SpokEasy

SpokEasy

June 2026

What’s Coming?

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, Outdoors /

What’s Coming? 🤔 Today’s Featured Product! 👍 JJ Keller Safety Vest New!! EUROBIKE 29″ For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I never know what’s coming. The weather forecasts change so fast, it sometimes seems like there’s no point in trying to keep track.  The threat of T-storms might keep me from riding; and then nothing happens! Today it rained hard for a short time, but nothing to make flooding seem likely; and I didn’t hear any thunder. At the moment, things don’t look good for tomorrow morning’s ride; but I’m not sure I want to attempt a ride just now. The heat index is 92 degrees; and the UV index is high, too. Soon it will be getting late to go for a ride today, anyway; and since I’ not sure what’s coming, maybe I’ll stay in. Those Tropics! 😤 Those tropics are exasperating; as with local weather, I don’t know what’s coming. I’ve been watching the trough that first emerged in the Bay of Capeche a few days ago. It’s moving at a crawl; I could probably ride faster! But it’s gotten somewhat stronger; and I’ve got to keep watching it. I hope I can get out tomorrow for a ride. I need some hard efforts; but with T-storms possible, I think I’ll ride in the park. That’s not a good place for speed work! 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

What’s Coming? Read More »

Difficult Planning

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

Difficult Planning ✍🏻  Today’s Featured Product! 👏🏻 BALEAF Men’s Sleeveless Jersey New!! Bike Basket Front For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I’ve got some difficult planning to do; not for the first time. How do I plan a week’s rides when the forecast is stormy? It’s helpful to be able to decide I’ll do X on a certain day; and Y the next day. Bad weather can easily derail such a schedule. And if the threat of T-storms means difficult planning when you’re at home, it’s harder if you’re on a bicycle tour.   Day by Day 🌅 Here I go again, planning day by day. At least this week, I don’t have to worry about getting in a ride around both rain and doctor’s appointments. That’s a help; but it’s getting so hot now that afternoon rides are not a good idea. If I were preparing to do RAGBRAI, however, I’d need to start doing afternoon rides. Just a few miles at first; and gradually longer distances. The mere thought makes me feel hot — the heat index at the moment is 99 degrees! 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

Difficult Planning Read More »

My World Is Shrinking!

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

My World Is Shrinking! 🌎 Today’s Featured Product! 🏮 Smart Bike Tail Light New!! WTB Volt MTB Saddle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! My world is shrinking, for sure. They say all the time that it’s a small world; and I’m inclined to believe it. This morning, while waiting for the salvage store to open, I was chatting with another customer. It turned out that they ride with my attorney! As I rode home, it seemed even more that my world is shrinking. A pair of riders caught up with me; the same ones with whom I rode a few miles in 2024. At the time I was just learning about the Big Ride in Iowa; and they’re regulars at RAGBRAI! Wish List 📋 Who doesn’t have a wish list? Not that I have a death wish — far from it — but at present I sure wish I had a trainer that fit my hybrid’s rear wheel. The forecast for next week shows a lot of nasty weather! At the store, another customer mention that a lot of heavy rain is expected; and T-storms are also in the picture. Needless to say, that’s not good weather for cycling! 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

My World Is Shrinking! Read More »

Early Dog Days

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

Early Dog Days 🐕 Today’s Featured Product! 🤩 CafePress Beautiful Ride Tote   New!! KOOTU Carbon Road Bike For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! It looks like we’ve got early dog days. The heat index this afternoon briefly reached 100 degrees! I’m glad I don’t have a thermal pool next door; and I for sure don’t need heated gloves out there! Early dog days means starting my rides earlier; although today I skipped it. I think my allergies are still acting up 🤧 But I hope I can ride to the salvage store tomorrow. Lazy? 💤 So I feel lazy for not having gone for a ride; but I did go for a walk. Not that I undertook a five-mile hike; but one mile is better than no miles. I did some intensive work on the website; and cooked up a garbage soup. Unfortunately cooking means dishwashing! I’ve been too lazy about intensive work on the bike. From what I’ve always read, you’ve got to push yourself to 15 mph sometimes, if you want to cruise at 13-14 mph! And it’s important to step up the intensity if you’ve got weight control on your mind. 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

Early Dog Days Read More »

Eye on the Gulf

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Eye on the Gulf 👁️ Today’s Featured Product! 🎉 Hornit Bike & Scooter Horn New!! Ayolny E-Bike For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! We’ve got an eye on the Gulf already; and it’s not yet mid-June! There’s a tropical wave in the Bay of Campeche. Fortunately it isn’t expected to develop into anything serious; but  it’s a reminder that we have to stay alert. We’ve got to keep an eye on the Gulf — it’s almost a ritual! t’s better than having to worry about earthquakes, though. Heat Tolerance? 🥵 I’m working on my heat tolerance; but it seems like slow going. Or am I having an “off” day today? Is 7:00 am already too late to go for a ride? For all-day cycling events in Summer, you can’t evade riding in the heat; so by all accounts, developing heat tolerance is important. But the temperature was about 82 degrees when I got back home. That isn’t all that hot by local standards; and I wasn’t riding hard. Maybe it’s allergies; or the everyday ups and downs of any exercise routine. At least I’m not training up for anything! 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

Eye on the Gulf Read More »

How Dry I Am?

