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SpokEasy

Author name: CAL

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

Forecast Weary

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Forecast Weary 😩 Today’s Featured Product!🎉 T-fal Cookware Set New!! Funwict Adult Bike Helmet For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I’m forecast weary; make no mistake about it. So far, an emergency radio hasn’t been necessary; but I’m so tired of seeing rain and/or T-storms predicted! Such forecasts add an element of anxiety to my rides. I’m sure I’m not the only one who gets frazzled nerves when lightning starts to fire up during a ride! I even get forecast weary with myself, such as when I go home early because the sky looks threatening — and then nothing happens! Another Stormy Weekend ⛈️ It looks like another stormy weekend is headed out way. This is the third one in a row; and stormy conditions are likely to hang around through Monday. Keep those ponchos handy! I wish I had a trainer that could accommodate my hybrid’s rear wheel; then I could “ride” inside. I’ve complained often enough about the tedium of such “riding”; but at least it’s exercise. I go to bed nights, expecting it to be pouring the next morning; I check the hour-by-hour forecast to see whether I’ve got time to ride 20 miles before the rain arrives. It keeps me forecast weary!   Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Burrito Day?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors /

Burrito Day? 🌯 Today’s Featured Product! 🎇 La Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans New!! VIRIBUS Men’s Hybrid Bicycle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I guess you could say that today is Burrito Day; after all, it’s Cinco de Mayo. Oh, wait a minute — those things there are enchiladas! Burritos make me think of Ryan van Duzer, who mentions burritos quite often in his videos. I’ve been enjoying some “burros” myself. That’s another reason to call this Burrito Day! I had a pack of refried black beans, along with some tortillas. Delicious! But I think I’d find refried beans too messy on a bicycle tour. I’m already scrutinizing the weekend forecast; and apparently our local weather is aiming for strike three. This is the third weekend in a row of stormy forecasts; and I’m tired of that! Strike Three? ⚾️ Will strike three mean I’m out of a ride? Chances for showers and T-storms begin as early as tomorrow afternoon; and I can’t ride tomorrow morning. I have fasting bloodwork scheduled; and I don’t need to bonk! T-storms are likely on Thursday; and at least through next Monday! We still need rain; but I don’t enjoy having to worry about a storm breaking out when I’m miles from home on a bicycle.     Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Pushing Gears

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

Pushing Gears 🫸 Today’s Featured Product! 👏🏻 Booyah Medium Dog Stroller New!! MYOYAY 20″ Unicycle   For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Lately I’ve been pushing gears more; although I try not to grind them! I need more work at riding on the big ring; and I seem to be strong enough for it now. Pushing gears can mean riding on the big ring; but I’ve got to ask the bike shop whether the derailer needs a bit of adjustment. It’s hard to shift onto that big ring! There’s also the tactic of pushing the pace against the wind; and I get plenty of opportunities for that! I gripe about headwinds all the time; but all the same, a headwind has it’s uses! Memory Lane With RAGBRAI 2026 only about ten weeks away, I’m traveling down memory lane. I watched many a video about the event,  beginning about 2019; and I’m glad that I did. Now I’m watching them again! Those videos gave me some good ideas, such as a sleep mask. I wouldn’t have thought of taking along an anti-diarrheal (just in case) if not for one certain YouTube. A rider mentioned having eaten “questionable potato salad”; and they hoped the Immodium® would take effect in time. But I need a lot of building up if I’m to consider next year’s RAGBRAI. That means a lot of pushing gears! Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Oil on the Winds?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Oil on the Winds? 🌬️ Today’s Featured Product! 🎊 Mezcla Vegan Protein Bar New!! Venzio 1000-Lumen Headlight For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I wish I could pour oil on the winds the way they used to pour oil on troubled waters. It would have helped me this morning! The forecast predicted wind gusts up to 30 mph; so I went to the park to ride laps. During the third circuit, I noticed that the wind was strengthening. I couldn’t pour oil on the winds; so I went home. Moreover, I saw what looked like some kind of sign-in table. If the park were to fill up with runners, it would be harder to ride; wind or no. Tomorrow the wind should be calmer; but it feels like Fall is back! Fall Is Back?🍂 Yes, it feels like Fall is back. Tonight’s low temperature is predicted to be 58; more like October than May. The sky is clearing, though; and that’s all to the good. There was a fair amount of rain yesterday and the day before. It looks like I can ride tomorrow without taking along a poncho! With Fall weather back, it’ll be a good day for some hot chocolate! But not until after I ride. Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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M’aider?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

M’aider? 🛟 Today’s Featured Product! 🎉 VIRIBUS Men’s Hybrid Bicycle New!! TCUDCKI Unicycle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! May Day sounds like “m’aider”; and sometimes that is what we cyclists feel like saying! Or at any rate, I do. Not that it would help me when hollering, “M’aider!” can’t make rain stop. Today I did a short ride because it looked like rain was only an hour or so away; and if a T-storm were approaching; I preferred to be indoors. But May is Bike Challenge Month; and I want to get in some miles every day if possible. So I hope I can ride tomorrow! Reliable? ⚡️ Of course, there’s always the question of how reliable forecasts are! At 12:15 pm, I checked an hour-by-hour forecast; and it indicated, Heavy T-storm. In my neighborhood, it wasn’t raining at all! So forecasts aren’t exactly the RMS Olympic. It looks like tomorrow will be OK for riding, as far as rain chances go. On the other hand, it will be on the windy side. It’ll be chilly, too; down to 57 tonight! First the weather kept getting too warm for April; and now that May is here, it’s getting too cold for Spring! When can I put away those leg warmers? Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Beat the Rain

