Wednesday was a fine day for a bike ride.  Started out with mild winds and temps in the low 80's.  Heading south I noticed a storm cloud in my path.  I had four choices. First do I take shelter until the rain passes?.  Second do I attempt to out run the rain?  Third, do I attempt to "skirt" around the storm? or Fourth continue to ride through it?  Of course I choose to ride through it.  I have done that many times.  It reminded me of the time I rode across the Mohave desert and the temperature was 110 degrees.  People reminded me it was a "dry" heat which meant it was really not 110 degrees.  So riding through the rain I would like to remind people, with certainty, it was a "wet" rain and I got wet.  There you have it.  The above picture is my destination when I do the two day ride to Glen Ellyn Il.  Near hear is the Prairie Trail.  I rode a 20 miler and had to remind myself it is mostly gravel with a high amount of walking traffic and rookie bikers.  That takes an adjustment to my normal riding terrain but it was well worth the ride.  I was the only one with a bell to remind others I would be passing them.  Faster bikers just zoomed by without so much of a "on your left".  Again, I needed to remind myself to adjust to this environment.  But all in all it was good.  More later!

              I claimed these are our group at the start of our cross country ride.  It's been so long we might even look like this.

Good times have returned.  Four days of outside riding.  Temperatures in the low eighties, wind less than ten mph and humidity virtually non-existent.  So, I will enjoy these conditions and ride as often as possible. The usual close calls and disrespectful drivers but that has been the norm for quite some time.  It looks like the covid thing is quickly being brought under control so I can do longer rides to destinations where I will stay overnight.  Wife and I fully vaxinnated. The knee is doing well and I just got a clean bill of health from my annual physical.  Until next time keep the rubber side down and to quote the famous Jim Lyle....RSRO...Ride safely...Ride Often.

 

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.

 

 Two windy days back to  back.  Yesterday I rode to Spring Valley as that is my Northern route when the wind is blustering from the South.  A 20=30 mile "breeze" inspired the 50 miler.  Having arrived sooner than expected I called the "lovely" Veronica to inquired as to her location.  At 20 miles away, having just passed Varna, I suggested I start riding back and would meet here on the south side of the bridge which crossed the Fox river just outside Spring Valley. That meant I would ride into the 30 mile wind and climb a bridge at 12 percent grade.  Another challenge.  As I was attacking the bridge in climbing mode/granny gear I heard the blaring of a car horn.  It was my ride going in the opposite direction.  Startled, I slowed my ascent but was still able to climb.  Then, my ride passed me and stopped on the shoulder blocking my path.  Ronni thought I would like a ride but I had not  accomplished what I set out to do.  Stopping, I told her I would meet her at our proposed site on the south side of the bridge.  She drove off and now I was in quite a delima. How would I get enough power to begin my ascent.  Normally, when climbing mountains, after a stop, I would start our at an angle to get momentum.  At this point it was not an option.  So, grabbing the side of the bridge and pushing as well as powering my pedals, I was able to restart.  Coming down the north side of the bridge, reminded me of our climb into the Ortiz mountains north of Albuquerque a few years ago.  The wind was so strong in our face I used "granny" gear on the downhills.  Thus, I was in granny gear coming down the north side of the bridge.  The good news is that all ended well. 

Today's ride was a 50/50 ride with a strong 20 mile wind in my face half the time.  The other half was a severe cross wind.  As a result I only achieved a 20 mile ride. but it was quite arduous.   Two good days of outside riding, even with the conditions explained, is still better that riding in the basement.  And that it for now.

 

 On my bike ride today, I passed these two lounging in a pasture. While taking their picture they both came up to the fence expecting a treat. I didn't have anything and would not have fed them if I had. I'm sure the owners would not have appreciated it. So, of course, I had to inquire of them both......wait for it.....wait for it....hey fellas, why the long face