Bicycling in Bloomington

 The Little 5 bicycle races are part of what make bicycling in Bloomington interesting. I’ve attended the Little 5 mens and womens races just about every year since 1988. The Little 5 weekend is my favorite sports weekend in Bloomington. This year, the race was more interesting for a couple reasons.

Barack Obama appeared at the womens race on Friday afternoon. He arrived just prior to the race and stayed through a few laps. I attended the race with my wife and my daughter and her family. Everyone except me shook his hand. It was very exciting for my granddaughter to shake his hand.

 The mens race was interesting for the weather. The Little 5 was held a weekend earlier than usual this year. The temperature Saturday was in the mid-40s with an occasional shower and even a little snow blew through. It was the coldest Little 5 I’ve attended; more like a mid-November football game.

Both races were similar to other years. About 1/2 way though, a small number of teams that might win had clustered together. And, for both races, in the last five laps, one rider “broke away” from the others and won easily. Delta Gamma won the womens race; the Cutters won the mens race.

I did little cycling last week - just a few commutes. The weekend weather kept me inside spinning. The weather will improve this week and I should get to ride more.