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Wide Tires

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WIDE Tires! If you like wide tires, how about trying the Mongoose Malus Fat Tire bicycle? Those four-inch tires can tackle just about any surface, be it sand; snow; or the road. The Mongoose Malus has a MTB-style steel frame; and its front and rear disc brakes provide a lot of stopping power. The 7-speed shifter works smoothly for an enjoyable ride. Mountain-style handlebar helps you maintain complete control on the trail. This bike is for riders from 64 to 74 inches in height, which would exclude me. Sometimes being “vertically challenged” is tough! I hope it’s possible to add some kind of fenders to this bicycle for times when you don’t want to ride off-road. Those wide tires throw up a lot of water and muck, I’m sure; and if this is how you have to ride to work, you don’t want to get muddy!  I guess it would be possible to rig this bike as a commuter. A rack over the rear wheel would let you carry a pair of panniers; then you can carry lunch; a change of clothes; or, on weekends, a load of groceries!  What I’d like to know is, don’t those wide tires offer a lot of resistance? To me, that’s a drawback; especially for long rides. These fat-tire bicycles can get up considerable speed, though. I’ve been passed by riders on fat-tire bikes while riding my road bike!

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Folding Adult Tricycle

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Folding Adult Tricycle This folding adult tricycle, by Dongshan, is great if you aren’t able to ride a two-wheeler, but are skimped on storage space: folding size is 51.18 x 31.49 x 35.43 inches. The rear seat can fit two youngsters or one adult; and has a seat belt for added safety. Recommended rider height limit (both front and back) is six feet tall. This trike is made of high- carbon steel; weight is about 77 pounds. Low step-through design makes it easy to get on and off. Trike is designed for stability. Front-wheel shock absorber contributes to a smoother ride; and fenders keep dirty water off of riders in wet weather. Disc brakes provide strong stopping. Baskets front and rear are great for bringing home a load of groceries; or carrying a picnic lunch to the local park. While I’m at it, don’t forget helmets; both for yourself and for your child. Colors: black or red. I never had a folding adult tricycle; but this one sure sounds great! $497.01

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Recap

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Recap “Recap” sounds like a musical term to me. There’s also “recap” as in, buy a new helmet. Sunday afternoon I was preparing for a jaunt on the road bike; and when I put on my helmet, it simply did not fit. At first I thought I needed to tighten the ratchet in the back; after all, this is the first ride in a while when I didn’t need a helmet liner. But the ratchet wouldn’t hold; and my helmet kept sliding all around my head. The weight of the headlight was no help. I had to get out the old helmet that I keep as an emergency spare. My bike shop is closed Sundays and Mondays; so I had to wait until today to go there. This morning I got my new headpiece; hence the term “recap”. The weather has looked uncertain all day. I got up early with the idea of visiting the local farmers’ market; but decided not to when a drizzle began. On top of that, I heard thunder! You never know how fast weather like that might be traveling; and nobody likes to get caught in a storm. By about 9:00 am, the rain had stopped, allowing me to get to and from the bike shop dry. Then I decided to head for the farmers’ market; and hope for the best. The sky was still overcast; and I thought it might rain again. I’m glad it didn’t; and I got some great tomatoes! It’s still overcast; and there’s still a 50% chance of rain. I’m debating whether to try going out on the road bike. The temperature is 72, and the wind is light — except for some pretty hefty gusts. That’s actually not bad for riding. Tomorrow it’s supposed to clear up, which is good news. It looks like Saturday morning will be all right for the trip to the salvage store; and Sunday I think I’ll push for 15 miles or so. I hope my hand cooperates!

