I had to take the van back to the shop today, so I tossed the bike in the back to take to work.
I love riding in the cool weather. I can get to the office without breaking a sweat.
Unfortunately, a fairly heavy rainstorm moved in just before 5:00. I called my wife and she picked me up on her way home.
Miles Ridden: Just 2.8
The weather and my schedule cooperated today to allow me to ride to work. However, I changed the route a little, and changed my attitude as well.
My recent rides in Madison have helped me better appreciate bike paths, so I tried the new one along part of State Street. It’s only about a quarter mile long, but it does a good job of separating autos, pedestrians, and bikes. (There is still the problem of cars not expecting bikes to cross at every side street and driveway, so I had to at least slow down if not stop at each – a little bothersome.) After leaving the trail, I took Intramural Drive south to Harrison St. This leads to Grant street and the office. This route is slightly longer (not a problem) and much calmer. All of the traffic is on State Street, and I can usually feel the glaring eyes of the motorist ‘trapped’ behind me. In my mind, I’m having the argument about how bikers have the right to use the road and that sidewalks are for kids. I can get pretty worked up sometimes.
Sure, taking the path and longer route may be giving in, but I’ll bet it helps my blood pressure.
Some of my change in attitude came from reading a series of essays on commuting and errand riding found on the Bicycling Life. I agreed with the Vehicular Cycling article, plus I liked the commuting stories. Give them a read sometime.
For the ride home I took the South Work Route – even though I had to be home by 6:00. I decided that the extra 10 minutes would be worth the possible scolding at home. Turns out I made it within the deadline.
Miles Ridden: 10.7
This morning was a foggy one, so the neighbor and I decided to avoid the Wabash River lowlands, and instead head northwest to Otterbein.
Like all of the best routes, we started by heading west on Division, and then up the hill on 400W. This leads to Jackson Highway, which we took northwest to Montmorenci.
350N travels west from Montmorenci to the county line and beyond. We turned north onto County Line Road, and it was just a few miles to Otterbein.
I had ridden there once before a couple of years ago, but it was the neighbor’s first time there in any vehicle. The road became Main Street, which we followed up to the red flashing light in the center of the business district (only a few blocks in length) at the intersection of Oxford Road (which I think may be ‘old US52’).
Wheeling east on Oxford Road, we passed the United Methodist Church, where I saw an old co-worker, Carol, walking in with her husband. We chatted for a couple of minutes until the organ fired up. After crossing US52, 500W took us east.
We started passing small test plots of crops that signaled the proximity of the Purdue Ag Research Farm. We decided to look for a southbound road that would put us back on 400W at US52. 425W was gravel, but 375W looked like a good bet. The south-southeast wind that had picked up provided a nice challenge. A couple of right angle turns lined us up with 400W perfectly. We crossed US52 for a second time at the Kelly Tires store.
Continuing south on 400W, we passed 250N (Fat Ass Road) and arrived back at the SR26/Lindberg Rd/ Jackson Highway intersection. There was a car that had plunged head first into the ditch being pulled out by an SUV driver with a tow strap. He easily saved $100 in tow truck charges.
It wasn’t long before we were back home.
No pictures today, but after we left the familiar routes, the scenery was pretty flat. Browning fields and the occasional farm. It is kind of nice riding up on the prairie instead of in and out of the river valley all of the time.
Miles Ridden: 24.0 (Once around the cul-de-sac to roll it over)
Rain Out!
There was just enough rain at my house this morning to stop the ride.
I started out a little late today because the neighbor had planned to ride in with me. However, his truck was already gone when I wheeled up his drive.
The ride in was uneventful, but I passed a co-worker of mine in the hall who asked if I was planning to attend the big 8:00 meeting. I had no idea it was even scheduled! I grabbed my file and hurried across campus to make it in time. Since I had no time to cool down after the ride, I was a big sweaty mess, and I’m sure I made quite an impression.
After work, I had to hurry home to take my son to a club meeting, so the route was direct there and back on Newman Road and SR26.
Miles ridden: 6.9
It was an easy ride to work today, and the ride home on the South Work Route was relaxing and uneventful.
Miles Ridden: 8.6
Before my family moved west, we lived on the south side of Lafayette for 12 years. It was around the time that the 350S bypass was built and Poland Hill Road was upgraded that I started biking. I was driving through there the other day and thought it would be fun to ride the old routes.
I took a short jaunt north on US52 (again ignoring the speeding traffic) to get to Ross Road and the Ivy Tech Lafayette campus. The campus was started when Tippecanoe County donated the Ross Sanitarium and the surrounding land to the school. The Sanitarium was built as a tuberculosis treatment center, and a conversion in the late 90’s turned it into the school’s administration building. I had my breakfast (PB&J sandwich) while sitting on a bench in the shade.
At Greenbush Street, I turned west. The area between Creasy and US52 is under construction, but the rest of the distance was very calm. The northside is a working class neighborhood that has gone through a metamorphosis in the last few years. Neighborhood pride is high, and the residents keep things looking good, such as hanging plants on utility poles in the area.
A little ride up Ninth Street brought me to Canal Road. I took it south and jumped onto the Wabash River Heritage trail under the Harrison Bridge. This took me back to the train station at Riehle Plaza (where I’ll be in the trombone section for tonight’s season ending performance of the Lafayette Citizens’ Band).
Miles Ridden: 24.9
I think both the weather and my schedule will cooperate this week, so I will be able to ride to work three days! Plus, since Monday is a holiday, I can ride whenever.
On this last day of my conference in Madison, WI, my goal was to take a long ride along the southwestern edge of Lake Mendota. It is too big to circle in my allotted time, but I could run up and down the bike path that apparently runs up that section.
Things don’t always work out as planned.
First, I think there was too much merry-making the night before, and the escargot and gin that I ingested made it difficult to wake up in the morning. I finally hit the road at 6:30.
My map showed a bike friendly route over city streets that would lead to the desired trail. I found every other street in the area except for that one. In desperation, I stopped to ask the attendant of the parking lot that seemed to be where the street should be. (The parking lot didn’t look new, so I’m questioning the recentness of my $8.95 map.) He had no idea, but pulled out a different map that didn’t show that street at all. He suggested another route that my map didn’t show. When I got there, I couldn’t find that street either.
I gave up and found a bike trail to ride. I took it to its end, and then turned around a came back. The section of trail behind the UW dormitories along the lake was not paved, but packed dirt instead. Because of the dry weather Wisconsin has been having lately, the surface was easy to navigate. However, I’d hate to be there right after a rainstorm. Anyway, the trail ended near the Student Union, and I took city streets west past the Capitol to the point where Johnson and Gorham streets merge back together (or split apart – based on your point of view), and then I came back on Gorham/University to my hotel. Once again – the bike lanes are great!
Just an hour today, but I felt much better at the end than I had at the beginning.
Miles Ridden: 11.8
