SpokEasy

September 2019

Stereotypes

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Stereotypes abound in this world. Such-and-such are \”always\” thus-and-so. If you aren\’t a cyclist, do cyclists bug you? Do they all seem to have been cut from the same cloth? To this list, I can add a thing or two: Cyclists who ride in the dark sans illumination, even when it\’s foggy or raining as well as dark. I feel like bawling at them to  GET! SOME! LIGHTS!! In fact, such riders/joggers are what provoked me to move up to a 500-lumen headlight. And to put it atop my helmet as well. I can see much better that way. Cyclists who ignore stop signs and red lights aggravate me, too. Once I saw two grown men on bicycles almost get hit by a car because they had run a stop sign. One of those riders even banged his fit on the car\’s hood. What was he mad about? HE ran the stop sign! How about pro cyclists? Aside from the lean, hard, tanned pro-cyclist bodies that we\’re used to seeing in the Tour de France, are there other stereotypical things about pros? Can bicycles even be polarizing? I\’m not one of the very poor, thank goodness, but I\’m far from being among the well-off; never mind the VERY rich. Want to think I\’m dirt poor when I\’m riding the hybrid? Or rich, when I\’m on the road bike? I don\’t know what we can do to erase such stereotypes, except to keep riding; and show that cycling is for everyone.

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Cycling Takes Off!

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Cycling takes off?  I\’ll bet Orville and Wilbur would have loved it. But at Kitty Hawk it was probably beyond all imagining. The Gossamer Albatross, you might say, brought things full circle. The Wright brothers were bicycle mechanics; and they built, and flew, the first successful heavier-than-air flying machine. The Gossamer Albatross, which took off some 76 years later, was pedal powered. Thus cycling took to the air. It\’s staggering for me to think of putting out 300 watts at all, never mind keeping it up for well over two hours. And with a weight of 220 pounds! That must have been one tremendously strong cyclist. How might I fare trying to take cycling to the air? I probably wouldn\’t be able to get the unloaded Gossamer Albatross off the ground. I have no idea how many watts I can produce, but I\’m quite certain it\’s not any 300. Even supposing I could effect a take-off, how long could I remain aloft? Would I be able to deal with headwinds? They\’re hard enough on the ground; would they be worse while flying? And — perish the thought! — what if I were to suffer a bird strike? I\’m no Sully, after all. Cycling takes off? I think I\’d better continue to keep my wheels on the ground.  

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Flying High

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Wouldn\’t we all like to be flying high? Like an eagle? Or perhaps soaring aloft under our own power, as in the Gossamer Albatross? At any rate, we\’d all like to be flying down the road. I\’m not that fast, but what does it matter? I saw a bald eagle today! I was still about six miles from home, and saw that I would need to re-apply sunblock in about 20 minutes. I knew I couldn\’t get home that fast, so I stopped. I was busily rubbing on the sunblock when I looked upwards and saw the eagle. Even though it was flying high, I could still discern that tell-tale white head. After getting home and having a snack; working on blogs for a while; washing dishes and today\’s cycling clothes; and eating a sandwich (I was already hungry again!), I turned to YouTubes of national anthems. I enjoy seeing the national flags — Kazakhstan\’s is beautiful blue! —  and listening to the music. The anthems\’ moods range from elegiac to martial, and everything in between! Getting back to the eagle, does the edge of  each bald eagle\’s \”hood\” have a distinctive pattern? It wouldn\’t surprise me. After all, each zebra\’s stripe pattern is unique, just as human fingerprints are.  

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Long Way to Go

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Long Way to Go Do you ever feel like this cat? I have a long way to go before I’m ready to shoot for another 100-mile day. This morning I felt like this cat. Tired; sleepy; and do-I-really-want-to-ride? But Cycle September isn’t over yet; so I prodded myself out of bed and went for a long ride. In fact, I added a few extra miles over the long-ride distance that I’ve done the past two Sundays. Forty miles still seems like a long, tough ride; especially with a headwind all the way home. I had to make about four extra stops! If I have any idea of doing another century, I’ll need to work up to weekly long rides of 60-70 miles first. I have to improve my stamina, so that I can ride longer before needing to take rest stops; and increase my pace as well. And do not, of course, forget about training the gut! My right hamstring has been feeling strained, so for the most part I stayed off the big ring and in lower gears today. I didn’t try to push the pace, which meant my average speed was barely over 11 mph. But when I need to, even in lower gears, I can crank it up to 18 mph! Such a pace, of course, isn’t necessary for me to do a century ride on my own. If it were, I’ve sure got a long, LONG way to go!

