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Shortchanged

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Shortchanged It’s easy to let some things get shortchanged. In my eagerness to work towards my Love to Ride mileage goal, I too often neglect cooking. Heavy work on this web site hasn’t helped! Sunday is normally long-ride day; but today I decided to skip it and head for the supermarket. The salvage store had little in the way of produce yesterday; and I needed bananas; onions; and other items. When I go out for a 40-mile ride, I often don’t get much else done when I get back home. It’s usually late morning by then; and of course I’m tired. I don’t feel like rushing around the kitchen. Cooking projects can be time-consuming, too; and today I really needed to take the time to cook! My project this morning was Pink North; a new Hoppin’ John variation. I used canned beans and canned tomatoes for it; so that’s three fewer cans taking up space. I also concocted a garbage soup; and that got rid of three more cans. I’ve got to be sure I keep a supply of canned goods in case a hurricane heads our way; but I have so much that I don’t think I’ll run out soon. Cycling is a great way to develop and maintain fitness; but it’s only part of fitness. Proper nutrition is a big part of the picture; and I’ve let nutrition get badly shortchanged for the last five months or so. I’m due to have my A1c levels checked next month; and I fear the results will not be good! I’ve been trying to get back into proper meal planning; but it’s not easy! And it’s already Sunday evening; time to get ready for another work week. That means less time for meal planning!

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Improvisation

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Uncategorized /

Improvisation Improvisation isn’t restricted to music. Most of us do it daily; and it’s a handy skill during a bicycle tour. Sometimes something breaks; and there’s no way to replace/fix it right away. Yet the tour must go on!  Then it’s time to get inventive. Once my hybrid’s kick stand gave way while I had the bike parked at work. The stand was bent; and when I put it in the “up” position, it dangled in a manner that meant it was in the way. I had to secure it somehow. Fortunately I had my reflective ankle bands with me. I used one to fasten the kickstand to the chain stay until I could get to the bike shop.  That’s only a very small example. Some riders have to find a way to rig up a temporary derailer; or deal with brake pads that start rubbing. A good way to minimize the risks for such problems is a good tune-up before the tour. It isn’t always the bicycles that go wrong. Camping equipment can cause problems. For instance, what do you do if your tent starts to leak? And, heaven forbid, did you forget an important item? That can make for a frustrating trip, no doubt. I resorted to improvisation at the salvage store this morning. I usually bring along some sort of cooler; and today I forgot it. What to do? I decided to get a bag of frozen corn; and I put the heat-vulnerable items in a bag with it. It worked pretty well. The salami stayed cool; and the chocolate-y things didn’t melt. I hope I don’t need to resort to improvisation tomorrow. It won’t be easy when I’m twenty miles from home!    

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Cyclist’s Palsy

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Cyclist’s Palsy Do I have cyclist’s palsy? My doctor calls it cubital tunnel syndrome; but the two sound like the same thing. Both involve numbness/tingling in the pinky and ring finger; and I’ve got it in both hands. For some months, I’ve noticed that my right wrist tends to hyperextend as I ride the road bike; and I suppose that might be a factor.  I’m working to keep that wrist in a more neutral position.  But I’ve got this condition in both hands! Too much time spent on keyboards, maybe? For a long time, I’ve noticed that my hands tend to be clumsy when I try to type; and some of my fingers feel weak. The right ring finger is especially bothersome. It has a way of horning in and typing an “L” when I don’t intend it! My hands in general tend to be clumsy. I often fumble and drop things; and that bone spur in my left thumb doesn’t help! I need to find a way to keep my elbows straighter while I’m sleeping. So far, I haven’t found a cheap way to do it. Maybe I could develop a fabric sleeve that can hold a chunk of padding; but I’m too busy with other things. So you see, cyclist’s palsy isn’t a bit fun. I’m worried that my hands might not hold out for the next five months, until I reach my planned retirement. I’m in no hurry for surgical intervention; especially as I’d need two procedures. Each one would mean time off the bike; and I don’t want to derail my 2022 Love to Ride mileage goal!

