SpokEasy

February 2020

Leapfrogging

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\”Leapfrogging\” is what I call it when I\’ve got a blog in queue for a certain day; but before that blog gets published, I\’ll compose a blog that I really want to publish right away. Then the originally scheduled blog gets put at the end of the blog queue; that is, it leaps over the other blogs. Like a frog! Do riders who do jumps think of frogs, too? It must take some time, and lots of practice, to develop the confidence to do those jumps. I, for one, can\’t even bunnyhop! I\’ll bet it requires a good deal of upper-body strength for pulling the bike upwards into the jumps. You see videos of BMX riders making soaring leaps over huge gaps, sometimes completing several mid-air turns before landing. That must take tremendous core strength! Another kind of leapfrogging is plyometric exercises. These involve explosive jumping movements, designed to develop leg muscles for sudden, explosive efforts on the bike; for example, making a sudden sprint. The book Get Fast! includes a few such exercises. Those with wanderlust might like to head to Indonesia for some leapfrogging from one island to the next. Several thousand islands means there\’s plenty of leaping to do! While we\’re talking about leaping, today is Leap Day! The Italian composer Rossini was born on February 29. The Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera Pirates of Penzance uses that date as part of its plot. See here for some celebrities born on Leap Day. One day maybe I\’ll learn how to do jumps, but you know what they say: Look before you leap.        

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Island Hopping

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Island Hopping 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.” Island hopping, I suppose, would be the name of the game if you did a bicycle trip around Indonesia. After all, there are thousands of islands in this country. With all those islands, there’s plenty to see. If group touring is your thing, this tour of eight days on Bali might fit the bill. It takes you past rice paddies; volcanoes; and temples. Explore caves; get a glimpse of how Indonesia’s ordinary folk live; and visit some hot springs.  There’s some pretty stiff climbing involved; on at least one day you’ll be riding around the crater of a volcano. I suppose that includes riding up there! Also, be prepared for the humidity, especially if you choose to visit Bali between October and April. I’m used to a humid climate; but for all  know Bali’s climate is even more humid. If you want to explore Indonesia by bicycle, on your own, it’s only fair to make note of the difficulties you might encounter. Depending on where in Indonesia you are, mountain grades might be 20+%! I wonder, are such climbs harder as an individual cyclist; or as part of a tandem team? Are the mountains that steep everywhere in Indonesia? How about Lombok? From the heights of Mt. Rinjani (yet another volcano!) to beautiful beaches, Lombok has a lot to explore. Pedal uphill and down; visit a black-sand beach; roll past rice paddies. Those islands are only a tiny part of Indonesia. If you’re interested in island hopping, though, those three are a start. 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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Hong Kong

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Hong Kong 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.” Do you want to try pedaling  around Hong Kong? This island has something for everyone. Hong Kong’s various cycling routes can take you to temples and cafés; fish ponds and coastlines. For a family-friendly tour, try the Tung Chung to Sunny Bay route. Roads are quiet, and you have beautiful views of the coast. In contrast, the Peak to Shek O trail offers rugged MTB riding. You’ll want to take a Camel-Bak for this one! The Chi Ma Wan tour offers many views of the sea; and on the Cheung Chau route, you can explore Hong Kong’s back streets. The climate is subtropical. Winters are very mild; and Summers are hot; muggy; and rainy. October through early December is when the weather is apt to be the most pleasant. It does get cool enough for long sleeves and long pants; take a jacket, too. Once again, I come to the Thou Shalt Not aspect of visiting any foreign country. Here are a few: Do not be a “snail”. No problem. I’ve always been in a hurry! Don’t bring only casual wear. If  you want to try some upscale restaurants, or visit temples, this makes sense. Don’t stay on Hong Kong the whole time. It would be interesting to see other islands, too. Don’t go outside if a typhoon hits. Sort of like with hurricanes. Don’t overdo sun exposure. Use that sunblock! Don’t break any laws. That should go without saying. Be sure you inform yourself about local laws. What might get you a mere warning in the USA might get you thrown into prison in another country. I’d guess that last one includes cycling rules; so brush up on those, too. Then choose your route and enjoy the ride. 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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Lingo

