SpokEasy

August 2019

Up a Creek?

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Nobody wants to get stuck up a creek. Fans of the Brooks saddle, however,  don\’t seem to think that this saddle is anything like the \”up-a-creek\” predicament. The bicyclinglife dot com site — alas, marked \”not secure\” — discusses saddles and related issues in a page entitled, \”Ouch! My butt hurts!\” About two-thirds down the page, it has this to say about the Brooks saddle: \”Finally, what about leather saddles, like the famous Brooks? I\’ll admit, a true, certified Retro-Grouch will ride nothing else. And there are countless super-long-distance riders and tourists who would give away their first-born sooner than they\’d give away their Brooks. Good leather saddles break in to fit your butt, they breathe, they have just the right amount of give, and they may be wonderful for you … … but they don\’t work for me. Oh, I tried, for thousands of miles. But I was never comfortable on a Brooks. Remember: We\’re All Different Down There!\” I haven\’t tried a Brooks yet, but maybe someday I will. The Brooks fan I know isn\’t the grouchy type, but he really likes his Brooks bicycle saddle. He was telling me about his Brooks, and mentioned that the leather does require some special care. The company makes a dressing that you can use. Brooks also manufactures a women\’s saddle. Nobody has to miss out; or get caught up the creek — er, I mean road — without a Brooks.

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One of Those Days

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Today was one of those days. It happens to all of us. We go out on the bicycle, and our legs don\’t seem to have any energy; and in general we feel unaccountably tired. Yesterday I felt pretty good on the bike, and put in one or two hard efforts despite my intention to ride fairly easily. Could that be why I felt so tired this morning? Would some SIS-Gels have helped? It\’s not as though I went riding on an empty stomach; I ate a banana before starting. My legs weren\’t \”there\”, and my head has felt stuffy all day. I hope I\’m up to a ride tomorrow morning, and I hope the sky is clear enough for me to see the moon. It\’s full-moon time: the Sturgeon Moon! (I thought something smelled fishy!) Then again, it might be another one of those days.

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Like Fine Wine?

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Is cycling like fine wine? We all like new things, don\’t we? But some things, on the other hand, get better with age. Wine, for one (or so they say). It\’s great to know that we can add cycling to the list. Check out my views on these items: #1. Appreciating the ride is why I ride in the first place. My legs enjoyed it from the first mile. #2. Minor mishaps, they say? I\’m not so sure I agree with that one. A flat is still a big deal for me; I\’m all thumbs at changing a tube. Neither do I consider it \”minor\” to run out of water miles from a chance to get more. #3. As for cycling community, sometimes I wish I had a riding partner or two. I used to ride with a group on Saturday mornings. For several reasons I had to give it up. Maybe after I\’m retired I can start again? #4. I agree with this one: why make every ride a race? In fact, I haven\’t done a single race yet. Maybe I never will. I know this, at my age I\’m far too old to entertain notions of \”going pro\”. #5. Do I have serious miles in my legs? I\’ll say! Over 45,000 and counting. And I\’ll bet some riders have much more! After all, I only began in November 2009. #6. I\’ve found that layering can be tricky. I guess I haven\’t been riding long enough! #7. Do I know what I like? Sure! I like what I have. Well, most of it, anyway. Good thing, too. My budget is a modest one. #8. Do I ever defy expectations? YES!! I defied my own expectations when, ultimately, I did a century on an adult tricycle. So keep riding! Cycling is like fine wine; it gets better with age. You never know what you might achieve.  

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Missed My Calling?

