Monona Bay Again

The Capitol on a beautiful fall night for biking. Scroll down to see my pic from this spot taken last April.

Well, it has been some time since I was out on my bike, but I don't feel too apologetic. I have been working hard in my garden, and I'm back working at my computer. Wednesday I spent about six hours cleaning my deck - taking everything off and scrubbing off all the mold and stuff (Thanks, Lee, for helping!). I don't feel bad that I didn't feel like biking at the end of the day! I have done a ton of heavy lifting in my garden this summer. I think gardening complements biking, - so I'm calling it cross training. :-)

Besides, the bike is responsible for all this, whether I'm riding every day or not. When I started this blog in March, it hurt to walk or sit, and I needed a cane to do stairs. I was so out of shape and every form of exercise was painful. I was seriously afraid I was locked indoors and doomed to chronic pain for the rest of my life; I felt beyond old at the age of 58. 

Then I had the brilliant idea (if I say so myself) of getting a bike with electric power. For some reason riding a bike wasn't painful, but I couldn't ride a normal bike; I just had been inactive too long. The electric bike gave me a freedom that felt glorious, and started me on the road to recovery. I started physical therapy at the same time, and stuck with that for six months. By the time I could plant seeds in the garden, I was already in better shape than I had been in a long time.

I'm not pain-free. I may never be. I have a special cushion for my computer chair and I'm still uncomfortable sitting for very long - and I have to sit to work. I still can't walk very far - maybe a couple of blocks - without pain. But I'm learning how to heal, and I can do stairs without a cane. Best of all, I feel strong, and I feel able. I don't feel old and, well, like the enjoyable part of my life was over.

My friend Laura called late yesterday afternoon and said, "Feel like going on a bike ride?" I realized that was a great idea, so I said, "Sure!" We decided on a short ride, since we didn't have all that much daylight left (shorter days, noooo!!), and chose to bike around Monona Bay. She picked me up and off we went.

We started out on the west side of the Bay, and circling the Bay felt like coming full circle to me in more ways than one. I had biked here in April - that was one of my first rides, the one where my battery stopped working. It felt like that was so long ago! I biked less than six miles that day, and it felt like such a long ride! We biked about five miles last night, and it was just a jaunt. 

We biked the Bay counter-clockwise, and near the Coliseum we headed south to explore where that path went. It turns east before the beltline and you're on neighborhood streets by Lake Monona. We went a half mile or so and turned back - but Laura said she had once biked around the lake on this route. 

By the time we got back to the Bay, heading across John Nolan Drive, it was dark. I took the photo at the top of the page right there at the beginning of John Nolan - in the same spot I had stopped in April. Below is the photo I took in April. It was a long time ago! There was still ice on the lake, and I remember it was cold enough to wear a coat.

The same view on April 7, one of my earliest rides on my e-bike. There's still ice on the lake.

We continued around, past all my old haunts. I grew up near Brittingham Beach, and it always feels odd to be around there after so many decades have gone by. It brings back so many memories, and I am still the same person and yet so different. I walked around the Bay often, and along the railroad tracks that would soon nestle John Nolan Drive along one side. It took them three years to build it, and for two years it was like one giant beach with no people. I loved it. 

I certainly hope to get out on the bike more in this wonderful fall weather, but even if I don't, I'm happy. I've come so far this summer, from a low point in my life to new heights. There were several factors, but my e-bike has been a huge part of my rise to better health, my vehicle on the road to freedom.

Ride the Drive West - That's My Neighborhood

I just came in from "Riding the Drive," starting from my front door. Ride the Drive is an annual Madison event that allows bikers and other non-motorized traffic to enjoy streets closed to cars. Normally its focus is John Nolan Drive and parts of downtown, but today a second one is being held on the west side. I have to admit I don't see the appeal. John Nolan Drive has beautiful scenery, with Lake Monona and Monona Bay on either side. My neighborhood has houses built in the 1950s. It's a pretty neighborhood, and I like it here, but I'm puzzled to think of it as a "destination" worthy of a special trip to bike around.

Ride the Drive participants near my house. From my window it looked like quite a good turnout.

Be that as it may, many folks are out there enjoying my neighborhood! I biked around the loop - South Hill Dr. to Segoe to Regent to Rosa Rd. - and it really was quite fun to be part of a moving community if bikers and skaters and walkers of all ages. There were people my age and older, people so tiny their bikes were about a foot tall, and every age in between. There were serious bikers and bikers who walked up the hills. 

Segoe with no vehicle traffic.

The route was smart, in that there were hills but nothing too steep or long. I know this because I didn't use my power assist at all on this ride - I forgot to take my key! Discovered that at the first hill and felt silly - but it was really for the best because I did all the hills with all my own power and did fine. There were tiny kids doing the hills, and that was an excellent inspiration. Later on my loop there was even a misting tent you could ride through to experience a cooling mist. 

A hill! Bikers participated in all sizes and abilities. Young troopers like this one inspired the rest of us. I admire all the patient dads and moms who took their ride slower so the kids could participate and have fun.

Not everyone was on a bike. There were strollers and wagons and quite a few on skates.

There are two parks along the route, and booths were set up with information and vendors. These "villages" also had those bouncy tents for the kids to blow off steam, and one of the parks had live music. Several enterprising neighbors had lemonade stands or things for sale (wanna buy a kayak?), and a church on the route had a dozen or more members out hawking free water and prayer. 

The ride-through misting tent. The day wasn't terribly hot, but it still felt good.

The "village" along Segoe, with information booths and vendors - a nice place to take a break.

Event organizers were prepared for 10,000 people, because that's how many came to the downtown one earlier in the summer, and I wouldn't expect that many here, but there are certainly a lot of bikes going past my house! This west side Ride the Drive may become a successful annual event too.

I missed seeing the police horse! My friend Laura got this photo. Police horses are such awesome ambassadors, and I heard excited people talking about meeting this one. Photo by Laura V. Page, laurapagephoto.com.

