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bicycling

Belly Up

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Belly Up? I feel rather like going belly up. If not for the fact that I don’t drink alcohol, I might belly up to the bar right now. Prolonged editing sessions tend to do that to me. Today it was Bar None; and I didn’t realize how many bars I had in my Store! The editing took longer than I thought it might. The table I use is really a little too high; and that causes tension in the back of my neck and shoulders. My wrists aren’t at the proper angle, either. No wonder it’s so physically tiring. I hope I can go for a ride tomorrow morning; it might help clear my head. This morning I skipped riding because I had an appointment; and after I was back home, I was waiting for a phone call. So I didn’t “ride” in the trainer, either. Now I need some good exercise! At the moment, I don’t want to go for a ride. It’s past 7 pm, but still almost 90 degrees; and there’s a T-storm not too far from here. I have no idea which way it’s moving; but storms can move fast. No way I can outride them; and I don’t want lightning to knock me belly up! The weather for tomorrow looks iffy, too — 50% chance of rain. Well, there’s always that trainer.

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Not Wet Yet

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Not Wet Yet It’s getting on towards noon; and we’re not wet yet! It might be coming, though. The sky is mostly overcast; and a little while ago, I thought I heard thunder. In this place, I’m almost too insulated from the weather. So far it’s one of the few drawbacks that I’ve found. Another is that the bedroom has no window; and I’d prefer to get some natural light as morning approaches. Today I didn’t get out on the bike until about 6:00 am. It was too late to see the moon looking orange-y; but I still got to see it. It looked very big. There seemed to be no wind this morning, which is a rare treat. I made some efforts at riding at least 15 mph; and I increased the time from 30 seconds to 40. I’ve got to start doing that if I hope to ever get any faster! Or, at least, a little stronger. Yesterday I ate so much that I still felt a bit bloated this morning; so I didn’t eat before I rode.  I took along a protein bar in case I got hungry; but I lasted until I was back home. I’ve read about fasted training; but have always shied away from trying it. I believe it’s meant for low-intensity rides, and not hard efforts. Maybe I can experiment with it now; I no longer have to worry about getting too exhausted, and having to go to work in that state! I just looked at an online weather radar. We’re not wet yet; but apparently rain is approaching from the West. I’m glad I don’t have to go anywhere! As long as I’m home, though, I need to get some sweeping done.

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Wet Fourth

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Wet Fourth It looks like we’ve got a wet Fourth of July in store. The forecast for the next few days is for showers and T-storms. We need rain; but why does it have to arrive for Independence Day? A lot of people will want to have barbecues; picnics; and other outdoor activities. It looks like the bad weather won’t start tomorrow before late morning; so I’m debating whether to ride or not. If I do ride, I want to go very early! Today I went out at 5:00 am to see the full moon; and it was a welcome relief to not have the sun beating down on me.  Maybe I should keep it up for the Summer; and as far as tomorrow goes, I want to be back indoors before people start lobbing firecrackers around!  Maybe a wet Fourth wouldn’t be all bad. It might cool us off a little. The heat index is over 100 degrees again today; and it’s getting very tiresome. When I was a kid, it didn’t start to get really hot until after the first week of July. For many years now, we can get 100+ heat indices in MARCH! Today I had to go downtown for an early afternoon appointment; and it’s not fun using public transit in the middle of the day during hot weather. The streetcar isn’t air conditioned; but at least I didn’t have to wait long for a car to come along. Sometimes it takes 20 minutes!