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Have I missed my calling? Should I have become a professional taste-tester? There are so many different things that might make good \”ride food\”. I like to try them before using them on a long ride. About a month ago I got the Honey Stinger Waffle Variety Sampler. Two each of seven flavors. One taste-test each day for a week. I tried the Gingersnap flavor first, and liked it. That morning the weather was looking very uncertain, and I \”rode\” in the trainer for a while instead of going out. I wanted a bit of a snack, and had no bananas on hand, so I went for the Honey Stinger instead. The next morning I tried out Honey Stinger Strawberry. It\’s OK, but I like the Gingersnap flavor better. Day 3: overcast, wind quite strong, and hanging fire wondering when Tropical Storm Barry\’s effects will really make themselves felt. Tried the Chocolate flavor before doing a 25-minute \”ride\” in the trainer. The trouble with me is, I subconsciously expect anything chocolate-flavored to be like a chocolate bar! This wasn\’t, but it was OK. Day 4: at 7:30 am, still hanging fire. Wind 22 mph, but forecast to strengthen shortly. Tried the Caramel Honey Stinger waffle. Pretty good, but I like Gingersnap better. Day 5: Barry seems to have bypassed New Orleans, but heavy rain is still possible. Another \”ride\” in the trainer [GROAN!!!] Today\’s Honey Stinger flavor [drumroll, please]: Honey! Another good one, but Gingersnap is still leading. Day 6: Lemon flavor. I\’d rank it about the same as Strawberry. And last, Day 7: Vanilla. Another good one. My ratings, best first: Gingersnap; Vanilla; Strawberry/Lemon (tie); Honey; Caramel; Chocolate. And I still feel like I\’ve missed my calling!

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Have a Heart!

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Have a heart, ye riders! Training by heart rate is one of several methods for a cyclist; or perhaps a triathlete. It\’s all fine and well to know what your HR is at any level of exertion, but how much is too much? Should every cyclist who is anything like serious undergo screening? I\’ve had ECHOs, and EKGs, and a treadmill stress test or two. They never find anything, even when my blood pressure is way down and I keep feeling dizzy (and that, before I began cycling!) According to the video, my orthostatic hypotension following a ride of several hours isn\’t anything unusual. It\’s a relief to know that, but it doesn\’t keep the \”OS\” from being annoying! Now and then my heart will suddenly start to beat much faster for no apparent reason, even when I\’m just sitting around. Or when I\’ve been sitting on the floor and suddenly get up. I don\’t know what that\’s about! I\’ve done the HIIT Lab test twice, but I don\’t think that gives you an EKG graph. The point of it was to determine my heart rate zones. Maybe I should see a sports cardiologist? At least I\’d be sure I have a heart.    

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So Long?

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No, not really so long. My ride today was only 29.10 miles! I didn\’t even get going until about 8:15. I felt tired. Why do I feel so tired lately? I didn\’t even feel that much like riding, but I want to be in good condition for next month\’s Cycle September. But do I actually need some time off from the bike? A heat advisory went into effect at 7:00 am, and the heat probably didn\’t help. It was around 11:15 when I got back home and an hour later the heat index was 106! At least I had a tailwind on the way back home. The clouds were building up, which meant some relief from sun exposure here and there. I wouldn\’t mind a good T-storm now to cool things off a bit. Today I tried Larabars as ride food; Cashew Cookie and Apple Pie. The latter, alas, was not a la mode. It was too hot out there for ice cream to survive! I find Larabars easier to chew than Clif Bars. They\’re softer. I must admit that, unfortunately, they cost more. It would probably be cheapest to  make my own rice cakes. It looks like this heat will hang around at least a few more days. Our worst months for heat and humidity are typically August and September. I hope next Sunday isn\’t as bad as today, so that I can ride long.  

