot easier than I was expecting!

I heard a few deer running alongside the bike path on the way back in and I even came across another night-cyclist! Sometimes these shorter trips are the most interesting ones! Especially when they take you into the night.

It's That Time Of Year Again

Like a bullet! Dogs are part of gravel riding. Get used to it.

The roads in Iowa got rideable again and the next thing ya know there are all kinds of questions about dogs. Yep! People getting bitten, scared half outta their minds, and left wondering what they could have done differently. 

NOTE: I wrote a pretty comprehensive post about dogs and country riding in 2018 which you can read HERE. This post will be about some additional thoughts I have had since that time.

Dogs. They are a part of riding in the country- paved, gravel, or dirt roads, and even in towns and cities. Legendary tales of mean dogs and feats of speed are told every year around this time. Ever notice that it seems to be that late Winter and early Spring are the worst times for this? I mean, I almost never hear about dog issues in late Summer and Fall. ("Almost never" means it happens, just not as often.)

Dogs are cooped up, left with little to do in the Mid-West for months. What do you expect they want to do once the weather breaks? I'd be chasing you if I were a dog after sitting around in negative wind chill Iowa for two months straight! Bark!

So, I think I would suggest that you should expect to have to deal with dogs on gravel rides- especially in Spring. I am always on the alert when I come across a country abode and I scan the area for a dog. Many times the barking will alert you to a dog's presence, but believe me- the silent attacks are the worst- and to detect a dog you need to be aware. Generally they almost always are around houses and barns. Rarely if ever will you have issues with aggressive dogs away from properties. So, whenever you pass a property, you need to be sitting up and scanning the area. 

Dogs can and will be seen out away from properties, but almost always these are benign encounters. The dog can be a issue because of getting in the way, but I've rarely had an aggressive dog away from a property.

I rarely, if ever, see dogs in empty country.

 Secondly, I have noted a lot of people recounting dog encounters that were negative and there is no mention of stopping. If you don't stop, you will perpetuate the 'prey instinct' dogs have which is triggered by your movements on a bicycle and by the speed you are traveling at. Legs moving up and down and speed are two triggers to a dog's embedded instinct to hunt herd animals. You will not break them out of this until you stop and dismount. Many times the dog's demeanor changes so drastically at that point when you dismount that it can be comical. But whether or not the dog is disoriented by this, you need to be willing to stop and dismount, place the bike between you and the dog, and be patient. 

Trying to outrun a dog is usually a great way to end up getting bitten. Dogs live for this. They are hard-wired to hunt. Only the most disciplined dogs will resist this urge, and there aren't that many well trained dogs on the loose in the country. So, before you ever get out on a ride, you need to be prepared to swallow your pride and stop. I'm not sure why cyclists generally do not see stopping as an option, maybe it seems counterintuitive, but all I know is that it is a necessity when riding where dogs may be wanting to chase. 

Finally- you have rights as a road user and a citizen. If a dog does become an issue, either by its continued aggressiveness or due to inflicting injuries and damage to personal property while you are on a public roadway, the dog owner is liable. Report any incidents to county sheriffs or whomever handles the law enforcement in the area. Contact dog owners and file grievances where possible. Remember- you have a right to ride the roads, no matter what property owners may think, and as long as you stay on public roadways, you are good. Your rights become compromised once you get off public roads. So, stay out of fields, Level C Maintenance roads which are supposed to be gated, and the like. You are only inviting trouble if you venture off public roads. 

This goes for approaching a farm house for assistance. So be super careful if you are placed in a situation where you need water, for an example, because all bets are off if you walk into a farm yard where a dog is present. Just be smart and be well prepared ahead of time. Self-supported cycling is something to strive for, but I realize there are times you may need to ask for assistance. I have- been there-done that. Just be hyper-alert and careful. 

I think that about does it for my additional thoughts. If you have any further ideas or advice for folks dealing with dogs, let's have those in the comments. It may end up becoming a resource down the line for someone. Thanks for reading.

It's That Time Of Year Again

Like a bullet! Dogs are part of gravel riding. Get used to it.

The roads in Iowa got rideable again and the next thing ya know there are all kinds of questions about dogs. Yep! People getting bitten, scared half outta their minds, and left wondering what they could have done differently. 

NOTE: I wrote a pretty comprehensive post about dogs and country riding in 2018 which you can read HERE. This post will be about some additional thoughts I have had since that time.

