SpokEasy

SpokEasy

August 2025

Cornfields and KYBOs

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Cornfields and KYBOs 🌾 This is Minnesota, not Iowa; but it’s a cornfield! RAGBRAI 2025 Day Four brings me to cornfields and KYBOs — no, not that kind of corn! Although I admit it’s possible to develop corns during a week of long daily rides! One of the time-honored to-do items for RAGBRAI newbies is to p** in a cornfield. There are cornfields aplenty along the route, and KYBOs in towns; but I didn’t visit a cornfield until Day Four. It really isn’t bad in there, especially if the ground isn’t wet from downpours. I had to bail again today! 😞 RAGBRAI Day Four was another day of relentless headwinds; and my left knee was bothering me a bit. On top of it all, I had developed a blister from so much walking in bike shoes the day before. Fortunately it bothered me much less while riding than while walking; but it was still uncomfortable. At the day’s meeting town, I ended up on a super-SAG, aka a school bus, with many other riders. Then, during the night, I found a new dirty word! New Dirty Word 🧼 You can learn a new dirty word anywhere; but I never thought that R-A-I-N would be among them. The night of RAGBRAI Day Four proved me wrong. Starting about 10:00 or 11:00 pm, a T-storm broke out; with lots of lightning and a seemingly endless, torrential downpour. Good thing I didn’t need to look for cornfields and KYBO’s just then! It soon felt like I had some water leaking through the top of my tent; and next I realized that it felt like I was lying in a river! I hadn’t especially noticed; but my tent was in a low spot. My sleeping bag got drenched; and so did other items. My phone seemed to stay dry, thank goodness! Around 3:00 am I got up and began trying to dry some things with my microfiber towel; but with standing water at least a half-inch deep in my tent, the towel kept getting into the water! No wonder R-A-I-N is a new dirty word to me. Incidentally, the lightning up there is peculiar. Here at home, it typically is a split-second flash. That night, it was a slow-motion on-and-off, with the “on” lasting one or even two whole seconds. I guess they never heard of greased lightning. Massage 💆🏼 By this time in the week, my leg muscles needed something to ease them. Although Pork Belly offered a massage service, I didn’t use it. I chose a cheaper option: I brought along a massage ball. The orange one only, with soft, longish spikes. There wasn’t room in my bags for all three! It was mainly my quads and hamstrings that needed attention; and I would roll the ball over them before I went to sleep. I think this mini-massage helped keep my leg muscles from turning to concrete! 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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A Piggy-Wig Stood

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

A Piggy-Wig Stood 🐖 What would Edward Lear think? To paraphrase Edward Lear, “And there in the cubby, a piggy-wig stood!” As I was with Pork Belly, I thought this little pig would be the perfect way to mark my charging cubby. Sure, there are letters and numbers (letters horizontal; numbers vertical, I think it was; or was it the other way around?) to help you find your cubby; but who wants to try to remember, say, K6 at five o’clock in the morning? A visual marker is much easier. I only had to remember, there a piggy-wig stood! RAGBRAI 2025 Day Three was another tough one. I tried to think KYLL; but it’s hard to keep at it in the face of relentless hills and headwinds. KYLL 🦵🏼 If only I were better at KYLL: Keep Your Legs Loose. The repeated hills and relentless headwinds were a killer combination! I tried to keep going; but for one thing I’m not very fast anyhow; and in a pass-through town, it’s easy to lose an hour and more by the time I can get something to eat, and visit the KYBO. At about 6:00 pm, I had to bail out. I stilll had 10 miles or so to go; the roads re-open to public traffic at six; and SAG service also stops. On top of all that, it was starting to rain. Just then a SAG wagon went past; and I waved it down. Luckily there was still room  for  one more passenger/bike. We saw a beautiful rainbow; so the rain had an upside. But the SAG dropped us at the main campground; and Pork Belly camp was a good walk away. I say “walk” because I couldn’t face any more hills that day. Unfortunately my cycling shoes are NOT good for walking; even if I practice KYLL while I do it. My right bunion got a sizeble blister on it. Ouch. On Strike? 🪧 About mid-week, my electronics seemed to go on strike. My cell phone kept running out of charge. It was OK before I went to RAGBRAI; and it’s been all right since I got home. Was it the charging blocks? Those blocks seemed to work all right at home, before the trip!  I had a similar problem with my headlight; and the heart rate monitor refused to work all week! Why? I got  new battery put in within the last few months. After a few days, I quit wearing it. I’m glad my legs didn’t go on strike! 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Out of State

