SpokEasy

SpokEasy

Author name: CAL

Hard as Granite?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Hard as Granite? If a bicycle route were “hard as granite”, I doubt that I’d do well on it. But riding needn’t be as hard as that. New Hampshire has a number of routes that the whole family can enjoy. Several are the rails-to-trails type. For the youngster eager for that first real ride, try the Silk Farm Road Bike Path in Concord. Of course there are other riding opportunities as well. If you want something off the beaten path, try the Great North Woods. You’ll have the chance to enjoy some spectacular scenery! Head South a bit, and you’ll find the White Mountains region. Routes here range from easy to expert in difficulty.  It looks like most of the routes in this New England state are rolling to mountainous. The Seacoast area has a number of cycling routes. Some are pretty long; others are short, bur require riding near traffic. It’s a good time to invest in a rearview mirror! Maybe those mountainous New Hampshire routes aren’t for me. I’d need to train up until my legs muscles got hard as granite! 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

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Down on the Bayou

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Down on the Bayou Let’s go ride down on the bayou! Cycle Zydeco is an annual event, taking place the week after Easter. Cajun food; zydeco music; and riding on flat roads! You just might be able to do Cycle Zydeco on an adult trike!    This 4-day rolling festival is a casual ride; you won’t need a fancy racing bicycle for this one! A hybrid might well do, especially if you choose to take the shorter routes. Or, as mentioned above, an adult tricycle. Each day offers two route options. The shorter one is about 38-40 miles; the longer one can be 62 miles or more. Each route includes interesting stops such as swamp tours. The riding is easy. I wonder what the Scavenger Hunt involves. Trying spot a particular element of the local wildlife?  Counting road signs? I don’t expect that the weather conditions for Cycle Zydeco would be much different from those of New Orleans. By Easter it can already be downright hot. Be prepared for rain; but of course bring the sunblock, too. In fact, sun sleeves might be even better. They protect from UV rays, and keep your arms a bit cooler; but without the messiness of sunblock. Cycle Zydeco rather turns the usual “eat, sleep, ride” on its head. “CZ” is about eat; dance; drink; and ride to the next party. Sounds like fun down on the bayou. 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 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 Chop Chop Chop! June 21, 2026 Electrolyte Season June 19, 2026 Whirlwind June 18, 2026 Here Comes Number One! June 17, 2026 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Monkeying Around

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Monkeying around in the kitchen needn\’t be agonizing. It can be fun! This evening I tried Feelin\’ Your Oats Burgers, from my new cookbook. Naturally I took some liberties with it. The recipe says to use one tablespoon of dried Italian herb blend (thyme, rosemary, and oregano). I didn\’t have any rosemary. I substituted 1-1/2 teaspoons each of oregano and thyme, and 1 teaspoon parsley flakes. The book says to use reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari. I suppose that\’s for the benefit of folks who have high blood pressure, which I don\’t. I used regular soy sauce instead. The recipe also says, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, and I didn\’t have any. I did have some raw peanuts in the freezer. They need to be used somehow! They have the skins on, and I don\’t  think that peanut skins taste very good. After I chopped the peanuts, I put them in my 1-cup measure, and filled it halfway with water. I was able to rub the skins off and skim them out. Then I was finally ready to start cooking. I used a 5-quart pot, and had to fetch my step-up box to stand on, because I\’m so short. The original recipe says to bake the mixture after you cook it on the stove, but it was getting late for that. I spread the stuff into a pan, and when it cooled I portioned it out. I froze most of it for later. I\’m already thinking up a carrot-cake variation: instead of onion and celery, use 3 cups of coarsely grated carrot. Substitute water for the soy sauce, and cinnamon and clove for the Italian herbs. There I go, monkeying around again.

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Spuds?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Spuds? Idaho always sounds like spuds to me. I even made up a (horrible!) joke: “Idaho’d the potatoes, if it hadn’t a rained.” MTB enthusiasts might like to head to the Gem State for the Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route. There are 50 hot springs along this 763.4-mile trail! After a day’s riding a good soak in a hot spring might be just the thing; although you might want to shower first to get off the day’s sweat, sunblock, and dust. And of course, take the temperature of that hot spring first! Central Idaho has beautiful sub-alpine countryside; great trout-fishing streams; and lovely towns. Wildlife is abundant; you might see deer, black bears, and elk. Bird-watchers might spot eagles; ospreys; and more. The route passes close to several designated wilderness areas. If you want to take a side-route to visit any of them, remember that bicycles are not allowed into these areas. Road conditions vary greatly on this route. Some surfaces are paved; others are singletrack. It appears that there’s little or no time when you won’t  be either climbing or descending. I don’t think my legs are ready for that! Be sure to pack enough layers. Nights can be chilly in those mountainous areas. It’s hard to remember that when you’re at hot, humid sea level! Daytimes tend to be warm or even hot. Cell phone reception can be spotty; riding this route solo is much discouraged; and … … well, it might be a terrific route, but it’s not for beginners, I can see. I think I’ll fix some spuds for my supper, and kick back while I just read about it! 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

