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Handwriting

Handwriting 𝒜 𝔅 ℂ Old and Tired? I’m not one who should talk about handwriting. My penmanship has never been anything to boast about. But I’ve got to face it: the handwriting is on the wall. My road bike’s days are numbered. This was bound to come eventually; but it seems so soon! Unfortunately, it’s become difficult or impossible to get parts for my bike. I ordered a replacement large ring for it months ago; and the bike shop hasn’t been able to find one. That gear will inevitably become so worn that it’s useless — and then what? Despite what the handwriting says, I hope my bike will hold out long enough for me to choose a new one. I’ve begun searching, so I won’t wind up grabbing whatever bicycle is there. Searching 🔎 Searching for a new bicycle involves many considerations. As my bike shop says, there’s the question of availability. What all is out there? What frame material do I want? I thought, carbon fiber or aluminum. The bike shop recommends the former. They say that aluminum frames don’t absorb bumps as well; and rough surfaces abound in my area. I don’t think that steel is a wise choice for a humid, salt-hazy climate; and titanium is expensive, which puts it out of the running. I don’t need to see that in handwriting! Will I be able to find a bicycle in the frame size I need? That can be a problem for smaller-than-average people; but it’s the most important factor in bike choice. If the bike doesn’t fit you, you could be in for a lot of problems. Colorway, as they call a bike’s color scheme, is secondary. It would be great to have a bike that’s sky-blue; but other factors matter much more. Other Factors ⛭ Other factors in bike choice are bicycle weight; and gearing. I must be searching for those things, too. The bike shop says, I’m not likely to find a recreational-style road bike that weighs much less than the bike I have. That’s somewhat dismaying; after RAGBRAI, I thought it would be nice to have a road bike that weighs around 15-17 pounds; not 22 pounds. But if I can’t get a lighter bike, can I get one with lower gearing? That would help with hills; sometimes RAGBRAI presents riders with 15% grades! I thought I might get a bike with a triple crankset; but the shop says they don’t make road bikes with a triple any more. Also, I want to transfer the saddle and pedals from the old bike to the new one. When I got my current road bike, it came with a flat, very hard saddle; and it did not feel good at all! I’ve got to go do some more research; including, of course, prices. 🤑 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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In Summary

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

In Summary 🚲 🌽 🌈 Home Sweet Home — for a Week In summary, my first RAGBRAI was a mixed bag. There was the pleasure of meeting Ryan Van Duzer! I got to try some fantastic foods: Chris Cakes; Beekman’s Ice Cream; Classic Cheddar and Bacon on Sourdough sandwich; and Thelma’s Ice Cream Sandwiches. And I added another state to my “visited” list; the first in many years. On the downside, I had to SAG much more than I wanted to; in part because my bicycle kept giving me mechanical problems. On the fourth night, a deluge left many of us with flooded tents. My sleeping bag got soaked; and then it weighed a ton. I totaled 238.67 miles out of the 406 miles of the RAGBRAI route; not much more than half. That was a disappointment. But in summary, this RAGBRAI actually was pretty good. I never expected that every moment would have me over the moon; and things weren’t so bad that I’ve been scared away from trying RAGBRAI again. Little Things 🌈 Then there are all the little things that didn’t quite fit into any of my blogs; but that are a part of RAGBRAI. I’ve mentioned the piggy-wig; but I never said anything about rumbles. Cyclists understandably go around rumbles when they can. If you have to roll over them, it’s like riding over a washboard! Rumbles typically come in sets of three; and are designed to slow traffic in the approach to a stop sign I’ve been watching YouTubes of RAGBRAI 2025; and it’s good to see them. There are so many little things that I had already forgotten; and the videos refresh my memory. Like the tulip signs on the way out of Orange City. Next Year 📅 I’m already thinking of RAGBRAI next year! Although I had problems this year, at least I know why. Next year, examine my bicycle more carefully when I get it back from the shipping service. If I had done that, I might have had much less trouble. Start training earlier; and train harder. For this RAGBRAI, I didn’t get my hard efforts past 90 seconds. I need to work them up to at least five minutes! Who knows; in 2026, the route might throw 15% grades at us! Maybe I should consider a touring bike with a triple crankset? Or perhaps a lighter-weight road bike. I’ve read of a formula for long-distance cyclists: the bike shouldn’t weigh more than 12% of the rider’s weight. According to that formula, the road bike I have is far too heavy! I’m a petite; and maybe there aren’t any bicycles that light, except for pro-tour racing bikes. But they’re far beyond my budget. Next year I want to try some goodies that I missed this year: Farm Kids Breakfast; corn on the cob; Mr. Porkchop. And a few more pieces of pie. If I can improve my cruising speed to 15 mph, I might have more time to spend at such attractions. 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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Minutiae

