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Let’s Go Exploring

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Let’s Go Exploring Let’s go exploring! As its name suggests, the Schwinn Discover Hybrid Bike is great for cruising around. Take a ride through the neighborhood; and pause for a chat with a friend. Get some panniers to hang on the rack; and bring home the groceries.  My hybrid is my transportation to and from work; and I use it to ride to the salvage store. If I had to use public transit to get there, I wouldn’t go nearly as often! Taking the bus is much more time consuming; and I’d rather save the fare. If you’re eager for longer rides, a handlebar bag can hold your snacks and other necessities. Wait. Long rides, with a hybrid bicycle? Yes, you can do long rides on a hybrid! It isn’t as fast as using a road bike; but it’s definitely possible. I’ve sure put some miles on my hybrid; 17,000+ to date. A hybrid will even do for centuries if you don’t [yet] have a road bike. With racks for luggage, I suppose you could even use one for a tour; but if there are lots of climbs in store, be sure you’ve got the right gears! Yesterday, however, I didn’t feel any Let’s go exploring urge. The forecast was for T-storms; and I decided not to ride. Then nothing happened! It really annoys me when I lose the opportunity for a long Sunday ride. The forecast for much of this week is similar to yesterday’s; and I hope my rides don’t get rained out. It hasn’t rained here today — not as of 5:30 pm — but as I was riding home, I saw some big clouds building up; and there’s a 60% chance of T-storms. This isn’t the best time to say, Let’s go exploring!

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Always the Question

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Always the Question Ever wonder why; what; etcetera? There’s always the question when I don’t ride: could I have gone for a ride, after all? Today’s forecast was for T-storms, from about 4:00 am onwards; and in fact, I heard rain at about five o’clock. I decided it was better not to go riding; and as of 9:00 am, I was still waiting for  the bad weather to set in.  Of course, I don’t know what things are like ten miles from here; and as I’ve said before, weather can move really fast. Few things are more unnerving than being caught out when the lightning gets close! Well, there’s always the trainer if I want to do some indoor pedaling. There’s always the question of, will I ever get around to another century? I’m sure not doing any training for it today! It’s hard to do the amount of training that I think I need; and if I were to do a 100-miler in October, I need to be preparing now. Last night I put some Nuun in the fridge to chill, in case I did go for a long ride today. Now I have to drink it up, or pour it down the drain. Nuun is supposed to be used within a certain time frame after you mix it; and it’s not the cheapest stuff around. I find it to be quite tart; so I might be naughty and put some sweetener in it. The sun keeps dodging in and out; so I don’t know whether it’s going to rain or not. I want a few things from the drug store — should I ride over there, or not? That’s always the question!

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Diminishing Returns

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Diminishing Returns? This week seemed like diminishing returns – every morning I’ve biked fewer miles than the morning before! Today I rode less than five miles, which is next to nothing. I didn’t ride to work, either, because I had to get downtown for an appointment; and I didn’t want to drag my helmet with me. So I rode public transit; and noticed that many passengers were not wearing masks. This, right when the news is reporting another COVID spike! Incidentally, is all this business about vaccination and boosting a case of diminishing returns? Seems like they keep saying that it is; or am I getting it wrong? As cyclists, we have to guard against the diminishing returns of going too hard, too often. Training seems to be a double-edged sword: no structure in your daily rides, and you probably won’t make much progress (if any); but train too hard and you risk burnout; injury; and even loss of interest in cycling! We don’t want that, do we? I’ve been watching the weather, of course. It looks like tomorrow’s chances for T-storms are mainly in after 11:00 am; so I should be able to ride to the salvage store. I just hope it doesn’t turn into an inconvenience store, the way it did one time! Sunday looks like it might be a different story. The forecast says, scattered T-storms; starting at 4:00 am. Not fun.☹  Maybe I can take a Sunday off for a change. Or, if I’m lucky, I can get in some miles on the road bike after I get home from the salvage store tomorrow. I’ll have to play it by ear, I guess.