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Out of State 🚴🏿 Hey, where’s Iowa?   RAGBRAI 2025 Day Two was a first: the RAGBRAI route went out of state, for the first time it the event’s history. We left Iowa for 15 miles in Minnesota! I had never been to Minnesota before; so it was interesting to see a little bit of it. RAGBRAI Day Two was a short one. We had cloud cover much of the day; and that’s always welcome in hot weather. Especially if it doesn’t rain. While we were out of state, I wish I’d hd more time to say, Hello Minnesota; but I sensed that my bike was still having mechanical issues. Hello Minnesota! 👋  Hello, Minnesota? I wish I could have said a proper hello! At Brown Park in Minnesota, there was a Welcome to Minnesota sign somewhere; but I didn’t have time to look for it. My bike still seemed to have brake rub; and I needed to get it taken care of. Spoke N Wheel had a booth there; and I headed for it. The problem turned out to be more than a little brake rub. My rear wheel was out of true; and the tire was rubbing the chain stay. No wonder I got leg cramps yesterday! I thought I was working hard agains hills and headwinds; but I had a wheel that wasn’t turning properly. In addition, the cassette was a bit loose. RAGBRAI Day Two was proving to be another tough one. There was also a twisted spoke. Then I remembered a near-fall shortly before I shipped my bicycle to Iowa; and my right foot jammed into the rear wheel. It seems that this mishap caused more damage than I thought! I scarcely had time to say, Hello Minnesota; before I had to say, Goodbye, Minnesota! Trying out the Menu 🥞 First pancakes in years! Today, I believe it was (I wish I could have taken better notes!) I really began trying out the menu. Chris Cakes was on my must-try list; and I have to say, they are good! 👍 Of course, you have to stand in line to get them!   Beekman’s Ice Cream [connection to their site is unfortunately not secure]  was another must-try. They say, listen for the popcorn sound; and you’ve found it. Ir’s worth waiting in line for this treat! They have four flavors: chocolate; vanilla; raspberry; and peach. I got half chocolate/half raspberry; and when I got Beekman’s again later in the week, I chose peach. I also tried a “walking taco”; and was it today that I got a slice of pie? Gosh, so much food everywhere!  Trying out the menu is admittedly rather costly; and usually the servings were huge. I’d prefer smaller helpings and a lower price; but RAGBRAI makes a lot of riders very hungry! 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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RAGBRAI on the COB

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

RAGBRAI on the COB 🌽 The COB! RAGBRAI on the COB helps us Porkers find our way around Pork City. It’s posted each day; and unfortunately, most days I didn’t get around to taking a photo of it. This Campground Orientation Board, aka the COB, shows where everything is: tents; showers; and so on. My phone screen is small; and squinting at such a tiny map doesn’t help me much. I usually just asked my way around. Next time, though, I must pay more attention to RAGBRAI on the COB, so I don’t feel so disoriented! On RAGBRAI Day One, I visited the charging trailer to get my power block; got some breakfast; packed up my stuff; and visited the Shower Thingy, aka the water fill station. Then I could take off for RAGBRAI Day One! Not the Best Day 😒 RAGBRAI Day One, I must confess, was not the best day. I thought I had charged up my Garmin; but apparently I didn’t. About five miles into the ride, it gave me a Low Battery warning. A few miles later, it gave me a Critical Battery Warning; so I shut it off. Then it began to feel like my bike had brake rub. I stopped and got off; and fiddled with the rear brake assembly a bit. It seemed to help; so I went on. Of course I noticed the climbs. The climbs weren’t all that bad per se; but there were so many of them! Then the headwinds got going. As though climbing weren’t hard enough! I kept plodding along; and that afternoon, a mile or two past May City, muscle cramps set in. First my right hamstring; and, moments later, my left quad. I figured that the onset of muscle cramps meant it was time to bail out. Bail Out 😞 Frustrating though it  is, sometimes you have to bail out. I had just taken a swig of electrolyte drink; and was trying to get the bottle back into its cage. I was on an upward slope; and was having such trouble with that bottle that I flung it to the ground so I could stop and pick it up. I nearly fell over; but luckily some kind of go-cart for RAGBRAI was right behind me; and they got me to a SAG wagon. I tried to think what the cause of my cramps might have been; and was puzzled. I had downed a good quart or so of electrolyte drink; plus several liters of water. Even so, was I dehydrated? Had I eaten too little? Whatever it was, I had to bail out. Not the best day; RAGBRAI Day One was down the tubes. But soon I was checking out RAGBRAI on the COB again. 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Summer Cold

