Exploring Minnesota Gravel Roads, Part 1

Vacationing over the Independence Day holiday and the following week, I decided to take the gravel bike out exploring the rural roads of northern Iowa and southern Minnesota near Spirit Lake / Okoboji.  Let me tell you, these roads up here do not disappoint.  While I didn't find much in the way of rollers like we have in Nebraska, I did find endless miles of road and beautiful scenery.  The grid system of roads here seems more consistent than in Nebraska, with a road just about every mile.  Another difference is that the roads seem to be on a 10 blocks per mile system, rather than the 12 block per mile that we have in Nebraska.

For my first ride, I intended to explore the roads between Spirit Lake, IA and Jackson, MN.  This wasn't a great fitness and training opportunity, since I kept stopping to take photos and to enjoy the scenery.  My 48 mile ride took about four hours and 20 minutes, including an hour of stopping time.  However, I had a great time and mapped out a good route that I want to try again. Maybe once the route isn't new any more, I can turn it into a workout the next time.

I ended up with more highway miles than I had intended (about 28 miles road and 20 miles gravel), but I think by choosing a different set of roads, I can turn this into mostly all gravel.

For the last five miles or so back along the east side of Spirit Lake, a cycling pastor pulled up beside me on his road bike. He slowed his pace to match mine and we chatted about about cycling in the area.  For future reference, he told me about a local cycling blog, and about some places to ride cyclocross bikes.  The links are included below:

• Cycling the Lakes
• Hogsback
• Horseshoe Bend

I opted to use my old hiking and Geocaching GPS receiver, just in case I got really lost.  It was fun to ride with the GPS, even though its features are nearly as useful as a modern mapping GPS.  The GPS did give me some security in that I could see for sure that I was headed in the right direction and that I could track back along my route if I had to.

I hope to get a 75 or 100 mile day in before I leave the area, but since I'm vacationing with family, I'll need to just balance bike time with family time.


Please see below for some of the photos I took on my ride.

My riding partner.  He's just as slow as I am.

I like how these Iowa lake roads leave a little extra pavement to the right of the line.  De facto bike lane.

The pavement stops and the gravel begins just north of the Iowa/Minnesota state line.

These gravel roads are arrow straight, and not very hilly.

Rustic scenes abound.

This valley road into Jackson, MN has a sidepath.

This trail in Jackson, MN is flooded.  A familiar sight to us Omahans.

Hippy sculpture at the Peace Park in Jackson, MN. :)

Meditation garden at the Peace Park in Jackson, MN.

The Wishy Washy laundromat in Jackson, MN has a restroom, pop machine ($0.75) and free wifi.

Black Bridge Road is a must-ride for gravel enthusiasts in the area.

Black Bridge Road runs along the Des Moines River, a tributary of the Mississippi River.

Gravel roads and windmills, both an exercise in simplicity and beauty.

Clear Lake, Minnesota

Here's a simplified map of my ride.

Goodbye Fat Jeans. Hello Skinny!

This post isn't exactly about cycling, but cycling plays such an important role in the subject.

Two and one-half years ago I started commuting to work by bicycle to save money and to attempt to get into shape.  I enjoyed bike commuting, but also began incorporating cycling into my daily life.  I learned to ride my bike, not only to work, but for grocery shopping, errands, and for fun.  I made many cycling friends and have since been on many long rides, as many as 120 miles in a day.  I've since moved closer to town and in addition to cycling to work, I can easily walk to work, the grocery store, movies, bars, restaurants, etc. Basically, I've tried to simplify and orient my lifestyle around active transportation.

When I started cycling to work, I weighed about 213 pounds.  I was able to get down to 188 within a year by cycling alone.  Then this summer, I decided to shift fitness into high gear by joining Weight Watchers.

After five months, I am now down to 165 pounds.  As an aside, I weighed 250 pounds about 10 years ago, and lost a lot of that by switching to a vegan diet.

Between cycling and sensible eating using the Weight Watcher system, I have lost almost 50 pounds.

If I count back to 2001, when I was at my heaviest, I have lost a total of  85 pounds, most of it lost by diet.

So now that I'm at a weight I like (perhaps even lighter than I was when I graduated high school), my plan now is to perform regular workouts to get into a better form and shape, both for cycling and general fitness.  So far, my sessions with a personal trainer are proving to be both fun, and productive.  I've lost another inch around my waist, and gained a little around my chest and arms.

