Westward Ho ~

 Earlier than I'd planned my winter trip, I moved my reservation up a few weeks.  Bike shopping again, we'd found the model I wanted, in Seattle.  

My "ride" at Epley ~

It was another of a string of gorgeous days in the Midwest!  Butch & I had an early dinner before the drive to Eppley.  The airport was the busiest we'd ever seen it, with holiday travelers leaving for home.  I asked the attendants at the door - they had twenty seats left!  Though I'm much better flying than I used to be, I don't enjoy flying at night.  It was a bumpy flight too, with turbulence most of the way.

Seattle Waterfront - Great Wheel & Ferries on the sound~

It was a relief to see the familiar lights of Seattle.  I recognized the Great Wheel & reminisced about the first time we'd enjoyed the ride with Grandson Ben.  

Sea Tac was busy, it was just a short wait for my bag.  Son-in-law David was waiting in the cell phone lot.  It's always wonderful to see him & know the family is waiting for us!

  Sat. morning Courtney & I made the drive to the Green Lake area Seattle.  Our destination was Gregg's Cycle.  

Westbound on the Evergreen Point floating bridge~

Courtney is a total expert when it comes to getting somewhere from anywhere!  She circumnavigates the worst of traffic & can mauver into a small parking space better than anyone besides her dad.

A bike in a box~

I have yet to actually see this bike.  It's been completely built.  The handlebars rotate 90 degrees & pedals fold up too, making it much easier to box than standard bikes.  Alaska has been accommodating, only asking that anything protruding be bubble wrapped.

Loaded into the Armada~

We always try to plan our excursions to include a fun spot or two.  University Village was on our way home. :-)

Ravenna Gardens

This area was the first place Butch & I found employment when we arrived in Seattle.  Butch flew in a hot air balloon to arrive as Santa!  I took the Santa photos as his elf!  In those days, (1981) it was an open-air mall.  Mall management had to buy more candy canes, since Butch handed them out to every child who came by!  He was the youngest Santa they'd ever hired, but said he was by far the best!  His "HO, HO, HO" could be heard far & wide!

A busy place!

Lunch was at Elemental Wood Fired Pizza where we both enjoyed one of the best wedge salads ever!  The days are so short now, especially here!  By the time we left for home, it was almost dark.  I checked & sunset here is currently forty minutes earlier than at home in Glenwood. 

We measured the box; Butch measured the Explorer & the good news?  The box will fit!  My husband said I might as well buy a couple more, since there's room for three boxes! I think he was kidding?!

My Last Ride on Breezy~

  I was determined to get in a ride, before I leave for Seattle.  Determined too, to reach my 600-mile goal for the year on Breezy.  Mari Jo agreed to accompany me.  It was only due to her encouragement - that I got it done!  It wasn't easy, it was darn chilly low 40's & the wind just kept picking  up...

Breezy, ready to go~

It's a Great husband & a Super friend who don't remind you, of past mistakes.  It was a big mistake to buy a bike without riding it.  But even a short ride at a bike shop, really doesn't tell you how a bike will perform or how you will feel riding it.  That takes time & miles.

Mari Jo, freezing along with me!

I knew I had twelve-miles to ride, to make 600, so we decided on the Hwy 34 underpass.  We were only a couple miles out, when we realized the wind was picking up & the temperature dropping.  

Breezy has been a chore for me to ride...  I was getting so discouraged I was ready to stop riding.  I was thinking my health, or fitness had diminished.  None of my rides on Breezy even came close to matching those I'd done on Speedy.  I blamed my injury, but after a year, I'd hoped to see more improvement.

On the trestle~

It was tempting to stop at the trestle & turn back, but since tomorrow is slated to be in the 30's & I leave Friday, this was the day.

Turn-around point~

The sky looked so ominous.  Mari Jo commented more like December/Winter - than the last of November.  Luckily, we had a lot of news to catch up on!  The conversation sure made the miles go faster!  I don't think I could have accomplished it - without the new low gears.  I was riding in 1,2 & 3 going south.

Looking like winter~

When we turned back...  WOW!  The wind hit us full force!  It was frigid!  We had no choice but to keep on truckin' - but we commented "Crazy" was a true description of us both!  The 12.5 mile ride had taken 2.5 hours.  Not bad when you consider the wind.

I'm excited to announce I'm getting a new bike!  

