2021????

We all figured that 2021 would be a new leaf or more like a flower blooming. Well, so far that hasn't happened in these United States. Record Covid-19 deaths every week; violence in Washington DC!

Global warming actually has increased my riding times here in

southern Indiana. I've always

called the mild winters the past 16 years as "Tennessee Winters". That is pretty much every winter in these recent times. I can still tolerate rides of three hours or more in 35 degree weather. One word: plenty of layers for this skinny old man.

During these cold days I've been riding my Salsa Warbird Gravel Bike and purposely searching for new roads, especially gravel, of southern Indiana.

My first trip in 2021 will be in April in San Diego co-leading a HeartCycle.org trip with Scott MacCormack. Everyone of you know about what a great area it is, but usually we think of the city and coastline of southern California. But there is so much more. The forests and state parks like Laguna; the deserts around Borrego Springs; the quaint village of Julian and new overnites in Temecula and Oceanside. And finally our last day along the coast.

This may be a tough training ride for the

spring, but it will be well worth it.

I'm planning a 4 day weekend ride this season with my Sylvia, aka Willow, on the tandem. We'll be riding through Putnam and Parke Counties of Indiana seeing most of the forty or so covered bridges. I'm hoping she will tolerate the bumpy gravel and enjoy it so much that the next step will be a weeks ride on the Katy Trail

My midweek centuries should be starting in mid April. Any of you are welcome to come on down to southern Indiana. They are free! We spend all day at it as we go "as fast as the slowest rider". I usually post the century the weekend before and they can be on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday based on the weather and my very part-time work schedule.

In June I'll be leading a HeartCycle.org ride from Logan in northwest Utah through Idaho and Wyoming up to The Grand Tetons in Jackson Hole. If you are into vast and lonely cycling in cowboy country, this is the one to sign up for! We will take a day to ride in the National Park with an additional day off in Jackson Hole for all other attractions.

One of these summer weeks I'll also hopefully be travelling up to Ontario to scout for a ten day intermediate HeartCycle with my favorite Canuck, Wendy Amirault. It will be a flat and casual trek with two days off - one in Niagara Falls and another in Stratford to catch some theatre. Willow and I will be on the tandem along with twenty-five other riders in June of 2022.

I'm also playing around the idea of hosting a trip of southern Indiana with F.O.R. This stands for "Friends of Ron , a group of cycling friends throughout the Great Lakes area. I'm hoping that Willow will drive the outback and join the fun with all of us.

I'm very excited about the October HeartCycle.org trip that I'll be leading with Scott in southeast Ohio. We had a great time in 2020 scouting and riding some and even added West Virginia on Scott's state tally. Southeast Ohio is such a scenic and historic area of our country and I guarantee that all riders will enjoy.

I'm sure that there will be more bicycling adventures of Indiana Jim, and I will try to keep in touch with y'all.

Happy New Year!