CAL, Author at SpokEasy - Page 98 of 162

Windows

Windows can be wonderful. They let the daylight in, and they even come into song. These aren\’t quite the words I remember, but I do remember \”go in and out the windows\”. This morning I seemed to be going in and out of weather windows. At about 6:40 am, I heard what I thought was thunder. It wasn\’t close; and I wasn\’t quite sure that I wasn\’t hearing the garbage truck, which comes through on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Several more times in the ensuing hour, I heard distant thunder again. The forecast I checked last night had said, \”partly cloudy\”. So I got ready for a trip to the salvage store. I had already taken the hybrid and the trailer outdoors when I looked up at the sky, and saw a big, dark cloud looming. The wind was starting to blow the way it does when all fury is about to break loose. I carried both items back indoors, and checked the weather site. There was a T-storm advisory posted, so I decided not to go to the store. It rained on and off, but in less than an hour the sun was trying to come out. I went out on the road bike and put in the mileage that I would have gotten by riding to and from the salvage store. It was starting to get pretty hot before I got back home. Then I took the hybrid for a ride to the drug store. When I came back out, there was a big, black cloud in the sky. It looked like it might rain soon, and I was glad to get back home dry. I hope I get another weather window tomorrow morning. Cycle September is still going, and I want to ride!

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Triskaidekaphobia

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Triskaidekaphobia Triska … HUH? Triskaidekaphobia! Fear of the number 13. As if that word weren’t long enough already, fear of FRIDAY the 13th has even longer names: paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia. Today is an unusual Friday the 13th: it coincides with the full moon. I got a beautiful view of that moon while out on my morning ride. I’m glad I did get to see it, because the full moon won’t shine on Friday the 13th for another 30 years. And who knows? Next time it might be cloudy! I don’t let triskaidekaphobia get me down. As usual for Friday the 13th, I wore my Lucky British Black Cat pin to work. Maybe I should have worn it when I went out riding. I did get a bit of bad luck; a freight train was coming, and was too close to the crossing for me to dare trying to beat it. It was a long one, too. I made four or five circuits of the block before the thing finally got past. I’ve been using the hybrid for my morning rides for two days because the road bike was in the shop for a tune-up. Today I got it back. It had needed new brake pads, and I was surprised when they told me that the bike still had the original brake pads. Over 23,000 miles, and I hadn’t ever worn out the brake pads? Oh, well — maybe that’s a good thing. While I was at the shop anyhow, I got Chamois Butt’r. They also carry Her’ Chamois Butt’r; but I prefer the original. Now that I have my “real” bicycle back, I can think about the Sunday long ride. So far it looks like the weather will cooperate!

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Exotica

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Exotica? Is exotica your thing? Do you think that cycling in Europe is too tame? Do you want something more exotic than even Russia’s taiga? Would India fit the bill? Or maybe Mongolia? India is a huge place; and I don’t know what part I’d want to focus on. Maybe not Calcutta. It sounds like the city is not very cyclist-friendly. New Delhi? The Agra Tour? Something more rural? And when to go? The dry season? Here are some pros and cons of doing the opposite, and visiting during the monsoon season. Let’s take a look at Mongolia. It’s a big place, too. How long does it take to ride all the way across? I’ve seen pics of the night sky in Mongolia, blazing with stars. How I would love to see that! “Exotic” locations, to me, conjure up images off-the-beaten-track places; and of bumpy, potholed dirt roads — surfaces that probably aren’t well-suited to road bike tires. Maybe a tour designed especially for a mountain bike? And Skedaddle offers tours for both roadies and MTB riders. Such a tour might be best done on a bicycle that will allow for a rack and panniers. Don’t forget the Camel-Bak! And who knows? Maybe you’ll even get to ride on a camel’s back! How’s that for exotica? 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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Cycling in Germany

