Who'll Stop The Rain

Hot delivery

Since the Victory Ride it has been a hodge-podge of weather related issues that has kept me out of the country. Thunderstorms, heat, and flooding. Yes.....flooding. After two years of severe drought we are back to flooding around here again. 

I did a delivery to the Collective again on Thursday when we had 90+ degree temperatures and high humidity. I haven't ridden in that for a while. First time this year, most likely, and it showed. 

I purposefully went slow to minimize the heat build up in my body, which I think I did well enough. The thing was that even with the easing on the pacing (loaded up, mind you, for a good portion of the ride), I still came home zapped by that heat. 

Look, I've drained the tank in hot weather while riding one two many times, times five. Maybe times ten. A LOT of times, okay?! So, heat isn't something I'm good at anymore. Not that I ever was good at that, but now? It's bad. 

Then the thunderstorms have been many and at random enough times that you only get these short, super-humid windows of time to race around the neighborhood to get in some testing or just to blow off some steam. Saturday it was the same. Only adding in tornadoes in the area. Then there is the flooding, and we're just getting started on that here, although compared to Northwestern Iowa, which has already suffered too much as it is now, we've gotten off easy.  

NOAA flood prediction for the Cedar River at Waterloo, Iowa.

We are not going to get slammed, but this will mess up the soft trails for quite some time, and make mosquito factories out of the backwaters in the area. That'll be nice. Anyway, gravel travel usually is not impacted too greatly by this, but there may be some damage out there, and the dirt roads will be gooey for a while. Best to stay off those for a bit until we get a stretch of drier weather. 

I hope to get out there soon to investigate. I bet this humidity has super-charged the corn growth!

Heatwave

Tuesday's delivery ride.

Yeah, you know it's been hot in a lot of places this Summer. I don't need to tell you about that. This has been a record-breaking week here as it got to 104° F here yesterday. I don't think it has been over 100° F for several years and this hot spell ranks right up there with the 1988 Summer heatwave. 

But that doesn't mean that there has not been any cycling. I've gotten in some urban rides this week, most notably a test of the Big Dummy's new kickstand on Tuesday. 

I got out early while it was still only in the upper 80's and rode over to the UPS Store to pick up two heavy boxes full of components for the shop. So, how did the kickstand do?

Yeah....pretty much as predicted, this kickstand made all the difference in the world. I was able to easily load up the bike and figure out a strapping system with my various lengths of bungee cords without worrying about the bike tipping over or having to steady the bike at all. 

If you have a Big Dummy and do not have this kickstand you need to get one. This will transform your Big Dummy into a very useful bicycle. I wish I had one of these kickstands long ago, but I have it now and I am very happy with how it is working out. 

So, Wednesday I opted for a two mile brisk walk and I will tell you that it was simply awful outdoors. It wasn't 100 yet, but I felt like I was walking in a universe fueled by the air from a hair dryer. It was windy, not real humid, and the Sun had full rein of the sky. Yikes! Today isn't supposed to be much better. 

I hope everyone is staying safe and is well. This is crazy weather to be outdoors in right now in the Mid-West. Friday we'll get some relief and Saturday it will be 20 degrees cooler than it was Wednesday and it will still be above 80 degrees! That is insane.

Heatwave

Tuesday's delivery ride.

Yeah, you know it's been hot in a lot of places this Summer. I don't need to tell you about that. This has been a record-breaking week here as it got to 104° F here yesterday. I don't think it has been over 100° F for several years and this hot spell ranks right up there with the 1988 Summer heatwave. 

But that doesn't mean that there has not been any cycling. I've gotten in some urban rides this week, most notably a test of the Big Dummy's new kickstand on Tuesday. 

I got out early while it was still only in the upper 80's and rode over to the UPS Store to pick up two heavy boxes full of components for the shop. So, how did the kickstand do?

Yeah....pretty much as predicted, this kickstand made all the difference in the world. I was able to easily load up the bike and figure out a strapping system with my various lengths of bungee cords without worrying about the bike tipping over or having to steady the bike at all. 

