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More Heat

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Outdoors /

More Heat! We’ve got more heat coming; in fact, it looks like our heat machine is about to crank up a notch or two. It makes me wish that anything with “ColdStone” written on it can cool me off. I’ve been using my sun sleeves when I ride, so I don’t have to use up my sunblock so fast. Those sleeves keep my arms a little cooler; but I haven’t used my leg sleeves yet. I’m keeping them for when my Sunday long rides get back up to 40 miles. Once I’ve got both arms and legs sun-protected, I’ll have less sunblock to wash off post-ride! Here I am, complaining about “more heat” before July is over. August and September tend to be our hottest months; and the heat can into persist into November or later. It makes rides harder when I don’t get going until at least 7:30 am. I started using a hydration system for water, so I can put an electrolyte drink in my water bottle. That’s important, as I’m starting to extend at least one weekday ride to 20 miles or so. I have no idea whether I’ll really get to do RAGBRAI next year; but if I do, I must be able to ride more than 12-15 miles per day! In fact, RAGBRAI averages something like 40 miles per day; and there’s also climbing to contend with. RAGBRAI also means riding through the day; and Iowa can get as hot as New Orleans. So if I can do that ride, I’d better bring along several pairs each those arm and leg sun-protection sleeves. And I hope it’s not as humid there as it is here! I’ve been enjoying not having to rise at 4:30 am to ride; but  maybe I should resume my pre-dawn rides until Fall? It would spare me so much riding in the heat! Incidentally, I’ve noticed that it doesn’t get light so early in the morning; which means that the days are already getting shorter. But they sure aren’t getting any cooler!

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Dog Days

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Dog Days Here come the dog days; typically the hottest part of the year. As if it weren’t hot enough already! Do you want to take your canine friend along when you ride? The Bike Tow Leash is a wise idea, I think. To me it seems safer than trying to hold onto a standard leash while riding one-handed. The Bike Tow Leash is designed to prevent tangles and tripping; and can be used for dogs up to 185 pounds. Meant for left-side usage; and suitable for most bicycles and tadpole-style tricycles. I can’t speak with authority, of course. I’ve never had a dog; and in fact, I’m a cat person. How do you take a cat along on a bicycle ride? I guess you put the cat in a carrier; and put the carrier in a trailer. Cats are terrific escape artists; and might be able to worm their way out of a harness and leash. Riding during these dog days will make me very thankful for the cooling band I  have. It’s only about two inches wide; but it still helps during hot rides. I saw it in the salvage store some months ago; and it didn’t cost much over one dollar! I bought it to keep for hot weather; and now I’m glad I have it. The heat index this afternoon is a “chilly” 94 degrees — much cooler than many recent readings. I hope this respite from the extreme heat continues; and we aren’t as hot as some parts of the country! I’m starting to use my Camel-Bak on weekday rides because of the heat. I don’t ride as early as I did before retirement; and when it’s so hot, I want to take electrolyte drink as well as water. All we can do is hang on until cooler weather arrives; and hope we’re spared the hurricanes!

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Cross Bike

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Cross Bike? I think I’ve got a cross bike; namely, my road bike is getting sulky because I haven’t ridden it since Thursday. Friday I rode to Whole Foods, using the hybrid. By the time I got back home about 9:00 am, the heat index was already 100 degrees; so I decided not to go out on the road bike. Yesterday was salvage-store-trip day; and that, again, meant using the hybrid. But not the trailer; I’ve still got lots of canned stuff! Once again, it was so hot by the time I got home that I didn’t want to go out on the road bike. About 7 pm yesterday evening, we got a T-storm; and it rained pretty hard for a while. After such weather, I expected road surfaces (and the the levee bike path!) to be wet and mucky this morning. I didn’t feel like getting my road bike all mucked up, so I used the hybrid; it has fenders. It was about 8:30 am when time I got going. To my surprise, surfaces were almost dry! I could have used the road bike and not gotten a wet stripe up my back. I went up on the levee; and less than two miles from home, I saw the sky towards the West. The looks of it were rather unsettling. I saw the kind of black, low, wide band that often means bad weather. Heading back home seemed like the wise thing to do; and sure enough, before I got off the levee I began to hear thunder. I was home shortly before 9:00 am; and within five or ten minutes the wind had risen to the “storm coming” level. A few minutes after that, it began to rain. As of 10:00 am the rain has stopped; but I can’t be sure there isn’t more coming. Maybe I’ll appease that cross bike of mind by hooking it into the trainer and “riding” for a while. That will let me get some exercise without the nuisance of cleaning gritty mud off of my bicycl

