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I Lost

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

I Lost! I lost the gamble with the weather today. ? The forecast showed heavy rain and T-storms beginning late morning or early  afternoon. I figured I would have time to get to the salvage store and back; and besides, yesterday’s forecast was similar. And then it didn’t storm; and it’s annoying to be on tenterhooks all day, waiting for all fury to break loose. On top of that, I wanted the exercise; so off I went. And, as I said, I lost the gamble. The sky already looked pretty stormy at 7:30 am; especially towards the North. While I waited for the salvage store to open, it kept getting darker. Naturally I didn’t like the looks of that! Before the store opened, the first flash of lightning came; and as I was going through the store, I heard rain and thunder. Just before I got finished at the checkout, it began to pour like mad. There was quite a lot of lightning, too; and some of it was pretty close! I waited at least 10 minutes for things to calm down a bit, along with several other customers who didn’t want to get soaked. When the rain eased up, I decided to head out.  It was still raining; but the lightning had moved off somewhat. I was still nervous about riding on top of the levee; but luckily the atmospheric electricity didn’t give me trouble. In addition, I couldn’t be sure when things might turn really nasty again!  By the time I reached home, the rain had almost stopped. There might be more coming; or else other areas nearby are getting heavy downpours. We’re under a flood advisory! So here I am, with a dripping poncho; and multiple cardboard boxes full of stuff — and I don’t need them to get wet. I hope it isn’t raining on Moving Day!

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Noonday Sun

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Noonday Sun I was out in the noonday sun again, just like that mad dog. But if you want to take your pooch along on a bicycle ride at any time of day, this Rotating Dog Bike Leash helps keep your pet safe.  It has a movement range of 180°; so  your pet can move from one side of the bike to the other. It’s quick and easy to attach/detach. I don’t have a dog; but if I did, I think I would want one of these leashes. Sometimes I see people riding a bicycle one-handed, while hanging onto a standard leash with the other hand. What’s going to happen if the rider suddenly HAS to use both hands? That might mean a nasty crash; or having “Rover” end up under the wheels of a car. Or even both! My noonday sun expedition was a hike to the drug store. I rode over 14 miles this morning; and my legs were rather tired. And sometimes I simply don’t feel like having to lock up a bicycle. It’s about 84 degrees; and starting to cloud up a bit. Maybe I ought to go for another ride, because there’s chance for severe T-storms tomorrow. On the other hand, we’ve got an air quality alert in effect. It’s level “Orange”; so I would probably be OK as far as air quality goes. Ultra-violet rays, however, are another story; and sometimes I get tired of slathering on  sunblock!

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Am I Blue

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Am I Blue? Am I blue; or was it only the bird? During my ride this morning, I saw what I thought was a bluebird!  It wasn’t a jay; the shade of blue was wrong; and the bird was smaller than a jay. I could see only the bird’s back; but if I had been able to see the bird’s breast, I would have known whether it was a bluebird. Today, for once, I had a tailwind most of the way home. It was cool enough for leg warmers; but am I blue? Not blue with cold, thank goodness. That would have been utterly miserable! I got in 21.10 miles; so I’m making progress on the distance aspect of my riding. Over 15-20 miles is enough of a ride for me to need on-bike eating; and my latest ride food is the Tahoe Trail Bar. As often happens, I found a Tahoe bar in a store (I think it was the salvage store); and got it to test as potential on-bike chow. I liked it; so I got more. The Tahoe bar is all plant-based; not that I care much about whether it’s vegan, but for some people that is important. For me, the important thing is: Does It Taste Good? Incidentally, a hunt through the grab-bag bins at the salvage store  yesterday yielded three FitCrunch bars! With a find like that, there’s no reason for me to feel blue!