There were even street artists. Recognized artist Holly Jorgenson and photographer Laura V. Page created some fun street art on South Hill Drive. Photo by Laura V. Page, laurapagephoto.com.

OK, I am not a huge sucker for every cute kid, but the kids out today were totally cool.

My bike after our ride. I never used the electric assist at all - because I forgot to take my key! I'm glad I forgot, and did it all under my own steam. :-)

A Jaunt Near Paoli - and a Stop at Cluck, The Chicken Store!

Me on the Badger State Trail near Paoli. Photo by Laura V. Page, laurapagephoto.com 

My friend Laura emailed about plans to bike the Badger State Trail near Paoli, and I decided to take up the invitation. The group was potentially five people, but that was until the weather looked so threatening. Rain had already fallen by mid-morning, and thunderstorms were being predicted - and suddenly there were zero participants. Dang! As soon as the trip was officially cancelled I realized that there was still most of one participant - I hadn't been out on my bike for over a month and I really wanted to go. I don't wish to be hit by lightening, but there wasn't any yet, and what's a little rain? 

On that basis I convinced Laura that the two of us should try a short ride. We would start just east of Paoli and not go far. That way if the weather turned ugly, or if we got too wet and cold, we could get back quickly. Yay! Laura picked me up in her van, with the fancy towbar-mounted bike rack. I'm very happy that my bike folds in half if I need to put it in my car, but there's still a lot to be said for just popping it on a bike rack. We stowed the battery inside the van and we were off.

Turns out there is road construction going south of Verona on Highway PB, so we got back on 151 and then took Highway 69 south to Paoli. From there we had to backtrack north on PB (which said it was closed to through traffic from this end too) as far as Purcell Rd. We went east on Purcell Rd. until we came to the small parking lot for the bike trail. 

From this point you have two pavement options. Going south is a "crushed limestone" trail that is mostly in good shape, although it is uneven in places and lacks the slickness of a paved trail - which is what you get if you go north. We opted for the more challenging surface first, and went a mile or two south and then headed back.

The trail going south: tree-lined, paved with crushed limestone.

What a beautiful day! This was one of those times we gambled and won. No sign of storms, no sign of rain! The day was beautifully cool and pleasant, and the sun even peeked out a bit. The trail is an old rail corridor, so there are mature trees on both sides. It would have been pleasant even on a sunny day. Every so often the view opened up to a vista of Wisconsin countryside, with rolling hills of pastures and hayfields and cornfields. The weather has been mostly kind to us this year, compared with last year's drought, and everything looks lush and green. 

Beautiful Wisconsin farmland.

My friend Laura, a business consultant whose hobbies include biking, kayaking, and bird-watching. I love the wooden bridges that have replaced all the old railroad bridges along this path.

One of our interesting discoveries was a pair of horses that we could just see in a farmyard. One had its head down and the other appeared to be looking at something. So we watched them for a few moments - but they didn't move. Out came the binoculars - they're sculptures! Very nice, in very horse-like poses. Sculpted in iron, I think, and covered with "chestnut" colored rust. 

Two horses we spotted quite far back off the trail - that turned out to be sculptures! Luckily Laura has a good telephoto. Photo by Laura V. Page, laurapagephoto.com

We got back to the parking lot and headed the other way this time, after stopping to photograph the baby robins in a nest at the trail kiosk. This way there are a couple of roads to cross, including County Highway M, which took a couple of minutes of waiting. 

Three baby robins at the kiosk at the bike trail parking lot.

I spent the time musing on how I'm now old enough now to say, in my old-person voice, "When I was a girl, this was practically a little country road with hardly any traffic at all." The reason I remember that is that a friend and I tried hitch hiking along this road, and very few people even came by. It was the early 70s, and a lot of young people hitch hiked, but it wasn't a very smart thing to do; at least we had the sense to do it together. It's a different world now, better in some ways and worse in others. It feels weird to look back forty years and remember that I ever did that.

We got as far as Seminole Highway, where it meets Whalen Road, and then headed back. It ended up being a very short ride by anyone's standards, and yet very satisfying. There had almost been no ride at all, and yet it turned out to be a beautiful day. We explored a bit of trail that we now know we'd like to see more of - next time we'll start earlier in the day!

A cow pasture along the path. The cows - Holsteins, some of them with such small black spots they looked polka-dotted - were in a different area. If you click on this photo to enlarge it, you can see the family of Cranes that are feeding here.

Near the south end of Fish Hatchery Road. I love these beautiful old oak trees.

On the way back we stopped at Cluck, the store in Paoli that is all about chickens. They even have a few chickens of their own out back. It's a wonderful store, whether you just like chickens or whether you have your own already or would like to. They have supplies and resources for raising chickens, not to mention experience and expertise - and they have all kinds of chicken-themed merchandise. My favorite item, I think, was a set of three ceramic prep bowls for cooking - with a chicken theme. I don't even have chickens, but I think they're beautiful and full of personality. The store has been open almost a year, and I've been meaning to get there, so it was a really fun stop.

This beautiful rooster image I found on Wikipedia Commons. Thanks to photographer Cefaclor for making this photo available for others to use.

Biking Near Lake Farm Park

Biking around Lake Farm Park is fun - it's such a pretty area - my friend Laura and I decided we'd cruise around together yesterday evening. Laura has an electric bike too, although she feels it would benefit from an update to the battery for both power and longevity.

We met at Lake Farm Park and set off on the bike path going west, and it certainly was a nice evening. There were mosquitoes, but we were going too fast for them, so it was just pleasant.

In Lake Farm Park.

The last time I was on this path was when I had biked from my house. A personal best at 11 miles, it didn't set any world records, but I was very happy with the accomplishment. Today I felt a little fresher, since I hadn't already biked 11 miles - but only a little. I had spent much of the day working on my summer's garden project, and was pretty worn out. That's what power assist is for!

After we'd gone along the path for a while, we came to where it crossed a road, and we decided to be adventurous and take the road. One of the immediate rewards was the sight of four giant catalpa trees in a row along a driveway. Laura never travels without her camera, so we stopped to take photos. All the photos in this blog entry are taken by Laura.