Dogs. They are a part of riding in the country- paved, gravel, or dirt roads, and even in towns and cities. Legendary tales of mean dogs and feats of speed are told every year around this time. Ever notice that it seems to be that late Winter and early Spring are the worst times for this? I mean, I almost never hear about dog issues in late Summer and Fall. ("Almost never" means it happens, just not as often.)

Dogs are cooped up, left with little to do in the Mid-West for months. What do you expect they want to do once the weather breaks? I'd be chasing you if I were a dog after sitting around in negative wind chill Iowa for two months straight! Bark!

So, I think I would suggest that you should expect to have to deal with dogs on gravel rides- especially in Spring. I am always on the alert when I come across a country abode and I scan the area for a dog. Many times the barking will alert you to a dog's presence, but believe me- the silent attacks are the worst- and to detect a dog you need to be aware. Generally they almost always are around houses and barns. Rarely if ever will you have issues with aggressive dogs away from properties. So, whenever you pass a property, you need to be sitting up and scanning the area. 

Dogs can and will be seen out away from properties, but almost always these are benign encounters. The dog can be a issue because of getting in the way, but I've rarely had an aggressive dog away from a property.

I rarely, if ever, see dogs in empty country.

 Secondly, I have noted a lot of people recounting dog encounters that were negative and there is no mention of stopping. If you don't stop, you will perpetuate the 'prey instinct' dogs have which is triggered by your movements on a bicycle and by the speed you are traveling at. Legs moving up and down and speed are two triggers to a dog's embedded instinct to hunt herd animals. You will not break them out of this until you stop and dismount. Many times the dog's demeanor changes so drastically at that point when you dismount that it can be comical. But whether or not the dog is disoriented by this, you need to be willing to stop and dismount, place the bike between you and the dog, and be patient. 

Trying to outrun a dog is usually a great way to end up getting bitten. Dogs live for this. They are hard-wired to hunt. Only the most disciplined dogs will resist this urge, and there aren't that many well trained dogs on the loose in the country. So, before you ever get out on a ride, you need to be prepared to swallow your pride and stop. I'm not sure why cyclists generally do not see stopping as an option, maybe it seems counterintuitive, but all I know is that it is a necessity when riding where dogs may be wanting to chase. 

Finally- you have rights as a road user and a citizen. If a dog does become an issue, either by its continued aggressiveness or due to inflicting injuries and damage to personal property while you are on a public roadway, the dog owner is liable. Report any incidents to county sheriffs or whomever handles the law enforcement in the area. Contact dog owners and file grievances where possible. Remember- you have a right to ride the roads, no matter what property owners may think, and as long as you stay on public roadways, you are good. Your rights become compromised once you get off public roads. So, stay out of fields, Level C Maintenance roads which are supposed to be gated, and the like. You are only inviting trouble if you venture off public roads. 

This goes for approaching a farm house for assistance. So be super careful if you are placed in a situation where you need water, for an example, because all bets are off if you walk into a farm yard where a dog is present. Just be smart and be well prepared ahead of time. Self-supported cycling is something to strive for, but I realize there are times you may need to ask for assistance. I have- been there-done that. Just be hyper-alert and careful. 

I think that about does it for my additional thoughts. If you have any further ideas or advice for folks dealing with dogs, let's have those in the comments. It may end up becoming a resource down the line for someone. Thanks for reading.

Winter Views: Checking Out The Gravel

Escape Route; Martin Luther King Jr. Road

Everyday last week I kept an eye on the muffin-top of snow on my porch roof. It faced the Southwest, and every day last week it got smaller and smaller. It went from well over one foot to nothing in five days. I thought this was a good sign that the gravel roads just might be good to go. The other 'sign' was a report from South Central Iowa that roads were looking good for the annual CIRREM event. But that is well over two hours South of where I am. Things might still not be very good here. That said, Saturday was going to top out at 40° and I was going to find out.

I chose to roll with the Noble Bikes GX5 as a steed to do the deed. It doesn't have the widest of tires on it currently and the pink BMC has fenders on it now. I just installed them late in the week. I should have taken the BMC, but I figured that if things were soupy, a clip-on fender would be okay and if it was that bad, I'd be more apt to abort. With fenders I might decide to push through and ruin more drive train bits than I would really want to.  There was a method to my madness! 

