Saturday, July 18, 2009

Aebleskiver Ride 2009


Another successful aebleskiver ride - but then again, it's hard to go wrong when eating and biking are involved!

I started from Wakonda at 7:30 am with Marilyn, Gregg, and Greg (aka Hooterville Mayor). These three people had to get up very early to drive from Sioux Falls to my house in Wakonda. We met up with the Vermillion riders on highway 19 just 7 miles down the road. Craig, Cindy, and Angie were herding kittens while waiting for us (see the Mayor's blog for details and photo). Kwen rode up shortly after and we the seven of us were off to Centerville where we met up with Sue, Pam, and Jack. The urge for goodies at the Centerville Bakery was overpowering me and I twisted every ones' arms and they joined me. And we had a lovely little spot in the flower garden across the street to join our treats.

A short 11 miles and we rode into Viborg. Lots of activity in town as they were celebrating Danish Days. The folks serving the aeleskiver breakfast at the Methodist Church seemed to be expecting us! Evidently someone had taken the snippet of the article on favorite bike trails/rides from the South Dakota Magazine that described my favorite route and our aebleskiver bike ride and put it in the church newsletter. Needless to say, we were treated very well and pictures were taken so we'll see if we show up in the local paper!


We left Viborg as people lined main street with their lawn chairs getting a good spot for the parade and as we left town it felt like we were part of the parade. I felt like I should have been throwing candy to the kids!

Since we had had quite a bit of nourishment we decided on the longer route back to Wakonda. This route is also all downhill....well, except for a few hills....as the Mayor says, the route was as flat as a Danish aebleskiver, not as flat as a pancake. But I think it is a very pretty route and I know it is a lot more fun going down Talmo Hill than up!
Once at my house we taste tested a few New Glarius beers - next time my husband and I go to Wisconsin we need a larger vehicle to bring back more! Lunch was punctuated with lots of biking stories and conversations about everything under the sun. Hardcore bikers such as Angie and Kwen continued on home to Vermillion and Hub City....but the rest packed up and started home in their cars.
And then it was time for a long nap for me.......a great day, thanks everyone for making the ride so much fun!

Here is part of the article from the SD Magazine:

Our Best Rides
Cyclists share their favorite routes
By John Andrews

South Dakota boasts some of the finest biking routes in the West. They include challenging, rugged trails in the heart of the Black Hills, easier paved paths through major cities and solitary country roads. Biking enthusiasts often know the best routes, so we asked eight of them to share their favorite South Dakota rides. Try them and you’ll spot deer and bald eagles on one of our last river islands, enjoy some of Sioux Falls’ best restaurants and unique shops or sample a traditional Danish breakfast (if you’re timing is good). So choose a path, strap on a helmet, pump up your tires and start exploring.

Riding for Aebleskiver and Apple Fritters

I ride a 42-mile loop on county roads that take me through Wakonda, Irene, Viborg and Centerville and cross the Vermillion River five times. I ride a lot with the Lane Hogs, a biking group from Vermillion. Usually about six or eight of us go.
The great part is there’s not much traffic. Highway 19 has a nice wide shoulder, so we can get out of the way. Drivers around here are very considerate of riders. They give us lots of room when they pass. If we’re in a dangerous spot for passing, we’ve had trucks slow down to 10 miles an hour and follow.
In the summer when it’s hot, there are plenty of chances to stop and fill water bottles or take a break. It’s also a really pretty route. It’s different in a car. You miss a lot. My favorite part is between Irene and Wakonda on the County Line road between Yankton and Clay counties. It’s very hilly there, so it can be a struggle, but the hills and valleys are very pretty.
We try to ride the loop every third Saturday of July so we can stop in Viborg for an aebleskiver breakfast during Danish Days. I like the warm cashews from the convenience store in Viborg, too. We also like riding through Centerville so we can stop for an apple fritter at the Royal Bake Shop. I've been known to call the bakery and ask them to save some apple fritters if I know we're coming through.

