B-Line Trail ride

By Kathy Cummins

The combined T/Th training group, the FOWLS, and the OWLS met at Butler Park near the north end of the B-Line trail and rode together down to Grimes St. for the official opening of the B-Line trail. Because of the gloomy weather, unfortunately, we didn't have the mass of BBC riders that we had been hoping to have representing the club at the ceremony. The Bloomington band was entertaining a sizeable crowd at the Grimes St. area, and it began the proceedings with the Star Spangled Banner. At least two speakers (one being the mayor) followed, extending thanks to all those who worked on the trail. At the back of the crowd where we bikers were standing, however, it was hard to concentrate on the speeches, as we instead watched the dogs and kids and the rest of the crowd, which included the Andersons and other BBC members both on and off the bike, some also wearing a BBC jersey.

At about 6:15, we riders (I counted just 10) decided to leave the ceremony (which was supposed to be over by then anyway), and as a rarity, representatives from each of the three groups (T/Th training group, FOWLS, OWLS) rode together: first south on the B-Line, then south on Rogers to Old 37, where, fittingly, we rode "our" section of the local roads (the part of Old 37 that is our Adopt-a-Road), performing in a way our own celebration of the great riding in Bloomington.

Soon the different groups went their separate ways. Before long Bill and I turned around at the Starlight and headed back toward home, hitting some sprinkles along the way.