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Carbon Fiber

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Carbon Fiber A carbon fiber bicycle Carbon fiber is very much in the public consciousness at present. Who hasn’t heard of  the recent submersible catastrophe? I don’t mean to be insensitive by blogging about the material; but I can’t help thinking about it. After all, it’s what my road bike is made of! Carbon fiber is one of four materials commonly used for bicycle frames. And yes, I’m aware that such frames can fail suddenly and drastically. That worries me sometimes. I guess that a crash is the most likely cause of frame failure. As a non-racer, my risk of crashing is probably low. At the same time, my road bike is 10+ years old. Maybe ordinary wear and tear has taken its toll on the frame. But how do I tell? I want to keep on using my road bike for as long as I can. After all this time, I’ve become very adjusted to it. On top of that, I don’t feel like shelling out several thousand dollars for a new one. There are cheaper models out there; but I need good quality for all the miles that I put in. When the time comes that I must bid my current road bike adieu, and choose a new one, what type of frame material shall I look for? Steel is susceptible to rust, so I don’t want a steel frame. Not in this humid climate! I wouldn’t be surprised if steel is also affected by salt in the atmosphere; and here we get ample salt haze from the Gulf. Titanium has a reputation for being almost impossible to destroy; but it’s too expensive for my budget. Aluminum is lightweight; but would an aluminum road bike be lighter than my current one? Who knows, I might come right back to carbon fiber!

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Haul Away

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Haul Away You can haul away with the Instep Quick-N-EZ trailer; whether you’re transporting children or a load of groceries. Quick-N-EZ can carry up to 80 pounds; and can be converted to a stroller or a jogger. There’s a canopy to protect your young passengers from weather or flying bugs. Five-point harness secure the child/ren for greater safety. The frame can fold; and the wheels can be easily removed for easier storage. Color: Teal; Orange; or Green. Cost varies according to color; but all are under $340.00. I got to haul away yesterday. For the first time since before my hand surgery in January, I took my trailer to the salvage store. I could really feel the added weight; and it sure made me feel out of shape! To my great disappointment, the grab-bag bins were as bare as Mother Hubbard‘s cupboard. I hope it’s different next week! Otherwise, I found all that I wanted: almond milk; medium-sharp cheddar cheese, and so on. I was glad to be home from the salvage store before 10:00 am, when a heat advisory went into effect. Even so, I walked to the drug store (just a few blocks) for something; and discovered their store-brand chocolate whey protein powder on sale; four dollars off the usual price. I got some to keep; I know I’ll use it for recovery drinks! It’ll be a hot ride tomorrow; mid-80s by 8:00 am! All I can do during such a ride is to haul away.

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Cloud Cover

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Cloud Cover I was thankful for the cloud cover this morning. Yes, it looked like it might rain any minute; but a good cloud cover keeps things a tad cooler. Today I cut my mileage a little, because I did some force efforts. I hit a max speed of 19.83 mph! I’m rather lazy, though; and do such work only once a week. I still limit these efforts to 30 seconds at a time; but maybe I should start pushing for 40 seconds.  I do know, however, that really intense work should be limited to once weekly; and skip it every fourth week (if you’re under 40); or every third week (if you’re over 40). I’m eyeing the forecast for tomorrow. It looks like it probably won’t rain early in the day; so maybe I’ll take an early-morning ride to the supermarket. We’re still wilting under heat advisories; and I try to be home and indoors by 10:00 am. Cloud cover keeps things a little bit cooler indoors, too; so I’m happy when the sun isn’t blazing down all day long! We finally got a good rain yesterday afternoon; and we really needed it.  Speaking of heat, I have a cooling device that does help. It’s only about two inches wide; but I can put it around my neck and tuck the loose ends inside my jersey. It’s one of my salvage store finds! Of course I’m planning to ride to that store come Saturday — and am hoping for some cloud cover to keep me from broiling.  

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What’s Afoot Now

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

What’s Afoot Now? What’s afoot now? Seems like something’s always going wrong! Today I saw a podiatrist. Maybe I waited too long for it! For some years, my left big toe’s base joint has become more and more rigid; and now it has almost no flex. I finally asked my primary care physician about it last week; and he gave me a referral to a podiatrist. Well, my right big toe has a bunion; and the left one has arthritis plus a bone spur. I could have surgery for it; but I’m not in a hurry for more surgery. The CMC arthroplasty six months ago was enough for this year. It would mean several weeks off the bike; and what a drag that would be! Could I be recovered and riding again with enough time to train up for potential participation in RAGBRAI 2024? I think I’ll try some athletic shoes first; and after that, orthotics. If it is going to come to surgery, I hope it can wait until the weather is cooler again. I suppose that hopping around on crutches is very hot work; but then again, I might not need crutches. I think the doctor said I’d be in a boot. Walking is more likely to bother my foot than cycling, which is all to the good; but walking over a mile can cause a flare-up. My smaller toes feel like there’s something sharp under them. The weather is driving me crazy. Despite the forecasts, my neighborhood hasn’t had much rain. So what’s afoot now? And, is it better to have all these heat advisories

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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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