Pack It In
Pack It In 
eVac Compression Dry Bag I’m starting to practice how to pack it in for RAGBRAI. It won’t do to wait until the day before I leave for Iowa to try to figure it out! A while back, I ordered my first duffle bag — a gray one. I soon realized that one bag very likely won’t fit everything that I need to take; so I got a second one. I chose orange for the color of this bag — I want one to be my check-in bag; and if both of my bags are the same color, I know I’ll get them mixed up. A few months ago I got a sleeping bag, although not the two-person kind shown here. Later I bought a compression stuff sack to pack it in; and it proved to be too small. But I found a way around that, thank goodness. My sleeping bag has layers that fasten together with zippers; and these layers can be completely removed from each other. That allows you to adjust to various temperatures. I know from watching videos that RAGBRAI can get very hot; but sometimes overnight low temperatures can drop to the 50s! The blue layer of my sleeping bag might be sufficient; and that will fit easily into my compression stuff sack. The warmer orange layer fits, too. If I want to bring both layers, one can go in my carry-on. Meanwhile, I’ll do my best to carry on with my riding! Carry On 
But I hope the weather lets me carry on, with or without panniers. Things are expected to get stormy by Sunday night; and Monday looks stormy, too. I might have to pack it in; but I hope it doesn’t come to that. At least tomorrow morning should be OK; and I can carry on with my usual trip to the salvage store. 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 Pack It In April 18, 2025 Egg Hunt April 17, 2025 Morning Machine? April 16, 2025 Rearview April 15, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR
“Don’t rain on my egg hunt!” is probably on many local kids’ lips. The forecast for upcoming Easter Sunday is, mostly cloudy. If I were a little kid, I think I’d be worried about that! Oh, to find eggs made of chocolate; and jelly beans; and, if you were part of the Imperial family in Russia — Fabergé eggs! I don’t expect to participate in an egg hunt; but I don’t want it to rain on the kids’ Easter fun. I also don’t want it to rain on my bicycle ride. Speaking of rain, while I was out on my hybrid this morning, I heard a rain crow. Uh-oh. Does that mean we’ve got rain on the way? Gosh, talk about weather weary! Sometimes I get tired of watching the forecasts; and I’m sure I’m not alone. But I need to know what kind of conditions I might face during a ride. Weather Weary 
I think I’m weather weary already, whether we’re talking about an egg hunt or not; and it’s some time before hurricane season is due to begin. Weather weary isn’t only about rain, it’s also about wind; and tomorrow it could be blowing at 15 mph. With a headwind on the way back home, of course! This week I’ve been taking it pretty easy; after last week’s mileage, I realized that I needed to rein myself in a little. Since I wasn’t concentrating on force-development exercises, pace improvement, etc.; I decided to make a few mini side-trips to look for places where I might make restroom stops. The results aren’t encouraging; and I think it might be better to google “filling stations” along my route. That might be the lazy way; but it sure saves time! 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 Egg Hunt April 17, 2025 Morning Machine? April 16, 2025 Rearview April 15, 2025 Dead Heat April 14, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR
Is my bicycle a morning machine? Or maybe this is a word association matter. Most of my rides do take place early in the day; and I get used to greeting people that I pass with, “Good morning.” Then, when I ride later in the day, I automatically say the same thing; even if it’s past noon! Morning rides have advantages: in hot weather, it’s a little cooler then; and if the moon is full, I like to ride before dawn to see the moonlight on the river. Sometimes I hear an owl; and if the river is high, sometimes I see the gleam of alligator eyes. So yes, my bicycle is a morning machine — even if it doesn’t run on coffee! I like to see the various critters, such as rabbits. But rabbits seem to vanish into the underbrush by mid-morning; so if I want to see them, my bike needs to be a morning machine. Critters 
