SpokEasy

January 2021

Paper or Cloth?

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Is paper or cloth better material for a filter mask? The whole world is wearing masks, so that\’s a reasonable enough question. Disposable masks, aka paper ones, have their upside. I don\’t have to wash them; that saves me a bit of time. On the other hand, disposable masks must be changed at least once daily; and the cost of them adds up quickly. Cloth masks can be washed and reused; but how can I be sure that I\’m getting them properly cleaned? And what about fit? At work everybody was issued two cloth masks; and they aren\’t comfortable. I believe those masks are \”one size fits all\”. That means they don\’t really fit anybody. They\’re too big for me, even when I twist the ear loops. They slide down my nose. The ear loops don\’t have enough stretch for my liking. Getting back to disposable masks, do they provide enough protection? Maybe so; at least, I\’ve remained COVID-negative so far. On the other hand, even when I have to work on site, there aren\’t many of us there at one time. I still go to brick-and-mortar stores; but I go early in the day, when there won\’t be many other people there. I get in and out as quickly as possible; and I\’m ordering more of my groceries online. I read of a test that can help you decide the paper or cloth question: if you can blow out a match while wearing a mask, that mask isn\’t sufficient. I haven\’t tried this test yet. Maybe I won\’t. I don\’t want to set myself on fire!

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Back in the Saddle

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I\’m back in the saddle of the road bike! Today I rode less than 15 miles. A ride more than 20 miles long requires on-bike fueling; but the temperature was in the low 40s, so I wore my heaviest gloves. Heavy gloves make fueling awkward; and despite those gloves, my hands got too cold. After several low-mileage weeks, I judged it unwise to push for 40 miles, anyway. In fact, I\’m glad I didn\’t have to ride against the wind for 20 miles to get back home! The weather meant having to drink chilled water; and of course that only made me feel colder! Incidentally, I was a little afraid that my muscles had forgotten how to get a bidon in and out of the bottle cage. The first try, I did fine; but soon it began to get tricky. That\’s what comes of thinking too much! Speaking of thinking, I think I\’ll skip the bikes tomorrow. Temperatures will be in the mid-40s; and rain is likely. Add winds of 10-15 mph, and I\’ve got miserable conditions for a ride. My gloves don\’t shed water well; and wet, cold hands are no help for Raynaud\’s. Heck, cold alone is bad enough for Raynaud\’s. Rain here is typically heavy, anyway; and \”water-resistant\” clothing gets soaked through. A poncho isn\’t much help. The wind makes it flap all over the place, so I get wet, anyway; and the wind resistance is infuriating. If I could find a rain suit the right size, it might do some good. Yes, I\’m glad to be back in the saddle; but it looks like tomorrow won\’t be a good time for it.

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All Over H

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All over H and half of Georgia (as the Southern saying goes) is where I\’ve been today; or so it seems. I began by deciding to brave this morning\’s chill to ride to the salvage store; and it was worth it! As usual, my first stop inside the store was at the grab-bag bins. I made a small bag; and right there I made some big savings. Today those bins had a lot of Fit Crunch Bars. I took seven; and one bar still had the original price sticker on it: $3.99. Talk about sticker shock! After I factor in the four other items I put in my grab bag, I got those bars for 27¢ apiece. You can see why I love that store, right? There\’s more! I found Gatorade Super Shakes, $1.34 each; and got two. I\’ll try one after tomorrow\’s ride, and see whether I prefer it to protein powder in milk. I like to try something different now and then, anyway. I got my load home from the store; and then I headed for the bike shop to pick up my road bike. While I was there, I got a new pair of cycling shorts, too. I got home again; and then got busy running around the kitchen, making Hoppin\’ John. This time I used feta cheese; and fire-roasted canned tomatoes. Months ago, I bought a one-pound bag of frozen field peas at the salvage store. Today I used it for the \”HJ\”, and got finally it out of the freezer. After I clean up from making HJ, I have to start running around the kitchen again. This time it will be a sweet potato mash. It really does feel like I\’m rushing all over H!

