SpokEasy

July 2023

Cycle Aruba

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Cycle Aruba 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.” How would it be to cycle Aruba? This small island nation has relatively warm, sunny weather; a dry climate; and the topography is generally flat. That would suit me just fine! Aruba is touted as one of the best cycling destinations on the planet; and offers a number of bicycle tours. So let’s go cycle Aruba! West Punt to to Vista Chapel looks like a good choice for beginning bicycle tourists. It’s less than nine miles long; so you don’t need a touring bicycle. This route is also popular among hikers. For MTB aficionados, the Tribu Trail is waiting. This one can be physically challenging; so work your way up to it. If you like beaches, the Bushiribana to Malmok Beach might be the tour for you. It’s less than ten miles long; rather challenging, but enjoyable for the experienced rider. The Oranjestad to Conchi MTB is 34+ miles in length; with a considerable gain* in elevation. It starts in Oranjestad, the capital city; and includes a climb over the Sero Arikok. *The online article from which I get the info for this blog says, 1169 mile elevation gain. I suspect that they mean 1169 feet. From major hotels, you can climb aboard a Green Bike for a self-guided tour. A riding guide is available; and along way you can hit a beach or two. The San Nicholas to Seroe Colorado Lighthouse path covers the southern part of the island. Golf lovers, keep an eye peeled for Aruba’s oldest golf club! Lovers of long-distance rides may want to tackle the Rondje Aruba (Around the Island) tour. It’s 47.2 miles long; and “takes 4 hours and 45 minutes”. That’s certainly faster than I can ride that distance! The Downtown Aruba tour is great if you want to explore the downtown area by bike. You can download guides that show you where to go; and points of interest along the way. Finally, there’s the Manchebo Beach to California Lighthouse ride, at the northern end of the island. This route takes in several beaches; so cycle Aruba might involve swimming as well as cycling!

Cycle Aruba Read More »

spokes as web

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Spokes as Web? Spokes as web? How do bicycle wheels turn into a spider’s web? When you put spider spoke lights on them, that’s when! These lights add a touch of creepy fun to your rides; and I suppose kids especially would enjoy them — most of all boys. How about a Hallowe’en ride with your spokes as web; including glowing red spiders? October 31 is still two months away; but advance planning never hurts! It’s hard to think of Fall and Hallowe’en just now, because it’s been so hot! At 7:15 pm, it’s still 91 degrees. Tomorrow morning it will already be in the 80s at 6 am, with a predicted high of 97! I hope I can get myself in the saddle and pedaling by six o’clock. Then I can be home by nine or sooner. This afternoon we got a good T-storm, with one very close lightning strike. Fortunately the forecast is for clear skies tomorrow morning. I’d be worried if there were a chance for bad weather. But I sure wouldn’t mind if it were ten degrees cooler! It’s too bad that spokes as web can’t help with that.

spokes as web Read More »

More Heat

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Outdoors /

More Heat! We’ve got more heat coming; in fact, it looks like our heat machine is about to crank up a notch or two. It makes me wish that anything with “ColdStone” written on it can cool me off. I’ve been using my sun sleeves when I ride, so I don’t have to use up my sunblock so fast. Those sleeves keep my arms a little cooler; but I haven’t used my leg sleeves yet. I’m keeping them for when my Sunday long rides get back up to 40 miles. Once I’ve got both arms and legs sun-protected, I’ll have less sunblock to wash off post-ride! Here I am, complaining about “more heat” before July is over. August and September tend to be our hottest months; and the heat can into persist into November or later. It makes rides harder when I don’t get going until at least 7:30 am. I started using a hydration system for water, so I can put an electrolyte drink in my water bottle. That’s important, as I’m starting to extend at least one weekday ride to 20 miles or so. I have no idea whether I’ll really get to do RAGBRAI next year; but if I do, I must be able to ride more than 12-15 miles per day! In fact, RAGBRAI averages something like 40 miles per day; and there’s also climbing to contend with. RAGBRAI also means riding through the day; and Iowa can get as hot as New Orleans. So if I can do that ride, I’d better bring along several pairs each those arm and leg sun-protection sleeves. And I hope it’s not as humid there as it is here! I’ve been enjoying not having to rise at 4:30 am to ride; but  maybe I should resume my pre-dawn rides until Fall? It would spare me so much riding in the heat! Incidentally, I’ve noticed that it doesn’t get light so early in the morning; which means that the days are already getting shorter. But they sure aren’t getting any cooler!