If you have a Big Dummy and do not have this kickstand you need to get one. This will transform your Big Dummy into a very useful bicycle. I wish I had one of these kickstands long ago, but I have it now and I am very happy with how it is working out. 

So, Wednesday I opted for a two mile brisk walk and I will tell you that it was simply awful outdoors. It wasn't 100 yet, but I felt like I was walking in a universe fueled by the air from a hair dryer. It was windy, not real humid, and the Sun had full rein of the sky. Yikes! Today isn't supposed to be much better. 

I hope everyone is staying safe and is well. This is crazy weather to be outdoors in right now in the Mid-West. Friday we'll get some relief and Saturday it will be 20 degrees cooler than it was Wednesday and it will still be above 80 degrees! That is insane.

More Gravel Worlds Prep On The MCD

Cue sheet test and calibration check- Done!

   As I stated last time I posted an update on my Gravel Worlds prep, I have most of the major stuff taken care of now. The final details are getting checked and tweaked out if necessary now. Wednesday I got out in this brutal heat and humidity for a short spell to check out several small, but important, details. 

• Cue Sheet Holder: I found my bigger clip and in conjunction with the smaller clip, I think I have a rock solid set up for cues now. Wednesday was pretty breezy, so that made for great testing conditions. I used some old Gravel Worlds cues that I have collected over the years as dummy cues to make sure that they would be readable and not flapping in the breeze as I rode. That checked out all good, so one more item off the list!
• Calibration Check: I needed to know if I would want to calibrate the computer again, or if it was good on mileage measuring. I usually check this against signs that the State put up along US Highway 218/27 by using a side road which parallels the highway. I can look over and see where the State has marked of the tenths of a mile and see if my computer is racking up similarly to what the State has. I checked out within .01 of a mile, so that'll do. Wandering on the road, stopping at convenience stores, or hiking over to a corn field to relieve oneself could easily amount to being off more than that. I have no doubt I'll be good on mileage tracking. I may chuck my GPS head in the bag as a back-up, but I have zero room to mount that head on the bike unless I do that where I cannot read it from the saddle. That seems pointless. I also need to see if I can turn off the scrolling function on this particular Sigma computer. That constantly changing screen is annoying! 
• Heat Acclimation: Of course, I've been doing short rides in the intense heat whenever I can to get used to it. Tuesday was likely the worst I'll see as it was 81° at 90% humidity for a "real-feel' heat index of 99°F, I think it was. Anyway- sweat-city! My grips were slimy and bare-handing it was sketchy. Which led to....
• The Gloves: I figured that the easiest thing to do was to just wear gloves, and I tried that Wednesday, but I don't really want to wear any gloves at all. While the gloves solved the immediate problems with sweat and grip, I found them to be hot and uncomfortable. I just really want to avoid gloves if at all possible. Next up I will try my sleeves which I have used to good effect before. I am reticent to try anything on my wrists as I am really sensitive to any pressure on my skin. It causes numbness really quickly. In fact, I have to loosen my watch band so it bounces around on my wrist or I cannot wear it while riding. More tweaking needs to be done here.
• No Base Layer: I have been thinking about eschewing wearing a base layer at Gravel Worlds. I know- they say base layers keep you cooler. I say it is still like wearing two shirts. When it is hot and humid, do I really need to be wearing two shirts? It doesn't add up to my mind. So, Wednesday I tried just a jersey while on Tuesday I wore a base layer under a loose fitting 'jersey shirt' thing. I have. I could see wearing the slightly flappy jersey-shirt thing with a base layer and the jersey only deal was great. More testing needed... 

Gotta line up the nutrition stuff next. Then, if Gravel Worlds gets the cues published soon enough, I may transfer them to Trans Iowa style cues. I can read those more easily and I can get more lines on a sheet than they do for Gravel Worlds. I figure that instead of the usual 8-9 sheets Gravel Worlds ends up putting out I might get that down to 7, maybe 8. 

Anyway.... More soon on all this as I wrap things up for next week's trip. Stay tuned......

More Gravel Worlds Prep On The MCD

Cue sheet test and calibration check- Done!

   As I stated last time I posted an update on my Gravel Worlds prep, I have most of the major stuff taken care of now. The final details are getting checked and tweaked out if necessary now. Wednesday I got out in this brutal heat and humidity for a short spell to check out several small, but important, details. 

• Cue Sheet Holder: I found my bigger clip and in conjunction with the smaller clip, I think I have a rock solid set up for cues now. Wednesday was pretty breezy, so that made for great testing conditions. I used some old Gravel Worlds cues that I have collected over the years as dummy cues to make sure that they would be readable and not flapping in the breeze as I rode. That checked out all good, so one more item off the list!
• Calibration Check: I needed to know if I would want to calibrate the computer again, or if it was good on mileage measuring. I usually check this against signs that the State put up along US Highway 218/27 by using a side road which parallels the highway. I can look over and see where the State has marked of the tenths of a mile and see if my computer is racking up similarly to what the State has. I checked out within .01 of a mile, so that'll do. Wandering on the road, stopping at convenience stores, or hiking over to a corn field to relieve oneself could easily amount to being off more than that. I have no doubt I'll be good on mileage tracking. I may chuck my GPS head in the bag as a back-up, but I have zero room to mount that head on the bike unless I do that where I cannot read it from the saddle. That seems pointless. I also need to see if I can turn off the scrolling function on this particular Sigma computer. That constantly changing screen is annoying! 
• Heat Acclimation: Of course, I've been doing short rides in the intense heat whenever I can to get used to it. Tuesday was likely the worst I'll see as it was 81° at 90% humidity for a "real-feel' heat index of 99°F, I think it was. Anyway- sweat-city! My grips were slimy and bare-handing it was sketchy. Which led to....
• The Gloves: I figured that the easiest thing to do was to just wear gloves, and I tried that Wednesday, but I don't really want to wear any gloves at all. While the gloves solved the immediate problems with sweat and grip, I found them to be hot and uncomfortable. I just really want to avoid gloves if at all possible. Next up I will try my sleeves which I have used to good effect before. I am reticent to try anything on my wrists as I am really sensitive to any pressure on my skin. It causes numbness really quickly. In fact, I have to loosen my watch band so it bounces around on my wrist or I cannot wear it while riding. More tweaking needs to be done here.
• No Base Layer: I have been thinking about eschewing wearing a base layer at Gravel Worlds. I know- they say base layers keep you cooler. I say it is still like wearing two shirts. When it is hot and humid, do I really need to be wearing two shirts? It doesn't add up to my mind. So, Wednesday I tried just a jersey while on Tuesday I wore a base layer under a loose fitting 'jersey shirt' thing. I have. I could see wearing the slightly flappy jersey-shirt thing with a base layer and the jersey only deal was great. More testing needed... 

Gotta line up the nutrition stuff next. Then, if Gravel Worlds gets the cues published soon enough, I may transfer them to Trans Iowa style cues. I can read those more easily and I can get more lines on a sheet than they do for Gravel Worlds. I figure that instead of the usual 8-9 sheets Gravel Worlds ends up putting out I might get that down to 7, maybe 8. 

Anyway.... More soon on all this as I wrap things up for next week's trip. Stay tuned......

Country Views: Tall Corn Ride

Escape Route: County V-49 South from Raymond, IA

 The day off this week saw temperatures into the 80's with pretty high humidity too. Just the perfect scenario for training to get ready for some of my upcoming planned big rides. The wind was even cooperating by merely being a breeze from the Northwest, hardly anything to speak of, making for really tough conditions in the heat. 

I also decided that I needed to practice throttling things back when it gets hot and humid. What better way to do that than to limit yourself to a single gear. The Twin Six Standard Rando v2 got the call for this ride then. I also decided to go to Raymond, Iowa to embark upon a fairly brief ride to just get acclimated to the brutal humidity. 

My route plan was to head out on Young Road and then to see what I felt like doing after that. So, that meant a bit of riding a gravel shoulder on County V-49 to get the half a mile South out of Raymond so I could pull off left and start riding gravel proper. The nice thing about the gravel shoulders out that way is that they were all recently graded and maintained, so they actually ride better than the gravel roads in many cases. 