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QuietKat 2019 Apex

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

QuietKat 2019 The QuietKat 2019 Apex ebike certainly deserves mention. A certain social-media platform is full of messages about ebikes; and who knows? I might need the electrical assist myself some day. QuietKat 2019 Apex is designed for tough, back-country riding. That sounds almost like a mountain bike! Those wide (4.5 inches) tires might be great for muddy conditions; but how are they for road riding? Now and then I see a rider using fat tires on a paved bike path; so I suppose they’d do. Does the bike’s weight (75 lbs) make it too hard to pedal without the electrical assistance? My adult trike weighed a good bit less than that; and pedaling that rig took considerable effort. I have to admit that the “cat” is expensive. This bike’s price tag is enough to put me off; and how much does a replacement battery cost? That’s something to consider before purchasing any ebike. Recently I saw a news article about a family who had bought an electric car; and they learned that replacing the battery would cost almost as much as the car itself had! I hope that’s not the case for an ebike battery. It sounds like the battery needs some special care, which isn’t surprising. I wonder how well one would fare in this humid, salt-hazy climate. And storing it in a cool place is impossible during the Summer as long as I’m in my current residence. I’d be nervous about charging up that battery. Remember those things called Hoverboards? There were cases of fires that were caused by a charging Hoverboard; but maybe there are now built-in features to prevent such disasters.

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Sturmey Archer Hub

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Sturmey Archer Hub This saved my first century! The Sturmey Archer Hub came to my rescue when I rode my first century. My tricycle was a single-speed when I bought it; and I didn’t add the three-speed hub until about a month before the big ride. For several months, I had worked towards century day. I got tired of fighting the wind during long rides; and it finally dawned on me that I needed some kind of assistance. Part of me resisted (pride); but the other part said, come on — you need this! Let’s be practical! I’m sure I couldn’t have made it through those 100 miles without the Sturmey Archer. The wind was nasty that day; and seemed to be against me most of the time. With the hub, I could spin in a lower gear when I got tired of fighting the wind; and the rare times when I had a tailwind, the high gear actually let me get up some speed. I look back now, and wonder how I ever managed that ride. That trike probably weighed around 50-55 pounds; and its width meant it put up a lot of wind resistance. I’ve been spoiled by the much-lighter road bike; and I think I’ve gotten lazy, too. I don’t have to work as hard to ride 10-12 mph; and so I don’t! If your adult trike is a one-speed, the Sturmey Archer Hub is worth considering if you do a lot of riding. As I said, it saved the day when I did my first century. The low gear is handy for both headwinds and inclines. On one ride (not the century), when I got a stiff tailwind, I was blasting along at 15 mph! That hub was worth it.

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Dust

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Dust Dust is everywhere. I’ve got so much of it in this place that I don’t even try to keep up with it. If I did, I wouldn’t get anything else done! Annoying though dust is, sometimes it does some good. They’re saying that huge quantities of it, blown from the Sahara desert, are inhibiting tropical storm formation. That’s a relief to anyone living in areas vulnerable to hurricanes; and I hope it means we won’t have one of those storms this year. Some folks are still reeling from the effects of Ida.  If a hurricane does threaten, it might mean I can’t ride for at least one day. That might sound petty, considering how badly some people suffer from such weather; but when I can’t ride, I really miss it. Well, I can always have a hurricane party. But my mind is always on my Love to Ride mileage challenge. I’m aiming for 5000 miles by December 30, 2022; and it looks like I’m on target. So far this year, 3370 miles; and I want to keep going! This afternoon it rained again. Rain keeps the dust in the streets down; but it made me feel like the lube job I did on the hybrid’s chain was vain effort. Try, try again!