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Yes, we have our lingo, including [GASP!!] four-letter words. But that isn\’t the extent of it. As with any field, cycling has its own lingo that might leave non-cyclists scratching their heads. It might even sound like a foreign language. Half-wheeling, for instance. It sounds sort of like somebody trying to ride with half a wheel. Puzzling, right? How can anybody ride a bicycle with only half wheels? Aero sounds like air travel. Bonking sounds like literally running into a wall. \”Big dog\” is a new one to me. What the largest chain ring has to do with canines, I don\’t know. Maybe it means madly pushing that big gear when some snarling mutt is chasing you? I\’d have to be frantically hungry to start chewing the handlebars. My appetite isn\’t that weird! 😉 Besides, I don\’t think it\’s wise to focus too hard on your Garmin, and forget to watch where you\’re going. I sure was grupetto when I rode the 2018 Tour de Cure. I was the last rider in, and made it with just two minutes to spare. Well — at least I did make it. Hubbard sounds like the old nursery rhyme. I hope I don\’t look like one. Noodle arms are what I had when I first graduated from the adult trike to the hybrid. I soon came to my senses and started doing off-bike exercises to improve my upper body/arm and core strength. Pile up is something I hope I never experience. Especially I wouldn\’t want to be on the bottom of the heap. Stomping sounds to me like a rider who is pedaling awkwardly, and mashing hard on the pedals. Looks like I\’m wrong there. Zig Zagging would be me on a steep climb! And lots more. Welcome to the conversation of cyclists!    

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Fast Tuesday

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Fast Tuesday isn\’t quite the same as Fat Tuesday, right? Today is Mardi Gras, for sure, but I\’m keeping away from all the parade craziness. It\’s not the most pleasant kind of weather to be standing around outdoors, anyhow; it isn\’t raining, but it\’s overcast and on the chilly side. So I went out on the road bike this morning, with the idea of doing 18-20 miles. What I wound up doing was a much shorter ride, but I incorporated some 30-second intervals of pushing the pace hard. I touched a peak speed of well over 19 mph. For me, that\’s really good. My legs didn\’t like it very much, but that just goes to show how weak they are! It wasn\’t the easiest thing on my CV system, either; but I need to work at pushing my heart rate into the max sometimes. Thus I need to include that kind of workout once or twice a week, especially if I\’ve got long rides in mind. Tour de Cure, for example. This year\’s local version is scheduled for the third week of November. That\’s nine months away, but we all know how time flies! Last year I skipped TdC, largely because it\’s so hard for me to find enough donors. Now, with a recent diagnosis of pre-diabetes, I\’m considering riding this year. Let\’s hope I haven\’t actually reached Red Rider status by then. Day before yesterday I extended my Sunday ride by a couple of miles. If I want to do TdC, I need to add an additional mile or two every two weeks. The longest TdC route on offer is 62 miles, or a metric century. I\’m quite confident of being able to work up to the distance; being fast enough to make the time cut is something else again. Getting back to today\’s ride, I\’m lucky today was a holiday; and that I didn\’t need to go out at 5:15 am if I were to ride. There were some patches of pretty dense fog out there. Add darkness to fog, and I hardly dare push the pace — even if fast Tuesday is the name of the game.  

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Lundi Gras

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Lundi Gras?? Isn\’t it MARDI Gras? Lundi Gras is the day before Mardi Gras, and boy, does it feel good to have these two extra days off! It\’s wonderful to be able to sleep until 7 am, or even later. I wouldn\’t have gotten up quite so early as that if I hadn\’t needed to go get a few things from the store. Traffic wasn\’t nearly as heavy as I thought it might be. Either everybody was at work already, or they have today off, too. I rode the hybrid to do some errands; maybe a short a spin on the road bike later? It\’s becoming increasingly cloudy, with a chance of showers after noon; and it\’s already past 11:00. There might even be T-storms tonight. Wind gusts could reach 20 mph. That\’s not good news for the parades that roll this evening. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day for a ride. The forecast is for cloudy, but not rain. At any rate, I\’ll be glad to keep my distance from the Carnival madness. I don\’t enjoy being in a big crowd like that to begin with. There are always people wearing \”scented stuff\”; people smoking; if the weather is cold, I\’ll be miserably chilly; it it\’s hot (which it can be this time of year), I\’m too hot; and on and on. Perhaps the greatest misery: if I have to \”go\”, it can be very hard to find a restroom.  

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Extension

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Extension of more than the 10 feet shown here, I hope! I\’m now working to lengthen my Sunday rides. Today I was aiming for 25 miles. I fell a little short at 24.9 miles, but at least I was close. It was pretty good weather for riding: sunny, and not too cool. The wind was 8-9 mph; stronger than the 3-5 mph that had been predicted. Let\’s be glad it wasn\’t blowing at 15 mph! My plan for today had been to ride the hybrid to Whole Foods; get the groceries home; and  then go out on the road bike. I decided to skip the grocery run when I kept falling back asleep, and didn\’t even get up until past eight o\’clock. It was past 9:00 by the time I began my ride. I got pretty tired before the end. This past week, one thing and another meant that I didn\’t ride much. My roll time today was not quite two hours, so I\’m still quite pokey! It makes me feel out of shape. The path I use changes direction quite often, and I kept pressing my Garmin\’s lap button. I wanted to see what my average/max speeds were according to whether I had a headwind or a tailwind. My highest average lap speed was 14.97 mph, but over a very short distance of less than 2 miles. Overall average speed was 12.55 mph. I\’ve been faster, but I\’ve also been slower. I\’ve got a long way to go if I\’m to get speedier, but the Sunday ride really isn\’t supposed to be about speed. It\’s about a steady pace. And of course, extension of my mileage.  

