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When Things Are Off

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What do we do when things are off? You know those days when things simply aren\’t right? You\’re so tired and sleepy that, by the time you can manage to drag yourself out of bed, it\’s too late for your pre-work ride. On top of that, you feel too blah to care! That\’s how it was with me this morning. I might not feel so sluggish of mornings if it were warmer in here. Being cold saps my energy; and I like to joke that I\’m cold-blooded. I\’m also rather short of sleep lately, which does not help. See \”When Stop Does Not Mean Go\” in this article. When my head feels stuffy and my energy levels are low, I guess it\’s better to skip riding for a day or two. I might feel better if I irrigated my sinuses; but I probably need an entire new kit. I hope I feel more perky tomorrow; but unfortunately the forecast is for \”Widespread dense fog\”, with wind 5-10 mph. I\’ve always associated fog with lack of wind, so a forecast for both fog and wind seems a bit odd to me. Day after tomorrow they\’re predicting rain; and winds of 15-25 mph! That doesn\’t bode well for a grocery run. I guess I\’ll have to set up a bicycle in the trainer;  but \”riding\” like that is best reserve for when things are off.  

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Put Your Foot In

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Put your foot in it; or on it, anyway, although I don\’t like to ride a bicycle in my bare feet. It\’s not comfortable. What I mean is pedals. There are the flat \”platform\” pedals that come on many bicycles. My adult tricycle came with that kind; and so did the hybrid. After several  months I swapped the hybrid\’s original pedals for Shimano SPD\’s. Clip-ins improve pedaling efficiency, so it is said; and I find it to be true. Road bikes are sold without pedals, because there are quite a few different systems (more than I can go into here); and each rider has an individual preference. I had kept the hybrid\’s original pedals when I got the clip-ins; and I had the clip-ins switched to the road bike, and the old pedals put back on the hybrid. It now feels weird to ride on platform pedals. Even toe clips are much more efficient than platforms. The platform sides of the Shimano SPD\’s aren\’t comfortable unless I\’m wearing thick-soled shoes, because of the toothed edges. Fortunately I seldom need to ride the platform pedals. The catch about those dual-system Shimano pedals is that it\’s sometimes hard to get my free foot clipped in once I\’ve started riding. I\’ve seen road-bike pedals that let you clip into either side of the pedal; but I don\’t feel ready for \”roadie\” shoes yet. I\’ll stick with those SPDs, even though they\’re actually MTB pedals. Maybe I\’ll get roadie pedals someday; do they let you put your foot in it? Meanwhile, let\’s hope there isn\’t any foul work afoot!

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Wolf!

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Wolf! Is there a wolf out there? If the forecast for this coming weekend is accurate, it’s going to seem like the Big Bad Wolf (of Three Little Pigs notoriety) is trying to blow down the brick house. The strongest winds are expected over Saturday night. Gusts up to 35 mph! Showers are in the forecast for Saturday morning; and that rather dampens (no pun intended) any plans to run errands by bicycle. At least Sunday is expected to be sunny; but the wind will still be 15-20 mph. With the temperature already in the low 40s, that will push the chill factor as low as the freezing point. It makes riding so much harder! One, it’s already cold; two, I’m fighting the wind; and three, heavily gloved fingers make on-bike eating harder. It’s also hard to drink enough when I’m already cold; and all I have is cold fluid. Then, Sunday night, it’s going to get even cooler. That probably won’t last long; but it’s also likely to rain once the temperature rises a little. All these crazy fluctuations in temperature from day to day make me yearn for Summer. At least then I know it will just be hot and humid. It’s a nuisance having all sorts of gloves, leg warmers, and other cold-weather gear lying all over the place. They take up precious space; and it can be hard to keep track of them all. Maybe we can persuade the wolf to go elsewhere. Maybe to Blow the Man Down? 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 Bolivia January 7, 2024 Beating the Weather January 7, 2024 Real Saturday January 6, 2024 Roadie Again! January 5, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Road ID

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Ever hear of Road ID? We all hope nothing bad happens during a bicycle ride; or, in fact, at any time. But what if an emergency does crop up? Sure, take along your driver\’s license and health insurance card on every ride. There\’s also Road  ID. I\’ve seen it mentioned before. I had the idea it was a card, but the web site makes it clear that it isn\’t. I already wear a MedicAlert bracelet, and do I really need another bracelet dangling about my wrist? Maybe I could get the Shoe variety. Road ID a good idea. I carry contact info with me in case I need to have somebody pick me up when I\’m on a long Sunday ride. A couple of months ago, in fact, that came in handy! I had propped my road bike against a wall, and it slid down to the ground. The impact broke the rear derailer hanger, making the bicycle unrideable. If I hadn\’t had a way to contact anybody, I would have had a miserably slow, 14.5-mile walk home!  

