Setting my Sights on Saylorville

I had a medium sized ride scheduled for today and I couldn’t stomach another in-city ride, so I headed north of town to Saylorville. The Neil Smith Trail rides along the east side of the lake and is a little, as my friend Heather said, “bumpy”.
I found a parking lot off NW 66th and unloaded my bike. I’ve been trying to break in my Brooks leather saddle for a while now; I always forget to use the conditioner on it. So I slathered that on and set off on the path.
As I rode through the woods I quickly realized I was headed in the right direction. A little head wind and a slow rolling (bumpy) climb meant I would be in for a treat on the way home. I stopped to take a few scenic pictures and unabashedly sang along to my classic rock Pandora station, something I don’t feel comfortable doing when I’m saying, “on your left” every quarter mile.
I saw only about 8 people on the whole 70 minute ride, but the highlight was cresting the first hill to catch a group of gentlemen relieving themselves in plain view off the side of the trail. Hey guys, ladies bike too… At least stand behind a tree.
Once I got back to my Jeep I loaded up to head home. To the west, the road home, to the east… Casey’s. When I was younger, my parents would coax me on long rides with the promise of a sprinkled doughnut halfway through. Ever since, I can’t turn down a Casey’s stop after a long ride. I saw that brick building and flipped the turning signal… Quick.

If you’re headed out to the Neil Smith trail, here are a few tips:
1. Know where the trail’s closed. I attempted to ride out here the other day but got stuck at the Birdland Levee construction site. This time I drove out to the south tip of the lake and parked in a designated trail parking area.
2. Keep your mouth shut! I don’t mean, keep this gem a secret, I mean literally… Keep it shut. There are bugs all over.
3. Stop at the stop signs. This applies to all trails, but I noticed that with all of the rolling hills and curves, and so few stop signs, that a few of them caught me off guard. Coming out of the woods full speed doesn’t give crossing traffic much time to stop for you… especially when they don’t have a stop sign themselves.