CAL, Author at SpokEasy

Barriers

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Barriers 🚧 Today’s Featured Product! 👏🏻 Thinvik Look Keo New!! Alani Nu Rocky Road For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Aren’t barriers frustrating? 😤 Few things can sour a ride as quickly as a “Road Closed” sign! I ran into one this morning on the way to the salvage store; and I have no idea how long this closure will be in effect. I’m trying to find out; but it’s like the proverbial needle in the haystack. Where’s an electromagnet when I need one? Such barriers are a major obstacle to riding, because I don’t quite dare take to the main road. There’s little or no shoulder; and I can’t ride at 20-25 mph! So I turned and headed for the park. Meds 💊 But I mustn’t forget to take my meds! Another obstacle I met this morning was fatigue and lightheadedness beyond my exertion level. I didn’t know what was up. When I reached the park, I tried eating a One bar; and I ate a GU-Gel. It helped only a little; so I went home early. I grabbed a cola, thinking that some caffeine might help. Then my eye fell on my pill box; and I saw that I’d forgotten to take my meds this morning. One of them is for low blood pressure; so no wonder I felt weird. Incidentally, one of the frustrating aspects of RAGBRAI was hauling along several prescription meds. Those bottles were a big space hog! 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

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Treasure Hunt?

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

Treasure Hunt? 🪎 Today’s Featured Product! 🎺 Lonely Planet Bike France New!! TRUBAR Vegan Key Lime For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I feel sort of like I’ve been on a treasure hunt for the last six months or so. 🤑 Since last December, I’ve been on the lookout for a 2025 penny. The U.S. Mint is stopping production of pennies; and I wanted one, just as a curiosity. Today, I finally got one! Finding a good cycling route — whether for commuting, errands, or fun — might seem like a treasure hunt, too. It depends partly on your location; some cities are much more bikeable than others; and every city has streets that are more heavily traveled than others. We have to scout out such routes! Bargain Hunting 🛍️ Maybe I’ll go bargain hunting tomorrow, depending on the weather. I’m considering hitching up my trailer for a trip to the salvage store. My usual day is Saturday; but this coming Saturday is the Fourth of July; and if the salvage store is open, I’m sure the place will be packed. Besides, when I’m out and about on the Fourth, I’m always concerned about firecrackers. 🧨 Can I be sure the people who set them off will watch where they throw the things? 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

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Scorcher!

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Scorcher! 🍳 Today’s Featured Product! 🔥 INBIKE Cycling Gloves New!! Fast after 50 For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! It’s a scorcher today! Yesterday the forecast predicted a high of 95 degrees for today; and I rode early to beat the heat. I’m glad I did; the heat index was about 93 by 8:00 am. The early start was worth it; because today the moon was in a much better position for viewing than it was yesterday. Sweltering 🥵 By early afternoon it was sweltering — a scorcher! Even though the humidity is a relatively low 56%, I could really feel it. I walked to the grocery store to get a few things; and my cool rag was hardly helping. I’m glad I wasn’t trying to ride my bike in that heat! It would be so easy to overheat; and that’s not good. Maybe I’m not quite back in proper shape yet. Riding in the heat is part of RAGBRAI; and if the last few days are any indication, I’m not up to it. So I’ll wait and see how things are 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 © 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

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Tilted World

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

Tilted World? 🌎 Today’s Featured Product! 🧨 Origin8 Bar Ends New!! Outroad Beach Cruiser Bike For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! It’s easy to say we live in a tilted world. Just looking at the news, it seems to me that everything is getting crazier and crazier. Then there’s tilted world as in the way the Earth tilts on its axis. I thought about that this morning. It’s full-moon time, and I wanted to see the moonlight on the river; so I rode at 5:00 am. It looked very different from last month’s full moon! The moon was gorgeous, but much lower in the sky than it was last month. It wasn’t shining on the river at all! I suppose the seasonal tilt of the planet explains it; but all the same, I was disappointed. Try Again 🔁 I’ll try again tomorrow. The moon should be a little higher in the sky; and there’s a practical reason for an early ride tomorrow. The forecast predicts high of NINETY-FIVE degrees! By 2:00 pm today, the heat index was 101 degrees; and I was surprised that there wasn’t a heat advisory in effect. It makes me glad that I don’t have to go anywhere! But if the rest of the Summer is going to be like this, I’m going to have quite a time keeping cool. 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

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A-Roving

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A-Roving 🚐 Today’s Featured Product! ☄️ Shimano Sora R3000 New!! Quaker Instant Oats For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Sometimes, when I watch videos such as this one, I almost wish I could go a-roving like that. Now and then I get tired of riding the same old path again and again; and taking a different route would be fun. The catch is, I’m a non-driver; and to be honest, I’m not a fan of riding in a vehicle for hours. Even if I could drive, a-roving isn’t simple. I’d still need a home base; and keeping rent payments going while constantly traveling is more than my finances can tolerate. And we haven’t even gotten to the cost of the vehicle I’d need! Homebody 🏡 So I’ll have to remain a homebody. In addition to some kind of van or camper, a-roving means: vehicle registration; vehicle insurance; gasoline; oil changes; and on and on and ON! And it’s not wise to start with a long trip; short jaunts to test my approach and setup are a must. It also seems crazy to drive long distances to ride 100-mile trails; my legs aren’t ready for it yet. If I had to leave town for a hurricane, a vehicle that can carry my bicycles would be convenient. Maybe I could turn an evacuation into a cycling adventure? 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

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Burnout?