More Heat Read More »

Dog Days

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Dog Days Here come the dog days; typically the hottest part of the year. As if it weren’t hot enough already! Do you want to take your canine friend along when you ride? The Bike Tow Leash is a wise idea, I think. To me it seems safer than trying to hold onto a standard leash while riding one-handed. The Bike Tow Leash is designed to prevent tangles and tripping; and can be used for dogs up to 185 pounds. Meant for left-side usage; and suitable for most bicycles and tadpole-style tricycles. I can’t speak with authority, of course. I’ve never had a dog; and in fact, I’m a cat person. How do you take a cat along on a bicycle ride? I guess you put the cat in a carrier; and put the carrier in a trailer. Cats are terrific escape artists; and might be able to worm their way out of a harness and leash. Riding during these dog days will make me very thankful for the cooling band I  have. It’s only about two inches wide; but it still helps during hot rides. I saw it in the salvage store some months ago; and it didn’t cost much over one dollar! I bought it to keep for hot weather; and now I’m glad I have it. The heat index this afternoon is a “chilly” 94 degrees — much cooler than many recent readings. I hope this respite from the extreme heat continues; and we aren’t as hot as some parts of the country! I’m starting to use my Camel-Bak on weekday rides because of the heat. I don’t ride as early as I did before retirement; and when it’s so hot, I want to take electrolyte drink as well as water. All we can do is hang on until cooler weather arrives; and hope we’re spared the hurricanes!

Dog Days Read More »

Cross Bike

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Cross Bike? I think I’ve got a cross bike; namely, my road bike is getting sulky because I haven’t ridden it since Thursday. Friday I rode to Whole Foods, using the hybrid. By the time I got back home about 9:00 am, the heat index was already 100 degrees; so I decided not to go out on the road bike. Yesterday was salvage-store-trip day; and that, again, meant using the hybrid. But not the trailer; I’ve still got lots of canned stuff! Once again, it was so hot by the time I got home that I didn’t want to go out on the road bike. About 7 pm yesterday evening, we got a T-storm; and it rained pretty hard for a while. After such weather, I expected road surfaces (and the the levee bike path!) to be wet and mucky this morning. I didn’t feel like getting my road bike all mucked up, so I used the hybrid; it has fenders. It was about 8:30 am when time I got going. To my surprise, surfaces were almost dry! I could have used the road bike and not gotten a wet stripe up my back. I went up on the levee; and less than two miles from home, I saw the sky towards the West. The looks of it were rather unsettling. I saw the kind of black, low, wide band that often means bad weather. Heading back home seemed like the wise thing to do; and sure enough, before I got off the levee I began to hear thunder. I was home shortly before 9:00 am; and within five or ten minutes the wind had risen to the “storm coming” level. A few minutes after that, it began to rain. As of 10:00 am the rain has stopped; but I can’t be sure there isn’t more coming. Maybe I’ll appease that cross bike of mind by hooking it into the trainer and “riding” for a while. That will let me get some exercise without the nuisance of cleaning gritty mud off of my bicycl

Cross Bike Read More »

Search Me

BACK ISSUES /

Search Me When I was  a kid, “Search me” was used to mean, “I have no idea.” It came to mind today as I was working to add a search box to the SpokEasy Kitchen. I’m not sure what tool I need; but the one I added to the Blog page won’t do; it’s blog-specific. Visitors might want to look for a recipe using a specific ingredient; for example, black beans. If they look at my recipe list, how will they know that Tardy Turtle uses black beans? They might think that Tardy Turtle is turtle soup! So for now, there’s a blank spot on the right-hand side of the pic at the top of the SpokEasy Kitchen page. That’s where I want to put the search box. I was working on it with my usual website-building folks, but their close-down time was approaching.; and they aren’t open on weekends. I need to look for a suitable search box over the weekend; and get back with them on Monday. Meanwhile I want to make my usual Saturday-morning trip to the salvage store. This morning I rode to Whole Foods; but when I got home around 9:00 am, the heat index was already 100 degrees! I didn’t drink much water during the ride to the store, because I didn’t want to have to visit the restroom while I was there; and of course I was thirsty by the time I was back home. And hot! It’s not a good idea to start a ride when you’re already hot and thirsty; so I skipped the road bike. Sunday, unfortunately, isn’t looking good weather-wise; there’s a high chance for T-storms. Gee, where’s that lightning rod? Search me.

