SpokEasy

April 2022

On a Cellular Level

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

On a Cellular Level? Keeps your “emergency exit” handy! Sometimes I think on a cellular level, you might say. This morning I set out on the road bike; For the road-bike lover on a modest budget and after I had gone about a quarter-mile, it suddenly occurred to me that I had left my cell phone — and, with it, my ID — at home. I’ve never heard of any authorities stopping cyclists on the levee to demand an ID; but all the same, I figured it was wise to go back home and get that phone and ID. I never know what might happen; and with no way to call for help, I might land in a very tight spot. That’s why I must think on a cellular level. Disruption Of course the disruption of going back home for the phone threw off my sense of time and distance; and I rode less than nine miles. It drives me crazy when that happens! And I wanted to get in some good miles for Love to Ride, while I still can. I thought of doing a Saturday long ride; but a friend called me yesterday evening to suggest a get-together for lunch tomorrow – five of us in all. We haven’t done that since before the pandemic; and it will be great to see them again.  Thus the long ride will have to wait until Sunday; and I’m actually thinking of making it fairly short. I think I need a bit of a rest; but we’ll see. I’m planning on a cellular level here! I want to ride to the salvage store tomorrow morning; and it will be 10:00 am or so by the time I get home. I want to take the trailer; and of course its weight slows me down. Then I meet my friends an hour or so later. Maybe I can go for a short ride in the afternoon; but it will feel weird to be riding at that time of day! Yesterday morning I saw the old-crescent moon. I watched it as I rode; and the growing daylight made the moon fade more and more. Today I knew the moon would be very low in the sky, if it were visible at all. I love it when I can see the old crescent in that position, because of its dusky-orange hue; but cloudy skies meant that I had no chance of moon-viewing!

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Wannabe Pro

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Wannabe Pro? I don’t think I’ll ever be here! I suppose many a young cyclist is a wannabe pro. If I were eleven or twelve; and had just fallen in love with cycling; I might be one, myself. This humorous article — meant to be tongue in cheek, I’m sure — isn’t precisely how I do things; and I definitely do not wait to come to a stop before I clip out! The track stand stop is a skill that I haven’t mastered; and I don’t really feel the need to learn it. Not yet, anyway. But maybe some day! I’m not a wannabe pro for many reasons, as I’ve said before: I’m too old to even consider it; and I come with a list of medical issues. But suppose I were young; and had the ability, and the opportunity? Who knows what might come of it; and even if my name never became a household word, it might be fulfilling to take a shot at it. On the other hand, pro cyclists don’t necessarily make the big bucks. Gosh, who can live on ten bucks a day? It’s a rough life; and however much my legs love to ride, am I up to all that stress? To be honest, the answer is a resounding NO; and I’m much better off not taking the wannabe pro path. I’ll keep riding for the pleasure of it; and incidentally, there are still two days left for the Love to Ride April Challenge. If you want to join, it’s not too late; and next month is Bike Month!

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Not Such Bee’s Knees

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Not Such Bee’s Knees It was not such bee’s knees today. I had a sore spot near my left knee; and a short, easy ride seemed like the prudent thing to do. Cycling is a non-impact activity, and in general is easy on the knees; but it can cause knee problems in some cases. One is incorrect saddle height; so be sure yours is right for you. Don’t neglect your saddle height If your knees hurt in front from riding, your saddle is too low, and you need to raise it a bit; and if the back of your knees hurt, lower the saddle a little. Another cause of knee discomfort while cycling is using too hard a gear for your current fitness level; or maybe pushing too hard and/or too long against the wind, even in an easier gear. Maybe that’s why my knee was bothering me today. Day before yesterday, I got a pretty stiff headwind on the way home; and I might have been working a bit too hard for all those miles. At the same time, isn’t that how to get stronger? Overnight it got cool enough that I wore leg warmers for this morning’s ride. According to some, it’s important to keep those knees warm; and if full-length leg warmers seem like a little too much, knee warmers might do the trick. Keep those “hinges” warm! But me being cheap, I think I’ll keep using the leg warmers because I already have them; and if I’m a bit too warm, that’s OK. I’d rather be a little too warm than too cold! That’s definitely not such bee’s knees! Do whatever works best for you, though; and enjoy the ride. After all, we want to keep riding the bee’s knees!  

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Dang It

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Dang It! My latest ride-food experiment! Dang it, I was actually rather disappointed in Dang bars. I found a coconut one in the salvage store day before yesterday; and got it to try as on-bike food. Eating the same old thing Sunday after Sunday gets a bit wearisome; and I can’t know what will be a great taste sensation if I don’t try it. The Dang bar that I found was coconut; and I tried it during my long ride yesterday. Taste-wise, it was OK; but to me it seemed a bit too dry and crumbly. And to be honest, the Dang bar is smaller than I like for ride-food bars. So dang it, I don’t have a new ride food, after all! Weather Our weather is heating up; and “the muggies” are setting in, too. All too soon hurricane season will begin; and I hope no storm comes along and keeps me from riding for several weeks. I’m working towards my Super Commuter badge; and to get it I must ride to work 200 times this year. So far, I’m 26% there; so I have about 150 days of riding to work to go! Before I worry too much about hurricanes, I have to get through tomorrow’s weather. At present, there’s a T-storm in progress at the airport, 11-12 miles from here; and as weather typically moves West to East, it might be headed our way. I’m glad I’m not trying to go for a ride right now; and I hope tomorrow morning’s “slight chance” of T-storms doesn’t materialize. I want to get in some more miles for Love to Ride! What if it is raining at ride time tomorrow? That depends on whether there’s lightning; and if there is, I can hitch the hybrid into the trainer. But dang it, “riding” in the trainer is very boring! Better than no ride at all!

