SpokEasy

July 2019

Piling on the Coal?

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Piling on the coal is what the Furnace Creek 508 sounds like to me. A furnace to me is a heating device! I always wonder how a body of water gets named \”furnace\”. Perhaps it\’s the environment that\’s like the furnace? Whatever the explanation, a creek by that name lent its moniker to the Furnace Creek 508. It sounds grueling. A lot of climbing, and solo riders were required to finish in 48 hours. The 508 was another high-altitude event, starting at well over 3000 feet. It also ran through Death Valley. Time to look for an X-large Camel-Bak! I wonder how anybody can manage to train up to put themselves through such a test, especially if they live in a wet climate. New Orleans, for example, averages 60 inches of rainfall per year. My skin would be shriveling up the instant I got into a desert environment! I\’d be dying of thirst before the race began. There would also have been cold nights to contend with. Even in mid-Summer, high altitudes are cold once the sun goes down. Pack the jacket, arm and leg warmers, and the skull cap. Some heavy gloves, too. And, needless to say, there had to be plenty of ride food. Those riders had to keep enough coal on the fire.    

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Pickpocket Disappointed

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Pickpocket disappointed? The pickpocket is hoping to get something valuable, right? How much would, say, the Artful Dodger get picking the pockets of these racing cyclists\’ jerseys? Bars, rice cakes, and gels. Maybe a sandwich or two. Not worth risking a jail sentence for, right? Once you\’ve eluded the Artful Dodger and his gang, how do you get things out of those pockets while riding? So far I\’ve never tried. During long rides I\’m wearing my Camel-Bak, which covers up my jersey\’s pockets. Even if it weren\’t for the Camel-Bak, reaching back like that might cause my torso to twist too much, wreaking havoc on my steering. I can\’t ride no-handed. I suppose each rider develops an individual strategy for eating and drinking while rolling. This video, unfortunately, doesn\’t actually offer advice on reaching into jersey pockets while riding in a straight line. I suppose it\’s a matter of plain old practice. If I didn\’t need that Camel-Bak for long treks, I might be able to learn it! I could start by pedaling while hooked into the trainer, and could wiggle and twist without having to worry about causing myself to crash. I could learn what motions I need to make and how far I need to reach. I might become quite adept at picking my own pockets! Or would I be a case of pickpocket disappointed?

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Special Big Five Oh

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Today we celebrate a very special Big Five Oh. It\’s fifty years since Apollo 11 blasted off and headed for the moon. Somehow it seems appropriate that the moon is at the full. I saw it while I was out riding this morning. Beautiful! I’ve read a lot about the RMS Titanic, and how exciting the city of Belfast found her launching. That was in 1911 . Fast-forward to 1969. The launch of Apollo 11 must have generated the same kind of thrill. Quite likely a much bigger one. The Titanic was the largest ship of her day, expected to go on to a glorious career. Now, we were sending men to the Moon! Fortunately, unlike the Titanic\’s maiden  voyage, the Apollo 11 mission was a success. I remember a 25th anniversary program (I still had a TV then) about the first moon landing. I think they said the lunar module came within seconds of running out of fuel before landing; something about the originally planned touchdown site being too rocky, which hadn\’t been discernible through Earth-based telescopes. There was footage of one of the astronauts taking huge bounds across the surface and saying, \”Hey, man! This is GREAT!!\” Now we have some great memories, thanks to those pioneers of space, and all the workers who helped get them there. It makes today a very special Big Five Oh.  

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Feel All Thumbs?

