SpokEasy

SpokEasy

Author name: CAL

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

Not Such Bee’s Knees

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Not Such Bee’s Knees It was not such bee’s knees today. I had a sore spot near my left knee; and a short, easy ride seemed like the prudent thing to do. Cycling is a non-impact activity, and in general is easy on the knees; but it can cause knee problems in some cases. One is incorrect saddle height; so be sure yours is right for you. Don’t neglect your saddle height If your knees hurt in front from riding, your saddle is too low, and you need to raise it a bit; and if the back of your knees hurt, lower the saddle a little. Another cause of knee discomfort while cycling is using too hard a gear for your current fitness level; or maybe pushing too hard and/or too long against the wind, even in an easier gear. Maybe that’s why my knee was bothering me today. Day before yesterday, I got a pretty stiff headwind on the way home; and I might have been working a bit too hard for all those miles. At the same time, isn’t that how to get stronger? Overnight it got cool enough that I wore leg warmers for this morning’s ride. According to some, it’s important to keep those knees warm; and if full-length leg warmers seem like a little too much, knee warmers might do the trick. Keep those “hinges” warm! But me being cheap, I think I’ll keep using the leg warmers because I already have them; and if I’m a bit too warm, that’s OK. I’d rather be a little too warm than too cold! That’s definitely not such bee’s knees! Do whatever works best for you, though; and enjoy the ride. After all, we want to keep riding the bee’s knees!  

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Dang It

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Dang It! My latest ride-food experiment! Dang it, I was actually rather disappointed in Dang bars. I found a coconut one in the salvage store day before yesterday; and got it to try as on-bike food. Eating the same old thing Sunday after Sunday gets a bit wearisome; and I can’t know what will be a great taste sensation if I don’t try it. The Dang bar that I found was coconut; and I tried it during my long ride yesterday. Taste-wise, it was OK; but to me it seemed a bit too dry and crumbly. And to be honest, the Dang bar is smaller than I like for ride-food bars. So dang it, I don’t have a new ride food, after all! Weather Our weather is heating up; and “the muggies” are setting in, too. All too soon hurricane season will begin; and I hope no storm comes along and keeps me from riding for several weeks. I’m working towards my Super Commuter badge; and to get it I must ride to work 200 times this year. So far, I’m 26% there; so I have about 150 days of riding to work to go! Before I worry too much about hurricanes, I have to get through tomorrow’s weather. At present, there’s a T-storm in progress at the airport, 11-12 miles from here; and as weather typically moves West to East, it might be headed our way. I’m glad I’m not trying to go for a ride right now; and I hope tomorrow morning’s “slight chance” of T-storms doesn’t materialize. I want to get in some more miles for Love to Ride! What if it is raining at ride time tomorrow? That depends on whether there’s lightning; and if there is, I can hitch the hybrid into the trainer. But dang it, “riding” in the trainer is very boring! Better than no ride at all!

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Drying Up

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Drying Up I was drying up today. The humidity level is 59%, which is rather low for us; and on top of that, apparently I didn’t drink quite enough. Adequate hydration is an important part of cycling; and as usual, I used my Camel-Bak for my long ride today. To determine whether you’re drinking enough, they say to weigh yourself before and after your ride; and if your post-ride weight is a pound or more below your pre-ride weight, you’re dehydrated. I came close to it today: I lost nine-tenths of a pound; and usually I gain at least a pound during the weekly long ride. The problem with keeping up with hydration needs, is the need for pit stops; and that’s going to be a bigger issue now that the weather is getting warmer. It’s hard to find a balance between drinking enough; but not so much that I need a restroom every half-hour! Another reason I was drying up today was the headwind. Before I got back home, it was up to 16-17 mph; and as often happens, I was breathing with my mouth open a good part of the time. “Keep your mouth shut!” is, perhaps, a natural rejoinder; but nose-breathing doesn’t work well if you have exercise-induced rhinitis. It’s also hard to breathe through my nose when I’m exercising hard! It’s the final week of the April Love to Ride challenge; so I want to be sure I rack up some miles. Today I did 44.20; and I have six days to ride some more! It looks like there’s some rain chances tomorrow and Tuesday; and I hope the weather doesn’t wash out Love to Ride.

