SpokEasy

November 2023

Sunday on Thursday

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Sunday on Thursday 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.” Today I had Sunday on Thursday; namely, I did a long ride today. The hour-by-hour forecast shows rain tomorrow; and in fact, there’s a chance of rain every day for the next three or four days. Yesterday I rode less than 9 miles, so I wanted to get in some extra distance today. The weather was pretty good, although the wind was pesky. Nothing new there! Since I was aiming for distance, I kept to a pretty casual pace most of the time. A longer ride means fuel, of course; and I thought of Gatorade Whey Protein Bars. One of those did the trick. I like them; especially Chocolate Caramel. Gatorade Whey Protein Bars are sweet; but not too sweet. They’re easy to chew; and when the temperature is in the upper 60s-low 70s, the chocolate coating doesn’t melt. At least, it didn’t today; but the sky was mostly cloudy. If it had been sunny, I might have a different story to tell. Sunday on Thursday is an odd feeling. Maybe I had better get used to it; because I want to start doing longer weekday rides. Or will, after I’m healed from the lapiplasty. At the clinic, they said I may return to normal activities as tolerated within a day or two; but it’s occurred to me that I might not be able to tolerate shoes of any kind for a while.  The surgical “shoe”, I expect, won’t be sturdy enough for pedaling. I’ll see how it goes. Maybe by early 2024 I’ll have Sunday on Monday; Sunday on Tuesday; etcetera.

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What’s the Joke?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

What’s the Joke? 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.” What’s the joke? What’s with the laughing cow? I don’t know. The little dog though it hilarious to see a bovine vault over the moon; and maybe their rôles got reversed. I certainly can’t jump over the moon. I can’t even jump a curb! So far I’ve never felt the need to learn this skill; but sometimes I think it would be a wise idea. Especially if I have any ideas about getting into bicycle touring. Touring by bike might have to wait, as I’m having foot surgery in two weeks. But from what the podiatrist said yesterday, it won’t be that big a deal; and I can return to normal activities pretty quickly. So, what would I need for touring? Would my hybrid bicycle suffice, fitted out with rack and panniers?   There are too many variables to go into here, but I know several things I need to work on: extending my daily distances; and developing better strength.  Oh, and food! Campfire cooking? My regular long-ride chow? It’s too expensive to buy all meals pre-prepared; especially on a tour of more than one or two days. But if I set out on a bicycle tour this minute, people would be laughing their heads off; and I’d be asking, What’s the joke?

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Buoyed Up

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Buoyed Up 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.” I’m feeling quite buoyed up today. This morning I had my pre-surgical consultation with the podiatrist; and it’s good news! The procedure will take under 45 minutes; and I won’t be in a boot afterwards. I’ll be given a special shoe; and I may return to normal activities as tolerated — even riding a bicycle! I’d better make it the hybrid, though. I can expect post-surgical swelling; and my MTB shoes will be too tight for some time. The incision will be under 3 inches long; and in fact the only restriction will be, Don’t get it wet! Thus no riding outdoors if it’s raining. The doctor said he actually wants me to be up and walking; so that means minimal sitting around😁! I don’t need any special equipment; and that’s terrific news. No need for me to spend hundreds of bucks on stuff I’ll use for a week; and then have to store or get rid of. Another thing to feel buoyed up about — with a nice tailwind, I hit a top speed of 20.5 mph during my ride! I did some one-minute intervals into the wind, trying to maintain 15 mph. That’s what you need to do to get fast. No, it’s not the most fun thing in the world; and after the foot surgery I expect I’ll have to skip that kind of riding for a while. The weather has turned warm again; and there’s a chance of rain later in the week. Well, we very much need rain; but I hope it doesn’t decide to rain while I’m going to and from the salvage store. Or during my Sunday long ride! I especially hope it doesn’t rain on surgery day. Gotta keep that foot dry!  

