TransIowa v13 Arrival in Grinnell

After an uneventful drive to Iowa, I arrived, checked in and promptly kitted up to get in some relaxing miles around town. A new facebook event page happened to have a loop going around the outskirts of Grinnell, focusing on the gravel and B-roads, and I would like to thank Katherine and Jess for organizing that.





The weather was fairly warm, armwarmers and vest type conditions, so I donned my Riding Gravel kit for my first spin.

Off I went, finding plenty of fresh gravel and a shocking number of B-Roads, considering how close I was to town

What I realized about halfway through the loop, is that I hadn't checked my tyre pressure, and it felt a bit splashy. I made a mental note to see what it was when I got back to the hotel, because while lower than I would like, it would give me an idea how low I could really go. Turns out I was running right around 30psi in both front and rear. I was a bit shocked by that.

Anyway, back at the hotel, I washed and went to find some dinner. Knowing it's small town Iowa, I had done some research and knew there were two places with promise for getting a vegan friendly meal. It was just before 8, so I thought I'd try the one that had a few more options first. Upon arrival, I found the closed sign out, but seeing someone inside, I waved them to the door to ask. Yup, closed. I knew they opened at 5, so inquired, and was told they open at 5 and close when their last reservation leaves. Mind-blowing. I asked about other vegan friendly options and they sent me to the other place I already knew about. I thanked them and let them know I'd be there right at 5 the next day. I went off to the other restaurant and dined, then off to bed.