The day was beautiful! Hardly any wind, hardly any clouds, just a lot of snow and blue skies. As I went down Martin Luther King Jr. Road I was hoping to find the bike path open, and it was! Way to go, Waterloo! They appear to have cleared it off all the way out to Tyson's meat processing plant, which left a couple hundred yards of snow, ice, and road garbage to get to the corner. No big deal, I just hopped on the road for the last little bit. Then I turned left a ways to Newell Road and East to.....? 

The roads were open! This turned out to be the worst stretch too.

 

Glacial erratics are easier to spot now since they contrast with the snow so well.

I headed up Newell Road to the East and the roads kept getting better and better as I went. I was encouraged by this to head East to Pilot Grove Road, then I figured I would head three miles North to Big Rock Road, but something happened along the way which kind of changed my plans.

At the corner of Newell Road and Pilot Grove Road.

This back hoe/end loader was parked near the corner where I stopped. Random!

As I was going along up Pilot Grove Road, I approached the Catholic church out there on Airline Highway and saw a dog barking and bounding through a snowy field towards me. He had the cut-off angle so I just pulled up and started talking to it. That's what I do. It usually takes a few minutes, the dog calms down,gets disinterested in me, and I move along. Unless the owner appears. Then dogs think they need to protect the owner, and they get all aggravated again. Such was the case here as a white Chevy truck approached up a driveway I happened to be right in front of. 

The driver, a man of maybe middle age, just sits there as his dog, confused now because it realizes I am not a threat and the owner isn't giving it any direction, starts a back-and-forth to me and the truck, barking the entire time. The owner finally leans out and says, "Just start riding", and as soon as I try, the dog is right on me. I knew it would do this. The owner then pulls out on the road, sits there, and does nothing. For like five minutes. I figure, look- I have all day to play this game. How long would the guy just sit there and not call his dog off? Well, it took, like I say, about five minutes. Then, without a word, the guy backs up down the road. The dog follows. Then he finally says something to the dog and keeps backing up. I take this as my cue to leave, and I did, but at a casual pace. 

The abode on the right side of the road is where I had my little dog/owner showdown.

As if all that wasn't enough, I saw this raccoon on the roadway, in the light of day. Weird!

Since I was now distracted, I turned left on Airline Highway, so I could keep an eye on things back behind me, just in case. I had meant to go another mile North to Big Rock Road, but it was fine. About half a mile later, here comes the dog owner in his truck. I had visions of him saying something to me, but he chose a wiser path and just passed me by. Good! 

Then a little further up the road I come across a man in the farm yard on the South side of the gravel. I wave and he waves back, but he says, "Hey! Where ya headed?" I replied, "I'm headed back to Waterloo!", and I swung over to stop, because he had more questions. He was a big man, dressed in many coats and bib overalls, all beige in color. He had a beard, a round face, and a big stocking hat with a bobble on top, also all beige looking. Kind of the gravel road version of "Yukon Cornelius". He was friendly, and as we spoke together a small voice was heard, and the Man said, "Come on out!", at which command came a small boy, who couldn't have been more than 3-4 years old, all bundled up. As he approached he said hello to me, and then quickly went about his business of being a small boy. 

As all that happened I got around to telling the Man that I had this encounter not far away with a dog and its owner. The Man asked where this happened and I told him. The Man thought he knew the guy, and then after I told him he would not call off his dog, he exclaimed, "Really?! heheh! What a dick!"

Headed West back toward Waterloo.

 

The Big Rock of Big Rock Road is all covered in snow yet.

I laughed at the Man's answer for miles after I left him and the boy. That really lifted my spirits and having the conversation with the Man was very enjoyable. Just one of those unexpected gifts you get sometimes. 

Then I spotted what I thought at first was a small dog, but it turned out to be a big raccoon. What?!! They generally don't come out during the day. I gave the wild animal a wide berth and it hissed at me, I think, as I went by. Then I pulled up and took its picture as it ambled along the ditch. You don't see raccoons during daylight gravel rides all that often! 

Sage Road looking South

Airline Highway looking West

I eventually got back on Big Rock Road and headed West again. Then I stopped at the Big Rock and took an image or two. Finally, I headed the Noble Bikes GX5 back toward Waterloo and home. I not only found the gravel roads to be rideable again, I had an adventure too! What a great ride to kick off the 2021 season with.

And one other thing- I asked the Man about the roads, were they this good earlier. He told me no- I had "hit the jackpot". He said they were a mess the previous weekend yet. Boom! That was great news! I timed it just right. 

