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The Straight and Narrow

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Ride the straight and narrow! Blaze a path straight down the road! That isn\’t so difficult as long as you can keep looking straight ahead. Holding a straight line while looking behind you is another matter. I, for one, find it hard to do, even after well over nine years of riding; but it\’s an important part of cycling safety. I first read these tips years ago. I still have to remind myself to  let my right shoulder rise a bit, and the left one go down and back; and to bring my left elbow closer to my body. I have to let my torso twist  a little bit as well. Another aspect of looking behind yourself while riding is, it\’s about more than turning the head. We can\’t turn our heads 180 degrees like an owl, so once the head is turned, the eyes must shift to see what might be coming from the rear. That means, for me, trying not to look back and then forward again too quickly, or my eyes don\’t have the chance to shift. It can help to let yourself coast while looking behind you, but it would be a good idea to get used to looking behind while still pedaling, especially if you\’ve got your sights set on racing. Just look at any pic of the peloton in Le Tour. Scores of riders, and to me they always look like they\’re packed like sardines in a can. If one coasts/slows down, or (worse!) crashes, or doesn\’t hold his line, it\’s a big-time domino effect! Those guys really have to keep on the straight and narrow!        

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Let\’s Get It Over!

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Let\’s get it over. Saturday, 7:38 am. Many a Saturday I\’m heading off for the salvage store at this hour, to bring home a load similar to this one. But not today! Tropical Storm Barry\’s full brunt apparently is yet to come. The wind is about 22 mph, forecast to strengthen shortly. If I went to the salvage store, I\’d be battling winds of 33-34 mph on the way home. With the trailer, it would be extremely difficult for  me to make any headway. It\’s starting to rain, on and off. That\’s how it often begins with a tropical storm. Brief spells of rain precede a steady deluge. All I can do is to hope that we\’re spared the expected precipitation of up to 20 inches. If that storm is coming, though, I wish it would blow through. Let\’s get it over with. My power bill will be frightful. I\’m running the window unit more than usual, trying to cool this place as much as possible before the storm knocks out the power. Even if I had my bike rigged to run a window unit, such a manner of \”cooling\” would be spinning my wheels! The effort required would make me overheat. I guess I\’ll hook the hybrid into the trainer later, if I still have electricity to cool me as I \”ride\”. But this might have to be a lazy day.

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On Tenterhooks

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I get tired of being on tenterhooks. It\’s what drives me crazy about the threat of tropical storms. I\’m stuck indoors, not daring to go for a real ride because I don\’t know exactly when weather conditions might deteriorate. It is now nearly 6 pm. The wind is 20 mph, and it\’s been raining a little. I kept thinking we\’d get fierce wind and pouring rain earlier in the day. It didn\’t happen. Late in the morning I hooked my road bike into the trainer and pedaled for 25 minutes. I had the Garmin going, and when I saw that I had \”ridden\” a certain distance I imagined what things look like at that point when I\’m really outdoors riding. It helped keep things from getting quite so monotonous. So far no power outages. A friend says that her electricity has been out/restored twice already today! As long as I still have electricity I can work on my web site, and there\’s always something to work on. Naturally that includes blogs, but I\’m glad I have posts scheduled for several weeks in advance. That means I don\’t have to worry about being unable to post if I don\’t have power the next couple of days. I don\’t want to wear out my laptop\’s battery; if we lose power here I\’ll want to reserve it for occasionally checking the weather sites. Re: Le Tour, that yellow jersey seems to be playing leapfrog! Hardcore bicycle-racing fans must be on tenterhooks, too, wondering who will eventually grab it.