BACK ISSUES, Personal Care /

Summer Cold 👃🏻 A Summer cold is no fun; especially when it hits just as you’re starting the biggest cycling adventure of your life. I first came down with a cold about three weeks into June; and by the time RAGBRAI rolled around, it still didn’t seem quite gone. Now I’m not sure whether I’ve still got the same cold; or whether I’ve caught a new one! A Summer cold is the worst type, they say; and I’m inclined to agree. About halfway through RAGRAI, my throat started to feel dry; and when I tried to talk, it would catch; and make me cough. After I got back home, it continued to happen; so I suppose that my hydration status wasn’t a factor. I visited a doctor after I was back home, to be sure I didn’t have strep throat. Fortunately, I don’t. There’s not much you can do for a cold but wait it out; but that’s tedious! Wait It Out ⏱️ I’ve got a Summer cold; so what can I do while I wait it out? Well, I’m working on drafts for my blogs about RAGBRAI; one for each day of the ride. I’m continually editing them; and I don’t want to start publishing them until all the editing for all seven posts is finished. Would warm tea help me feel better? I don’t know; I’m not crazy about hot drinks, especially when the ambient temperature is at least 80 degrees! As I type this, it’s 91 degrees; with a heat index of 106! I can ride slow and easy while I wait it out; and soon I must start cooking big batches of food to freeze. I didn’t dare leave too  much in the freezer while I was gone, for fear of a possible power outage. But here’s the test: I read this somewhere years ago. Put a cup of water in the freezer. When it’s frozen solid, lay  quarter on top of the ice. Then, when you’re back home, look to see whether the quarter is still on top of the ice. If it is, there was no power outage; and you don’t have to throw food away. It reminds me of how my brother used to joke about cold cash and hot change! 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Little by Little

BACK ISSUES, Outdoors /

Little by Little 📏 I’m tackling things little by little. There are still a number of items I need to clean up before putting them away; and today I washed my Travelon. I didn’t see a care instructions label; but I washed the pouch by hand; rolled it up in a hand towel and squeezed it; then laid it flat to dry. I’m increasing my mileage little by little, too; still on the hybrid while my road bike is being shipped home. But I’m not so sure I’ll get to ride tomorrow; the forecast looks pretty iffy! Iffy ⛈️ An iffy forecast drives me crazy. Will it rain, or not? Even more, will there be lightning? Luckily there wasn’t lightning during the day during RAGBRAI. But one evening — the third one, I think it was — we could see a big cloud. Someone said it was to the North; and did it have some LIGHTNING going on! I was glad when it stayed away from us. But  during the fourth night, a big T-storm broke out around 10:00 or 11:00 pm; with plenty of lighting and a torrential downpour that seemed like it would never end. My tent was in a low spot; and I wound up feeling like I was lying in a river. At 3:00 am I gave up even trying to sleep. For the next two nights, I turned in feeling like things were iffy. Would we have a repeat of night four? I’m so glad we didn’t! My sleeping bag never did get really dry; and I’m lucky it was warm enough that I didn’t need it. I didn’t know how spoiled I was by having a solid roof to sleep under; and an apartment that stays dry during storms. 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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