It was a hazy, hot, and humid day.

It seems to me that the Chicory has been flourishing this year. 

Young Road started out very promisingly with nice, smooth lines to follow, then it went all to deep, fresh gravel. Oh well! It isn't as if I haven't ridden on that before. Onward then on the single speed! 

Most of the field corn is tasseled and silked out now. How tall is it?......

I'd say about THAT tall!

The corn growth has been amazing of late. Whatever moisture we were able to get recently was sucked up and turned into greenery out in the fields. Out in Eastern Black Hawk County, at any rate, the corn is as tall as I can ever remember seeing it. Miles and miles of it that way. It is simply amazing. 

The Barclay United Presbyterian Church on Newell Avenue.

Looking North up Pilot Grove Road

I ended up coming back on Newell, Pilot Grove, and Osage Roads to get back to the truck in Raymond. In between I came across the rare County Sheriff sighting, a few Red Wing Blackbirds still patrolling, and a smashed Apple iPhone in the middle of the road. You just never know what you'll come across out there!

My favorite 'Lone Tree' on Pilot Grove Road has survived the recent severe weather.

It was a decent enough ride. Not too brutal, although I was soaked in sweat by the time I had finished my 20 miles. Not a real long ride, but I had other things to do once I got back home. So, a good little heat training ride and I felt okay for the duration. Plus the single speed kept my efforts within a certain range which was another part of the plan. 

More soon....

Country Views: Tall Corn Ride

Escape Route: County V-49 South from Raymond, IA

 The day off this week saw temperatures into the 80's with pretty high humidity too. Just the perfect scenario for training to get ready for some of my upcoming planned big rides. The wind was even cooperating by merely being a breeze from the Northwest, hardly anything to speak of, making for really tough conditions in the heat. 

I also decided that I needed to practice throttling things back when it gets hot and humid. What better way to do that than to limit yourself to a single gear. The Twin Six Standard Rando v2 got the call for this ride then. I also decided to go to Raymond, Iowa to embark upon a fairly brief ride to just get acclimated to the brutal humidity. 

My route plan was to head out on Young Road and then to see what I felt like doing after that. So, that meant a bit of riding a gravel shoulder on County V-49 to get the half a mile South out of Raymond so I could pull off left and start riding gravel proper. The nice thing about the gravel shoulders out that way is that they were all recently graded and maintained, so they actually ride better than the gravel roads in many cases. 

It was a hazy, hot, and humid day.

It seems to me that the Chicory has been flourishing this year. 

Young Road started out very promisingly with nice, smooth lines to follow, then it went all to deep, fresh gravel. Oh well! It isn't as if I haven't ridden on that before. Onward then on the single speed! 

Most of the field corn is tasseled and silked out now. How tall is it?......

I'd say about THAT tall!

The corn growth has been amazing of late. Whatever moisture we were able to get recently was sucked up and turned into greenery out in the fields. Out in Eastern Black Hawk County, at any rate, the corn is as tall as I can ever remember seeing it. Miles and miles of it that way. It is simply amazing. 

The Barclay United Presbyterian Church on Newell Avenue.

Looking North up Pilot Grove Road

I ended up coming back on Newell, Pilot Grove, and Osage Roads to get back to the truck in Raymond. In between I came across the rare County Sheriff sighting, a few Red Wing Blackbirds still patrolling, and a smashed Apple iPhone in the middle of the road. You just never know what you'll come across out there!

My favorite 'Lone Tree' on Pilot Grove Road has survived the recent severe weather.

It was a decent enough ride. Not too brutal, although I was soaked in sweat by the time I had finished my 20 miles. Not a real long ride, but I had other things to do once I got back home. So, a good little heat training ride and I felt okay for the duration. Plus the single speed kept my efforts within a certain range which was another part of the plan. 

More soon....

Country Views: High Traffic

Those puffy skies belied a furnace of a day

 Wednesday I had the whole family home. A far cry from a week ago when they were in Texas and I was here alone. So, I spent all morning with them and ate lunch with them before I was ready to go out for a ride. Normally they all would have been away working and doing school or whatnot. This is a rare situation and one that won't happen often in the future. Gotta grab that time when I can. 

