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Vietnam

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Vietnam Vietnam might not be the first country that springs to mind when bicycle touring abroad is mentioned. In fact, the nation’s very name has unfortunate connotations for some of us. Vietnam, however, can be a wonderful place for a bicycle tour. Of course there are some downsides, as is true of anywhere; but the people are said to be very friendly, and in general things aren’t very expensive. Vietnam also seems to have a reputation for being safe for tourists, which is more than can be said for many places. What is there to see there? If beaches are your thing, perhaps you’ll want to head for Phu Quoc island. There are Buddhist temples. See the rice paddies. Only about one-fifth of the country is flat. The rest of the country is densely forested highlands, or hills, or tropical lowlands. The climate is part temperate; part tropical; and the monsoons must be taken into account. The humidity tends to be high. Spring and Fall are said to be the best times to visit. If you do go there during the rainy season, be sure to take along a poncho. In fact, if Vietnam is anything like New Orleans, it can rain at any time; so remember Gene Kelly! 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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Bike the Florida Keys

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Bike the Florida Keys Bike the Florida Keys! Combine your love for cycling with your love for the water and the outdoors! Senior Cycling offers a number of bicycle tours. They sound like fun; but there’s one big precaution. Be sure there isn’t a hurricane prowling around! That could wreck your ride in a hurry. Distance-wise, the tours seem easy; and the terrain is mostly flat. I think I’d like to bike the Florida Keys!  I suppose these tours are held in January to minimize the chances that a hurricane will interfere with them. In addition, holding such a tour in Summer would very likely present a serious chance that riders will suffer from heat-related illnesses. These tours are aimed at older riders, after all, who may be suffering from chronic conditions as diabetes. SAG support is included, which might mean that bottles of water will be available. Even so, I would be sure to bring my Camel-Bak. Then I could be more sure that I wouldn’t run out of water. The description of Bike the Florida Keys doesn’t seem to say anything about wind conditions. I checked Google, and it says that the wind in the Keys is usually “calm”; maybe a bit over 9 mph. That’s not exactly my idea of calm, but all the same it’s not bad. This is yet another “maybe someday” ride. If I ever get to bike the Florida Keys, let’s hope I don’t get so keyed up with excitement that I crash. 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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Feeling Jumpy?

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Feeling Jumpy? Are you feeling jumpy from hanging around home? Tired of your local bike path? How about cycling the Australian outback? It would be interesting for me, after a lifetime in the Northern Hemisphere, to go stargazing in the Land Down Under. No familiar constellations such as Orion, Taurus, the Big Dipper, etc. If nothing else, I’d need to learn how to find the Southern Cross. I once read a book by a scientist who was studying one of the mass extinctions; one that occurred long before the famous K-T extinctions. He was in either Australia or South Africa. One night he was looking at the moon, and puzzling at its odd appearance. Then he realized that the Man in the Moon was upside down! I’ll bet that would be interesting to see. Crossing the outback on two wheels possible; but no picnic. I wonder whether my Camel-Bak full of water would last from one “watering hole” to the next. And that’s when staying on the main route!   Electrolyte drink mustn’t be forgotten; and food! The ride across the outback described here took two momths; and can you get  food and other supplies en route? I wouldn’t want nothing but bars, so what else could I carry? It would need to be compact and lightweight. Nuts, perhaps? Or maybe I’d be nuts to think about cycling across the outback! Actually, the very idea has me feeling jumpy. 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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Long Way to Go

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Long Way to Go Do you ever feel like this cat? I have a long way to go before I’m ready to shoot for another 100-mile day. This morning I felt like this cat. Tired; sleepy; and do-I-really-want-to-ride? But Cycle September isn’t over yet; so I prodded myself out of bed and went for a long ride. In fact, I added a few extra miles over the long-ride distance that I’ve done the past two Sundays. Forty miles still seems like a long, tough ride; especially with a headwind all the way home. I had to make about four extra stops! If I have any idea of doing another century, I’ll need to work up to weekly long rides of 60-70 miles first. I have to improve my stamina, so that I can ride longer before needing to take rest stops; and increase my pace as well. And do not, of course, forget about training the gut! My right hamstring has been feeling strained, so for the most part I stayed off the big ring and in lower gears today. I didn’t try to push the pace, which meant my average speed was barely over 11 mph. But when I need to, even in lower gears, I can crank it up to 18 mph! Such a pace, of course, isn’t necessary for me to do a century ride on my own. If it were, I’ve sure got a long, LONG way to go!

