Bicycling in Bloomington

It’s been more than two weeks since my last post. Work and travel have taken a lot of time.

I rode with the OWLS on Tuesday August 12. It was a good hilly ride on a lot of roads that I hadn’t done previously. (If I did, I don’t remember them.)  The group was a little more aggressive than the typical OWSL ride. I was happy to find new, relatively smooth roads with little traffic. I mapped the ride so I wouldn’t forget it.

The weather in Bloomington has been great for riding for the past few weeks. For about 10 days, it was cool in the mornings and pleasant in the afternoons. Then, it got hazy, hot, and humid for the first time this summer. Both are fine for riding. Hot and humid rides have their place, too.

The weekend before last, I was in South Bend. I took my commuting bike for my son-in-law to fix a few problems. I rode about 13 miles on Sunday morning. It wasn’t bad but the roads aren’t nearly as pleasant as Bloomington. Riding other places puts Bloomington into perspective.

He did some maintenance/repair on two bikes and he cleaned the drive trains. He does an amazing job cleaning them. The chains and cogs shine. I don’t know how he does it but I really appreciate it.  

Tuesday August 19, I did an OWLS ride that was similar to the first ride I did with them. It was a slower, more compatible group than the previous Tuesday. All riders were fairly close. I enjoyed the ride. I felt especially quick and found I could accelerate up hills. A clean drive train really improves riding.

The following Thursday morning, I rode Old 446 and did some sprints for most of it. Sprints are fun but they show riding weaknesses very quickly. Since I’ll never be a good rider, I sorta care but not enough to train seriously.

I’ve noticed more people riding bikes this summer than previously. I guess it’s partly because of the price of gas but maybe others recognize that biking is both a good method to travel and fun. However, commuting in Bloomington can be challenging because of the poor condition of the streets and the bizarre traffic patterns. I hope those new to biking persevere until they learn to manage both.

Sunday morning, I planned a ride on gravel roads east of Bloomington. The planned route was about 30 miles.  However, I changed my mind when I got to Friendship Rd, because I wanted to see something I promised myself that I would do earlier this year. And, I wanted to see how fast I rode on gravel roads (About 10-12 mph). I went to the end of Friendship Rd to the bird resting place. I saw many large birds, so it was a treat. (Ear to the Breeze describes the route but I did it the opposite direction. )

On the way out on Friendship Rd, I noticed my front wheel wobbling. I attributed it to the gravel but it continued when I was riding on 46. I stopped and found that the front tire was shredding. Hooray for cell phones. My wife picked me up in the truck. I was fortunate that I changed my mind because I could have been far into the gravel roads if I had gone on the route I originally planned.

 On Tuesday August 26, I did another Owls Ride. We did Mt. Gilead twice, Shuffle Creek, and South Shore. It was a challenging but fun ride.

The students have returned to Bloomington. Traffic is heavier although it affects me minimally on the bike. A bigger impact is the loss of parking places for my bike on the bike rack. The bike rack outside my office is shared with students who live in the building. Many bring bikes to school. Over the year, they will disappear. Many that don’t disappear will have rusty drive trains. Next summer, Parking Operations will remove the remaining abandoned bikes and auction them.  

Maybe this year, more students will use their bikes. It’s certainly the most efficient method to get around campus and town.

This morning, I planned to do a short ride. About 7:30, I thought that a fog might roll in. By 8, I was fairly certain that it would so I ran instead. By 8:45, I couldn’t see across the street. By 10, it was bright and sunny. This happens about 10 times a year in Bloomington. It’s caught me on the bike a couple times and it’s scary to be out in thick fog on rural roads on a bike.

Ridings and ramblings – there are quite a few things that can be done on a bicycle in Bloomington.

July 11, 2008

The OWLS ride earlier this week was mostly on roads that I ride regularly except for the Leonard Springs. The ride was pleasant and challenging. Rockport Rd is always a challenge with its rolling hills. (I reported on ride last year on Rockport Rd.) The hills are just as steep this year.

The group is always pleasant. Light banter. Pace varies but is never too hard or too easy. Tonight’s ride was mostly on low traffic roads so side by side riding was possible. The pace was a little slower but Rockport seems to slow the pace substantially.

I’m starting to learn more about how to ride in groups. I haven’t yet figured out how to maintain a pace that is equal to others. I seem to brake more than others. I also don’t yet know the norms about stopping at stop signs. Sometimes we seem to stop and gather, sometimes part of the group goes through without much of a stop. It will come to me after a few more rides.

Weekly Riding

I seem to be developing a pattern – longer ride on Sunday morning, OWLS on Tuesday evening, and easy ride Thursday morning. Along with runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, it’s a good exercise pattern.

I have not commuted this week – rain, tight schedule, errands, and a trip have prevented it. I hope to start again next week.

Mountain Biking

It’s been dry for a couple days so this evening (Friday), I started to plan for a trip to Brown County for mountain biking on Sunday. Then, I looked at the forecast. It looks unlikely again because rain is predicted for tomorrow. It seems like I won’t get out this summer.

The weather in Bloomington this year has been exceptionally wet. It’s often annoying to miss a ride or commute because of the weather. It is even more annoying to not be able to mountain bike.