SpokEasy

SpokEasy

Author name: CAL

Biking Bangladesh

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Biking Bangladesh Biking Bangladesh is something that I never thought of. Cycling is, however, quite popular among the people of this Asian nation. The Bangladesh Eco Adventure is suited to all ages. It lasts eight days and seven nights; and lets you see natural and cultural sites.  There are many other cycling routes to choose from. Most are flat or downhill; and that would suit me just fine! So far, I’ve never become much of a climber! The Trimohoni route looks good for a short, casual ride. At less than 10 miles long, it might serve as a warm-up to a longer route! The Chattogram to Dhaka spans 152+ miles; and is well suited to a city bike. Or, since this route is paved, would a road bike do as well? The climate of Bangladesh is warm and humid. Sounds just like home! December through February are the drier months; so it may be a good idea to cycle Bangladesh during that season. Of course, be mindful of local customs and courtesies. Pay attention to safety advice when planning your trip. Aside from bicycle touring, Bangladesh has a lot of natural beauty to offer: rivers; tropical rain forests; and a beach. Something for everyone! 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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Vietnam

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Vietnam 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.” “This is a paid link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.” Vietnam might not be the first country that springs to mind when bicycle touring abroad is mentioned. In fact, the nation’s very name has unfortunate connotations for some of us. Vietnam, however, can be a wonderful place for a bicycle tour. Of course there are some downsides, as is true of anywhere; but the people are said to be very friendly, and in general things aren’t very expensive. Vietnam also seems to have a reputation for being safe for tourists, which is more than can be said for many places. What is there to see there? If beaches are your thing, perhaps you’ll want to head for Phu Quoc island. There are Buddhist temples. See the rice paddies. Only about one-fifth of the country is flat. The rest of the country is densely forested highlands, or hills, or tropical lowlands. The climate is part temperate; part tropical; and the monsoons must be taken into account. The humidity tends to be high. Spring and Fall are said to be the best times to visit. If you do go there during the rainy season, be sure to take along a poncho. In fact, if Vietnam is anything like New Orleans, it can rain at any time; so remember Gene Kelly!

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streetstrider blue elliptical

StreetStrider

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StreetStrider is a word I hadn\’t heard. At a recent visit to the dentist, his assistant was talking about it, although she couldn\’t remember its name. (Image from www.amazon.com) It amounts to a mobile elliptical trainer. I\’ve seen people using these, and making considerable speed. It must take a while to figure out how to coordinate working those \”ski poles\” with \”running\”. This machine gives a full-body workout, yet is easy on the joints. If I had one, it might be an acceptable alternative to my usual off-bike work; exercises that I do to improve my core and arms/upper body. As usual, however: WHERE would I keep it? Despite the name of this machine, I\’m not at all sure I\’d want to use it in the street. From what I\’ve seen, riding the StreetStrider involves considerable swaying back and forth; not what you\’d want if there were motor traffic at your elbow. I suspect that maintaining a straight line on the StreetStrider requires a lot of core strength. I\’d probably need to develop a lot more of that. Do not, of course, forget your helmet. This machine looks quite stable with its three wheels, but I\’d still want head protection, just in case.

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onion garlic cook

Stand-Ins

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Stand-ins aren’t necessarily inferior. Chicken Tikka Masala, from The Feed Zone Cookbook,  is a favorite of mine. But do I make it exactly as the recipe says? Not at all. I use some stand-ins! First, I don’t bother with the two pounds of chicken breasts.  I don’t like handling raw poultry. My stand-in is a 12-oz package of fully-cooked chicken sausages. One of the ingredients is a cup of tomato sauce. If I don’t have any, one possible stand-in is a cup of chopped canned tomatoes with the juice. Another time I when found I that had no tomato sauce, I used a cup of condensed tomato soup. Curry powder is another ingredient. What can I do if I want to make Chicken Tikka Masala, and don’t have curry powder? I could check “curry powder” online, to see what spice blend it is; then see which of those spices I have at home. As to onions, no type is specified. I’ve tried red onions; sweet Vidalia onions; yellow-skin onions; and scallions. I like red onions best. Scallions are very strong so next time I use them I’ll reduce the amount by half. Sometimes I add some minced garlic, even though the recipe doesn’t mention garlic. For a vegetarian version, skip the chicken and use several cups  of cooked legumes: garbonzos, black beans, etc. The way I make this recipe, I end up with extra sauce. No problem. I put some of it aside for other uses. It’s good over toast; pasta; rice; or potatoes. I’ve even tried it as a salad dressing, and it wasn’t bad. The bottom line is, don’t be afraid to experiment with recipes. You might even come up with your own recipe that becomes a favorite!

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Another Kind of Training?

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Another Kind of Training is what I call it when my route is blocked by, well, a train. It has me grumbling about \”I-hate-trains\”. On the way home from the salvage store, my usual crossing was blocked by a train that was simply sitting there. If only it had moved forward by the length of six cars, the crossing would have been clear. There was no telling when the train might start moving again, and I had some things that needed to be gotten into the fridge. On top of that, the breeze was chilly, and I didn\’t want to stand around in it. I was forced to take a detour to get home. At least I can be glad it wasn\’t raining. But I did get to the salvage store. I didn\’t use the trailer this time; my legs aren\’t ready for it quite yet. I still got a decent haul using the trunk and panniers. Of course I hit the store\’s make-your-own-grab-bag bins. I managed to fit 38 items into a large bag. All those snacks for five bucks! That boils down to a little over 13 cents per item, and some of them normally cost $1.29 or more. The store\’s lack of produce didn\’t matter this time; I still have bananas and carrots and apples from last week\’s trip to a regular supermarket. I found some things that I hope will make good ride food. I\’m so glad I found that store. But it sure wasn\’t fun riding home against the wind! I ought to think of it as another kind of training.

