SpokEasy

June 2019

The Mental Edge

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Don\’t go over the mental edge! In its own way, that would be as bad as going over the edge of a cliff! At the same time, the mental edge has been frequently touted as supremely important; as being as much as 90% of racing, long rides, etcetera. Sure, the physical aspect of training is still important. In fact, doing the training is a vital aspect of that mental edge that we\’re trying to attain. With adequate physical training we can develop the confidence that \”I can do it\”. Some people might call it \”mind over matter\”. To some degree that\’s true. During a long ride it can reach the point where it seems like sheer willpower is all that keeps those weary legs turning the cranks. On the other hand, during training, I find that the mind can push matter only so far before matter shoves back in no uncertain terms. Don\’t take it to such an extent that you develop an overuse injury, or come to dread riding because you\’ve burned  out. Here is how the pros approach it. Most of us are not, and never will be, pro cyclists; but that doesn\’t mean we can\’t learn from them.  

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Lazy Sunday

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It\’s been a lazy Sunday, in a way. I finally decided to skip the ride today. I\’ve felt persistently tired; I think it\’s at least in part because my sinuses are acting up. My head feels stuffy. I figured I needed a rest. It\’s rather a pity. Last night the forecast I checked was for very light winds, only 2-5 mph. That\’s a rarity, and it\’s much more pleasurable to ride when I don\’t have to work against a headwind. But now, at 1 pm, the wind is up to 10 mph and it\’s 90 degrees. It also seems to be clouding up. So I didn\’t ride, but that gave me the chance to do some things that I usually don\’t do, such as some much-needed cleaning (normally I\’m quite a slob). I worked on blog posts, too. Sometimes that\’s pretty tough work, which sends lazy Sunday out the window. It\’s now Grand Tour season, so I decided to write some posts about various bicycle events; not only the Grand Tours, but others, such as the Hotter\’N Hell 100. The trick is not to schedule them so that they come up day after day. I\’d rather spread them out a bit; one or two a week, then the rest of the time I can blog about other stuff. But at the moment I need to get un-lazy and go wash the dishes.    

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The Tool Kit

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FiberFix Spoke is a wise addition to the tool kit if you\’ve got your sights set on long-distance tours; even if you\’ll have a SAG wagon on hand. Especially when you\’re planning a long, self-supported bicycle tour, there are things you\’d need to consider that you probably don\’t think about otherwise. Sure, we\’ll carry a spare tube and/or patch kit, plus a few basic  tools, on our long weekend rides. Such jaunts, however, are likely to be only a few hours long. If we have a problem that we can\’t fix by the road, we\’re probably close enough to home to call somebody who can come get us. If a tour of several weeks and mega-miles is the aim, we\’ll have to plan for a little more. Pack several spare tubes rather than one, for example. Even at least one spare tire! Don\’t forget to use tire liners. I\’ll bet they\’ve spared me many a flat. But suppose a wheel problem goes way beyond a flat tire? What if a spoke breaks? FiberFix can hold you over until you can get to a bike shop. I\’ve never had the need to try FiberFix, but it\’s supposed to be very good. If I ever need to build up the tool kit for a big tour, I must be sure to get one.  

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Just Call Me Sunblock?

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Just Call Me Sunblock? Just call me sunblock, I guess. The expression, “You are what you eat” has been around for decades. Now they’re saying that putting something on your skin is little different from eating it. Going for a long ride means applying sunblock to any exposed skin. When it’s cold, and I’m wearing leg warmers; a skull cap; and have my arms covered, all that needs sunblock is my face. Now that the weather is hot, I have to worry about my ears; neck; arms; and legs, too. Recently I read that an adult needs to use a shot-glass worth of sunblock to get sufficient protection from those notorious UV rays. How much is that? One ounce? At that rate, I’ll go through a tube of sunblock about every two weeks! The stuff isn’t cheap, either. I also have never been sure whether you’re supposed to be able to see the sunblock on your skin after you’ve applied it. Maybe a pair of sun sleeves would be a wise investment. There seem to be sun leggings, too. If I had them, I wouldn’t need to worry about sunblock except for my face; neck; and ears. Then I wouldn’t be “eating” so much of the stuff. You are what you eat; so just call me sunblock.

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Giza Effect?

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Giza effect sounds like pyramids. How did we land in Egypt? What do pyramids have to to with cycling, anyhow? How many of us really want to try riding up the side of one? I\’m sure that grade would be a severe test for a KOM winner. Giza, however, isn\’t the only place where pyramids are found. We can create them on our bicycles by practicing pyramid intervals. No blocks of stone needed; just your bicycle; your legs; some gumption; and a reliable way to measure time.  I remember trying something like pyramid intervals, some years ago. There seem to be many different kinds of interval workouts, and I suppose it would be beneficial to switch such training tactics now and then. It would keep both body and mind from going stagnant. Pyramid intervals sound like a good way to get in a good workout if you\’re pressed for time. They have the advantage of letting you get in a certain amount of riding time in your various heart rate zones within a single workout. I\’ll have to try some more pyramid intervals one of these days. Then maybe I\’ll feel some of that Giza effect. On a more somber note, I suppose the worldwide cycling community is now aware of Chris Froome\’s accident. It sounds like it was a bad crash. Let\’s all wish him a speedy recovery.  

