SpokEasy

January 2020

Guessing Game

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It really is a guessing game when it comes to deciding whether to take along my dark lenses or my vermilion lenses to work. One morning a week or so ago, it was overcast at 7 am; in fact, it was drizzling. The forecast I had checked the previous evening said it would still be overcast by late afternoon. When the sky is clouded over, dark lenses can easily be too dark; so I took along my vermilion lenses. Lo and behold, the sun came out! It was not very comfortable riding home with the sun shining in my eyes, and I wished I had my dark sunglasses with me. The next day, it was overcast in the morning; but the forecast said it would clear up during the day. I took along my dark sunglasses. On the way home I kept getting the sun full in my face, and having dark glasses really wasn\’t much help. Sometimes you just can\’t win. I need to get me a pair of 3M Smart Lens sunglasses, though. Automatically-adjusting tint would be helpful. I wouldn\’t have to carry along an extra pair of sunglasses for long rides that are apt to see changing conditions. Nor would I need to stop to switch glasses when it goes, let\’s say, from overcast to bright sunlight. There\’s usually a certain degree of guessing game for long rides, anyhow. Maybe so things will stay interesting?

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Aquatics

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Aquatics sounds like synchronized swimming, or scuba diving. Or surfing. But how about pedal-powered boats? I don\’t mean those paddle-boats you see on ponds in parks. I mean serious watercraft, such as for commuting. There\’s the Schiller X1. Weighing 45 pounds, it\’s lighter than many kayaks, and can fit into the trunk of most cars. It can be assembled/disassembled in ten minutes. If you must cross water to get to work/the grocery store/a friend\’s house, and there\’s no bridge or ferry service, the Schiller X1 could save the day I live close to the Mississippi River. Would I try this if I wanted to get to the other side, but didn\’t want to try riding across a bridge? I think not. That river is about a mile wide here, and there\’s a lot of water traffic. I wouldn\’t stand a chance against even a tugboat; and suppose a big, loaded tanker came along before I could get out of the shipping channel? The currents are strong, too. The Schiller X1 is a great idea, but as far as I can see it\’s meant for calmer waters. Oh, yes — better wear a life jacket, I say. No matter how strong a swimmer you are, a life jacket for activities on the water is only common sense. If the Schiller X1 is too tame for you, take a look at this. Was it, perhaps, inspired by the  Gossamer Albatross? Or perhaps the Kon-Tiki expedition? I think it would be fun to try one of those Schiller X1 craft, on a quiet pond. I hope, though, that I wouldn\’t tip over. That would mean more aquatics than I want.

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Clothing Care

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Clothing care is an aspect of cycling that can be easy to forget about. Yet we need to remember to give those duds the TLC that they need; especially cycling shorts. It might not matter that you haven\’t washed your cycling jacket for weeks. Or that your leg warmers got spattered with mud yesterday, and there wasn\’t time to wash them. But how often to we hear/read: always have a clean pair of shorts to wear. Riding in dirty shorts is only too likely to result in saddle sores. Saddle sores are always a possibility for cyclists; but the risk that you\’ll develop them goes way up if your shorts aren\’t clean. Thus I always have three or four pairs of shorts, which I use in rotation. That\’s important if you live in a humid climate, and the chamois needs more than 24 hours to get dry. A damp chamois isn\’t much improvement over one that\’s not clean; so I wash a pair of shorts almost every day. I wash my cycling clothes by hand. I don\’t have an automatic washer with a spin cycle, and wringing out things by hand doesn\’t get out as much water. That\’s why I don\’t wash my cycling jacket very often; it takes too long to dry before I need it again. An easy solution would be to buy a second jacket, but I\’m always needing that money for something else. What should you use to wash your cycling clothes? I opt for a mild, fragrance-free detergent. On days when the ground was wet, and a lot of grit got splashed on me, I rinse the clothes well before I wash them with detergent. I wish I could do that outdoors, rather than wash all that grit down the drain! Clothing care is admittedly a nuisance; but isn\’t it better than getting saddle sores?