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Not Only Cowboys

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Personal Care /

Not Only Cowboys ? It’s not only cowboys who get saddle sores. Saddle sores had always sounded to me like something that might happen after days on horseback. It hadn’t occurred to me that cyclists might get them, too. As with so many other things, prevention is better than having to deal with sores after they develop. What steps can we take? Saddle fit and position are a factor. Be sure your saddle supports your sit bones; and if there’s a spot where your saddle causes extra pressure or chafing, adjust it to eliminate the problem. Cleanliness is important, too. Always have a clean pair of shorts to wear for every ride. Some riders use antibacterial soaps such as Hibiclens as a daily crotch wash. A lubricant such as Chamois Butt’r helps prevent chafing during a ride. After a ride, get out of your cycling shorts as soon as possible. Don’t hang out in a sweaty chamois. If a saddle sore develops in spite of all precautions, it’s small comfort to remember that it’s not only cowboys who have this problem. You want that sore to heal as soon as possible.  I read of one rider who developed numerous sores at once. He did a lot of out-of-saddle work until the sores healed. If a sore is really stubborn, then of course consult a physician. You want to get back in the saddle as soon as possible. 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 Doohickies August 25, 2024 Wear and Tear August 24, 2024 Start on Empty August 23, 2024 Drone Away August 22, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Hunkering Down — Sorta

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I\’m hunkering down — sorta. Thanks to Tropical Storm Barry, I\’m enjoying a mini-vacation. I don\’t quite dare try to go for a real ride; at present the wind is as much as 22 mph. That makes bike handling difficult, and if the wind strengthens, there will be the hazard of flying objects. It was wonderful to not have to get up early in order to go for a ride. I\’m looking forward to retirement as being able to get in nine hours\’ sleep per night! I didn\’t have to go to work today, nor did I have to head out for the grocery store early, before road traffic built up too much. Actually, I wouldn\’t be surprised if many stores\’ shelves are rather bare now. When there\’s a tropical storm hanging around, bottled water, canned goods, and batteries sell like hotcakes. At around 9:15 am I hiked over to the nearby filling station, where I got a snack and a soda at the mini-mart. I didn\’t need either, but I did need to get outdoors for a bit. When I\’m at work I usually get outdoors a few times during the day, even if only for five minutes. I need those little breaks more than I realize until I\’m stuck inside because of bad weather. After a while I\’ll hook a bicycle into the trainer, and pedal a while. It\’s monotonous as you-know-where, but better than nothing. I have to do something to keep myself from going bonkers while I\’m hunkering down — sorta.

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An Unexpected Holiday

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An unexpected holiday! Few things are more delightful. But I sure won\’t be spending it at the beach! Time to settle down and browse through a favorite book. I got to work today only to find a sign on the door stating that the campus is closed until next Monday. I hadn\’t thought to check the campus\’s web site, as the forecast didn\’t look like we\’d get bad weather again before this evening. I suppose it\’s a \”abundance of caution\” thing, especially after the flooding downpour of yesterday morning. Besides, there\’s still that system out there in the Gulf. It\’s not yet up to tropical storm strength, but it could impact us. In case it does, the campus has to prepare for it. Oh, well, I got in some exercise walking there. Before going home, I hiked to Walgreen\’s. They were out of gallon jugs of water, which really shouldn\’t be any surprise. I got three quart-plus-sized bottles of water and the holiday mood prompted me to get a pint of ice cream. After all, if we get rough weather and the power goes out, I won\’t be able to have ice cream for a while! Why not go for a spin on the road bike? I did go out early this morning, but now it\’s almost 10:00. They say the sun is at its worst between 10 am and 2 pm, and besides my legs still don\’t feel \”there\”. So I think I\’ll stay home and relax while I have the chance. Ah, the joy of an unexpected holiday!

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What a Day!

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What a day this has been. Had I thought to check the weather online before leaving for work this morning, I might have stayed home. It was about 7:00 when I started out, and already raining. I wore my poncho and used my umbrella as well. I wasn\’t much more than halfway to work when it started to rain harder. I heard what sounded like transformers blowing. Fortunately I got to work, and indoors, before things got really bad. It became quite dark, it poured like crazy, there was close lighting — even a tornado warning! My brain felt like mush. Maybe because my legs don\’t feel \”there\”, either. When I woke at 4:30 am, it was raining hard. I decided to pedal in the trainer for a while so I\’d get at least some exercise. That was an endless 20 minutes! I work on a university campus and when, at about 10:20 am, we got an online message that the campus was closing effective immediately, I was only too glad to leave. I had to do some wading; some of the streets around here turn into lakes during a heavy rain. Cars parked along tbese streets get flooded. I\’m glad I don\’t have to worry about that. We could still get more bad weather, and in fact I hear thunder right now. Then there\’s that system out in the Gulf. We\’re already under a storm surge watch, and if it heads our way we can be in for torrential rain in the next few days. I looks like I won\’t get in much riding, and I\’d better keep poncho and umbrella handy! What a day we\’ve had; and probably more to come. What a drag!      