Speaking of critters, I was astonished enough to learn that there are alligators in the Mississippi River. I was even more surprised to read that sharks get into the river, too! I wonder how long they’ve been there; and whether it might be possible to spot a shark’s fin from the top of the levee. Probably not; but now I have an even better reason to not try to go swimming in that river. Even reaching the edge of the water means risking whatever critters are lurking in all the trees and undergrowth. Whether my bicycle is a morning machine or not, I don’t want to take it in there! By the way, a bike is a morning machine during RAGBRAI. Many riders start very early, especially if the day is expected to get very hot. And it will be interesting to see what critters are in Iowa! 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 Morning Machine? April 16, 2025 Rearview April 15, 2025 Dead Heat April 14, 2025 Stacks April 13, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR
Is a rearview mirror on a bike a good thing? I use one on the hybrid; but not the road bike. For years I had a handlebar-end mirror on the road bike; but it sure had its drawbacks! It was tricky to get that mirror in the correct position to begin with; and reaching for the bottle on the down tube usually knocked the mirror out of line. Then I was right back where I started. Another problem was that, when I rode early in the day, the sun shone right into the mirror; and reflected blinding light right into my eyes. How could I get a good rearview that way? I was sure that riders coming up from behind were also getting blinded; and I figured that wasn’t right. Over time, the mirror’s mount got loose; and a few months ago, I finally gave up on it. But will I need a rearview mirror during RAGBRAI? I don’t have a pair of extra eyes in the back of my head, after all. Extra Eyes 
If I go for an Accmor Bike Eyeglasses Mirror, you might say that I have extra eyes. These mirrors are lightweight at 9 grams, or about 0.38 ounces; and provide a rearview when you need it. But around here, I’d still have the problem of reflected sunshine on most of my rides; and I don’t have extra eyes if I burn out the ones I have. And, would even those nine grams weigh too heavily on my nose? One thing I remember from what little group-riding experience I’ve had, is: don’t worry to much about the riders behind me. The cyclists alongside and in front are the ones I need to watch. Looked at from that point of view, maybe a rearview mirror isn’t necessary. 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 Rearview April 15, 2025 Dead Heat April 14, 2025 Stacks April 13, 2025 Horning In? April 12, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR
I thought of “dead heat” when I rode today. It was already at least 2:00 pm when I went out; and it was 76 degrees. Just coming out of Winter, that’s quite warm; but it’s time I started doing rides in the hotter part of the day. I’ll need at least one such ride per week. Having the sun overhead makes it seem even hotter; and I’m used to riding early in the day, when the sun is lower in the sky. But during RAGBRAI, I’ll be riding more than 20; or 30; or even 40 miles most days. Luckily I won’t need to worry about getting caught up in the dead heat of a race; but I won’t be able to avoid riding in bright sunshine. And it could get very hot! So, I’m considering ways to take the edge off of the heat. Take the Edge Off 
A cooling rag really does help take the edge off of the heat; and I definitely plan to take one to RAGBRAI. Or maybe even two! I can use one during the day’s ride; and one to drape over my head if it’s hot in my tent at night. I won’t want to be in a dead heat while trying to sleep! A fan would be nice; but a fan would be one more thing to 1) take up space — and add weight! — in my luggage; and 2) another thing to keep charged up. So I’m looking for another way to keep cool. A cooling rag should at least take the edge off! 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 Dead Heat April 14, 2025 Stacks April 13, 2025 Horning In? April 12, 2025 Trampoline? April 11, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR
We’ve all got stacks of things in our lives; and wouldn’t it be nice if that could mean piles of ice cream! Unfortunately those stacks are usually much more mundane: a heap of laundry to be washed; and a big pile of dishes in the kitchen sink! I enjoy riding; and it’s a satisfaction to see those stacks of miles in my ride log. Sometimes I have to rein myself in a bit; and remember what they say about big miles. Steadily increasing the distance week after week, with no letup, can lead to burnout; or, worse, overuse injuries. Or, worst of all, loss of interest. Three out of the past four weeks, I’ve put in over 100 miles. In fact, this past week I rode almost 155 miles; and that was a big increase! I think it’s time to ease up for a week. Ease Up! 