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Topsy Turvy

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Things are really topsy turvy! COVID-19 cases in my city spiked sharply since last week; and we\’re back in \”modified Phase 1\”. It can look like the situation is improving, and then we get knocked back to square one. The weather is topsy turvy, too. Yesterday at 5 am, it was 60 degrees. Within the next few hours, the temperature dropped by about 10 degrees. Overnight, it fell to the low 40s; and with a nasty wind besides. Tonight will be even colder! I\’m turning my kitchen topsy turvy as well. Last night I began another spell of cooking stuff to freeze for later. First on the list: squashed sauce! I call it that because I use it as pasta sauce, and it has squash in it; zucchini in this case. It isn\’t complicated, but the prep is time-consuming. The upside: I used up four cans of stuff various foods from the salvage store. I need to get some of that stuff out of here. I\’m undecided as to whether I\’ll head over to the salvage store tomorrow. It will be a cold ride if I do! I want to look for garbage bags, but I rather doubt my ability to resist buying more canned goods. I keep thinking, What if we all have to hunker down indoors for several weeks? And I keep on buying supplies. My road bike is finally ready for me to pick up at the shop 😊 There wasn\’t time for me to get there after work today, so I\’ll have to get it tomorrow. To ride it home, or walk it home? That depends on how many layers I\’m wearing!

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Laos by Bicycle

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Laos by Bicycle 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.” Laos by bicycle would let me become acquainted with an entirely unfamiliar country. I know where it is, but little else. At the time I first though about Laos by bicycle, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that travel was out of the question. My home city then had a 10.4% positivity rate; and I was amazed that the town wasn’t entirely shut down. But, there’s always armchair travel. Or rather, armchair cycle touring! I enjoyed reading this account of crossing Laos on two wheels. I’m like the author prior to her journey: nervous about doing such a ride, especially alone; worried that I might not have the stamina to ride miles per day every day; and how I’ll cope with weather. I also have concerns about coping with the terrain. The country is roughly 70% mountainous. For me, that would be one arduous journey! Laos by bicycle will let you see more than you would via other touring modes; and likely more contact with the people who live there. So — I sound like the proverbial broken record here — brush up on your etiquette. Some things on the list apply to other Asian countries, such as avoiding physical contact with monks. The caution about “unexploded ordinances” wouldn’t have occurred to me. That’s why prospective travelers abroad need to do their homework before leaving home! The climate of Laos is tropical. Between October and April the weather is apt to be warm and dry; and the best time to visit. Dry also sounds good for bicycle touring. Be aware that Laos has no trauma center; and in the event of a serious accident, you’ll have find a way to Thailand for treatment. Lao culture, in general, is quite easy-going. If you opt for cycling adventures there, I hope your trip is easy, too!

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Time Flies

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Time flies, all right. Today marked my 37th anniversary at my workplace. Where did all those years go? For that matter, it\’s hard to believe that I\’ve been cycling for over 11 years. Yet here I am, with 51,600+ miles under my tires. The day I decided to buy my adult tricycle, such feats of distance were far from my mind. I simply wanted a way to get places, and public transit can be a hassle. Bumming rides from friends means I\’m not on my own schedule. With the trike, I could just pump up the tires and go! I didn\’t anticipate that I\’d ride as much as I did. I sure fooled myself! From the very start, my legs loved it; and from there it snowballed. Time flies when I\’m out on a ride — sometimes. There are rides when everything is great; and there are rides when it seems that everything is going wrong. I might have to battle a stiff headwind mile after mile; and if it\’s a cold day, the wind seems worse. I\’ve gotten caught out in heavy rain when it\’s not only cold; but when the wind is both strong and capricious. Conditions like that make a ride seem endless. While I\’m talking about time, how long do I need to work up to a century; and how should I plan for it? Or do I truly want to do a century this year? Sometimes I like the idea of doing something more than I actually want to do it; and that\’s a very big difference!

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Would Have Kilt Me

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Would Have Kilt Me This blog 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.” For a bit more of a challenge, try this loop from Kiltarlity. However, be prepared to do some climbing. This intermediate-level ride involves 1400 feet of it; and good fitness is required. But exactly what does “good fitness” mean? On top of that, what’s the gradient of these climbs? Thinking about them makes my legs ache! Do you want to stick with MTB adventures? Try the 73-mile Great Glen Way. This route includes some challenging climbs; and I think I’ll skip that one!  How about pedaling over to watch the Highland Games? They feature tests of strength and skill; and I’m certainly not strong enough. Me, try the caber toss? No way! That pole might weigh 150 pounds; and that’s more my own weight! While we’re in the Highlands, let’s take a trip to Loch Ness! Better take the rain gear, though. Warm clothing is another wise idea. So is a lot of physical conditioning! I’m not sure how I would have managed on that Loch Ness trip. In fact, it probably would have kilt me. 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 Roadie Again! January 5, 2024 Pomp and Circumstance January 4, 2024 I Bee’d Lucky January 3, 2024 Sunblock Day January 2, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Back at It