Cathy Logue, xx, began biking in 2005 and has completed two Tour de Kotas and the RAGBRAI (Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa). She is the coordinator of student services at the University of South Dakota’s Sanford School of Medicine in Vermillion. For information on the Lane Hogs, visit www.lanehogs.com.


Monday, July 13, 2009

Aebleskiver Ride Update - TIME CHANGE!

The annual Aebleskiver Ride is on for this Saturday (July 18th)!

We will leave my house in Wakonda at 7:30am (a half hour later than originally posted).

For those riding from Vermillion, we will plan to meet on the corner of Highway 19 and 302nd Street at 8:00am. Let me know if your leaving from Vermillion and I'll give you my cell phone number so we don't miss each other on the road.

We'll have a quick stop in Centerville at the Cennex Convenience Store where Sue and friends will join us. We should be there by 8:30am. (Please note, if anyone from Sioux Falls wants to join us and 7:30 from Wakonda is too early for you, you have the option of starting and ending in Centerville.)

Then on to Viborg (10 miles from Centerville) for the Aebleskiver breakfast at the Methodist Church. The plan is to be there by 9:45am. The church ladies have been alerted but we need to make sure we don't hold them up so they miss the 10:30am parade.

Then on to Irene or if you prefer route option #2 - the scenic route which will take you past the hills near Marindahl Lake area, a herd of buffalo and a rusting tug boat on the prairie.

Final stop, my house in Wakonda for lunch and refreshments!

Here are the maps:

Aebleskiver Route; 42 miles

Aebleskiver Scenic Ride; 52 miles (no stop in Irene)

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Aebleskiver Ride 2009





It is time for the 4th annual Aebleskiver Ride!
Saturday, July 18th
Leave my house at 7:00am sharp. 42 mile ride through Centerville, Viborg - where we'll have an aebleskiver breakfast, Irene, and back to Wakonda where we'll have post-ride food and refreshments at my house.
Everyone welcomed!
Here is a recap of the Aebleskiver Ride 2007 recap on Biking Brady's blog.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Commuting to Work by Bike - 25 Miles Each Way

First of all, I’m not a huge bike commuter, but for the last 3 years my goal has been to try to bike to work at least 5 times. Not a huge goal, but seems like the stars all have to be in perfect alignment in order for this to happen. With a little planning it is getting easier so I thought I would share how it works for me:

• Number one, I usually wait until the weather gets warm enough for the morning commute AND I have enough daylight.
• To contradict number one, it occured to me this year that there are ways around this. If it is too cold in the morning or too dark, I do have the option of riding the bike home from work. I drive to work in the morning with my bike on the bike rack and ride home. The next morning I catch a ride to work with someone. This is possible since it seems half the population of Wakonda works at USD. This year we had a snap of warm weather in March so I used that chance to ride my new Bike Friday home. I usually don’t get any commuting miles in that early!
• If I wait until there is a day when the weather forecast is perfect, the bike commute will never happen. My philosophy now is if the weather looks good in the morning, go for it. Those forecast of scattered thunderstorms are so hit and miss that I’ll take the chance and ride anyway. If it is looking stormy about the time I leave work or if the wind is gusting over 20 mph and I don’t want to deal with it, again, I call someone who works at USD and lives in Wakonda for a ride home.
• Have an extra gym bag at work with work clothes, hairdryer, make-up, etc. I am very fortunate to have a locker room in our new building with showers. But before that I would have baby wipes in my bag and they were okay for cleaning up after a morning commute. Unless I have something special going on, I skip the make-up and blow drying my hair when I get to work.
• The time goes much faster on the 1 1/2 hour commute if I have some music. I have the iHome bike speaker for my iPod that goes into a water bottle cage that I love. Or sometimes I like to listen to the news on my way to work, I have a cheap mp3 player with a radio band, I just put in one ear bud and listen to that.

My personal reasons for bike commuting:
• Besides the typical reasons of doing something good for the planet, etc., one of the main reasons I bike commute is because it is a great way to get in some decent miles of riding in on a weekday while being able to hangout with my husband in the evening.

Okay, now I’m wondering why I don’t commute more often by bike!