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Minutiae ✳︎ ✦ ✢ RAGBRAI is full of minutiae. I’ve forgotten so much already; and I wish I’d had time to take more notes. And more photos. Unfortunately I always had to get moving; and often didn’t have my camera with me. In towns, I’d leave it in the “burrito bag” on my handlebars, because I needed both hands for eating. I ought to mention the Mile of Silence on the first day of RAGBRAI, when riders pedal in silence to remember cyclists killed on the road during the past year. There was a sign for each person to be remembered. I don’t know how many signs there were; but one was, tragically, for an eight-year old boy. More and more minutiae keep coming back; but I often don’t remember when they happened. Which day was it that I got the spoke bracelet? Day One? And which town was that? When did I get the Classic Cheddar and Bacon sandwich? The Classic has four slices of bacon; and there was also the Baconator, with eight slices of bacon! Which town was it where I saw the Amish horse and buggy? Day Six, I think it was. Incidentally, by that time in RAGBRAI I was getting very tired. On the first day, we had to go over a set of railroad tacks. A sign warned, “rough tracks”; but I rolled over them and thought, “You call that rough?” Doing RAGBRAI was a chance to be out in Nature, too! Out in Nature 🐦 It was good to be out in Nature. Although I’ve been griping about headwinds, I liked to hear the wind making the corn plants rustle. I often heard redwing blackbirds calling. Once I saw a bald eagle landing; and I saw a chipmunk one day. Oh, and there are fireflies in Iowa! It was a delight to see them, because there aren’t any at home. Being out in Nature doesn’t always mean there’s time to sight-see; and I wish I could have paid more attention to the landscape. Other riders were often at least several feet away from me; but even so, they were there; and I had to look out for them. There’s a lot of minutiae connected with Nature; and too often we miss them. I’d say it’s worth cultivating an eye for them. 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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All Types

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

All Types 🚲 🏕️ RAGBRAI is for all types: all types of “rides” for instance. There were road bikes; fat-tire bikes; tandems (was Daisy out there somewhere?); bicycles for three; and four-wheel fat-tire bikes. I once caught a glimpse of a rider on a unicycle; and there were even roller-bladers out there! RAGBRAI is for all types of riders, too. Some are the lean, super-athletic sort; but I can assure you, I’m not among them! 🫤 Some riders aren’t the super-lean sort; but what of it? RAGBRAI is for all shapes; sizes; ages; and fitness levels. You’ll find all types of food out there too; and I do mean food everywhere: from pork chops to ice cream to grilled cheese. And, of course, pie. Food Everywhere! 🥩 🌽 🥧 Food everywhere was actually a bit of a problem. With all types of food that I wanted to try, which one should I choose? I often gravitated to whichever booth was closest. Along the way I had, among other things, breakfast burritos; some kind of tacos; grilled cheese with bacon; and Chinese noodles with veggies. Too often, the servings were too big; and I didn’t want to cram myself before getting back on the bike. That meant tossing what I didn’t eat right away. I didn’t feel good about wasting food; but I couldn’t take it with me. For one thing, I wasn’t sure how safe the leftovers would be to eat after an hour or more in hot sun. I needed a trailer with an ice chest! 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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Cash Is King

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Cash Is King 👑 Cash Runs out Fast! Cash Is King at RAGBRAI, they say; and it’s amazing how fast you can burn through it. And I wasn’t buying eight-dollar beers! I ran into several situations (bike-related) where I needed up to eighty dollars in cash; and next time, I’ll bring along a cache of several hundred bucks for such emergencies. Cash Is King isn’t only about paying for food. At least I did have enough money for food; but I never got around to trying Mr. Porkchop. The big pink bus was always towards the end of a day’s route; and I had always just had something else to eat. Mr. Porkchop wasn’t out on Day Seven; and RAGBRAI Day Seven wasn’t a good one for me. I’d been plagued by bike issues the entire ride; and today my gears were acting up again. I’d shift into a low gear for climbing; but it sure didn’t feel like I was in low gear! Then my gears would start shifting by themselves! Several people had helped me with adjusting my gears; but only a mile or so into today’s route, I knew I was in trouble. I decided to SAG, because at the rate things were going, I knew I’d never make it to the halfway town (and the PBV shuttle to Guttenberg) on time. At the Mississippi 🚲 Riding on the SAG wagon, I was at the Mississippi River by about 10:00 am. The SAG wagon had dropped us at a Casey’s; and I finally got to try breakfast pizza! If cash is king at RAGBRAI, at least some stores let you pay with card. At the Mississippi, there was ample time for the tire dip (although I didn’t really feel that I had earned it); and to find Pork Belly’s booth. That meant a ride of several miles. The crew had already laid out the luggage; and what a relief it was to find my bags; pull out my sneakers; and get out of those cycling shoes! Too much walking in cycling shoes had given me a blister a few days earlier; and constantly sweating feet didn’t help it. Then I had to get things squared away with Bikeflights; and get something for lunch. It was rather tedious waiting around until 3:00 pm for the shuttle to Omaha; but that’s better than frenzied, last-minute rushing around. So ended RAGBRAI 2025. The End 🎬 So it’s the end of RAGBRAI 2025; but despite the difficulties, my thoughts are already turning towards RAGBRAI 2026! I didn’t get to try everything I wanted; but I did hit a number of items on my list: Chris Cakes; Beekman’s Ice Cream; Thelma’s Ice Cream Sandwiches. I was even able to get the Mint Double Chocolate, which I’d always heard sold out first. I had only one piece of pie all week — but that’s OK. Oh, and one time-honored thing for RAGBRAI newbies is to p** in a cornfield. I got that one done, too. That was a bit of a problem a day or two after a downpour. The ground was very soft; and my cleats got full of mud. Next time, bring along cleat covers, and/or an old toothbrush to clean my shoes. Headwinds were a problem for everyone this year; and had me wondering who ever determined that winds in Iowa during July are typically out of the West! Maybe next year will be better. 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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Slip ‘N Slide

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Slip ‘N Slide 🛝 I’ve Turned Farmer! Here it is, RAGBRAI Day Six; and I haven’t mentioned Slip ‘N Slide yet. In fact, I never even noticed any during my ride. Although they look like fun, they probably aren’t wise for someone my age. I did, however, discover another version of Slip ‘N Slide: my sleeping pad slid all over the floor of the tent; and the sleeping bag slid around on top of the sleeping pad. I never knew what might end up under me. That was enough Slip ‘N Slide for me! RAGBRAI Day Six saw us going through Fairbank; and here I turned farmer! I never dreamed that I’d one day become a tractor driver. This was a shortish day; but even so, I arrived at Pork City later than I would have liked. And it was hard to believe that this was the last evening of RAGBRAI. Last Evening 🧳 I spent a good bit of time that last evening packing my duffle bags. After a week of trying to cram everything into those bags, I knew there wouldn’t be time in the morning. Next year I’ll get me a sixty-liter bag! Since the flood of Night Four, I was also hoping for another night without a downpour. One deluge was more than enough.. At least I never got caught in a downpour with lightning while on the road. RAGBRAI went by in a hurry; and it was hard to believe that we were to the last evening already. One last night of Slip ‘N Slide in my own tent! 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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In Line