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The Dark Side

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Dark Side Does everything have its dark side? It sure seems like it sometimes; and it even includes bicycle touring! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, I’ve been cycling for over twelve years; and cycling means dealing with headwinds; cold; rain; and so on. It isn’t all fun and games, no matter how much I love to ride. Of the Big Four mentioned in the video, wind is the one I deal with the most. I sure had it on the way home from the salvage store this morning; and I was relieved that I didn’t have the trailer. Sometimes the wind blew from the side; and a pair of loaded panniers didn’t make the bicycle any easier to control. Other times I had a headwind; and it was up to 16 mph before I got back home. Naturally I looked for ride food! I’m always on the lookout for new ride foods! I found a few bars that I haven’t tried before; and I’m always pleased at a prospective addition to my on-bike menu. The dark side to my trip to the store wasn’t only the wind on the way home. I bought a few more canned goods! Every time I use up a few cans, I just buy more; and so I’m really spinning my wheels there. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly left its mark on me: stock up whenever I can, in case something keeps me indoors for a long time. Witch of the East? It looks like tomorrow will be windy, too; and of course it will be an easterly wind. The dark side of my Sunday long ride! I’ll try the Dang bar as ride food; but of course one bar won’t last me 40-50 miles. I have some other bars, too, e.g. Gatorade bars. The store seems to be running out of the Gatorade bars, so I have to be on the lookout for something else; but over the last few months I laid in a good supply of them! Afternoon temperatures are now in the low 80s; and soon it will be warm enough in the mornings for short sleeves. Can you imagine that? Of course short sleeves and no leg warmers mean I’ll need to use a lot more sunblock! That’s the dark side of not having to bundle up.    

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Rack Your Brains?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Rack Your Brains? Don’t rack your brains for ways to transport your bicycles! A bicycle rack on the rear of your car seems like a great way to carry your “wheels” to a trailhead. However, this article caught my eye today. We sometimes need to take bicycles somewhere by car; but be sure your license plate is not obscured. I don’t know whether the authorities in the USA are as particular about this as they are in Canada; but why risk big fines? You don’t need to rack your brains to know that you’d rather keep your money! Anyway, if I could drive somewhere else to ride, where would I go? That depends in part on how much time I have at my disposal; and also how much ready cash I have! If I wanted to ride, say, the Natchez Trace ; I have to get to the trail first. Natchez is a bit over 168 miles from home; and even supposing I could drive, several hours behind a steering wheel leaves me exhausted. Feeling Adventuresome It isn’t a good idea to start a long ride when you’re already worn out; so I would want to go up there the day before hitting the bike trail. Here is where the money comes in!  If I don’t want to camp, I need a motel; and accommodations/meals get expensive. That’s on top of the cost of the gasoline required to reach Natchez. If I do camp, I have to pack along a tent, cooking equipment, and so on. Merely thinking about it makes me tired! The Tammany Trace is much closer to home; but it still takes at least an hour’s driving to reach the trailhead. I’ve ridden part of the Trace while participating in Tour de Cure; but the TdC route includes only about six miles of the trail. So far I never had the chance to ride the entire Trace. Of course the MRT is right out there; and I ride that all the time. It sometimes gets monotonous, though; and every time notions of relocating poke at my mind, I always think I want to be close to a variety of bicycling trails. I’ll have to rack my brains for some good ideas! Wait, didn’t I just say, Don’t rack your brains? Maybe I should listen to my own advice.

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Earth Day 2022

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

It’s Earth Day 2022! Today was the local Love to Ride Ride to Work event. I decided not to participate, for several reasons. One, getting to work afterwards would have meant riding alongside heavy traffic; and I’m uncomfortable with that. Two, and ironically, the official Bike to Work event goes far away from my workplace! I wasn’t even sure of the best route to take to work after leaving the official Bike to Work event. Three, I wasn’t sure how long it might take to do the event; and then get to work. I had an appointment scheduled at 10:15 am; and wanted to be sure I didn’t miss it. The Love to Ride April Challenge has a week and a day remaining; and I’ll keep on riding the way I have been. I’ll probably rack up another 100 miles or so by the end of the month; and I’ll keep chipping away at my 2022 goal of 5000 miles. For Earth Day 2022 I put in 13.2 miles on the road bike; and yes, I did ride to work! But it was just my usual route. Tomorrow’s ride to the salvage store will let me get in nearly 10 more miles; and every little bit helps. Appropriately enough, it was a beautiful day, although the wind had become quite stiff by late morning; and some clouds were gathering. As a bonus, we got off work at 3 pm – something to do with Commencement activities. Working on a university campus does have a perk or two! Outlook for the Weekend It doesn’t have to be Earth Day 2022 (or any year’s Earth Day) for riding; but it looks like I’ll have yet another windy Sunday ride. The forecast predicts gusts up to 25 mph; and that isn’t fun! At least is won’t be cold. I can’t speak for anyone else, of course; but cold weather saps my energy; and wind makes it worse. I’m so glad I found warming packs!

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Haute Cuisine?