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Magic Touch?

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Some people have the magic touch. I took the Garmin to the bike shop after work. I told them what was going on; and one of the guys took the Garmin and pressed the on/off button. Wouldn\’t you know, the crazy thing turned on immediately. I guess the man has a magic touch. It turned out that the computer was totally out of charge; but I have no ida how that happened. I though I had turned it off after charging it up day before yesterday; but maybe I didn\’t. At any rate, the guys at the bike shop said to take the Garmin home and charge it up; and see how it goes. Lately I got some strange heart-rate readings from the thing; and I hope that corrects itself! While I was at the shop anyway, I looked at Cateye computers; and some of them cost much less than I feared I might have to spend to replace the hybrid\’s computer. Things are looking up again.

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SMART

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When I was a kid, I used to like to watch a TV show called, Get Smart. One Maxwell Smart was working against an entity called KAOS (which I thought was  \”chaos\”). I remember one episode when the KAOS guys had tied up Maxwell Smart hand and foot, and stood him on his head in a corner. They had just exited out one door when Smart\’s working partner, Agent 99, came in through another door. He looked up at her and said, \”Hello, 66!\” She said, \”But, I\’m 99.\” Max says, \”I know, but you\’re upside down!\” Why that has stuck in my mind is beyond me. Aren\’t memories weird? Then there\’s SMART training for the cyclist or, I should suppose, any athlete. I\’m not so sure I\’ve been following it very well. Specific? \”Get faster\” is, indeed, rather vague. For years my list of cycling goals has included \”increase cruising speed to 15 mph\”. That gives me a target to shoot for. Unfortunately I haven\’t been doing it quite right (see \”Attainable\”, below). Measurable? Not as easy as it sounds. Checking for gains in my average speed over time might not mean much, when so many variables can affect average speed (terrain, wind, etc.) Attainable? Increasing my cruising speed is a goal I believe I can reach. I\’m better at averaging 15 mph for as long as 10 miles; time was when it took great effort to touch 15 mph for a brief moment. But I still can\’t do it for hours on end. Realistic? Working up to 15 mph, yes. I\’m not yet where I want to be with it, but I\’ve made some progress. How about 20 mph? Sometimes I can touch it and even hold it for a few seconds; does that indicate potential? Time-specific? Here is where I fall short, I think. As a new year begins, it\’s so easy to think that there\’s no hurry about working towards your goals for the year. Then, before you know it, it\’s December!

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Not Looking Good

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Alas, things are not looking good! This morning my Garmin wouldn\’t turn on; and I was sure I remembered charging it up after my ride day before yesterday. I was already running (pedaling?) late; so I did a short ride without it. At least I know where my five-mile point is; and that helped. I\’m waiting for somebody to come fix my ceiling; and while I wait I tried plugging the Garmin into my laptop. No response from the Garmin. I tried a different charging cable with the same result; namely, nothing happened. I\’ll have to go to the bike shop and let them have a look at the thing. I hope it\’s not worn out and needs replacing! I haven\’t had it for quite three years; and at the time I bought it, it cost over $400. I expect something with a price tag like that to last a long time! Lately I\’ve been getting some strange heart-rate readings from that Garmin. A ride summary might show that I attained a max heart rate that is in my Zone 5; but when I checked for time spent in heart rate zones, it showed zero for Zone 5. Maybe I was in Z-5 for only a split second; but maybe something about the Garmin was awry? When I\’m riding and see a HR in the 180s on the readout screen, I know something weird is going on; and maybe it\’s not looking good.  

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How Hard?

