Treesfortom

Not new to bicycling, but I am new to forums. I just started riding again, after not for about 10 years, you know pretending to be too busy. Well I am back and hope to keep it up. Not alot of miles last year, but I did do 89 on my 50th Birthday!
I hope to get going again once the snow melts! I live in North Central Iowa on a nice paved county road with a couple of good hills; unfortunately it is now also the major road for grain, feed, and livestock trucks. I have great roads all around me where I can ride in solitude except for the occassional dog or three, but it takes 2 miles to get to where they are not busy. That is the problem! It is not always light out and the wife doesn't like me riding in the dark when there are all of those dangerous vehicles out there. I have bright lights and the traffic does notice you at night, but what about the day when they force you off of the road in broad daylight?

East Hill

Hi Treesfortom, you are not alone in having those vehicles coming at you even in the daylight. I think I've seen some threads about that very thing in the Commuting forum (yes, and about Iowa!).

Check out the Commuting forum for some suggestions, but if you don't already have a high vis vest, I would try wearing one of those .

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

jordanb450

It's nice to meet yet another member from Iowa I myself am from Iowa (currently attending the University); I came from a smaller town and understand the county roads...dangerous at times! Welcome to the forums...do you plan to participate in/return to ragbrai? 89 miles is a long distance...I guessed it was a day or so on ragbrai

slushlover2

The biggest obstacle to riding in Iowa is that most of the secondary roads are gravel. I did a solo ride across Iowa last year and had to ride state highways way too much. I live on the Iowa/Illinois border and do 80% of my riding in Illinois. The only advice I can give you is to try to find others to ride with you. Motorists still wont respect you, but they are afraid of witnesses.

Treesfortom

Thanks for the suggestion on the vest as I have thougth of this also, on trying to be come more visible.

East Hill

The vests are really helpful, especially the high vis green ones!

East Hill

Treesfortom

Jordan,
Thanks for the reply!
Ragbrai was here last year, as they traveled through Hampton, north and east of where I live in the country. I rode in and back looked around and came back home. I met a couple of bikers south of my house in the dark with trailers and lights headed to Hampton at about 11:00PM, offered them a palce to stay, but they had freinds to meet.