Of course, the frost will come out sometime, and that will mess things up real good. Mucky, soft roads will be coming, but at least I can get back out in the country again. I have been really missing this sort of riding the past two and a half months.

Winter Views: Checking Out The Gravel

Escape Route; Martin Luther King Jr. Road

Everyday last week I kept an eye on the muffin-top of snow on my porch roof. It faced the Southwest, and every day last week it got smaller and smaller. It went from well over one foot to nothing in five days. I thought this was a good sign that the gravel roads just might be good to go. The other 'sign' was a report from South Central Iowa that roads were looking good for the annual CIRREM event. But that is well over two hours South of where I am. Things might still not be very good here. That said, Saturday was going to top out at 40° and I was going to find out.

I chose to roll with the Noble Bikes GX5 as a steed to do the deed. It doesn't have the widest of tires on it currently and the pink BMC has fenders on it now. I just installed them late in the week. I should have taken the BMC, but I figured that if things were soupy, a clip-on fender would be okay and if it was that bad, I'd be more apt to abort. With fenders I might decide to push through and ruin more drive train bits than I would really want to.  There was a method to my madness! 

The day was beautiful! Hardly any wind, hardly any clouds, just a lot of snow and blue skies. As I went down Martin Luther King Jr. Road I was hoping to find the bike path open, and it was! Way to go, Waterloo! They appear to have cleared it off all the way out to Tyson's meat processing plant, which left a couple hundred yards of snow, ice, and road garbage to get to the corner. No big deal, I just hopped on the road for the last little bit. Then I turned left a ways to Newell Road and East to.....? 

The roads were open! This turned out to be the worst stretch too.

 

Glacial erratics are easier to spot now since they contrast with the snow so well.

I headed up Newell Road to the East and the roads kept getting better and better as I went. I was encouraged by this to head East to Pilot Grove Road, then I figured I would head three miles North to Big Rock Road, but something happened along the way which kind of changed my plans.

At the corner of Newell Road and Pilot Grove Road.

This back hoe/end loader was parked near the corner where I stopped. Random!

As I was going along up Pilot Grove Road, I approached the Catholic church out there on Airline Highway and saw a dog barking and bounding through a snowy field towards me. He had the cut-off angle so I just pulled up and started talking to it. That's what I do. It usually takes a few minutes, the dog calms down,gets disinterested in me, and I move along. Unless the owner appears. Then dogs think they need to protect the owner, and they get all aggravated again. Such was the case here as a white Chevy truck approached up a driveway I happened to be right in front of. 

The driver, a man of maybe middle age, just sits there as his dog, confused now because it realizes I am not a threat and the owner isn't giving it any direction, starts a back-and-forth to me and the truck, barking the entire time. The owner finally leans out and says, "Just start riding", and as soon as I try, the dog is right on me. I knew it would do this. The owner then pulls out on the road, sits there, and does nothing. For like five minutes. I figure, look- I have all day to play this game. How long would the guy just sit there and not call his dog off? Well, it took, like I say, about five minutes. Then, without a word, the guy backs up down the road. The dog follows. Then he finally says something to the dog and keeps backing up. I take this as my cue to leave, and I did, but at a casual pace. 

The abode on the right side of the road is where I had my little dog/owner showdown.

As if all that wasn't enough, I saw this raccoon on the roadway, in the light of day. Weird!

Since I was now distracted, I turned left on Airline Highway, so I could keep an eye on things back behind me, just in case. I had meant to go another mile North to Big Rock Road, but it was fine. About half a mile later, here comes the dog owner in his truck. I had visions of him saying something to me, but he chose a wiser path and just passed me by. Good! 

Then a little further up the road I come across a man in the farm yard on the South side of the gravel. I wave and he waves back, but he says, "Hey! Where ya headed?" I replied, "I'm headed back to Waterloo!", and I swung over to stop, because he had more questions. He was a big man, dressed in many coats and bib overalls, all beige in color. He had a beard, a round face, and a big stocking hat with a bobble on top, also all beige looking. Kind of the gravel road version of "Yukon Cornelius". He was friendly, and as we spoke together a small voice was heard, and the Man said, "Come on out!", at which command came a small boy, who couldn't have been more than 3-4 years old, all bundled up. As he approached he said hello to me, and then quickly went about his business of being a small boy. 

