SpokEasy

September 2019

Want a Trade-In?

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Do you want a trade-in? Are you tired of bicycles, and wish you could turn equestrian? Maybe this version of William Tell Overture will help you to find your gait. It certainly gave me a good laugh. When I was about thirteen, I went through a horse-crazy phase. I had found an all-about-horses paperback book, and loved it. I wished I could have a horse. It sounded wonderful. Grooming a horse sounded like an easy, enjoyable task. Riding horseback sounded easy and fun. Now I know a lot better. Just acquiring a horse is a very costly proposition. Then there\’s stabling, feed, vet care, grooming, tackle (saddle, etc.) and so on. Add in daily grooming and mucking out the stable. It adds up to a great deal of money and time. I don\’t have money like that; and making time to groom a horse day after day would wear me to a frazzle. From what I\’ve heard, the horse is surprisingly delicate. You\’ve especially got to watch out for colic, I believe. A bad colic can result in a horse having to be put down. Riding a horse means keeping your wits about you; no daydreaming! Horses spook easily. Be especially alert to anything approaching from behind. Having all that in mind certainly gives me second thoughts about having a horse. The bike and I get caught in the rain, I don\’t need to worry about the bike catching a cold, or developing pneumonia. I put too much lube on the chain, the bike won\’t get colic. If it gets a little dirt on it, and I don\’t clean it right away, no big deal. I think I\’ll skip the trade-in, and let the horse gallop off into the sunset.

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Having Fits?

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Are you having fits about  your shoes? How anybody can even stand in high heels, let alone walk in them, amazes me. Just looking at such shoes makes my feet hurt. I\’m glad I don\’t need them for cycling! If we\’re going to ride a lot, well-fitted cycling shoes are a must. But do pro cyclists go into as much detail about shoe fit as a dancer getting fitted for pointe shoes? Sickling might not be an issue, but what about bunions? Might the arch of the foot come into the picture? What if you have feet like mine? Wide across the toes, and narrow at the heel? Pronation, and the need for orthotics, complicates the picture. A pair of custom-made orthotics costs several hundred dollars, a price that made me cringe. I had noticed, however, that my left foot rolled inwards when I rose out of the saddle. This caused the inner side of the knee to feel strained. I knew that, over time, this was likely to cause serious problems with the knee. That would cost even more than the orthotics. A pair is good for three years or so. I never could adjust to wearing them in my walking shoes, and used them for cycling only. I ride more than I walk, anyhow. For pro cyclists, shoe fit is vital, I\’m sure. It\’s not a case of one-size-fits-all; that usually means that it \”fits all\” in the sense that it doesn\’t really fit anybody! A pro racing cyclist needs footwear that\’s both sturdy and lightweight; and probably needs a shoe that fits like a glove. It sounds like a tall order. But if your shoes fit, you won\’t be having fits about foot pain on your next ride.  

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Things We Shouldn’t Do!

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There are some things we shouldn\’t do when going for a ride! Check this out. Backpedal on the downhills? Weird idea. Riding when I\’ve got a cold? Come on. My nose is sniffly enough when the temperature starts to drop below 70, never mind how it would behave if I had a cold. I can\’t use a 53 chain ring — I haven\’t got one 😉 I do have a 12-tooth cog, but wouldn\’t try to use it on a climb. Don\’t drink on a long ride?! I\’ve wound up in the ER with dehydration even when I had water with me. It wasn\’t fun. So don\’t forget the Camel-Bak! Plastic bag on my saddle? While I\’ve got my bike parked all day at work, sure. After all, the bike racks are under trees (I don\’t need to tell you what might happen as a result), and if it rains I want to keep my saddle dry. But ride with that plastic bag still over the saddle? Too slippery. One-legged pedaling drills are one thing when the bike is secured in a trainer. I don\’t think I want to try it while actually riding. Want frostbitten hands? I sure don\’t! Where are my gloves? No food on a long ride? I feel the bonk coming on just thinking about it! Find my Clif Bars! And my GU-Gels! Climbing to me feels like going as hard as I can, anyway… Grass to fix a puncture? Do they mean stuffing the tire so full of grass that there\’s no room for a tube? I\’m not that patient, I\’m afraid. My \”best bad\” advice? I don\’t dare give anyone any wrong ideas! So remember, there are things we shouldn\’t do.        

