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Author name: CAL

Cycling enthusiast; classical music lover; experimenter in the kitchen!

No Fog!

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No Fog! ☀️ 😎 Today’s Featured Product!   Montasen Kids Bike New!!   Clif Nut Butter Variety For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! It was so nice to have no fog this morning. That’s a good reason to delay my ride until about 8:00 am; but maybe I don’t quite remember last night’s forecast accurately. I thought it predicted fog; but if there was any, it had burned off by the time I went out. I just checked the outlook for tomorrow; and  that forecast does, indeed, say patchy, dense fog. Maybe a T-storm, too. I put in a 20-miler today in case weather conditions prohibit my riding tomorrow. But no; I wasn’t doing yoga as the sun rose. I wasn’t up that early! Summer?? ♨️ Is it Summer already? I find myself asking that question every year, when the temperatures reach 80 (or beyond!) in March. Although I don’t even have my new road bike yet, notions of a century ride are nudging at my brain. I’m not sure why; maybe I want some compensation for missing out on RAGBRAI this year.  Training up for a 100-mile day, however, takes several months. I don’t think it’s wise to tackle a century ride in July — I remember the one century I did on the old road bike, and I’d rather not repeat the experience. I think I’ll extend some rides to 21-22 miles next week, though. I need to start building up some more. But even with no fog, I nearly always have a headwind on the way home. 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Taxing Day

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Taxing Day 😬 Today’s Featured Product! WANGLY Polarized Lenses New!! AVASTA Govet For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! A taxing day doesn’t always mean a grueling ride — the kind of ride where it’s hard to feel any joy. It’s always a taxing day when I go to get my income taxes done. Thank goodness it’s only once a year; and that’s quite often enough for me! Now it’s out of the way; and I can focus on other things. I’m debating whether to go for a ride. It’s 80 degrees out there, and maybe the heat is why the March Hare hasn’t shown itself. And all too soon, it won’t get below 80 degrees all night long! Walking 🚶🏻‍➡️ I haven’t been out on the bike as of 1:30 pm, but I did get in some walking today; I estimate about 3 miles. My Hoka shoes, I notice, are getting rather battered. They’ll hold up for quite some time yet; but shoes don’t last forever. I see that there’s a chance of rain and T-storms Friday. A rainy ride sure makes for a taxing day; especially if I start to hear thunder. Then I get really nervous! 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Where’s the March Hare?

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Where’s the March Hare? 🐇 Today’s Featured Product! Ultimate Ride New!! FanVince Winter Gloves For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Well, where’s the March hare? It’s been quite a while since I last saw a rabbit during my rides; and I wonder whether they migrated to someplace else. Or did something catch them all? Perhaps the grass isn’t amazing enough for them? Maybe I’ll see some rabbits one of these days. In the meantime, I’ll just keep pedaling —  and keep an eye on the weather. Afternoon temperatures are creeping up towards 80 degrees! This is March; not May! Double Duty ‼️ While wondering, Where’s the March Hare, I was busy with the ride. In fact, I did double duty today. As a rule, I don’t include hard efforts in a 20-mile ride; but today I did. In part, that was because I’m not sure how much riding I can get in tomorrow — I have to go get my taxes done. 🫤 My legs sure were tired by the end. After a double-duty ride today, I’ll ride easy tomorrow; but I won’t be able to get out until afternoon. At least the fog ought to be gone by then. By Friday, there’s a chance of T-storms; so I might not be able to ride. Here I go again with wait and see!  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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Slightly Pink