Anyway, since time was short and it was right in the hottest part of the day, I didn't plan anything big. Just a couple of hours North of town would have to do. So, I hauled the bike to Gates Park tennis court parking and hopped over to Moline Road and just pointed the bike North and pedaled. 

The gravel was about perfect and there was almost zero wind, but it was well into the 90's and even with the puffy clouds, there was not much relief from the heat. I took the speed back a notch and tried to spin more. It seemed to be going well and the miles started clicking off. I felt pretty good, actually. 

Road block! An ag sprayer leaving a field.

It turned out that there was a lot of spraying going on this particular day.

The low winds must have prompted many farmers to get out their spraying rigs and get out into the fields. I hardly could go a few miles without seeing some sort of sprayer rig in a field or traveling in between fields on gravel roads. 

I decided to turn East on Gresham Road and then head back on Sage Road for the day. Before I got up to Gresham Road I noticed several trucks also running to and fro. Hmm...... A high traffic day in the country! 

A truck heads east up Gresham Road.

The Pioneer Cemetery on Gresham Road

As I came across on Gresham Road and turned back South on Sage Road I felt a Southeast breeze in my face. Honestly, with as hot as it was, it felt great to have a bit of a headwind. I still kept things to a manageable pace. I haven't had but two hot weather rides in a row this year, and this was one of them. I then noted a noise. Hmm.....Creak.....creak....creak.... 

I had addressed the screw together Press Fit 30 bottom bracket earlier, and it sounded more 'plasticky' than a bottom bracket, if that makes sense. The other day I thought it was a loose through axle bolt, because I tightened it and the creak went away. however; once I stopped I found that wasn't it this time. So, what was it?

Another sprayer rig

Well, my experiences tracking down that creak on that Stormchaser I had around here about a year ago came in handy here. I decided that it might be loose water bottle mounts, and I had a Wolf Tooth B-Rad on the seat tube bottle mount to drop my cage lower to fit underneath my Revelate Tangle Bag, And you know what? I found three loose bolts! 

Well, that was great! Plus, I got a nice break from toiling away under the hot Sun while I was tightening bolts. Then it was a short-ish cruise to the truck and back home again. I tell ya! That heat knocked the stuffins outta me on this day. I have a LOT of acclimating to do before I'll be good to ride all day in this weather.

Country Views: High Traffic

Those puffy skies belied a furnace of a day

 Wednesday I had the whole family home. A far cry from a week ago when they were in Texas and I was here alone. So, I spent all morning with them and ate lunch with them before I was ready to go out for a ride. Normally they all would have been away working and doing school or whatnot. This is a rare situation and one that won't happen often in the future. Gotta grab that time when I can. 

Anyway, since time was short and it was right in the hottest part of the day, I didn't plan anything big. Just a couple of hours North of town would have to do. So, I hauled the bike to Gates Park tennis court parking and hopped over to Moline Road and just pointed the bike North and pedaled. 

The gravel was about perfect and there was almost zero wind, but it was well into the 90's and even with the puffy clouds, there was not much relief from the heat. I took the speed back a notch and tried to spin more. It seemed to be going well and the miles started clicking off. I felt pretty good, actually. 

Road block! An ag sprayer leaving a field.

It turned out that there was a lot of spraying going on this particular day.

The low winds must have prompted many farmers to get out their spraying rigs and get out into the fields. I hardly could go a few miles without seeing some sort of sprayer rig in a field or traveling in between fields on gravel roads. 

I decided to turn East on Gresham Road and then head back on Sage Road for the day. Before I got up to Gresham Road I noticed several trucks also running to and fro. Hmm...... A high traffic day in the country! 

A truck heads east up Gresham Road.

The Pioneer Cemetery on Gresham Road

As I came across on Gresham Road and turned back South on Sage Road I felt a Southeast breeze in my face. Honestly, with as hot as it was, it felt great to have a bit of a headwind. I still kept things to a manageable pace. I haven't had but two hot weather rides in a row this year, and this was one of them. I then noted a noise. Hmm.....Creak.....creak....creak.... 