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Drying Up

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Drying Up I was drying up today. The humidity level is 59%, which is rather low for us; and on top of that, apparently I didn’t drink quite enough. Adequate hydration is an important part of cycling; and as usual, I used my Camel-Bak for my long ride today. To determine whether you’re drinking enough, they say to weigh yourself before and after your ride; and if your post-ride weight is a pound or more below your pre-ride weight, you’re dehydrated. I came close to it today: I lost nine-tenths of a pound; and usually I gain at least a pound during the weekly long ride. The problem with keeping up with hydration needs, is the need for pit stops; and that’s going to be a bigger issue now that the weather is getting warmer. It’s hard to find a balance between drinking enough; but not so much that I need a restroom every half-hour! Another reason I was drying up today was the headwind. Before I got back home, it was up to 16-17 mph; and as often happens, I was breathing with my mouth open a good part of the time. “Keep your mouth shut!” is, perhaps, a natural rejoinder; but nose-breathing doesn’t work well if you have exercise-induced rhinitis. It’s also hard to breathe through my nose when I’m exercising hard! It’s the final week of the April Love to Ride challenge; so I want to be sure I rack up some miles. Today I did 44.20; and I have six days to ride some more! It looks like there’s some rain chances tomorrow and Tuesday; and I hope the weather doesn’t wash out Love to Ride.

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The Dark Side

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Dark Side Does everything have its dark side? It sure seems like it sometimes; and it even includes bicycle touring! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, I’ve been cycling for over twelve years; and cycling means dealing with headwinds; cold; rain; and so on. It isn’t all fun and games, no matter how much I love to ride. Of the Big Four mentioned in the video, wind is the one I deal with the most. I sure had it on the way home from the salvage store this morning; and I was relieved that I didn’t have the trailer. Sometimes the wind blew from the side; and a pair of loaded panniers didn’t make the bicycle any easier to control. Other times I had a headwind; and it was up to 16 mph before I got back home. Naturally I looked for ride food! I’m always on the lookout for new ride foods! I found a few bars that I haven’t tried before; and I’m always pleased at a prospective addition to my on-bike menu. The dark side to my trip to the store wasn’t only the wind on the way home. I bought a few more canned goods! Every time I use up a few cans, I just buy more; and so I’m really spinning my wheels there. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly left its mark on me: stock up whenever I can, in case something keeps me indoors for a long time. Witch of the East? It looks like tomorrow will be windy, too; and of course it will be an easterly wind. The dark side of my Sunday long ride! I’ll try the Dang bar as ride food; but of course one bar won’t last me 40-50 miles. I have some other bars, too, e.g. Gatorade bars. The store seems to be running out of the Gatorade bars, so I have to be on the lookout for something else; but over the last few months I laid in a good supply of them! Afternoon temperatures are now in the low 80s; and soon it will be warm enough in the mornings for short sleeves. Can you imagine that? Of course short sleeves and no leg warmers mean I’ll need to use a lot more sunblock! That’s the dark side of not having to bundle up.    

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Rack Your Brains?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Rack Your Brains? Don’t rack your brains for ways to transport your bicycles! A bicycle rack on the rear of your car seems like a great way to carry your “wheels” to a trailhead. However, this article caught my eye today. We sometimes need to take bicycles somewhere by car; but be sure your license plate is not obscured. I don’t know whether the authorities in the USA are as particular about this as they are in Canada; but why risk big fines? You don’t need to rack your brains to know that you’d rather keep your money! Anyway, if I could drive somewhere else to ride, where would I go? That depends in part on how much time I have at my disposal; and also how much ready cash I have! If I wanted to ride, say, the Natchez Trace ; I have to get to the trail first. Natchez is a bit over 168 miles from home; and even supposing I could drive, several hours behind a steering wheel leaves me exhausted. Feeling Adventuresome It isn’t a good idea to start a long ride when you’re already worn out; so I would want to go up there the day before hitting the bike trail. Here is where the money comes in!  If I don’t want to camp, I need a motel; and accommodations/meals get expensive. That’s on top of the cost of the gasoline required to reach Natchez. If I do camp, I have to pack along a tent, cooking equipment, and so on. Merely thinking about it makes me tired! The Tammany Trace is much closer to home; but it still takes at least an hour’s driving to reach the trailhead. I’ve ridden part of the Trace while participating in Tour de Cure; but the TdC route includes only about six miles of the trail. So far I never had the chance to ride the entire Trace. Of course the MRT is right out there; and I ride that all the time. It sometimes gets monotonous, though; and every time notions of relocating poke at my mind, I always think I want to be close to a variety of bicycling trails. I’ll have to rack my brains for some good ideas! Wait, didn’t I just say, Don’t rack your brains? Maybe I should listen to my own advice.