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Shoo

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Shoo? “Shoo fly, don’t bother me!” I remember my mother singing part of that song when I was little; but I didn’t know it beyond the first two lines. When we’re cycling, we want a good shoo — I mean, a good shoe. The Fizik R5 is especially designed for road cycling; and has a two-year manufacturer’s warranty. I’m still using MTB shoes on my road bike. That sounds quite ironic; but I don’t feel the need for super-lightweight cycling shoes. I also don’t relish the thought of trying to walk in “roadie” shoes. Once I tried some on in the bike shop; and they are SLICK!  MTB shoes typically have recessed cleats; and are much more walkable. That’s helpful when you make stops during long rides; and if I forget to put my heel (not my toes) down first when I stop, I don’t slip. I hope the rain and T-storms will “shoo” during the mornings this weekend. I need to visit the salvage store again; and I especially want some kind of bars I can use for ride food. I’ll have to guard against getting more canned goods, though; and that can be hard to do! It’s especially hard when I bring the trailer; but I need that trailer when I bring a cooler. I want to look for hummus! I don’t want bad weather around Sunday morning, because I want to do a long ride. I think I’ll push for 40 miles; and I hope we get calm winds again. This past week there were several consecutive mornings of little or no wind; and oh, what a luxury that is! But there are plenty of flying insects around. Shoo, fly; don’t bother me!

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Not the Firth

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Not the Firth ‘Tis not the Firth of Forth; but somehow that’s what I end up thinking when I hear, Fourth of July. The Fourth got an early start in my neighborhood. Saturday night I heard someone setting off fireworks; and it’s not something I enjoy. Going for a ride on any firework-y holiday has me a bit on edge. I don’t know when someone might toss an explosive my way without looking; and I don’t need to get an eye blown out, or an eardrum ruptured. Today I’m taking it easy. It was great to not have to get up at 4:30 am! By 10:00 am I was debating whether to go for a short spin on the road bike; but the sky was getting very cloudy by then. When I went to the supermarket last Saturday I forgot to get lemons; so I took a short ride with the hybrid to the closest store and  bought two. I like to use lemon juice to stretch salad dressing; and I like the tang that lemon provides. I was home from that mini-ride by 9:00 am; and already there was a big cloud building up in the Northeast. It had the kind of appearance that makes me nervous about lightning. I didn’t want to go riding at that time anyway, because I had to cook the Chickiflower! “Chicki” is my latest culinary experiment; and it let me get rid of two cans. It’s not the Firth; but maybe it’s a little bit cooler there! It was 86 degrees by 10:20 am; and the heat index was 98! Even that is cooler than last week’s temperatures. I think I’ll stay in for now; and keep cool. The cloud cover helps!

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Calm for Once

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Calm for Once! Today the wind was calm for once! I wish we had calm winds much more often. I’m working to lengthen my Sunday long ride. After two weeks of doing only 28-29 miles, I knew I’d better not shoot for 50 miles; but I extended my distance to 37.90 miles. It helped a great deal that I didn’t have to fight a headwind.  According to the forecast, rain and T-storms were possible from 10:00 am; and as I rode back home, I watched the clouds building up. I got home ahead of any bad weather; and within the next hour, I decided to ride the hybrid to the drug store. By then the sky looked more threatening; but I took the chance. It paid off; and now I have ice cream for the Fourth of July. About 45 minutes after I got home, I began to hear thunder. As long as I’m home, it may storm; and it might even cool us off a bit.  The problem with rain is that the streets around here are in a mess. A little rain results in quagmires that clog bicycle tires with mud; and for now, I have to detour several blocks to get to and from the bike path. It looks like tomorrow morning will be OK for riding; and I’d better get in some miles while I can. I’m almost to 2900 miles for this year; and my goal is 5000 miles by December 30.  While today it was calm for once, there will be some wind tomorrow. Of course I don’t like that; but you’d think I would be used to it by now! The main thing is that any T-storms wait to break out until I’m back home.

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Great Strides

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Great Stides Let your youngster make great strides towards the enjoyment of cycling! The Strider Balance Bike helps a child to learn how to balance on two wheels; and she doesn’t have to worry about pedaling. Or he can start to explore his world; and the puncture-proof tires eliminate worries about flats. Back when I was about to “graduate” from the tricycle to two wheels, I googled around for advice; and I found this. It gave me the idea to temporarily remove the pedals from my new hybrid bike; and do glide biking. No, it didn’t make me feel silly; because I made up my mind that it wouldn’t! I’m not sure you can say I made great strides; but I did get the hang of two wheels after a while.  The Strider Balance Bike has a sturdy, easy-to-maintain steel frame; and can be adjusted to a child’s growth. The handlebars are especially designed for small hands; and the Strider can be used by youngsters ages 18 months to five years. Of course, don’t forget to equip the little one with a helmet. The Joovy Noodle X-small is for kids ages 1-4; and meets CPSP standards. Comes in assorted colors; so you might not have to settle for pink! I don’t much care what color my helmet is, although a light or bright color is a good idea. I’ve never had a pink one, though!

