Route 66 Trail Extension, CG Post #707, October 2, 2022

The Route 66 trail no longer ends at a busy intersection at the edge of Normal. This is a nice addition, because the trail now leads you into town and stops by a gas station where you can get food, drink, decent pizza, and free air for your tires. This is a Midwestern chain called Casey’s. You are then away from the busiest of streets, although there is still a bit of traffic.

There is a jog through a residential small-lot subdivision, which is hard to spot because signage is not clear. This takes you onto the grounds of the old Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Childrens home, a former orphanage and school which now is a community center and small business hub. The trail is nice and wide, and easy to ride on. It is certainly an improvement over riding busy streets to get to Constitution Trail.

Where the trail stops now, at Beech Street, you can take Pine Street, (Old U.S. 66) west to Linden, go south one block, then west one block, where that street ends right at Constitution Trail. There is even a fountain at that point in the trail. If you go south at that point, you will arrive in Uptown Normal in just a few minutes. It certainly improves access to the Route 66 Trail, and with some improved signage, it will be even easier to transition between these two epic trails.

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The Old Obstacle Course Gets More So-CG Post #705, August 28, 2022

I have a stretch of trail in an unkempt state, which often floods partially, and has a lot of other “features” that make it my go-to when developing skills. It has the aforementioned water features. It often has broken glass tossed on it for avoidance testing. There are also other detritus obstacles, as well as overgrowth. Weeds make an appearance as well, growing through and around the pavement.

Town homes have been added right up to the trail right of way. Not like there is a shortage of space in the American Midwest. I have no idea why such housing is seen as necessary in a place with so much unused space. I realize it is cheap to build. Rent is not cheap in this town, though. This trail connects to a supermarket and shopping center that is named for the trail. The trail needs better maintenance and protection if it is going to continue to function in such a manner.

I am probably one of the few who use this trail, and I use it more as a skills builder. The water you see in the pictures is from a 1/4″ rainstorm 2 days ago. There are other ways to the shopping center, but this one requires much less road and parking lot running to get there. And I think this trail deserves better treatment at the hands of those who keep it up, and those who build along it. Maybe more people would use the trail if it were better maintained and preserved. It should be more than just a challenge.

Better CG Post #700, July 17, 2022

I am feeling a bit better, and now I can cover 10 miles or so in warm weather and not feel bad about it. Which means I probably actually have 20 miles in me at this point, and need to be able to do about 30 miles with regularity before I consider myself all back to normal. Not too bad for an old guy. I am glad to have the Raleigh Sojourn to get around on again.

I took a little ride today between the light but annoying rain showers just to see how old Route 66 was doing, as well as a good portion of the trail on my return. I rode the streets on my way there. That was a contrast to last weeks ride, which was in the country for most of its mileage. Do I feel it? Sure. Do I feel better? Sure. I think a bicycle ride is a great benefit to my overall health and well-being.

True, my speed is dismally slow. I usually ride alone, but I see my slow speed as a challenge to overcome, not a permanent situation. I have always been a slow but stubborn rider, and I still get where I am going. As I take more weight off the wheels, I will go faster for the same effort. The wider tires are making the road shocks easier, and I like that, especially as I ride farther.

Diamondback Outlook Outing CG Post # 696, June 26, 2022

I got in a few miles today on the Diamondback Outlook. It is a better riding bicycle with the new and bigger tires. Although it blew another tube and I had to get a ride home. Luckily, even though this is a big bicycle, it breaks down small enough to fit in a car trunk. I favor the threadless fork for just this reason. All it takes is a 5mm Allen wrench to remove the handlebars and fork. Then you can fold them along the inner triangle of the frame.

I am going to have to investigate the rear wheel of this bicycle. It obviously has a serious problem that may require some diagnostics to resolve. I have to find this recurrent problem. I am thinking maybe a burr or a bad spoke head may be to blame. I may have to resort to the cotton boll test. Cotton will attach to any rough spot. It then shows where the problem is. This can either be on the inside of the tire, or the inside of the rim.

I have also been running this bicycle with some bullhorn handlebars. I may change over to drop bars, if they prove more comfortable. More testing will, as always, be required. I often find drop bars more comfortable, even on shorter runs. How well the bicycle works with drop bars may also have something to do with all of this. The frame may be a bit long for drop handlebars. But sometimes great bicycles are discovered through experimentation.

Getting into the Trail Season- CG Post #695, June 23, 2022

Every year this happens. I leave the roads and go to the trails, because the oil and gravel roads around me melt in the heat, which gets tar oil all over my bicycle and the running gear. I have just taken the expedient of sticking to the trails instead, where it is shadier, the gradients are easier, and there are fountains and rest stops as well. All of these things are great in summer.

When roads are re-tarred, also about this time of year, gravel is put on the roads as well. Sometimes a lot of gravel. And when the truck finishes the load, a pile of gravel is often left across the road. I like to avoid that as well. I like the freedom of riding on low traffic roads. Just not enough to put up with all of this. The surface is a little too informal for me to ride a bicycle on it.