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Eye on the Sky

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Eye on the Sky Today I had my eye on the sky. The forecast said, T-storms were possible from late morning; and at 6:25 am, there were already big thunderheads to the South and West. Those clouds seemed to grow and grow; and I was a bit anxious about that. I was worried that things might turn stormy before I got back home; and turned back a mile or so early. I had a bit more headwind coming home than I did during last Sunday’s long ride; and my average speed was only 11.45 mph. The heat was getting to me, too. It was only during the last 5 miles or so that the clouds began to move over the sun part of the time. On a day like this, that’s a welcome relief! My distance wasn’t bad: 40.9 miles. As to my pace, I think I need to get back to force development exercises — or else haul out Get Fast! again. Racing isn’t on my radar; but most of us cyclists want to get faster, don’t we? Since I got  home, I’m debating whether to ride over to the drug store. I’ve still got my eye on the sky; and the rain hasn’t begun. There was a brief drizzle around noon; but you never know when it might begin to pour. I have some prescription refills that I need to take care of; and it’s a big nuisance to do that after work. In the long run, it will be easier to do it now. At  the same time, I’m tired; and I don’t really feel like going out. I also need to clean up the kitchen — same old story.

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Good Trip

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Good Trip I had a good trip to the salvage store today! This time the grab-bag bins were piled quite high; and I found three FitCrunch bars! I also found packets of peanuts; and I got a few candy bars as well. Elsewhere in the store, I found some things that will make good ride food; and I got almond milk, too. Since I had the trailer, I bought a 12-roll pack of bath tissue. Why not get it while I can? Of course that was a bulky item; but really, I had quite a small load. That was helpful during the trip back home; and the wind wasn’t bad; so it was a good trip on the whole. As I rode, I watched big thunderheads that were off   towards the West and South. I knew that we might get rain and T-storms by early afternoon; and it looked like somebody was already getting it! About twenty minutes after I got home, the sun began to dodge in and out of the clouds. Around noon, I began to hear thunder. I had thought of riding over to the drug store; but if a T-storm was moving in, it was better to stay home. After I got my loot home from the salvage store, I sat down to the usual: figure out how much I saved over buying that stuff at regular stores. Sometimes I come up with figures that I can’t quite believe; but then again, protein bars are expensive. FitCrunch bars normally cost over $2.00 apiece; and today I got three at about sixteen cents each! Things like that add up fast. That’s why I keep going to the salvage store. I need the ride; and I love the savings!

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School Again

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Uncategorized /

School Again It’s almost time for school again already! It always comes too soon, doesn’t it? It sure did when I was a kid! If there’s a safe place to ride, how about letting the kids get to school under pedal power? When I was a kid, there was absolutely no way we could safely do that. We had several miles to go; and part of the route was a rather narrow, two-way road with ditches on both sides; and no shoulders! Add heavy traffic; and such a ride, if possible at all, would have been terrifying! I wish now we could have walked; or ridden bicycles. This Huffy sounds like it can take a lot of hard use. The drawback is, I’m not sure it could be equipped with fenders and a luggage rack. Books and other supplies might have to be carried in a backpack. That can amount to quite a heavy load! The Huffy is also a one-speed. If the route includes any hills, the lack of extra gears will make the trip harder.   But we hear about how important physical activity is for anyone; and on the way home, the ride can let a child “blow off” some of the stresses of the day. If there’s some fun in getting there and back home, school again might be a bit easier. Oh, and don’t forget the helmet!

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Things I’ve Seen

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Things I’ve Seen The things I’ve seen while riding my bicycle! Many, if not most, are quite mundane things. This week’s sighting was most unusual. Day before yesterday I was out on the road bike; and about three miles from home I saw something by the bike path. At first I thought it was a young opossum; and then I saw that it was partly white. So then I thought it was a very small dog; and I was relieved that it didn’t chase me. Some dogs do, snarling and growling; and it’s quite unnerving. I didn’t think more of it until yesterday morning. On the way back home, in about that same spot, I saw two people who were apparently taking pictures. As I rolled past, I saw amber eyes glowing; and guess what the critter was? A lop-eared rabbit! I’ve seen cottontail rabbits; but this was totally unexpected. I fear that it was a former pet that somebody got tired of. If that’s the case, I hope the bunny gets a new home.  Oh, the things I’ve seen! I think it would be interesting to go on a bicycle tour; and see something really new. I have yet to view mountains from the saddle of a bicycle; and if I can take the climbing, a leaf-peeping Fall trip to Vermont might be fun. Who hasn’t seen photos of the state’s blazing Fall colors? Imagine rolling through such beauty!    

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