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Distinguished Company Returns

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Distinguished company returns to us! A while back I blogged about the Romanovs and cycling. Clairvoyance, perhaps? The June 2019 issue of Adventure Cyclist carries an article, \”Cycling with the Tsars\”, beginning on page 10. I enjoyed it very much. I\’m quite amused, for instance, by the mention of Tsar Alexander III \”coasting down the Ural Mountains\” to work up an appetite for breakfast. Adrenaline junkies are nothing new, it seems. With a sire like that, Nicholas II had cycling in his blood. Evidently he passed the trait along. All four of the daughters of Nicholas II learned to ride bicycles. Their brother Alexis had to be content with a tricycle. Because of his hemophilia, he always had to be careful to avoid falls, bumps, and so on. It must have been hard for him, especially as he is said to have been a lively child. Do you long to go a-roving through the countryside on your two wheels? Nicholas II may well have had visions of himself taking such rides. I guess he wouldn\’t have had the luxury of multiple gears and hydration systems, far less an ebike. It\’s hard for me to imagine riding with no cassette and no Camel-Bak. Aren\’t I spoiled? Lenin, who loathed Nicholas II, was himself — ironically — quite eager about cycling. He would take long weekend rides in the countrysides of France. It\’s a pity that \”Nicky\” and Lenin were such enemies. They might have had a lot of fun going on long rides together, keeping each other distinguished company. And when distinguished company returns? So much the better.  

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Pay Would be Nice

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  Pay would be nice, don\’t you think? And just for riding your bicycle to work! The Bicycle Commuter Act sure sounds interesting. It would help bicycle commuters who, unlike me, live far enough away from work that it\’s too far to walk. I suspect that my commute of under 3 miles doesn\’t allow me to qualify for this. But how nice it would be to get it! Although maintaining a bicycle costs much less than the upkeep of a car, it can still get expensive. Tires need replacing. Components such as chains and cassettes (if your bicycle isn\’t a single-speed) wear out. A tune-up every few thousand miles is in order. Want to commute by bicycle, but have  a lot of stuff to carry? Racks and panniers and bike trunks to the rescue! Foul weather? How about a rain suit — in a vivid, high-visibility color, of course. Finally, wouldn\’t we all like to see a bit of extra \”green\” in our wallets? Pay would be nice!    

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Beat the Heat

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I need to beat the heat. Or try to, anyhow. What’s a quick, easy supper to cook when the kitchen feels like an oven; and you’re tired, hungry, and in a hurry? And when you aren’t in the mood for energy bars? “Squashed sauce” isn’t a bad choice, and that’s what I made today. Ingredients: One 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes ~7 oz of tomato sauce that was left over from another cooking project 1 small onion, coarsely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 yellow crookneck squashes, chopped Put all in a large pot, mix well, and heat. When mixture gets bubbly, give it a good stir; turn down the heat; and cook 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. At the end of cooking, add seasonings as desired. While the tomato mix was cooking, I cooked up  a serving of elbow macaroni. Squashed sauce over pasta, with a little Parmesan cheese on top. Yum!! Prep time + cook time I’d say was half an hour; 40 minutes at most. I’ll have to think up a new beat the heat supper for tomorrow. And now for the downside of cooking — washing up!

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Making Weight

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MAKING weight? Not so fast! That sounds like gaining weight, which many of us neither want nor need. \”Making weight\” is an expression I\’ve come across often enough while reading about pro cycling, and it can easily mean losing weight. It actually is about attaining one\’s desired  racing weight, whether poundage needs to be lost, or gained. I know I need to shed some pounds, even though I\’m not planning to enter any races. Fifteen or even 20 of them! Time to drag Ride Your Way Lean  out of the book case! It\’s also past high time I cleaned up  my diet. I\’ve been eating far too much candy and other junk; and doing too much nibbling when I think I\’m hungry, but probably am not truly hungry. I need more fresh veggies, too. The trouble is, it\’s hard to do both meal prep/cleanup, and blog. It\’s no help that I seem to gain weight rather easily. Fortunately I also seem able to get it back off fairly easily when I make up my mind to it. I think I also need to incorporate more intense efforts into my daily rides. According to the literature, there comes a point when a cyclist\’s body has adjusted to the effort level that\’s being made, and actually burns fewer calories for that particular degree of \”try\”. Then it\’s time to start pushing harder to rev up the metabolism again. Cycling can help with weight control, and is fun as well. C\’mon, everybody, let\’s pedal our way to those numbers we want to see on the scale.

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A Suspenseful Ride

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Do you love a suspenseful ride? Mountain biking can get you into some pretty rough territory. Jolting over uneven ground, rocks, and so on can be hard on the body. Suspension can help keep the ride from giving you such a beating. MTBs can be had in either \”hardtail\” or \”dualie\” models. A hardtail has front suspension only; a dualie has suspension both in front and in the rear. Personally I have no experience with mountain bikes, and can\’t offer any advice of my own. This video may be helpful. MTBs can, of course, be ridden on the road. They say that those knobby tires take a lot of extra effort when riding on the road; so it you want to ride your MTB over paved surfaces, you might want to switch to other tires. I can get a suspenseful ride in ways other than tackling the single track. One is when a T-storm breaks out when I\’m miles from home. It\’s a bit of a nail-biter when there\’s a thick fog; it\’s still pitch dark; and I know there might be people on the path who don\’t take the trouble to make themselves visible. Recently I found another thing to be wary about: alligators. With the river high, there\’s a lot of more-or-less quiet backwater alongside the levee, where I ride. With my headlight mounted on my helmet, I can look around and see things, including the gleam of those scaly reptiles\’ eyes. From what I read, alligators aren\’t too likely to give chase, and I just hope they keep their distance.          

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