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Kale-coction

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What\’s kale-coction? A concoction made with kale, of course. Last Sunday I got to work and used up the bunch of kale that had been in my fridge for a week. Cyclists need veggies, after all. Before I could even start with that, I had to clean up the bundle of celery I had bought that morning. At the same time, I had to keep an eye on the pot of brown rice on the stove. Kitchen duty is enough to make anyone dizzy, trying to juggle several things! Especially when stove and sink are on opposite sides of the kitchen. OK, so I finished with the celery. I had washed the kale the day before, so at least that was out of the way. But I still had to chop it all. Chopping kale is a nuisance! It\’s not only ruffly; it\’s rather stiff, and won\’t lie flat. One bunch of kale, chopped, almost fills a 5-quart pot. Then I took a large stalk of celery; chopped the leaves; and thinly sliced the stalk. Add to pot. I had two scallions in the crisper, that I had almost forgotten about. I chopped them for the kale-coction, too. Next came 1/4 sweet onion, chopped; and two cloves of garlic, minced. And, a 28-oz can of tomatoes and one cup of water. I used crushed tomatoes because they were right there; but other kinds will do. I sloshed the water around the tomato can to get more of the tomato out before pouring it into the pot. At last the pot was ready to go on the stove. I put it over medium heat; and stirred constantly as the mixture heated. Especially I folded it up from the bottom of the pot; I didn\’t want it to stick and burn. After about 20 minutes the kale had cooked down so the pot was about half full; and the mixture had become bubbly. I turned the heat down as low as possible; and let it cook about 20 minutes, with the occasional stir. Voluminous though it is when raw, kale cooks down a surprising amount. This made about 6 cups. I froze half, and used half during the week. No need to cook veggies after work. Just heat and serve!  

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Panic?

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I sure does seem like someone hit the panic button. I needed more plastic food-storage containers, and the local Walgreen\’s doesn\’t carry them. This morning I headed for Walmart; I figured they\’d have some. I decided to get my groceries there, too; might as well make one trip of it. It was probably around 8:15 am when I arrived at the store. It was busier than usual for that hour; and I saw many customers wheeling shopping carts that were almost overflowing. I found the containers; and when I saw paring knives with 3-inch blades, I got one. I\’ve been making do with a seven-inch blade for everything! That can get awkward. Oh, well, back to the story. It\’s lucky I didn\’t need to get canned goods. I saw many an empty shelf! Even dried beans were almost gone, which was a disappointment. I had wanted garbanzos, and maybe lentils; never mind that I had several kinds of dried legumes already. Bread was going fast, too. I really wanted sourdough, but didn\’t see any. I got rye bread instead. Luckily I found what fresh produce I was after. It\’s also a good thing that I already had a good supply of what seems to have become scarce: toilet paper. While waiting in line to check out, I was chatting with the customer behind me. She said the store was out of it. In fact, she said the current situation reminded her of just before a hurricane, when people freak out and buy all they can. Unless I wind up having to stay indoors for more than a month, which I suspect is unlikely, I didn\’t really need to buy any more food. But I want to try a variation on a recipe from the ADA Vegetarian Cookbook. I needed sweet potatoes, and scallions. I was out of apples, too, and running low on carrots. So now I\’m all set. No need to panic.      

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Curriculum Vitae?

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Curriculum vitae; or cv; or — coronavirus. Not that \”cv\” is anything to joke about. COVID-19 can be serious for some people. It’s got everybody on the jump. Is it safe to go anywhere at all? Schools are closing right and left. The university campus where I work has instituted online-learning only through the end of the semester. Staff are to continue reporting to work unless notified otherwise. I won’t be surprised, though, if it does come to a shut-down. We\’re taking steps to insure minimal disruption if we have to work from home. What concerns me is, if I were coming down with it, would I even know? My \”curriculum vitae\” for the last 32+ years is chronic fatigue, thanks to a sleep disorder. Tired is normal for me. This time of year I typically feel rather dragged-down anyway. I seem to have some kind of seasonal allergy. Complicating matters is the switch to Daylight time. I’ve been jet-lagged all week. I feel lightheaded? What else is new? My blood pressure runs low. Just yesterday I saw my GYN, and naturally the nurse took my temp. It was 97 degrees. If I were sick and running a fever, my temp might seem “normal”. I know someone who thinks that this coronavirus to-do is more fuss than necessary. I hope she\’s right. Meanwhile I\’ve got the weekend to cook up stuff to eat during next week. What do I have in mind? A variation of Cauliflower Potato Cheddar Mash, from the ADA Vegetarian Cookbook — made with sweet potatoes!

