SpokEasy

SpokEasy

Author name: CAL

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

Head Start

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Outdoors /

Head Start ? I’ve gotten a head start on Christmas 2025; and I do mean I jumped the gun big time. Today I bought greeting cards for next year! They would have cost less if I had waited to buy them until December 26; but I figured there wouldn’t be much left by then. And now that I have the cards, I don’t need to worry about finding them in the stores when Christmas rolls around next year. It’s often good to get a head start on things. It sure beats frenzied, last-minute preparations! Especially for major undertakings, when a snowball effect is common. You know how each additional thing that you think of, makes you think of at least one further thing!  Like a helmet cover to add to your rain gear. Sometimes I wish I  had one; but then I remember, I use a helmet-mounted headlight. I’m afraid the heat of the light would melt the helmet cover! Winding up the Year ? It’s time to be winding up the year. I’ve recorded my rides regularly, as I’ve done almost since the very start. With only 12 more days left of 2024, I’ll want to get in some good miles. It won’t give me a head start on 2025, though. How about tomorrow? I’m thinking of using the hybrid to ride laps around the park, so I can make a trip to Whole Foods. Might as well kill two birds with one stone, as they say, and do my ride on a bicycle that lets me carry loads. If I do a ride on the road bike first, I might get home and then decide to stay put! There’s a chance of rain and even T-storms on Christmas Day! I hope that doesn’t persist too long. I don’t want to be winding up the year with a dismal mileage showing. 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 ✍? Head Start December 19, 2024 Spares December 18, 2024 Mistical Mornings? December 17, 2024 Spring in December? December 16, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Head Start Read More »

Spares

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Personal Care /

Spares ? Spares have an important role to play. What happens when you’re on a long ride; and a tire goes flat? Or your bike falls, and the rear derailer hanger takes the brunt? My road bike’s rear derailer hanger seems to be a very vulnerable part! So it wise to keep spares on hand. An under saddle pack lets you carry a spare tube and tools for changing a flat; and has room for a tube of sunblock plus a snack or two. And I now carry a replcement rear derailer with me. As my road bike is over eleven years old, it’s getting harder to find parts for it. Spare Tire? ? A spare tire for a bicycle or a car is fine; and I use tough Gatorskin tires for my road bike to reduce the risk of flats. But a “spare tire” around the belt line is something nobody wants. I don’t mean to be insulting to anyone who’s carrying around excess weight; that’s no laughing matter. It’s possible to shed the extra pounds by cycling; and  Ride Your Way Lean tells how to go about it. Several weight loss plans are included, from a program for losing up to 50 pounds or more; to one that helps you lose 15-35 pounds; and “Shed the stubborn spare tire”, for losing 5-15 pounds. This title is also available in Spanish. I’m not really following any of these plans; but I’m counting the calories, and watching carbs and saturated fat. And continuing to ride, of course. I’m not as lean as I would like to be; but riding can do a lot to prevent the build-up of that spare tire! 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 ✍? Spares December 18, 2024 Mistical Mornings? December 17, 2024 Spring in December? December 16, 2024 What Fog? December 15, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Spares Read More »

Mistical Mornings?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

MISTical Mornings? ?️ We’ve been getting mistical mornings, you could say. Two days ago, I was wondering where the fog was; but yesterday there was a little more mist; and today yet more. There’s another dense fog advisory in effect; and tomorrow’s forecast shows fog until mid-morning. It will be cool enough for leg warmers and a lightweight jacket; and I’ll want my skull cap, too. With a mistical morning predicted, I’m glad I can wait until a little later to ride. Going out at 5 am in dense fog is a bit of a nail-biter!   Get Seasonal! ?️ Sometimes I feel like telling the weather to get seasonal; and I might soon get my wish. Tomorrow night it’s supposed to start getting cooler; and that will mean switching to full-fingered gloves.  That makes on-bike eating rather awkward; and I wonder how things would go if I were wearing heated gloves! Many of the protein bars I use have chocolate coating; would heated gloves melt that coating before I could get a bite to my mouth? During a ride on a mistical morning, I don’t see as much; and I remember one VERY foggy morning, years ago, when it was still dark as well as very foggy. I was riding on top of the levee; and couldn’t even see the trees on the riverbank! 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 ✍? Mistical Mornings? December 17, 2024 Spring in December? December 16, 2024 What Fog? December 15, 2024 Doesn’t Look Good December 14, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Mistical Mornings? Read More »

