SpokEasy

June 2019

Kettlebell

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Several weeks ago I added some kettlebell exercises to my off-bike routine. I\’ve been doing the same old exercises for six years, and it\’s gotten rather monotonous. I think it\’s time to add some new moves. I\’ve started with a 7.5-lb weight. The physical therapist who has been working with me (for tendonitis in my foot) recommended that size. He says the way to determine whether a kettlebell is too heavy for you is this: Hold the weight by the flat part of the handle, with the rounded part up, and your forearm perpendicular to the floor. If you aren\’t able to keep your wrist straight, the weight is too heavy; and you should use a lighter one. Here is one suggested kettlebell routine. And if this one will help me climb better when I\’m faced with some hilly country, it will be worth doing. Now for the 64-dollar question: can kettlebell workouts be done instead of some of my old exercises; and if so, which ones? Like everybody else, I have only so much time for off-bike work. Just be careful not to let that thing hit your head. That\’s a \”ring\” that I, for one, am not eager to hear.

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The Pressure Is OFF?

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When the pressure is off, we can relax, right? I\’m not sure sure that I can. It\’s not at all unusual for me to have orthostatic hypotension set in an hour or so after I finish a ride several hours long. But today it\’s lingered for hours! I got home from riding at about 10:30 am; it is now 7:40 pm. I still feel light-headed and dizzy when I get up and start moving about. Why do I have this trouble? My blood pressure tends to run low. Ninety-something over sixty-something (at rest, right after I wake up) isn\’t unusual. Does my system over-react to exertion? Even if it does, why should it take many hours to recover? I\’m sure I wasn\’t dehydrated. I drank about 3 liters of water during my ride, and my roll time was less than 3 hours. I averaged half a hair over 13 mph, so I wasn\’t working especially hard. I also downed about 22 oz of electrolyte drink. I had my milk with chocolate whey within about 20 minutes of getting back home. I ate lunch within the next hour. When I kept feeling dizzy, I took a salt tablet, but it didn\’t seem to do any good. I ought to be doing my Core I exercises right now, but I think I\’d better skip it. In fact, I think I need to juggle around my off-bike exercise schedule to give me long-ride days off! I\’m considering evaluation by a sports cardiologist. This is really weird. I need to know whether it\’s something to be concerned about. The pressure is off? Maybe not.

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Boot Camp?

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Is cyclist training boot camp on two wheels? This seems to turn all I\’ve read about cyclist training on its head. \”Build the base\” comes up again and again in everything I\’ve read until now. The theory is that a cyclist must build a large, strong base of steady-paced rides at a moderate effort level before launching into the intense work. So now \”base training\” is to be, well, given the boot? Mind you, these guys seem to be taking about the full-time rider, the professional rider, who has much more time for training that the rest of us. Even after a break from the bike, they probably have a higher level of fitness than the day-to-day cyclist. But how about we recreational riders who want to improve? Especially after a spell of minimal riding, such as during Winter in a region where snow and ice preclude outdoor riding. Is it really wise of us to charge out of the gate full blast when we can finally ride outdoors again? Maybe not. Where I live I\’m able to ride outdoors year-round, and so can\’t speak from experience. Building up gradually merely seems like common sense to me. If nothing else, riding hard too soon after a break might cause such exhaustion/muscle soreness that riding would be miserable for the next few days. I don\’t think any of us really wants that. Be sensible. If something hurts, back off. Forget about \”no pain, no gain\”. This isn\’t Army boot camp.