Although you can see many fallen blossoms, the ones on the tree are still fresh and beautiful - and they smell wonderful!

On we went up the road, but were soon stopping again. Adventures with Laura are like that - alternating between cruising and stopping to explore something in more depth. This time it was a close-up view of the Sandhill cranes we had seen and heard earlier in a big field. Sandhills are interesting. Their normal adult color is gray, and the ochre color comes from dirt stains. They eat plants, but they also eat a variety of small critters like frogs and mammals.

Laura took me on an excursion to see life-size bison sculptures in a field, including two adults and a calf kicking up his heels. We failed to get a pic, but maybe next time. They are welded of iron and look very at home in their grassy field. 

A wedding tent at Lake Farm Park, with streaming ribbons in the doorway.

Back at Lake Farm Park we went to the access roads along the road to the south, and entered the park that way, heading for the group camp. The drum circle was playing again, so we joined in - until the storm hit! During the deluge we hung out under the small food tent, ate chips, and sang songs that I hadn't heard in years. We watched the lightening until it finally blew past, and played some more.

My Farmers Market in June

Finally on my bike again! I haven't been out for a while, and it was just wonderful to bike to my Westside Community Farmers Market and bring home as many vegetables as I could stuff into my backpack.

My stuffed backpack, with the Westside Community Farmers Market in the background.

I promised I would not go on about medical issues, but I will just gripe briefly about the one that has kept me off my bike. I have an irregular heartbeat, and it waxes and wanes like the moon in its severity. I recently had a sleep study (during which I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I'm actually hopeful that the treatment for sleep apnea will improve other aspects of my life, so that may not be so bad). For some reason my heart kicked into a highly irregular pattern the night of the sleep study and continued for a solid week. It is (they tell me) not life threatening, but it sure is a gigantic pain in the tuchus. It's distracting, tiring, uncomfortable, and really, really annoying. I make plans, but I have to cancel them or modify them or do them very carefully in slow motion, resting often. I have friends older than I who run marathons or bike 50 miles. I've worked hard this spring to improve my health every way I can - but it would help if the old bod would meet me halfway.

OK, enough of that. I'm still struggling with it, but most of most days my heart does its thing in a mostly normal fashion - and I am profoundly grateful for "mostly normal."

The bike ride to my market is short, and perfect for my first ride in over a week. And I know that I won't get stranded if my heart gets over-excited - I will just come home by full electric power. That's a nice thought to carry with me.

It's early, but there is already a lot at the market, including some of the most lovely lettuce I have ever seen. The cool weather with plenty of rain is just what lettuce loves - so much the opposite of last year. The result is red leaf lettuce so lush, and romaine so crisp, that the huge heads are irresistible. There are also snap peas, the first baby summer squash, spring onions everywhere, and still some asparagus. I buy some of each, along with a jar of purple loosestrife honey, and I'm on my way home.


More photos from a lovely day:

My bike and backpack, Farmers Market tents in the background.

Glorious Market lettuce! This is one single head.

The Market is in the parking lot of the Dept. of Transportation building. The lot itself is not a beautiful setting, but the building has nice plantings - and I've always liked the bike racks.

Biking to a Bike Tune-Up - How Appropriate

I had an appointment off of Odana, and I had been thinking that it would be great to bike to it instead of driving, so today I decided I would. The most direct route would be straight up Whitney Way, But, after my long ride last weekend, specifically biking on the busy McKee Road - the part I didn't enjoy - I decided that I would rather go a little further if I could avoid Whitney Way during rush hour.

I opted to go south on Rosa Road, up the hill and then straight across Mineral Point Road onto Science Drive. That winds around a bit, but it is very wide and a pleasant ride. It comes out on Odana right by Len's Electric Bikes, and I then had to go back east to get to my appointment - but it was worth going out of my way a bit to have a more enjoyable ride. Len's is where I got my bike, so my bike and I waved as we went past.

Seeing Len's had given me an idea - why not see if they would do a tune-up and ask if they could fix the squeak? After my fall, written about last time, my bike had acquired a persistent squeak, somehow connected to the front brake, that was loud enough to be a bit worrying and really, really annoying. So after my appointment I found the bike path that goes along near the beltline, parallel to Odana, and headed back to Len's Electric Bikes.

Len has moved a few doors down, so now the back of his store is right along the bike path, and I noticed a couple of people test-riding bikes on the path - a nice benefit of the new store - and it has more space too, and a separate space for a workshop. I was in luck: there were two mechanics at work, so someone could check over the bike and hopefully return it to all its former glory.

Len's has an interesting ambiance, and I think it reflects Len's personality. Everyone is super friendly. I was welcomed immediately, and everyone was so pleased to see I had biked there. There were a few customers, so I had an opportunity to watch interactions. Everyone in the store is enthusiastic and excited about electric bikes, which creates a palpable energy. (Note to introverts: activate force shields.) There is a thin line, I think, between that enthusiasm and sales pressure - but Len's motto is "You don't have to buy one; you just have to try one," and he means it. If you ARE in the market for an electric bike, Len and his team will find the one that fits you, and will follow through to be sure you are happy with it - and change it if you are not.

I felt like a celebrity when I mentioned this blog - "I read your blog!" "My wife is following your blog!" - which was rather fun. Blogging is an interesting experience all around, and I'm enjoying it - so thank you for reading!

Three cheers for the mechanics! They readjusted the handlebars and worked until the squeaky brake was fixed! I was soon biking my way home squeak-free. :-)

Biking to Lake Farm Park - My Longest Ride Ever!

You can't believe how good it feels to have biked all the way from my house to Lake Farm Park, south of the Coliseum! 12.0 miles, according to Google Maps. How liberating to know I can do that! That may be a short jaunt to a more "serious" biker, but remember that I spend my days in front of a computer and have long-term injuries and heart issues. I haven't even been able to walk without pain for over two years - until this spring.

My electric bike feels like a partner. Together we did this. I could not have done it alone, but neither was I a slacker who let my partner do all the work. I certainly worked hard enough to feel thoroughly tired out! What a great way to be tired!