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Ranch Eggs

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Ranch Eggs? This morning I had ranch eggs — sort of. I had some blackney beanpot that needed to be used up; so I put the beans in a bowl; topped them with an egg; and microwaved the stuff for two minutes. Then, I put some ranch dressing on top! I think this would have tasted better with a bit of red bell pepper; but I was short of time for chopping things. Our weather is still very hot; and that’s one reason I want to get going early for the ride to the salvage store. Another reason for going early is, I want to avoid traffic. For about two blocks of my route, I have to take to a traffic lane; and the earlier I go, the fewer the cars! I still have to be careful not to buy too much canned stuff; but today I got three 10 oz cans of chicken. I’ve been watching for that for several weeks; so I was glad to find it. Then, the ride back home. Fortunately there was little wind today; but I still got plenty hot. It was about 9:30 am when I got back home; and the heat index was already around 105 degrees! Tomorrow will be another hot day; but there’s a chance of late-afternoon T-storms. I hope we get one; then maybe things will cool off. We need rain, anyway. What shall I take along for ride food tomorrow? Ranch eggs won’t do, that’s for sure! No matter what I take, it’s sure to get half-melted; sticky; and messy. I need to browse through Feed Zone Portables for ideas!    

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Hitting the Bottle

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Hitting the Bottle? ? 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.” I often feel like I’m hitting the bottle when I’m out for a bicycle ride. I reach for a drink every few minutes; especially in hot weather such as this. When I first started on the road bike, keeping hydrated was quite a problem. My road bike doesn’t have a handlebar-mounted bottle cage; and that means reaching for a bidon on the down tube. Having Gunga Din would have been helpful; but he wasn’t around. In the early stages of road-bike riding, I didn’t need the weight of a Camel-Bak on me; so I needed to figure out the bidon business. And it sure is awkward at the beginning! The first step was to reach down and touch the bottle; and get used to how it felt when I did so. Of course I need to lower my body in order to reach the thing; and when you still aren’t quite sure of your ability to control the bicycle, that’s a bit unnerving. After I practiced that move for a while, I began to pull the bidon part-way out of its cage; then push it back in. At last, I pulled it all the way out; and got myself a drink. After that, the hardest part: putting that bidon back into its cage. Any number of times, I dropped the bidon; and had to stop and pick it up. Or, I’d have to hold the bidon’s nozzle in my teeth while I stopped; and then I could put the bidon back. Even now, after 10+ years of road biking, I still sometimes have days when it’s very difficult to put the bidon back in the holder. It can be especially tricky when there’s a strong wind; especially if it’s a sidewind! I tried once to make a YouTube of this process; but it didn’t work out. I had my camera mounted on a “chesty” ( sort of harness that holds the camera); and all I saw were my pedaling legs! So I’ll have to be content with this blog post on hitting the bottle!

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Trying to Keep Cool

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

TRYING to Keep Cool! Not for cycling; but it might help you keep cool I’m trying to keep cool, like everybody else here. In fact, I believe that much of the nation is sweltering under unusual heat. Today it was nearly 90 degrees by 9:00 am; and now, in the early afternoon, it’s 92 degrees! The house next door is having work done on the roof; and I feel sorry for the workers who are up there in this blazing sunshine. I bet they’d love to have helmets like this one! The Solar Fan Hard Hat never stops working as long as you’re in the sunlight; and even on an overcast day, the fan runs up to 36 hours. The built-in battery can serve as a portable USB charger; and this hat has Bluetooth answering phone capacity. Can be adjusted to fit different-sized heads. Color: Yellow. $58.89 It would be nice if I could find a bicycle helmet with these characteristics. I sometimes don’t get out to ride until at least 8:00 am; and before I can finish, it’s broiling hot. A fan in my helmet would be great! In conditions like that, plain water doesn’t seem to keep me properly hydrated, even on a rather short ride; and two bottles of water aren’t enough. I have to use my Camel-Bak; and take along electrolyte drink! This morning I put in 15 miles; and if I extend my rides further I’ll have to take along a snack, too. I’m glad I don’t have to go anywhere else today; and so can stay indoors. After all, I’m trying to keep cool!