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I\’m back at it. It\’s such a drag having to return to work. Naturally there are my concerns about COVID-19. Among the pains-in-the-neck about that is: hand washing. The water in the restrooms is cold! When things are operating normally, there are a lot more people in the building; the restrooms get used a lot more; and as the day goes on, the water starts to warm up. But for the better part of a year, we\’ve been at a much-reduced capacity. The water faucets don\’t get run as much, and thus the water doesn\’t warm up. The faucets are also the heat-sensor type, and shut off when you move your hands away. On top of that, it can be just plain cold in the building. I keep an old pair of half-fingered cycling gloves at my desk so that my hands can get a bit of relief from the chill; but I have to wear a heavy sweater and sometimes more! Sometimes I even have to wear a head covering. I know that some staff members keep small electric heaters at their desks; but in the past those heaters have caused short-outs that knock out computers. Without computers, there\’s not much we can do. Getting to work, either by walking or riding a bicycle, lets my body warm up somewhat; but that wears off quite quickly after I\’ve stopped moving. I can\’t keep warm by hopping around at my work station. My handwriting is bad enough without that! News reports about spikes in COVID cases have had me wondering since Hallowe\’en how soon my workplace might shut down. A closure wouldn\’t surprise me at all. I\’m back at it; but for how long?

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Culling

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Culling? No, I\’m not out in the wheat field. Culling my pantry a bit just seemed like a good New Year\’s project. Seriously, I\’ve become overloaded with pantry items. Since the prediabetes diagnosis last February, many things have sat there; and some of them had been around for months already. No food bank would want them, I\’m sure. Not when the Best By date was in 2019! Thus I chucked seven or eight boxes of mac and cheese. Because of my carb-watching, it looked like I\’d never use them. Besides that, I\’ve noticed that, when boxed macaroni has sat for too long, it tends to get weevily! I also got rid of several boxes of cereal bars that have been sitting around for many months. Once again, the Best By date was in 2019; and I don\’t think a food bank would take them. Another step in culling the pantry is to start using up what I already have. I worried for much of 2020 about, suppose a big shut-down comes? But I don\’t think I need to worry quite as much as I do. My apartment looks rather like a hoarder\’s den; and I need to leave myself room to move about. So use up the rice! Start making a dent (no pun intended) in the supply of canned foods! Eat what\’s already in the freezer before I make any more stuff to freeze! I also need to start using up all those dried legumes. Oh, as to the mac and cheese, I decided to have a last fling with it. On New Year\’s, I prepared a box of it; and mixed it with 10 oz of tuna; a half-cup of canned peas; and sliced, pimiento-stuffed olives. It wasn\’t bad; but it wasn\’t terrific, either. And now I must stop eating junk!

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Blueprints

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It\’s time to make blueprints for the 2021 cycling year! As always, I want to improve my cruising speed. I rather envy cyclists who can routinely blaze along at 20+ mph. One morning last October, with a good tailwind, I touched 23.73 mph: an all-time record! When I can get me and the road bike up to such a velocity, it feels almost like I\’m not on the ground any more! Just now I have no major ride plans for this year. Tour de Cure is tempting; but I always have great difficulty in finding enough donors to raise my minimum contribution. In fact, I have to put up most of it myself. Perhaps another century? If I decide to do that, I\’ve got my work cut out for me! What do the blueprints for century training look like? In the first place, when is a good time for a century ride? The trouble is, there isn\’t a \”good\” time. There\’s no telling what the weather will be months ahead of time. Will it rain on century day? Will I have to fight a horrific headwind all day? How soon will this year\’s heat and humidity set in? After I\’ve decided on the day; or at least an approximate date; start working at short (one to three minutes) of riding a lot faster than usual during my weekday morning rides. This doesn\’t have to be force-building intervals at first; that can wait until later. Increase the length of my weekly long ride by a mile or two per week. Experiment with ride food. Work at making parts of my long ride faster; don\’t worry so much about tiring myself out too far from home. Or maybe it\’s all a pipe dream. But I can work to improve as a cyclist; century plans or no.

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