It's an interesting ride, with each section quite different from the others. It ranges from an empty and rather industrial stretch of old rail corridor behind Home Depot to a nature conservancy area on the Capital City trail. 

Going south of Home Depot it's quite pretty - a whole world you just can't see except by bike. 

It's like kayaking: normally you drive along the roads and you cross over rivers in the blink of an eye, or catch a glimpse of a lake through trees. When you're in a boat, new worlds open up to you - and you start looking for more new worlds to explore. I have been spending time looking at maps of bike paths, and I am beginning to formulate goals based on, "Hmmm, I wonder what that looks like," or "I bet that's a beautiful place to bike."

I would have been able to go the entire way on bike paths, but I missed my first turn-off, so I ended up doing a section on McKee Road (Hwy PD). I wouldn't recommend it. There is an ok shoulder to bike on, but there is a lot of traffic and it's going fast. It's not an ugly road, but it's not pretty, and the traffic for me reduces the enjoyment. 

I joined the path again in time to go over the bridge over Fish Hatchery Road.

The conservancy area is quite pretty, and I think it would be a great place for bird watching. My bike had developed a squeak (more about that in a minute), and it drove many away, but I saw a bluebird, a thrush, and what was probably a Northern Harrier. All three nest in this area, but they're all three more countryside birds that don't come to my part of town. 

I made it to Lake Farm Park in about an hour and a half, and was definitely using the power assist more towards the end! I'm obviously not going to set any speed records, but I feel I did just fine. :-)

Lake Farm is s really nice park, with camping and hiking and bird-watching and shelters - and it's right on Lake Waubesa. In the winter there are cross country ski trails. On this evening there was a drum circle going on at one of the far camping areas, so I hiked and biked over there to listen for a while. I love drums, and I love the idea of everyday people getting together to create drum rhythms in a circle around a bonfire. It's very primal and at the same time very welcoming and civilized and friendly.

I called my son after a while, who had kindly agreed to come and pick me up. We folded my bike in half, and he actually fit it onto the back seat of his small car. I have to admit it's a bit awkward manoeuvring a heavy bike that's been folded in half - but it's still a great convenience and amazing that you can do it at all. I rode home in triumph, appreciating how long the drive home was and I'd biked all that way!

Footnote about the squeak. I have to mention, for full disclosure, that the reason my bike developed a squeak is because I fell just as I got to the end of Highway PD. It was a dumb fall, which is why I don't want to mention it. I had come to where I had to cross PD to get back on the bike path, and I simply braked too fast. I was turning slightly, so I lost my balance and went over sideways - and came very close to shooting out into the passing cars. It was a depressing experience, 1 because it was a silly way to fall, 2 because not one car even slowed down as I fell or to see if I was ok, and 3 it has been sad to realize how much my balance is not as good as it was even a few years ago. It's a great thing that we have so many lovely bike paths, because I will be making every effort from now on to use them and avoid busier roads, especially ones with fast traffic - even if there is a bike lane.

I have some spectacular bruises, but I wasn't seriously hurt, and I enjoyed the rest of the ride. The bike worked fine - but I need to have the squeak looked at!

Pictures from the Hidden Path

I went out again tonight to visit the lovely bike path I wrote about last time, and this time I took my camera. I took some extremely poor pics, I'm afraid, but here are a few of the better ones. Please use your imagination and your powers of mental enhancement to make up for my failings!

The entrance to my hidden path. Hidden in plain sight, really, and going on for several blocks from here.

 A couple of the flowering trees that make this so pretty right now.

A fairly simple runoff channel, with a culvert and a small drop that makes a "waterfall." On a spring day it's easy to find beauty here.

One of the many small hills along this path, some quite steep, and none of them at all daunting - not any more! This photo is a bit blurry on the left - I'm not even sure how I did that, but my apologies.

Discovering a Hidden Path

I love spring in Madison. I think I would love spring in most places, but the contrast in Madison makes it extra special. This past winter was especially long, and we know the summer to come might bring another drought like last year's. Spring is to be savored, and is always too short.

On a perfect spring day, the air is warm, the sun feels like the life-giver it is, and the breeze smells like lilacs and apple blossoms and sweet william. Color is all around: the green of new leaves that you don't get any other time of year, against the deep dark green of the arbor vitae and other evergreens. Here and there early flowers are blooming, but it is the trees that are the most beautiful right now. There are crab apples and other flowering fruit trees in white and pinks and purples, there are magnolias of several varieties, and there is one of my favorites: redbud. It is a startling red/violet/pink color, but the tree has such a delicate structure that the overall effect is light and airy. They're at their peak just now, so lovely.

All this was inspired by my ride tonight. I headed east, knowing that I was tired from digging in my garden most of the day, and happy to let the bike share the work. I crossed Whitney Way and Rosa Road, and zoomed up the horrible, steep hill that has always been my major roadblock going in that direction. *grin*

Just off Inner Drive is what looks like a little park with a path going through it. I had biked that far once, but after biking uphill on my street and walking up the horrible hill, I had never had the energy to get very far along the path. Tonight I did, and I made a discovery. It's not really a park at all! it is a wide greenway that goes on for blocks, with water running down the center. The water is just runoff that has  been corralled by concrete, going through culverts and flowing through concrete banks, but it's still very pleasant. There are even waterfalls along its path - drops of only a foot or so, but it sounds like a waterfall. There is a wide grassy area on each side, and flowering trees at intervals. It really isn't that hard to think of it as river. In fact, I think it would be a great place for a picnic.

A quick evening jaunt, but what a wonderful discovery. It would be pleasant to bike down that path even when it gets hotter out, because of trees along much of it. I didn't reach the end, so I have more exploring to do! It's almost right in my backyard, and I never knew it was there. Now that the horrible hill is no longer horrible, I will go back. Next time, I promise I'll take my camera and take pictures to post.

Evening Ride With Eagle(?) Feather

This evening ride really illustrates one of the truly liberating things about having this bike, and why I love it.