I had addressed the screw together Press Fit 30 bottom bracket earlier, and it sounded more 'plasticky' than a bottom bracket, if that makes sense. The other day I thought it was a loose through axle bolt, because I tightened it and the creak went away. however; once I stopped I found that wasn't it this time. So, what was it?

Another sprayer rig

Well, my experiences tracking down that creak on that Stormchaser I had around here about a year ago came in handy here. I decided that it might be loose water bottle mounts, and I had a Wolf Tooth B-Rad on the seat tube bottle mount to drop my cage lower to fit underneath my Revelate Tangle Bag, And you know what? I found three loose bolts! 

Well, that was great! Plus, I got a nice break from toiling away under the hot Sun while I was tightening bolts. Then it was a short-ish cruise to the truck and back home again. I tell ya! That heat knocked the stuffins outta me on this day. I have a LOT of acclimating to do before I'll be good to ride all day in this weather.

I Was Naughty

My riding partner Saturday, Joe. (I know- you aren't supposed to take images looking at the Sun)

There was banter about a ride of 75 miles that was to happen on Saturday. I wasn't the planner, so the 8:00am start kind of made me pause, since doing that much mileage would mean I'd be gone most of the day. I needed to be home in the afternoon. A ride starting at 8:00am and even half that length would take too much time. Especially on a group ride with a planned stop and "no-drop" policy. Then the weather forecast came out!

I wasn't up for getting dehydrated and roasted in 100°F-plus "real feel" temperatures. The humidity was ridiculous too on Saturday. Above 70%. Plus, there was a 20mph Southerly wind forecast. Yeah......not gonna do it. 

My co-worker, Joe, was also considering this ride so we had a conversation and on Friday we made plans for a 40 mile ride. We decided starting at 6:00am, to avoid the really bad heat, would be best. I suggested the old 3GR course, and so it was set up. Joe and I would leave early Saturday morning for a casual gravel ride.

Headed North, it didn't feel too awful just yet.......

We left a little after 6:00am, headed out onto the gravel, and about two or three miles into it I realized I wasn't wearing my helmet! My already sweat soaked cycling cap wasn't letting wind through, so I felt like I had a helmet on, but I eventually realized I didn't. Joe just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I just kinda figured that you thought it was too hot for a helmet, so whatever...". And we weren't about to turn back.

I know, I was naughty! 

So, anyway, I was conversing with Joe and showing him all the landmarks he'd never seen. The "Big Rock", a rural church, the Bennington School House, and eventually Ivanhoe Road. That was when the hills kicked in.

A field of Sunflowers.

We were enjoying the natural sights too. Flora and fauna. Many flowers, butterflies, birds of several colors, and a deer and her fawn. We passed the dairy farm on Ivanhoe Road, (rare to see these anymore in Iowa), and passed under the old trestle bridge which carries a recreational bike trail now.

The hills were kicking my butt in that heat. I was finding certain times where I wasn't doing well, then inexplicably I would find my legs and be okay. It was probably into the 80's by this point in the ride and we were coming around to the headwind section of our loop. I actually embraced the wind, as it cooled us down really nicely at this point in the morning. 

Joe dusting me on another climb while riding his Santa Cruz Blur 29"er

The ride was fun from the standpoint of being able to share what I love about this area with a new-to-the-route rider. Things I kind of lost a shine for were now again somewhat exciting to talk about. That part was fun.

The "not so fun part" was getting roasted anyway. By the time we were closing out our near 40 miles I was feeling the beginnings of a headache and my legs were dead. No snap. Just spinning now. Yep....I've felt this coming on before. Heat induced fail. Fortunately we were finished before I went into a fetal position in the ditch out there somewhere!

I said to Joe that, although I didn't feel too sweaty while riding, I was betting I'd instantaneously soak out my gear when we stopped. That pretty much came true. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was being in a zombie-like state for most of the rest of the day. I was hydrated, for sure. I had to stop for a nature break 3/4's of the way into the ride, but I think I needed to have eaten something. When it gets hot like that, I just don't feel hungry. But boy! Was I hungry later in the morning!