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How hard am I working? Did you ever wonder how much of a workout you\’re really getting during a bicycle ride? This is where having a heart rate monitor comes in handy. Some bicycle computers, such as the Garmin Edge 520, let you monitor your heart rate as you ride. First, the Garmin must be programmed with your pre-determined heart rate zones; and after a ride, the Ride Summary shows how much time you\’ve spent in which heart rate zones. Now, how do you determine what your workload was? Let\’s take a look at a ride of 50.2 miles, averaging 13.21 mph. My ride data showed the following heart rate zones/times (in minutes and seconds): Z2: 1:44; Z3: 113:18; Z4: 113:04. I rounded the times to the nearest whole minute: Z2: 2; Z3: 113; Z4: 113. Next step, multiply the zone by the number of minutes spent in that zone: 2 x 2 = 4; 3 x 113 = 339; 4 x 113 = 452. Then, add them up: 4 + 339 + 452 = workload 795. Here\’s the question for me: am I spending too much time in my HR zone 3? After at least four years, maybe even five, I still haven\’t achieved my goal of being able to cruise at 15 mph for prolonged periods. Am I in a Zone 3 rut? Looking back over my ride log, it seems rather like it. How do I improve? More \”force\” work (pushing for a high cadence in a hard gear)? Staying in a light-ish gear, but working for 100 rpm or more? Striving for a set speed — let\’s say, 17 mph — for x amount of time, no matter what the conditions? Some of all three? Gee, a coach sure would be helpful. I don\’t know how hard I should work!

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A Complete Washout?

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Am I a complete washout? I\’m not nearly as conscientious about cleaning my bicycles as I should be; and I\’ll be the first to admit it. On weekdays I have to go to work after I ride; and there isn\’t time to do a decent cleaning job and have breakfast, too. After I get home from work, I have other things to do. I\’m reluctant to try this outdoor cleaning routine. Or this one. I don\’t have my own yard; and one of the occupants of the unit adjacent to mine is prone to hanging around outdoors SMOKING!! That smoke sets off my allergies. If I were to spray WD-40® around, I\’d need a double filter mask. Such fumes bother me, big time. So do the fumes of many cleaning products. I\’ve tried a solution of Simple Green®; and that bothered me, too. Even though I put a bicycle on a tarp to protect the carpet, using soapy water would be a problem; and I certainly can\’t drag a bicycle into the shower with me! Another aspect of bicycle cleaning that I need to improve upon is the skill of removing the wheels and replacing them. The front wheel is easy enough, but I\’m always nervous about doing it to the rear wheel. Having a bicycle that looks brand-new all the time is low on my priority list. On the other hand, my bicycles need more frequent washing. But no gully-washers, please! That would be a complete washout, for sure.  

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Cycling Woes

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Cycling WOES? Yes, indeed! Occasionally I think that maybe there are better ways of getting around than by bicycle. By balloon, maybe? A hot-air balloon eliminates headwind problems; but apparently ballooning against the wind is impossible. It\’s all with the wind in a balloon; and that\’s inconvenient when your destination isn\’t downwind. Crashing, on the other hand, is far more survivable on a bicycle than in a balloon. But do hot-air balloons have chains that need to be maintained and that, sometimes, get dropped? This morning I had both: headwinds, and I had to stop and put the chain back on the small ring when it got dropped. There are times when shifting to the big ring simply doesn\’t work. When I try to shift back onto the small ring, the chain falls between the small ring and the frame. I was wearing very heavy gloves, which actually doesn\’t help when I need to shift to the big ring. They\’re really too big for me; and if anything that reduces the already-reduced dexterity of gloved hands. Another problem I had this morning was highly suspect readouts from my heart rate monitor. My Garmin\’s screen was showing a HR rate in the 180s, which I\’m sure can\’t have been right. Yes, I was pushing for 12-13 mph into a 17 mph wind; but from my breathing at the time, I\’d say upper Zone 4 was correct; or possibly low Zone 5.  But not Zone 6+! In fact, I don\’t even have a Zone 6 programmed into the Garmin. Maybe the HR sensor needs a new battery; and I can do without it for a while if I must. Meanwhile there\’s always RPE. Oh, these cycling woes!

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