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Don’t Count Your Chickens

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Don’t Count Your Chickens Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched, as the saying goes. This morning I rode to the salvage store. There wasn’t much wind; and on the way there, the wind was against me. I was counting on a tailwind on the way home. Guess again. While I was waiting for the store to open, I noticed that, 1) it seemed to be getting cooler; 2) the breeze was getting a little stronger; and 3) the wind was changing direction. The sky was mostly overcast; and I hoped the rain would hold off until I got home. Several other customers were also waiting; and one of them said there was some bad weather out in the Gulf, with plenty of lightning strikes. When I got out of the store, it wasn’t raining yet; but as they say, don’t count your chickens. As so often happens, I had a headwind on the way home. I had thought that I would have a tailwind! Riding felt like hard work; and I didn’t even have much of a load!  It’s a good thing I won’t be out there this evening, though. There’s a wind advisory posted, starting at 7:00 pm. It looks like tomorrow will be pretty windy, too. Not so great for riding; but at least it won’t be cold.      

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light up her ride

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Light Up Her Ride Light up her ride with the Schwinn Girl’s Lighted Basket! The motion-activated flowers require no batteries; and the adjustable velcro straps make installation and removal quick and easy. If I had done much cycling as a kid, I bet I would have loved to have one of these baskets. Now, though, it certainly won’t fit a load of groceries! With the end of school approaching, it’s time to be gearing up for Summer fun. This Schwinn basket can let your child carry a picnic lunch to the park; or take a favorite toy to a friend’s house for play. It can light up her ride; and perhaps her spirits, too. But — this is a girl’s basket. What about the boy who wants a bicycle basket; but thinks a basket decorated with flowers is sissy? Not to worry; the boys needn’t miss out! The ANZOME Kids Bike Basket is an alternative. It’s made of sturdy, impact-resistant, rust-resistant metal mesh; and fits most children’s bicycles and tricycles. Velcro straps make taking it on/off the handlebars quick and easy. The handle lets this basket be easily carried off the bike. The ANZOME is roughly the same size as the Schwinn basket; and is available in four colors: Black; Pink; Royal Blue; and White. As this basket is plain, you can decorate it your way: flowers, if you like; or perhaps attach your youngster’s favorite action figures. So there’s a bicycle basket for everyone — kids and adults alike!

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Rack up the miles

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Rack up the Miles Rack up the miles? I’m sure not doing that this morning. My head feels all stuffed up; and I feel dragged down in general. I’ll see how I feel later; and then maybe I can ride. If you have a car; and need to go some distance to reach your favorite bicycle trails; the ERKUL Bike Rack can get your bicycle there so that you can put in that distance. The ERKUL  fits most car-top racks; and can hold most road and mountain bikes. It needs no tools for installation; keeps the bike frame free of contact; and can hold up to 35 pounds. Color: Black; or Silver. Product of Turkey. $179.00 I really need to rack up some miles; I’ve got RAGBRAI 2024 on my mind. That means some serious training! I only began riding again in mid-March; and my legs seem to be taking their time getting back into condition. Maybe I’m what some coaches call a “slow responder”! But I do try to ride every day, as April is a Love to Ride challenge month. May is their Bike Month Challenge; so I’ll want to rack up the miles during May, too. But without the ERKUL, because I don’t have a car!  

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Off My Mind

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Off My Mind It’s good to have some things off my mind — tax forms for one! I finally got mine completed today. A good bicycle helmet can help keep some things off my mind, such as head injuries. This Giro Register MIPS Helmet for adults is designed to protect against both direct-impact and rotational-impact injuries. It’s constructed of lightweight polycarbonate; and has a one-hand dial in the rear for size adjustment. Multiple vents help keep your head from overheating during hot-day rides. $59.95 Naturally I wore my helmet when I rode this morning. My legs felt rather sore and tired (they could use a session with the foam roller!); but I wanted to ride today in case the weather prevents my riding tomorrow. The forecast is for rain — possibly heavy — and the chance of T-storms. Naturally I don’t want to ride in such conditions! Things were tough enough today. The wind got up to 15 mph before I got back home; and of course it was a headwind on the way back! I hope it isn’t pouring tomorrow afternoon, when I have an appointment with the hand specialist. I’ll have about a mile and a half to walk; and that’s a real nuisance when I have a flapping poncho to deal with. It looks like Saturday’s weather will be much better, at least as far as rain goes; and that’s a load off my mind. Of course I want to ride to the salvage store! But it will still be rather rather windy.?