Cannondale Adventure EQ

When we were waiting for Breezy's cassette to be installed, we walked through the new bikes.  The Cannondale stopped me in my tracks.  It just had the right look!  They had none in my size on the floor, but Bike Rack is such a great shop.  They offered to build up the only small they had left, even knowing it wasn't the model I wanted.  

The first of the week they called, the bike was ready.  I got on & about a split second later was literally flying around the parking lot!  I rode it down the steep little hill, around the lower parking area & back up the hill effortlessly!  Butch said he hadn't seen me so happy riding in ages.  I felt like I could have ridden all day!

The problem, was finding a bike.  I called Cannondale, they said;  "All gone, no more coming."  Butch got on-line, searching with every search engine.  He found one at Gregg's Cycle in the Greenlake area of Seattle.  We confirmed at least three times - it was the bike I wanted in the size I needed.  

Butch said;  "Call Alaska & see what they'll charge for you to bring it home."  I did & made a reservation.  The charge for the bike, is only $40.  Gregg's Cycle explained their policy was to build up the bikes they sell, but they'll put it back in the box for shipment without a charge.

Two wonderful excuses to visit up north again!  Seeing the Grandkids & picking up my new ride!

Imogene to Shenandoah ~

 A Perfect!  Totally Perfect day!  Sunshine, mid-50's & no wind!  We'd made too many plans to fit in to the day.  I was so appreciative of Butch's support in taking me to Imogene & dropping Breezy & I off to make the ride south to Shenandoah.  There were no cars parked at the trail head.  I used to know almost exactly how long it would take me to ride a portion of trail.   Now, that time has about doubled since my injury.  I told him to expect me in anywhere from 1+ to 2 hours.

On our way~

It was a totally quiet morning.  On a weekend, farther north, the trail is usually busier than I like.  I hadn't known what to expect - but having it to myself was more than I could have asked for.  This would be the first real test of the new rear cassette.

From the Walnut Creek bridge~

I was a little apprehensive as Butch drove away.  I'd not ridden this section of trail since May of 2020 on Speedy.  I'd left from Malvern & ridden over 23-miles on that day.  I'd also been in great shape, riding a bike I knew would get me there.  From Imogene, it's only nine-miles, but it's a more difficult section of the trail, with a couple steep, long grades.  I had no idea, if the new gears would be what I needed.

Down a beautiful hall of trees~

Soon, my apprehension vanished!  The bike was shifting great, the low gears much more reminiscent of my Townie & useable!  I was working hard enough to remove my coat by the second mile in.

Further along~

March of this year, Butch & I had left from Shenandoah on our Electra's & ridden north on the trail.  It's a brutal uphill grade & we'd worked hard for three-miles, in a stiff wind, before we called it quits & turned back.  I planned to try to text Butch when I reached our turn-around spot, knowing I'd be three-miles out.

At the Pond!

I recognized the road when I came to it & soon after saw the little pond where we'd taken a break.  Now, I was on the downhill portion of the trail, all the way to the flats on the far side of the river.  Here I was, almost to town & still hadn't seen anyone on the trail.  Only one big white tail deer, had stood her ground until I was within a few hundred feet, before jumping away into the timber.

Nishnabotna River Bridge~

I hadn't ridden in two-weeks, but felt pretty good considering.  I used all the lower gears, first worked so well.  I could continue forward, had some bite to the peddles & my legs weren't flying round-n-round.

Breezy at the town sign~

Sportsman's park is such a nice place.  A swimming pool, playground, picnic areas & of course the trail.  I continued to the Train Station & heard Butch call my name as I approached.  He'd enjoyed his two-hours of quiet on a beautiful sunny day.  My speed hasn't been anywhere near as fast I used to ride, but it was my most pleasant ride on the Verve to date.  My stats~  

When I returned, Butch had me ride on the paving in the parking area.  He told me he wanted me to go through every single gear.  I did & it was obvious the lower 9-gears are what I will use now.  The upper gears I made it through, gaining speed with each stroke, but my knees revolted!  I'm sure the top 5 gears  will seldom be used.

