April 2025 - SpokEasy

Longer and Longer

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training / CAL

Longer and Longer 📏 My weekday rides are getting longer and longer. Today I pushed it to 30 miles; but I sure wasn’t fast! Yesterday I put in intense efforts; so today I rode at a more leisurely pace. For the time being, I’m riding the hybrid. The road bike is in the shop for a tuneup; and it’s also due for new tires and tubes. I’d rather get that done now; and not leave it until too close to RAGBRAI! The weekend long ride also needs to get longer and longer. It’s time to aim for 40-45 miles; after all, there are only three months left to train. It’s also getting warmer and warmer; a good “warm-up” for the conditions I’ll meet dudring RAGBRAI. Warmer and Warmer ♨️ Right when I’m working to make my rides longer and longer, the weather is getting warmer and warmer. I might as well say, “hotter”. Afternoon temperatures are climbing well into the 80s! Soon I’ll need that cool rag! It’s time to start doing rides later in the day, so I can get used to riding in the heat. In fact, I did one such ride last week. It’s getting warmer and warmer, so before long it won’t be difficult to pick a hot time of day. For now I can do short and easy hot rides, maybe 10 miles; and start making such treks longer and longer. It’s time to pull out the sun sleeves; and now that it’s warm enough for bare legs, I need a lot more sunblock! 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.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Longer and Longer April 23, 2025 Dress Rehearsal April 22, 2025 In a Flash April 21, 2025 Down the Bunny Trail April 20, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Dress Rehearsal

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Dress Rehearsal? 👗 I feel like I’m in dress rehearsal mode today. I’ve got both my duffle bags out; and I’m experimenting with packing them. At one time, I had an idea that I might be able to fit everything into one bag; but it’s become obvious that this is mere fantasy. Even with the compression stuff sack, the sleeping bag (blue layer only!) takes up about one-third of one duffle bag; and the sleeping pad that I got doesn’t compact well. Thus it’s rather a space hog. I’m packing gallon-size zip-top plastic bags with things that I need to take to RAGBRAI, e.g. clothes; and I’m refining my lists of what to put into which bag when it’s really time to pack. What Goes Where? 🧳 With two bags to pack, what goes where will be important. This dress rehearsal will help a lot; and what goes where might turn out to be unconventional! For instance, is it OK to put GU-Gels in your checked bag? Answer: yes, it is; and I’m taking along enough for two or three per day of RAGBRAI. That might be too many for the carry-on. A full tube of Chamois Butt’r is too big for the carry-on; so it has to go into the checked bag. Hand warmers are permissible, too … wait a second! Hand warmers for RAGBRAI? Yes, indeed. It can get chilly, despite its being late July; so I want to be prepared. If it’s a no-no in my carry-on, it will go into the checked bag. Goodness knows, I might end up putting the sleeping bag into my carry-on! I’m glad I’ll be shipping my bicycle. 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.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Elementor #198562 April 22, 2025 In a Flash April 21, 2025 Down the Bunny Trail April 20, 2025 Serenade April 19, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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In a Flash

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training / CAL

In a Flash ⚡️ Things can change in a flash; too often, when we aren’t expecting it. Take the weather — it can go from sunny to torrential rain in a hurry! We got some heavy rain today; fortunately, not while I was riding. We’re still under flash flood warning; and we might get more rain tomorrow. Rain is a good reason to keep lights on your bike. You need to be able to see; and perhaps even more important, you need to be seen. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to ride on a bike path almost entirely free of motor traffic; and that means staying extra alert in bad weather. Trouble can happen in a flash! Getting back to rain, it’s amazing how much grit and muck get kicked up by the wheels after a rain; the rear wheel in particular. I guess many cyclists would be glad of a spare bike to ride; one that has fenders. Glad of a Spare 🚲 I expect the ground will still be wet tomorrow morning, even if it isn’t raining. That’s when I’m glad of a “spare” bicycle; namely, my hybrid. It has fenders, so the bike and I stay a bit cleaner. This wet weather isn’t great for this week’s riding plans. I want to start doing some shorter rides, with bursts of much greater intensity. If it’s pouring, visibility of course is poorer; and that’s not the best time to be blasting down the path! An unexpected obstacle can come up in a flash; and you need to be able to see it in time. Hard efforts, though, are what I need to get ready for RAGBRAI. I don’t expect that each day’s maximum gradient means I’ll be facing such climbs the whole day; but I’m sure there will be more than one such hill. It’s repeated hill efforts that I’m thinking about. I might be glad of a spare pair of legs! 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.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL In a Flash April 21, 2025 Down the Bunny Trail April 20, 2025 Serenade April 19, 2025 Pack It In April 18, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Down the Bunny Trail