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Personal Care /

How Dry I Am? 🌵 Today’s Featured Product! ✨ ROCKBROS Photochromatic Sports Sunglasses New!! Shimano ST-R2000-L Brifter For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Nobody knows how dry I am? Maybe not. Sometimes I think that I don’t know how dry I am. I use a hydration pack for most rides; and I also take electrolyte drink. Even so, I often start to feel an odd stuffiness/pulsation in my head an hour or two after I get home. I googled the symptoms; and they can indicate dehydration! I typically try not to drink enough that I’ll need a restroomm during the ride, because the places where I’ll find one are off the path at best. Maybe I should take along pickle-juice shots? Early Start 🌇 I try to get an early start on my rides; but maybe I need to go out even earlier — say, 6:00 am instead of 7:30 am. Lately I haven’t  been riding particularly hard. I wear my cool rag. About all I can do is try to drink more; and I have one pickle-juice shot left over from last July’s RAGBRAI. I plan to take it along on my next 20-mile ride; and drink it at the halfway point. If it works as I hope it will, I can order more.  I must keep that cool rag handy, too. Overnight low temperatures are now close to 80 degrees; and it will get hotter before long! 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

How Dry I Am? Read More »

Adjusting to Heat

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Adjusting to Heat 🥵 Today’s Featured Product! 💫 Car-Free Living New!! Motoforti Universal Bicycle Spokes For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Here I am, adjusting to heat again. It’s come too soon, as usual. Today I wore my cool rag; but I wish I had started earlier than 7:30 am. By that time, it was already nealy 80 degrees! The wind is from the South today; and that seems to be a tricky wind direction. Sometimes it was a headwind; sometimes it was a sidewind. Now and then I had it as a tailwind; but not as much as I would have liked! However, I’m glad that ajusting to heat doesn’t meant acclimating myself the the heat and aridity of desert surroundings. That could be a major problem! I’ll Skip the Desert 🌵 So I’ll skip the desert, thank you very much. By the way, I should skip the dessert, too, luscious though it looks. Cycling in desert surroundings would require a lot of training and acclimatization. And plenty of water! Also, take along a compass, as a precaution. I’ve recently watched videos about people at various national parks who went on hikes in Summer; ignoring warnings not to go out during the heat of the day; and with one 20-oz bottle of water. These outings only too often ended in tragedy. I guess my body will adapt to the heat; but meanwhile it seems awfully hot all of a sudden!       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

Adjusting to Heat Read More »

Harbinger of Rain?

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Harbinger of Rain? 🌧️ Today’s Featured Product! 💥 Dualie Adult Tandem Cruiser New!! ICAN Alpha For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Did I notice a harbinger of rain this morning? I knew that rain and T-storms were in the forecast; and I had a 9:15 am dentist’s appointment. Walking home afterwards, the air seemed more humid than it had been on the way there. Was that a harbinger of rain?  Good question. An hour and a half after I got home, the sun was out; and I don’t believe it had rained a drop. Yet the forecast indicated scattered T-storms! So should I go out for a ride; or stay in? Extra Risk? ⚡️ Speaking of T-storms and bicycle rides, I can’t help wondering: is an e-bike an extra risk in a thunderstorm? It seems to me that the battery might be attractive to electrical charges such as lightning. I looked it up; and there are differing opinions. Meanwhile, it’s getting really hot for a ride; the heat index is in the mid-90s. Yes, I have a cool rag; but when it gets very hot, a cool rag can seem insufficient. And if T-storms really are hanging around, I don’t need to risk a bolt from the blue. 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

Harbinger of Rain? Read More »

Wait Five Minutes

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Wait Five Minutes ⏱ Today’s Featured Product! ❇️ Travel DX Boot Dryer New!! Magene TEO P515 For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Around here they say, if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes. It’ll change. Forecasts change fast; sometimes so fast that I can’t keep up. I began watching the weather two days ago, so I’d have an idea of what to expect this weekend.  First they said this morning would be stormy; and then they said, T-storms this afternoon. I didn’t know what to expect; and that uncertainty drives me crazy. By today, the threat of rain and T-storms had lifted for the morning. When I started for the salvage store, there weren’t many clouds; but they moved in quickly. Just wait five minutes? It can happen even faster. Wind 💨 I escaped rain today; but oh, the wind! Riding home from the salvage store, the wind was at least 10 mph; and dead against me. It meant some hard pedaling. I had to stop to take a breather because the effort was wearing me out. I took advantage of the pause to watch a ship plowing its way upriver. It’s fun to watch ships; and this one was from Norway! There’s still rain in the forecast; after mid-afternoon today; and it looks like tomorrow will be stormy all day. I hope I get a weather window that lets me squeeze a ride in somewhere. 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

Wait Five Minutes Read More »

Alarm Clock

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Alarm Clock ⏰ Today’s Featured Product! 💣 Schwinn Volare 1400 New!! StarKist Beef Creations For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I think my legs need an alarm clock. An alarm can wake me up; why can’t it wake up my legs? And un-stuff my head? Maybe pre-ride stretching would help; but I’m too lazy to do it. I’m also too anxious about putting in some miles before any rain arrives; and we’re at the season when riding before the worst of the heat is becoming important. The wind has been troublesome since yesterday; and today it was stronger than it was 24 hours ago. I did the lazy thing and went to the park — for a very short ride. I guess I’ve got some allergies going as well — my head feels stuffy; and I’m tired. It’s a drag! Nervous Eye 👁️ Of course I’ve got a nervous eye on the forecast for the next few days. Would I have a better idea of what’s really coming if I had a barometer? And remembered to check it! The weather site I check most often shows showers and possible T-storms tomorrow morning. I was going to ride to the salvage store tomorrow, because I have to do something else Saturday morning; but I don’t want to be out there in a T-storm. Forecasts aren’t always accurate; as I’ve seen again and again. A number of times, I’ve worried for nothing. I hope that’s the case this 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 © 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

Alarm Clock Read More »