Butch & I have been discussing my future enjoyment of the trail.  Things have changed for me since the injury.  My strong leg has become the weaker one - though I'm still hopeful for continued improvement.  I've changed from a bike with more forward pedals, to one with the pedals under the seat.  The frame is definitely too big for me.  When I have to make an unexpected stop, it's difficult to get off the seat & dismount.  Then, of course there's the gearing issues, now resolved.  I may be bike shopping again, looking for something - somewhere between the Townie & the Verve~

Changing Gears ~

 The more miles I've ridden my Verve 3, the more I've decided I'm struggling on the long gradual grades.  It's been hard to compare my speed over the same route from last season - both my due to my leg injury & the change in bikes from the Townie.  Coming close to 600-miles for the year, the grades have become a real chore.  

I seem to pedal, pedal, pedal, then have to actually stop, take a short break & return to pedaling.  Yes, I did that before my injury & with the Townie, but not as often as I have been.  It's hard to compare apples to oranges, or 7-speed Townies to an 18-speed Verve, but it's felt like my work load has increased.

I'm certainly nowhere near the category of a strong rider, but I don't feel like I'm a weak one either.  Maybe more middle-of-the-trail.  I did like longer sections of the trail, but my riding has been more sporadic than I'd hoped this fall.  When it feels more like a chore than fun, my motivation wanes...  Butch, on his Verve 2, with totally different gearing, has been moving out way ahead of me.  Before - on our Electra's - he usually brought up the rear.

We loaded my Verve & visited the Bike Rack in Omaha this afternoon.  We were the only ones in the store & were lucky to find their most knowledgeable tech person on duty.  He too, kindly listened to my complaints (& praise of the Townie) before getting on his computer. 

He came up with a idea he thought might help solve my issues.  A new $45. Cassette Sprocket.  He said it sounded to him, like I was looking for gears I just didn't have.  On the original rear cassette - CS-HG-200-9 - first gear was literally useless.  Second wasn't much better, my feet would spin, but the bike was traveling almost nowhere.  Over several miles, I would end up in third or fourth & then need rest breaks.

The expense to totally change the bike out to the gearing of a Verve 2 would be a couple hundred dollars & there are literally no parts to be had anywhere.  Luckily for me, he found a cassette he thought might improve my ride & actually had one on the shelf!  It was installed in just a few minutes.

New Cassett Sprocket CS-HG-400-9

Butch decided I should try it out on a flat, smooth stretch of trail first.  We drove to the north Wabash Trail-head, where it connects to the  Lake Manawa trails.  I was wearing street clothes & the wind was brutal!  Coming right at me as I headed to the trail underpass.

The first thing I noticed, was how smoothly the bike was shifting.  Going into the wind I quickly moved down through the gears from 6 to 5 & right on down to second!  I still had a decent bite to each rotation of the pedals.  Finally, with a big gust, I moved down to first.  I could still make headway!  It was slow going, but I was making forward progress!

Into the wind~

There's a short but steep hill on both sides, I navigated them easily.  The trail was closed further on, I couldn't see why, but turned back to where Butch was waiting.  From there, we drove to the Mineola Trail-head.

My turn-around - north of Mineola~

Thankfully, the wind wasn't as strong.  It was such a nice day, 70+ degrees & several people were out riding.  Both directions are uphill grades, I decided to ride north.  

(I was tired, Nika had escaped last night & I spent the night looking for her & worrying about her.  No sleep for me :-(  By early a.m. I had finally passed out when we heard a knock at the door.  The local police officer telling us our dog was loose.  Butch finally corralled her...)

I'd only planned to ride maybe a mile out, but soon realized pedaling wasn't the effort it had been.  As I again moved down through the gears, I was still making decent forward progress in second & even first.  The low gears had more of the bite - of the lower gears on my Townie.  I rode a little further before turning back.  I shifted into the second set of gears, now on the downhill grade.  The shift was whisper smooth & as I moved up through those gears, found them totally useable.  

New Cassette box - original cassette~

It was a short trial run, but I felt it was successful.  It will take a longer ride to see if the improvement is enough to keep me on this bike.  I've put so much into it & do not like the new version we saw at the store.  Many of the parts are replacements & they do not have the upscale look, or smooth design features of the original 2021 Verve's.  The only bikes left in stock were either large or extra large.  

Breezy on the Keg Creek Bridge~

On the way home, we both commented on our luck in buying our bikes earlier this year, when the bikes had all original components.  I'm hoping to get in another ride this week, though the weather is looking more iffy & the winds aren't due to calm down until the weekend.  Fingers Crossed~

Almost Gone ~

 I'll be sad to see the last of the leaves fall...  They've been so beautiful.  Today, with 70 degrees & sunshine is to be one of the last we'll enjoy for this season.  My second ride this week, I just couldn't let the day slide by without a short ride. 