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Four Times Pre Prep

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Four Times Pre Prep? RAGBRAI on My Mind! This feels like four times pre prep. If I do RAGBRAI, it won’t be until July of next year; and already I’m thinking of what I’ll need to take along on the ride. The videos I’ve watched about RAGBRAI make it quite plain that this is a week-long food fest. Although salad bars are mentioned, I get the impression that there’s not much fiber otherwise. Pork chops; pie; ice cream — no fiber there; and we know what can happen with a low-fiber diet! I wouldn’t want my big adventure to be spoiled by the miseries of “irregularity”; so I’m trying out some fiber wafers now. If those  things don’t agree with me, now is the time to find out; and they’ll be put down on my no-go list. If they’re OK, then I’ll take them with me. I’ll probably want GU-Gels. How many per day; and which flavors? If I suck down several “goos” per day, I’ll get flavor fatigue if they all taste the same; and that’s no fun. Moving on from diet, what about “housing”? Even if I use a charter service that will take care of a tent for me, I’ll need bedding: an inflatable mattress; sleeping bag; and a pillow (or something that can substitute for a pillow). These items need to be lightweight; and capable of being folded or rolled into a compact package. Which reminds me, I’ll need a duffel bag, too. Just keep in mind the weight limit! Gosh, all these things to think about! See why I call it Four Times Pre Prep? RAGBRAI can get very hot and humid. Having lived in New Orleans all my life, I should be used to that; but riding in it for hours every day is another story. I think I’ll get one of those cooling neck gaiters soon, and see how they work. It won’t be long before we’ll have overnight low temperatures around 80 degrees; and my Sunday long rides will be sweltering. How about the wardrobe? Clean shorts for each day is the most important thing of all; and I’m not sure I’ll be able to wash shorts at any point. Wearing them into a shower might not get them clean enough; so that means seven pairs of shorts to pack along. Jerseys? I can wear one for two days; and if I start to get smelly, I won’t be the only one! I was surprised to hear that it can get cold during RAGBRAI; ergo have leg warmers, arm warmers, and a jacket handy! A helmet liner, too. A ventilated helmet on a chilly day makes for a miserably cold head. And lots more. RAGBRAI 2024 is a long way off; but four times pre prep can’t hu

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Back on Track

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Back on Track I’m working to get back on track now. It’s great to be riding again; but it will take a while before I’m really normal again. Today I rode the hybrid to the salvage store. HOORAY!! First time since surgery! I didn’t take the trailer, because I don’t think I’m ready for hauling yet; and I thought right. My hand was flaring up before I got back home; and my legs are rather stiff. And after only ten miles! The trip was worth it, though. I was out of canned chicken, and I found some at the store; and I got cut-rate peppermint bark, left over from last Christmas. I don’t care if it’s a bit stale — it still tastes good enough for me! When I’m shopping in a regular store, I skip things like Nut•rition, because it’s expensive. But at the salvage store today, I found a box of 18-1.5 oz pouches of the stuff; and for $7.99! The grab-bag bins were empty today, which is why I got the peppermint bark. I’m always on the lookout for ride food; and this morning I found a bar called Barebells®. It would be good to take along on a ride tomorrow; if I can ride tomorrow! It looks like tomorrow through Tuesday will be stormy; and that includes T-storms. I’ll see how things are in the morning. If I can’t go out, there’s always the the trainer! It’s a good thing I have it; because I need to get back on track!  

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Dreaming Again

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Dreaming Again! Yes, I’m dreaming again; this time about RAGBRAI! Is it really so impossible? Apparently it isn’t too late to register for RAGBRAI 2023; but I’m quite sure it’s too late for me to train up to it. After all, the big ride starts on July 22; and I’m just getting back on the bike again. There are many things to consider: getting up there to Iowa, and getting back home afterwards; training for the ride; whether to bring along ride food. Food. Judging from the YouTubes I’ve been watching, RAGBRAI is a week-long food fest! The list of “eats” includes, among other items, ice cream; pork chops; corn on the cob; and beer (well, I think I’ll skip the beer). I might not need to bring any food; but I don’t think it would hurt to have a few energy bars on hand, just in case. How about clothes? Can I wash out shorts and jerseys in the shower? I’ll need clean shorts each day; and as of now I have only five pairs. As to jerseys, I own all of three! “Evening” clothes are a must, because I won’t want to hang out in sweaty shorts after a long day in the saddle. That’s a major no-no! Which brings up another point — take along an ample supply of Chamois Butt’r. I also am sure to go through a LOT of sunblock! Y’know, I think I’ll order me a pair of leg sun sleeves. If I’m dreaming again about doing RAGBRAI, it’s not too soon to try out these things! Rather surprisingly, it can get chilly during RAGBRAI; so I’ll have to pack leg- and arm-warmers. Rain is always a possibility; that means a rain jacket and extra socks. There are charter services for RAGBRAI that will set up a tent for you each night; and for a first-timer, that might be the way to go. Especially if I go it solo. After all, where can I practice setting up a tent? I could keep going about this; but for the moment, all I know is I’m dreaming again!

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Starting Anew

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Starting Anew I’m starting anew; sort of. Today is the first time since my surgery that I tried riding the road bike. It was great to be on “Scottie” again; but it seems my hand and wrist aren’t quite ready for it yet. After about five miles, things started to feel tired and strained. Good thing I was at least halfway back home by then! Now I have to relearn how my Garmin works. All those different buttons! On top of that, as soon as I began my ride, the readout screen showed a “low cadence sensor battery” message. Getting into that sensor to change the battery is still a bit much for my hand; so I had to walk the bike to the shop. I have no idea what my heart rate was, because I forgot to wear the chest strap. Note to self: put that thing where I’ll see it for the next ride! But I’m pretty sure I stayed in Zone 3 today. It looks like tomorrow will be very windy. Since I’m starting anew, as it were, I think I’ll stay off the levee. Maybe I’ll ride in the park; or maybe I’ll put the bike in the trainer.  Just now I’m cooking brown rice for a Hoppin’ John variation. This one will have pintos and great northerns. Tonight I can do the chopping work; and tomorrow I can finish it up. This cooking project will let me use up three cans of stuff; and that’s a good thing. I still have quite a stash. It’s going to be hard work for my hand; but I need to cook up some good stuff to eat. I’ve missed my Hoppin’ John variations. Oh, and today I thought up a new treat: dipping banana into hot cocoa mix!