If you've made it this far into my seemingly self-gratifying post, please note that this isn't about bragging.  Simply, I want to pass along to anyone reading this that weight loss is, indeed, possible, and within reach.  As a lifelong pudgy guy, I always thought the natural order of things was to get fatter and fatter as I aged.  Between my diet and exercise, I'm finding that it's not only possible to lose and keep off weight, but once the proper mind frame and motivation is found, it's not as hard and I imagined.

Many pairs of fat jeans are going to Goodwill. 

I much prefer the new skinny ones.

Weight Watchers tool help me track my progress.

I'd be remiss if I didn't shout out to my brother, Jason, who, over the past year, has lost 118 pounds through cycling.  He really put the fire under me and inspired me to get more serious with my weight loss plans.  Thanks, bro.

Omaha's 2009 Corporate Cycling Challenge

Sunday, August 16, 2009 started out with with thunderstorms in the early morning hours, but by the time the Corporate Cycling Challenge 42 mile "Tour de Fort" started, only some blowing drops remained. I did the 10 mile ride last year with my wife and daughter.

The plan was to hook up with some of the MITMON folks at Starbucks before the ride, but I overslept and didn't leave the house until about 7:30. I'm so glad I got all of my equipment and gear ready the night before.

I pedaled on down, stopping at the store to get some Gatorade to mix with my water, and got into position only a few minutes before the start of the ride. I wasn't able to find anyone I knew, so I rode all the way to Ft. Calhoun solo.

In a way, this was a good thing. I didn't have to worry about going too fast with my family, who decided to sleep in this year, and I didn't have to worry about going too slow with all of the folks who ride really fast, but are friendly enough to let me tag along. For the first five miles, I rode along with the crowd, but then I thought, "why not speed things up a bit?" So, I did.

I started passing folks, advancing my way up. Mind you, not at any breakneck speed, or with crazy maneuvers, just a steady, but quicker pace than those around me. After a while I found that I was matching the pace with a line of four other guys who seemed to be hanging together. I rode like this until we hit Highway 75 and into the hills of Ponca.

Once we turned north on Highway 75, things changed, in a remarkable way. Those guys I had been drafting slowed down, considerably. Folks started shifting their chains off the cogs. Tandems began crawling. I pedaled on, shifting down only one gear, and just spinning away. From this point on, all the way up and down hills on Highway 75, I was only passed by a couple of riders, but I, myself, passed dozens of other cyclists. I'm not trying to toot my horn, but I think the past few weeks of single speed commuting has paid some measurable dividends. I wasn't crazy fast, but it felt awesome to keep a steady pace up the hills and easily pass so many people.

Once we got to Ft. Calhoun, I dropped off my ride tickets to prove that I was there. I grabbed a banana and some Fig Newtons, and stood in line to use the portable toilet. It was in Ft. Calhoun that I ran across Tim from UP, Rafal, and Angie E. from UNO. Tim was in a hot pink Veloshop racing kit, Rafal was in his Midwest Cycling gear with slick tires on this single speed, and Angie was sporting a new bike.

I rode back with Rafal and Tim, and that put to rest any ideas that I had about me being a fast rider today. Rafal, as always, is beast on the single speed Bianchi cyclocross bike, and Tim is just amazingly fast, especially on his lightweight titanium bike with 52 tooth chainring that looks like something that came out of a sawmill. I was dropped on most hills (the way back is more hilly than the way there), but caught up easily enough when the terrain flattened out a bit. I think Tim and Rafal were holding back. I did get very comfortable climbing out of the saddle on the Tricross today.

Either Rafal or Tim (I can't remember which) said that they averaged 18MPH. I'm not sure if that includes their trip out and back, or just their trip back when I rode along. 18 MPH isn't bad considering the hills on the north side of town.

I haven't heard any official tallies, but the Corporate Cycling Challenge may have set a new record this year with 4,500 participants, or at least registrations. The money collected by participants and sponsors goes to help with trail development in Omaha and eastern Nebraska.

Lessons Learned

• Cycling specific chamois shorts make a huge difference on long or hard rides. The Pearl Izumi shorts I picked up yesterday were worth every penny. Will I wear them to the grocery store or restaurant? No, that's what my knickers are for.
  
• I don't look nearly as fat as I thought I would in the chamois. There are a lot of people much larger than I am. However, if you have any pictures from today that suggest otherwise, please keep them to yourself.
  
• The cycling jersey I got, with pockets on the back, is comfortable and light, and also lets me carry snacks, wallet, phone, etc., without the need for an extra bag
• Snacks are not needed on the Corporate Cycling Challenge. There's an abundance of bananas and Fig Newtons at the turnaround points. I'll leave those home next year.
  