BACK ISSUES, Food /

Haute cuisine – not! On my budget, I can’t expect to have gourmet dining anywhere; and especially not on the bike! Not that I care gourmet food. The important thing is to be properly fueled; and I’ve tried many different things as ride food. Feed Zone Portables presents recipes for many easy-to-carry snacks; and I’ve tried making my own rice cakes. They tended to be too soft; and I guess I cooked the rice with a little too much water. I was always afraid the rice would be too dry; and if it was, the rice cakes would be too crumbly! I’m always on the lookout for new bar-style foods; and when I find one, I try it, such as this one: That holds true for any store: the salvage store; the regular supermarket; Whole Foods; and so on. Thanks to the salvage store, FitCrunch Birthday Cake has become a favorite. For a while, the grab-bag bins had plenty of them; but since the pandemic began, I haven’t found any. For a month or so, the salvage store has had Gatorade Whey Protein bars. They’re much cheaper than similar bars in the drug store; and while supplies last, I’m buying those Gatorade bars like crazy! These protein bars are far from haute cuisine; but that’s OK. I’m not quite “eatibus anythingus“; but I guess I come pretty close sometimes. These protein bars are far from haute cuisine; but that’s OK. I’m not quite “eatibus anythingus“; but I guess I come pretty close sometimes. Just look at my “garbage” soups — I just throw it all in the pot; and I get what I get.

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Early Bird

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

The early bird catches the worm, they say. I always have been the morning lark type; so you’d think I had caught many worms by now! Being an early bird lets me get in my ride before I go to work; and, in hot weather, it means I don’t have to ride in the hottest part of the day. Sometimes our afternoon heat index is over 100 degrees; and I’m not properly acclimated to ride for long in such heat. It might take several months to condition myself to it; and that means very short and/or easy rides at first. By the time I developed the proper conditioning, it would be Fall, anyhow; so I may as well ride before sunup. Not that I was such a morning lark today. I got going late; and wanted a little extra time for breakfast, because I planned to heat some refried beans and rice. The wind was pretty stiff, and of course a headwind on the way back home; and I needed to allow some extra time for it. That meant a much shorter ride than usual! It’s a Challenge! Incidentally, a Love to Ride challenge really does become a challenge by the third week of the month. Normally I take Mondays off from riding; but during a Challenge month I make a special effort to ride each and every day. After several week of this, I start to feel a bit burned out. My trips to the salvage store also mean I must be an early bird. I can’t avoid riding along a highway for about two blocks on my way to the store; and I prefer to do the trip early on Saturday, before there’s much traffic. On top of that, I suspect that the best stuff in that store goes fast; so I want to beat the crowds. Speaking of birds, I must have something of the birdwatcher in me. My father was like that, too. [Embed Read Nature] During my Sunday long rides, I keep an eye out for eagles [link]; bluebirds [link]; and once I even saw some roseate spoonbills [link — don’t I have a blog on this?]. If the early bird catches the worm, maybe it sees the birds, too.

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What Season IS It?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

What season is it? First it got quite warm, into the 80s; and now it’s turned cooler! The wind late this morning felt downright chilly. I was outside eating my lunch; and I had to move so as to get out of the wind. I had a stiff headwind half the way home; and tonight it’s going down to 57 degrees! Has Fall come back? I’m glad I didn’t pack away the leg warmers yet! I’m glad it isn’t hurricane season, although that will begin all too soon; and it seems to last only too long! The roster of this year’s tropical storm names is out; and I hope we don’t exhaust the list. We’re all tired of the endless procession of tropical storms; and the devastation that frequently results. Some poor folks can’t recover from one storm before another strikes. I can believe in climate change when a hurricane develops in May. It didn’t used to be that way. Good grief, Hurricane Betsy was a September storm! It’s still April; but some days it feels like it’s Summer already. So — what season is it, really? Let’s think of it this way: it’s BICYCLE season! For me, that’s pretty much all year long. My Season Sure, it’s hard to get out and ride when the chill factor is below freezing; and all Winter I complain about how miserable it is riding in the cold and wind. I get tired of having to bundle up in multiple layers. My nose drives me crazy in cold weather; and if I had to contend with snow and ice, things would be even harder! I wouldn’t mind living where I’m out of the immediate reach of hurricanes; but that might mean much colder Winters. It’s quite possible to ride in the snow; and a fat-tire bike can help with that. Sometimes, when I’m out for a ride, someone passes me on a fat-tire bicycle. Those wide tires are a bit noisy on pavement; but if they provide better grip on less-than-firm surfaces, I’m sure they’re worth it. I don’t have the space to keep a fat-tire bike; snow is very rare here; and I’m nowhere near a beach; so I don’t need a fat-tire bike. But if I ever wind up in, say, Canada, maybe I’ll want one!

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Confusion

Uncategorized /

Sorry for the confusion: I hadn’t planned for the new dot net version of this site to be live so soon; and I didn’t even realize for some time that it was live. Now the dot net is in Coming Soon mode. Please see the old site (www.spokeasy.org). Dot net has tons of editing to be done; and since I don’t have eight hours a day to work on it, this is going to take a long time.

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