Spring in December?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Spring in December? ? We seem to be getting Spring in December. It got up to the mid-70s today! I bet I’d appreciate it if I were still working; and commuting by bicycle. It’s a big nuisance to have to bundle up for the ride to work; find a way to stow all those layers once you get to work; then re-dress when it’s time to go home. But Spring in December isn’t natural, even for New Orleans. I hope these unusually warm temperatures aren’t a harbinger of severe weather to come. After all, there was a time when unseasonably warm weather was called a “weather breeder“! For all I know, that bit of wisdom was spot on. Enjoy It While I Can ?? Whether this weather is natural or not, I might as well enjoy it while I can. When it’s warmer, my nose doesn’t run nearly as much; and my hands and feet don’t get cold. Riding against the wind is more tiring on cold days; and full-fingered gloves make on-bike eating awkward. Regardless of the temperature, I’d love some Alter Eco SuperDark Chocolate Truffles! They’re 80% cacao; and although I personally don’t care whether they’re gluten free, many people have to avoid gluten. Alter Eco SuperDark Chocolate Truffles have compostable wrappers, too. Tomorrow will be another mild day; and I’d better enjoy it while I can! One of these days we’ll get a frigid blast; and then I’ll be wishing for the heat to return 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 ✍? Spring in December? December 16, 2024 What Fog? December 15, 2024 Doesn’t Look Good December 14, 2024 Christmas Moon December 13, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Spring in December? Read More »

What Fog?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

What Fog? ? This morning I wound up asking, What fog? After the forecast yesterday, I was anticipating pea-soup conditions. I’m glad the mist wasn’t like that, or I would have been wishing for Optix 55. Even so, the humidity was high enough that the screen of my Cateye kept getting a film of moisture on it. There was some mist on the river, too; but the moon was clear enough. But not in a position to be casting its light on the water; I guess it’s because of the tilt of the Earth at this season. All the same, it was nice to be able to say, What fog? I included a trip to the supermarket in today’s ride; and now I don’t need to buy any groceries for a while. Head Start ? I got a head start on Xmas feating today; and enough goodies to last two days in the process. The neighborhood pasty shop had cookies called Chinese Christmas Chocolate Spot, or something like that. I got one; and now I don’t need any more candy for a while! That cookie was big! So I’d better do a good ride tomorrow to help burn it off. Why not now? If I ride right now, I’ll have to re-do this past week’s statistics; and I’m too lazy to want to bother with it. Maybe I can go for a walk later. I’ll see what things are like tomorrow morning before deciding whether ride the hybrid or the road bike. There’s more fog in the forecast; and riding in the fog means my poor bike gets all mucky. On the other hand, my road bike is feeling slighted. This past week I used the hybrid most of the time; and the road bike only twice. 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 ✍? What Fog? December 15, 2024 Doesn’t Look Good December 14, 2024 Christmas Moon December 13, 2024 What Goes Down December 12, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

What Fog? Read More »