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Out of Season

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I\’m sure out of season today. It\’s August, and I\’m taking about our making New Year\’s resolutions? Let\’s put it this way: if we start thinking about it now, we can take our time. Especially we can avoid this list of  bad resolutions for cyclists. Mileage? They could be pointing the finger straight at me. During 2018 I totaled 5185 miles between my two bicycles. I thought, maybe I can make it to 6000 in 2019. Here it is, August, and I\’m not halfway there yet. Lose weight? Let\’s face it, I do need to shed some pounds. The thought of all that\’s involved in losing weight is daunting, unfortunately, and I\’m lazy. It\’s time to pull Ride Your Way Lean off my bookshelf! Diet? What\’s \”clean\” eating, anyway? Besides, \”you\’ve got to eat a peck of dirt before you die\”. BTW, what is it that Emma in the video has in that glass? Beet smoothie? Try a new discipline? That depends on whether you really, really want to. Going into mountain biking would be absurd for me, as I live where it\’s pancake-flat. Triathlons? Osteoarthritis in my knees means I probably shouldn\’t take up running; and as for the swim segment, I don\’t even own a swimming suit! Don\’t buy a new bike? Nobody has to tell me that. I have neither funds nor storage space for any more bicycles. Targeting a big race/event? Of course I\’m not going to try to make it to a Grand Tour. For various reasons I\’m not even targeting the local Tour de Cure this year. But riding without having a goal? Riding just to ride? That\’s never out of season. GO FOR IT!

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I Feel Normal Again

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Now I feel normal again. Today I finally got to the salvage store. I missed three weeks! First there was Tropical Storm Barry. The next Saturday I was at the dentist\’s. Last Saturday I had to go to a store where I knew I\’d find bananas and my fragrance-free sunblock. This morning I wanted to take along the cooler, so I could bring home hot dogs and bologna without having to worry that they\’d get too warm. After all, we\’ve got another heat advisory today! My cooler takes up most of the space in a pannier, which means I have to be careful how much I put in my shopping cart at any store. It\’s a bother to have to watch that while shopping, so I hitched up the trailer. A westerly breeze, while it was very mild, made the ride to the store seem like a major slog. I felt so tired! My legs lacked \”oomph\”. And I wasn\’t on empty; I ate a LaraBar before leaving home. Once in the store, I raided the make-your-own-grab-bag bins (63 snacks for $10!). I found a 10-oz can of chunk white chicken for $0.99. In a regular supermarket it would cost several dollars more. The use-by date stamped on the can is more than a year in the future, and all I can see wrong with it is a dent in the side of the can. That store is worth the trip, and the ride made me feel normal again.    

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Rings Aren\’t Always Circular

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Rings aren\’t always circular? Really? This ring here certainly looks circular, but oval chain rings are out there! Yes, that\’s right; rings aren\’t always circular! It\’s interesting that an oval ring lets you get \”more bang for your buck\”, that is, to get more out of the energy you\’re putting into pedaling. Non-round rings seem to buck tradition. There\’s nothing wrong with tradition per se, but sometimes sticking to it can hinder progress. I wonder how it would feel to use an oval chain ring. They\’re saying that you get used to it quickly. Maybe it\’s the same kind of thing as the first few rides after a bike re-fit. At first you\’ll notice that things feel different, but after a few rides the new fit is second nature. Of course the possible disadvantages must be considered. Few things are either all good, or all bad, so weigh the pros and cons.

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If the Bike Fits

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If the Bike Fits If Bike Fits II! A good bicycle fit is essential for comfort on the bike, especially if you intend to do long rides. There are several bicycle-fitting systems out there. Specialized Body Geometry and Retul are the only two that I’ve experienced. It is said, quite rightly, that any bicycle fit is only as good as the fitter who is carrying out the procedure. If you want to explore bike-fit options, Cutting Edge Cycling discusses several systems in Chapter 7. These are: Wobble-Naught [site not secure]; Retul; Serotta Personal Fit; and BikeFit. Changing where you sit on the saddle can change a bike-fit entirely, as I found out. Moving backward a few inches changes everything! When I went for the re-refit  a few weeks ago, I expected that the fitter would move my saddle forward, and/or do something with the handlebar position. Instead, I wound up with a new saddle. He had suggested at past fittings that I might want to consider a slight wider saddle, and that’s what I have now. I still have to check  myself to be sure I’m not sitting too far forward; and that my sit bones are where the saddle supports them. Thus, If the Bike Fits II. Is that why I suddenly seem able to pedal harder, and why I’m feeling my calves like never before?

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