• Many people decked out in racing kits are slow.
• Many people wearing cutoff jean shorts and dirty t-shirts are fast.
• Make sure your tires are in good shape and properly inflated. After each rough railroad crossing were piles of people changing tires.
• Maybe I'll get a cycle computer on the Tricross to get better data on these kinds of rides.
  

It's great to see that so many people turned out today to help support cycling in the Omaha metro area. The Corporate Cycling Challenge is a fun way to ride some of Omaha's scenic roads while helping out the trails networks, all while having fun with family and cycling friends, old and new.

See you all at the 20th anniversary 2010 Corporate Cycling Challenge next year.

The Route

Pedaling the Daily Grind - A Year of Bike Commuting

It was a year ago today that I, as a "grown-up," rode my bicycle to work and back and set forth sequences of events that have, literally, been life changing.

July 16, 2008, I walked into the Trek Bicycles store at 72nd and Dodge and stated that I wanted a bike to use for commuting. They set me up with a Trek 7300 hybrid bike, and shortly afterward, I added a rack for carrying stuff and fenders for all-weather riding.

The next day I rode the bike, and have ridden a bike to work almost every day since then. Rain or shine, snow and ice. I've had to drive to work less than five times, usually to run an errand that required a car. I also rode the bus on a few days.

A lot of what I've learned about bike commuting can be found in my 2008 year in review post.

Below are some extra stats:

• Total miles cycled: 3,673
• Total bike-to-work miles: 2,476
• Total weight lost: 25 pounds
• Parking money saved: $750 (low estimate of $3/day)
• Commuting gas money saved $304 (estimate of $2.75/gal)
• Total bikes owned: 3 (two complete, one "project bike")

I can't say enough just how awesome it is to be out riding a bike all year long. I've made many new friends with some really cool people. I think Omaha is on the verge of becoming a notable "bike city," and I'm really excited to be a part of the change.

I'm here to demonstrate that if I, an ordinary, almost 40 year old dude of average fitness, can ride a bike to work in Omaha, then you can, too. Get out there and ride, and participate in the various online forums and blogs and be a part of Omaha's cycling culture.

A New Bike, and New Things Learned

A New Bike

The bug bit again. My trusty Trek 7300 hybrid gets me to and from work in all kinds of weather in smooth comfort. It's also the no-brainer choice for grocery store shopping, using the rack and panniers. But I've been feeling the need for something lighter and potentially faster, but still rugged enough for daily commuting.

I began restoring the 1976 Schwinn Le Tour II, and while that was fun, I don't have the time, knowledge and resources to complete it at this time. And, truth be told, I am still not 100% what I want to do with it.

On Friday afternoon I saw a Craig's List ad for a 2006 Specialized Tricross. I began researching what a cross bike was all about, and specifically, what the Tricross had to offer, and decided that this might be the bike for me.

Some of the features that attracted me were:

• road style frame and bars
• light, by comparison to the 7300 and Le Tour (about 22 pounds)
• carbon fiber fork and seat post for reduced weight and vibration dampening
  
• wide enough tires for bumpy city streets, gravel, and maybe dry dirt
• skinny enough tires for smooth, fast rolling on the paved trail and streets
  
• lots of braze-ons for racks, bottle cages, etc. The carbon fork can even take a rack.
  
• wide handlebars with extra brake levers on the tops
• short enough reach to make the bike comfortable sitting up, as well as on the drops
  

I called the owner and make arrangements to go look at the bike. We met in a parking lot and I rode it around a bit. The next day we met again and gave him the cash and he gave me the bike, and even threw in a bell. (Thanks Mark A.!)

This morning I took the Tricross out for its maiden voyage (for me; Mark had already put 5,000 miles on the bike!). I rode with Munson and Miles on about 40 miles of pavement and gravel. I was comfortable on the saddle the entire time, so I think it's a pretty good fit so far. There may be a question about the 54 cm. frame being a little small for me, but it seems to fit my inseam well enough. Time will tell, I suppose.

Here are some photos of the Tricross:

Here is the Tricross after the dirty, wet ride

And now after a bath. The previous owner, Mark A. kept it so nice, I feel obligated to keep it clean and well oiled.

Here's a view from over the rear wheel. Specialized took some liberty in using oddly shaped tubes and stays. It creates an interesting effect.

I've never seen cantilever brakes up close before. They still look weird to me. How can I keep them from shrieking like a banshee?