As all that happened I got around to telling the Man that I had this encounter not far away with a dog and its owner. The Man asked where this happened and I told him. The Man thought he knew the guy, and then after I told him he would not call off his dog, he exclaimed, "Really?! heheh! What a dick!"

Headed West back toward Waterloo.

 

The Big Rock of Big Rock Road is all covered in snow yet.

I laughed at the Man's answer for miles after I left him and the boy. That really lifted my spirits and having the conversation with the Man was very enjoyable. Just one of those unexpected gifts you get sometimes. 

Then I spotted what I thought at first was a small dog, but it turned out to be a big raccoon. What?!! They generally don't come out during the day. I gave the wild animal a wide berth and it hissed at me, I think, as I went by. Then I pulled up and took its picture as it ambled along the ditch. You don't see raccoons during daylight gravel rides all that often! 

Sage Road looking South

Airline Highway looking West

I eventually got back on Big Rock Road and headed West again. Then I stopped at the Big Rock and took an image or two. Finally, I headed the Noble Bikes GX5 back toward Waterloo and home. I not only found the gravel roads to be rideable again, I had an adventure too! What a great ride to kick off the 2021 season with.

And one other thing- I asked the Man about the roads, were they this good earlier. He told me no- I had "hit the jackpot". He said they were a mess the previous weekend yet. Boom! That was great news! I timed it just right. 

Of course, the frost will come out sometime, and that will mess things up real good. Mucky, soft roads will be coming, but at least I can get back out in the country again. I have been really missing this sort of riding the past two and a half months.

The Year Of The Dog

The roads were pretty tore up South of town, and they were wet, sticky, and gooey.

Okay....... That's It!!! I'm declaring this year the "Year Of The Dog".

Why? Well........ It is because on every single ride this year, save the Renegade Gent's Race, I have had to stop, get off my bike, and deal with dogs. Not only that, but on the last three rides in a row, I have had to deal with pairs of dogs at one time. Heck, on one ride I had two pairs of dogs. One pair each at different locations. So, this is getting weird, and there must be some kind of cosmic connection here because I've dealt with more dogs this Spring than I have in ten years combined, maybe.......pretty sure on that. 

So, yesterday I am out after it rained steadily all day and most of the night on Tuesday. This saturated the already damaged roads and even the patches of deep gravel laid down have already been pushed back into the road bed by the enormous tractors, trucks, and other gear being moved around the countryside as planting season has started in earnest. It's the worst I've ever seen it out there.

So, there I was, trying to navigate the mud pits, sticky gravel, and sand, when...... Dog barking. Not just any dog bark either, but that sonorous, deep, air moving kind of bark. I look up to see a great beast with a grey coat with black markings come bounding toward me. It was either an off colored deer, or a dog. No.......it was certainly a dog! Not just any ol' dog either, but a Great Dane.

No words necessary. Just look at that!

 I was off the bike with the bike between me and the dog, but honestly, I think this beast could have eaten me and never have touched the bike between us. He was enormous, as Great Danes are. Anyway, I spoke with him, which immediately confused him and he was looking over his shoulder for his owner to give him commands. Of course, the owner was nowhere to be found just then. The Great Dane then bounded off as soon as he came, but another deep bark of a different sort alerted me to another dog presence. Of course there was another dog. And it was a St. Bernard.

All The Big Dogs!

Now the Great Dane came back because I walked about ten paces up the road. By this time, all the commotion had alerted someone in the farm house who was calling the Great Dane. It was called off easily, and that threat was gone. But the big, furball of a St. Bernard was not going away so easily. After many demanding calls from the owner, the St. Bernard trotted away, but I noted he went behind a big tree where I couldn't see him. Perhaps he was planning an ambush? I wasn't taking any chances. After a moment, when the owner realized the dog was not coming, the commands to the dog were heard again, and this time the dog retreated all the way into the house. I re-mounted with an eye toward the rear, just in case, and pedaled away.

"Whew!", and "Dang!", and "What the .......?!!" Emotions ran high for a bit, but the surly roads demanded my full attention, so I soon forgot about the dogs. It was muddy, mucky, messy everywhere. I was fortunate not to have ripped off my rear derailleur.

This was the best road of the entire ride, but you can see why. No work has been done in the fields yet, so no heavy machinery has been down this way yet.