South from Silver City~

 Not too far out from Silver City, I ran into Mari Jo returning to town.  My phone hasn't been putting some of my calls through & I'd missed hers.  With sunset now an hour earlier, we both needed to keep peddling.   The wind was fierce, big gusts coming from the SW.  More than once I thought about turning back.

Just a trickle~

Besides one nice rain storm a couple weeks ago, it's been dry.  It still seems strange to me, how little actual rain we get here, compared to the days & weeks of rain we were used to in WA.  Of course, it's the snow in winter that keeps us so green & lush.

The River appears again through the trees~

With the ground covers dying back after a couple good frosts, the view to the river is open again, from the south end of the bridge.  I love seeing the big old cottonwood.

Breezy on the Trestle~

As I looked further south down the trail from the bridge, I could see a large group of riders coming my direction.  I'd been lucky so far, only seeing a couple riders.  I decided to sit on the bench & wait until they'd passed.  One family came by with four little's on some really cute bikes!  So fun to see them trucking along.

Almost back~

It was a beautiful - now - late afternoon.  Riding the trail in November, is new-to-me this year & I really enjoyed it.  The sky looks so blue with the sun moving far to the south.  Thankfully, the wind died off, it was blissfully quiet.

Leaf lace~

Almost back to town, I had to stop to admire the leaves of this tree.  With the backlight of the sun, they were eye catching & reminded me of a waterfall of gold.  It was still plenty warm when I returned to the Explorer.  Nothing like the time change, to shorten our days & make it feel like winter is around the corner... 

Mineola to Margaritaville, RT

 We woke this morning to 24 degrees & sunshine.  The first hard frost of the season.  The flowers I left out, were frozen.  They'd lasted longer, still blooming, than any previous year.  The Asparagus ferns though, didn't seen to mind the cold, so we'll see how long they last.  

Butch had another appointment in Council Bluffs.  When we returned, the afternoon was so beautiful, I decided to load Breezy.  I drove to the Mineola trailhead, intending to ride to Margaritaville.  I hadn't ridden this section of trail since May 20, of 2020.  On that day, I'd ridden twenty-miles.  Since my injury, the idea just of those four-miles of uphill grade was daunting.  I'd forgotten too, this section of trail is closer to home than Silver City.   

Heading west for a short way~

  The wind hit as I was leaving, but once the trail turned north, the wind eased.  I stopped way more than I want to admit, to take short breaks.  With the frost, the leaves were falling from the trees, even without any wind.

Breezy & the leaves~

It was so pretty, to see such a variety of leaves carpeting the trail.  I loved the sound of them under Breezy's tires.  The smell too - was as perfect as fall smells can be.

A cornucopia of leaf varieties~

There was only one other rider I saw, so quiet, peaceful & beautiful.  Such perfect days, shortening all too quickly.

Underpass - Dumfries~

I rode past Margaritaville & on to the underpass, to get in just over four-miles, before turning back the way we'd come.

Heading back~

The new signage is so nice.  There are identical signs even here in town, to lead bicyclists to the Lewis & Clark trail.  In places, they are to ride on narrow roads with no shoulders & big hills.  With the grain trucks roaring along those roads, I wouldn't have the nerve to ride.  I did see one guy on my way though.

Margaritaville~

Now sporting two little bench areas & many more picnic tables & bike racks.  I'm sure this place was crazy full of riders several times over the season.  I was happy to have it to myself.

Varying colors down the trail~

Each species of tree, dropping there own color of leaves, it was easy to tell when we were coming to the walnuts.  I was careful though, since the walnuts were buried in the leaves.  With all the leaves just falling this morning, the wind hasn't had a chance to blow them off the trail.

Breezy~

With the clouds passing overhead, the afternoon alternated between warm sunshine & cooler shade.  I wore a thermal long-sleeved shirt for the first time & my vest.  I wished more than once I'd brought a jacket too.

Maples~

Golden sections of trail, were the maples, my favorite.  

Mineola in the distance~

I enjoyed the eight-miles & needed the workout.  I always have to stop to admire this view returning to town.  Quintessential Iowa.