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Hot or Cold?

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Hot or Cold? Hot, or cold? Chocolate, that is! Cooling temperatures bring thoughts of hot chocolate, especially after a long, cold ride. Maybe I should say, lukewarm chocolate, though. I’m not the type who can gulp down scalding hot food or beverages. I don’t know how anybody can. And of course there’s cold chocolate! There are many examples. When I go for a long ride, and take along food, sometimes I opt for RXBar Chocolate Sea Salt. I like Kind bars; and now that the weather is cooler, maybe I can take them along on rides. During hot weather that chocolate coating gets terribly messy. One of my favorite GU flavors is Chocolate Outrage. For some truly cold chocolate, how about ice cream? Say, chocolate chip cookie dough? Mint chocolate chip? Or my favorite, Cherry Garcia®? It’s the ice-cream version of cherry cordial chocolates. But I’m trying to avoid ice cream now. Pre-diabetes has me working to curb the sweets.  Getting back to hot chocolate, I’ve found hot-chocolate tablets in the salvage store. If my taste buds are in the mood for the flavor, but not the temperature, I split up a tablet and munch on a piece. (Each tablet is four servings). So which shall it be: hot, or cold? Maybe chocoholics don’t even care — it’s chocolate, isn’t it?

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Venezuela

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Venezuela   So, is the place bicycle-friendly? During the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country was facing chronic shortages of fuel; so the citizenry took more to bicycles out of sheer necessity. What about bicycle touring? Check out these possibilities. Among others there are flat, long, and downhill routes. But there’s a catch. It’s one thing that there are possibilities for cycle touring in the country; however, be sure to check out travel advisories before you dust off that passport. As of late July, 2026, things don’t look  so good. Health-care infrastructure is said to be poor in Venezuela. That alone is a good reason for me to hesitate about traveling there. But if I could go there, what would I see and do?     A bicycle tour, of course; but I think it would be fantastic to visit Angel Falls. There are many other things to see and do as well, from zoos to beaches to (yes) shopping malls. I personally don’t care about the shopping malls; but when I visit other cities I enjoy going through the local zoos. It’s a good way to get to see some of the area’s native wildlife. Beaches? I’m ambivalent about the shores. Maybe beach-cruising on a fat-tire bicycle, early in the day? It sounds like fun to make the first tracks in the sand! 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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Weight Loss Gains

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Weight loss woes are counterbalanced by weight loss gains. One that I didn\’t expect is that it\’s now easier for me to hold a prone plank position. Last night I did a few for the first time in weeks, and I was surprised at how much easier \”planking\” seems now. Maybe that\’s because I don\’t have as much of a gut for my arms to support! I need to continue working at those off-bike resistance exercises for the upper body and core. But after this week, no lower-body off bike work; and no more force intervals until Tour de Cure is over. Yesterday, unfortunately, I missed my ride.? I overslept again! I planned to ride after I got home from work, but by that time I was exhausted. On top of that, the kitchen counter and sink were full of dishes to be washed; I had to clean up two pounds of carrots; and I had to prep today\’s lunch. This morning I had to be content with a shorter ride than usual. Again, it was hard to wake up and get going. That\’s all too often the case when the weather gets cool. But at least I got out there and rode! There wasn\’t much wind, and it was a bit warmer than yesterday. Conditions tomorrow are forecast to be similar. So far it doesn\’t look like we\’ll be affected by Eta, knock on wood. It looks like the weekend will be OK, too, so I can go for that long ride. Weight loss gains come into play here, too: I now have some 20 pounds less to carry around on the bike!

