Cedar Valley Trail

The Cedar Valley Trail was converted to a bicycle trail in 1983. It was one of the first "rails to trail" projects in the state of Iowa. The trail is 52 miles (84 km) in length and stretches between Evansdale and Hiawatha along the Cedar River. At no point along the 52 miles does the grade exceed 2%. Because of this low grade the trail is a great beginner route for persons wanting to complete a safe and less strenuous century ride.

My favorite portion of the route is between Gilbertville and La Porte City. The trial on this portion is mostly covered with trees and treks through a few small swamp areas as well as fields and pastures. The above photos were taken in September 2008 near La Porte City.

Arches National Park

Those craving scenic desert landscapes trek to southeast Utah and visit Arches National Park. Located near Moab, Arches features some of the more unique geographical sites in the United States.

Blizzard 12.08-09.2009

The blizzard of December 8 and 9, 2009 was impressive. The storm produced 17-24 inches of snow in the Madison WI area. I have 4 antique bicycles that I keep in my yard as ornamental features that complement my landscaping. The heavy snow created these photos.

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park is located in Southeast Utah near the famed town of Moab. The entrance to the park is less than 10 miles from Moab's city center. Arches National Park is less than 5 miles from the city center. Simply stated, Canyonlands is a spectacular national park. I visited the park in late August of this year and was immediately intoxicated by the unique colors and shapes of the arid landscape.

These are my 5 favorite photos of my expedition.

www.trainingwheelsnotincluded.blogspot.com

Capital George Pioneer Trail

The Capital George Pioneer Trail is located near Fruita, Utah which is located Hwy 24 between Torrey and Hanksville, Utah...almost in the middle of nowhere.

Eventually the road turns into a walking trail. This trail was used by pioneers crossing the southern Utah landscape east to west to settle in Nevada and California.

Along the trail there are many native American petrographs. Pictured above is what looks like a scorpion or a deer.

The rock walls also feature a "Pioneer Regrestry". When pioneers traveled w/ their wagons along the trail they would carve their names in the rock with the date of their passage so when their family menbers made the same trip the following year...they could tell if they had made it that far.

West of Torrey, Utah

Difficult to see, but my Xterra is sparked on the side of the road in the picture above.

Climbing up the hill.

The picture above and below....Views from the top of the hill.

Southern Utah is beautiful. A friend once told me "the southwest is intoxicating". I believe him to be true.

Early August 30th of this year while tracing a stretch of highway west of Torrey, UT I came across a beautiful mountain range. As I looked at the top of the "hill" I thought it would be cool to view the morning sunrise from the top of said hill. I estimated that it would take about 2 hours (I will allow you the reader to decide if a 2 hour climb up a relatively steep incline should be called a hill or mountain) to climb the hill in time to see the morning's sunrise.

As I began the climb I found a secure "wash-out" area that I could use as a trail. When I exhausted that route I began zig-zagging back and forth constantly working my way upward until I made it to the top.

I beat the sunrise by about 15 minutes. As I sat on a boulder preparing my morning coffee I began to think how many other people stood or sat in my current location to view a sunrise. Most likely, I was wasn't the first...hopefully, not the last.

The ultimate question of that day was...How many places in the United States, or the World could someone view a sunrise for the very first time?

www.trainingwheelsnotincluded.blogspot.com

BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK

These are some of the sights I viewed while pedaling through Bryce Canyon National Park. It was a great day of riding. Photos taken on August 29, 2009.

ZION NATIONAL PARK

Photos from my trip to Zion National Park this summer. The top photo...I pedaled my bicycle up that road.

byCycle.org

I came across this web-site this morning while reading a post on Adventure Cycling's facebook page. byCycle.org is similar to mapquest.com in that it gives turn by turn directions from point A to point B. byCycle.org gives these same directions for the best bicycle route from point A to point B. The directions will include bicycle paths and roads with bicycle lanes when possible. Currently, the site only includes 2 cities, Portland OR. and Milwaukee WI.

I have a lot of friends in Milwaukee. Let me know how well it works after you give it a try.

www.trainingwheelsnotincluded.blogspot.com

Sunflowers: 2009

This year's crop of sunflowers were vibrant and colorful as ever. Once again the sunflower field was near the intersection of Hwy K and Hwy A, about 4 miles north of Bristol WI. This area is perfect for bicycle riding. The absence of traffic is amazing. Its as if you are pedaling on highway width bicycle trails. If you ever want to try this area out...contact me as my arm never has to be twisted to go for a bike ride.

www.trainingwheelsnotincluded.blogspot.com

NORTHERN PIKES

My good friend Todd and His son traveled North to Canada this past summer and caught these impressive northern pikes.

Evening Ride

Mid to late summer is a great time of year to get a bike ride in. Typically, the evenings are very calm and if you hold-out long enough you are able to get a glimpse of some beautiful sunsets.

Photo taken last night, north of Sun Prairie WI, just east of Hwy N on Vinburn Rd.

Picture-less Bicycle Ride

The first Training Wheels Not Included Bike Ride was a success this past Saturday. Although the wind played havoc with the participants all finished the route with smiles and happy spirits.

The route was just shy of 26 miles. We had 10 bicyclists and 9 bicycles cruising the back roads of Dane and Columbia counties. It was nice to see a group of people who don't normally pedal long distances challenge themselves with this ride. Most of the participants said it was the longest distance they've ever pedaled in one day! Great Job!

Congratulations to Amanda, Brock, Deb, Jamie, Lee, Nicholas, Randy, Ryan, Sy, and Todd for taking off the training wheels and going for a long bicycle ride!

Unfortunately...no one took pictures of the ride! Very bad planning on the part of the head organizer :-(

BIG RED vs. John Deere

Although the opinion that this new John Deere tractor is more powerful than BIG RED is debatable...one thing is certain...BIG RED gets more miles per gallon.

Bicycles On Lock-Down

Hmmm...Seems like over-kill.

I've pedaled my bicycle thousands of miles and I've never used a lock of any kind. Maybe I'm too trusting?

www.trainingwheelsnotincluded.blogspot.com

BIG RED

Earlier this Spring I purchased a new bicycle. After months of research and loss of sleep I decided on a Co-Motion Americano. I wanted to get a few miles under my belt before posting a blog entry regarding my new ride.

After nearly 2000 miles pedaled...it is safe to say that I love my new co-motion. The bike rides smooth and is very solid over rough roads and crushed lime-stone. My co-motion begs to be pedaled up hills. The crank is very strong and the gearing is very exact. Last Friday I completed my first century ride of the year. My route was northbound and I fought a strong head-wind coming out of the northwest. With the drop handlebars, an aspect that is new to me, I was able to cut through the wind somewhat easily. I look forward to experiencing many adventures with my Americano.

I've named the bike...BIG RED. The bicycle rides "big" and is dark red...Not to mention, I've always had a soft spot for red heads...BIG RED.

Co-Motion Bicycles are made in Eugene, OR.

THE MULE is officially retired. I estimate the THE MULE has between 45000 and 50000 miles on her. She was ridden hard and put away well worked. THE MULE...rest well my friend...rest well.