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Wearing of the Green?

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Wearing of the Green? ☘️ The wearing of the green? As I compose this page, it isn’t Saint Patrick’s Day; but the expression quite naturally makes me think of the Emerald Isle. At least one person has paddled a sea kayak all the way around Ireland. As I remember his account, parts of the journey were really rough. I don’t think I want to try to emulate that feat. For one thing, I don’t have the upper-body strength. But, just perhaps, I have the legs to pedal a bicycle all the way around Ireland? Taking my own sweet time, naturally! But if you’re in a hurry, there’s the Race Around Ireland! Like other ultra cycling events, such as RAAM, RAI sounds like “a contest of sleep deprivation”. For example, a solo woman rider must finish the route in six days, which means something like 217 miles per day. Making time for breaks to rest a bit and to get some sleep; and still cover those miles, would mean maintaining a fairly brisk pace. There’s a lot of climbing; a total of over 72,000 feet. I’ll bet I’d need a triple crankset! There are bound to be headwinds at times when you’re on a route of over 1300 miles. Heck, I get headwinds many a day when I’m putting in 15 miles or less! Am I strong enough to fight them for hours; and at a speed that would make me competitive in an event like RAI? I don’t suppose I’ll get the chance to find out; but if you go in for RAI, don’t get distracted into chasing leprechauns! And don’t forget about the wearing of the green. 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 I’m Staying In! March 16, 2026 Blowing Up March 15, 2026 Here We Blow Again! March 14, 2026 Shipshape? March 13, 2026 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Things We Shouldn’t Do!

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There are some things we shouldn\’t do when going for a ride! Check this out. Backpedal on the downhills? Weird idea. Riding when I\’ve got a cold? Come on. My nose is sniffly enough when the temperature starts to drop below 70, never mind how it would behave if I had a cold. I can\’t use a 53 chain ring — I haven\’t got one 😉 I do have a 12-tooth cog, but wouldn\’t try to use it on a climb. Don\’t drink on a long ride?! I\’ve wound up in the ER with dehydration even when I had water with me. It wasn\’t fun. So don\’t forget the Camel-Bak! Plastic bag on my saddle? While I\’ve got my bike parked all day at work, sure. After all, the bike racks are under trees (I don\’t need to tell you what might happen as a result), and if it rains I want to keep my saddle dry. But ride with that plastic bag still over the saddle? Too slippery. One-legged pedaling drills are one thing when the bike is secured in a trainer. I don\’t think I want to try it while actually riding. Want frostbitten hands? I sure don\’t! Where are my gloves? No food on a long ride? I feel the bonk coming on just thinking about it! Find my Clif Bars! And my GU-Gels! Climbing to me feels like going as hard as I can, anyway… Grass to fix a puncture? Do they mean stuffing the tire so full of grass that there\’s no room for a tube? I\’m not that patient, I\’m afraid. My \”best bad\” advice? I don\’t dare give anyone any wrong ideas! So remember, there are things we shouldn\’t do.        

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Exotica

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Exotica? Is exotica your thing? Do you think that cycling in Europe is too tame? Do you want something more exotic than even Russia’s taiga? Would India fit the bill? Or maybe Mongolia? India is a huge place; and I don’t know what part I’d want to focus on. Maybe not Calcutta. It sounds like the city is not very cyclist-friendly. New Delhi? The Agra Tour?  Something more rural? And when to go? The dry season? Here are some pros and cons of doing the opposite, and visiting during the monsoon season. Let’s take a look at Mongolia. It’s a big place, too. How long does it take to ride all the way across? I’ve seen pics of the night sky in Mongolia, blazing with stars. How I would love to see that! “Exotic” locations, to me, conjure up images off-the-beaten-track places; and of bumpy, potholed dirt roads — surfaces that probably aren’t well-suited to road bike tires. Maybe a tour designed especially for a mountain bike? And Skedaddle offers tours for both roadies and MTB riders. Such a tour might be best done on a bicycle that will allow for a rack and panniers. Don’t forget the Camel-Bak! And who knows? Maybe you’ll even get to ride on a camel’s back! How’s that for exotica? 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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Cycling in Germany