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The Sky’s the Limit

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

The Sky’s the Limit The sky’s the limit; really. Can you imagine a 100-mile mountain-bike race at over a mile up? I feel breathless merely thinking about it. But a lot of riders head for Leadville, Colorado for just such an event. The course starts at over 10,000 feet altitude; and reaches well over 14,000 feet. The climbs/descents add up to something like 15,000 vertical feet. As this is a MTB event, I expect the ground to be covered tends to be pretty rough. Rougher ground means greater effort merely to keep moving forward. I notice that whenever I have to ride over a rough patch in the road; never mind climbing over such a surface. So just think of the calorie requirements of riders in the Leadville 100! That’s a lot of Power Crunch Bars, rice cakes, and Clif Bars. GU-Gels, too. And the hydration necessary! Leadville’s climate is semi-arid. That seems very dry to me; all the more so as I live where average annual rainfall is 60 inches. Fill up that Camel-Bak; and refill it at every opportunity! Better to have a bit more of a load on your back, than to “ride light” and get dehydrated. The Leadville 100 race sounds like a grueling event. To begin with, there’s the altitude. Merely qualifying to participate requires riding events with long, tough courses; lots of climbing is included. Earning a spot in the Leadville 100 is an accomplishment to be proud of. Finishing in less than 9 hours earns you a large gold and silver belt buckle. Need a little longer? Finish in less than 12 hours and you still win a silver belt buckle. Those riders have quite a piece of work cut out for them. They’ll really have to, um, get the lead out. They’ll also have to remember that the sky’s the limit. 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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Not Only for Cycling

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Helmets are not only for cycling. Sometimes I think that wearing a helmet at all times would be a good idea. This afternoon, just after I left work, I somehow stumbled just after walking down a few steps. I couldn\’t catch myself and landed on the ground, hitting my head on the cement sidewalk in the process. There seemed to be an awful lot of blood from it. Luckily I had a cloth that I could use as a compress! I also scraped up a hand and skinned a knee. Head injuries are nothing to fool around with, so I decided I\’d better get medical attention, just in case. Someone drove me to a nearby urgent care clinic. I filled out the paperwork (fortunately only a page or so), and only then learned that they don\’t do head injuries. I had to call my neighbor to pick me up and take me to the ER! As it turned out, it\’s nothing serious. They patched me up with some Steri-Strips, and gave me a tetanus shot, since I couldn\’t remember when I last had one. Much ado about nothing? Perhaps, but as I already said, you don\’t take chances with head injuries. If only I\’d had my bicycle helmet on when I tripped and fell! Helmets are not only for cycling.

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A Conundrum

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A Conundrum Cycling comes with its share of puzzling aspects. How’s this for a conundrum?  Recently I read that, the fitter you are, the more you suffer at altitude. That seems odd to me; I had expected the exact opposite. After all, people who regularly take part in vigorous physical activity improve muscle strength; their cardiovascular systems get stronger; and exercise helps to deliver oxygen to the body’s tissues. So why doesn’t fitness help an athlete to make better use of the lower oxygen levels in the air at high altitude? There seems to be no clear-cut answer. At least in part, it seems to be an individual thing. Some people are more prone to altitude sickness than others. Some adjust to the thinner air more quickly. Way back when, I heard about Olympics-bound athletes who went to Denver to train, so they could learn to deal with working out at altitude. I expect I’d have problems if I went to a cycling event in, say the Rocky Mountains. Many years ago I visited Denver, “the Mile-High City”, for a week. I felt out of breath the entire time I was there. Would using a hypoxic mask during my day-to-day sea-level rides help if I were training for a high-altitude event? DO those things work? Maybe. Maybe not. I think I’ll stay here at sea level, and let the high-altitude thing remain a conundrum.

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