It started with my granddaughter suggesting that we take an updated picture of me with my bike, since the first illustration for this blog was at the end of March, and I was in full winter coat and gloves. I am finally, after such a long wait for spring, biking without even a jacket. So here I am, finally in capris and short sleeves. No, I don't have proper biking clothing. I can see the point, but I don't think the world is ready for me in that much spandex.

When we went out to take the photo, I hadn't really planned to ride much - I'm a morning person and evening energy is pretty low. If I had had my old bike, I would have put it back away. With my e-bike I thought, "Why not? I can pedal as much as I have energy for and use as much power I want to." So I ended up going probably three miles and finding what might be an eagle feather.

I started out thinking I might just cruise up Segoe a bit and see how far I got. In a couple of blocks, there was Hilltop going off to my left. My nemesis, the steep hill that had always stood between me and where I wanted to go. I had only managed to "bike" up it once, and that meant walking most of it. In the past two years my bursitis has been bad enough that I couldn't even do that. Let's just see whether my e-bike can defeat my arch nemesis!

Whoosh! Up I went, and very satisfying it was too. No big deal. I LOVE this bike!

Once at the top I had all sorts of options, so I decided to make a loop. I went east on Tokay to the end, at Glenway. Then I jogged over to the bike path that crosses Glenway half a block down. Once on the bike path I headed west.

It was just after crossing Odana that I passed the feather. It was right in the middle of the bike path. I went past, but turned around to go back for it - it was quite big, and I was curious what sort of bird it could have been from. Here is a photo I took when I got back home. The ruler part of the square is 10 inches; later I measured it with a tape and got 12 inches or 30.5 centimeters.

I did a little research on a website I found called The Feather Atlas, and I believe it is either from a Bald Eagle or a Turkey Vulture. I have to admit that the Turkey Vulture is more likely, since I have seen them over the Odana Golf Course before, but I love the idea that it could be from an eagle. The amazing thing is that it isn't impossible. When I was a kid it couldn't have been. DDT had decimated raptor populations and there were no eagles around Madison; now eagles are nesting in Southern Wisconsin and Turkey Vultures circle overhead. What a wonderful recovery for our national bird and other raptors.

I came back through the Odana Golf Course and had the joy of Hilltop going downhill this time. Wheee! Easy up, easy down. And a decent ride for a low-key evening. It may be embarrassing to admit that I need the psychological support of power assist, but I do - and now I have it. :-)

Biking With a Friend and Feeling 12 Years Old

My friend Laura is the first person I knew who had an e-bike, so naturally I told her when I got mine so we could go riding together. She got hers out of winter storage and called to say she could come over that evening and we could go for a ride. She might have rung the doorbell and asked if Anna could come out and play, but I was all ready and waiting. She admired my sleek new bike, and I cast envious glances at the fleece-covered, padded bike seat she has on hers. I had ridden hers once before, and it was certainly comfy!

We headed out, laughing, comparing notes, and cruising up and down the hills. Laura speculated on how the bikes' power compared. Her bike is at least ten years old, and we knew the battery technology had improved a lot since then. Laura wanted to find a flattish straightaway where we could test them out. A race! We found a flat block of Regent Street with no traffic. Laura set the rule - power only, no pedaling - and started off with her feet stuck out to the sides to demonstrate. "OK," I said, "I'm coming!" I ramped up the power and blew past her like she was standing still!

"My bike's better than your bike, my bike's better than yours!" Anyone else remember that old Ken-L Ration commercial?

After I had kindly waited for Laura to catch up, we cruised over to Garner Park, and up the park path to the shelter. On the wide path between the shelter and the parking lot Laura tried my bike for herself. "Aaaaagh! Wheeeeee!" (I think she liked it.)

Then it was time to head home. No parents were calling - just reality. We both had work in the morning, and looming deadlines.

Laura has loved her bike - with its stylish retro color and lines - for years, but she had to fight off a twinge of jealousy as she said goodnight and biked off home. I am grateful to Laura and her bike, since they are the reason I went knew about e-bikes in the first place, but I confess to a twinge of childish glee at winning our race!

Farmers Market By Bike - the Perfect Combination

This is one thing I've been looking forward to all winter: "my" farmers market and being able to bike there. I love the Westside Community Farmers Market. In one row of vendors you will find most things you want, from vegetables, bakery and maple syrup to chocolate, eggs, and flowers. And tortillas. And meat and cheese and pasta. And bedding plants. Not to mention some really lovely and friendly vendors. I've been going to this Farmers Market ever since it started. I managed to miss the first two this season, but today I wanted to e-bike over.

The Market is over one of the hills near me, but I have chosen a route that goes around the steepest part. Out of habit I followed that path, but later I realized that I no longer had to avoid hills - next time I'll just power up!

I arrived at the Market and locked my bike to one of the lovely bike-shaped bike racks by the DOT building. This Market is in the parking lot of the Department of Transportation. I find it a bit sad that such a cheerful and beautiful market should be staged on blacktop. I believe there were once plans to rebuild the DOT building and incorporate a landscaped area for the Market, but it never happened. I think it would be great to have a setting that does justice to the beautiful, fresh produce.

It was great to be back! Soon my backpack was filled and altogether too heavy. I had packages of RP's pasta, "tortillas" (I buy the big ones, because we use them for wraps at our house, filled with salad ingredients from the Market), wonderful fresh lettuce and spinach, a couple of baby bok choi, and even a dozen eggs. It was great to chat and hear the winter's news also - one of my favorite vendors is expecting her first child.

I checked out the plant vendors too, and saw a tomato plant I wanted. One of my favorites, that I have been growing for several years, is Rose de Berne, a wonderful tomato somewhat like Brandywine, but I like the flavor better. One vendor always grows a few of those plants, so I will get a plant from her next week. I love my bike, but I'm not going to transport plants home on it!

The road home starts with a coast down a good-sized hill, and then you have to slog uphill the rest of the way. It's not steep, but it's steadily uphill. I'm proud to say that even with all my eggs and vegetables, I didn't use the power assist until a half-block at the very end. :-)

Biking to my outdoor Farmers Market - now I know it's finally spring!