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Slightly Pink 🌸 Today’s Featured Product! CyclingDeal Unisex Bike Sandals New!! Dynacraft Magna Throttle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store!   I notice that I often finish my rides slightly pink, as my sister puts it. This, despite my using sunblock; and no, I’m not trying to match the Mr. Pork Chop bus. This slightly pink look seems to fade away by the following day; so maybe it’s wind exposure? The main thing is that I don’t actually get sunburned. I look for sunblock with an SPF rating of 50; and when I’m riding, I keep an eye on the time if I’ll be going farther than 10 miles. All the sunblocks I’ve used say, reapply every 80 minutes. When I take a day off from riding, it not only lets my legs rest; it gives my skin a break from all that sunblock! I think I need that, too.   Day Off 😴 A day off from riding lets my muscles recuperate; not that I push them terribly hard. It makes me wonder at times how badly I really want to get faster. I still don’t have my new road bike; but I hope to get one soon. My body will forget how to manage a road bike if I wait too long! Today I’m taking a day off from riding; and the forecast for tomorrow includes — again! — fog. UV rays can, indeed, penetrate the mist; and I’d rather avoid getting slightly pink, never mind red. So on goes the sunblocfk! 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Lamb?

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Lamb? 🌿 Today’s Featured Product! Foxelli LED Headlamp New!! Suertree Photochromatic Cycling Glasses For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! March seems like a lamb today; but will it last? It looks like these balmy conditions will hang around all week; but it’s too soon for hot weather! I put in a 20-miler this morning; and was treated to the hilarious sight of a bald eagle being chased through the air by a crow! One of the things I like about long rides is the interesting things I get to see. I didn’t go out today until about eight o’clock; and thank goodness it wasn’t foggy today! Yesterday morning the fog was a fright. There isn’t any fog in the forecast for at least a few days; so I can look forward to clear rides. Clear Rides ☀️ I like clear rides: no fog; and no rain.  That’s for cool weather, though. As conditions heat up, I’ll be glad of some overcast. A cloudy sky can make the temperature a few degrees cooler; and it also keeps the sun out of my eyes. Naturally I’m wondering whether March will go out like a lion. It’s come in like a lamb; so if the old saying is true, March should go out a-roaring. But I hope it doesn’t! 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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A Pizza the Action?

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A Pizza the Action? 🍕 Today’s Featured Product! La Sierra Refried Black Beans New!! Mission Cooling Helmet Liner For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I guess I want “a pizza the action”, as the saying goes. But I’ll stop short of mounting a bucking bronco! This past week I’ve done shorter rides most days; they say, don’t pile on more and more miles with no break. That’s the path to exhaustion; possible overuse injuries; and maybe even (oh, horrors!) getting sick and tired of cycling. I got a pizza the action by riding to the salvage store; and was it foggy out there! It’s supposed to be clear tomorrow; so I’ll be better able to see where I’m riding.  See 👀 It was rather hard to see this morning, even though I had used anti-fog wipes on my lenses. They still got wet; and that’s annoying. My glasses also have a most aggravating way of slipping down my nose! The fog still wasn’t all gone when I was riding back home from the store. Fog can be quite persistent; but finally the sun burned off the mist. Then it got quite warm; almost hot. Seventy-five degrees; and it’s still February! Soon I won’t be able to get a pizza the action without getting very heated up. Then it will probably stay hot until November! 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Solar Panel?

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Solar Panel? ☀️ Today’s Featured Product Cyclon Single Speed Square-Taper Crankset New!! Women’s Multi Air Flex II  For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Am I a solar panel? It felt rather like it today. Sometimes I need sunlight to generate my energy. This morning the weather was gray and rainy; and it made me feel tired and unenergetic. My brain was in low gear, too.  About mid-day the sky finally began to clear; but I still didn’t feel like going out. After a while, however, I decided I needed some exercise; so I went for a ride. There was some wind, but it didn’t seem as strong as yesterday. Or am I actually getting stronger? Maybe I’m a solar panel that powers my bicycle? Afternoons are getting warmer; and Spring is nearly a month away. Are we in for a brutal Summer? I’d better dig out my cooling rag! Once I began using it, I wondered how I got along without it! Spring? 🌷 🌸 Our groundhog predicted six more weeks of Winter. So why does it feel like Spring? This seems to happen every year. Or does Winter have another trick up its sleeve? It’s not too late for it to happen. Spring means abandoning leg warmers; and using more sunblock. I have mixed feelings about that. There will be one fewer items (well, two fewer; leg warmers come in pairs!) in the laundry; but washing off sunblock is a nuisance. Warmer weather at least means I worry less about layering. But it’s too early to wash my cycling jackets and put them away. Suppose the groundhog was right, after all; and we get another cold snap?

