Meeting a cycling guru in the middle of nowhere

July 31, 2023

I left Quad Cities weaving my way through Davenport, Bettendorf, then Moline to reach Colona Illinois and the start of the Hennepin Canal Trail. There is a lot of farming history in this area being the birthplace of John Deere. The Canal has its share also. It was originally conceived in the early 1830s as a way to connect Chicago to the Mississippi as a shipping route. It’s construction however was not started til 1908. I am not sure what those that built it were thinking as other canals in the country had already been made obsolete by the burgeoning rail roads of the day. It was never financially well off and closed to boat traffic in the 1950s. It is now a popular hiking. Cycling, and fishing area. Sad part is it is not well maintained. I was here two years ago on my tour to Minnesota and since then the vegetation along the trail has just about taken over. Apparently the trail cannot be maintained by volunteers as all other rail trails are due to union lobbyists wanting to keep their jobs. But at the same time the state government has not funded maintenance very well.

I saw the first Baltimore Oriole I have seen since I was a kid. I think it was lost as it is a long way from home. I am not sure why they are not seen in Baltimore anymore. I also saw a flock of brown pelicans flying along the Mississippi and a great blue heron on the canal.

I ride through several small towns near the canal including Colona, Geneseo, Atkinson, Annawan, Mineral, and Sheffield. I like riding through these kinds of towns and taking pictures of the old architecture which is fast disappearing. Geneseo is a particularly nice thriving town and I had a lunch of three tacos at the Barney’s Korner Bar and Grill. Great little place.

I have a warm showers host who is the reincarnation of Sheldon Brown himself. He does not live in the house where I am staying but keeps it as a place to house his collection of vintage bikes. There are bikes and bike parts everywhere you look. And he says his home is cluttered with even more stuff. He is a vintage/classic bike hoarder. I am amazed at what is here. I have tried to encourage him to make a will as he has no wife or children and his brothers no nothing about the monetary or historic value of what is here. It would be a shame if this was just dumped in a landfill or wind up in some goodwill should he pass.

Tomorrow I’ll head east and reconnect with the trail around Tiskilwa. I don’t have any designated place to stay the night so I will wing it and hope for the best.

I have more pics but on my camera and I am too tired to fetch them. Maybe later. Nite.

Today's ride: 66 miles (106 km)
Total: 2,579 miles (4,150 km)

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