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Sounds Marvelous

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Sounds Marvelous! This really sounds marvelous: RAGBRAI! As I watched the video, I even wondered whether I’ll ever be able to do it. Shooting for that ride would be a MAJOR undertaking; make no mistake about that. Participating in the full-length RAGBRAI means seven straight days of riding an average of 67 miles per day; and it isn’t all flat. Now that I’m retired, I can start lengthening my daily rides; that is, once my hand is ready for it. But getting up to the necessary distances won’t happen overnight. I also need plenty of simulated hills; and that’s where my prep for rides such as Tour de Cure (in hillier territory about 30 miles from home) always fell short. Somehow I never did enough of hard efforts; and those that I did weren’t hard enough! I’d have to get to Iowa in the first place; and haul my bicycle and my camping gear with me. I don’t have any such gear; and I’d need a tent and a sleeping bag. Naturally I’d have to haul along clothes for seven days, in case I can’t wash anything along the way. Rain gear wouldn’t be a bad idea, either. At least I do have a hydration system; and a tube of electrolyte tablets is easy to tuck away. I wouldn’t be able to bring along all my own food, though; and I can see from the video that keeping fueled across Iowa can get costly. Registering for RAGBRAI is no guarantee that I would get to ride; if the number of entrants exceeds a certain count, the powers that be start drawing names out of hat, as it were. But supposing I did make it into the pack? A week’s solid riding across The Hawkeye State! I have an idea that it’s addictive. And it sounds marvelous!

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spring is sprung

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Spring Is Sprung? Spring is sprung? Really? The calendar says so; but our weather does not. At 7:30 am, the chill factor was just below freezing. It’s bizarre, after days of afternoon high temperatures over 80 degrees. At least it’s sunny; but as of mid-afternoon, I haven’t been out to ride yet. In fact, maybe I should skip it today. My left hand feels a bit swollen; and that’s not so good. I suppose I’ve overworked it. Tomorrow I have occupational therapy; and I’ll ask the therapist about it. Possibly the real problem is weakness from post-surgical inactivity; and the gripping required to ride a bicycle is actually good for it! But it’s still only 51 degrees; and I simply don’t feel like going out. It doesn’t help that it’s chilly indoors, even in front of an electric heater. Working over a laptop tends to turn my brain to mush; and that doesn’t help, either. Tomorrow it will be a little warmer; and thank goodness, the wind is expected to drop. It’s been blowing quite strongly for several days in a row. Wind makes it feel even colder. Speaking of wind, I went for a mid-afternoon ride yesterday. For half or three-quarters of a mile, I was riding hard — trying to keep pace with a ship! It was headed upriver, as I was; and I wanted to see which flag was flying from its stern.  But I had a headwind; and pushing the pace sure got my heart rate up! I don’t have an exact number; but from my PRE, I’m sure I was approaching my maximum heart rate! By the time I reached the point where trees didn’t obscure my view, the ship was too far from me for a good look at the flag. Luckily the lettering on the stern was large; and I could see the name of the ship’s home port: Monrovia. There won’t be time for a ride tomorrow morning before I leave for my therapy session, unless I get up at 5:00 am; but I can ride after I get home. I think I’ll make a detour to the farmers’ market on the way; I don’t have to rush to get to work.? And maybe I can enjoy being outdoors tomorrow. Spring is sprung!  

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Rock It

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Rock It! Let’s rock it; and burn up the road on our next ride! But to do that, the drivetrain has to be in good condition; and Rock N Roll lube is a big help. This lube is self-cleaning; and I like that. Before I started using this product, I had jars of dirty, oily water sitting around. In fact, they’re still sitting around! The only toxic waste drop-off I know of is halfway across town; and last I knew, they’re open for only a few hours on Saturdays. Convenient, huh? I need to get this stuff out and lube both my bicycles’ chains. Thanks to hand surgery, the bikes have been unused for nearly ten weeks; but now I’m starting to ride again. A lube job would be a good idea. Maybe I can’t rock it yet. I have to work back up to it; and that won’t happen overnight. But this lube will keep that drivetrain running smoothly!

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