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Cycling in Germany Ah, cycling in Germany! “Der Vaterland” would be at or near the top of my list for countries to explore on two wheels. I have a lot of German ancestry (on my mother’s side); so I feel attracted to both the country and its language. To be more specific, my German ancestors were from Bavaria and the Black Forest; so those are the places I’d want to visit. There are numerous bike rides in the Black Forest (der Schwarzwald). If I went cycling in Germany, I would look for one around Baden-Baden, whence one of my four- or five- (maybe even six?-) times great-grandfathers came. Who knows — I might even be able to visit a library or something that would let me track him down! Incidentally, why is it called the BLACK Forest? I’ve heard three different versions of that. One: the forest is largely made up of conifers, which look dark (black) from a distance. Two: the trees grow so thickly that you don’t have to go far inside of the forest for it to be as black as night. Three: conifers naturally give off a dark-looking haze. Which version do you prefer? I think I like the second one best. Bavaria sounds like a beautiful place. Maybe this tour would do? I wouldn’t mind visiting Munich; although I think I’ll skip the beer. And there’s a lot more of Germany. Meanwhile, I need to get back to beefing up my knowledge of the language. Sprechen Sie Deutsch? 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 2024 January 1, 2024 Out with a Bang December 31, 2023 Seven-Up December 30, 2023 Feeling Sheepish? December 29, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Isn\’t It High Time?

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Isn\’t it high time I attempted another century? I have four under my belt: the one on the tricycle; two on the hybrid; and one on the road bike. That last was in July 2013, and part of me feels that it’s about time I did another century. Why I feel that way, I\’m not sure. I’m afraid it would be a bit like this YouTube. I\’m certainly not adequately trained to ride a century this coming weekend! One web site I\’ve read had the author mentioning having known riders who completed a century ride \”with no miles in their legs\”, but that taking such an approach might mean that you\’d be only too ready to get rid of your bicycle upon finishing the ride. Not that I haven’t been riding, but my Sunday “long” rides haven’t been that long lately! It’s been very hot, and I’m not sure how wise it would be to push for 50 miles and more when the heat index will be over 100 degrees before I can finish. So, how soon could I be ready to get out there and knock out 100 miles? Some advice says, you can ride double your usual weekly long ride; some says you can do triple. Whichever it is, I\’d want to wait until the weather cools off, but not until it\’s cold. Could I be ready by late October? I really don\’t know. I did my century rides because I wanted to see whether I could; and, like the Little Engine, I could! Maybe that\’s why I\’ve never done another one — yet. But maybe some day? You might say that it\’s high time.

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More Help from Ballet

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More Help from Ballet Here’s more help from ballet! What do you do about blisters? So far I’ve been lucky where blisters are concerned, but I’ve no doubt that they can happen to cyclists. Check out this at about 3:36 minutes. I never would have thought of using Orajel for blisters! Another link between seemingly unrelated bicycling and ballet. Even if a blister is getting a lot of pressure on it, I’m not sure I’d want to try the “hack” shown here at about 5:30 minutes. Toe shoes, by all accounts, wear out quickly. We want our cycling shoes to last longer, and I don’t think putting a hole in one would help with that. But it’s something to consider if a blister is really bad. Maybe keep an old pair of shoes on hand for such an emergency? Tight hip muscles bothering you? This video at about 7:00 demonstrates using atennis ball to roll out those muscles. I’m sure it doesn’t feel so great; a foam roller against tight muscles doesn’t! But it could come in handy if, for example, you travel to a race or other event, and don’t have room to pack a foam roller. So there you are: three more things crossing over from ballet to cycling. Maybe I’ll find more help from ballet later! If so, I’m sure to blog about it. I’ve got to keep on my toes, you know.

Cycling in the Netherlands

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Cycling in the Netherlands 💐 If you go cycling in the Netherlands, maybe you’ll see the famous cow in the canal. I know I was read the book about the cow in the canal as a young child; I wasn’t reading by myself yet. For some reason, the only thing I remember about the book is an illustration that showed some kind of outdoor market; and a table piled with what looked like grapefruits (my mother said they were cheeses) was falling over. Should you get to cycle through the country, I hope your memories of the trip aren’t as peculiar as that one of mine! Maybe this tour of the Netherlands/Belgium would do? Pancake-flat, as I’ve said umpteen times, would certainly suit me. So would visiting chocolatiers. How I love chocolate! Cycling is a big thing in Amsterdam, and a tour of the city might give me the chance to visit the Anne Frank House. That would be most interesting. Incidentally, they say that many riders in Amsterdam don’t use helmets. That makes me shudder; but it’s their heads, not mine. Rotterdam? A former supervisor of mine at work grew up there, I believe. I know she was from the Netherlands. What is it like to ride a bicycle there? Using lights and bell sounds like plain old common sense to me. It sounds like the Netherlands in general are rainy. Don’t forget the poncho! Oh, and while cycling in the Netherlands, be sure you don’t fall into the canal! 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 Elementor #226588 March 13, 2026 More Like March March 12, 2026 Nature Abhors a Calendar March 11, 2026 Quaking in My Boots March 9, 2026 Load More TRANSLATOR

