SpokEasy

October 2019

In the Velodrome

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What goes on in the velodrome? I remember hearing a Boy Scout song when I was a kid that said something about, \”The horses run around, their feet are on the ground\”. Want to see cyclists ride around (and around and around!), or try it yourself? Track cycling might be your thing. The track cyclist rides a \”fixie\”.  Getting used to a fixie would take a bit of doing. If I understand what I\’ve read correctly, fixed-gear bicycles don\’t allow coasting. It would take a while, and possibly a couple of falls, for me to remember that. I guess that riding on a smooth, wooden, indoor velodrome track is a welcome change from outdoor events, where riders never know what Mother Nature might throw at them. I suppose that an indoor track also makes it harder for over-enthusiastic fans to create hazards by getting in the way of oncoming riders. The only velodrome in my state is located in a city about 80 miles away, so I don\’t suppose I\’ll get to try track riding any time soon. But if I can get there with my bicycle, maybe I\’ll see you in the velodrome.

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On the Wing?

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A cyclist on the wing sounds like flying down the road at 25 mph. Riding like that would leave scant time for birdwatching. My father always enjoyed the outdoors. I never saw him ride a bicycle (although he may have done so when he was a kid), but he was quite a one for bird-watching. A slow-motion trip to see and hear our avian citizens would have thrilled him. In fact, I\’ll be he would have preferred to take such a journey on foot. That way he could have gone even more slowly, with more time to look around and keep his ears open for birdsong. Daddy was absolutely amazing. He could see a bird on the wing from a block away, and identify it: its relative size; whether it looked dark-colored or lighter-colored; whether its wings were pointy or rounded or squarish at the ends; how it flapped its wings; whether it flew low to the ground or higher up; whether it maintained a consistent height from the ground or \”swooped\” as it flew. Next time you\’re out for a long ride, keep any eye peeled for what\’s on the wing. I\’ve seen bald eagles, kingbirds, and more. Incidentally, what would Walt Whitman have a thought of this?    

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Thinking It Up

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Thinking it up, and a great deal of it, is behind our present-day bicycles. Their precursor, the Draisine, was invented during the notorious \”Year without a Summer\” following the eruption of Tambora. Crops were failing, and it was hard to get feed for horses. The \”hobbyhorse\” didn\’t need either feed or stabling. But what of the inventions that we don\’t hear about? Let\’s take a look at some of them: The Mavic Mektronic sounds peculiar to me. Shifting the rear gears via radio frequency? With the plethora of electronic devices these days, I imagine that such a shifting system would suffer endless interference! That banana hammock looks too \”load-specific\” to me. That is to say, I get the impression that the only thing it would be good for is to carry a single banana. I\’ll stick with my top-tube pouch. WHAT is that Cyclomer thing? If I had to cross a pond, I\’d rather have a pirogue. My arms need more exercise, anyway. FLIZ? That\’s the Draisine upside-down. Bird of Prey looks like something for stunt riding.  I don\’t think I\’d be comfortable with my stomach pressing against that saddle. Maybe some of these, like the Draisine, were invented out of need. \”Necessity is the mother of invention,\” it is said. So let\’s all keep thinking it up!  

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Far to Go

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I sure have far to go before I get back to my pre- hamstring injury fitness, although I\’m not about to abandon my poor bicycle in the middle of a field when the process is frustratingly slow. I\’ve been gradually increasing the distance that I ride, but am still taking it easy. That muscle isn\’t quite ready to to resume the gearing and speeds that I had been using. My cardiovascular fitness had most definitely taken a hit. I had been able to ride up the access ramp to the top of the levee and barely get into heart rate Zone 3. This morning the climb put me in Zone 4! Because I wasn\’t going to be out there for hours, I skipped the Camel-Bak. I took along a cereal bar just in case, but didn\’t use it. For a long, long time I had been somewhat aware of a quirk of mine: tensing up the left ankle, pulling the heel down, and jabbing at the pedal. I\’ll bet that had a lot to do with the tendonitis I got in the foot! I suspect that a weak quad is involved. So now is a great time to keep aware of what my left leg is doing as I ride. I must make a constant, conscious effort if I don\’t want to drift right back into the old habit. The harder a gear I use, the easier it is to start using \”old-style pedaling\”, so it makes sense to stay in easier gears. Here and there I\’ll shift up to the big ring for a bit; but as soon as that ankle starts to misbehave, I shift back to the small ring. Years of incorrect habits aren\’t corrected in a few days, so I\’ve still got far to go.  

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Catrike

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My apologies. Catrike doesn\’t look at all like my old tricycle, but I don\’t have a pic that does. The March 2019 issue of Adventure Cyclist carried an article about Catrike. A Catrike is recumbent style, and has the so-called tadpole wheel configuration; two wheels up front, and one in the back. This trike that I used to have has what is called delta configuration. There are about nine different styles of Catrike. I quickly found myself eyeballing the description of the Pocket model, designed with shorter riders (under 5\’8\”) in mind. Seeing as I\’m barely five feet tall, even a Pocket model might be hard to fit to me; especially positioning the pedals so that I can ride without stressful overextension of my knees, because I  have short legs. The Trail model is for recreation and touring. That, too, might be a good one for me. Or the Road model. If I ever get into \’bents, that is. They do have their drawbacks. You can\’t pedal out of the saddle. I\’m not sure the entrance into my current residence is wide enough to let a Catrike through. I know my old tricycle couldn\’t fit; I tried it. I\’ll keep on pedaling my road bike for as long as my body lets me, but the Catrike is something to keep in mind when that evil day comes when I can\’t manage two wheels any more.