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Down the Bunny Trail 🐰 Today felt like biking down the bunny trail: I went out for a short ride, and I saw some rabbits! They live in the woods/underbrush alongside the river; and I hope they aren’t getting flooded out. The river has risen over the past week. Easter is a day for chocolate; and of course I’ve enjoyed some. I’m trying to control myself, though; I hardly need all those calories! In fact, I might have gone farther down the bunny trail — and gotten more calorie burn — if not for knowing I’d have a headwind on the way home! I was lazy today; but now I’m thinking of getting back to work. Back to Work 🚵🏽 This past week I eased up on both mileage and effort level; and now I have to get back to work. Unfortunately it looks like the weather might not be very cooperative for the next three days. Complicating my back-to-work plan is, I want to take my road bike in for its pre-RAGBRAI tune-up. Of course I can ride the hybrid while the road bike is in the shop; but that really isn’t the same when it comes to training. Well, there’s this: riding the hybrid at X miles per hour takes more effort than trying for the same pace on the road bike. Ergo it’s useful for pace development. On the other hand, I don’t have a handlebar bag for the hybrid. That means using the trunk; and I have to stop and dismount whenever I want to get a bite to eat. It’s a nuisance when I want to keep rolling down the bunny trail! 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.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Serenade April 19, 2025 Pack It In April 18, 2025 Egg Hunt April 17, 2025 Morning Machine? April 16, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Serenade

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors / CAL

Serenade 🎶 How about a serenade for Easter? Just don’t look at me; I’ve been very self-conscious about singing since I was a young child; and my unexercised voice has trouble carrying a tune! Would the song about Peter Cottontail suffice as a serenade? Or, if you’re feelilng goofy, there’s the parody I knew as kid: Little Peter Cottontail, hoppin’ down the Bunny Trail, happened to find some carrots 🥕 on his way. Something told him it was wrong; Farmer Jones🧑‍🌾 might come along, and what an awful price he’d have to pay. But he knew his legs were faster, so he nibbled three or four; and he almost met disaster when he heard that shotgun roar. Oh! That’s how Peter Cottontail, hoppin’ down the Bunny Trail, lost his tail; but still he got away! I have no idea who came up with it; but it was always more fun than the original song. If you’re the singing type, you can sing it on the bike! In between jelly beans and bites of RX Bars, that is. What about the Weather? 🌧️ But what about the weather? I, for one, can’t carry a barometer along on my rides; so I can’t keep track of the meteorological moods any too well. And they can change very quickly! Your serenade can go from sun-drenched to just plain drenched in a minute. It looks like tomorrow will be overcast; with rain sometime during Sunday night. That’s good news for tomorrow’s local egg hunts; and for bicycle rides, too. But what about the weather beyond tomorrow? It looks wet; and that’s a nuisance. My poor road bike gets all mucked 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.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Serenade April 19, 2025 Pack It In April 18, 2025 Egg Hunt April 17, 2025 Morning Machine? April 16, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Pack It In

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Pack It In 🛄 eVac Compression Dry Bag I’m starting to practice how to pack it in for RAGBRAI. It won’t do to wait until the day before I leave for Iowa to try to figure it out! A while back, I ordered my first duffle bag — a gray one. I soon realized that one bag very likely won’t fit everything that I need to take; so I got a second one. I chose orange for the color of this bag — I want one to be my check-in bag; and if both of my bags are the same color, I know I’ll get them mixed up. A few months ago I got a sleeping bag, although not the two-person kind shown here. Later I bought a compression stuff sack to pack it in; and it proved to be too small. But I found a way around that, thank goodness. My sleeping bag has layers that fasten together with zippers; and these layers can be completely removed from each other. That allows you to adjust to various temperatures. I know from watching videos that RAGBRAI can get very hot; but sometimes overnight low temperatures can drop to the 50s! The blue layer of my sleeping bag might be sufficient; and that will fit easily into my compression stuff sack. The warmer orange layer fits, too. If I want to bring both layers, one can go in my carry-on. Meanwhile, I’ll do my best to carry on with my riding! Carry On 🚴🏿 But I hope the weather lets me carry on, with or without panniers. Things are expected to get stormy by Sunday night; and Monday looks stormy, too. I might have to pack it in; but I hope it doesn’t come to that. At least tomorrow morning should be OK; and I can carry on with my usual trip to the salvage store. 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.” . ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Pack It In April 18, 2025 Egg Hunt April 17, 2025 Morning Machine? April 16, 2025 Rearview April 15, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Egg Hunt

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Egg Hunt 🐣 “Don’t rain on my egg hunt!” is probably on many local kids’ lips. The forecast for upcoming Easter Sunday is, mostly cloudy. If I were a little kid, I think I’d be worried about that! Oh, to find eggs made of chocolate; and jelly beans; and, if you were part of the Imperial family in Russia — Fabergé eggs! I don’t expect to participate in an egg hunt; but I don’t want it to rain on the kids’ Easter fun. I also don’t want it to rain on my bicycle ride. Speaking of rain, while I was out on my hybrid this morning, I heard a rain crow. Uh-oh. Does that mean we’ve got rain on the way? Gosh, talk about weather weary! Sometimes I get tired of watching the forecasts; and I’m sure I’m not alone. But I need to know what kind of conditions I might face during a ride. Weather Weary 😮‍💨 I think I’m weather weary already, whether we’re talking about an egg hunt or not; and it’s some time before hurricane season is due to begin. Weather weary isn’t only about rain, it’s also about wind; and tomorrow it could be blowing at 15 mph. With a headwind on the way back home, of course! This week I’ve been taking it pretty easy; after last week’s mileage, I realized that I needed to rein myself in a little. Since I wasn’t concentrating on force-development exercises, pace improvement, etc.; I decided to make a few mini side-trips to look for places where I might make restroom stops. The results aren’t encouraging; and I think it might be better to google “filling stations” along my route. That might be the lazy way; but it sure saves time! 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.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Egg Hunt April 17, 2025 Morning Machine? April 16, 2025 Rearview April 15, 2025 Dead Heat April 14, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Morning Machine?