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An Odd Mix

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

An Odd Mix ?? Well, what an odd mix! Ballet and bicycling would seem to be worlds apart, don’t you think? In fact, I doubt that they’d mix well — cycling tends to cause the hamstrings to shorten and tighten, which would wreak havoc on your extension should you want to try ballet. But the ballet and bicycling worlds aren’t quite completely exclusive of each other. Check out this YouTube at about 8:43 minutes. If you use orthotics in your cycling shoes, you might have noticed that it can seem tricky to insert said orthotics into the shoes. After I watched that YouTube, I began to use the orthotic as the “foot”, and the cycling shoe as the “toe shoe”. Following the method demonstrated by Ms. Morgan, I found that it seems to work a little better when I put in my orthotics. I’ve also developed the habit of putting on my shoes by the same way. If I were to be fitted for toe shoes, though, I think my foot would be tricky to work with. Wide across the base of the toes. Narrow heel. High arch. Bone spurs in both pinky toes. Bunions in both big toes; and I’ve had surgery for the bunion/bone spurs on the left foot! I wonder, do pro cyclists need to take as much care for fitting their cycling shoes? And would they think bicycling and ballet were an odd mix?

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NOT AGAIN

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Not again! My road bike\’s front derailer drives me crazy. Sometimes, when I try to shift to the big ring, the chain gets dropped. It happened yet again this morning. Fortunately it\’s easy enough to get that chain back onto the small ring, but every time I need to do it I think I\’ve put too much lube on the chain. My hands get black with grease. I keep some shop towels (cut in four) in my saddle pack for when this crops up. Otherwise it was a pretty good ride, if rather slow. I didn\’t try to hurry. In fact, my need to stop a few extra times on the return leg of my Sunday rides makes me wonder whether I\’m really ready for distances over 25 miles. But hey! Cycle September is on! I want to get in all the mileage I can, to help my team. I\’m a mileage hog, anyhow. This morning I tried a new flavor of Clif Bloks: Tropical Punch. They\’re OK, but I like Mountain Berry better. As usual, I brought along a cut-up Clif Bar. Uh-oh. All this talk about food is making me hungry. Hungry? Not again?! Time for lunch!

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Pie in the Sky?

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Pie in the sky? I never heard of that constellation! But don\’t we all have our pie in the sky cycling dreams? I\’ve thought before now that I\’d like to tackle RAGBRAI some day. Now it sound more marvelous than ever! I\’ll skip the punctures, though, whether during RAGBRAI or on the way there! Or, for that matter, on the way home. Tire liners would be useless against a nail like that one. Oh, what would I need to do to ride RAGBRAI? Or, as I\’ve nicknamed it, RAG-PIE? Start training up right now, for sure. Murphy\’s Law states that Everything takes longer than you think, so I\’d need to allow several years to prepare! Something that I can start now is pushing the pace more on weekday morning rides so that I can get in more miles; and I need to work towards extending my Sunday long rides to 60 miles. RABGRAI averages about 67 miles per day, for seven days. If I can ride 60 miles in 5-6 hours, I can do 67 in a day. It\’s doing it daily for a whole week that makes me say, wait a minute, am I ready for this? It sounds like RAGBRAI can get very hot, so more riding in the hottest part of the day would be in order. Maybe I should start doing an additional short ride after work once or twice a week? It would be a start. At least is sounds as though I wouldn\’t need a touring bike. Having to buy one would, of course, add to the expense of such a trip. Especially as a first-time participant, I don\’t think I\’d want to have to pedal a loaded bicycle every day. Even if somebody else transports it for me, however, I\’ll need to learn how to set up a tent. A tent needs a groundcloth under it. And a sleeping bag for inside! And there\’s getting to Iowa in the first place, and then back home after the ride. If I can\’t get a ride up there with someone who doesn\’t mind my being a non-driver, maybe Amtrak? All that is supposing my name were drawn in the RAGBRAI lottery! What pie-in-the-sky dreams I have!

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Author name: CAL