SpokEasy

July 2020

Addendum

18 Comments / BACK ISSUES /

7:40 pm addendum: About six o\’clock, I decided to go for a ride, in case the weather tomorrow means that I can\’t. I was amazed at how strong and fast I felt! It had me wondering, \”What happened\”? The weather was actually pretty good. Thanks to a lot of overcast today, it was a balmy 79 degrees. Many a day lately the temperature has reached the low 90s! The humidity is 82%; no surprise there. On the way out, I had a bit of a headwind; 7-10 mph. I found myself riding on the small ring, and using a rapid cadence. Even so, except for my warm-up mile, I averaged over 14 mph! Coming back was even better. I had a bit of a boost from the wind. For a segment of almost four miles, I averaged well over 16 mph! For me, that\’s phenomenal. Have the effects of my force intervals finally kicked in? I\’m without a heart-rate sensor for the time being, but I\’d guess that I spent a lot of time in mid- to upper-Zone 4; or 7-8 by this chart. My breathing was certainly heavy. For this ride, I didn\’t seem to need to drink as much as usual. As a rule, I\’m reluctant to imbibe large amounts of any fluid right before I go riding. I don\’t want to be plagued by an urgent need to find a bathroom! But by evening I\’ve been getting fluids of some kind in me all day long. It looks like I start my regular morning rides dehydrated! When I got home, I decided to go straight into the shower. I had sunblock all over me, and didn\’t want to get it all over everything I touched. And now that\’s enough of this addendum.    

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Watching

BACK ISSUES /

I\’m watching the forecast with a certain amount of anxiety. It looks like tomorrow will be stormy; and I wanted to go for an early-morning ride! You see, the moon will be at the full. A full moon on the Fourth of July! When might that happen again? As always, I\’m eager for the sight of that moon over the river, lighting up the water. I can\’t do anything but wait and see what happens. If it\’s pouring when my alarm clock goes off, probably the best thing to do will be to go back to sleep. If it isn\’t raining, I\’ll check the NOAA site. Maybe I\’ll get lucky, and there will be a break in the weather. I might have to resort to the trainer to get in some pedaling tomorrow. Maybe I\’ll ride in the trainer for a while this afternoon. I did almost no riding so far today; just to take the hybrid in to the shop (I think the brake pads are wearing out). I had decided to skip the ride to the salvage store. However the weather turns out tomorrow, I\’m ready for the Fourth of July. Several days ago I bought a pint of Cherry Garcia® ice cream. I put it away for the Fourth. It\’s not easy for me to resist ice cream like that; but if I put my mind to it, I can do it. I still had a couple of servings\’ worth of Sweet and Sour Hot Dogs in the freezer; I put the container down in the fridge to thaw. Sheesh, look at that. Ice cream + Sweet and Sour Hot Dogs. Not what I ought to be eating, that\’s for sure. Weather isn\’t the only thing that needs watching!  

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Good Break

5 Comments / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Good Break 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.” Getting a good break will be a nice change, won’t it? Especially if that good break is from a piñata that’s full of all the “goodies” ( e.g. multi-tools) we need for cycling South of the Border! A visit to the capital, Mexico City, might sound tempting. It seems that this city has improved for cyclists in recent years. Even so, I’m not crazy about the noise and exhaust of cars, buses, etc. What about exploring Mexico by bicycle? It’s easy for me to think of that as meaning rutted, rough, dirt roads; the kind of surface that makes me wish I were riding a dualie. Actually, main roads are likely to be in pretty good condition. That’s certainly a good break! Travel Age West offers many options. There are “no frills” tours along the coast of the Pacific, and in the Yucatan peninsula. Or explore one of the southern Mexico states, such as Chiapas. There are also tours of large cities. Getting back to “no frills”, exactly what does that mean? Panniers crammed with ride food; and no SAG wagon? As with any country, there are certain areas to be avoided if possible. In Mexico, a lot of this is along the border with the USA; plus the states of Michoacan and Guerrero. Much of the crime has to do with drug-running. Sure, stay away from those spots. You don’t want to get caught in the cross-fire if trouble breaks out. Stay safe, and Que tengas un buen paseo!

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Nigeria

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Nigeria 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.” In Lagos in Nigeria, cycling is, alas, marginalized. But that doesn’t mean that the country is without good cycling routes. First Route to Work is a good one as an introduction to MTB riding. At just under 5 miles long, and little climbing, you can take it easy. For a flat route, the Adeshina Street 17 is another short one; just under 2.5 miles; and almost totally flat. I’d appreciate the flatness; but I like longer miles than that! If you’re up to a long road bike tour, LIL Audax offers 119 miles, with nearly 1300 feet in considerable climbing. Sounds pretty tough to me, even though the route is paved! There are a number of short, hilly routes; and in fact, cycling routes in Nigeria are most commonly hilly.  Nigeria’s climate  has three distinct zones. The southern part of the country gets more rain than the northern part; and the average year-round temperature is about 80 degrees.  I guess a bicycle trip there would be much like a ride at home in one way: keep both poncho and sunblock handy! 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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