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Reincarnation

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Reincarnation might be another word for recycling. As cyclists who must be mindful of proper hydration, we could go through a lot of plastic water bottles. It\’s a pity to send them all to the landfill, right? Reincarnation is one of the tenets of Buddhism, and one temple in Thailand has come up with a novel way to recycle all that plastic. I had no idea that plastic could be recycled into clothing! It\’s a wonderful idea, though. It reduces pollution; helps keep sea animals from swallowing plastic and then dying from it; it provides the monks with their robes. I hope that this recycling practice spreads to other countries. We can reincarnate our bicycles, too. Some cities have programs that will buy your old bicycle; fix it up if necessary; and sell it to someone who can\’t afford a bike from a regular shop. If you can sew, you can reincarnate old cycling clothing into a quilt! That\’s harking back to the times when wornout clothing sewn into patchwork quilts, or rag rugs. I hope I remember that next time I have to replace a pair of cycling shorts. The catch is, it would take me years to save up enough discarded shorts (and jerseys and jackets) to have enough fabric for a quilt. Meanwhile I\’ll keep on participating in my neighborhood\’s recycling program. I just wish they didn\’t refuse glass jars.  

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South Dakota

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

South Dakota   South Dakota is perhaps best known for Mount Rushmore. That was another of the places we visited on our shoestring-budget road trips when I was a kid. And two of the state’s top road biking rides takes you right to it! From Rapid City it’s a 23-mile route to the famous rock carvings. The mileage itself would be easy enough. But what is the gradient of this ride? You could also take the Iron Mountain Road to Mount Rushmore.  This 17 mile-route includes climbing and so-called “pigtail bridges”. Coteau des Prairie (Hills of the Prairie) Tour at 93.5 miles is almost a century ride, and includes “rolling hills”.  This is a “loop ride”, which means it’s possible to do only parts of it. The scenery along the way would make the effort of climbing worth it. For a ride that lets the whole family participate, including kids, there’s the Sioux Falls Greenway Trail System. It’s many entry/exit points connects to shops, restaurants, and other small parks. If you’re really ambitious, the Burning Bluffs Tour is 130 miles long. Most of it is along paved country roads. At times the gradient is 5-8%; over what distance, it doesn’t say. Be prepared for “spotty” cell phone service. How about Spearfish? These 19 miles along the creek are spectacular during Fall-color season.  There are some beautiful waterfalls; rock-climbing and fishing, too. Badlands sounds like a place you would want to avoid, right? The Badlands Loop is actually quite a popular route. Its 39 miles include 16 scenic overlooks. Just be sure you have a full Camel-Bak, especially on a hot day. The usual precautions apply: wear a helmet. Be sure you have adequate water and food before starting. Ride safely. Most of all, enjoy riding in South Dakota! 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

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Doing Your Research

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Doing your research is an important step after receiving a diagnosis. About month ago I learned that I have pre-diabetes; and I\’ve been scouring Google for articles about diabetes and cycling. Long ago I discovered Team Novo Nordisk. This sports team includes runners and triathletes as well as cyclists. I can\’t imagine how hard it must be to balance the demands of pro-level sports training with managing Type I diabetes. There\’s this article, for example; look at this excerpt: You see, aerobic activity leads to falling blood glucose levels. But if you push into what we call anaerobic activity, blood glucose can actually rise (and very quickly!). When you push into anaerobic level exertion (basically all-out effort, the kind you can’t sustain for more than a few minutes at a time), the liver sends out stored glycogen, which is very potent stuff designed to surge the system with glucose. On top of that, the body sends out stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol to help your system further elevate blood sugar. It does this because your body assumes you’re pushing all-out to get away from danger. The end result can be a reading of 250 when you’re expecting 60!  I hadn\’t thought of that. I\’m not sure whether I need to be concerned about it at this point; first I\’ll see whether cleaning up my diet helps. Besides, I don\’t spend much time doing anaerobic efforts. Apparently doing your research means wading through a lot of material that seems irrelevant to your situation. For example, much of what I\’ve found by googling \”diabetic cyclist\” pertains to Type I diabetes. Not that it isn\’t interesting; and I\’ve no doubt that many people with Type I find it helpful. I only know that I have pre-diabetes; presumably Type II. My doctor told me to work on my diet, and get tested again in August. We\’ll see how it goes.

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