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Short Long Again

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Short long again? Sounds puzzling, doesn\’t it? Yet again, my Sunday long ride turned out to be fairly short. After having had two short/easy days during the past week, and missing Friday altogether because I couldn\’t get awake in time, I thought that pushing for 50 miles, or even 40, would be a bit much. I settled for 37.5 miles There was quite a lot of overcast, something I don\’t mind as long as it doesn\’t rain. I don\’t get as hot when the sun isn\’t blazing down on me. It\’s also much easier on my eyes. As usual, I took along cut-up Clif Bars for ride food. This time I also took along some Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches, just to try something new. Their saltiness is good after the sweetness of Clif Bars. About 2.25 miles before the end, I tried shifting to an easy gear and doing some light spinning. I hoped it would keep me from getting post-ride orthostatic hypotension. Alas, it did not. For a nice lunch, post-ride or not, try this: broccoli, cut into small pieces (1 cup or so), lightly steamed; 1/2 of a 15 oz can mac n cheese; 3-4 black olives, sliced. Heat the mac n cheese; add freshly ground pepper (if desired); stir in the olives and broccoli. Enjoy! I hope next Sunday doesn\’t see a short long ride again. I really need to get moving.      

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Mercurial?

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Mercury, of Roman mythology, is often depicted as having wings on his heels. Wouldn\’t we all like to be as speedy? Or, perhaps you could say, mercurial? Bicycle messengers probably sometimes wish for winged wheels. I have yet to speak with a bicycle courier, but I wouldn\’t be surprised if the job is quite stressful. It might seem like a wonderful occupation for anyone who enjoys riding a bicycle. Getting paid to do something you love! And without the stress of the training load; attention to diet; travel; and racing that are the lot of the pro cyclist. But how much traffic do bicycle couriers have to dodge? I have a long way to go before I become truly comfortably riding alongside heavy traffic. In fact, my discomfort with pedaling beside moving motor vehicles has me doing all I can to avoid it! For that reason alone, I\’m not sure that being a bicycle courier is for  me. Riding alongside traffic isn\’t the only requirement for these messengers. Ability to use GPS devices? I, for one, am clueless. Do I really have the necessary stamina? And, as so often happens, they want prior experience. It\’s the old Catch-22. You need experience to get the job; but how can you get the experience if you can\’t get a job? Bicycle couriers must also go about their tasks in all kinds of weather. They don\’t get to take a break in rain, cold, or heat. Winged wheels could take the courier up, up, and away. Maybe we need balloon couriers? Until we have them, I guess bicycle couriers will have to wish they could be mercurial.

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Bike Friday

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Bike Friday sounds like what Robinson Crusoe\’s friend rides, doesn\’t it? Of course I\’ve heard of \”My good man Friday\”; but I\’ll have to read that book one of these days. So far I\’ve never gotten around to it. Actually, Bike Friday is a folding bicycle. If you have to fly a lot with your bike, this folding bike\’s  small (20-inch) wheels allow the bike to fit into a smaller case than a \”normal\” bicycle needs. According to The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling, a Bike Friday rides much like any other bicycle. It can be rigged for touring. It\’s even been spotted in Paris-Brest-Paris. If your living space is small, a folding bicycle should be easier to store. If you bicycle to work, wouldn\’t it be great to be able to fold your bicycle and carry it in with you? When you go grocery shopping, could you fold up the bike and stow it on the rack under the shopping cart? I can\’t guarantee any of that, but as we all love to say, TGIF!

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Arizona

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Arizona When I hear “Arizona”, I usually think of the Grand Canyon and deserts; a region so hot and arid that rain evaporates by the time it’s halfway down to the ground. Yes, that happens. We saw it more than once on our Summer road trips, and it’s called virga. A big bicycle ride in Arizona sounds to me like pedaling along in blistering heat and skin-parching dryness. No doubt that’s why Tour de Tuscon is in November, when temperatures are likely to range between about 50 and 73. For me that’s a good temperature range for a long ride; but November in Arizona is still apt to be very dry. I’d want to have a 500-oz Camel-Bak. A 100-oz reservoir might not last too long. Unfortunately 500 oz of water would be too much weight on my back. It might be too unwieldy as well. But aid stations are every 7-12 miles, which is lucky; so I’d be able to refill my 100-oz Camel-Bak reservoir often. I’m sure I would need to refill it often! My brother lived in Phoenix, AZ for 9-10 years. Several months after he moved there, I went out to visit. It was late July/early August; very hot and dry. I was never so thirsty in my life! BTW, Arizona is home to the Grand Canyon. If you have the chance to visit Grand Canyon, DON’T PASS IT UP!!

