SpokEasy

SpokEasy

bicycling

Do-si-do?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Do-si-do? 💃 Do-si-do sounds like square dancing; not a move to be executed while cycling. Not even on a tandem!  But I thought of do-si-do while viewing this YouTube. About 6:55 minutes in, the narrator mentions doing back-to-back long rides during RAGBRAI training. And what does do-si-do mean? It’s from the French for back-to-back! I must start doing some such rides soon. I think I’ll take my longest weekday distance as a starting point. That’s around 21-22 miles; and let’s see how it goes. Frankly, 21-22 miles isn’t all that long; but I can build up over time. Which Training Plan? 🚴‍♂️ Which training plan shall I use? The RAGBRAI official site includes its own plan; but it doesn’t look like my own riding. Not that that’s a big deal; which training plan you use is less important than consistency. RAGBRAI’s plan  shows four days of riding a week; two week days, and Saturday/Sunday. I ride nearly every day. Several days per week, I do shorter distances than the RAGBRAI plan says; but my weekly overall mileage is keeping pace well. Not this past week, though; I eased up, and skipped speed work; force work; and I did somewhat shorter rides. Tomorrow I’ll aim for 30 miles; that’s not excessive. My Garmin’s screen will let me know if I’m pushing too hard for too long; I just keep an eye on my heart rate. After tomorrow, it’s back to the regular rides. And it looks like the weather will be pretty good for it!😊 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 River So Low March 22, 2026 Fog Surprise March 21, 2026 Sinuses Say No! March 20, 2026 Punch Drunk? March 19, 2026 Load More TRANSLATOR

Do-si-do? Read More »

Rain Drill?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Outdoors /

Rain Drill? ?️ I thought I might get a rain drill today; namely, that I’d get caught in a downpour. And without a poncho! Anyone who cycles regularly for exercise; fun; or transportation, does need to learn how to deal with riding in the rain. Hence the term rain drill.  When I set out this morning, the sky was overcast; and it looked quite stormy in a northwesterly direction. However, I got lucky. I was back home before we any rain began. A former co-worker once told of cycling home in rain so heavy that it threatened to wash his contact lenses out of his eyes! It makes me glad that I don’t use contacts. An occasional rain drill is also good practice for RAGBRAI. We can’t count on having clear weather all week. If I do that big ride, I must remember to bring along chain lube! If it does rain, I’ll need it. Weekend Outlook ☀️ The weekend outlook, fortunately, is much better. Tomorrow I’ll want to hang my panniers on the hybrid’s rack; and make my usual trek to the salvage store. I must look for ride food; and I hope I find almond milk. It’s also time to think about laying in supplies in case we have a hurricane (oh, that loathsome H-word!) Sunday I want to go for a longish ride. A high of 86 is predicted; so I won’t need leg warmers. But I will need plenty of sunblock! 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 Rain Drill? May 3, 2024 Enough Rest? May 2, 2024 Experimenting May 1, 2024 Goodbye Leg Warmers? April 30, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Rain Drill? Read More »

Enough Rest?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Enough Rest? ⏰ Have I had enough rest now? After four low-mileage days, I went out this morning and rode nearly 17 miles. I was fueled by a MET-Rx bar; I just wasn’t in the mood for a banana and peanut butter. The ride went all right, although the wind was pesky. No news there! It was already 75 degrees at 6:30 am; and it’s been cloudy all day. I could still use long sleeves, especially heading into the wind; but I had to stop on the way home to reapply sunblock. I’m not using leg warmers now! It looks like the wind won’t be quite as strong tomorrow; and that’s good news. Even after enough rest, I don’t enjoy riding against headwinds! Planning ?️ Soon I’ll be planning next week’s rides. I keep track of ride data in notebooks; and also jot down my intended ride plans. Not that I always follow them; but it’s good to at least have a plan. Especially if you’re preparing for something big, be it a triathlon; RAGBRAI; or a personal century. So yes, planning is good; even if you can’t always follow the “blueprint”. You simply don’t know when something might throw a monkey wrench into the machinery.  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 Experimenting May 1, 2024 Goodbye Leg Warmers? April 30, 2024 Old Tease April 29, 2024 Time to Back Off! April 28, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Enough Rest? Read More »

