A special thank you to Rich Gray for submitting a video to share on the LCTA website. The video is his collection of photographs from various parks, trails and lakes throughout the area. Enjoy the video! Click the link to enjoy: http://youtu.be/NRXbv_GQqA0
It was very good. It is to bad I moved to CA 46 years ago. Should I return with my bicycle, for a J Hawk 55th class reunion in 2014, I will take a tour of the city. I still have my 1954 Schwinn 3 speed, Green Traveler, that my dad helped me buy @ Hall Bicycle Shop.
In 1955, with my best riding friend, Dick Kula and I rode to Central City, IA and back for (50+) miles.I delivered my CR Gazette Papers @ 5 AM on a sunday morning on Columbia (1) speed bike. Came home and got on my pre packed Schwinn. I went over to Dick’s house and rousted him out of bed for the bike ride leaving @ the crack of dawn and returning just before sunset on fall sunday morning. We didn’t have the kind of trails you have now. High Curbs on the 1930 highways and loose sand near the edge on the gravel roads, could derail you easily as it did with Dick. Our first aid kit was not adequate, so we stopped @ kind farmers house and they helped us clean up Dicks Road Rash. We got on our bikes and pedaled to the nearest paved highway and on back to Cedar Rapids. After all, we were Jr High Roosevelt Rough Riders. I earned my BSA Cycling Merit Bag. I am sure a higher power was watching over us as didn’t carry a frame air pump, tools to change tubes as we didn’t carry any. We had Peter/Pan Bread with peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. Fruit? We did carry a couple of canteens of water. USA Made Bikes Were very tough. The bike weighed (48) pounds.
When I was 60, I rode a custom built Cannondale Touring Bike to NE from CA, self contained, in (25) Days, with all the proper equipment.
Sign me as one ex Roosevelt Rough Rider & Iowa Trails Supporter, James Knigge in CA.