Day 163 #bikestreak
Today was a repeat of yesterday's route, but due to an earlier obligation I started out in the dark. But that made the sunrise even more enjoyable. The historic site is the Mary Meacham Freedom Crossing, a significant place and event in the Underground Railroad history, Missouri being a slave state and Illinois a free state at the time. I wish I had more time to explore further up river.
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Day 162 #bikestreak
I arose early and started my #bicycle ride before sunrise so I could make my morning obligation. I found the correct detour I missed yesterday, so I was able to ride the Mississippi River Greenway Riverfront Trail for 18 miles. While the ride started out on the wrong side of the flood walls wedged against heavy industrial sites, it eventually got more scenic on top of the levee. It even included a historical site.
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Day 161 #bikestreak
Early this morning I attempted to ride my #bicycle on the Mississippi River Greenway but ran into construction and closed flood walls, so the ride was abbreviated. But I did get some good photos.

Day 160 #BikeStreak
Today I rode my #bicycle on the Katy Trail from St. Charles Missouri to Machens and then on roads to Portage des Sioux and the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rivers on the Mississippi River between the confluence of the Illinois River and the Missouri River. I rode to Machens trail terminus last year but did not realize that it was only an additional 3 miles on roads to get to the Mississippi.

Day 159 #BikeStreak
For the 3rd day in a row I got out early on my #bicycle to beat the traffic and the heat and mission accomplished. I rode to Elmira, Dover and Eyota for 47 miles. The roads were very quiet. The wind did pick up and get gusty at the end and I had a pretty strong crosswind coming home. Elmira is now a ghost town with only a neglected church remaining. Riding the country roads will often reveal other ghost towns if you know where to look.
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Day 158 #BikeStreak
I arose early again and started my #bicycle ride at sunrise to beat the traffic and the heat. I rode into the Southwest wind on Slem Road, then past Garten Marketplatz and Bamber Valley for 33 miles. For a 10 mile stretch on paved county roads I had but a single vehicle pass me, so it was quiet. The city trails back in were busy with walkers and joggers, unusually so for a Sunday morning, and I bet they were all out early to beat the heat too.
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Day 157 #BikeStreak
This morning I got ready early and rode out at sunrise to get in a long #bicycle ride before the heat sets in. I rode to Byron, Kasson and Mantorville for 54 miles. My new rear derailleur cable was acting wonky, so I stopped at the bike shop on the way home and they cleaned out some gunk and it is working better now. Riding on oft ridden routes, I didn't take any pictures except for the goats doing invasive plant control in a nearby park.
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Day 156 #bikestreak
Today I hauled my gravel #bicycle up to Minnetonka so I could ride the Minnesota River Bluffs Regional Trail and the Minnesota Valley State Trail, for 48 miles. The regional trail was mostly well maintained crushed rock, the state trail was asphalt, but it was pretty sketchy down in the flood plain. There were a few spots that had obviously washed out last spring. The highlight was the historical site near Shakopee.
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Day 155 #BikeStreak
Today I led the We Bike Rochester Coffee/Social #bicycle ride. It was a gorgeous morning, sunny, cool, but a tad breezy. I was happy to lead some of the riders to city trails some of them were not even aware of. After the ride and after the donut and lemonade, I went to the store to pick up my new sunglasses. These ones are progressives. I can now finally read what my cycling computer has on its display screen.

Day 154 #BikeStreak
Today I rode my #bicycle on all the completed parts of the Chester Woods Trail. They are still doing landscaping along the newest segment and I had to dodge a bobcat pushing dirt around. Then I headed for the Great River Ridge State Trail to Elgin and back on the county roads. On the way back I stopped at Sekapp's Orchard and picked up my first bag of apples for the season, they had Zestar apples, one of my favorite local varieties.
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Day 151 #bikestreak
Today I rode my #bicycle on the Wapsi Great Western Trail in Northeast Iowa from Bailey Station to Elma and back for 48 miles. This is a personal favorite trail because of the pretty wildlife management areas it traverses. I observed two early signs of autumn, the blackbirds flocking together in numbers, and the pumpkins are now mostly orange. It was another gorgeous day for riding.