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

In Line 〰️ Let’s get in line for 𝚷! RAGBRAI sure has a way of keeping you in line. In line for food; for the KYBO; etcetera. During Day Five, I rolled into one town; and saw the sign for 𝚷. I loved it; and a few yards farther on, a pair of signs: “For the slower ones … ; Pie”. Despite all the hype about RAGBRAI and pie, I had pi … 𝚷 … er, whatever it is, only once. Cherry crumble, or something like that. I had hoped to find Amish pie; and try shoofly pie! Well, there’s always next year. During RAGBRAI DAY Five, I managed without the SAG wagon; but I still had to walk some hills. Those kids on the Dream Team were putting me to shame. It wasn’t quite as hot today; and I got a Thelma’s Mint Double Chocolate ice cream sandwich! That was one of the items on my must-try foods list. Drying Out 🌵 After last night’s mega-downpour, I and a number of other riders had clothing and other items that needed drying out. Fortunately, Pork Belly Ventures organized a laundry run for us that evening, for which we were very grateful. I wasn’t sure about care instructions for my sleeping bag; and didn’t dare put the dryer on high heat. So I still had a damp sleeping bag; but that was much better than a sodden one. That thing is incredibly heavy when it’s soaked! The weather was warm enough that I didn’t really need to sleep inside the bag; so it didn’t matter that it wasn’t completely dry. I hadn’t used Pork Belly’s mid-week laundry service; but since I had the chance, I washed some clothes. It was good to have a chance to catch up. I was glad the weather was drying out, too. The last thing any of us needed was a repeat of the previous night’s weather. I hoped we weren’t in line for more T-storms! Oh, and speaking of In Line, I did spot a group of in-line skaters one day! 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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Cornfields and KYBOs

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Cornfields and KYBOs 🌾 This is Minnesota, not Iowa; but it’s a cornfield! RAGBRAI 2025 Day Four brings me to cornfields and KYBOs — no, not that kind of corn! Although I admit it’s possible to develop corns during a week of long daily rides! One of the time-honored to-do items for RAGBRAI newbies is to p** in a cornfield. There are cornfields aplenty along the route, and KYBOs in towns; but I didn’t visit a cornfield until Day Four. It really isn’t bad in there, especially if the ground isn’t wet from downpours. I had to bail again today! 😞 RAGBRAI Day Four was another day of relentless headwinds; and my left knee was bothering me a bit. On top of it all, I had developed a blister from so much walking in bike shoes the day before. Fortunately it bothered me much less while riding than while walking; but it was still uncomfortable. At the day’s meeting town, I ended up on a super-SAG, aka a school bus, with many other riders. Then, during the night, I found a new dirty word! New Dirty Word 🧼 You can learn a new dirty word anywhere; but I never thought that R-A-I-N would be among them. The night of RAGBRAI Day Four proved me wrong. Starting about 10:00 or 11:00 pm, a T-storm broke out; with lots of lightning and a seemingly endless, torrential downpour. Good thing I didn’t need to look for cornfields and KYBO’s just then! It soon felt like I had some water leaking through the top of my tent; and next I realized that it felt like I was lying in a river! I hadn’t especially noticed; but my tent was in a low spot. My sleeping bag got drenched; and so did other items. My phone seemed to stay dry, thank goodness! Around 3:00 am I got up and began trying to dry some things with my microfiber towel; but with standing water at least a half-inch deep in my tent, the towel kept getting into the water! No wonder R-A-I-N is a new dirty word to me. Incidentally, the lightning up there is peculiar. Here at home, it typically is a split-second flash. That night, it was a slow-motion on-and-off, with the “on” lasting one or even two whole seconds. I guess they never heard of greased lightning. Massage 💆🏼 By this time in the week, my leg muscles needed something to ease them. Although Pork Belly offered a massage service, I didn’t use it. I chose a cheaper option: I brought along a massage ball. The orange one only, with soft, longish spikes. There wasn’t room in my bags for all three! It was mainly my quads and hamstrings that needed attention; and I would roll the ball over them before I went to sleep. I think this mini-massage helped keep my leg muscles from turning to concrete! 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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A Piggy-Wig Stood