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Every Journey

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Every Journey Every journey begins with a single step; or, in the case of cyclists, with a single pedal stroke. This Sixthreezero EVERYjourney hybrid bicycle for women can make every journey a breeze. Its 500-watt motor is there to assist  during tough climbs; or when battling a stiff headwind. There are seven gears, so you can adjust to various types of terrain; and full-electric mode allows a top speed of 15 mph. Electric-assisted pedaling makes 28 mph possible! Riding with full-electric power permits a range of 18-40 miles. The Sixthreezero has a rear rack, so you can carry home a load of groceries; or go for a tour. Two-inch wide semi-slick tires make for a stable ride; and the ergonomic frame lets you ride in a comfortable, upright position. This bicycle fit riders from 5-foot-zero to six-foot-two; and weighing up to 250 pounds. The bike weighs 66 pounds; color, gold coral. $1549.99 I have yet to try out an ebike; but maybe I’ll want one some day — say, in fifteen or twenty years. An electric assist from a Sixthreezero, I admit, would have been useful this morning. The wind was 13-17 mph; and gusts were as strong as 28 mph! It was so bad that I turned around several miles early, and rode several laps around the park to fill out my mileage. I hope things are calmer next Sunday.

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I Lucked Out

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

I Lucked Out! I lucked out with the weather this morning; at least, as far as rain goes. The forecast last night didn’t look good for the ride to the salvage store. Then this morning I checked an hourly forecast; and according to that, the rain wouldn’t set in until about 11:00 am. The sky didn’t look very friendly; but I decided to take the chance and go. And I lucked out. On the way home I ran into light sprinkle beginning around 9:05 am; but it wasn’t enough to warrant pulling out the poncho. In fact, it stopped after about two miles; and the sun actually came out for a while. The big problem was the wind! I was very glad that I wasn’t hauling the trailer. A set of panniers was enough of an impediment, with a headwind that reached as high as 16 mph. I finally was forced to shift down to the bike’s smallest ring; and shifting back to the middle ring was downright painful.  I don’t think my hand is really ready for that yet! I got back home around 9:50 am; and after that I was on tenterhooks, listening for the onset of bad weather. By noon, I was still waiting; but I checked the NOAA site. A severe T-storm watch had been issued some 40 minutes earlier; and by 12:20 pm, I heard the grumble of thunder. It looks like things will be much better tomorrow morning; and that’s a good thing. Sunday is long-ride day; not that I’m back to doing truly long rides. But I hope to get in 20 or so miles. Today’s trip to the salvage store yielded some good grab-bag finds: a half-dozen Special K Protein Bars; and snack-sized packs of various nuts. And of course, some very junk-y candy bars! But now I have some more ride food; and that’s always good. OK, bad weather — if you’re going to happen, get it over with!

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Mirror on the Bike

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Mirror on the Bike Mirror, mirror on the bike, can you show me what I like? I use a product similar to this Evo Bar End Mirror on my road bike; and it seldom shows me anything. The problem with it is, I’m liable to knock it out of position every time I reach down for my water bottle. When I’m not using the Camel-Bak, that’s every few minutes; and it gets quite annoying to have to adjust the thing so often. I also noticed that, at certain times in the morning, that thing reflects strong sunshine right into my eyes! Otherwise, this gadget is quite useful.  $10.78 The mirror on the bike works much better for my hybrid, for which I use a MTB mirror. I don’t have to reach past it to grab the water bottle; and that makes a big difference! Being able to see what’s behind me also makes a big difference; especially if I have to ride alongside traffic. $14.85 Leaving looking glasses aside, I had occupational therapy again this morning. I might be able to “graduate” in a week! Then my mornings will be more free for riding; and that will be a relief. It won’t be long before the temperatures are 80 degrees at 5:00 am; so I’ll want to ride earlier. That’s especially true as I’m trying to extend my distance. Today I rode 13.10 miles; and might have ridden a bit farther if I hadn’t thought I was running too low on water. As far as RAGBRAI prep goes, that’s nothing; but I know that it won’t help much if I try to ride too far, too soon. After all, I’ve only been back on the bike for a month; and my hand is not up to scratch yet. This ride, I was able to shift to the big ring; but veggie chopping later in the afternoon seems to have been overdoing it a bit.

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