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Speaking of Volcanoes…

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Speaking of Volcanoes… Why are we speaking of volcanoes? I always seem to be finding out about another neat ride. Want to ride around a volcano? Head for Mount Rainier! Recently I looked up RAMROD. That one isn’t for those accustomed to sea level, I’d guess. Nor for a poor climber!  The ride includes 10,000 feet of elevation gain; and tops out at well over 4000 feet. The roads used are steep; and the shoulders are unpaved. RAMROD is a century-and-a-half, plus a bit more. Last time I rode 100 miles in one day was July 2013. Going for 150-something in one day would really be pushing it. I’d need to start planning and training right this minute if I intended to participate in RAMROD next year! It’s not only the distance; it’s the climbing. As for the altitude of RAMROD, what can you do when you live at sea level, and can’t afford to go train at altitude? Maybe a hypoxic mask? This year’s lottery registration is closed (sounds like RAGBRAI, right?) I was a bit late in dredging up a vague memory of having read about RAMROD some time ago. While we’re speaking of volcanoes, are there similar events at other such mountains? Cycle Vesuvius? Or Shasta? ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Here It Comes Again January 19, 2024 IS This Winter? January 18, 2024 Bad Vibes? January 17, 2024 Pedals not Petticoats January 17, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Thanks to Tambora

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Perhaps it\’s thanks to Tambora that we have the bicycles that we do. The word \”volcano\” conjures up images of death and destruction. We see pics in the news media of a mountain spewing out huge clouds of ash, emitting streams of molten lava; even burying entire cities. Just look at Pompeii. People who live near a volcano probably have an uneasy truce with the mountain. Scientists now know that a volcano that\’s been inactive for ages can wake up again. The residents would need to be prepared to evacuate should that occur. So then, is there anything good about volcanoes? Actually, there is. One reason for living close to a volcano is that volcanic soil is very fertile, and good for growing crops. Cyclists can thank the 1815 eruption of Indonesia\’s Tambora for their \”rides\”. As a result of all the ash and aerosols that Tambora blasted high into the atmosphere, there was global cooling. Widespread crop failure and famine resulted. In times such as that, it was difficult to keep a horse. A horse needed to be fed, and oats were hard to get. Enter Baron Karl von Drais. His invention is the forerunner of the modern bicycle. Using a \”dandy horse\” for transportation meant a horse didn\’t need to be fed and stabled. It was a lot faster than walking, but riders unfortunately wore out the soles of their boots quite quickly. Over time the Draisine evolved into the bicycle that we know today. So let\’s give our proper thanks to Tambora. If it hadn\’t been for Tambora — oh, sad to think of —  might we not have bicycles?    

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What’s In a Name?

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What\’s in a name? How do people and places acquire names, or nicknames? One of the signs of a true cyclist, they say, is that you name your bicycles. If that really is the case, count me in! I named the tricycle Valkyrie. That came about one morning when I\’d had the trike about 10 days. I was riding around the local park before going to work, pedaling as fast as I could; and a certain number by Richard Wagner popped into my head, out of nowhere. I had been considering names for the trike, and in that moment I had it: Valkyrie! The hybrid wound up with the name of Katy. Not long after I got it a co-worker, who is originally from Missouri, was telling me about the Katy Trail. It sounded like a lot of fun, and still does. As the Katy is a Rails-to-Trails ride, it\’s nearly flat, which would suit me just fine. For a while I was considering doing the Katy Trail Ride, and was thus inspired to name my hybrid bike Katy. As time went on, I began to realize that I could actually spend quite a lot of money on such a trip. I\’d have to find a way to get me and my bicycle to Missouri and back. I\’d need to borrow, rent, or buy a sleeping bag and tent. I decided I\’d rather put my dollars on a road bike, and have never regretted it; although I still would like to ride the Katy Trail some day. But the poor road bike got shortchanged when it comes to naming. It\’s a Scott, so I call it … Scottie. Now we know what\’s in a name; at least, where my bicycles are concerned.

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