Day 150 #BikeStreak
I am accompanying my wife at the Austin Art Festival, and while she was showing her ceramic art there, I rode my #bicycle on the Austin city trails and the Shooting Star State Trail for 56 miles. There is not much traffic on the state trail, but I did see a lot of critters including Whitetail Deer, a racoon, a mink? or ferret shaped mammal and a beaver.
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Day 149 #BikeStreak
Today I rode my gravel #bicycle which just was overhauled and with a new chain, chain ring, head bearing and rear derailleur cable. I rode it up the Douglas Trail to Pine Island, and it rode as smooth as silk. While still humid, the temperatures have moderated and it was only in the upper 70's by late morning. There was quite a bit of traffic on the Douglas Trail, I suspect folks are getting back out with the heat starting to subside.
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Day 148 #BikeStreak
This morning I was the leader of our We Bike Rochester coffee #bicycle ride. It was warm but not yet hot, and with a breeze and some of the trails shaded, it wasn't that bad. It is supposed to cool off this evening. One of our best bicycle friends with health issues met us at the coffee shop and it was great to visit. On the way home I heard a Bald Eagle call, and then spotted two of them in a tree along Bear Creek just a few blocks from downtown.
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Day 147 #BikeStreak
This morning I rode my #Ebike to an Eye Doctor appointment, 17 miles round trip. Coming home was a bit sketchy with my eyes still dilated so I stayed on trails most of the way. When I arrived home a package was on my steps, the replacement Garmin cycling computer. So after attempting to get it all set up, I took it out this afternoon in the high heat on my ebike as a test drive, mostly to see if the Varia radar was working. It was.
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Day 146 #BikeStreak
With the Excessive Heat Warning here for the afternoon and evening, I went out early to get a nice road #bicycle ride done to beat the heat. I rode the 43 mile Eyota and Dover Loop, which has a 15 mile straightaway segment on Olmsted County 9. The wind was picking up from the South, so this mostly East/West route worked out quite well. Traffic was light on the roads without shoulders; County 9 & 10 have good wide shoulders, so it was a safe ride.
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Day 145 #BikeStreak
After leaving my gravel bike at the shop for a new rear derailleur cable, chain, chain ring and an overhaul, I attempted to take a longer #bicycle ride on my road bike only to have a catastrophic failure of my Garmin device when hitting a bump. The screen came off. It was looking sketchy near the end of my long adventure, but I just thought it was just a little water issue after all the rain. I now know where my tax rebate check is going.
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Day 144 #BikeStreak
Back home after a long adventure; while I was away I was informed that the long awaited Chester Woods Trail new segment was finally paved, so I rode my #bicycle on it. The new segment is 3.3 miles long and goes from 20th Street West of 60th Ave SE to the park parking lot. There is still a gap on the West end, and in the future the East end will eventually connect to Eyota and Dover.
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Day 143 #bikestreak
As I started riding my #bicycle this morning, my rear derailleur cable was sticky, and it broke during a short ride in Carleton Place Ontario. I was checking out the Trans Canada Trail but got skeptical once I realized they allow ATV's on it. Those can be treacherous. But along the way I discovered that there is ANOTHER Mississippi River! It's a tributary of the Ottawa River in Eastern Ontario. Without a working bike I'll just hurry home.
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Day 136 #bikestreak
On Saturday I first rode my #bicycle on the Zim Smith Trail, a 9 mile paved asphalt trail a bit North of Albany. The trailhead was in the really nice Shenanataha Creek Park, and the rail trail was through a nicely wooded area. Later in the day I rode my bike from the parking lot at Knight Point State Park in Vermont to our campsite at Grand Isle State Park. Our bicycle camping adventure ride starts this morning.