Well, obviously, I survived this. All despite not wearing a helmet too. Not that I am particularly proud of that fact or anything, but I will tell you, I certainly didn't miss that brain bucket on that hot, humid day either!

I Was Naughty

My riding partner Saturday, Joe. (I know- you aren't supposed to take images looking at the Sun)

There was banter about a ride of 75 miles that was to happen on Saturday. I wasn't the planner, so the 8:00am start kind of made me pause, since doing that much mileage would mean I'd be gone most of the day. I needed to be home in the afternoon. A ride starting at 8:00am and even half that length would take too much time. Especially on a group ride with a planned stop and "no-drop" policy. Then the weather forecast came out!

I wasn't up for getting dehydrated and roasted in 100°F-plus "real feel" temperatures. The humidity was ridiculous too on Saturday. Above 70%. Plus, there was a 20mph Southerly wind forecast. Yeah......not gonna do it. 

My co-worker, Joe, was also considering this ride so we had a conversation and on Friday we made plans for a 40 mile ride. We decided starting at 6:00am, to avoid the really bad heat, would be best. I suggested the old 3GR course, and so it was set up. Joe and I would leave early Saturday morning for a casual gravel ride.

Headed North, it didn't feel too awful just yet.......

We left a little after 6:00am, headed out onto the gravel, and about two or three miles into it I realized I wasn't wearing my helmet! My already sweat soaked cycling cap wasn't letting wind through, so I felt like I had a helmet on, but I eventually realized I didn't. Joe just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I just kinda figured that you thought it was too hot for a helmet, so whatever...". And we weren't about to turn back.

I know, I was naughty! 

So, anyway, I was conversing with Joe and showing him all the landmarks he'd never seen. The "Big Rock", a rural church, the Bennington School House, and eventually Ivanhoe Road. That was when the hills kicked in.

A field of Sunflowers.

We were enjoying the natural sights too. Flora and fauna. Many flowers, butterflies, birds of several colors, and a deer and her fawn. We passed the dairy farm on Ivanhoe Road, (rare to see these anymore in Iowa), and passed under the old trestle bridge which carries a recreational bike trail now.

The hills were kicking my butt in that heat. I was finding certain times where I wasn't doing well, then inexplicably I would find my legs and be okay. It was probably into the 80's by this point in the ride and we were coming around to the headwind section of our loop. I actually embraced the wind, as it cooled us down really nicely at this point in the morning. 

Joe dusting me on another climb while riding his Santa Cruz Blur 29"er

The ride was fun from the standpoint of being able to share what I love about this area with a new-to-the-route rider. Things I kind of lost a shine for were now again somewhat exciting to talk about. That part was fun.

The "not so fun part" was getting roasted anyway. By the time we were closing out our near 40 miles I was feeling the beginnings of a headache and my legs were dead. No snap. Just spinning now. Yep....I've felt this coming on before. Heat induced fail. Fortunately we were finished before I went into a fetal position in the ditch out there somewhere!

I said to Joe that, although I didn't feel too sweaty while riding, I was betting I'd instantaneously soak out my gear when we stopped. That pretty much came true. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was being in a zombie-like state for most of the rest of the day. I was hydrated, for sure. I had to stop for a nature break 3/4's of the way into the ride, but I think I needed to have eaten something. When it gets hot like that, I just don't feel hungry. But boy! Was I hungry later in the morning!

Well, obviously, I survived this. All despite not wearing a helmet too. Not that I am particularly proud of that fact or anything, but I will tell you, I certainly didn't miss that brain bucket on that hot, humid day either!

Slow Start To The Year

Barns For Jason: The Memorial Day Weekend Version

I've already lamented enough about how this year hasn't gone well for me in terms of cycling. I had envisioned multiple century rides by now, but I think I haven't cracked 75 in one sitting yet. Just not a good way to enter into the halfway point of the year for me.