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Morning Machine? 🌅 Is my bicycle a morning machine? Or maybe this is a word association matter. Most of my rides do take place early in the day; and I get used to greeting people that I pass with, “Good morning.” Then, when I ride later in the day, I automatically say the same thing; even if it’s past noon! Morning rides have advantages: in hot weather, it’s a little cooler then; and if the moon is full, I like to ride before dawn to see the moonlight on the river. Sometimes I hear an owl; and if the river is high, sometimes I see the gleam of alligator eyes. So yes, my bicycle is a morning machine — even if it doesn’t run on coffee! I like to see the various critters, such as rabbits. But rabbits seem to vanish into the underbrush by mid-morning; so if I want to see them, my bike needs to be a morning machine. Critters 🐊 🦈 Speaking of critters, I was astonished enough to learn that there are alligators in the Mississippi River. I was even more surprised to read that sharks get into the river, too! I wonder how long they’ve been there; and whether it might be possible to spot a shark’s fin from the top of the levee. Probably not; but now I have an even better reason to not try to go swimming in that river. Even reaching the edge of the water means risking whatever critters are lurking in all the trees and undergrowth. Whether my bicycle is a morning machine or not, I don’t want to take it in there! By the way, a bike is a morning machine during RAGBRAI. Many riders start very early, especially if the day is expected to get very hot. And it will be interesting to see what critters are in Iowa! 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.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Morning Machine? April 16, 2025 Rearview April 15, 2025 Dead Heat April 14, 2025 Stacks April 13, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Rearview

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment / CAL

Rearview 🔙 Is a rearview mirror on a bike a good thing? I use one on the hybrid; but not the road bike. For years I had a handlebar-end mirror on the road bike; but it sure had its drawbacks! It was tricky to get that mirror in the correct position to begin with; and reaching for the bottle on the down tube usually knocked the mirror out of line. Then I was right back where I started. Another problem was that, when I rode early in the day, the sun shone right into the mirror; and reflected blinding light right into my eyes. How could I get a good rearview that way? I was sure that riders coming up from behind were also getting blinded; and I figured that wasn’t right. Over time, the mirror’s mount got loose; and a few months ago, I finally gave up on it. But will I need a rearview mirror during RAGBRAI? I don’t have a pair of extra eyes in the back of my head, after all. Extra Eyes 👀 If I go for an Accmor Bike Eyeglasses Mirror, you might say that I have extra eyes. These mirrors are lightweight at 9 grams, or about 0.38 ounces; and provide a rearview when you need it. But around here, I’d still have the problem of reflected sunshine on most of my rides; and I don’t have extra eyes if I burn out the ones I have. And, would even those nine grams weigh too heavily on my nose? One thing I remember from what little group-riding experience I’ve had, is: don’t worry to much about the riders behind me. The cyclists alongside and in front are the ones I need to watch. Looked at from that point of view, maybe a rearview mirror isn’t necessary. 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.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Rearview April 15, 2025 Dead Heat April 14, 2025 Stacks April 13, 2025 Horning In? April 12, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Dead Heat

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Outdoors, Training / CAL

Dead Heat? ♨️ I thought of “dead heat” when I rode today. It was already at least 2:00 pm when I went out; and it was 76 degrees. Just coming out of Winter, that’s quite warm; but it’s time I started doing rides in the hotter part of the day. I’ll need at least one such ride per week. Having the sun overhead makes it seem even hotter; and I’m used to riding early in the day, when the sun is lower in the sky. But during RAGBRAI, I’ll be riding more than 20; or 30; or even 40 miles most days. Luckily I won’t need to worry about getting caught up in the dead heat of a race; but I won’t be able to avoid riding in bright sunshine. And it could get very hot! So, I’m considering ways to take the edge off of the heat. Take the Edge Off 🔪 A cooling rag really does help take the edge off of the heat; and I definitely plan to take one to RAGBRAI. Or maybe even two! I can use one during the day’s ride; and one to drape over my head if it’s hot in my tent at night. I won’t want to be in a dead heat while trying to sleep! A fan would be nice; but a fan would be one more thing to 1) take up space — and add weight! — in my luggage; and 2) another thing to keep charged up. So I’m looking for another way to keep cool. A cooling rag should at least take the edge off! 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.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Dead Heat April 14, 2025 Stacks April 13, 2025 Horning In? April 12, 2025 Trampoline? April 11, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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