Taking Advantage~

 Two rides in the same week!  It's been a while & may be again.  With the rain & warm weather, it's the time of year when I spend all my time trying to keep up with the mowing etc., at home.  As you can tell from the photo below, the trail volunteers are also putting in hours, trying to keep up with the fast-growing edges of the trail!

At the parking by Happy Trails~

I was just happy to get away from my new mower & on a bike!  (I bent the shaft of my old mower Stripe :-( Stripe had been such a good mower, but hitting an old honeysuckle stump was too much...  Now, I'm trying to get used to my new mower & it's just not the same.)

Shadow on the trail~

Again, the view of the trail has changed so much in such a short time.  It's refreshing to be back to enjoying all the shades of green.  Today I appreciated riding in the shadow of the newly leafed out tree canopy.

A perfect spring day in Iowa~

The fields are seeded & will soon be filled with the first flush of the green & growing crops.  Especially with the rains we've received, just in the nick of time.

On the Trestle~

A breeze blowing from the north helped push me along.  I also took Butch's advice & used the assist when my knees told me I needed it.  I made my best time to date getting to the Trestle.  I was still having an issue with the seat slipping down though.  Buying a dowel rod will be my next move.  It was the warmest day I've ridden yet & I did take an electrolyte.

Shadow at Boehner Pond~

It was incredibly quiet & beautiful at the pond.  The water level has recovered more than I'd expected!  I think Malvern has received even more rain than we have at home.  There was only one family of Canadian Geese on the water with no less than six goslings.

The way back~

The trip back, I was riding right into what had become a stronger wind from the north.  It was almost too easy to set the assist up to tour & continue to travel without the usual stress to my knees & legs.

Back at Happy Trails, I stopped to talk to Mari Jo. As we were standing by the front of the shop, under the deck to the upstairs apartment, we heard a loud crash!  It sounded like the deck was coming down.  Both Mari Jo & I jumped out into the street & looked up.  The deck seemed fine.  

Two men who had just exited from Silver Spokes on the far side of the street, came over to tell us the gentleman who lived upstairs had been on the deck & suddenly dropped to the deck boards.  (From their view on the far side of the street, they could see him lying there.)  911 was called & with the Fire Dept. only three doors down, help arrived swiftly. Within a few minutes, the person was talking, but taken to the hospital for observation.  Prayers for his swift recovery.

I decided to leave, before my access to the main street was cut off by all the vehicles from the Sherriff's Dept. & other responding agencies.  The trip home was uneventful.  Finn had stayed home & did just fine.  I praised him for being such a good boy!

Sunshine & Flowers~

 We had almost an inch of rain last night!  Last May had gone down in the record books as the dryest in the 150-year history of record keeping.  We'd received only .17 inches & continued into summer bone dry.  This May, I appreciate every drop of rain we get!  So far this month, we've had over four inches!  My Hosta's & flowers seem to be growing every day!

I checked with Mari Jo & was surprised when she said the trail was fine.  I'd gone to mat making in the morning, then dropped Finn off with Doris on my way home.  They day turned out much nicer than had been forecast & warming up to 80 degrees.  The humidity was a little higher too, but nothing like last year.  I loaded Shadow & left for Silver City.  I was about three miles out of town when I realized I'd forgotten my phone.  So much for an early start!

Anise Root~ Osmorhiza longistylis

Both along the trail & at home I enjoy seeing the blooms of Anise Root. It's such a pretty plant, tall & delicate looking.  Native American's & early settlers used anise roots for their sweet & aromatic taste.  A tea was made from them for a variety of medicinal uses.

Shadow on the Trail~

As you can tell from these two photos, the signage has really taken a beating in the last four years...  I thought it was pretty nifty that someone had made what had originally been very nice signs for a few spots along the trail.

4-1-2020 - Sunny in the same spot~

Since my first ride above, Shadow is my fifth bike.  This is also my fifth season of riding the trail. I'm still getting used to my e-bike.  Butch recommended using alcohol to clean the grease off my seat post, then tightening the clamp.  I did that after my last ride.  The seat post stayed in position until just before I reached the trestle today, when my knees told me it had slipped down again. 

Shadow on the trestle~

I also felt like I was working harder at peddling too.  My last ride I didn't think there was much difference in the new tires rolling resistance.  This ride though, even with the assist set to eco, it didn't seem like quite enough.  My tenth ride & I'm still adjusting things.  I'm finding the saddle that came with the bike is very comfortable.

Prairie Phlox~

The bright colorful taller blooms of the Prairie Phlox always get my attention!  I love the pink/purple color!  One of these days I'll find seeds & try starting them along the creek. 

I continued on into Malvern today, rode past the bicycle tree & looped through town before turning back for my usual stop at the pond. It was a quiet day, with only the sounds of the birds singing.