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Earth Day 2022

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

It’s Earth Day 2022! Today was the local Love to Ride Ride to Work event. I decided not to participate, for several reasons. One, getting to work afterwards would have meant riding alongside heavy traffic; and I’m uncomfortable with that. Two, and ironically, the official Bike to Work event goes far away from my workplace! I wasn’t even sure of the best route to take to work after leaving the official Bike to Work event. Three, I wasn’t sure how long it might take to do the event; and then get to work. I had an appointment scheduled at 10:15 am; and wanted to be sure I didn’t miss it. The Love to Ride April Challenge has a week and a day remaining; and I’ll keep on riding the way I have been. I’ll probably rack up another 100 miles or so by the end of the month; and I’ll keep chipping away at my 2022 goal of 5000 miles. For Earth Day 2022 I put in 13.2 miles on the road bike; and yes, I did ride to work! But it was just my usual route. Tomorrow’s ride to the salvage store will let me get in nearly 10 more miles; and every little bit helps. Appropriately enough, it was a beautiful day, although the wind had become quite stiff by late morning; and some clouds were gathering. As a bonus, we got off work at 3 pm – something to do with Commencement activities. Working on a university campus does have a perk or two! Outlook for the Weekend It doesn’t have to be Earth Day 2022 (or any year’s Earth Day) for riding; but it looks like I’ll have yet another windy Sunday ride. The forecast predicts gusts up to 25 mph; and that isn’t fun! At least is won’t be cold. I can’t speak for anyone else, of course; but cold weather saps my energy; and wind makes it worse. I’m so glad I found warming packs!

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Haute Cuisine?

BACK ISSUES, Food /

Haute cuisine – not! On my budget, I can’t expect to have gourmet dining anywhere; and especially not on the bike! Not that I care gourmet food. The important thing is to be properly fueled; and I’ve tried many different things as ride food. Feed Zone Portables presents recipes for many easy-to-carry snacks; and I’ve tried making my own rice cakes. They tended to be too soft; and I guess I cooked the rice with a little too much water. I was always afraid the rice would be too dry; and if it was, the rice cakes would be too crumbly! I’m always on the lookout for new bar-style foods; and when I find one, I try it, such as this one: That holds true for any store: the salvage store; the regular supermarket; Whole Foods; and so on. Thanks to the salvage store, FitCrunch Birthday Cake has become a favorite. For a while, the grab-bag bins had plenty of them; but since the pandemic began, I haven’t found any. For a month or so, the salvage store has had Gatorade Whey Protein bars. They’re much cheaper than similar bars in the drug store; and while supplies last, I’m buying those Gatorade bars like crazy! These protein bars are far from haute cuisine; but that’s OK. I’m not quite “eatibus anythingus“; but I guess I come pretty close sometimes. These protein bars are far from haute cuisine; but that’s OK. I’m not quite “eatibus anythingus“; but I guess I come pretty close sometimes. Just look at my “garbage” soups — I just throw it all in the pot; and I get what I get.

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Early Bird

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

The early bird catches the worm, they say. I always have been the morning lark type; so you’d think I had caught many worms by now! Being an early bird lets me get in my ride before I go to work; and, in hot weather, it means I don’t have to ride in the hottest part of the day. Sometimes our afternoon heat index is over 100 degrees; and I’m not properly acclimated to ride for long in such heat. It might take several months to condition myself to it; and that means very short and/or easy rides at first. By the time I developed the proper conditioning, it would be Fall, anyhow; so I may as well ride before sunup. Not that I was such a morning lark today. I got going late; and wanted a little extra time for breakfast, because I planned to heat some refried beans and rice. The wind was pretty stiff, and of course a headwind on the way back home; and I needed to allow some extra time for it. That meant a much shorter ride than usual! It’s a Challenge! Incidentally, a Love to Ride challenge really does become a challenge by the third week of the month. Normally I take Mondays off from riding; but during a Challenge month I make a special effort to ride each and every day. After several week of this, I start to feel a bit burned out. My trips to the salvage store also mean I must be an early bird. I can’t avoid riding along a highway for about two blocks on my way to the store; and I prefer to do the trip early on Saturday, before there’s much traffic. On top of that, I suspect that the best stuff in that store goes fast; so I want to beat the crowds. Speaking of birds, I must have something of the birdwatcher in me. My father was like that, too. [Embed Read Nature] During my Sunday long rides, I keep an eye out for eagles [link]; bluebirds [link]; and once I even saw some roseate spoonbills [link — don’t I have a blog on this?]. If the early bird catches the worm, maybe it sees the birds, too.

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