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If the Shoe Fits

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

If the Shoe Fits 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.” If the shoe fits, especially if it’s these Shimano SH-MT502W shoes, how about a good off-road ride? This footwear is great for off-road cycling. The midsole, of reinforced fiberglass, transfers more of your power to the pedals. The Shimano SH-MT502W is lightweight; and the mesh uppers help keep your feet cool in hot weather. Outer sole is of grippy rubber, for more secure footing both on the bike and off. If the shoe fits, it might also bring the happy news that you don’t have a bunion. I’ve got one at the base of my left big toe; and it has bone spurs as well. So I have surgery scheduled for two weeks from tomorrow. If it were only the bunion, I think I’d let it go; but those bone spurs mean I have little flex left in the joint. Sometimes it hurts — both for walking longer distances; and for cycling. I just bought a new pair of cycling shoes, because my old pair was getting soft around the heels. When I tried them on in the bike shop, they seemed OK; but when I wore them for a ride — OUCH! So they’re on the shelf until my foot recovers from the surgery. Today I did only a short, easy ride; and I had to take a detour because of a train! Tomorrow I might have to let riding wait until late morning. (Pre-op visit with the podiatrist at 8:30). I’m glad we’re past the 80-degrees-at-5:00 am season! I need to get out there and do some short, very hard efforts; I’ve been too lax about them. And my (old) shoe still fits!

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Train Trains

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Train Trains 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.” I wish I could train trains. Then there wouldn’t be one sitting across the place where I need to cross the tracks to get home!  At the start of my ride, I just barely beat a ftrain. In fact, it was cutting things almost too close; 10 seconds later, and I wouldn’t have dared to try crossing those tracks. But I got across safely; then headed out to do some miles. Today there wasn’t much wind; and I enjoyed an RXBar Blueberry along the way. I didn’t try to push the pace; although maybe I should do more of that during these Sunday long rides. I’ve never really shaken off the fear that I might overdo things, and find myself totally exhausted when I’m a long way from  home. As always, the Sunday long ride means an electrolyte drink in addition to a Camel-Bak full of water. I sure wish that BioSteel could give me muscles of steel! So I rode at a pretty steady pace; and at 11.5 miles decided to turn for home. And now we’re coming to the train trains part of it: a stopped train blocking the crossing; and of course I couldn’t know how long it might stay there. So I rode on to the next crossing, maybe .7 miles away. I was almost there when I heard the locomotives rev up, and start ringing the bell; and I decided I probably couldn’t beat the train. That meant turning around and heading back to my usual crossing. And that train was slow. All that detouring and waiting delayed my getting home by some 10 minutes. I’m glad it wasn’t cold or raining!

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Which Bike for Me

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Which Bike for Me? 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.” * “Which bike for me?” is a very sensible question for anyone who wants to take up cycling. How to choose? I admit I’m no expert; but I do know several things that must be considered: where and how much you plan to ride; whether you’ll need to carry loads; and, of course, your budget. Will your riding be primarily on paved surfaces? For the person who is brand new to cycling, I’d suggest a hybrid, because it’s more stable than a road bike. This Schwinn Discover hybrid bicycle for men and women has an easy-to-mount, step-through design; front and rear fenders; and a built-in cargo rack. Its 21 speeds let you adapt to a wide variety of road conditions. Just hang on a set of panniers, and you can bring home a load of groceries; or carry lunch and a change of clothes to work. Some folks will opt for a mountain bike, such as the Schwinn Traxion. The Traxion has 24 speeds, with trigger shifters; full suspension; and disc brakes. The catch with riding an MTB over pavement is, those knobby tires offer more rolling resistance than the smoother tires of a road bike or a hybrid. What about people who have balance issues? There are adult tricycles, such as the Tricycle Adult Folding Bicycle!  No worries about balance; and  you can even bring along a passenger! Front basket holds your cell phone and other needs. I know from experience that a trike is fun to ride. For the sheer enjoyment of putting in the miles, a road bike like the Tommaso Imola Endurance is great. It has 24 speeds; and delivers high performance at an affordable price. Built to last, too; an important aspect of anything you buy, I would say. The above are only a tiny percentage of the available bicycles out there; but I hope they can get you started on making your choice!

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