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\”Ears\” to You

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\”Ears\” to you for being a cyclist, but don\’t forget that those ears need TLC as much as your legs do. If you must ride a lot where there\’s heavy traffic, construction zones with jackhammers, and so on, it would be a good idea to look for something that will dampen all that racket while still allowing you to hear what you need to hear. Even if you aren\’t riding alongside high-volume motor traffic, wind noise can be an issue. How about some cat ears? They block the worst of the wind, but let you hear what you need to hear. Even if it weren\’t for the possibility of wind noise causing hearing loss over time, wind blowing right in the ears is uncomfortable. Riding while listening to music? Not a good idea, in my opinion; especially not when you\’re alongside motor traffic. Besides, I know that when I\’m truly listening, I can\’t do anything else. Ears can let you know when something\’s coming up from behind before your eyes know. Even so, a rearview mirror is a wise idea. Just don\’t get so preoccupied with the REAR view that you forget to watch the way ahead! If you can ride in rural areas, you\’ll have the chance to do some bird-watching. Or should I say bird-listening? That\’s another reason to take good care of the ears. I know I\’d miss a lot if I were unable to hear birdsong!    

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Camels in the Snow?

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Why would camels be in the snow? We cyclists can look rather like dromedaries when we set out for a prolonged ride, loaded down with a Camel-Bak. This pic looks like a hot location; but if you live where freezing temperatures are the norm in Winter, there are some precautions to take. One of them is to watch that your drinking tube doesn\’t freeze. I believe it\’s possible to buy insulated drinking tubes. If you must, tuck your drinking tube inside of your clothing. Another trick you might use is to blow into your bite valve after taking a drink. I do that when the valve is old; has developed a split; and is likely to drip. If it\’s really, REALLY cold; let\’s say, well below freezing, there\’s also the risk of frozen bottles of electrolyte drink. I don\’t like to think of riding in such conditions. If you must, maybe use an insulated water bottle. Use warm water for mixing the drink. I suppose that could let you stay out a bit longer. Actually, if we get a freak cold snap, I\’m likely to be a wimp and stay indoors. About two years ago, that\’s exactly what happened. The chill factors were down in the upper 20s, which is horrifically cold for New Orleans. It didn\’t snow, though, so cyclists around here didn\’t get a chance to play camels in the snow.

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Soggy Ride

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Soggy Ride A soggy ride or no ride was the choice this morning. At 8:00 am it was gray and drizzly. According to the forecast, it was going to rain all day. The temperature was 53 degrees. To be honest, I really did not want to go riding in such conditions. But lately I simply have not been getting enough riding; so I prodded myself to get ready to go. I filled my Camel-Bak. I pulled on leg warmers; and put on four layers “up above”. With the rain, I figured I’d need them. I donned the skull cap. Once outdoors and riding, I quickly wished I had two layers on my legs; not one. Naturally there were puddles to ride through; and it wasn’t long before my feet were wet and cold. I doubt that double socks would have helped. Despite my having FOUR layers on my upper body, I was soon damp and cold. Pedaling at a higher intensity might have warmed me up a little. The question is whether I could have maintained that intensity for more than a short while. If not, I would soon have been just as cold again; and possibly colder. I had thought of going about 9.5 miles from home before returning. Thanks to my feeling chilled, I turned around at about 6.3 miles. I’m glad that at least the wind wasn’t bad today, or it would have felt even more frigid! I got home wet; but at least I did get in some miles. That’s something to feel good about, even though it was a soggy ride.

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Skweek-Skweek

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Skweek-skweek? What kind of spelling is THAT? Oh, let\’s forget about spelling for a minute. Today, the Lunar New Year, ushers in the Year of the Rat. Rat people are said to be clever and quick-thinking. Those attributes would be helpful in bicycle racing, especially the latter. Reading about racing tactics is interesting and helpful, but barely the beginning. I don\’t need to be a racing cyclist myself to figure that out. The racing cyclist can\’t daydream about something else during an event. One look at a pic of the peloton in, let\’s say, the Tour de France should make that obvious. Those guys look like they\’re almost bumping elbows, and they aren\’t casually pedaling to the neighborhood café. They\’re flying! They\’ve got to keep alert to their own positions and to the other riders; they must able to think fast, and be ready to respond to the unexpected. Despite that, even the \”rattiest\” riders can\’t always keep out of trouble. Racing must take nerves of steel, as well as muscles of steel. I find that it can be a little unnerving to participate in a casual group ride. And that, when I\’m on the hybrid. I think I\’ll leave racing to somebody else, and \”just ride\”. Hey, what\’s that skweek-skweek I hear? Where\’s the oil can?      