Doesn’t Look Good

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Doesn’t Look Good ?️ As of the latest forecast, it doesn’t look good for tomorrow’s moon-viewing ride. Now they’re predicting patchy fog! It won’t be great for flying a drone, either, even if I wanted to! I can still ride if it’s foggy; but the hybrid will be the better choice, because it has fenders. In fact, I’m thinking of going out for 5-6 miles; the doubling back and heading for the supermarket. I went to the salvage store this morning; but didn’t find everything I wanted. With Christmas coming, I want to be sure I have certain items — like garlic-stuffed olives! Speaking of Food ? ? ? Speaking of food, it doesn’t look good sometimes when I pore over my food log. I’m working to minimize sweets; and to eat only small portions when I have them. I admit, though, that it’s uphill work. But I’ll keep trying! These things take time. Even harder than minimizing sweets, is minimizing saturated fat. It’s very hard to keep “sat fat” from going over 12 grams in a day, and still get enough to eat! Especially as sat fat seems to be everywhere. It’s sneaky stuff! Protein? I’m doing fairly well in that department; but I think I’d better work more legumes into my menus. I’ve been using up stuff that I had in the freezer; and my squashed sauce doesn’t have legumes in it. Legumes provide protein without the sat fat that cheese has — and I usually don’t eat more than a half-ounce of cheese at one go. Incidentally, my food log is nothing sophisticated. I use a regular spiral notebook; opened so that there’s a blank page on either side of the spiral. The left-hand side is for a breakdown of each meal; and the other side is for the totals (calories; carbs; protein; sat fat). I don’t find it at all helpful to see only X calories; Y grams of carbs, etc. for each meal. I need to know, for instance, whether breakfast was a banana and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter; or rolled oats mixed with yogurt and almonds. This method of record-keeping is admittedly somewhat wasteful of paper; and that doesn’t look good. But I’ve got to do what I need 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 ✍? Doesn’t Look Good December 14, 2024 Christmas Moon December 13, 2024 What Goes Down December 12, 2024 Subsidence December 11, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Doesn’t Look Good Read More »

Christmas Moon

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Outdoors /

Christmas Moon ? Strictly speaking, the upcoming full moon isn’t a Christmas moon — it’s ten days early. But it looks like the weather might be on my side. The forecast says, partly cloudy; and that could mean that I’ll have good viewing. The temperature will probably be around 60 degrees; and that’s quite comfortable for riding. Yes, I’ll want leg warmers; and a jacket; and a helmet liner. But that’s a lot better than riding when it’s 40 degrees!  Even if the moon isn’t visible, I’ll want to ride. Winter Wheelers is on, after all! I’m trying to get in 100 miles or so per week; and after tomorrow’s trip to the salvage store, I should easily reach that goal with Sunday’s ride. The catch with riding so early is that, once I’m heading back home, I’ll have the sun shining directly into my face! But getting to see the Christmas moon will make it worth the nuisance. Real Christmas Ride ?? Who know what the real Christmas ride will be like. Temperature down to the low 30s? Or 70 degrees? Clear, or rainy? If the latter, I’ll ride the hybrid, and avoid getting my bike all spattered with mud.   Windy? I hope not. A strong wind will make riding in the park more sensible; but a real Christmas ride in the park means this: even at 6:00 am, the path in the park will be full of kids trying out their new bicycles.  I understand that they’re excited and want to learn to ride; but let’s face it, youngsters wobbling all over the place on bikes can be hazardous! I don’t want to hit them; and I don’t need for them to run into me. That means riding at a snail’s pace! 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 ✍? Christmas Moon December 13, 2024 What Goes Down December 12, 2024 Subsidence December 11, 2024 Gamble Paid Off December 10, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Christmas Moon Read More »

What Goes Down

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

What Goes Down ⬇️ What goes down must come back up, right? Like our crazy, roller-coaster temperatures. Day before yesterday, it was barely above 40 degrees; today it was more like 47; and tomorrow, they say, it will be 50 degrees! Still cool enough for leg warmers, though. Today I tried some one-minute efforts at 16 mph. It was fairly easy when I had the wind behind me! Coming back home, I tried some shorter into-the-wind efforts at a high cadence; and those efforts didn’t go quite so well. It was better than nothing; but I probably need more if I’m serious about getting stronger and faster. However, it’s quite well known that, if you work too hard with no letup, you’re apt to get slower! Then it’s work back up to an improved speed. Well, what goes down comes back up. Besides, I want to get the distance in; then I can start to work at intensity.  Melting the Miles ? I’m still working to melt the miles away; and I think my mileage goal is within sight. A Garmin is good for keeping track. Not only for miles, but for such things as heart rate and calorie burn. The last few days have seen me cheat on my distance. Day before yesterday, there was the threat of rain; and yesterday, the wind was so strong that I did a shorter ride.  But today I rode 20.5; and I want to push for about the same tomorrow. It’s quite a satisfaction to see that I’m melting the miles! 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 ✍? What Goes Down December 12, 2024 Subsidence December 11, 2024 Gamble Paid Off December 10, 2024 Drag Chute December 9, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