Search Me Read More »

Carbon Fiber

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Carbon Fiber A carbon fiber bicycle Carbon fiber is very much in the public consciousness at present. Who hasn’t heard of  the recent submersible catastrophe? I don’t mean to be insensitive by blogging about the material; but I can’t help thinking about it. After all, it’s what my road bike is made of! Carbon fiber is one of four materials commonly used for bicycle frames. And yes, I’m aware that such frames can fail suddenly and drastically. That worries me sometimes. I guess that a crash is the most likely cause of frame failure. As a non-racer, my risk of crashing is probably low. At the same time, my road bike is 10+ years old. Maybe ordinary wear and tear has taken its toll on the frame. But how do I tell? I want to keep on using my road bike for as long as I can. After all this time, I’ve become very adjusted to it. On top of that, I don’t feel like shelling out several thousand dollars for a new one. There are cheaper models out there; but I need good quality for all the miles that I put in. When the time comes that I must bid my current road bike adieu, and choose a new one, what type of frame material shall I look for? Steel is susceptible to rust, so I don’t want a steel frame. Not in this humid climate! I wouldn’t be surprised if steel is also affected by salt in the atmosphere; and here we get ample salt haze from the Gulf. Titanium has a reputation for being almost impossible to destroy; but it’s too expensive for my budget. Aluminum is lightweight; but would an aluminum road bike be lighter than my current one? Who knows, I might come right back to carbon fiber!

Carbon Fiber Read More »

Look It Up

BACK ISSUES /

Look It Up! Look it up in the dictionary or encyclopedia (or, for these times, Google) if you want to know something. It’s a good way to learn things; or simply to satisfy your curiosity. Today I present a new feature in this web site: a “Search here” box in Blogs; and another in Archives. After all, I’ve been posting blogs for years now; with over 2000 published to date. Who wants to comb through all that material to find something? I don’t think I would! Most of us don’t have the time for prolonged searching; and I hope this will make things easier.  A search box makes more sense than a table of contents; because a blog’s title doesn’t necessarily indicate the blog’s subject matter. For example, how many people will guess that Sturmey Archer Hub — a piece of hardware — has anything to do with a century ride? I wondered what the weather will be like tomorrow; aside from hot, of course. I had to look it up! Another heat advisory; but at least tomorrow’s doesn’t go into effect until noon. But I’ll still get plenty hot, as I have an afternoon appointment with the dentist. There’s also a 30% chance of T-storms; so I’ll have to pack along the poncho. We still need rain; but I hope it waits until I’m back home.

Look It Up Read More »

Haul Away

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Haul Away You can haul away with the Instep Quick-N-EZ trailer; whether you’re transporting children or a load of groceries. Quick-N-EZ can carry up to 80 pounds; and can be converted to a stroller or a jogger. There’s a canopy to protect your young passengers from weather or flying bugs. Five-point harness secure the child/ren for greater safety. The frame can fold; and the wheels can be easily removed for easier storage. Color: Teal; Orange; or Green. Cost varies according to color; but all are under $340.00. I got to haul away yesterday. For the first time since before my hand surgery in January, I took my trailer to the salvage store. I could really feel the added weight; and it sure made me feel out of shape! To my great disappointment, the grab-bag bins were as bare as Mother Hubbard‘s cupboard. I hope it’s different next week! Otherwise, I found all that I wanted: almond milk; medium-sharp cheddar cheese, and so on. I was glad to be home from the salvage store before 10:00 am, when a heat advisory went into effect. Even so, I walked to the drug store (just a few blocks) for something; and discovered their store-brand chocolate whey protein powder on sale; four dollars off the usual price. I got some to keep; I know I’ll use it for recovery drinks! It’ll be a hot ride tomorrow; mid-80s by 8:00 am! All I can do during such a ride is to haul away.

Haul Away Read More »

Fueled by Cabbage

BACK ISSUES, Food /

Fueled by Cabbage? No, my rides aren’t fueled by cabbage. Not entirely, anyway; although I do eat the stuff. But as I compose this blog, I’m snacking on raw carrots and hummus! If you happen to have an interest in a vegan diet; and want to know how to manage it around cycling; Complete Vegan Cycling Diet can help you to get started. The author is a former pro athlete and a certified sports nutritionist; not only does this book include recipes, it explains what you need for good nutrition.   I myself have no desire to go vegan; in part because I’m lazy. Veganism requires much more careful planning than vegetarianism, which can include dairy products and eggs. I’m not entirely vegetarian; I do eat meat or chicken or tuna once or twice a week. But usually this takes the form of canned chicken or tuna. I never have enjoyed handling raw meat; fish; or poultry. It feels weird on my hands; and I never seem able to wash off the smell! The resulting debris really stink up a garbage can, too. Also, I hate cleaning up the grease caused by cooking meat. Hence vegetarianism’s appeal to me. Today I didn’t have much riding to do; whether fueled by cabbage or by chocolate. I took a trip to the supermarket; and was home by around 9:00 am. I didn’t want to go out on the road bike by that time: the temperature was well into the 80s; and the heat index was already 100-plus. A heat advisory was scheduled to begin at 10:00 am; and I admit that I’m tired of riding in such heat. There’s yet another heat advisory forecast for tomorrow from 10:00 am; so I’d better go to the salvage store early. As a rule, I get home from such jaunts around ten o’clock; so I’ll just beat the heat!

Fueled by Cabbage Read More »