Shadow at the bicycle tree~

I have the seat post so tight now, it's almost impossible to open the clamp.  I used my riding gloves, lifted the seat back to the height I like & tightened it down again.  I made good time on the trip back to Silver City.

The way back~

I returned to town a little after 5 p.m.  As Butch & I had our evening conversation, I mentioned that I felt I'd had to work a little harder on today's ride.  He reminded me that the new tires are not as smooth as the one's that had been on the bike originally.  I'd rather have to peddle more, than get more flats!  He suggested putting the assist to better use & I'm going to take his advice.  He also suggested I buy a dowel rod.  He will use it as a spacer in the seat post tube to keep the seat up in place. I have no idea why this bike has the issue, but look forward to it being fixed!

New Tires & May on the Trail~

We'd taken my bike to The Bike Way on the 22nd to have my flat front tire repaired.  Since we had to purchase a new tube, the staff suggested Stan's tire sealant for inside the tubes.  Butch purchased two additional bottles & added it to his tubes too, which seemed fine at the time.  Thursday though - when Butch looked at the bikes - he found his front tire flat!  He took it off the bike & found a locust thorn had pierced through the tire & into the tube.  He removed the thorn, aired the tube & after a couple rotations, the sealant worked & the hole sealed.  

His Adventure Neo 2 EQ came with the tires Cannondale had advertised with the bike. The Kendra Kwick Seven.5 tires had the K-Sheild puncture resistance lining.  They lasted long enough for him to ride the 2 miles back to the car & held air for another two days.    

My new Schwalbe Marathon Tires!

I checked to see exactly what tires my bike was supposed to come with.  The tires were not Kendra tires with puncture protection.  When I called Cannondale, they explained the Kendra tires were out of stock.  They had substituted with a Schwalbe Hurricane tire.  The Hurricane does not have extra puncture protection.  Since the tires were e-bike rated, they would do nothing about replacing them with a better tire. (They offered me two free water bottles.)

Butch did some research & found Schwalbe had a highly rated tire & ordered the Marathon's.  When they arrived, I drove to REI in Gretna to get the tires changed.  The staff in the bike shop agreed with us.  The tires that had come with my bike were inferior quality.  My new ones not only have thicker rubber but have Smart Guard puncture protection.  (They also recommended Stan's tire sealant for inside the tubes.) 

Shadow with new tires~

I really like the look of the new tires & the reflective sidewalls.  I was anxious to try them on the trail. We've received 1.53 inches of rain since the first!  The last week of April - also gave us several good rainstorms. The grass is growing faster than I can keep it cut!  

Stunning beauty~

I drove to Silver City & parked at Happy Trails.  Mari Jo came out to talk & I bought a tin of saddle conditioner for my newly recovered leather bike seat.  Once I was on the trail, the change was incredible.  The greens so bright & vibrant they were glowing.  The new tires seemed to be rolling along easily.  I didn't think I noticed much of a difference in resistance from the heavier tire & thicker tread.

Prunus virginiana - Chokecherry 

The Chokecherry is now in full bloom & the second sweetest smell on the trail!  We have some in our woods & I hope they spread!  There were high, hazy clouds filtering the sunshine, making the greens stand out even more.

Silver Creek from the Trestle~

As you can tell from the above photo, the water level of the creek has risen.  The water is full of silt from the runoff, but it's nice to see enough water flowing to cover the bottom.

Burning terraces~

Just about a quarter mile south of the trestle, I could see & smell smoke in the air!  So thick across the trail I could hardly make out the lone rider coming towards me.  She stopped & I did - both of us said the same thing.  Commenting on how easy it was to ruin the clean, fresh air we'd been enjoying up until we reached this area.  With the winds blowing strongly, I was amazed anyone was burning.  But with the recent rains I guess the opportunity was there...

The pond~

I didn't stop at the pond until I'd make my circuit in town.  The park was a busy place on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.  A troop of Brownie Scouts were walking around the pond, notebooks in hand, observing the birds, bees, geese etc.  It was fun to watch them & see how excited they were when they found a bumble bee :-)

Shadow on the Trestle~

Back at the Trestle, it was getting later in the afternoon.  I'd stopped several times trying to keep my seat post in the correct spot.  Every time I hit the transition bump on or off a bridge, it would settle further in the seat tube.  My knees let me know immediately when it dropped too low.  I have the clamp so tight it's almost impossible to open it, so I know it's not that.  Another thing to tweak when I get home.

Otherwise, it was another beautiful spring ride & Shadow did a great job.  Mari Jo told me her husband has purchased an electric bike.  I was surprised since we'd both talked about riding a self-peddle as long as we possibly could.  I'm sure Mari Jo will outlast us all in that regard - lucky lady!  I didn't get to see the new Day 6 e-bike, but I'm sure I will soon!