I rode my birthday yesterday after taking my 69th off last year because I was still recovering from shoulder surgery in May from my hiking accident in February, 2025. Started out in the wee hours (wee for me), around 6:30, dark as a coal mine with the new moon, and the headlamps were barely adequate to navigate the twisty turning Greenbelt Trail in Clive. But we survived that stretch without crashing into the creek or a tree; and the sun came up about an hour later, and with that, the temps rose to a fairly comfortable 75 degrees. Had coffee in Waukee before heading to Linden. Saw very few bikers in the morning, but quite a few more on the return.Ended up riding more than 70 miles to accommodate my friend Carl, who is turning 78 in November, seven days after my birthday on October 30. Feel pretty okay today despite not having trained for this ride in the least, and missing my ride last year. Knock wood.
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Linden “depot”, with Carl (Photo by Daren).
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Daren, from Lake Panorama.
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| Adel is on the other side of Redfield, by about 10 miles, so no, not 4.1 miles. |
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| Final odometer reading when I got home. |