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Cycling in Germany Ah, cycling in Germany! “Der Vaterland” would be at or near the top of my list for countries to explore on two wheels. I have a lot of German ancestry (on my mother’s side); so I feel attracted to both the country and its language. To be more specific, my German ancestors were from Bavaria and the Black Forest; so those are the places I’d want to visit. There are numerous bike rides in the Black Forest (der Schwarzwald). If I went cycling in Germany, I would look for one around Baden-Baden, whence one of my four- or five- (maybe even six?-) times great-grandfathers came. Who knows — I might even be able to visit a library or something that would let me track him down! Incidentally, why is it  called the BLACK Forest? I’ve heard three different versions of that. One: the forest is largely made up of conifers, which look dark (black) from a distance. Two: the trees grow so thickly that you don’t have to go far inside of the forest for it to be as black as night. Three: conifers naturally give off a dark-looking haze. Which version do you prefer? I think I like the second one best. Bavaria sounds like a beautiful place.  Maybe this tour would do? I wouldn’t mind visiting Munich; although I think I’ll skip the beer. And there’s a lot more of Germany. Meanwhile, I need to get back to beefing up my knowledge of the language. Sprechen Sie Deutsch? 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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Cycling in the Netherlands

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Cycling in the Netherlands 💐 If you go cycling in the Netherlands, maybe you’ll see the famous cow in the canal. I  know I was read the book about the cow in the canal as a young child; I wasn’t reading by myself yet. For some reason, the only thing I remember about the book is an illustration that showed some kind of outdoor market; and a table piled with what looked like grapefruits (my mother said they were cheeses) was falling over. Should you get to cycle through the country, I hope your memories of the trip aren’t as peculiar as that one of mine! Maybe this tour of the Netherlands/Belgium would do? Pancake-flat, as I’ve said umpteen times, would certainly suit me. So would visiting chocolatiers. How I love chocolate! Cycling is a big thing in Amsterdam, and a tour of the city might give me the chance to visit the Anne Frank House. That would be most interesting. Incidentally, they say that many riders in Amsterdam don’t use helmets. That makes me shudder; but it’s their heads, not mine. Rotterdam? A former supervisor of mine at work grew up there, I believe. I know she was from the Netherlands. What is it like to ride a bicycle there? Using lights and bell sounds like plain old common sense to me. It sounds like the Netherlands in general are rainy. Don’t forget the poncho! Oh, and while cycling in the Netherlands, be sure you don’t fall into the canal! 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 Marvelous Twenty July 15, 2026 Back to Square One July 14, 2026 In Order July 13, 2026 Free Way July 12, 2026 Load More TRANSLATOR

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An Odd Mix

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An Odd Mix ?? Well, what an odd mix! Ballet and bicycling would seem to be worlds apart, don’t you think? In fact, I doubt that they’d mix well — cycling tends to cause the hamstrings to shorten and tighten, which would wreak havoc on your extension should you want to try ballet. But the ballet and bicycling worlds aren’t quite completely exclusive of each other. Check out this YouTube at about 8:43 minutes. If you use orthotics in your cycling shoes, you might have noticed that it can seem tricky to insert said orthotics into the shoes. After I watched that YouTube, I began to use the orthotic as the “foot”, and the cycling shoe as the “toe shoe”. Following the method demonstrated by Ms. Morgan, I found that it seems to work a little better when I put in my orthotics.  I’ve also developed the habit of putting on my shoes by the same way. If I were to be fitted for toe shoes, though, I think my foot would be tricky to work with. Wide across the base of the toes. Narrow heel. High arch. Bone spurs in both pinky toes. Bunions in both big toes; and I’ve had surgery for the bunion/bone spurs on the left foot! I wonder, do pro cyclists need to take as much care for fitting their cycling shoes? And would they think bicycling and ballet were an odd mix?

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