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Beat the Rain 🌧️ Today’s Featured Product! 🥳 Eurobike Road Bike 700c New!! Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popcorn For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I sure was glad to beat the rain home today! For a while, I thought I might not make it. The sky towards the East looked very stormy; and I even felt a drop or two of rain. That lent some urgency to the ride. Once again, I shifted my schedule around and made the trip to the salvage store on  Thursday instead of Saturday. The weekend forecast is stormy again; and I hope there’s enough of a break in the weather tomorrow to allow me to ride! May Challenge 🌻 Tomorrow begins the May Challenge, aka Bike Month! I won’t be racing, though; unless it’s trying to beat the rain home. I sure wish the rear wheel of my hybrid could fit into the trainer that I have; and then I wouldn’t worry so much about the weather. I can always don some wet-weather gear; but this is the season when we have to start worrying about atmospheric electricity! Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Join the Circus?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Join the Circus? 🎪 Today’s Featured Product! 💥 Mobo Triton Pro New!! Mini First Aid Kit For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! At moments, I wonder whether I should join the circus. I’m always juggling things around! My ride schedule will probably need considerable tweaking over the next few days. There’s a 40% chance of T-storms Saturday; so maybe I’ll ride to the salvage store tomorrow. Someone is supposed to come fix my door, though; and I don’t know yet what time that will be. Finding riding time might be tricky. But if I join the circus, what would I do? I haven’t the upper-body strength to work on the trapeze; I’ve never learned to juggle balls (or clubs, or whatever); and I don’t ride a unicycle! Don’t Pack Up Yet! 🧳 I’ve still got cold-weather gear strewn about; and the forecast indicates, don’t pack up yet. Today’s  high temperature is well into the 80s; but Friday nigh, they say, it will be below 60 degrees! I’ll still want the helmet liner; and jacket; and so on. This morning I still wanted the vest; and I wore my lightweight skull cap. But the wind didn’t seem quite as bad as usual — I completed my 20-mile ride in 1: 58:40. Usually it takes over two hours! Did I suddenly get that much stronger?   Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Unveiling

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Unveiling 👰🏼 Today’s Featured Product! 🎉 Dieta y Fitness New!! Fast Electric Coffee Grinder For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Today was the unveiling, so to speak. I saw the oral surgeon to have the future crown site uncovered. Naturally the site is sore; and I’m debating whether to go for a ride. Although it’s cloudy, rain isn’t expected today; so at least I wouldn’t need a helmet cover. I bet that thing would make my head too hot, anyway, unless the weather is cold. And would it keep rain from running down my back? I think I’d do the unveiling of the helmet; and use a poncho with a hood. Looking Ahead 👀 I’m looking ahead; and the weather is apt to turn stormy from tomorrow night. If it’s storming, I won’t be eager to get out there and ride! So, should I put in a 20-miler tomorrow, and skip the salvage store; or should I go to the salvage store tomorrow, and hope for a weather window on Thursday? If only I had a crystal ball! If I don’t ride today, I’ll want to put in some real miles tomorrow; especially if Thursday’s weather will forbid my riding. And the Love to Ride May challenge begins on Friday; and no cyclist wants bad weather for that! Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Priorities

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Training /

Priorities ✳️ Today’s Featured Product! Cyclocross Bible New!! UnTapped Maple Syrup Packets For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! We hear about setting priorities all the time; and that’s true of cycling, too. Getting ready for an event? How much do  you need to train; and how much time do you need to allow yourself for event prep? From all I’ve read, there are multiple factors involved; and your priorities can depend on your event. Is it a long-distance casual event (read: RAGBRAI)? Or is it a serious race? And Priority 🚲 There are priorities; and Priority bicycles! I’ve watched a number of YouTubes that mention them; and I admit they sound amazing. Priority bicycles are low-maintenance — no chain! Considering that I’m not very good at keeping my bicycles’ chains cleaned and lubed, that would be great for me! I’ve peeked at the website for Priority Bicycles; and the prices look quite reasonable. Maybe I should consider getting one! Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Shorts Circuit

BACK ISSUES, equipment, Outdoors /

Shorts Circuit 🩳 Today’s Featured Product! VELMIA Spoke  Reflectors   New!! Biosteel Zero Mix For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! My shorts circuit has been interrupted. For a long time, I’ve had five pairs that I use in rotation. Today, I noticed that the pair of shorts I was wearing had holes in it! Thank the velcro on my reflective vest for that! It’s heavy-duty; and tears at whatever it snags. Now that my shorts circuit has been broken, I need another pair of shorts. Crazy Weather 🌥️ We’ve got crazy weather again.  At around 8:00 am, it was cloudy; and I knew the forecast said there might be T-storms. So I was a bit uneasy about going for a ride. I decided to go do laps around the park. For a while, it seemed that the sun would come out; but during Lap 2, I noticed that the clouds seemed to be getting darker. I went home; and soon discovered that there was a Special Marine Warning for the lake not far away. The weather system was heading this way, too. Not much later, I began to hear grumbles of thunder;  and I expected all fury to break out. But it didn’t. This crazy weather is driving me crazy! Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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