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Do you ever feel all thumbs? I certainly feel all thumbs when it comes to bicycle maintenance. It\’s a relief to know that I\’m far from alone. For years I\’ve had a book on bicycle maintenance. Sometimes I\’ll browse around in it, but I don\’t dare try much by myself. Even watching videos doesn\’t help me much. They tend to go through things too quickly for me; and a video isn\’t the same thing as one-on-one personal instruction, where you can take it one slow step at a time. It reminds me of the saying: \”Nothing is as easy as it looks.\” How true that is! For example, watch those  who have had some practice change the tube in a bicycle tire. Those folks can get through it all in a few minutes. I have trouble just getting the tire off the rim! It takes quite a lot of strength. If anything, getting that tire back onto the rim is even harder. That\’s my reason for using tire liners. I first got them after my trike had eight flats in about 14 months, and I use them for the hybrid and the road bike, too. I even got them for the trailer\’s wheels! One day I might need to replace a bicycle. Then the old one can be my \”guinea pig\”, and I can start learning derailer adjustment and other things. I don\’t expect I\’ll ever become a professional \”wrench\”, but it would be nice to not have to rely on the bike shop.

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Bring on the Soap!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Bring on the Soap! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” Bring on the soap! The Dirty Kanza is running! Dirty Kanza. Sounds like a case for a censor, doesn’t it? Actually, I suppose a bicycle could pick up a lot of dirt and muck over the 200-mile gravel course. Hard? I’ll bet! It sounds as though the temperatures at Dirty Kanza can rival those at the Hotter’N Hell 100. Gravel roads, I suspect, make riding harder when it’s been raining. If my road bike’s tires picked up all that muck it could jam my [rim] brakes. No doubt that’s why MTBs use disc brakes. I’d need a solid course in bicycle repair/maintenance before I’d be prepared to tackle DK. (Even before starting that, I’d need to get a mountain bike!) I barely know how to change a tube. I’d be lost if I needed to fix a suspension system at the roadside. What would I do if I were on DK and ran into hail? They say it happens. I guess all I could do would be to  hope that my helmet is sufficient protection from pieces of ice falling from the sky. Stopping to take shelter would hardly be an option: DK  is a race, after all. And afterwards? Both my “ride” and I would probably need a lot of cleaning up. Time to bring on the soap. 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 Slow It Down? May 15, 2024 Welcome Change May 14, 2024 Missed Opportunity? May 13, 2024 Muscles or Mush? May 12, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Clear?

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Are we in the clear? Has Tropical Storm Barry really bypassed us? It\’s still  overcast, which has its plus side: my apartment doesn\’t turn into such an oven when it\’s cloudy all day. But is the threat of torrential rain over? According to the weather site I just checked, there\’s an 80% chance of rain. Wind is 14 mph. Half of me wants to go ride around the park a few times, and half of me says the walking/biking path there is likely strewn with debris from the many oak trees. Maybe I\’ll ride to the drug store after a while, just to get outside for a bit. I\’m starting to go stir-crazy! My leg muscles are starting to go soft from the lack of exercise. 🙁 Tomorrow it\’s back to the old salt mines. And this routine might be repeated anytime in the next four months or so. It\’s still hurricane season, and we can\’t be sure of staying in the clear.

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The Straight and Narrow

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Ride the straight and narrow! Blaze a path straight down the road! That isn\’t so difficult as long as you can keep looking straight ahead. Holding a straight line while looking behind you is another matter. I, for one, find it hard to do, even after well over nine years of riding; but it\’s an important part of cycling safety. I first read these tips years ago. I still have to remind myself to  let my right shoulder rise a bit, and the left one go down and back; and to bring my left elbow closer to my body. I have to let my torso twist  a little bit as well. Another aspect of looking behind yourself while riding is, it\’s about more than turning the head. We can\’t turn our heads 180 degrees like an owl, so once the head is turned, the eyes must shift to see what might be coming from the rear. That means, for me, trying not to look back and then forward again too quickly, or my eyes don\’t have the chance to shift. It can help to let yourself coast while looking behind you, but it would be a good idea to get used to looking behind while still pedaling, especially if you\’ve got your sights set on racing. Just look at any pic of the peloton in Le Tour. Scores of riders, and to me they always look like they\’re packed like sardines in a can. If one coasts/slows down, or (worse!) crashes, or doesn\’t hold his line, it\’s a big-time domino effect! Those guys really have to keep on the straight and narrow!        