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Cheated

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Cheated! I feel cheated. The forecast showed a high chance of showers and T-storms; and indeed, I heard thunder three times between waking and getting out of bed. I figured that heavy rain could begin at any moment; and if lightning was hanging around, I didn’t want to be riding on top of the levee. So I didn’t ride; and then nothing happened! Similarly, I decided not to ride to work today. I had to go to the drugstore this afternoon anyhow; and if there was heavy rain and street flooding, I didn’t want to be struggling through it on a bicycle. So guess what happened. Next to nothing! There was some thunder and drizzling during the afternoon; but not the downpour I was expecting. Before I left for work this morning, I set up the hybrid in the trainer; and after work I put in 20 minutes or so of pedaling. Of course a real ride is much better; but the sky looked stormy, and I decided not to try going out on a bicycle. There still could be rain tonight; and thanks to the “street improvement” work going on, getting to the bike path will mean wading through a quagmire. I don’t want to try to ride through all that mud and “river sand” for several reasons. One, the traction is poor. Two, my bicycle will get terribly mucked up; and three, the road bike has no fenders to keep dirty water and grit from getting tossed up the back of my jersey; and even into my hair!  For some reason my sense of time is off kilter this week; and yesterday I kept thinking that it was Thursday. Today, I had a hard time remembering that it isn’t Friday! Gee, I feel cheated.

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Outdoor Elliptical

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Outdoor Elliptical? The StreetStrider amounts to an outdoor elliptical machine! Sometimes I see someone using one of these; and it looks like a vigorous workout. I do wonder whether it’s normal to swing widely back and forth while using this outdoor elliptical machine. I’m not at all sure I have the upper body/core strength to hold a straight line on a StreetStrider! Or maybe some folks simply enjoy swinging back and forth; but it makes me a bit nervous when I need to pass them while I’m on a bicycle. Will they sway right in front of me? The StreetStrider comes with a stand that allows for indoor use during foul weather; or, you can always pull on the poncho and go out, anyway.  And don’t forget the helmet! I don’t remember noticing whether the StreetStrider riders I’ve seen were wearing head protection; but I think it would be a good idea. No sense in risking a TBI! Protective pads for knees and elbows are a good idea, too. I don’t have the space to store a StreetStrider; and for me, this piece of equipment is very expensive. From what I hear, that’s unfortunately becoming the norm for many people! The outer side of the front-center tube looks like an odd place for a water-bottle holder. Is it awkward reaching for the water bottle? Or maybe you just learn how to do it — as I learned how to handle a water bottle on the road bike’s down tube. And after nine years’ riding, there are still many times when getting that bottle back into its cage takes some doing. Another think I’ve long noticed is that it’s harder at low velocity. I guess I don’t have the gyroscopic effect then!

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Happybuy Adult Trike

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Happybuy Adult Trike A great alternative for folks who aren’t able to manage a two-wheeler. I bet this Happybuy Adult Trike can make many people very happy. Some folks who want to pedal have balance/dizziness issues; and aren’t able to manage a regular bicycle. For them, an adult tricycle can open up the world of cycling! You can choose from one or seven speeds; and if you have hills to deal with, extra gears are a great help. The same is true of persistent headwinds. The Happybuy Adult Trike has a large rear basket; and that’s great for bringing home groceries. If you want to go on pedaling expeditions, that basket can carry your supplies. My own tricycle was a single-speed. When I first got it, I didn’t expect to ride as much as I did; and additional gears didn’t occur to me. But I was hooked on riding before I made it the one mile home! Over the next two years or so I rode more and more; and eventually I had the trike fitted with a three-speed hub. I’m sure I couldn’t have gotten through my tricycle century without it! A big disadvantage to the tricycle was that I couldn’t bring it indoors. The rear wheels assembly was just a little too wide to get in through the door. In addition, that trike weighed about 55 pounds; and I have three steps up to my front door. Another thing about a tricycle: if you’ve been used to riding two wheels, remember NOT to lean a trike into a turn. The result quite likely won’t be so happy.

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