Experimenting

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Experimenting ? With RAGBRAI in mind, I’m experimenting. I’ve been trying out different ride foods and drinks for many years; but not ways to sleep if I go on a multi-day ride. With that in mind, I bought an air mattress today. It’s not quite as fancy as this HiiPeak; but it ought to suffice. It might seem like overkill, as I have three air mattresses; bought last Fall when my brother and his family visited. However, they weigh almost 10 pounds each! If I do RAGBRAI and use a charter, there’s typically a luggage weight limit of 50 pounds. I don’t think I’ll want an air mattress that gobbles up a fifth of my baggage weight allowance. The mattress I bought weighs under 3.5 pounds. Since I’m experimenting, tonight I can pump up that mattress; and maybe even try sleeping on it. It lacks a built-in pump; but the charter I’m considering if I do RAGBRAI has air pumps. This air mattress includes a glue-less patch kit. As long as I don’t store the thing in a broiling hot attic or garage, it should keep a year or two. Getting ahead of Myself? ?? Okay, I’m getting a bit ahead of myself here. But I’d rather get ahead of myself now, than find myself behind a year from now. RAGBRAI is a major undertaking; and I keep thinking of more and more things. I’m considering getting a handlebar bag for my road bike, provided it fits properly. I’d like something that holds a little more than the top-tube pouch I’ve been using for  years. But having that bag on my handlebars could affect bike handling; and I’ll need a little time to adjust to it. Getting back to the air mattress, I’ll wait to get any kind of sleeping bag. Buying it now is getting ahead of myself a bit too much. 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 Experimenting May 1, 2024 Goodbye Leg Warmers? April 30, 2024 Old Tease April 29, 2024 Time to Back Off! April 28, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Experimenting Read More »

Goodbye Leg Warmers?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Goodbye Leg Warmers? ? Can I say, goodbye leg warmers for the season? This morning I thought I’d need them, as it was 66 degrees. But before I finished my ride, the things were too warm! The forecast predicts highs in the 80s for at least a few days; and that might mean the end of Spring. May is rather early for Summer to set in; but it’s happed as early as March. So it won’t only be, goodbye leg warmers; I can also wave goodbye to long sleeves and helmet liners. Well, helmet liners to keep warm, anyway. I want to try mine as cooling beanies this season. I have some kind of cooling band; but it’s narrow, and tends to slip out of place. I’ll drape it around my neck; and next thing I know, it’s falling off! Ride Easy ?? Today I reminded myself to ride easy. I’m lucky I didn’t have a strong headwind to fight. I’m also cutting mileage a little this week; no 20-mile jaunts. How about a ride to Walmart tomorrow, to check out their sports section? Maybe I can get one or two things to try for my prospective RAGBRAI. At least, I can see what they have. And the shopping list is growing. I won’t itemize here; but as I watch more videos about RAGBRAI, I think of more and more things to add! But it’s better to think of them now; not a year from now. Then I won’t have to think during the event, oh no, I should’ve gotten X. If I do get to participate in RAGBRAI, I want to be able to ride easy. 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 Old Tease April 29, 2024 Time to Back Off! April 28, 2024 Don’t Drag Yourself Down April 27, 2024 Mister Finnegan April 26, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Goodbye Leg Warmers? Read More »

Old Tease

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Old Tease ? Weather can be an old tease; and it makes me feel quite the sourpuss. Especially when I can’t sure that I can rely on the forecast. This morning I checked a weather site; and it indicated T-storms and possibly heavy rain. I looked up a different weather site; and it showed T-storms starting about 11 am. I decided to ride and get in a few miles; but I did it the sissy way.   First, I went to the park. If it did start storming, I’d be fairly close to  home. And I used my hybrid,  because it has fenders. If it did start to pour, I wouldn’t get a  wet, dirty stripe up my back. Using the hybrid meant I could take my trunk, which let me pack my poncho. I applied sunblock; pumped up the tires; and headed for the door. Then I realized that it was raining. That old tease we call weather was acting up! Adjustments ? So, that meant adjustments. I pulled on the poncho; and started off. I found that it wasn’t raining as hard as I thought; in fact, it was barely a sprinkle, which soon stopped. The sun was coming out too; and I quickly became too warm. On top of that, the sunblock make the poncho stick to my legs. After a quarter-mile I had to stop and get out of that rain gear.  Then, on to the park. The appearance of the sky drove me crazy. For a while it would cloud over, and look like a storm were imminent. Then the sun would come out again! As I approached the end of Lap 2, I  decided it might be best to make some adjustments to my ride, and cut things short. As of 12:40 pm, it looks like I needn’t have worried. Who knows, though. Bad weather might still be coming! Nature sure is an old tease. 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 Old Tease April 29, 2024 Time to Back Off! April 28, 2024 Don’t Drag Yourself Down April 27, 2024 Mister Finnegan April 26, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Old Tease Read More »

Time to Back Off!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Time to Back Off ⏱️ I think it’s time to back off this coming week. I have an older edition of the book shown at left; and on page 139, it discusses how to increase your mileage. “Obey the 10 percent rule”; and, “Increase in steps”. Don’t pile on extra miles each and every week; your body needs time to recover before you start additional distance or intensity. So I think I’ll make the upcoming week’s rides short and easy. No speed work; and no force work. It’s not as though I feel like I’m dying; but for seven weeks now, I’ve averaged 100+ miles per week. While I enjoy doing the miles, I don’t need to burn myself out; or risk overuse injuries. Especially not if I want to do super-long rides in the future. So, as I said, it’s time to back off for a week. They even say that taking it easy for a short spell helps make you more eager to ride! Weather ?⛈️ Of course there’s always the weather to take into account. Will it rain? How strong is the wind? Yesterday it got plenty strong as I was riding home from the salvage store. So strong that at one point, I had to stop and got off the bike so I could get a drink of water. Before I got moving again, another rider passed me and said, “This wind is no joke!” Today’s weather brought strong, gusty wind again; and I went to the park to ride laps. I just didn’t feel like battling the breeze on top of the levee. Tomorrow through Wednesday will bring the chance of T-storms. I do NOT enjoy being on top of that levee when the lightning gets to cracking. It makes my skin crawl! 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 Time to Back Off! April 28, 2024 Don’t Drag Yourself Down April 27, 2024 Mister Finnegan April 26, 2024 Capricious! April 25, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Time to Back Off! Read More »