The rest of the year, when it is not so hot, these roads are great, and do the job for everyone. A few weeks in summer are a small price to pay for the presence of these roads the rest of the year. All roads cannot be paved or concrete. Taxes and population density simply will not support that. That is why I find myself lucky in having access to 50 miles of trail right from my own neighborhood.

A Prospective Park- CG Post#687, May 25,2022

The town is planning on making one of my favorite places to take pictures into a public park for the town. I think that is really nice. I mentioned hearings about this area before. I have not heard how they plan to develop the park from there. I am hopeful of some places that may not be specific to cycling. Although something that would have cycling applications, like a picnic shelter or a bandstand or the like.

I have long thought this area, with it’s proximity to development yet rural setting, would be a nice place for folks to have a small park. It seems to be the policy of the town to have a park for every area. I just thought the trail constituted a linear park. I am glad they are also adding a contiguous park, whatever sort of attractions the town intends to place in it.

I do not see this area being developed into a park in the near future. This will have to go through development stages and public hearings and planning before anything happens. And funding, of course. But I am hopeful that some nice amenities the community needs will be incorporated into the park. And maybe some things that benefit cyclists as well.

Things You See on a Bicycle CG Post #685,May 19,2022

As a guy who takes a few photographs, I have to say that the bicycle is a great photographic tool. It allows access to places otherwise unreachable by other vehicles. At a speed greater than walking, but not so fast as it would have you miss things. It is easier to see the patterns of nature and of man. And cycling gives you a better appreciation of scale, distance, and topography.

I also like the fact that you are at near standing height on the bicycle. This gives you a human height to your perspective and viewpoint. Cars are a bit low, trains and trucks a bit high in comparison. The added speed of the cycle allows you to cover more ground and see more things. And you are not going so fast as to miss things. At least, I am not.

The bicycle also allows you to get around downtown areas and ride to places vehicles are not allowed. That can be a great thing for urban and street shooting. Many times, you need not even get off the bicycle. I often, of late, use the Canon G9. It is a good camera for cycling, as it is rugged, small, and capable. It has a limited zoom range (35-135 equiv) but I find I do not need longer zooms for what I photograph from the bicycle.

Getting Back to Cycling CG Post#684, May 15, 2022

I have to say I have been remiss in my cycling lately, but i need to get back to it. Like photography and painting, I do not make a living from this. It is still a quintessential part of who I am. Recent illness and lots of early spring things to do around the house have kept me off the bike recently. The grass grows as fast as I can cut it, this time of year. A little gardening is a lot of time spent as well.

At least I am getting out about once a week for a couple hours. But I’d like to do more. I like the fitness cycling gives me. I can both go places and improve fitness with cycling. Cycling also allows me some community involvement, and conversations with those who do not bicycle. Also those who are actively opposed to it. Cyclists on the roads slow them down, they say, or people who cycle to work don’t need all this infrastructure.

It is good to hear what people who do not think as we do have to say. But I also wholly enjoy cycling. So I talk to them about the strides cycling has made in my personal health and well being. That is another good reason for me to keep on cycling. It keeps me in touch with all the reasons why cycling should be supported at the local level. mainly, cycling is fun for all ages and viewpoints. Cycling is a truly democratic activity, unifying people from all sorts of backgrounds and beliefs.

Finally CG Post #683 May 12,2022

Weather this week went from cold to warmish to downright hot. It is 33C or 93F, depending on how you grade such things. I was at a dinner party in similar heat last night. Humidity is also a bit high, and the sun is bright. So perfect cycling weather, once you get used to it. But this is still spring. It will cool about 20 degrees Fahrenheit by the weekend. That will still be great cycling weather.

By the weekend, I shall have to keep an eye on the weather as well, as some storms are expected to cool things down along with the associated cold front. Smart phones are a boon when weather is in the offing. Before them, the forecast you had when you left the house was what you assumed would be the day’s weather. Farmer forecasting took over from there. Maybe a weather radio.

Weather lore is still a help. It lets me know when I may need to check the phone, instead of drawing conclusions. Accuracy is greater as well. But I am glad to finally have some jacket free weather in which to ride. I have made use of my double sized water bottle already this year. I am hopeful that all of you guys are having some good riding weather as well.

Talking Bicycles CG Post #665, February 24, 2022

I was talking to friends about bicycles today. That was a great thing, after such a winter. Bicycles have not been much on my mind with the weather being what it is. But moderation is occurring now, and snow melts almost within a day or two of it’s falling. And the pattern seems to be established now, snow mid week and then warmth in the start of the new week.

That doesn’t do much for the weekends, but this week may warm enough to be rideable, dependent on the vagaries of Midwestern weather. So I may be able to get out on a bicycle soon. And not freeze into an icicle in the process. At least not all of me. I have had a good winter learning new things and getting a bit more fit. It may soon be time to test the mettle of my preparations.

Hopefully some time of warm weather and consistent weather will be coming along soon. It would be nice to be able to get out and do some riding and have some beneficial weather to do it in, as well as the tinkering necessary for all the projects. That will be a good way to enjoy spring. And cycling. That sounds like a fine combination, well suited to the season.