New Things Learned

I met Miles and Munson at 7am this morning for a gravel ride out towards Bennington. Munson had seen a gravel road called Dutch Hall Road and wanted to see where it went. Once we left the pavement and started climbing up and down wet gravel roads, I realized it was going to be slow going. I ride a lot of hills on my commutes, but my five to fifteen mile commutes are pretty short, the hills are short, and there's not time enough to get tired.

I got tired.

The levels and downhills were fun, though it was a little scary bombing down a wet gravel road on a bike I'd never ridden before. However, the constant climbs wore me out in a hurry. I firmly believe, though, that riding with stronger riders is the only way to keep myself honest and push a little harder than I might if I were by myself.

Both Munson and Miles were very gracious and kept the pace where I could hang on, albeit, back a bit, but fast enough to keep me honest. Miles had ridden a race yesterday and said he was on a recovery ride, anyway, so I'll claim that I was helping him hold the slower pace to keep from overdoing it. :)

I like lists, and I like lessons learned, so here's a list of new things learned on this ride:

• the street signs were misprinted. Instead of "Dutch Hall Road," they should have read "Dutch Hill Road"
• when a cyclist says "riding gravel", they really mean "riding hills." Munson explained that this is because the minimally improved country roads aren't graded the same way as city streets and highways. They follow the terrain.
  
• as much as it stinks to climb slowly, it's a nice sense of accomplishment when I get to the top of a long hill
• the Shimano 105 STI shifters are not too hard to get used to after a while, and actually seem pretty darn efficient
• I like the multiple hand positions available on the wide bar, especially with hands on or around the brake hoods
• lighter bikes really do go faster
• when riding gravel right behind someone on a mountain bike, prepare to get a lot of little rocks in the face. Though eating a little rock never killed anyone.
  
• wet gravel isn't as much fun as dry gravel
• wear gloves next time to help with hand fatigue and chaffing
• consider proper cycling shorts rather than simple exercise shorts, especially when I might get wet

Here are a few things I think I got right:

• brought extra snacks to share
• brought extra shirt, which I was glad to have when it got cooler after the rain
• brought rain jacket, which I didn't need, but it's nice to have

In summary, I am really pleased with the new bike. I am glad that I was able to find a nice deal on a really nice bike, and to quickly find that it was comfortable and exciting to ride, plus I think the red, black and white color scheme is super sharp. I appreciated the opportunity to ride with Munson and Miles and see some roads I would have never found on my own.

3,000 Miles And Counting

According to MapMyRide, I broke 3,000 miles this weekend!

I still have a month and a half before the one year anniversary of my cycle commuting conversion. I expect to log another 500 - 1,000 by then. (500 easy... 1,000 if I work at it).

Since the MapMyRide stats are fun to look at, I will reprint them here.

I'll also add that the total weight loss thus far is 25 pounds. It is my hope that with the longer summer daylight hours and extra time to get things done around the house that I'll be able to get some more miles in and see some more weight loss.

To those of you who have encouraged me in this venture, "Thank you!" To those who may be thinking of bike commuting, "Get out there and pedal. If I can do this, so can you!"

Bus Workout

This afternoon I took the MAT Route 95 Bellevue Express from downtown Omaha to Old Town Bellevue. The idea was to log a bus ride for the YP Bus Challenge, but not wimp out on a nice workout in this great spring weather. I had been talking with Brady about wanting to step up the cycling activity a bit, and decided to put my legs where my mouth is.

Before leaving work, I looked at the various wind speed and directional indicators that I use (flags on the First National building) to plan a route. The fierce and incessant south wind told me that I should try to ride south to north, if I could. I've taken a bus to ride home on the Keystone from the north before, so I was up for a change.

The 95 was very different from typical city routes. Once it drops off a lot of folks at the No Frills Park and Ride on Fort Crook Road, it turns uphill to meet up with Bellevue Boulevard and then continues south to Old Town Bellevue. The boulevard is a very scenic route running through the prettiest rolling hills in Bellevue. This route would get you close to the trails at Jewell Park, by the way.

Once in Old Town, I rode up to a convenience store for some Gatorade and Nutter Butters cookies. I didn't have a water bottle with me, so I knew I'd need some liquid refreshment. Then I headed down to Hayworth Park where the Keystone Trail/Bellevue Loop terminates.