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Just Don’t Chew Gum

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Just Don’t Chew Gum Singapore has its share of cycling routes. Hop aboard a bike — perhaps a Tommaso Sentiero — and take  off!  Changi Bay Park sounds nice, with beautiful views of the water. I suppose it can get quite windy, though. The Mandai Loop, with its easy climbs, is a good choice for beginning MTB riders. Or try a coast-to-coast ride. Start at Jurong Lake Gardens, and head for Coney Island. Roll through nature reserves and parks. The Kranji Marshes Loop is one for wildlife lovers. This is home to numerous species of dragonflies, birds, and butterflies. Singapore isn’t only about bicycle touring; this small nation offers numerous types of tours. The climate is warm year-round, and rain is possible at any time. Take along a poncho! Try the local food. Seafood is big here, and I wonder what stingray tastes like. Sometimes I think it’s a pity that I’m not a big fan of crabs, shrimp, and so on.   Singapore is also very clean. I would find that a welcome change from my home city, where I see litter; cigarette butts; etc. everywhere I look! Honestly, it’s downright depressing. Whether it’s a cycling; walking; or bus tour, enjoy your time in Singapore — but remember, just don’t chew gum! 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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Cambodia

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Cambodia   Here’s one belief that I never would have guessed: the local people believe that using a headlight during the day attracts ghosts. That’s a sticky one for me. Ive used lights any time I ride for years, especially if I have to be anywhere around traffic. It’s hard enough to see a car during the day it if doesn’t have lights on; and I’m sure a bicycle sans illumination is  much harder to see, even at high noon. Now that we know that using headlights in daylight is taboo, when on a bicycle tour in Cambodia, what about dress? Modesty is expected, particularly for women. Would the ladies in a bicycle tour group be excused for wearing skin-tight Lycra® shorts? At least, while actually on the bike? Be sure to bring along something that you can don quickly and easily, so you can cover up in case your group decides to visit a temple. Other taboos: never touch another person’s head; do not point using only the forefinger; and don’t even think of saying or doing anything disrespectful towards the Buddha. What kind of weather can we expect? Cambodia’s climate is tropical; and during the hottest part of the year, the temperature can rise to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. That sounds like the afternoon heat index here during the hottest part of the year. Keep both sunblock and poncho on hand! 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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Weight Loss Woes

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Weight loss woes? Whoa there! What\’s not to like about having shed some excess pounds? There are, in fact, some drawbacks. The biggest one for me is that my cycling clothes now don\’t fit quite right. Of course I\’m delighted that I can now get into my cycling shorts without a struggle. But this also means that those silicone bands around the shorts\’ legs no longer fit right. When I was heavier, they got overly stretched; and now they creep up my legs as I pedal. When the weather was still warm, that wasn\’t a big deal. Now that some days are cool enough for leg warmers, it drives me crazy. Not only do the shorts crawl up; the leg warmers, too, got over-stretched when I weighed more; and they slide downwards. On top of that, the silicone bands on the shorts don\’t seem to grip the leg warmers well. Even when I\’m only riding to and from the store, I have to make frequent stops to pull those shorts\’ legs back down! At present I don\’t want to buy new clothes. My finances are just starting to recover from the oral surgery. The pandemic has resulted in my doing extra spending (\”just in case\”); and it soon will be time for holiday gift-shopping. Maybe a suspender belt would do the trick? I know this much: I\’m not planning to solve my weight loss woes by deliberately gaining back those pounds!

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Not So BOOtiful

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Things were not so \”bootiful\” this morning. In fact, I was quite disappointed. All month I looked forward to seeing the Hallowe\’en full moon. While Zeta was out there, I was worried that it might arrive for the weekend, and spoil the view. Zeta blasted through in the middle of the week, so it wasn\’t a moon-viewing hindrance. Yesterday I checked the forecast, and it said \”mostly clear\”. This morning it wasn\’t any \”mostly clear\”. The sky was almost completely overcast! When the moon finally peeked out from behind the clouds, it was rather dim; not so bootiful, you could say. I\’m trying to console myself with the fact that I did see the Hallowe\’en blue moon. Enough about the moon now. I had planned to ride to the salvage store this morning, but decided to hit Whole Foods instead. I wanted to get tofu; and I\’ve seldom or never seen it at the salvage store. As it turned out, Whole Foods didn\’t have any firm tofu today; but at least I did get some tofu. It\’s good until December, so I bought two containers of it. I got Caramel Toffee protein powder to try; and now that we\’re on the threshold of November, my thoughts are turning to birthday-present-to-myself. Lately I\’ve been wishing I could get a new pepper mill full of green peppercorns, but I haven\’t seen any such thing in any store. Today I got pink salt to try, instead. Again, I\’ve left laundry for Saturday. If I want the space I\’ll need for it, I have to go clean up the kitchen!