It's Not Cheating, It's Glorious!

The last two days I have been enjoying spring, and the really wonderful thing is that I have been doing some things that I haven't been able to do in a long time. I walked. I walked more than half-way out Picnic Point and back, and that is the furthest I have been able to walk in over a year. I worked in my garden. I gardened last year, but I remember how discouraging it was being painful kneeling down and getting back up. This year there is almost no pain.

I can't give the bike all the credit, by any means. I was determined to get better this year, and I have a wonderful physical therapist (thank you, Pat!) and have been working hard on the exercises and stretches. Spring and sunshine and warmer days have helped also.

But the bike has been important, both physically and mentally. I feel stronger and I feel liberated. The bike babies me if I need it, but most of the effort is mine - and I have new strength to prove it. That, in turn, helps make other types of exercise more possible. I feel more alive and positive than I have in a while.

I read a blog by an e-biker in Seattle who was asking regular bikers to stop hating on e-bikes. She said some regular bikers hate e-bikes because they're "cheating." Having felt in the beginning that perhaps I was cheating, I can understand that. But sorry, anything that makes me work harder than I was - just by enabling me to get out more - isn't cheating, it's glorious!

Longest Ride Yet: 7 Miles

Today marked a couple of firsts for me. One, it is my longest ride to date, and two, it is the first time I have biked outside of Madison starting from my house. Woohoo! I biked seven miles, to Middleton and back. It's not the Tour de France, but I'm happy.

The route from my house to the west side Willy St. Co-op in Middleton is more hilly than anything I have done so far - and my battery has not been charged since I got the new battery - several rides ago. There are three power indicator lights: green, yellow, and red. Normally all three are lit up. Today the red and yellow ones were lit, but the green one was lit only faintly. The manual says that means I'm starting to get low on charge, but I wanted to know how much further I could go. So I made sure my husband was willing to come and rescue me if I got stranded without power, and I headed out with my backpack.

What's interesting is that the lights change depending on what load you're putting on the battery. On the level, sometimes even the green light would be fully lit. Going up a hill, the green light would dim or even go out. It's good, because you feel like you're getting constant feedback about the power status.

Most of my ride was along Old Middleton Road, a fairly pleasant route. There's plenty of room for a bike along the side. Being Saturday, there was a good amount of traffic, so it was good to have the space. I was startled to find, however, that the speed bumps for cars extend all the way to the edges, so they go across the bike lane as well as the car lane. That makes for quite an obstacle bump. It's not like I'm going so fast I need to be slowed down, so I wonder why they do that. Anyway, I learn something new every day.

The downside of heading out with a low battery is that I was more cautious using the power assist - or maybe that was the upside, since I used my own power more. :-) But I certainly used it at least somewhat on every hill.

Welcome to Middleton! One of this summer's biking goals met. My next goal for out of Madison rides is to go south on the commuter path and then either south to Verona or west towards Seminole highway - but for now I'm thrilled to see the sign for Middleton.

I remembered my bike lock this time, and was able to lock to a bike rack. I remembered to take the key with me also, so I'm on a roll!

Shopping felt nice and restful, and I got sustenance in the form of a couple of samples. Great tamales made in Milwaukee! I started back with a full backpack of groceries (including some tamales for dinner), and resolved very quickly to use as much power as I needed, even if it meant running out and needing a ride home. Carrying a heavy pack really reduces the enjoyable element of biking. I have so got to find a way to make my carriers work for this bike. My lovely West Side Farmers Market has already started, and I want to bike there as often as I can this summer - and I don't want to be carrying a watermelon home like this!

Final lap! I headed up Rosa Road's hill, throttling up the power after I had gotten less than half way up. Close to the top the orange light went off, and I was left with only red. But when I eased off the power, the orange light came back on, and even the green, faintly. At the top, all lights were back on. Yay! My turn on South Hill Drive and it's all downhill from here. Wheeled into my driveway triumphant!

So I have learned that the battery indicator lights give you a fair amount of advance warning before your power is completely gone. I knew the power was low starting out, but I went seven more miles and never lost power. I will certainly charge up before I go out again, but that is really, really good to know.

Grocery Shopping By Bike

The past week has been challenging to my biking commitment, but I ended up doing pretty well. I felt like I was starting over, not for myself but to make good and sure that the new battery was really going to solve the power failure problem. On longer and longer rides, still not straying further from home than I wanted to power my own way back, it worked totally dependably.

So today I decided I could go further without being worried about getting stuck without power. I needed to get out of the house, I wanted to bike, and I needed groceries - so I decided to combine these by biking to the store.

I needed a gallon and a half of milk (some drink whole milk around here and some drink 2%), and the problem is that the wonderful carriers I have for my old bike don't work on the new bike. I settled for my backpack and headed out.

The store is about a mile and a half away, and it was downhill most of the way there. I took a back route, but it was still more "in traffic" than I really enjoy. I can't say I'm a fan of that part. I prefer my bike experiences to be quieter, and I really want my rear view mirror. My experiences in traffic have been in a car for most of the last few decades, and my habit of checking mirrors often is pretty ingrained. I have a bike mirror, but it's on my old bike.

I got to the store and realized that I didn't have a bike lock! Yet another thing that is on my old bike! I'm seeing a pattern here. As with the very first ride, I'd much rather just get on and go. I don't seem to have much patience for the "maintenance" part of biking, apparently even something as simple as grabbing my bike lock and making sure it's with the new bike. I think this may be a character flaw. Dang. Luckily, I asked at the service desk, and the folks at Whole Foods were very accommodating and allowed me to park the bike inside the first set of doors. I hurried and got my milk, grabbed two cans of cat food, and was ready to head home.