 This was a grey day, obviously, with a slight Northwest breeze, nothing too worrisome. The roads would have been pretty okay but for all the heavy machinery tearing it up. Some places were darn near impassable by car, and tractors and big trucks might be the only way to get through now in some spots. I have to wonder how long we will be dealing with these torn up roads. If it doesn't dry up soon I wonder if a lot of May won't be a month we are dealing with this out in the country.

Poor old Tamland got thrashed yesterday

The conditions yesterday reminded me a ton of the 2015 Dirty Kanza "Mud Fest" year. Or maybe that year at Odin's when getting to CP #1 at 47 miles took six plus hours. The gravel was that consistency where tires cut in, the gravel stuck to components, and damage occurred suddenly and violently. I had my chain jump unexpectedly a few times out there. Line choice was critical.

A little bit of that was enough. An hour and a half later I was back at the truck. Worked, but I was thinking it was better to be out riding than working.

The Year Of The Dog

The roads were pretty tore up South of town, and they were wet, sticky, and gooey.

Okay....... That's It!!! I'm declaring this year the "Year Of The Dog".

Why? Well........ It is because on every single ride this year, save the Renegade Gent's Race, I have had to stop, get off my bike, and deal with dogs. Not only that, but on the last three rides in a row, I have had to deal with pairs of dogs at one time. Heck, on one ride I had two pairs of dogs. One pair each at different locations. So, this is getting weird, and there must be some kind of cosmic connection here because I've dealt with more dogs this Spring than I have in ten years combined, maybe.......pretty sure on that. 

So, yesterday I am out after it rained steadily all day and most of the night on Tuesday. This saturated the already damaged roads and even the patches of deep gravel laid down have already been pushed back into the road bed by the enormous tractors, trucks, and other gear being moved around the countryside as planting season has started in earnest. It's the worst I've ever seen it out there.

So, there I was, trying to navigate the mud pits, sticky gravel, and sand, when...... Dog barking. Not just any dog bark either, but that sonorous, deep, air moving kind of bark. I look up to see a great beast with a grey coat with black markings come bounding toward me. It was either an off colored deer, or a dog. No.......it was certainly a dog! Not just any ol' dog either, but a Great Dane.

No words necessary. Just look at that!

 I was off the bike with the bike between me and the dog, but honestly, I think this beast could have eaten me and never have touched the bike between us. He was enormous, as Great Danes are. Anyway, I spoke with him, which immediately confused him and he was looking over his shoulder for his owner to give him commands. Of course, the owner was nowhere to be found just then. The Great Dane then bounded off as soon as he came, but another deep bark of a different sort alerted me to another dog presence. Of course there was another dog. And it was a St. Bernard.

All The Big Dogs!

Now the Great Dane came back because I walked about ten paces up the road. By this time, all the commotion had alerted someone in the farm house who was calling the Great Dane. It was called off easily, and that threat was gone. But the big, furball of a St. Bernard was not going away so easily. After many demanding calls from the owner, the St. Bernard trotted away, but I noted he went behind a big tree where I couldn't see him. Perhaps he was planning an ambush? I wasn't taking any chances. After a moment, when the owner realized the dog was not coming, the commands to the dog were heard again, and this time the dog retreated all the way into the house. I re-mounted with an eye toward the rear, just in case, and pedaled away.

"Whew!", and "Dang!", and "What the .......?!!" Emotions ran high for a bit, but the surly roads demanded my full attention, so I soon forgot about the dogs. It was muddy, mucky, messy everywhere. I was fortunate not to have ripped off my rear derailleur.

This was the best road of the entire ride, but you can see why. No work has been done in the fields yet, so no heavy machinery has been down this way yet.

 This was a grey day, obviously, with a slight Northwest breeze, nothing too worrisome. The roads would have been pretty okay but for all the heavy machinery tearing it up. Some places were darn near impassable by car, and tractors and big trucks might be the only way to get through now in some spots. I have to wonder how long we will be dealing with these torn up roads. If it doesn't dry up soon I wonder if a lot of May won't be a month we are dealing with this out in the country.

Poor old Tamland got thrashed yesterday

The conditions yesterday reminded me a ton of the 2015 Dirty Kanza "Mud Fest" year. Or maybe that year at Odin's when getting to CP #1 at 47 miles took six plus hours. The gravel was that consistency where tires cut in, the gravel stuck to components, and damage occurred suddenly and violently. I had my chain jump unexpectedly a few times out there. Line choice was critical.

A little bit of that was enough. An hour and a half later I was back at the truck. Worked, but I was thinking it was better to be out riding than working.