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Finish Line

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I crossed the finish line today! At last!! The Products in my site Shop needed to be worked into an SEO program. There are many items in the Shop; hundreds, in fact. The work for each one could easily take 20-30 minutes. Of course I wanted to complete the work as quickly as possible. Evenings, weekends, holidays, vacation — pegging away at that Shop. At the same time, I was keeping blogs going. It was hard to get around to social media, or cooking, or my off-bike exercises. I got to bed too late too many nights as well, making it hard to get up in good time for my morning ride. As a result, I was eating far too much junk food (it\’s easy to grab when I\’m tired and/or rushed); I\’ve gained weight; my fitness has suffered. Not the prettiest picture. Today I\’m finally able to start working at proper meal planning again. Nothing fancy; for supper I cooked brown rice and had some canned black-eyed peas. But it was great to have real food! Plan for tomorrow: ride to Whole Foods to get a few things that the salvage store doesn\’t have; then go out on the road bike. Aim for 25 miles. It\’s time to start extending my Sunday-ride distance. Just don\’t push too hard tomorrow, because over the past week I haven\’t done much riding. At least it\’s not going to be a race, so I won\’t have to be eyeing that finish line.

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Oh, Quit Whining!

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Oh Quit Whining! 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.” Quit whining? Who’s whining during a bicycle ride? Okay, I get grumpy when I’m riding and it’s cold; and it starts to pour; and I’m buffeted by fierce gusts of wind.  There’s also wining, for those so inclined. Yes, the California Wine Country Bike Tour. Over seven days, ride past vinyards and sample wines in Napa and Sonoma. Ride through eucalyptus groves. View Bodega Bay, and ride along the Russian River. Along the way, enjoy delicious meals and relax in spas. Stand in awe before the redwoods in Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve. On a side note, we visited Sequoia National Park when I was a kid. My memories of it are pretty vague, but I do remember how tall those trees are. The branches don’t begin until so far up, that I had to tip my head way back to see them! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to ride a bicycle through such a forest? These daily route options are interesting. Mileage-wise, I think “Active” would best suit me. The elevation gains, however, might not. It depends on how steep those elevation gains are. The California Wine Country Bike Tour is fully supported, including use of some bicycles; some models require an extra rental fee. If you want to bring your own bike, that’s OK, too. I think I’d want to bring my own, despite the hassle and the cost of a bicycle flight case. In my opinion, it’s wise to do a long tour on a bicycle that you’re well accustomed to using. I wouldn’t want to have somebody tell me to quit whining, when I’m griping because the bike doesn’t feel right. 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 Safe Harbor March 4, 2024 Double Dozen March 3, 2024 Lion or Lamb? March 2, 2024 All Clear? March 1, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Bluegrass

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Bluegrass 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.” BLUEgrass? I always thought grass was green! Kentucky is known for bluegrass; and for racehorses. But horses aren’t the only things there with saddles! The Commonwealth is supposed to be great for cycling tours; or for cycling in general. Cycling advocacy groups and clubs are abundant. Six hundred miles of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail run through the state, with plenty to see and do. How about Mammoth Cave? Visit the cave, the longest known cave system in the world. Try out some of the park’s biking trails. Roadies may ride paved roads that are open to the public. Unpaved administrative roads are open to MTB riders. If distilleries are you cup of, er, tea, follow the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. You’ll get to tour a horse racetrack; spend a night in Shaker Village; visit some of the country’s best whiskey-makers; and even try a sample or two. The fifth and final day includes a visit to the horse farm that produced more than one Triple Crown winner! For horse lovers, there’s the Horsey Hundred ride. This scenic and challenging century rolls through the beautiful Bluegrass region. In Kentucky, there’s terrain varying from the swampy lowlands of the southeastern part of the state; to rolling hills; to the Appalachian Mountains. It sounds wonderful. Maybe I should consider living there? And, of course, cycling there! 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 Think Ten Times! December 9, 2023 Going Farther Afield December 8, 2023 Mini-Ride! December 7, 2023 I Still Can’t Ride! December 6, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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