Don’t Drag Yourself Down

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Don’t Drag Yourself Down ?? It’s so easy to say, don’t drag yourself down. In practice, it can be anything but easy. Persistent headwinds, for instance, are discouraging as well as tiring. Today we’ve had a wind advisory from mid-morning; and riding home from the salvage store was hard work, even in my granny gear. I was glad I didn’t have my trailer to drag me down.  Sure, riding hard against headwinds is one way to develop better strength; but don’t drag yourself down by doing it for hours every day! In fact, I didn’t ride hard today. If there’s a stiff wind tomorrow morning, I’ll go ride some laps around the park. RAGBRAI Practice? ? On the other hand, working against headwinds is good RAGBRAI practice. Many a video I’ve watched mentions headwinds. The event’s route is from West to East, as the winds in Iowa often blow that way; but it can’t be counted on. And, I still don’t know how steep the climbs in RAGBRAI are; nor how long they are. On the way home this morning, I rode up a short, vehicular-access road to the top of the levee. I timed myself; and the ascent took 12 seconds. I’ll bet the hills in Iowa are longer than that! More numerous, too. What if they’re all as steep as that road I took today? Getting back to the wind, Jazz Fest is in progress. I hope they aren’t getting blown 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 Don’t Drag Yourself Down April 27, 2024 Mister Finnegan April 26, 2024 Capricious! April 25, 2024 Warming Trend April 24, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Don’t Drag Yourself Down Read More »

Mister Finnegan

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Mister Finnegan ? Sometimes I feel like Mister Finnegan (as my mother used to sing it); at odds with the wind. Early today it wasn’t bad; just 8 mph. But it was blowing from the SE; so I had a headwind on the way home from my 8:00 am appointment. By noon, the wind had increased to 15 mph; and tomorrow it’s going to rise to about 17 mph — right about the time I’ll be riding  home from the salvage store. And a headwind, of course. Sunday will be quite windy, too.  Riding against the wind might be a good time to be the stoker on a tandem. The poor captain takes the brunt of it. Even so, hold onto those whiskers, Mister Finnegan! Hunker Down! ?? It’s getting warm enough that I need a jacket less and less often. Wind makes it seem cooler, as we all know. But adequate attire for a windy ride is only half the battle. How do you hunker down when fighting a headwind? There’s riding in the drops. I find that the “dropped” position makes it easier for me to push the pedals harder, even if I don’t actually go any faster. It takes the worst pressure of the wind off of me as long as I stay there.  How about aero bars? The whole point of them is to be able to attain a more aerodynamic position; and the more aerodynamic you can make yourself, the better you can cut through a headwind. I’ve never tried aero bars; I’d rather keep my hands where I can brake quickly if necessary. They’d let me really hunker down, though! 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 Mister Finnegan April 26, 2024 Capricious! April 25, 2024 Warming Trend April 24, 2024 Luna Moth? April 23, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Mister Finnegan Read More »

Capricious!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Capricious! ? Is your weather as capricious as ours? I’m thinking specifically about wind!  Our barometric pressure isn’t low; but is it falling? Per the forecast, T-storms aren’t expected before next Monday. So why is the wind getting stronger? At 8 am today, the weather site I checked said the wind was 5 mph. I went out on the road bike just before 9:00; and by the time I turned around to come back home, it was blowing at 12 mph. And a headwind, of course!? There were some pretty strong gusts, too. Wind sure is capricious! It hardly helped that I felt somewhat tired, after yesterday’s on-bike force development exercises. In general, I keep the day following such work short and easy; but tomorrow morning I have a doctor’s appointment, and might have less time to ride my miles. The wind will be quite strong all weekend; and I wanted to get some distance in now. I want to hit my target of 100 miles per week! Goals ? Set goals, they say. I’m glad I’m not truly time crunched; or meeting goals might be much more difficult. I may have mentioned that my current goal is 100 miles per week. So far this week, I’ve put in 71.3 miles. But I don’t have to go to work! If I were still working, riding 100 miles a week would be harder; especially as my Sunday long-ride route currently has a two-mile segment that’s closed off (and it will be closed at least a year?!) This closure begins barely 13 miles out; and when I do a long ride, I want and need to go farther than that! The only alternate to the closure that I can see, is to ride on a state highway that can be very busy; and I don’t feel safe doing that. My goals don’t include becoming roadkill! 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 Capricious!, April 25, 2024 Warming Trend April 24, 2024 Luna Moth? April 23, 2024 Keep It Neutral! April 22, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Capricious! Read More »