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Korea

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Korea 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.” Korea one of many countries that don’t readily spring to my mind for cycling trips abroad; perhaps because of what we hear about North Korea. It certainly discourages me from trying to go there; whether solo, or as part of a tandem team. South Korea, on the other hand, has its possibilities. By the way, how did I start thinking about cycling trips there? Wouldn’t you know: hot dogs! A tikka masala variation using hoisin sauce. The cycling infrastructure in South Korea is said to be great; the trails have a variety of difficulty; beautiful scenery; amazing food; camping is easy to find; the people are wonderful. The weather during the Winter months can be very harsh; if you aren’t a dedicated cold-weather cyclist, you might not want to plan a trip through Korea for that season. It also might not be easy to find speakers of English outside of the capital city. Leaving that aside, choose your route. I love the pic shown of the Four Rivers Trail in Fall; those leaves are positively glowing. Even better, multiple lanes just for bicycles! For novice bicycle tourists, the Han River Trail would be great for a one-day trip. Nice and flat; and all paved. But this route is busy, so stay alert to other riders. The Jeju Bike Path is a good one for cyclists who would like to combine an easy ride with some beachcombing. This trail is mostly flat, and has some great scenic spots along the way. The East Coast Cycling Route is moderately difficult, and you’re on the coast all the way. Sometimes you’ll have the ocean on one side, and mountains on the other. The path is sometimes flat, and sometimes there are long climbs; but paved all the way. For the touring cyclist looking for a challenge, there’s the Chilbongsang Trail. This path is dirt and rocks; sounds like something better suited to a mountain bike than a road bike! It also is not intended for beginners. But make it to the top, and your reward is a panoramic view of the countryside. Except for that fifth route, I think I’d like any of them. Should I save my pennies towards a trip to South Korea? 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 I Traverse Afar? December 18, 2023 I Envy Time December 17, 2023 Holiday Food December 16, 2023 Glad I’m Home December 15, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Wishes!

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\”If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride…\” Or maybe I just need a wishing well. Sometimes I think that, if I could have only one wish granted, it would be fluency in any language at will. I recently came across the following book title: \”Boyacá en bicicleta\”. \”Boyaca on Bicycle\”. The book was primarily illustrations; and seemed to be about the people of Boyaca riding bicylces, rather than an account of a bicycle tour in the place. Since I know only a little Spanish, I couldn\’t understand much of the text. Naturally I have other wishes; or maybe I should call them pipe dreams. How about qualifying for PBP? That\’s about the pipe-iest dreaming I can think of, aside from riding in a Grand Tour race. Another dream is participation in RAGBRAI! The videos I\’ve watched about RAGBRAI make it sound like a wonderful ride. Or at least I can dream of doing another century. I can daydream about doing some of Adventure Cycling\’s epic tours. IF I can manage to save the necessary funds; and can amass the equipment needed; and can get to the starting point to begin with … that might have to remain a dream. But don\’t they say, keep something to dream on?

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What Goes Around

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What goes around, comes around, they always say; and when it comes to wheels, what goes around propels the bicycle forward. I\’ve never bought a wheelset separately from a bicycle. If I ever need to, I\’ve got everything to learn about it. And that article is only for road bike wheels! Here\’s more info. I\’ve learned this much from years of reading about cycling: a wheel is rotating weight. If your main interest is racing, the lighter your bicycle\’s wheels, the better; as long as you don\’t compromise durability. The general advice is to use heavier, sturdier wheels for the rigors of training; then switch to lighter-weight wheels for the event. I also know that those deep-rimmed wheels with few and wide spokes can be very difficult to control in a strong sidewind; and that if your intent is for rough, off-road riding, it\’s better to avoid wheels that have sparse spokes. You can get special wheels for time trialing. Some have a broad rim. Others are a full disc; another type of wheel that\’s hard to handle in a crosswind. Spokes can be round; or they can be flatter for better aerodynamics. Spokes must be properly tightened to keep wheels in true. My wheels had better stay true! They had better not take to spreading false rumors, because what goes around, comes around.

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