You know how you can sometimes understand something in theory, but you get a whole new understanding when you actually see it or experience it? Well, that's what happened to me next. The bike has a red button that "unlocks" the throttle. You can't actually engage the throttle until you turn the key in the battery AND push the red button. I described this in an earlier blog as looking like the red button in the movies that you're never supposed to push. It's a safety feature, so you can't accidentally turn the throttle as you are getting on the bike. Just imagine the bike taking off without you! Worse, you could be in an awkward position and get dumped on the ground. Luckily I was spared either of those, but I was quite startled, and have a new understanding and respect for this safety feature.

I was standing there, by my bike, with a backpack full of twelve pounds of milk. I was embarrassed to see that I had not only failed to bring a lock, I had failed to turn off the battery and take the key with me while I shopped. I was chagrined to find I had been such a dork, but I didn't think more of it. I grabbed the handle bars to pull the bike away from the food display and racks of vegetable seeds - and I accidentally turned the throttle. Yikes! Suddenly I had a two-wheeled bronco in my hands! I quickly wrangled it toward me and let the throttle loose - and we only bumped the seed racks a little bit - but it was more than a little startling. I just noticed I said "we" - the bike seems to become a separate entity when it develops a mind of its own!

I am pleased to say that the ride home was uneventful, even skirting around the city tree-trimmers who were felling whole trees into Segoe. I am proud to say I pedaled almost the whole way, even though it was uphill and I had a backpack. My bronco behaved quite well.

New Battery Works

It's been 8 days since my Long Ride, and I finally went out on my bike again. As I said in my last entry, Len's Electric Bikes replaced my battery when I reported my problem, but we didn't know if it was really the battery or something else. I've been wanting to do a test ride all week, but between the weather and not feeling all that great, I didn't get out. Yesterday I jumped on for a quick half block, and it worked - so far so good - but I wanted to give it a better test.

Today I worked through eating lunch so that I could grab 45 minutes of biking. The battery works! I have to say I'm a little surprised - I was really afraid it was a connection somewhere or something else in the wiring, but it worked solidly through my ride.

I didn't go far from home, but I wanted to use the power a lot, so I explored streets that I've never biked on before because they had steeper hills than I wanted to tackle. Hills? What hills? I'm still getting a kick out of just powering up hills I could never do by myself.

It's 57 degrees, and my weather app reports winds gusting to 35 miles per hour. It's much warmer than last week, and the predicted rain hasn't happened. In fact it's sunny on and off, so it was really very pleasant. The wind was definitely a factor, however. I don't mind wind, but it's harder work pedaling into it. It was strong enough to suggest that the power assist could be helpful going into a headwind. I didn't actually need to use it today, but that's one more liberating factor to having power.

A nice ride - it's good to be back out!

Well, I Broke My Bike

Well, I broke my bike - actually the battery. What a frustrating - yet oddly successful - day!

I decided that I was ready for a longer ride, especially since the weather turned genuinely nice. I decided to take advantage of the bike's foldbility to start from a new location. My granddaughter wanted a ride to the Young Shakespeare Players, where she's rehearsing in a couple of productions, and it's near Trader Joe's - and a bike path! So we put the bike in the car and off we went.

Folding the bike is surprisingly easy. It has one joint, with a little thumb-release lever and a big latch. The latch is a bit stiff, but doable. You also need to fold down one of the pedals, which is also easy. Then it just folds in half. Folding a bike is a bit awkward, as you might expect, but again, doable. With this bike, putting the kickstand down makes it easier to fold the front half back against the back half.

The hard part is lifting it into the car. There is no getting around the fact that an electric bike is hefty. Part of the weight is the battery, and you can take that off and load it separately, but much of it is the motor, which is built in.

I got my first clue that today was not going to be a totally perfect day when I started to lift the folded bike and the battery slipped loose. I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to do that, but I don't know if it was defective or if I handled it badly. I do know you're not supposed to use it as a handle, and I must have been pulling up on it, since it pulled loose. I had meant to take it off first, so I stowed it in the car.

My granddaughter helped me lift the bike in. I believe it is possible to buy a carry bag for a folding bike, and that might make it easier to get a grip on. Of course, I have to admit I have a very small car with a poorly designed loading area.

Once near the bike path, I got the bike out by myself, and got the battery reinstalled. I wasn't sure I had it right, because it wasn't exactly as shown in the instructions, but it seemed to be connected.

I headed toward the capitol, along with runners, walkers with strollers or dogs or both, inline skaters and other bikers. I paused to take a picture, and then in another block I was by the stadium, where you have to cross a couple of small streets and then Regent and Monroe. I knew at the first small street that the battery wasn't on right, so I stopped and fixed it. This time I got it right, with the back slipped firmly onto the metal plate that holds it down and the front plugged in.

It was beautiful, even though the scenery was winter drab and the view was mostly the backs of buildings on the outskirts of campus. The sun shone and the path itself is smooth and nearly flat. That's what I love about old rail corridors - the trains didn't like hills any more than I do! Bike paths built on old rail lines are great for just going.

Before this, I had been using the power assist to help me with hills that I wouldn't have wanted to do with just my own (lack of) power, but this was a different type of trip. Here, my plan was to use the extra power to increase the distance I could go. I simply twisted the throttle a bit whenever I felt like it, sometimes just for fun - just a little zoooom!

Soon I came to West Washington Ave, where I stopped to chat with a couple who had noticed my battery box and were curious what it was. I explained, and they were intrigued. Later in the trip a woman passed me and also noticed the box. "What is that? A fancy lunch box?" So I explained again. It's nice to find people friendly and interested. Hey Len, if I sell a bike do I get a commission?!

I got to Monona Bay, my old neighborhood. I turned right, thinking I would see how far I could go. Secretly I thought I might go all the way around the Bay - but I didn't want to scare myself. Bit by bit, around I went. Part-way 'round the path ends and you bicycle on the road, which has few cars. I stopped a couple of times to take pictures, and used the power whenever I felt I wanted a bit extra. On the far side, by Bernie's Beach, the road leaves the Bay and jogs over to Lakeside, past Franklin School.