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Packing My Bag

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Last night I was packing my bag for a long ride. Preparing for such a ride can seem like getting ready for a trek across the Australian outback: Camel-Bak; electrolyte drink; ride food. I remember a game we used to play sometimes when I was a kid. \”I pack my bag with something to eat, and in it I put a ___.\” Each person in succession took whatever letter of the alphabet came next (starting, of course, with \”A\”). And was supposed to repeat all the things that had gone into the bag before his/her turn came. Packing my bag, i.e. my Camel-Bak, with something matching each letter of the alphabet would make it far too heavy! Avocado, banana, cabbage, dates… Today I did a ride of 38.40 miles. On the way back, the headwind drove me crazy. According to the forecast, the wind was from the NE to ENE; and from 7 am strengthened from 7 mph to 12 mph. I averaged a plodding 11.82 mph. Such incidents make me wonder whether I\’m really getting any stronger. I pulled out a cycling journal from 2015, and browsed through it a bit. I found a Sunday ride in March of that year. The forecast for that day: wind E 10-15 mph. My average speed, 11.6 mph. So it seemed like I\’m not improving any too much. Then I saw that on that March day I rode little over 10 miles. Battling a 10-12 mph headwind for over 19 miles is much different from riding in a similar wind for what was probably a round trip, with a tailwind for half the distance!

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Lest We Forget?

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Lest we forget? At any rate, lest I forget! Forget how to walk, that is. You’d think that any cyclist would have legs capable of walking any distance, fast and hard. I’ve discovered that being an avid cyclist seems to make walking, if anything, harder! Way back when I first started riding the trike, I commented that I mustn’t forget how to walk. It looks like I AM forgetting! Nowadays, when I walk somewhere instead of riding a bicycle, my legs feel heavy and sluggish. I feel SO slow!! It set in about this past June, and only seems to be getting worse. Too much intense work with too little recovery? Do I need to be more diligent about using that foam roller on my legs? Have my \”hammies\” become overly tightened? Whatever it is, I\’m amazed at triathletes. Swim, cycle, then run. Sounds exhausting. I never became very good at swimming. I didn\’t seem to have the upper body strength for it, and it would leave me gasping like a spent runner. It would probably take me 9 hours or so in the saddle to ride 112 miles. And then run a marathon?? I\’ll never make it to Kona, I\’m sure. Trying to train for the Kona event would likely leave me little time for going about on foot. I think, then, I\’ll skip it — lest I forget how to walk.

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Windows

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Windows can be wonderful. They let the daylight in, and they even come into song. These aren\’t quite the words I remember, but I do remember \”go in and out the windows\”. This morning I seemed to be going in and out of weather windows. At about 6:40 am, I heard what I thought was thunder. It wasn\’t close; and I wasn\’t quite sure that I wasn\’t hearing the garbage truck, which comes through on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Several more times in the ensuing hour, I heard distant thunder again. The forecast I checked last night had said, \”partly cloudy\”. So I got ready for a trip to the salvage store. I had already taken the hybrid and the trailer outdoors when I looked up at the sky, and saw a big, dark cloud looming. The wind was starting to blow the way it does when all fury is about to break loose. I carried both items back indoors, and checked the weather site. There was a T-storm advisory posted, so I decided not to go to the store. It rained on and off, but in less than an hour the sun was trying to come out. I went out on the road bike and put in the mileage that I would have gotten by riding to and from the salvage store. It was starting to get pretty hot before I got back home. Then I took the hybrid for a ride to the drug store. When I came back out, there was a big, black cloud in the sky. It looked like it might rain soon, and I was glad to get back home dry. I hope I get another weather window tomorrow morning. Cycle September is still going, and I want to ride!      

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Triskaidekaphobia

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Triskaidekaphobia Triska … HUH? Triskaidekaphobia! Fear of the number 13. As if that word weren’t long enough already, fear of FRIDAY the 13th has even longer names: paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia. Today is an unusual Friday the 13th: it coincides with the full moon. I got a beautiful view of that moon while out on my morning ride. I’m glad I did get to see it, because the full moon won’t shine on Friday the 13th for another 30 years. And who knows? Next time it might be cloudy! I don’t let triskaidekaphobia get me down. As usual for Friday the 13th, I wore my Lucky British Black Cat pin to work. Maybe I should have worn it when I went out riding. I did get a bit of bad luck; a freight train was coming, and was too close to the crossing for me to dare trying to beat it. It was a long one, too. I made four or five circuits of the block before the thing finally got past. I’ve been using the hybrid for my morning rides for two days because the road bike was in the shop for a tune-up. Today I got it back. It had needed new brake pads, and I was surprised when they told me that the bike still had the original brake pads. Over 23,000 miles, and I hadn’t ever worn out the brake pads? Oh, well — maybe that’s a good thing. While I was at the shop anyhow, I got Chamois Butt’r. They also carry Her’ Chamois Butt’r; but I prefer the original. Now that I have my “real” bicycle back, I can think about the Sunday long ride. So far it looks like the weather will cooperate!

