My ride to the Bike Commuter Breakfast in Davenport was great. On the way there, I ran into (figuratively speaking) a guy who had parked his truck underneath the Arsenal viaduct near the bike path behind the Quad City Botanical Center. He had some kind of animal in a cage. As I approached, I saw that it was an incarcerated muskrat.
"I'll wait until you get by before I release him," said the man.
Then it was on to the viaduct and then the government bridge, where my progress was halted by a barge locking through the dam. Damn.
It didn't delay me that much, and a few minutes later I arrived at the breakfast at Bechtel Park. There I met up with my brother, Bad Bob, an avid cyclist (that's us together in the accompanying photo; he's to the left). We talked while drinking coffee and eating breakfast burritos (from Greatest Grains -- they were great), then he was off to work.
I stuck around for a while and chatted with Jeff Cornelius, Dan McNeil, Chuck Oestreich and Bill and Mary Scott, then rode off toward Moline with Dean Mathias, the bare-back rider (he rides with no seat).
"You ever see anyone else who does what you do?" I asked Dean.
"Not on purpose," he quipped.
Before heading back to the bike path, I stopped at the Arsenal gate to see if I could ride across the island on its path to Moline instead. As I suspected, the guard told me no, I could not. I'll look into that odd regulation later.
Then it was back on the path with Dean, and soon we were joined by Andy Olson, who works at Black Hawk College, and Doug McCollum, a friend of mine who has a psychology practice in Moline. These three guys are avid cyclists. I was the novice, but they made me feel at home and we chatted all the way into downtown Moline, where I struck off for the office at the Dispatch.
It was a great way to start the day.
Later this morning I met up with Jessica Tighe with KWQC-TV to do an interview on Alternative Transportation Week and the Car-Free Challenge. She said the segment probably will air on tonight's 6 p.m. newscast.
Hi Joe,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sending me the link to your blog. :-)
One thing that I know from past experience with the Arsenal is that you have to be going onto it with a "purpose" (not just recreational riding or riding through). Four or five years ago when my friends were members of the swim pool I was able to ride onto the Arsenal to join them.
I also have a friend who bicycles for sport and works on the Arsenal. I've tried talking him into regularly commuting by bicycle but he only comes up with excuses. He has never given me the excuse that riding onto the Arsenal not allowed.
I have walked and driven to the visitor center. I would not think riding a bicycle to the visitor center would be any different.
Side notes: Whenever I've been to the Arsenal I had to show the guard an ID with a picture(in my case it was either a driver's license or student ID). http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/missriver/MRVC/MRVC.htm.
I have been told (by Brian B.) that the Arsenal is not strict about requiring helmets along the bike path of the arsenal. I can only guess with a strong confidence a person would not be able ride their bicycle through the gates without one on.
Sincerely,
Andy
Keep up the good work, Joe!
ReplyDeleteBareback