View Keystone Trail in a larger map

I hunkered down and rode, slowly, against the wind for the first five miles. I kept a low gear and high cadence, to avoid stressing the still-tender knee. Finally the trail turned west, and then northwest, and I got to enjoy 15 miles of sweet tailwind all the way to Grover Street. I didn't have a speedometer or GPS running, but I think I was cruising 18-20 MPH without straining too hard. I know I got a decent workout, though, as there was quite a bit of sweat involved (most of it on my glasses; how can I stop that?).

My morning ride to the 76th and Cass MAT transit center was five miles, and my ride home from Bellevue was 22 miles. After getting minimal miles over the past two weeks of the YP Bus Challenge, I was very happy with my 27 mile commute today.

Now if I could only do a 27 mile commute every day I might drop a few more pounds and get some faster legs.

Cinch In A Notch, Watch Out For Karma

Yesterday I pulled my pants belt in a notch. It was difficult, not in that I needed a mule team to pull the belt through the buckle, but that the faux leather belt was mighty accustomed to the previous hole. It took some manipulating to get the tongue (is that the name for the spindle part that goes into the hole?) into the new, unused hole.

I wrote before about losing 20 pounds since I started biking to work. So pulling in the belt was another nice way to confirm the physical changes that have occurred.

However, maybe bragging about it wasn't such a good idea. I don't brag, really. Rather, I get excited about things and feel I have to share.

This morning I noticed that the ratchet strap on my helmet was broken.

I guess this means that bragging about cinching in my belt a notch went to my head. Literally.

Of Things Lost - The Good And The Bad

The Bad Loss

Last Thursday I did my weekly bus ride home with the bike. My daughter takes a class at the Rose Theater (she's in the picture at that link: bottom center) after school on Thursdays, so I grab a bus toward home and bike the last half mile. I don't change clothes for this, but rather throw on my warm riding jersey jacket and high-visibility Vagabond wind breaker. I then drive her to the class, and go back to work for about and hour and half.

I recall that last Thursday was pretty mild, and I was in a hurry to catch the bus, so I just threw on the jersey and put the Vagabond jacket under the flap of my pannier.

Friday morning, I discovered that my Vagabond jacket was nowhere to be seen! I hadn't even opened the pannier, so I don't think I took it out and misplaced it. Friday morning I rode back along the same route I used on Thursday, in hopes that I would find the jacket. No such luck. Lost and found at MAT, my employer, and my employer's fitness center hadn't seen it either.

Bummer.

Like a true vagabond, I guess the jacket thought it was time to pull up its shallow roots and head off somewhere else in search of adventure. My only hope is that someone find it and recognizes it for what it is, and not mistake it for some cheap, flimsy windbreaker.

The Vagabond is a Pearl Izumi product, so it's a tad on the expensive side. I didn't want to buy a new one unless I had to. So before ordering one (the local Trek stores were out of stock) I checked out Sports Authority. I've noticed that they have a Canari brand of cycling clothing that typically runs about half the price of the PI stuff. There I found a high-visibility yellow jacket with all the same features as the Vagabond:

• water resistant
• breathable
• zip out sleeves, turning it into a vest
• pockets

I think this is the product at the Sports Authority web site, though I must have gotten a sale price, as I paid just under $50 for it.

After wearing it for half a week, I can say that it's almost as good as the Vagabond, but not quite. It seems to get a little stiff in the cold, where the Vagabond did not. I also like the better fit of the PI product, especially around the wrists. I think the Canari jacket has more reflective piping on the back.

The Canari sleeves zip out individually, whereas the Vagabond has a unique one piece design for the sleeves. I am not sure which is better, as it's pretty simple to zip in and out the sleeves on the Canari jacket, whereas it takes some alignment with three Velcro patches to get the sleeves back on the Vagabond.

I have two Canari products now and so far, they seem to be good quality, and at half the price of the Pearl Izumi line, it might be worth it to save some cash.

The Good Loss

This morning before dressing and leaving the house for an 8°F ride, I stepped on the scale and was hit with a nice number: 193. This number is significant in that it's full 20 pounds lighter than my first day of bike commuting, almost six months ago to the day. It's also the lightest I've been since I topped out at 250 during my fat days back in 2001.

My next goal is to reach an even 190 and go buy some new pants.

I'm Going To Pump.... Me Up

No more girlie man for me. Hanz and Franz are going to pump me up.

This is totally unrelated to bike commuting, but I felt that the new year is a good time to start a new practice. Since I'm in the gym each weekday changing clothes after my morning commute, why not take an extra 20-30 minutes and do some strength training?

By putting it in writing here, I've challenged myself to stick to it and make it work.