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One L or Two?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

One L or Two?   Think again. Llamas have been used as pack animals for many centuries. But apparently they’re poorly suited as riding animals, except perhaps for very small children; and I, for one, am not a very small child. So it’s back to the old touring bicycle. Or, how about riding a mountain bike; and having a llama accompany you, carrying your stuff? As long as you’re not hurtling downhill at 60 mph, a llama should be able to keep up.     Do you love a really challenging bike trip? Try Peru’s Great Divide. This six-day route includes over 29,000 feet of climbing; and is mostly unpaved. On a difficulty scale of 1-10, it’s rated 8. If you don’t live at high altitude already, I guess a hypoxic mask is a must while preparing for this adventure; and don’t forget the warm clothing! Naturally the Great Divide isn’t the only two-wheeled adventure to be found in Peru. Many of the routes involve a lot of climbing; but happily for non-climbers, there are some more moderate routes. Aside from llamas and the Andes, Peru makes me think of Callao; the harbor from which the Kon-Tiki expedition set sail. I think it would be interesting to see that. Back to cycling adventures in the Land of the Llama. Get some cold-weather gear for those high altitudes; insect repellent for lower elevations; and maybe inquire about hiring a lama … llama … one L, or two? 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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Hurricane Guest

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\”Hurricane Guest\” was the title of a book I found in my school\’s library when I was about eleven years old. It told of a boy whose British pen-pal arrived for a visit just as a hurricane was moving in. We\’ve had a hurricane guest, too. Zeta came through last night; and few guests have ever been less welcome! I lost power yesterday at about 4:50 pm. Without electricity I couldn\’t access the Internet; my landline was dead; and of course there were the concerns about all the food in my fridge and freezer. I couldn\’t even read much because the light wasn\’t good enough. Around 11 am I went for a short bicycle ride. I used the hybrid, in case the path had a lot of storm debris (twigs, etc.) on it; but the surface was clear. The snag came about 3 miles from home in the shape of yellow Caution tape across the path; and some downed power lines. Just before I got back home, I saw a big tree on the ground in the next street to mine. I guess that explains the local power outage! The power stayed off until around 7:10 this evening. Once it was back on, I lost no time googling how long food stays good during a power outage. What I found says, up to 4 hours in the fridge, and 48 hours in the freezer. So the freezer stuff is OK, but much of the fridge stuff had to go.?

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Montana

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Montana Montana, aka the Big Sky State, is home to Adventure Cycling! I think it would be fun to stop by their headquarters; pick up some of their route maps; and take off for some, you know, adventures. So many paths to choose from! They’re sprawled all over the map of the USA, with one even extending into Canada. As far as I can remember, I’ve never spoken with anybody who has ridden any of these routes. I certainly have a lot of questions: Why did you choose any one particular route? For “scenic value”? Because you have friends or relatives in a location along the way, and you wanted to visit them? Were there some great national parks to see? Was your preferred route fairly flat; or did you want a trip with a lot of challenging climbs? How much time did you need to allow for your trip? What kind of pace did you use? Casual; or pushing it? Did you need to take along camping equipment? Did you cook your meals every day? Were you able to find fresh foods easily? How about doing laundry along the way? I suspect that certain routes are better tackled at certain times of year. For example, I don’t want to think of taking a cycling tour across an arid region during the hot season! If you want to stay in Montana, there’s Glacier National Park. You can bike on your own; or take a guided tour. Explore other parts of the state; either as a roadie or on a MTB. Whatever you choose to do, may you have smooth roads and plenty of Big Sky overhead.   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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