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Exotica

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Exotica? 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.” Is exotica your thing? Do you think that cycling in Europe is too tame? Do you want something more exotic than even Russia’s taiga? Would India fit the bill? Or maybe Mongolia? India is a huge place; and I don’t know what part I’d want to focus on. Maybe not Calcutta. It sounds like the city is not very cyclist-friendly. New Delhi? The Agra Tour?  Something more rural? And when to go? The dry season? Here are some pros and cons of doing the opposite, and visiting during the monsoon season. Let’s take a look at Mongolia. It’s a big place, too. How long does it take to ride all the way across? I’ve seen pics of the night sky in Mongolia, blazing with stars. How I would love to see that! “Exotic” locations, to me, conjure up images off-the-beaten-track places; and of bumpy, potholed dirt roads — surfaces that probably aren’t well-suited to road bike tires. Maybe a tour designed especially for a mountain bike? And Skedaddle offers tours for both roadies and MTB riders. Such a tour might be best done on a bicycle that will allow for a rack and panniers. Don’t forget the Camel-Bak! And who knows? Maybe you’ll even get to ride on a camel’s back! How’s that for exotica? 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 Holiday Food December 16, 2023 Glad I’m Home December 15, 2023 Getting Wild December 14, 2023 Sooner or Later December 13, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Cycling in Germany

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Cycling in Germany Ah, cycling in Germany! “Der Vaterland” would be at or near the top of my list for countries to explore on two wheels. I have a lot of German ancestry (on my mother’s side); so I feel attracted to both the country and its language. To be more specific, my German ancestors were from Bavaria and the Black Forest; so those are the places I’d want to visit. There are numerous bike rides in the Black Forest (der Schwarzwald). If I went cycling in Germany, I would look for one around Baden-Baden, whence one of my four- or five- (maybe even six?-) times great-grandfathers came. Who knows — I might even be able to visit a library or something that would let me track him down! Incidentally, why is it  called the BLACK Forest? I’ve heard three different versions of that. One: the forest is largely made up of conifers, which look dark (black) from a distance. Two: the trees grow so thickly that you don’t have to go far inside of the forest for it to be as black as night. Three: conifers naturally give off a dark-looking haze. Which version do you prefer? I think I like the second one best. Bavaria sounds like a beautiful place.  Maybe this tour would do? I wouldn’t mind visiting Munich; although I think I’ll skip the beer. And there’s a lot more of Germany. Meanwhile, I need to get back to beefing up my knowledge of the language. Sprechen Sie Deutsch? 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 2024 January 1, 2024 Out with a Bang December 31, 2023 Seven-Up December 30, 2023 Feeling Sheepish? December 29, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Isn\’t It High Time?

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Isn\’t it high time I attempted another century? I have four under my belt: the one on the tricycle; two on the hybrid; and one on the road bike. That last was in July 2013, and part of me feels that it’s about time I did another century. Why I feel that way, I\’m not sure. I’m afraid it would be a bit like this YouTube. I\’m certainly not adequately trained to ride a century this coming weekend! One web site I\’ve read had the author mentioning having known riders who completed a century ride \”with no miles in their legs\”, but that taking such an approach might mean that you\’d be only too ready to get rid of your bicycle upon finishing the ride. Not that I haven’t been riding, but my Sunday “long” rides haven’t been that long lately! It’s been very hot, and I’m not sure how wise it would be to push for 50 miles and more when the heat index will be over 100 degrees before I can finish. So, how soon could I  be ready to get out there and knock out 100 miles? Some advice says, you can ride double your usual weekly long ride; some says you can do triple. Whichever it is, I\’d want to wait until the weather cools off, but not until it\’s cold. Could I be ready by late October? I really don\’t know. I did my century rides because I wanted to see whether I could; and, like the Little Engine, I could! Maybe that\’s why I\’ve never done another one — yet. But maybe some day? You might say that it\’s high time.

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