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SpokEasy

May 2026

I Beat the Wind!

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

I Beat the Wind! 🤜🏼 Today’s Featured Product! 🎆 Rotating Dog Bike Leash New!! Body Sport Aerobic Step For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! By gosh, I beat the wind today! Usually that’s not the case; but today I rode very early. Maybe that made the difference. I went out just past 5:00 am today, because it’s full-moon time. The view I got made the early rising well worth it: a big round moon, rather orange-y in color: and I cold even see the moon’s reflection on the water; not just the moonlight. Not an Early Bird? 🐦 Maybe the wind is not an early bird? I usually have wind to deal with; but I’ve read that wind often does strengthen as the day gets warmer, and air currents get going. This time I beat the wind; and I’m glad there wasn’t fog! Maybe tomorrow I can take a leisurely ride to the Salvation Army thrift store — or shall I wait until Tuesday? I want to look for a few things; but it’s nothing urgent. Then I can begin some hard efforts again. I need it for fitness itself; and also, I need to shed a few pounds! 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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Sunshine at Last

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

Sunshine at Last 🌞 Today’s Featured Product! ☄️ Rosarita Low-Fat Black Beans New!! Probar PB Chocolate Chip For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! We had sunshine at last this morning! But it’s time to pull out the cool rag: I got quite hot riding back home from the salvage store. It was worth it, though. I’m always on the lookout for new foods and drinks to try during my rides; and today I found a new flavor  of Propel.  I hope our “sunshine at last” persists for a while. But the forecast says, partly cloudy tomorrow morning. I hope I’ll be able to see the moonlight on the river; if I can get myself up early enough! May Gone Already? 🌻 Gosh, May gone already? Time has become as fast as Beep-Beep; if it hasn’t already left that fleet-footed bird far behind. That means that, if I want to aim for RAGBRAI 2027,  I need to do more work to improve my pace right now. I think I’ll aim for steady distance tomorrow; and maybe even do a few extra miles. After all, I had to miss a day because of the weather. Tomorrow is the final day of the May Bike Challenge; and after that, I can go back to taking Mondays off from riding. So I can get some rest; and on Tuesday I can work at pushing a hard gear. 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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Twenty!

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Twenty! 😃 Today’s Featured Product! 🎇 Brooks Saddle Cream 30ml New!! CirC Energy Bites For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Today I finally got in twenty miles. Not only that; I completed my ride in under two hours! For once the wind was cooperative. It looks like conditions will be good tomorrow morning; probably on Sunday morning, too. So Sunday I can do twenty miles; maybe a bit more. It’s almost time to pull out the cool rag, though. Mornings are in the low- to mid-70s; and afternoons can reach 85 degrees. Cyclists need to keep cool! Wrapping Up 🎁 We’re wrapping up the Love to Ride Bike Month Challenge. There are just two more days for me to get in miles; so I hope nothing keeps me from riding tomorrow and Sunday. Last Saturday I didn’t ride, because of the day-long threat of T-storms. I couldn’t know how long any break in the weather might last; and on top of the levee is no place to be when the lightning’s cracking! And then, despite all the flood advisories and T-storms in the forecast, we didn’t get much in this neighborhood. Did I miss riding for nothing?   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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Deferred Ride

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Deferred Ride 🚴🏿 Today’s Featured Product! 🎉 Garmin 010-02060-00 Edge 530 New!! WITTKOP Bike Mirror For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Today I had a deferred ride. I was wary of going out early today because the forecast (again) predicted rain and T-storms; but nothing much happened. Then I got busy with other things; and around eleven o’clock I began to hear thunder. I would have felt vindicated for not riding if a big downpour with lots of lightning had descended upon us. But it didn’t; and by early afternoon I had had enough of the deferred ride  Fizzle 🫧 The apparent approach of a T-storm was a fizzle, as it turned out. Half of me wanted to ride; and the other half said, don’t be too quick. There was a flood advisory in effect; which could have meant that there was a downpour on the way. At the same time, we’ve had such advisories for the past few days; with little or no rain. It’s the old boy-who-cried-wolf. I finally went to the park. I kept an eye on the sky as I rode; and during my third lap, the sun came out. It wasn’t long before I began to feel too hot; so I went home. It was a short ride; but a deferred ride is better than no ride at all. 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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Quivery Legs

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Quivery Legs 🫨 Today’s Featured Product! ⚡️ Schrader Valve Tube New!! Aloha Plant-Based Protein Bars For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Are quivery legs good? I don’t want them while riding; but what about after I’m off the bike? Maybe it means I worked hard enough; although that quivery legs sensation makes me want to tell those legs to shut up. Today, outward-bound, I did two-minute efforts at riding faster. I should have known I had a tailwind when I hit 14 mph! On the way back, the wind was about 10 mph; enough to make me notice that I had to work hard. For this segment of my ride, I had to cut the hard efforts to 30 seconds. Eye on the Weekend 👁️ As usual for mid-week, I have my eye on the weekend. The ritual of the salvage store is on my mind! I go there as much for the ride as to do shopping. There are some people that I see there regularly; and we say hi, how ya doin’, and so on. So it’s also a bit of a social event. It looks like the weather might cooperate Saturday morning; but tomorrow and Friday look dicey. The forecasts for the last two days have indicated flood watches; and they’re not over yet. But if it’s going to rain so much, I wish it would do it. I’m tired of being in suspense. 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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Wonderful Change