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

A Piggy-Wig Stood 🐖 What would Edward Lear think? To paraphrase Edward Lear, “And there in the cubby, a piggy-wig stood!” As I was with Pork Belly, I thought this little pig would be the perfect way to mark my charging cubby. Sure, there are letters and numbers (letters horizontal; numbers vertical, I think it was; or was it the other way around?) to help you find your cubby; but who wants to try to remember, say, K6 at five o’clock in the morning? A visual marker is much easier. I only had to remember, there a piggy-wig stood! RAGBRAI 2025 Day Three was another tough one. I tried to think KYLL; but it’s hard to keep at it in the face of relentless hills and headwinds. KYLL 🦵🏼 If only I were better at KYLL: Keep Your Legs Loose. The repeated hills and relentless headwinds were a killer combination! I tried to keep going; but for one thing I’m not very fast anyhow; and in a pass-through town, it’s easy to lose an hour and more by the time I can get something to eat, and visit the KYBO. At about 6:00 pm, I had to bail out. I stilll had 10 miles or so to go; the roads re-open to public traffic at six; and SAG service also stops. On top of all that, it was starting to rain. Just then a SAG wagon went past; and I waved it down. Luckily there was still room for one more passenger/bike. We saw a beautiful rainbow; so the rain had an upside. But the SAG dropped us at the main campground; and Pork Belly camp was a good walk away. I say “walk” because I couldn’t face any more hills that day. Unfortunately my cycling shoes are NOT good for walking; even if I practice KYLL while I do it. My right bunion got a sizeble blister on it. Ouch. On Strike? 🪧 About mid-week, my electronics seemed to go on strike. My cell phone kept running out of charge. It was OK before I went to RAGBRAI; and it’s been all right since I got home. Was it the charging blocks? Those blocks seemed to work all right at home, before the trip! I had a similar problem with my headlight; and the heart rate monitor refused to work all week! Why? I got new battery put in within the last few months. After a few days, I quit wearing it. I’m glad my legs didn’t go on strike! 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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Out of State

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Out of State 🚴🏿 Hey, where’s Iowa? RAGBRAI 2025 Day Two was a first: the RAGBRAI route went out of state, for the first time it the event’s history. We left Iowa for 15 miles in Minnesota! I had never been to Minnesota before; so it was interesting to see a little bit of it. RAGBRAI Day Two was a short one. We had cloud cover much of the day; and that’s always welcome in hot weather. Especially if it doesn’t rain. While we were out of state, I wish I’d hd more time to say, Hello Minnesota; but I sensed that my bike was still having mechanical issues. Hello Minnesota! 👋 Hello, Minnesota? I wish I could have said a proper hello! At Brown Park in Minnesota, there was a Welcome to Minnesota sign somewhere; but I didn’t have time to look for it. My bike still seemed to have brake rub; and I needed to get it taken care of. Spoke N Wheel had a booth there; and I headed for it. The problem turned out to be more than a little brake rub. My rear wheel was out of true; and the tire was rubbing the chain stay. No wonder I got leg cramps yesterday! I thought I was working hard agains hills and headwinds; but I had a wheel that wasn’t turning properly. In addition, the cassette was a bit loose. RAGBRAI Day Two was proving to be another tough one. There was also a twisted spoke. Then I remembered a near-fall shortly before I shipped my bicycle to Iowa; and my right foot jammed into the rear wheel. It seems that this mishap caused more damage than I thought! I scarcely had time to say, Hello Minnesota; before I had to say, Goodbye, Minnesota! Trying out the Menu 🥞 First pancakes in years! Today, I believe it was (I wish I could have taken better notes!) I really began trying out the menu. Chris Cakes was on my must-try list; and I have to say, they are good! 👍 Of course, you have to stand in line to get them! Beekman’s Ice Cream [connection to their site is unfortunately not secure] was another must-try. They say, listen for the popcorn sound; and you’ve found it. Ir’s worth waiting in line for this treat! They have four flavors: chocolate; vanilla; raspberry; and peach. I got half chocolate/half raspberry; and when I got Beekman’s again later in the week, I chose peach. I also tried a “walking taco”; and was it today that I got a slice of pie? Gosh, so much food everywhere! Trying out the menu is admittedly rather costly; and usually the servings were huge. I’d prefer smaller helpings and a lower price; but RAGBRAI makes a lot of riders very hungry! 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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