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How Risky Is It?

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Just how risky is it to be out riding when there\’s a T-storm snooping around? About two weeks ago, I walked outside on my lunch break, with plans to get something to eat at a nearby convenience store. I had gotten only a few yards from the door of the building when an ear-splitting ka-POW!! broke loose. I hadn’t noticed anything to indicate lightning, either. I marched right back indoors, where luckily there’s a PJ’s, and got a spinach croissant. But what happens when you’re out on a bicycle, miles from home, and a T-storm breaks out? Keep on riding, and hope for the best? Exactly how risky is it to do that? Stop if there\’s a place where you can get a bit of cover? See here for some tips. Reading that article reminded me of the time I was caught in a T-storm on the hybrid. I got the \”full treatment\” that morning: lightning, heavy downpour, and stiff wind. It was an experience that I\’m not eager to repeat. Now that we\’re advised that, if you can hear thunder, you\’re close enough to the storm to get hit by lightning. Thanks to that, being outdoors and hearing thunder makes me more uneasy than it did six or seven years ago. I suppose we\’ll just have to \”play it by ear\”, and let our ears tell us when we need to come in out of the rain — and out of lightning\’s reach.  

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Worth the Tired Legs

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Worth the Tired Legs Sometimes a trip is worth the tired legs. This morning I hitched up the trailer and rode to the salvage store. There was a minute when I was afraid I might not get to go; it drizzled a bit at around 7:15. But the drizzle soon stopped, and off I went. On the way to the store, what wind there was, was behind me. Coming home the breeze had picked up, and I had to ride on the smallest ring most of the time. Such rapid spinning can get quite tiring! As always, when I got to the store I headed straight for the make-your-own-grab-bag bins as soon as I was inside. I can take as much time on that as some customers do to go through the entire store! I usually find some items that will make decent ride food. Once I even found a couple of  Clif Builder’s Protein Bars (that was a rare find, but I got to try a new ride food for cheap!) I get things I can take to work for snacks. If I’m going to nibble on junk food instead raw carrots, I might as well take advantage of this grab-bag deal. It’s major savings! Sometimes I buy things I would pass up in a regular store. For instance, a can of Beefaroni. I saw commercials for it on TV when I was a kid, but my mother never bought it. Now I can try it, and at a low price! The savings at the salvage store make it worth the tired legs — even if I’m hauling a heavy trailer and have a headwind on the way home!

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In the Shadows

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Some riders are lost in the shadows. We hear a lot about the cycling greats. Eddy Merckx. Fausto Coppi. Greg LeMond. But what about the lesser-known riders? There\’s Stan Ockers, Eddy Merckx\’s idol. Ockers is another tragic case of a cyclist being killed in a crash. There are only too many such stories. There\’s Michael Rogers, of Australia. I love this video of him taking a bow on his bike as he won stage 16 of the 2014 Tour de France; my favorite TdF video/pic of all time! It was his first stage win in ten Tours, so he really earned that bow! I never heard of Alfonsina Strada until very recently. She sounds like one tough lady! Imagine having to repair your handlebars with a piece of  broomstick during a race! I hadn\’t heard of Gino Bartali, either. There was a lot more to him than cycling. He must have had a great deal of courage to do the work that he did to save Jews during World War II. Doubtless there are a great many more cyclists out there whose names aren\’t well known, if at all. Just to begin with, how many of this year\’s TdF riders could I name? Precious few. I guess that\’s the way it\’s always been, and always will be. Only a few will shine brightly, but that doesn\’t mean the ones \”in the shadows\” aren\’t important. And you never know when one of them might turn supernova!  