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Wonderful Change 🌞 Today’s Featured Product! 🎆 Fizik R5 Road Shoe New!! Built Puff Variety Pack For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! There was a wonderful change in the weather this morning. The sun was out! There were clouds around, though; and we’re actually under a flood watch. But so far it hasn’t rained here; so maybe someone else is getting the downpour.  It looks like the next week will be rainy; and that’s not such a wonderful change. It keeps me on edge 😬: will I get to ride, or not? Get to Ride? 🐴 I won’t know whether I’ll get to ride until each day comes. The suspense is irksome! By the way, is it better to ride a bicycle or a horse in the rain? A horse won’t get rusty; but on the other hand, a bicycle won’t get spooked by a thunderclap — only its rider! And mightn’t a horse get sick from being out in the rain? Today I got to ride 20 miles;  but I skipped hard efforts. After several days of such short rides, I decided to just put in the miles. The wind was quite cooperative for a change. Maybe tomorrow I can do some hard efforts; if I get to ride! 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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Wet Holiday

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Wet Holiday ⛈️ Today’s Featured Product! 🎇 Roadie New!! Helmet/Glasses Mirror For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I can’t speak for the rest of the country; but we’re  having a wet holiday here. It must be hard for kids who were looking forward to a day of outdoor fun. Gosh, it’s hard for me. With a T-storm threat hanging over us, I don’t quite dare go out for a ride. There’s actually a flash flood warning in effect until half-past noon; and I’m not in a  hurry to get washed away. I hope I can get out for a ride by mid-afternoon; even if only a short one. My hybrid’s rear wheel is about an inch too large to fit into my trainer; and I don’t have one of those under-desk pedalers. So an indoor ride is out of the queestion. Countdown 🌀 It’s countdown to hurricane season; and it always comes too soon. It would be a wet “holiday” if we have a hurricane this season! There’s only so much anyone can do to prepare for a hurricane: stock up on non-perishable food (including, naturally, some goodies!); bottled water; and be sure the crank-operated radio still works. When tropical weather is threatening, I like to go out and do a good ride before conditions begin to deteriorate. It’s sort of like when I was in grade school; and the excitement of a day off from school when a hurricane was lurking nearby. Of course, I hope we won’t have to count down to an actual storm. Even now, we aren’t fully recovered from Katrina! 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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Finally Got Out

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

Finally Got Out! 🚲 Today’s Featured Product! 🔥 Pro Bike Tool Inflator New!! Fuel Your Body For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I finally got out for a ride this morning; albeit a short one. It felt good to be pedaling after sitting around all day yesterday! I didn’t try any efforts at riding fast. The park isn’t the place for it; but I wanted to stay rather close to  home in case a T-storm started to move in. It makes me wish for clear skies and an open road; although I can do without climbing mountains! Memorial Day 🌼 🇺🇸 It looks like our Memorial Day holiday will be a wet one; and I don’t envy people who have picnics and barbecues planned. But BBQ really isn’t my thing; so at least I’m not worried about outdoor cooking plans being thwarted. I hope I can ride tomorrow; I need the exercise. But it looks like the entire week will be stormy! I finally got out to the grocery store this afternoon. Yesterday morning I started over there, because I skipped the salvage store; but grumbling thunder made me change my mind. I hope no such rumbling derails tomorrow’s ride plans! 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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ Add Your Heading Text Here Today’s Featured Product! New!! For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. 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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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When Will It End?

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When Will It End? ☔️ Today’s Featured Product! 💥 COOLSTEELANDBEYOND  Bike Chain Bracelet New!! Cycling for Health and Pleasure For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! When will it end? We’re getting day after day of rainy forecasts; and it’s getting too warm to be buried under a rain suit. Last night, the forecast predicted cloudy skies this morning; but no rain until at least late morning. Then, at about 6:30 am, I took a look outside; and the appearance of the sky sent me straight to the online weather site. Long story short, I decided to skip the salvage store; and for a fact I began to hear thunder at the time when I’d usually be riding to the salvage store. I probably would have been pedaling right into a T-storm! How About Tomorrow? ☀️   And how about tomorrow? I hope I can get out there and 1) put in some miles; and 2) work on my pace. Unfortunately the forecast looks bad for the next few days! Yesterday I tried pushing hard for one minute; and easing up for a minute. I did five efforts per set; and managed two sets. I attempted a third set; but kept forgetting to watch the time. So after that I just rode. I sure won’t meet any 100-mile goal this week! Maybe not this coming week, either. Rain is one thing; T-storms are another. I think I need a lightning detector! 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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Letup At Last!

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Letup At Last! 😌 Today’s Featured Product! 🎊 Oversized Bike Seat New!! Slow Bicycle Companion For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! We’ve had a letup at last from the rain threat; at least, we did this morning. The weather is heating up; and now I’m wearing sun sleeves and using a lot more sunblock! Before long I’ll want to start out at 6:00 am, before it gets too hot. Already morning temperatures are in the upper 70s; so I have a cool rag ready and waiting. Another Story 📖 We had a letup at last from rain threats early today; but this afternoon was another story! I had to go downtown for a 2:30 pm appointment; and when I got out, the sky looked very stormy indeed! As I rode the streetcar back towards home, it began to rain and to thunder. My neighborhood had obviously taken a heavy downpour; one whole block of the street where I live was a lake! But now that we’ve gotten rain (which we did need), it will be a relief to not worry about whether it will rain on my ride! 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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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