bicycling Archives - Page 92 of 127

KaZAM Co-Pilot Bike Trailer

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 / CAL

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 / CAL

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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Tired of Waiting

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Tired of Waiting I’m tired of waiting for it to rain. The forecasts keep saying 40% chance; even 100% chance of T-storms; and it it’s going to storm, I wish it would do so. Last night, my phone rang with a severe T-storm warning around 10:00 pm; but this morning it didn’t look like it had rained. A neighbor said it did rain early this morning, though. Today there was yet another heat advisory, starting at 11:00m am. I didn’t get out on the bicycle until almost nine o’clock; and I decided to go ride in the park, where I could get some shade. I also wanted to be fairly close to home, in case the weather got bad. I could see that it had rained in the park. It’s a funny thing about rain — one location doesn’t get a drop; and a mile away it rains hard. There were a number of wet spots on the bike path in the park. After three laps, I decided to go back home. Even in the park, there was a sign about the heat advisory; and I needed to get some laundry done, anyway. On top of that, I was starting to feel hollow. So here it is, 2:00 pm; and the storm still hasn’t broken out. I’m tired of waiting.

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I Love Tailwinds

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

I Love Tailwinds! I love tailwinds! What cyclist doesn’t? During yesterday’s ride, I got a good breeze behind me on the way home; and for four or five seconds was cruising at 20+ mph! For me, that’s very fast. That’s why I love tailwinds. Today was different. I rode to the salvage store; and the wind was pesky. Tomorrow looks like more of the same; and I’d better ride early in the day. The afternoon heat index might reach 111 degrees! That’s when I’m glad to be indoors, with the air conditioner running; and an icy cola to drink. Gosh, I’m getting soft. I grew up in this hot, humid climate with no A/C; and now I’d be hard-pressed to do without it. My distance this morning was extended by a few miles. Almost two miles into the ride to the salvage store, I remembered that I didn’t have my wallet with me; and I had to go back home to fetch it. What a nuisance that was! In addition, if I had been one minute later, I would have had to wait for a freight train! I was glad that I beat it to the crossing; but I didn’t escape the blast from its horn. Talk about LOUD!! Back home I ate an early lunch; then after another short errand I could get to editing my website. It still needs a lot of work. In fact, I don’t think it will ever end. If I’ve learned only one thing about keeping a website, it’s that a website is a work in progress. Creating a menu bar, aka nav bar, isn’t complicated in itself; but when I have to create new pages to link to the menu it gets very time-consuming! After several hours of such intense mental focus, I feel like a zombie. I wish there were some kind of tailwind that could speed up the process; but there isn’t. I hope I’ll get a tailwind at least part of the time during tomorrow’s ride. Then I’ll have an energy boost for further editing work when I get home.

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Slot Machine

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Slot Machine? The slot machine can be bad news. I, for one, intend to leave the thing alone. But sometimes the routes we ride can turn into a slot machine. Be aware of any grooves in the road parallel to your direction of travel. If you catch your front wheel in such a groove, you can go down. Or even go endo! You might not be applying the front brake; but the result can be the same. One of the places where we need to be careful is a railroad crossing; especially if the pavement surrounding the rails has become worn. It’s amazing how quickly that wear can occur, too. Sometimes slots involve old and battered road surfaces. They might form along the painted lines on the road; or a slot could mean a pothole. The only thing to do about slots is to keep your guard up. Keep your front wheel clear of them! If possible, cross railroad tracks, or any slot, as near to perpendicular as possible. Rough surfaces — including potholes — and road debris (broken glass, etc.) are why I use tire liners. They go a long way in preventing flats; but are no help against the “slot machine”.

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Magic Carpet

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Magic Carpet? Magic carpet sounds like something out of the Arabian Nights; or maybe some super-duper rug cleaning product. I decided to get a small rug for my rocking chair, so the rockers don’t wear the wood floor. I also saw that my bicycles needed something to keep their tires from leaving scuff marks; and ordered area rugs for them, too. I’ve seen cartoons that show a magic carpet flying through the air, all by itself; but it might be fun to have a bicycle-powered flying rug. It probably would provide a smoother ride than a number of the streets around here; and I’d still get my exercise. There’s a catch, though: is a headwind worse riding a bicycle on the ground; or pedaling a rug through the sky? I might never know; but it’s fun to think about it. Today’s ride to the salvage store was as usual; but I was delayed leaving home for a bit when I had to deal with a most unusual intruder. I’m not sure how that snake got in here; but yesterday they installed a new storm door. Maybe it sneaked in during the work. It already feels like Summer; and at 3:45 pm it was 92 degrees! The humidity level was at 38%; and that’s low for us. It helps keep the heat from feeling so sweltering. This morning I skipped riding out to see the full moon. I’ve been tired, what with moving and all; and I don’t have a magic carpet to ride on!

