Shed Building Plans

Last night after work I headed west into the flat rural country for a short recumbent ride.  There was nearby thunderstorms rumbling off in the distance but it cleared up enough I decided to risk it.  Weve had plenty of rain and the creeks are flowing good. 

   

It was an easy ride mainly just to get out and enjoy the fresh country air.  I even rode in my jean shorts, polo shirt and work shoes.  Regular pants arent much fun on rides over half and hour or so especially on an upright bike but on the recumbent most street clothes function perfectly.  Sometimes it is nice to just go for a ride without getting suited up in the cycling costume.

     

Here are some shots of my son on his first recumbent ride aboard my HP Velotechnik Street Machine.  One day I asked him if he had any interest in learning how to ride the bike and he was so we headed over to the school grounds where traffic wouldnt be a problem.

On his first attempt to get moving he faltered a bit but stayed upright and was off and flying on his second try.  Since Ive taken these photos weve been out to the local rail trail and he did great on the bent for a 23 mile ride.  He described that riding the recumbent gave him a feeling like flying.  I agree and noticed that sensation right away too when I first started.  I think that comes from having your feet up higher.

Yesterday I spent a few quality hours on my recumbent bike touring the Ohio countryside.  I wanted to ride somewhere new but I didnt feel like loading up my bike on the car rack and driving just to ride.  The only problem with that is I have to ride for about an hour in any given direction just to get to roads Ive never ridden.

From my driveway I headed north keeping to rural back roads I like to ride.  I didnt have a route planned I just ambled along choosing my route as I went.  My ride took me roughly twenty miles across my county and to the border of Huron County, about 30 miles south of Lake Erie.  Most of the country is farmland and with all the rain weve had the crops are growing well. 

On longer range rides Ive taken to using my smartphone map to aid in navigation and it has made it easier to enjoy the ride more than flying blind trying to avoid the busier state highways.  In the old days I used to make a photo-copy of a section I planned to ride from a page in the Ohio Atlas & Gazetteer.  That analog map worked fine but occasionally I would ride off the paper and be back to guessing.  Thats not always the best method when a couple hours from home and under your own power.

I wasnt planning a big ride but the conditions were perfect with just a slight breeze from the northwest and mild temperatures in the upper 70s.  I felt good and the miles kept adding up.  Consulting the map I found a place I never been that would put me about 25 miles north of home.  

   

Willard Marsh Wildlife Area is a 1,676-acre conservation area located a few miles southwest of Willard, Ohio in southern Huron County.  Access to the area is by gravel roads which line the perimeter of the park.  I try to avoid gravel if I can help it but the HP Velotechnik has no problem gobbling up gravel miles.  These roads were in super shape so going wasnt all that bad at all.  The scenery made it worth it.

Last week a reader named Dave from Columbus mentioned that he had recently been riding on the Heart of Ohio Trail that runs from Centerburg, northeast to Mt. Vernon.  I know a trail that runs into Mt. Vernon but its on the other side and it has a different name.  Ive been riding the Kokosing Gap Trail for a few years and it is one of my favorites.  

 I had no idea there was another rail trail in the Mt. Vernon area.  Thanks Dave!  As much as I love the Kokosing its only 13 miles long end to end. I always start at Mt. Vernon and ride to the far end then back for a total of 26 miles.  While always a relaxing and scenic ride at 26 miles its just a little more than a warm up when riding my recumbent bike so often Im hesitant to make the hour long trip by car to get to the trail head.  

It seems that with every passing year I am growing less and less fond of sharing the roads with ever increasing car traffic and their inattentive drivers.  So in order to find solace and safety on the rail trail Im willing to accept a bit of four-wheeled purgatory to get there.  Now with the discovery of a second trail radiating out from Mt. Vernon the thought of combining the two resulting in a 50 mile day makes the drive much more worth it. 

Yesterday I decided to give it go and motored to the small town of Danville that is the eastern terminus of the Kokosing Gap Trail.  From there Id ride west to Mt. Vernon covering trail Id been up and down many times for a warm up before going into adventure mode once I located the beginning of the HOOT trail.

I used the map on my smart phone to help navigate a couple miles of suburban streets across the southern end of Mt. Vernon and shortly I found the trail.  The map showed the trail starting right where I was but new looking trail pavement headed east back towards the center of Mt. Vernon so I decided I would explore that way on the return trip. 

As it shows in the opening picture I only had to pedal about a hundred feet and I was back in the shady peacefulness of the trees starting my first journey on the Heart of Ohio Trail.  I love exploring new trails where Ive never been.  Its fun to see whats along the way.  After a mile or two the trees opened up and I saw this 1/4 mile drag strip. 

The HOOT trail follows a portion of the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon & Columbus Railroad and a few examples of its old iron is all that is left besides the grade itself. 

These bridges cross Dry Creek several times Although it didnt look particularly dry when I passed over.

This one had an active hornets nest attached so I didnt hang around too long.

