"It?s a given that bicyclists need plenty of fuel to power their engines," Anne writes. "The late summer-early fall harvest, with all that potential fuel ripening, is also some of the best bicycling weather in Iowa. Fall in Iowa is what makes the summer's heat and humidity worth enduring. The colors of the foliage, the light as it dances over the partly-harvested fields, and the bounty of the season, all make this the favorite for many bicyclists. On a recent weekend, my partner and I hit the road for a little overnight trip to enjoy the end of the season."
Anne goes on to explain that she and Larry were joined by almost 200 old and new friends on this second annual bicycle tour of farms, food, and fermentation. "Each stop features fare made with produce from local farms prepared by local chefs. Proceeds benefit our school district?s Farm to School chapter and the Youth Off-Road Riders Cycling Club. The Culinary Ride is the brainchild of an enterprising young bicyclist, Audrey Wiedemeier, who is working this year at the Iowa City Bike Library, thanks to AmeriCorps/EnergyCorps.
A pooch guards his pumpkins.
"This ride was our attempt to keep the magic going after an intense three-week ride down the Pacific Coast from Portland to San Francisco using the Adventure Cycling maps. Larry packed up his Nishiki and I loaded two panniers to ride his LeMond. After (and at times during) the coast ride I'd wondered if I'd ever want to tour again. Happily, I was excited to be a 'bagger' one more time, if only for an overnight.
"Ride organizers link the foodie-farmer-bicyclist communities together by bringing produce to area chefs who do their voodoo. The first meal stop included baba ghanoush, hummus, vegan wraps, luscious ripe fruits, and an invitation to tour the farmer's virgin and restored prairie."
Colleen, Matthew, Jenna, and Erin enjoying the feast and the fun.
Anne admits to having had some trepidation going into the ride, knowing the route included some rough dirt and gravel sections -- she'd ridden some of the same roads on the first Culinary Ride, and hadn't cared for it. However, she writes, "Maybe I?m a better rider now (or perhaps the roads were in better shape). It was easier going than I thought it was going to be. I even had time and energy to chat with other riders and sightsee along the way.
"Soon, a sign directed us to the 'Clandestine Campsite,' where we turned up a sandy road to a circle of trees. A campfire was burning and bicyclists were eating heaping plates of food and drinking home-brewed beer as they sat in groups on sheets and blankets placed around the fire."
Read the rest of Anne's story -- which includes some lip-smacking descriptions of several of the dishes she enjoyed -- at BikeOvernights.org. There you'll also find a collection of Photos of the Week, including this week's image (shown below). It comes from Gear Guide: Go Far and Go Anywhere on the Fargo, by Mac.
Top 3 photos by Sarah Neighbors Photography, bottom photo by Michael McCoy.
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BIKE OVERNIGHTS is posted every Tuesday by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling?s media specialist, and highlights content from BikeOvernights.org. Previously, from March 2009 through January 2012, Mac posted weekly at Biking Without Borders. He also compiles the organization's twice-monthly e-newsletter Bike Bits, which goes free-of-charge to nearly 47,000 readers worldwide.
Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/12/ride-dine-our-first-ever-iowa-bike.html
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