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Squirrely

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Squirrely! “Squirrely” is a characteristic unwanted in cycling; especially for group riding. The squirrely rider is unpredictable: he or she swerves and/or wobbles; and doesn’t hold a straight line. When riding close to others, this can cause unintended contact and subsequent crashes; and nobody wants that! It’s a long time since I’ve done any group riding; but maybe I should think about finding a way to get some. If I’m to do RAGBRAI next year — or any year! — I’ll be riding with many other cyclists. If you’re unused to group riding, it’s unnerving to suddenly be in a big pack of riders. They say that practicing on rollers is a good way to develop the skill of holding a straight line. I don’t have rollers; and I don’t want to get too much stuff too soon. My new place has more room than the old one did; but there’s no reason to hurry to fill it up. Let me have some elbow room! When I’m riding, I notice that I tend to be squirrely, especially when handling a water bottle. Sometimes I swerve all over the bike path! That sounds like a good excuse to use a Camel-Bak; but I need to be able to use the water bottle while holding my line. For weekend long rides, I do use the Camel-Bak; but I have a bottle of electrolyte drink to deal with. I got to thinking about this topic because of some odd squirrel sightings in the past week. I saw one that had a very short tail; and I thought maybe it had been injured. Today, I saw a similar squirrel; and these two sightings occurred several days and a mile or so apart. Unless those “bushy tailed rats” (my brother’s term) are terrific treetop travelers, I wonder whether some kind of mutation has struck the local squirrel population!

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The Great Indoors

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment / CAL

The Great INdoors? The great indoors isn’t what most of us want at this time of year, is it? Many of us are just a-rarin’ to get OUTdoors; and there’s a lot to do out there: cycling, of course; and hiking, camping, etcetera. But the days will come — here in New Orleans, anyhow — when it’s so hot and humid that the thought of going outside will evoke groans. I’m sure even kids will wish they could stay indoors. After all, for weeks at a time, we’ll have overnight low temperatures of about 80 degrees! But children will need to burn off energy, so they don’t drive their parents crazy with their antics. For very young kids, the Infans Wiggle Car can help. This riding toy, for ages two and up, can be used either indoors or out. There are no gears to catch clothing; no batteries to worry about; and no pedals. The rider propels the car by wiggling and twisting. Sort of like a glorified fidget spinner? The Infans Wiggle Car is designed not to damage floors; and there’s even a handy trunk for carrying snacks. Available in Green; Blue; Pink; or Black. $69.99 This item would be great for the great indoors when there’s a long spell of rainy weather; and outdoor activity is impractical. That’s particularly true when T-storms kick up, and there’s lots of lightning! I remember one June Sunday, years ago (before Katrina!) when the weather got really weird. It seemed very muggy even at 9:00 am; and as the day went on, the T-storms began to fire up. One storm would seem to be die down; then another would start. It was like an endless loop; and it went on for hours. That was before I took to cycling; and being out on a bicycle on a day like that is no fun. It makes me feel like a rolling lightning rod; and that’s when I want the great indoors!

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Put Friction to Use

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment / CAL

Put Friction to Use Put friction to use with the Bike Friction Generator Headlight. It fits most bicycles: BMX, e-bike, and more! Set includes headlight; tail light; dynamo; and necessary tools. Spare cable, too! Lights are 12 volts/6 watts. They make a great item for a bicycle tour packing list; especially if you’ll be far from places to charge up your lights; or unable to buy batteries. $23.24 I’ve never tried a light like this one; but I can see the advantages. No buying dry batteries, the cost of which adds up fast. There aren’t any cables creating clutter in the home. You don’t have to worry about what you’ll do if you forget to charge your lights; and have a pre-dawn ride planned. Just hop on the bike and ride; and put friction to use! I remember reading that using this type of light does slow your speed slightly; perhaps by one mile per hour. As long as you aren’t racing, that might not matter. A concern of mine is that cable. Will the Bike Friction Generator Headlight short out in heavy rain? I had that problem with my earliest bicycle computers; and it drove me crazy. Shorting cables might be a problem if I ride this afternoon. There’s a chance of T-storms; and it isn’t fun to get caught out on a bicycle when the lightning starts to fire up. But maybe I’ll skip the ride today; I think I actually need the break.

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