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

Burnout? 🔥 Today’s Featured Product! 🎉 Santic Cycling Jersey Women’s New!! VEVOR Large Dog Trailer For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! This isn’t burnout, is it? Some days I simply don’t seem to have the energy for a ride; but that’s not necessarily burnout. This morning I felt tired; and after having totaled some 50 miles over three days, I guess that’s natural. So I did only a very short ride. We need to let ourselves recover, after all. Tomorrow I want to ride to the salvage store, which will give me just short of 11 miles. Then on Sunday, I can push for 20 miles again. I hope I”ll feel fresher then. Turn off the Heater! ♨️ But please, somebody turn off the heater! Before noon today, a heat advisory had been posted; and another one is predicted for tomorrow. No rain is expected before next Tuesday afternoon; so we won’t cool off much. I’m so glad I have a cool rag! After I first got one, I wondered how I had gotten along without it. And I’m glad to have a large hydration pack. I ride with it regularly, so my body stays accustomed to carrying the load; and on a hot day, I need several liters of water with me. So far, my rides aren’t long enough for me to go through three liters of water; but I’d rather have the water and not need it; than need it and be unable to get 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 Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Foreshadow?

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

Foreshadow? 👤 Today’s Featured Product! 🌶️ La Rosarita Spicy Jalapeño New!! MOOITZ Adult Tricycle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I think I got some foreshadow this morning. When I went out to ride about 7:00 am, I saw plenty of clouds that looked like something might happen. I knew that the forecast didn’t predict rain before at least 2:00 pm; so I rode. But my perception of foreshadow was correct. Around 2:00 pm, I began to hear thunder; and about 15 minutes later, I smelled rain. After so many forecasts of rain that didn’t come to much (if anything), it was rather a relief to get a good dowpour! What I Can See 👀 Sometimes it’s fun to ride, just to see what I can see. It isn’t always clouds! Today I saw a big ship; and I was riding just ahead of her for ten miles. Often a ship pulls well ahead of me; and quickly. I saw few or no rabbits this morning; and maybe they were hunkering down ahead of the rain. But last week, the day before we got the tornadoes, I saw more rabbits than usual! So I guess rabbits aren’t the best indication of upcoming weather conditions. We had a break from heat advisories today; but tomorrow’s heat value could reach 105. Here we go again! 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

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Like Quick Oats?

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Like Quick Oats? 🥣 Today’s Featured Product! ⚡️ Incredibell New!! CyberRack E2 Plus For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Today’s ride was sort of like quick oats. I’d push the pace for one minute at a time! Not that I was anything like fast; my top speed was about 12 mph. But at least I did try to push it. I need some (halfway) intense efforts! If I’m going to be like quick oats, though, I’d better get out of that wheat field! I had some problems with the wind today; it was noticeable enough to make riding feel like hard work. Maybe I’m just lazy; and want to take it easy. On the other hand, pushing against a wind is good for developing strength! Wind 🌬️ Why does wind seem so strong when it really isn’t? While I was riding, the wind was 6-7 mph; but all the same, it felt hard to ride against it. And I’ve ridden against stronger breezes than that! It didn’t help much that I had a sidewind; and that can be as bad as a headwind. Tomorrow’s wind should be comparable to today’s; and I’m debating whether to aim for a 20-miler, or do some lazy laps around the park. Maybe I can do a “hybrid ride”, as I did Sunday. Ride out 5 miles on the levee; double back; and go to the park to ride laps. I won’t exactly hurry, though. 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

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Humid or Arid?

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

Humid or Arid? 💦 🌵 Today’s Featured Product! 🥳 Baseball Cap Quick Dry New!! ZUKKA Tandem For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Which is tougher: humid, or arid? Arid can get really bad, as this video shows; especially when arid goes with temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I feel parched merely thinking about it. Humid presents its own set of problems. Overnight low temperatures near 80 degrees, coupled with high humidity, send the heat index soaring. By 1:00 pm today, that heat index was 101 degrees. Your sweat can’t evaporate in humid conditions; so it sits on your skin and makes you feel even hotter. Arid means that perspiration evaporates; but you’ll need to drink even more fluid. Cure-all? 💊 So, is hydration a cure-all? Humid or arid, we can’t afford to ignore it. I know this much, though. Water alone doesn’t cut it, especially in hot weather. Don’t forget the electrolytes! Too much water without electrolytes risks hyponatremia; a condition far worse than bonking. Bonking usually isn’t fatal; hyponatremia can be. I once asked my doctor about using salt tablets during long, hot rides. They said that they don’t recommend salt tablets for people not being treated for low blood sodium. So, humid or arid, I’ll keep using the hydration pack and take along some Propel. 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

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Settled In

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

Settled In 🥵 Today’s Featured Product! 🎉 Ergodyne Chill Cooling Vest New!! Adult All-Terrain MountainTrike For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Summer seems to have settled in; and the season began officially only yesterday! Last week we began to get frequent heat advisories; and it’s rather tempting to contemplate sitting in front of a fan while pedaling a mini-trainer. At least we’re getting a break from the rain; but on the other hand, less cloud cover means more intense sunlight. But Summer has settled in; and as the saying goes, the only way out out is through. Keeping Cool 🪭 I keep coming back to this one — what to do about keeping cool? Ride early in the day, obviously; and don’t forget the cool rag. Remember to hydrate. This reminds me of the Tour de France, where stages don’t begin until late morning. I don’t envy those riders; the heat can reach levels that have me, for one, doing a short, slow ride. Or none at all. It makes me feel like such a weakling! I’m sure not training up for Le Tour; and I’m glad I don’t have to. It’s easy to think of Grand Tour riders as masochists of the first order. But they’ve built up to it for years. Even so, as the climate heats up, would it be better to have Le Tour during a cooler season? 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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Author name: CAL