Before I got on down the trail I did notice this plant growing on the railing with its interesting spiny seedpods.  Not sure what it is.

The HOOT trail shot straight as an arrow for long stretches sharing the valley with State Route 36 and passed picturesque small farms and woodlands.

Another clue that a railroad once existed; glass telegraph insulators.  There was quite a few rotting poles along the trail but the pins were all bare except for this one which Im sure is the one Dave mentioned in his comment.

 Eventually I pulled into Centerburg and the end of the paved trail.  Centerburg has its name because it actually is the geographic center of the state.  

On longer rides I carry a small snack to refuel at the half way point.  Some salty pretzels and a little can of Coke hit the spot.  One of the greatest things about cycling is how good food seems to taste both during and afterwords. I relaxed and finished my snack under the shade of a tree in a park before saddling up for the return trip.

When I was still a few miles out from Mt. Vernon while checking for traffic at a cross road I noticed this old brick building mostly obscured by trees.  I hadnt noticed it on the way out so I turned around and pedaled up to investigate.


  

Structural damage and decay is happening to several sections of the building.

At the rear of the house is this huge chimney which must have vented an incinerator or the steam boiler.  On the northwest corner of the structure I found a marble plaque with the date of construction and the county officials behind the project.

Im glad I happened upon the place and was able to have a look around and take a few pictures. Like so much of Ohios earlier architecture I think this places existence is drawing to a close.

I rolled back towards Mt. Vernon and passed the point where I started on the HOOT and kept riding east.  This section of the trail was very new having been just recently paved.  I passed by an old industrial area where a large factory complex once stood. All that was left was a couple smaller building frames and this huge smokestack.

The trail eventually came to an end where it intersected an active train track running perpendicular to the old line.  Across the tracks I spotted the Mt. Vernon Station.  The trail section in my photo ends at State Route 13 just before the old iron bridge in the background.  Eventually the trail will continue on and link up with the Kokosing Gap Trail. 

If Jesus were around today I think hed like bicycles.  Recumbents especially; they would go fine with his beard and sandals.  I bet hed ride on water too.

Heres a shot from a week ago while I was riding the flatlands of Marion County. Note the water in the field.

Last Monday I wanted to stretch my legs a bit and do a longer ride.  I mapped out a route that utilized the B&O trail that Ive ridden countless times but to add something new I added a 13 mile loop off the southern end of the trail.  

 Sometimes I ride east from the trails end at Butler, Ohio a short distance to Mohican State Park and enjoy a big helping of hill country.  But I wasnt feeling like covering the same ground Ive been over before.  Luckily its hilly in every direction from Butler so I struck out east and then headed south on a country way called Bunker Hill Road that travels through southern Richland County .

On that ride I finally accomplished something that Ive always struggled with.  The first 25 miles of the ride was smooth sailing on the bike trail.  On the relatively flat surface of a rail trail its always tough to hold back and not get rolling too fast.  I occasionally glanced down at my cycle computer and backed off the effort every time I drifted up over 14 mph.  I havent used a heart rate monitor in years but Im sure my system was running a pretty low BPM.

That all changed when I hit the hills.  Contrary to the rumors recumbents can climb hills just fine.  They dont climb fast but theyll climb.  The first few miles didnt feel so good but after a while I got into my groove and started even to enjoy the climbs.  And of course climbing big hills has a sweet payoff; thats descending down the other side.  On the decent into Butler on the last hill I hit a top speed of 45 mph.

Back on the bike path I noticed I had plenty of gas left in the tank and held 16 mph for the last 12 miles.  This was another benefit of the conservative effort expended during the first part of the ride.    

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 This morning with coffee I was watching the second to the last stage of the tour.  I wasnt planning to ride today but needless to say watching the riders racing the stage that determines the winner of the tour in the Alps struggle along a route culminating with a climb up the Alpe dHuez I had to go ride my bike.

Periodically I like to do a time trial style ride where I put it all out and go as hard as I can for time. Kind of a test to gauge my fitness over the long haul.  Usually I ride my road bike when doing and all out effort but Ive not even got on my road bike this year so I said hell with it and loaded up the recumbent.  

I headed to the B&O trail which even on a Saturday isnt terribly crowded and provides the greatest distances between automobile crossings.  I decided the distance would be 30 miles and started from the northern end of the trail.  This time instead of holding back on the southern slightly downhill leg of the trip I easily managed 20 mph cruising speed and even with the crossings and slowing down for safety around other trail users I managed 18.3 mph average speed for the first 15 miles.

Of course I knew the going wouldnt be so easy going the other way but I persevered and contemplated on the spectacle I had just witnessed on the tour and figured my ride would be a simple warm up or the equivalent of a ride to the store for those guys.  But the inspiration payed off and I logged the best time Ive ever ridden on the recumbent even bettering many of the times I set on the road bike.

 30 Mile Time Trial
Ride Time:  1:43:43
Distance:  30 miles
Avg Speed:  17.3 mph