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Tikka Masala Goes Abroad

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Tikka Masala Goes Abroad 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.” Tikka masala goes abroad! Time for a travelogue, here. My experiments in the kitchen have included hot dog tikka masala, a twist on the Chicken Tikka Masala recipe in The Feed Zone Cookbook. Now, the tinkering continues. Tikka Masala is, I suppose, an East Indian dish. A while back, I found a jar of gochujang Korean cooking sauce when I visited the salvage store. I bought it with the idea of figuring out some way to use it, and today I finally got down to it. I’m making what I think I shall call Gochujang Dogs. I followed the same procedure as I do for hot dog tikka masala, but substituted the Korean sauce for the tomato sauce; and I omitted the curry powder. Gochujang sauce is a bit sharp, and I suspect that curry would clash with it. The mixture is marinating in the fridge even as I type this, and I think I’ll have some for supper. Incidentally, I finally got to the salvage store today! It seemed the hardest ride I’ve done in a while. My hamstring isn’t completely back to itself yet; I was riding the hybrid; and had loaded panniers on the way home. It was great to get to that place again, though. I got my usual load of cheap snacks from the make-your-own-grab-bag bins. On the way home, I saw the AmTrak train crossing the bridge. For some reason I really enjoy that, even though I’m many years beyond the “look at the choo-choo” stage! Maybe tikka masala abroad travels by train, and I yearn to go with it.

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Paradox

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What a paradox we\’ve got here! Weatherwise, things don\’t seem to add up. The temperatures are finally feeling more like Fall. At the same time, there\’s a system out there in the Gulf of Mexico that has high potential to reach tropical storm strength! Not the time to take off for a century ride, that\’s certain. Currently it\’s moving NE, and if it keeps going that way, New Orleans might feel only minimal impact. The trouble is, those storms, in their own way, are as erratic and unpredictable as tornadoes. I might go out for a ride later, depending on conditions. I can always \”spin\” in the trainer for a while if it\’s pouring and/or there\’s a strong wind. I hope the weather allows me to ride to the salvage store tomorrow. I think my hamstring might be able to take it now. Next Monday I go back to work, i.e. my regular job. I\’m still working like crazy on this site, and have been for hours a day during my vacation. Another paradox; or, rather, an oxymoron — a working vacation. A web site is far from static. Always something to update, delete, or add. I must admit, it adds up to a lot of time. In effect, it\’s a second job.

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Feeling Jumpy?

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Feeling Jumpy? 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.” Are you feeling jumpy from hanging around home? Tired of your local bike path? How about cycling the Australian outback? It would be interesting for me, after a lifetime in the Northern Hemisphere, to go stargazing in the Land Down Under. No familiar constellations such as Orion, Taurus, the Big Dipper, etc. If nothing else, I’d need to learn how to find the Southern Cross. I once read a book by a scientist who was studying one of the mass extinctions; one that occurred long before the famous K-T extinctions. He was in either Australia or South Africa. One night he was looking at the moon, and puzzling at its odd appearance. Then he realized that the Man in the Moon was upside down! I’ll bet that would be interesting to see. Crossing the outback on two wheels is no picnic, as I expected. I wonder whether my Camel-Bak full of water would last from one “watering hole” to the next. And that’s when staying on the main route! Electrolyte drink mustn’t be forgotten; and food! Fifteen days’ worth of food is a LOT to have to carry! I wouldn’t want nothing but bars, so what else could I carry? It would need to be compact and lightweight. Nuts, perhaps? Or maybe I’d be nuts to think about cycling across the outback! Actually, the very idea has me feeling jumpy. 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 Pedal or Walk? January 11, 2024 Swiss Cheese? January 10, 2024 Bucking the Wind January 9, 2024 Holding My Breath Again! January 8, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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A Noon-Day Ride

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A noon-day ride is unusual for me. I’ve become well-used to going out before sun-up, because it’s the best way for me to be sure I do get to ride. When I’m working, that is. But this morning it was drizzly; I just didn’t feel like going out in it; and being on vacation means I can ride later in the day. So this morning I worked on my web site, getting a “Back Issues” feature set up. Somehow I hadn’t realized that site visitors couldn’t see any but the four most recent postings! Now I feel re-e-e-eally stupid. By noon I needed a break, and I was getting tired of sitting around. The sky was still mostly overcast, but I wanted to go riding, so I did. It’s still warm, and I wasn’t sure it wouldn’t start raining before I got back home; especially as I felt a drop here and there. I’m glad the rain held off. A poncho on a road bike is quite impractical. At any rate, the one I have sure is. Tonight it’s expected to drop to 61 degrees. I’m going to need the leg warmers tomorrow morning! In fact, I’ll probably catch myself wishing for a warm, noon-day ride.  

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Central Grocery

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Central Grocery, a mom-and-pop style store, has been in business for over a century. It\’s famous for its olive salad and the muffuletta sandwich. Now and then I visit Central Grocery when cravings for a \”muf\” (pronounced \”muff\”) strike. You can get either a whole muf or a half-muf, and believe me, a half-muf is a very generous meal! So this morning I headed down there. I needed a break from working on the web site, and besides that I\’ve really wanted a half-muf lately. Saturday mornings I\’m usually busy getting groceries, and Sundays I\’m usually out on a long bicycle ride. Now, before my vacation is over, was my chance. And here I am back home. Early this morning I took a short jaunt on the road bike, and rode over 6 miles. I felt a twinge in the hamstring here and there, and I still can\’t push the pace, but things are getting better. After a week or so of not riding until daylight, it felt rather strange to be riding in the dark. It\’s amazing how quickly I became unused to the visual aspects of riding in the dark. But I\’d better get used to it again, because next week it\’s back to the old grind. (Pic taken by web site author, June 2, 2018)

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