It’s OK to ease up sometimes; this isn’t boot camp, after all. And sometimes, when you ease up for a while, you’ll come back even stronger! A break after riding stacks of miles lets your muscles recover; and also gives your mind a rest. It can also be a time to focus on other aspects of your training, such as resistance work for the arms and upper body. And don’t forget core work! Not that I never do such exercises except during lower-mileage weeks; I have to keep them going as a regular thing. It looks like we’ll have nice weather all week. If I didn’t see that it would be wise to give myself a break, this would be a great time to put in stacks of miles! 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 Stacks April 13, 2025 Horning In? April 12, 2025 Trampoline? April 11, 2025 Jump Start April 10, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR
As a rule, horning in is something we don’t want. It can be most annoying; but this morning was a time when it was nice. I went for a short, early ride to get my moonlight-on-the-river fix; and heard an owl. I’ve heard that kind of hooter before; but didn’t know what kind of owl it was. It didn’t sound quite like a barred owl; and it certainly wasn’t a screech owl. I finally googled “hear Louisiana owls”; and now I’m sure that I heard a great horned owl. For some reason, I thought we didn’t have them here; but evidently we do! Sometimes horning in is actually a good thing. Mornings are still cool; but when I’m out before dawn, I see flying insects. It’s getting buggy! Getting Buggy 
Now that it’s getting buggy, eyewear for cycling is a good idea; and would be even if you don’t need visual correction. It’s not fun to have a gnat or tiny moth land in your eye; and a corneal abrasion is no joke! ROCKBROS Photochromatic Bike Glasses mean that you don’t need to bother with both a pair of clear lenses; and a pair of sunglasses. No having to stop when you want to swap from clear lenses to dark ones. And my Ray-Ban Sunglasses, I eventually discovered, are too wide for my face. I was riding over a very bumpy street surface; and with each bump those glasses went flying. I had to continually grab them to shove them back on my nose; and after that, I used a retainer. But the catch is, I had to take my helmet off in order to take that sunglasses-retainer combo off! The next time I had an eye exam, I opted for a pair of new glasses with photochromatic lenses. It’s great to have only one pair of optics to deal with! 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 Horning In? April 12, 2025 Trampoline? April 11, 2025 Jump Start April 10, 2025 Delays April 9, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR
What ever put a trampoline into my mind? This isn’t a gym, after all. This morning I went for my bike fitting; and the fitter said my saddle was too high by a good centimeter. So he lowered it; and that got me to thinking of the seat drop. No wonder I’ve got the trampoline on my mind! Now I’m to ride as usual for about two weeks; and call the fitter if things seem “off.” When I rode home post-fitting, it did seem that my legs were moving in smaller circles than usual. Was that the adjustment in saddle height; or the effect of a tailwind? Which reminds me, I’ve got to check the weather outlook! Weather Outlook 
The weather outlook for the upcoming week looks good; so I won’t have to resort to bouncing on an indoor trampoline. But this morning the wind felt pretty stiff! I had a headwind of some 13 mph on the way out; and I practiced riding hard against it for a minute at a time. Bit by bit I’ll increase that time; I’m pretty sure there will be longer climbs that on RAGBRAI. As the ride date approaches, I’ll start checking the weather outlook for Iowa. Then I’ll have some idea of what I can expect. Incidentally, I missed the moon this morning. Either it was already down; or clouds near the horizon obscured it. But maybe I can do an early, short ride tomorrow; and I hope to see it then! 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 Elementor #197445 April 11, 2025 Jump Start April 10, 2025 Delays April 9, 2025 Visit the Tailor April 8, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR
I’m very glad the RAGBRAI climbs this year are mostly pretty tame; but I still have to train for them. Unfortunately it’s tricky to gauge the effort level needed for effective hill simulation! It’s a good thing I have three months left to work on it. That’s about more than legs; it’s also about CV fitness, too. When I check my Garmin after a ride, I see that I’m spending less time in the upper heart-rate zones than I used to. I’m not sure whether that indicates improved fitness; or shows that I’m not working as hard as I was before now. Maybe it’s some of both. It might be a good idea to forget about speed per se for a bit; and concentrate on strength development. I’ll need it for those RAGBRAI climbs, after all. Now, how can I jump start improved “hill” training? 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 Jump Start April 10, 2025 Delays April 9, 2025 Visit the Tailor April 8, 2025 Ahead of Schedule April 7, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR
Delays are an aggravating part of life. Sometimes it’s stop signs and detours when you’re in a hurry; and sometimes it’s an unplanned rescheduling. The latter is the case with my bike fit. The bike shop called today. They said, the person who was supposed to do my bike fit, isn’t available at that time slot, after all. Now I have to wait for them to call me back so I can arrange for a new time slot. Delays, delays! But I can still ride while I wait for the bike fit. I must say, though, this week’s ride log looks like a taper! Taper? 
The taper, in this case, isn’t a candle. It’s an important part of training, whether your upcoming event is a big race; a century; or RAGBRAI. By all I’ve read, when there’s one week to go before event day, it’s too late to train. Tapering means reducing distance considerably for about a week prior to the event; but keeping some intensity going. RAGBRAI is several months away; but all the same, my log ride for this week looks like a taper. Monday, I rode 40+ miles; the next day, a little over 30 miles. Today, I did only 20.5; but actually, 20 miles is what I had in mind for most weekday rides. I keep thinking of this video about training for RAGBRAI, where it suggests doing back-to-back long rides (~6: 57); and see how you manage it. That’s what I’m working up to. I might not be quite ready for 40-mile rides two days in a row; but last May these rides were 20-22 miles. But I don’t need too many delays in ramping up my mileage. RAGBRAI is only about three months away! 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 Delays April 9, 2025 Visit the Tailor April 8, 2025 Ahead of Schedule April 7, 2025 Break from Videos April 6, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR