SpokEasy

January 2022

The Cold Shoulder

BACK ISSUES /

Mother Nature is giving us the cold shoulder, big time. Yesterday morning I skipped going out on the road bike, because it was so frigid. The chill factor was in the upper 20s; and there was the threat of rain as well. There was even a chance, albeit a slight one, for a bit of sleet. I have zero experience riding in sleet; and didn\’t need to get caught in it. Yes, I know: we learn by doing; but in the dark isn\’t the best time to start learning how to ride on ice! I wished I didn\’t have to go to work; but I had to anyway. So I piled on the layers; and put warming packs inside my gloves. If I could have ridden the hybrid to work, the activity would have helped keep me warm; but the poor bike is in the shop. All day I kept checking the NOAA site, and at noon it was still just 37 degrees; and the chill factor was still below freezing. In fact, a freeze warning was posted for last night! I had to skip the trip to the salvage store today. In addition to my bicycle woes, the chill factor was 28 degrees at the time I would have started for the store; and a NNE wind at that. That means a headwind on the way home! It would be some consolation, maybe, if I could give Mother Nature the cold shoulder right back; but I\’m not sure how to do that. I know this much: I don\’t want to risk hypothermia in the attempt!

The Cold Shoulder Read More »

Bicycle Charm

BACK ISSUES /

Bicycle Charm can be read in two ways. There\’s the charm of riding a bicycle and seeing new places; and there\’s Bicycle Charm do-it-yourself jewelry. This kit includes 30 pieces; each one measures 24 x 31 mm/0.94 x 1.22 inches; and weighs 2.5 grams/0.88 oz. Made of zinc alloy. Color: antique silver. Enjoy making jewelry for yourself; or to give as gifts to your cycling friends. Great for keychains, necklaces, and more!

Bicycle Charm Read More »

In Reverse

BACK ISSUES /

I\’m doing things in reverse today: blogging in the morning; and I\’l have to set up the trainer so I can \”ride\” after work. It\’s simply too cold out there this morning. I feel rather like a wimp for not bundling up and going for a ride; but let\’s face it. It\’s 37 degrees; and the chill factor stands at 27 degrees. Bucking a 20 mph wind on the way home isn\’t fun even in warm weather; but in temperatures like today\’s, it\’s tortuous! We have a freeze warning for tonight; and that\’s unusual for us. Of course tomorrow morning will be very cold; and it might deter me from going to the salvage store even if my hybrid weren\’t out of commission. All I can hope for, is that this weather won\’t last long. At least the wind should be much calmer by Sunday; but it will still be frigid. Maybe it\’s time to take the occasional Sunday off from riding? We all need a break now and then; and if my feet are cold right now, they\’ll be much colder during a 40-mile ride on a cold day! Perhaps ironically, \”riding\” in the trainer because it\’s so cold outdoors makes me overheat! That\’s kind of going in reverse. I\’m running out of time, so I have to cut this short. I need some extra time to bundle up so I won\’t freeze while walking to work.

In Reverse Read More »

Bad Trip

BACK ISSUES /

This morning I tried to ride to the supermarket; but it turned into a bad trip. There had evidently been heavy rain; and the path I was using was totally awash in some places. For a short while it rained hard again; and that made a mess of my glasses. Then the mini-bungee that secured the right-side pannier to the rack came loose. It caught in the rear derailer; and oh, what a mess that was! The derailer got yanked out of position; and the bungee had detached itself from the pannier, and was stuck in the derailer. I had to pull pretty hard to get the bungee out; but I couldn’t get the derailer into place. In fact, it looked like it was caught in the spokes. The bike was unridable; and I had to walk it home. It\’s a good thing the rain had pretty well stopped; and it’s also a good thing that this didn’t wait to happen until I was just leaving the supermarket parking lot! Thanks to the rain, there were areas that were very muddy; and that contributed to the bad trip impression. It was still dark, too; and that didn\’t help. Frigid As they say, misfortunes seldom come singly. As I was rolling my crippled bicycle home, my left shoe came untied; and I had to stop to tie the laces. Soon afterwards, my right shoe repeated the act; and in a few minutes, it came untied again! I left work early to give me time to get the bike to the shop. I figured my derailer problem was no quick, easy fix; and I was right. I had to leave the bike there; and it might be a week before it\’s ready. I guess I\’ll have to forget about going to the salvage store Saturday. It will be a bad ride if I go out on the road bike early tomorrow! It won\’t be much above freezing; and winds of 10-15 mph mean a chill factor in the 20s! On top of that, there\’s a 50% chance of rain. The frigid temperatures will be bad enough; but add getting soaked and I\’ll be miserable. I know from experience that a poncho isn\’t the answer. Even with that covering I still get plenty wet; and a wind-whipped poncho makes it hard to control the bicycle; especially if it\’s a strong sidewind. It looks like there\’s even a slight chance of some sleet, or freezing rain. I don\’t have the right kind of tires for riding in such conditions; so it looks like I\’ll have to set up the road bike in the trainer. Part of me says, Go out and ride, and don\’t be a sissy; and the other part says, You\’ve got to draw the line somewhere. No sense risking hypothermia. That would be a really, REALLY bad trip!

Bad Trip Read More »

Mental Gymnastics

BACK ISSUES /

Trying to do intervals feels like mental gymnastics. My bicycle computer isn’t set to remind me when it\’s time to begin the next hard effort; so I have to rely on my mind. That\’s surprisingly difficult. This morning I did force work; and during the second set, I lost count of the intervals. For the first set, I did three efforts of 30-45 seconds; with easier riding for 90 seconds before the next hard push. During the second set, I suddenly couldn’t remember whether I had done three efforts; or only two! On the way back home, I had a slight breeze against me; and I worked at pushing the pace against it for 30 seconds; riding easily for a minute and a half;  and then doing another hard effort. After 15-20 minutes of this, I couldn’t keep track any more. My mental gymnastics need a lot more exercise, I think. They certainly aren’t ready for the Olympics; nor even the local competition. This morning it was about 10 degrees warmer than it was yesterday; and I didn’t need to add a second layer to my legs. I didn’t need thermal socks, either. 🙂 But tonight it’s going to get colder again; and on top of that, rain is likely. All day it’s going to get even cooler; and tomorrow night’s low won’t be much above freezing. Ditto for Friday night. I hope I can ride to the supermarket before work tomorrow, and get a few things. I really need to go to the salvage store Saturday; because when I got home after my last visit, I saw that I’d been undercharged for three items. It’ll be a cold ride, though! Are there any mental gymnastics that can keep me warmer?

Mental Gymnastics Read More »

Debating Team?

BACK ISSUES /

Does the cycling world sometimes feel like a debating team? For example, there\’s the argument over whether or not to shave your legs; especially for men. Proponents say that shaved legs heal more readily in case of road rash; and make massages more comfortable. They say that shaved legs provide an aerodynamic plus; and I agree with the opinion that shaved legs simply look better. I\’ve got a personal question for the debating team; and that is whether I\’m doing my \”training\” wrong! Like so many riders, I have limited time to spend on the bike; and we time-crunched cyclists must make the best of what time we do have. I’m not sure I’ve been making good use of my time, because it’s taken several years for me to get marginally faster! I\’m sure the debating team is arguing about the best on-bike food. Some cyclists are all for energy bars; and other riders argue for real food, à la Feed Zone. I myself have drifted into the energy-bar camp; and over the years have tried a number of different products. My food for the weekly long ride has to be compact in size; calorie dense; and easy to carry. Once I tried taking along a sandwich, cut into quarters; and it was simply too bulky to be practical. The debating team can tear into everything from roadie shoes versus MTB shoes; to rice cakes versus Clif Bars; to training with power versus training with heart rate. The list goes on and on! It\’s all too much to keep up with. I\’ll leave the arguing to the debating team; and keep using what works for me.

Debating Team? Read More »

Nomenclature

BACK ISSUES /

Nomenclature is a funny thing sometimes. For example, how did that gear cluster on a bicycle\’s rear wheel get the name \”cassette\”? Yesterday it was so cold that I didn\’t ride; and I had some extra time for cooking. Nomenclature cropped up again when I concocted another Hoppin\’ John variation; and couldn\’t think what to call it. I designed it to use up some canned goods; and hauled out a can of dark red kidney beans; a can of pinto beans; and a can of sweet red pimientos. I cooked some brown rice with onion and a little celery; and while the rice was cooking, I opened and drained both cans of beans. I drained and chopped the pimientos; and when the rice was finished cooking, I mixed it all together. But what do I call such a mixture? Olio? That\’s what it is, after all; but to name it \”olio\” is dodging the issue! By late afternoon, the outdoor temperature had climbed to 48 degrees; but the wind was still a stiff 28 mph. According to the forecast, it was going to drop to 10-15 mph overnight; and I began planning today\’s excursion. This Is Monday? This is Monday? It doesn\’t feel like it. When I do a long ride, it seems to be Sunday. The moon is at the full — the Wolf Moon — and whatever the nomenclature, I wanted to see it! I figured I could do a short, early ride to see the moon; then go home and prepare for a long ride. I started earlier than usual for a long ride, because I got up so early to see the moon. That was a very, very short ride: less than four miles, because I went back home to prepare for the big miles. I mixed the recovery drink last night; and this morning I needed to fill up the Camel-Bak, and cut up the bars I wanted to take with me. The wind wasn\’t nearly as strong as it was yesterday; but it was still 14-22 mph. For a change, it had a westerly component to it; and that was a help on the way back home. The temperature was in the 40s, and for me that\’s quite chilly; so I carried warming packs in my gloves. That was fine for my hands; but my feet still got cold!

Nomenclature Read More »

Ursa Major?

BACK ISSUES /

I\’m pulling the Ursa Major act today; or sort of. The Big Dipper doesn\’t go into hibernation when cold weather comes. I\’m different; and I feel like I\’m hibernating today! We got that cold front. Shortly after 8:00 am I checked the NOAA site; and decided it would be wise not to go for a ride. The temperature was 40 degrees; and by itself that\’s not bad. But add in a 28 mph wind; a chill factor of 29 degrees; and overcast skies as well! That\’s a recipe for a miserable slog of a ride! When the wind is that strong, one-handed bike control is difficult; and that makes it hard to eat while riding. Add heavy gloves, which interfere with finger dexterity; and on-bike eating gets even more difficult. Would lobster gloves make things harder; or make no difference? I\’d like to get a few groceries today. But it\’s so cold out there! The store I want to visit is less than a mile away; but, I\’ll be frozen before I can ride there. If I walk there, I\’ll get even colder; so maybe I\’ll behave like an ursa major and stay indoors. Hot chocolate helps me to keep warm; but I can\’t drink it endlessly. The calorie and carb count are too much; and I\’d do better to guzzle plain green tea. Or even plain hot water! Tomorrow will be another cold day; but at least with considerably less wind. It will also be the full moon! My plan: get up early and go for a short ride to see the moonlight the river; then go back home and get ready for the long ride. Wait to start that ride until about 8:00 am; and hope it will be just a tad warmer by then.

Ursa Major? Read More »

Watching and Waiting

BACK ISSUES /

Now I\’m watching and waiting; and wondering when the rain might begin. I rode to the salvage store this morning; and the sky already looked rather threatening. When I came out of the store, I saw that there had already been a little rain. It was about 9:45 am when I got home; and now I\’m debating whether to do any more errands. It isn\’t raining yet, after all! This afternoon it\’s supposed to start getting cooler; and the wind is already up to 13 mph. I\’m watching and waiting on tomorrow\’s weather, because that\’s the biggie. Our low temperature tonight will be about 36 degrees; and from 6 pm this evening there\’s a wind advisory. I\’m debating whether to ride tomorrow; or to save the long ride for Monday. I know that the chill factor tomorrow will be nasty; nobody needs to tell me that! According to the forecast, the temperature at 8:00 am will be 40 degrees; and with a 21 mph wind. The chill factor, then, will be about 30 degrees. Do I really want to ride in such conditions? No matter how much I want to ride, is it wise to ride when, in effect, it\’s below freezing out there? I\’ll need to wear my heaviest gloves, with warming packs; and it\’s hard to manage on-bike eating when my hands are bundled up like that. Leg warmers alone won\’t be nearly enough to keep my legs warm; so I\’ll have to wear slacks over the leg warmers and cycling shorts. Slacks mean the added chore of finding a way to keep those slacks from getting tangled up in the drive train! More Cold Weather Woes Thermal socks alone likely won\’t keep my feet warm enough in sub-freezing temperatures. In the conditions I expect for tomorrow, a helmet liner doesn\’t keep my head warm enough! As if the clothing problem weren\’t enough, cold weather saps my energy; and makes the miles seem long and endless. So I\’m watching and waiting; and I can decide tomorrow morning. I have Monday off; so I can do my long ride on Monday if I can\’t ride tomorrow. If I do ride tomorrow, I\’ll have a tailwind for at least part of the time on the way back home. Usually it\’s the opposite!

Watching and Waiting Read More »

Bicycle Anatomy Shirt

BACK ISSUES /

This Bicycle Anatomy Shirt is in classic tee style; and lets you show your love of cycling. Available in assorted colors. Machine washable on cold. I personally am not a big fan of tee shirts; but I know that many people like them. Bicycle Anatomy Shirt is lightweight and comfortable. On a cold day, a tee shirt makes a good over-the-blouse layer; on the bike or off.

Bicycle Anatomy Shirt Read More »