What Goes Down Read More »

Subsidence

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Subsidece ⬇️ Subsidence as in a sinkhole opening under your house, no thank you! Subsidence as in the wind dying down — oh, please, yes! This morning the wind was quite strong. The sky was clear, so I wasn’t betting on beating the rain back home. But I paid for that by having a hard time controlling the bicycle one-handed; and I was on the more stable hybrid! Even in the park, the wind gusts made riding hard; and as a result, I don’t think I was reaching for that water bottle as much as I needed to. Plan of Attack ? The wind shouldn’t be nearly as strong tomorrow morning as it was today. So, what’s my plan of attack? I don’t think I’ll sound the trumpets and go charging out like I were mad; but I want to do a longer ride than I’ve managed the last two days. I think I’ll work on my pace; and doing a few very hard efforts won’t be a bad idea. That means on-bike food; maybe some Alani Bars. Even though it will be cold (low 40s; that’s cold for me), I’ll want electrolyte drink; and it’s chilling in the fridge right now. I’m divided as to whether I’ll use hand warmers. If I don’t use them, my hands will get cold even if I wear heavy-ish gloves. On the other hand (no pun intended), I don’t want to use up all the hand warmers; and then have us get a freak cold snap, when the temperature drops low enough to threaten plumbing. Not even my heaviest gloves (which are starting to fall apart, anyway) can keep my hands warm then; and I’ll need the hand warmers! Maybe my plan of attack should include double socks, too; my feet get cold easily. Riding in cold weather has its pitfalls; but I’m glad I don’t need to worry about ground subsidence on the bike path. 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 ✍? Subsidence December 11, 2024 Gamble Paid Off December 10, 2024 Drag Chute December 9, 2024 One or the Other December 8, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Subsidence Read More »

Gamble Paid Off

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Gamble Paid Off ? My gamble paid off today; and I don’t care whether it’s on Strava! As long as I know I did it, that’s enough for me. I didn’t get to ride until mid-morning. Mindful of the forecast, I decided to ride laps around the park again. It was overcast when I set out; and after about half an hour, the sun began to come out. I had to remind myself that it was probably the calm before the storm; and in fact the wind was gradually getting stronger.  During lap four, I decided that it might be better to head home. I was getting hungry; and although I had a few GU-Gels with me, I wasn’t in the mood for them. So I went home; and beat the rain by a couple of hours. It’s nice when the gamble pays off! Effrontery? ? Oh, the effrontery of the weather! It’s most annoying when we go from high 70s one afternoon, to mid-40s the ensuing night. Life might be a beautiful ride; but it’s easier when temperature changes are more gradual! On top of the drastic temperature drop, we’ll have strong wind. I’m already chickening out on a ride on top of the levee. Gusts could be as strong as 30 mph, and that makes bike handling something of a problem; especially when I need to ride one-handed. Gusts seem to have a way of choosing to attack right at such moments. Such effrontery! I was hoping for a ride of 20 miles or so tomorrow; but I won’t want to circle the park for two solid hours. I’ll see how things are in the morning; then plan my attack, so to speak. The gamble paid off today; but will it do so tomorrow? 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 ✍? Gamble Paid Off December 10, 2024 Drag Chute December 9, 2024 One or the Other December 8, 2024 Change of Pace December 7, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Gamble Paid Off Read More »