Usually I get the chance to roll into the Summer with some modicum of fitness under my belt, but not this time. The Summer is here, and it came fast. Just a little over a month and a half ago we had a snowstorm. Think about that. It went from too chilly and wet to decent for about maybe two weeks, then it was full on Summer. I am not in Summer mode, and last weekend showed me that.

So, I take out this carbon fiber wonder-bike I have to test for RidingGravel.com, which made the ride easier because it is a very light bike. But even with that advantage, I could tell, that heat wasn't going over well with me. I did get my objective accomplished, so there was that, but I didn't go far. Part of that was because I forgot my mini-pump and I was running tubes. Dang it! I know better, but with a new bike and my usual MO of having every bike set up ready  to ride, well, forgetting the pump was a higher percentage chance than usual. Yeah.......and this bike has 36mm tires. Pinch flatting would be a lot easier to do. So........I cut the ride short, just to be safe. It turned out to be the right decision.

One horsepower. I could use a little of that.

 When I got back home I could feel the effects of the heat. I just am not acclimated to dealing with it yet for longer rides. It takes a little getting used to every year, since we have such extremes in temperature here. This realization that I wan't quite tuned up for Summer has driven a decision I came to terms with over the weekend.

I won't be taking a bicycle to Kansas this year. Nope, not gonna do it.

Why? Because it is supposed to be "typical DK200" weather down there while I am visiting. Hot, dry, and windy. No sense in me getting into a bind on my own ride if I am not ready to tackle a 75-100 miler in those conditions. I hate it, and it sucks, but it is the smart decision. Besides, I think I may be more valuable to others if I am hanging out in Emporia versus being out all alone in the middle of nowhere. Been there, done that, so I am good.

I'll have to focus on more consistent riding when I get back from Kansas. I really do not have anything going on for about three weeks, so I'll try to get into some sort of decent shape by late June. Then we'll see about maybe turning this dismal year of cycling for me around.

Slow Start To The Year

Barns For Jason: The Memorial Day Weekend Version

I've already lamented enough about how this year hasn't gone well for me in terms of cycling. I had envisioned multiple century rides by now, but I think I haven't cracked 75 in one sitting yet. Just not a good way to enter into the halfway point of the year for me.

Usually I get the chance to roll into the Summer with some modicum of fitness under my belt, but not this time. The Summer is here, and it came fast. Just a little over a month and a half ago we had a snowstorm. Think about that. It went from too chilly and wet to decent for about maybe two weeks, then it was full on Summer. I am not in Summer mode, and last weekend showed me that.

So, I take out this carbon fiber wonder-bike I have to test for RidingGravel.com, which made the ride easier because it is a very light bike. But even with that advantage, I could tell, that heat wasn't going over well with me. I did get my objective accomplished, so there was that, but I didn't go far. Part of that was because I forgot my mini-pump and I was running tubes. Dang it! I know better, but with a new bike and my usual MO of having every bike set up ready  to ride, well, forgetting the pump was a higher percentage chance than usual. Yeah.......and this bike has 36mm tires. Pinch flatting would be a lot easier to do. So........I cut the ride short, just to be safe. It turned out to be the right decision.

One horsepower. I could use a little of that.

 When I got back home I could feel the effects of the heat. I just am not acclimated to dealing with it yet for longer rides. It takes a little getting used to every year, since we have such extremes in temperature here. This realization that I wan't quite tuned up for Summer has driven a decision I came to terms with over the weekend.

I won't be taking a bicycle to Kansas this year. Nope, not gonna do it.

Why? Because it is supposed to be "typical DK200" weather down there while I am visiting. Hot, dry, and windy. No sense in me getting into a bind on my own ride if I am not ready to tackle a 75-100 miler in those conditions. I hate it, and it sucks, but it is the smart decision. Besides, I think I may be more valuable to others if I am hanging out in Emporia versus being out all alone in the middle of nowhere. Been there, done that, so I am good.

I'll have to focus on more consistent riding when I get back from Kansas. I really do not have anything going on for about three weeks, so I'll try to get into some sort of decent shape by late June. Then we'll see about maybe turning this dismal year of cycling for me around.