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Wind Again!

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Wind Again! 💨  Today’s Featured Product! Tough Headwear Cycling Cap New!! Aik Cheong Cappuchino For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! We’ve got wind again today. It’s blowing from the South, too; and that’s likely bringing in Gulf moisture. Tomorrow we might get showers and even T-storms. It doesn’t look so good for riding, if I don’t feel like getting wet. Having wind again today was most annoying! If anything, it felt stronger than yesterday’s wind; and I managed only two laps around the local park. I got tired of battling it and went home. I didn’t try any hard efforts; having a headwind was  enough. But next time I ride I’ll try a few. Hard Efforts 😬 Hard efforts aren’t the most fun thing about cycling. If you want to develop your pace, though; or improve your climbing skills; hard efforts are a must.  Climbing skills are important for RAGBRAI. I did the ride last year; and even though the 2025 route was fairly flat, there were hills to contend with. I kept having mechanical issues with my bike, which was no help. This year’s route will involve more climbing than last year’s; and I’m far from sure I can regain enough fitness by July to attempt RAGBRAI this year. But maybe next year!   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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Keep Me Guessing

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Keep Me Guessing 🤔 Today’s Featured Product! Look Cycle KEO New!! Schrader Bike Tire Liner For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! The weather seems determined to keep me guessing. Certainly the wind does! Last night the forecast showed winds of 6-8 mph early today; and winds considerably stronger by mid-morning. I went out on the hybrid shortly before 7:00 am, hoping to beat the strong wind home. It felt like I hadn’t! Or am I just a weakling? Much of the time I seemed to have a headwind; and I had to do a lot of low-gear spinning. Maybe I  had a sidewind that only felt like a headwind! But an hour or so after I got back home, I went out (on foot) to do an errand; and the wind was definitely stronger than while I was riding. What would Robert Louis Stevenson have thought? Sidewind 💨 A sidewind can be even trickier than a headwind; especially if it’s unpredictably gusty. It wants to keep me guessing; I never know when I’ll get pushed to the side. Then I veer all over the bike path! Tomorrow I’d better get in some miles, because Friday there’s a 50% chance of rain; and even T-storms. I guess it’s the time of year for unsettled weather. But the weather keeps us all guessing! 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Yesterday Was Cold?

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Yesterday Was Cold? ☃️ Today’s Featured Product!   Spinervals New!! HiVisible Reflective Bands For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Did I think yesterday was cold? Not so fast. Last night it got colder than yesterday was! At least the wind is far less; but even so, I waited until late morning to ride. It still felt chilly, though. Today I rode leisurely for about 12 minutes; then began working to push the pace: 2.5 minutes hard + 1.5 minutes easy. With that odd timing, it was hard to keep track of what I was doing! The weather was clear; and if yesterday was cold, tomorrow will be almost hot: up to 75 degrees! The wind will strengthen again, too. I was considering putting in a 20-miler tomorrow; but I’d better do it early. Do It Early 🌅 The wind tomorrow will probably start to strengthen by mid-morning; so if I want to ride long — well, 20 miles, anyway — and beat that wind home, I need to do it early. I’ll work on maintaining a steady pace. It’s better not to do intense work every day. For a longer ride, I use the Camel-Bak; and take along electrolyte drink. In fact, I could have used some electrolyte drink today.  It’s hard to determine hydration needs when the weather is so changeable. Yesterday was cold; tomorrow will be warm; and today it’s in between. So what to do?   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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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