This was great! Just a couple of blocks and I'd be on the bike path that follows John Nolan Drive and I'd be heading back. I'd made it around Monona Bay! Just up this little hill, a little power boost - and that's where the day got a little more challenging. The power died. I was at the farthest point from my car, and I'd already gone farther than I had any time in recent memory. And all that beautiful assist and zoom were gone. The power lights had been on - plenty of charge - and then they went out.

The return trip is a bit of a blur, but I made it - and that's where the success comes in. I made it! I biked 5.6 miles, mostly under my own steam. I did it!

Lessons learned:
If you have doubts about your equipment, don't go ahead on the longest trip yet!
Get a carrier for a water bottle and take a water bottle. Even if it's not high summer, working hard dehydrates you.
You might be stronger than you think!

I definitely had some responsibility for what happened, but it's possible that the battery was also defective. Only long-term use will really answer the question of how dependable the bike and battery are. That's part of what this blog is about, sharing the whole experience of using this bike. I truly love this bike, but I wouldn't wish a power failure like that on anyone. So I decided to take my concerns back to Len's Electric Bikes and see what they would say. I am happy to report that Len replaced the battery immediately and offered to replace the entire bike if the new battery didn't solve the problem.

What a long entry! Tomorrow will be more biking and less blogging - gotta try out my new battery. :-)

A Little Bird Watching By Bike

Dang! The sun was out earlier but I missed it. I decided I needed to work more before I took a bike break, and that's what I get for my virtuous decision: clouds and a bit of rain. Still, it is much warmer than the last time I was out - about 55 - and I didn't need my winter coat. I'll take it.

Today I'm tired, but I wanted to move ahead with my plan to go a little further each day. Sometimes you have to focus on your goals, and sometimes you have to listen to your body. I decided right off the bat that this was a perfect time to compromise. I would try for the route I had planned, but I would allow myself to depend on my power assist a little more than usual. After all, that's why I bought this bike. Without it, I would not have ventured out at all.

I took a new route, and ended up riding past a little narrow park where I used to take my kids when they were small. We could walk there from their great-grandparents' house, so that brought back some memories. Not only are my kids grown, and the great-grandparents gone, even my granddaughter is too old to play in a park.

I do like birds, seeing which ones are back, and watching them. I kept a lookout as I biked along, and I think I saw a flycatcher near that park, and I definitely saw a hawk. I wanted to take a picture to post, but when I stopped it glided from its tree to a different one just out of range. I could clearly see its red tail, and it was big enough, so I can safely say it was a Redtailed hawk. I'm always amazed seeing them in the city.

I did use the power more than on previous rides, but it turned out that I still did all the work for at least 80% of the ride. Yay! I felt a little shaky when I got back, however, so I wouldn't want to push it any more than I did. The bike and I are a team that make good things happen!

So Far Loving This Bike

Temperature about freezing, and there are clouds, but the sun comes through now and then, and it's a spring sun. I think it feels different because it's higher in the sky, and it's more warming than a winter sun. Still, I suited up in my full winter coat and wasn't too warm. In fact, I wore bicycling gloves and my hands were cold.

But I so love my bike! It's such a smooth machine. The gears feel smooth, and the bike - even with a heavy battery, doesn't feel heavy when you ride it - it feels responsive. The power throttle works very smoothly also, and that's important. When I hit a hill that is gradual, I can engage it just a little; I'm still doing some of the work, but I'm getting a little more result for my effort. Just for fun, I cranked it on one slope, and it flew up the hill! I haven't tried it on anything very steep yet, but it sure feels like the power is there. And, surprise, it rolls much better with the tires inflated correctly. :)

I've been struggling with the idea of the power assist, because it feels like somehow it's cheating. It feels like I will be tempted to let it do all the work and avoid any workout at all. I think I have a fear of being lazy. I believe I got over that today. For one thing, I didn't use the power for most of the ride at all, probably less than 10%. For another, I know I worked plenty hard because my legs were a bit wobbly when I got off. My great realization today is that the power assist is not assisting me in slacking off - it's just allowing me to go further and enjoy more on a given amount of energy. Breakthrough!

First Ride!

The Genesis 500 is a folding bike, so getting it home from the store was easy, even in my small car. One center joint, and it folds in half. I had help loading it, which is good because it is heavy. The battery sits on the back carrier, and it's part of what makes the bike heavy, along with the motor. I will have to see if I can lift it in myself - and also investigate how easy it is to take the battery off for loading.

I was so excited when I got home that I could only skim the first part of the manual. Once I found that the battery had already been charged at the store, all I wanted to do was take it for a ride! Forget adjusting it to fit me; forget safety check, just go. I am NOT recommending that! I did it check that the brakes worked. :) And off I went.

The day was not only cold - about 29 degrees - but also windy. I wore a winter coat and winter gloves and was fine. Cumbersome, yes, but worth it.

I have a short loop near my house that avoids most of the hills, and I decided to try that first, because I used to ride it on a normal bike, and I know how it feels. Within a block I felt the effects of little exercise, and that first response from my body: "Wait, we're going to do what?!" But I went on, and by the third block came the first hill. Time to try out a little power!

The battery has a key, and you turn it to the "on" position before heading out. Then, when you want power, you push a red button that looks like the ones in movies - red, square, the one that drops the bomb, the one that causes dramatic music to play whenever the camera focuses on it. So I pushed it, feeling the drama of unleashing all the power in my electric battery! I turned the throttle, and zoom! My hill became as easy as a plain. I do believe I love this bike!

I didn't realize it at first, but once you have pushed the red button, you can just leave it on for the ride. Its purpose is to disengage the throttle while you get onto the bike. If you're holding the handle bars while you swing your let over, you might accidentally twist the throttle and zoooom - you bike takes off before you're all the way on.

It was glorious to be out, cold and all. I was delighted to see my first robin of spring - actually about 30 of them. A whole flock were hunting worms on the median on Regent Street.

When I got back, my husband came out to admire the bike in more detail, and pointed out a few things I should probably have checked before riding. So we filled the tires to the correct pressure, turned the front reflector so that it actually faced the front, and adjusted the front brake to the correct tension. Ahem. At least now I'm really set for my next ride.