Outside riding combined with trainer indoors.  Particularly rainy season currently so indoor biking is the rule.  But I was able to ride to one of my favorite destinations, Spring Valley.  It is a 50 miler with challenging hills going into the town.  With a favorable wind I was thinking it was going to be a non eventful trek.  And, in fact, that was almost the case.  Coming into town and gearing up for the mile of climbing out of the Illinois River valley, I was a half mile from the end of the ride.  So, what event?  Chugging along in granny gear and riding on the extreme right, often through parking spaces on the street, a black hillbilly pick-up comes up behind me.  The driver passes me slowly and after passing guns the engine so black diesel smoke spews from it's tailpipe.  That is a tactic known as "dieseling.  It happened a few time in Carbondale.  I just wonder what kind of jerk would do this and do they know the potential disastrous effect it could entail.  Anyway,  other than that is was a great day for riding a bicycle in Central Illinois.

 

 Yesterday came close to being the end of my biking career.  Two blocks from my house, just finishing my 30 mile ride, a car came around the corner at the end of the block.  As it approached it stayed in my lane and was headed directly for me.  Looking for a bailout area there were no reasonable options.  A curb blocked a quick escape.  And the car was still heading for me in my lane.  I thought about just falling and let the car run over my bike.  And the car was still heading for me in my lane.  My only hope was to yell at the top of my lungs so the driver could hear me.  And the car was still heading  for me in my lane.  About 5 feet before contact the driver diverted barely missing me.  As it passed I noticed the window was half way down and I made the driver keenly aware of my displeasure in his idiotic driving.  Yes, I did use some unseemly language that I don't regret using.  You think the driver would stop?  Hell no.  It kept driving like nothing was wrong.  It was probably a good thing the driver didn't stop as I was not a happy camper.  Unfortunately, as I was close to home, my bike camera was not turned on so I could not record this.  But, that was about as close a call as I've had without actually being hit.  Another exciting adventure biking in the USA.

                                                                         Splat!!
 

Weather has permitted outside riding but it has, for the most part, been windy. I now have two distance rides depending on wind speed and direction.  Wind speeds more than 15 mph and I will engage in longer distance rides.  Anything from a southerly direction and I will ride 50 miles to Spring Valley.  Anything from the northerly direction and I will do a 55 miler to LeRoy.  Last Thursday was an interesting ride to LeRoy.  I encountered three road kills, two possums and a racoon.  And I ran over two of them.  Riding a small shoulder on route 150 I saw a dead animal in the road. A car was approaching with no oncoming traffic.  Just as I began an evasive tactic to my left, the approaching car blared it's horn at me and did not move over to allow me room to avoid the carcass.  Therefore, I had to run over it.  Fortunately, it did not through me from the bike.  A few miles up the road was another dead possum that I did not see until to late.  For some reason my eyes were looking elsewhere and before I realized it, it was to late and I ran over this one.  Wow, two in one ride.  And again it didn't cause me to crash.  Another few miles up the road and a dead racoon appeared on the shoulder.  This time I carefully avoided the dead animal and finished my ride.  Two hits and one miss and no crash.  A great ending to a great day of riding my bike.