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Setbacks

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Setbacks are something we normally see as negative. After months of working so hard to improve, our progress suddenly stalls. At that point, training even harder might be instinctive; but counterproductive. We even seem to regress, and it\’s very frustrating. Maybe we have to learn to accept setbacks? Sometimes we have to back off for a while; even take some time off. I, for one, don\’t like to lose ride time. My legs love to move! But at least I\’m not in training for important competitive events, so losing a little conditioning wouldn\’t be a disaster. Turning the clocks back an hour when Daylight Saving ends is one setback that I welcome. Yes, it means that it gets dark earlier, but I prefer that to the start of Daylight Saving time in the Spring. It stays light too late for me! It looks earlier than it is, making it difficult for me to start getting ready for bed on time. Losing that hour makes me feel jet-lagged for at least a few days, and who needs that? In addition, Daylight Time begins just when it\’s starting to look like morning at 6 am. Then it goes back to being still dark when I get back from my jaunt on the road bike. So I\’m looking forward to setting those clocks back tomorrow night.  

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Bike the Florida Keys

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Bike the Florida Keys Bike the Florida Keys! Combine your love for cycling with your love for the water and the outdoors! Senior Cycling offers a number of bicycle tours. They sound like fun; but there’s one big precaution. Be sure there isn’t a hurricane prowling around! That could wreck your ride in a hurry. Distance-wise, the tours seem easy; and the terrain is mostly flat. I think I’d like to bike the Florida Keys!  I suppose these tours are held in January to minimize the chances that a hurricane will interfere with them. In addition, holding such a tour in Summer would very likely present a serious chance that riders will suffer from heat-related illnesses. These tours are aimed at older riders, after all, who may be suffering from chronic conditions as diabetes. SAG support is included, which might mean that bottles of water will be available. Even so, I would be sure to bring my Camel-Bak. Then I could be more sure that I wouldn’t run out of water. The description of Bike the Florida Keys doesn’t seem to say anything about wind conditions. I checked Google, and it says that the wind in the Keys is usually “calm”; maybe a bit over 9 mph. That’s not exactly my idea of calm, but all the same it’s not bad. This is yet another “maybe someday” ride. If I ever get to bike the Florida Keys, let’s hope I don’t get so keyed up with excitement that I crash. 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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SPOOK-Easy

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SPOOK-Easy SPOOK-Easy is today’s twist on SpokEasy! Yes, it’s Hallowe’en again! I used to love going trick-or-treating on Hallowe’en  when I was a kid. It was fun seeing the different kinds of candy than landed in our treat bags. There was some kind of peanut butter-flavored taffy, and squares of taffy called, if you can believe it, Banana Bikes. And sometimes fun-size candy bars! Those were considered something special. We lived in a small, somewhat isolated neighborhood, with only two streets. As we kids got older, we would cover more and more territory until we were hitting all the houses on both streets. A couple of years after that, we outgrew trick-or-treat. I remember some of the costumes I had over the years. When I was eight, I wanted to be a penguin, of all things! The neighbors down at the end of the block always had a “witches’ cauldron”; a lump of dry ice in a bucket of water. They would also hang lengths of thread from the ceiling of the porch over the front door, so they’d feel like spider webs brushing against our faces. As always, ride safe, and go SPOOK-Easy! Be sure those spooks don’t get into your spokes!

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Gambling

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I\’m gambling? Why don\’t I head for the nearest casino if I want to play \”games of chance\”? Well, weather is a gamble, isn\’t it? Early today it wasn\’t raining. After checking the forecast last night, I expected it would be storming. I went for a spin on the road bike, but rode in the park and kept it short. I wanted to be fairly close to home in case the weather did turn nasty. That gamble paid off; but just after I got back home, the power went out. I was going to write a Facebook post, but my laptop told me I wasn\’t connected the Internet. Maybe because I didn\’t have \”juice\”? By the time the electricity was back on, it was time for me to leave for work. Despite the rain risk later in the day, I rode the hybrid to work. I was getting tired of not riding to work! In this case, gambling didn\’t turn out so well. When I left work, there was a light rain. I donned the poncho and went out to my bicycle. Before I could get ready to start home the rain got heavier. For almost a mile it was pouring. There must have been a heavy rain band right over me. Then, quite suddenly, the rain was much lighter. I\’m glad there was little lightning, and I didn\’t get caught by a train. Now it\’s 7:45 pm, and raining on and off. Yet more rain is expected tonight and tomorrow. Maybe I\’ll walk to work, but that might mean wading through some deep puddles. Walk or ride? Either way it\’s a gamble.

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How Things Have Changed

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How things have changed in the realm of ladies\’ cycling attire. At one time, the idea of lycra as cycling wear for ladies was unthinkable. A woman who did entertain any such notion would have been considered most improper.  Even if she were so proper as to put Queen Victoria to shame, she would have been ashamed of her thoughts. She wouldn\’t have dared to dream of it! Ladies in those days, if they rode at all, were expected to ride bicycles in their everyday clothing.  Can you imagine having to ride a bicycle while wearing skirts down to the ground? Things sure have changed since then! The cycling attire enjoyed by women today would have been longed for by a female cycling enthusiast of those times: clothing that is comfortable; breathes; allows unhindered movement; and isn\’t suffocating on a hot day. Clothing that\’s easy to wash, dries quickly (OK, that depends on whether you live in an arid or a humid climate) and doesn\’t require ironing! Except possibly for a few places, such as in churches, a lady in cycling kit would hardly cause a raised eyebrow in our day.  So let\’s enjoy our freedom, and wear our lycra at will!    

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