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Let\’s Get It Over!

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Let\’s get it over. Saturday, 7:38 am. Many a Saturday I\’m heading off for the salvage store at this hour, to bring home a load similar to this one. But not today! Tropical Storm Barry\’s full brunt apparently is yet to come. The wind is about 22 mph, forecast to strengthen shortly. If I went to the salvage store, I\’d be battling winds of 33-34 mph on the way home. With the trailer, it would be extremely difficult for  me to make any headway. It\’s starting to rain, on and off. That\’s how it often begins with a tropical storm. Brief spells of rain precede a steady deluge. All I can do is to hope that we\’re spared the expected precipitation of up to 20 inches. If that storm is coming, though, I wish it would blow through. Let\’s get it over with. My power bill will be frightful. I\’m running the window unit more than usual, trying to cool this place as much as possible before the storm knocks out the power. Even if I had my bike rigged to run a window unit, such a manner of \”cooling\” would be spinning my wheels! The effort required would make me overheat. I guess I\’ll hook the hybrid into the trainer later, if I still have electricity to cool me as I \”ride\”. But this might have to be a lazy day.

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On Tenterhooks

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I get tired of being on tenterhooks. It\’s what drives me crazy about the threat of tropical storms. I\’m stuck indoors, not daring to go for a real ride because I don\’t know exactly when weather conditions might deteriorate. It is now nearly 6 pm. The wind is 20 mph, and it\’s been raining a little. I kept thinking we\’d get fierce wind and pouring rain earlier in the day. It didn\’t happen. Late in the morning I hooked my road bike into the trainer and pedaled for 25 minutes. I had the Garmin going, and when I saw that I had \”ridden\” a certain distance I imagined what things look like at that point when I\’m really outdoors riding. It helped keep things from getting quite so monotonous. So far no power outages. A friend says that her electricity has been out/restored twice already today! As long as I still have electricity I can work on my web site, and there\’s always something to work on. Naturally that includes blogs, but I\’m glad I have posts scheduled for several weeks in advance. That means I don\’t have to worry about being unable to post if I don\’t have power the next couple of days. I don\’t want to wear out my laptop\’s battery; if we lose power here I\’ll want to reserve it for occasionally checking the weather sites. Re: Le Tour, that yellow jersey seems to be playing leapfrog! Hardcore bicycle-racing fans must be on tenterhooks, too, wondering who will eventually grab it.

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Not Only Cowboys

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Personal Care /

Not Only Cowboys 🤠 It’s not only cowboys who get saddle sores. Saddle sores had always sounded to me like something that might happen after days on horseback. It hadn’t occurred to me that cyclists might get them, too. As with so many other things, prevention is better than having to deal with sores after they develop. What steps can we take? Saddle fit and position are a factor. Be sure your saddle supports your sit bones; and if there’s a spot where your saddle causes extra pressure or chafing, adjust it to eliminate the problem. Cleanliness is important, too. Always have a clean pair of shorts to wear for every ride. Some riders use antibacterial soaps such as Hibiclens as a daily crotch wash. A lubricant such as Chamois Butt’r helps prevent chafing during a ride. After a ride, get out of your cycling shorts as soon as possible. Don’t hang out in a sweaty chamois. If a saddle sore develops in spite of all precautions, it’s small comfort to remember that it’s not only cowboys who have this problem. You want that sore to heal as soon as possible.  I read of one rider who developed numerous sores at once. He did a lot of out-of-saddle work until the sores healed. If a sore is really stubborn, then of course consult a physician. You want to get back in the saddle as soon as possible. This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” 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 Doohickies August 25, 2024 Wear and Tear August 24, 2024 Start on Empty August 23, 2024 Drone Away August 22, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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