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Don\’t Overdo It!

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Don\’t overdo it with the water! How often do we hear about the importance of adequate hydration during exercise? Plenty often, but so far I\’ve seen far less attention given to hyponatremia. Yes, it is possible to drink too much water. Scads of water with too little in the way of electrolytes (especially sodium) causes the blood\’s sodium level to drop too low; in effect, it gets diluted. The consequences can be serious; in a worst-case scenario, death can result. Although it\’s now September, the heat and humidity haven\’t yet abated. Not where I live, anyway! It probably won\’t really cool off for another month. Advice for hot weather riding is therefore not out of place in a September blog; especially considering that it can get into the 80s on Christmas Day here! To get back to hyponatremia, I don\’t think we need to be terrified of riding in hot, humid weather. Ride early in the day, if possible. Even after the sun sets, the day\’s heat lingers. Yes, do take plenty of water; use a Camel-Bak if necessary. If you\’ll be out more than an hour, take along some kind of electrolyte drink. Is drinking by thirst the best way? Some say it is; others disagree. Back to the old admonition, I guess: Moderation in All Things. Or, in other words, don\’t overdo it.

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Wearing of the Green?

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Wearing of the Green? 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.” The wearing of the green? This isn’t Saint Patrick’s Day; but the expression quite naturally makes me think of the Emerald Isle. At least one person has paddled a sea kayak all the way around Ireland. As I remember his account, parts of the journey were really rough. I don’t think I want to try to emulate that feat. For one thing, I don’t have the upper-body strength. But, just perhaps, I have the legs to pedal a bicycle all the way around Ireland? Taking my own sweet time, naturally! But if you’re in a hurry, there’s the Race Around Ireland! Like other ultra cycling events, such as RAAM, RAI sounds like “a contest of sleep deprivation”. For example, a solo woman rider must finish the route in six days, which means something like 217 miles per day. Making time for breaks to rest a bit and to get some sleep; and still cover those miles, would mean maintaining a fairly brisk pace. There’s a lot of climbing; a total of over 72,000 feet. I’ll bet I’d need a triple crankset! There are bound to be headwinds at times when you’re on a route of over 1300 miles. Heck, I get headwinds many a day when I’m putting in 15 miles or less! Am I strong enough to fight them for hours; and at a speed that would make me competitive in an event like RAI? I don’t suppose I’ll get the chance to find out; but if you go in for RAI, don’t get distracted into chasing leprechauns! And don’t forget about the wearing of the green. 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 Sunblock Day January 2, 2024 2024! January 1, 2024 Out with a Bang December 31, 2023 Seven-Up December 30, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Rarin\’ to Go?

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Rarin’ to Go Are you simply rarin’ to go? Do you always find yourself trying to outride your buddies? Love seeing how much faster you can get? Maybe racing is for you! I’m a long, long way from trying it. I’d need to learn a lot more about race tactics, how to “read the race”, and about training up. Training up specifically for racing, that is. I’ve read quite a lot about century prep, including the need to taper during the last week before the big day. Probably tapering is even more important before a race. A recreational century, after all, is a RIDE. A race is about who can out-maneuver the competition in addition to being fresh, strong, and fast. Study the race ahead of time, they say. How many miles (or kilometers) will you have to ride? If the event goes by time rather than distance, how much time is allowed? What is the race’s profile? Rolling hills? Mountainous? Flat as a pancake? How well do your strengths as a cyclist match the needs of the race? What can you do to improve your weaknesses so that you’re better prepared come event day? Just don’t forget to maintain your strengths in the process! Can you ride the race course ahead of race day? Or practice riding a route that has a similar profile? If possible, study your competition. Can you watch bicycle races, and start learning “how things are done”? What are the other riders’ tactics? What are their strengths and weaknesses? At first, race just to get the experience, it is said. Don’t expect to win your first race. Of course, if you do, that’s terrific! Well, don’t let me get too excited here. I’ll wind up a-rarin’ to go, and then I’ll have to rein myself in!

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