SpokEasy

June 2023

GU Time

BACK ISSUES, Food /

GU Time It was GU Time during this morning’s ride. Usually I don’t need to stop for a gel during a weekday ride; but this morning I began to feel like I needed the energy boost. Not that I did a very long ride; only 12.5 miles. I did , however, include some 30-second efforts at riding 15 mph or more. I guess that did it.  My stomach wasn’t growling; and in fact, I didn’t feel hungry. But I started to feel really tired; and I had some five miles to go before I got home. Better to stop a minute to eat a “goo” than to keep going, and then bonk — and have a miserable time getting home as a result. In fact, that’s why I carry a few gels at all times. You never know when GU Time might strike; and I’m glad I was able to whip up a smoothie in a hurry once I got home. Last night I mixed up skim milk with protein powder; and all I needed to do was pour it into the blender; add 3/4 cup of frozen blueberries; and blend it. Now that I have a blender, maybe I’ll get more onto smoothies. I’m sure there are many combinations; and however delicious chocolate-blueberry is, I won’t want it for every drink!

GU Time Read More »

Slot Machine

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Slot Machine? The slot machine can be bad news. I, for one, intend to leave the thing alone. But sometimes the routes we ride can turn into a slot machine. Be aware of any grooves in the road parallel to your direction of travel. If you catch your front wheel in such a groove, you can go down. Or even go endo! You might not be applying the front brake; but the result can be the same. One of the places where we need to be careful is a railroad crossing; especially if the pavement surrounding the rails has become worn. It’s amazing how quickly that wear can occur, too.  Sometimes slots involve old and battered road surfaces. They might form along the painted lines on the road; or a slot could mean a pothole. The only thing to do about slots is to keep your guard up. Keep your front wheel clear of them! If possible, cross railroad tracks, or any slot, as near to perpendicular as possible. Rough surfaces — including potholes — and road debris (broken glass, etc.) are why I use tire liners. They go a long way in preventing flats; but are no help against the “slot machine”.

Slot Machine Read More »

Bargains

BACK ISSUES /

Bargains Who doesn’t love bargains? We all want to get more for our money, and preferably more stuff for less money; and I’m no exception. That’s why I keep going to the salvage store! Today the grab-bag bins were better stocked than they were last week. I found three FitCrunch bars! The catch is that I filled the rest of the bag with junky stuff that I ought not eat: candy bars and cookies. I got 18 items into a $3.00 grab bag; but I have to wonder whether having tempting food around home is really “getting my money’s worth”. I was glad that I took the trailer, because I doubt that the panniers would have had room for the all the stuff that I got! I found a half-gallon jug of white vinegar (useful for cleaning); and I found a half-gallon carton of coconut-almond milk. Those two items alone took up quite a lot of space. I had brought the cooler, too; so the trailer was necessary, anyway. Now that it’s June, I naturally have hurricane preparation on my mind; and that includes setting aside a good stock of non-perishable foods. For some strange reason, I want pudding snack packs included in my “hurricane food”; and I got two packs of it today. Other bargains that I found this morning include yogurt and pickles. I was tempted to grab a 12-pack of rolls of paper towels, but wasn’t sure they’d fit in the trailer with everything else. Then came the ride home. Luckily the wind wasn’t against me as much as it was on the way to the store. That’s unusual, but I’m always glad when it happens. We cyclists love tailwinds as much as shoppers love bargains!

Bargains Read More »

Magic Carpet

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Magic Carpet? Magic carpet sounds like something out of the Arabian Nights; or maybe some super-duper rug cleaning product.    I decided to get a small rug for my rocking chair, so the rockers don’t wear the wood floor. I also saw that my bicycles needed something to keep their tires from leaving scuff marks; and ordered area rugs for them, too. I’ve seen cartoons that show a magic carpet flying through the air, all by itself; but it might be fun to have a bicycle-powered flying rug. It probably would provide a smoother ride than a number of the streets around here; and I’d still get my exercise. There’s a catch, though: is a headwind worse riding a bicycle on the ground; or pedaling a rug through the sky? I might never know; but it’s fun to think about it. Today’s ride to the salvage store was as usual; but I was delayed leaving home for a bit when I had to deal with a most unusual intruder. I’m not sure how that snake got in here; but yesterday they installed a new storm door. Maybe it sneaked in during the work. It already feels like Summer; and at 3:45 pm it was 92 degrees! The humidity level was at 38%; and that’s low for us. It helps keep the heat from feeling so sweltering. This morning I skipped riding out to see the full moon. I’ve been tired, what with moving and all; and I don’t have a magic carpet to ride on!

Magic Carpet Read More »