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Still Broiling

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Still Broiling! It’s still broiling here. Most days in the last week and a half, we’ve had heat advisories; and today there’s an excessive heat warning. So we have to find a way to beat the heat. One way is to ride early in the day; but now that I’m retired, that’s less easy than it used to be. If I don’t set my alarm clock, I might not even wake up before 8:00 am; and it could be an hour before I get out on the bicycle. By then, the temperature is already well into the  80s! Today I got going around 7:20 am; and five miles or so from home, I got a flat tire. That’s the second one in less than ten days! I don’t know what’s going on; I use tire liners. Do I need new tires? Luckily another rider helped me; and in fact, to be honest, he did all the work. After I got home and stowed the bike, I walked to the bike shop to buy supplies; namely: two new tubes and four CO2 cartridges. I’m left me wondering whether I would have gotten a flat at all, if I had followed my original plan for this morning: a trip to Whole Foods; and only then a ride. But when I saw how hot it already was shortly past seven o’clock, I decided to ride. Even at night, it’s still broiling. Last night it didn’t get below the mid-80s. It’s going to be a long, hot Summer!

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KaZAM Co-Pilot Bike Trailer

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Feature for June 25 A KaZAM Co-Pilot Bike Trailer comes in handy after your child outgrows trailers or over-the-wheel carriers. Your youngster can ride along with you; without worries that the little one will get lost, or be left behind. It has a sturdy, alloy steel frame; and attaches easily to most bicycles that have a seat post. The KaZAM Co-Pilot Bike Trailer has its own saddle; pedals; and handlebars, too. Easy to detach from your bicycle when not needed. Safety flag for improves visibility. Comes with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. Weight: 29 pounds; can be used by riders up to 75 pounds. Color: Green. $325.63  

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Better with Electrolytes

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Better with Electrolytes A ride is better with electrolytes on a hot day — even a short ride! Yesterday I didn’t ride particularly late. I went out about 7:40 am, but I still got very hot; and plain water just wasn’t making the grade. I had the feeling that I would run out of water if I didn’t cut my ride short. The wind was strong enough to be noticeable; but 7 mph isn’t 15 mph! Maybe the blazing sunshine was the problem. I decided that, if I want to extend my weekday morning rides to 15 miles or so, I have to use the Camel-Bak for water; and carry Nuun or Propel. Today, I tried it. I had a doctor’s appointment, and didn’t get out to ride until almost ten o’clock. The temperature and wind speed were comparable to conditions during yesterday morning’s ride; but it was much cloudier. That helped, I’m sure; but this time I had Nuun with me. I felt better than I did during yesterday’s ride; so yes, a jaunt on the bike is better with electrolytes. If I were still riding at 5:15 am, things might be different; but retirement is spoiling me. Without the alarm clock, I might not wake up at all before 7:30 am! Naturally I’m getting out later; but it might be a good idea to try starting at 6:00 am. Then I’ll be home before things really start to heat up. On the other hand, if I have any idea of doing RAGBRAI next year, I must get acclimated to riding in the heat. The only way to get that conditioning is to ride in the heat!? But keep in mind: it’s better with electrolytes!

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Ever Play a Kazoo

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Ever Play a Kazoo? Did you ever play a kazoo? It’s an odd “horn” — you hum into it, instead of blowing it. I couldn’t help thinking of it when I came across the Kazoo Bicycle Trailercycle. This particular trailer lets a child four to ten years old; and up to 85 pounds, ride along behind you. It tracks very well; and helps the child get the hang of balancing. Frame is lightweight aluminum; and uses Burley‘s patented hitch system. Wheel is 20 inches in diameter; saddle and handlebars can be adjusted to fit the rider. Safety flag included. $379.95 I’m sure that, at some point, a young kid will become impatient with being hauled around in a trailer. But if your young child wants to ride with you, how will s/he keep up? With a product such as this one, you can keep pedaling even after the child tires; and with no worries that you’ll be separated from the child. Maybe this will even be good practice for a future tandem rider? Did you ever play a kazoo? This is one way to do it!    

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