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Tricycle Adult Folding Bicycle

This Week’s Feature The Tricycle Adult Folding Bicycle is a great solution if you want to take kids along; but balance difficulties forbid use of a bicycle with a child seat. This single-speed “ride” has front suspension; 20-inch wheels; and a chromoly steel frame. The rear seat can hold two youngsters. The child seat is equipped with a seatbelt for safety. Baskets let you carry home groceries; the kids’ school needs; or your change of clothing for work. Fenders keep you and the trike cleaner on wet days. For riders up to to 6’1″/180 cm; maximum load 440 lb/200 kg. Trike weighs 77 lb/~35 kg. For both men and women. The Tricycle Adult Folding Bicycle carries a one-year warranty. $497.01

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Cut It Short

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Cut It Short I had to cut it short today, big time. The forecast was for isolated T-storms by 7:00 am; and scattered T-storms as the morning went on. That, of course, had me a bit on edge. It was just after 8:00 when I finally got going; and the sky looked pretty stormy already. The sun had peeked out a few times, though; so I wore my sunglasses. Of course that made the clouds look all the darker! I had ridden only a half-mile or so when it began to sprinkle; and it looked like I was heading straight for worse weather. Going back home seemed like the wiser course. But it wasn’t really raining yet; and I rode the hybrid to the nearby grocery store. I needed bananas; and this store keeps them right inside the entrance. Hummus and frozen blueberries were on my wish list; but I don’t know where that store keeps them. Concerns over the weather meant I didn’t want to spend a lot of time looking for them; so I’ll have to go without. When I got out of the store, the sky was darker; and I donned my poncho before beginning the ride home. On the way, the wind began to blow in the way it does when it’s about to storm. When I got home, I checked the weather online. There was a T-storm in progress at the airport (about 11-12 miles from here); and heavy rain. So it’s a good thing I cut it short. If I had kept riding, I would have been caught in it! It began to rain here about 9:20 am; and actually, it’s nice to be indoors for it. But speaking of cutting, I’ve got a huge cauliflower that I have to chop up.

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More Fog

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

MORE Fog! More fog! I’m tired of those ground-hugging clouds! Yesterday morning it was quite foggy when I rode. Luckily there was a clear patch; so I got to see the full moon. But I couldn’t see its reflection on the river because there was too much mist. The farther I rode, the worse it seemed to get; so I went home early. I thought conditions were bad yesterday; but this morning it was worse! I didn’t even try to go on the levee. I rode over to the park; and the fog was so bad, I had to remove my glasses after a half-mile. Things were pretty bad in the park; and it makes me nervous when I can hardly see where I’m riding. On the upside, I heard an owl in the park! But one circuit was enough, given the conditons; and I went home. Naturally I’ve checked the forecast for tomorrow and — more fog. And yet more the next morning! Now is the kind of time when I wish I had some anti-fog spray. Maybe I can ride a bit later tomorrow, because I won’t be going to work. I have an appointment; but not until 9:45 am. It’s time to consult the hand specialist about surgery for that pesky CMC arthritis. Occupational therapy has helped a little; but I still have trouble with pain. Looks like only surgery will get rid of it. Unfortunately, that will mean time off the bike!

Same Old Question

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Same Old Question It’s the same old question again: IS this December? It certainly doesn’t feel like it today. Day before yesterday, at least, it was cold in the morning; and I had to cut my ride short because I couldn’t get warm. What a feeble start to Winter Wheelers! Yesterday it was a good bit warmer; and today feels more like May than Christmas coming. It was foggy in the morning; and I got rather hot riding to and from the salvage store. More fog is in the forecast for tomorrow morning; and it’s going to be warm for at least a few more days. In a way I’m glad, because knowing it’s warm means less guessing about how many layers I need for a ride. At the same time, this just doesn’t feel right for the season. So, is it December, or not? Same old question! I’m thinking about tomorrow’s ride. A low of 64 degrees tonight means I’ll probably want leg warmers. I’d rather be a bit too warm than not warm enough! I think I’ll be able to get away with half-fingered gloves; and that’s a good thing. The fingers of my full-fingered gloves are really a bit too long; and tend to snag my “feed bag“. Then I wind up spilling my food! I hope to get in more than 29 miles tomorrow. I’ve met my mileage goal for the year; but that doesn’t stop me from being a mileage hog.

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Worry Is Wasted

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Worry Is Wasted? Worry is wasted, some folks say; and sometimes, it is. I was concerned about the weather for today. Forecasts had been predicting rain; and I wasn’t sure what time it might arrive. This morning it was overcast; but it wasn’t raining yet. So I checked NOAA; and it indicated that the rain wasn’t due until late morning/early afternoon. It showed a wind advisory from noon until midnight, though; and I wasn’t keen on having to battle it! I figured I had enough of a weather-window to make a trip to the salvage store; and I did. I didn’t take the trailer, because I didn’t want to be dragging it along if the wind kicked up. It wasn’t raining; but it was foggy/misting. I wound up having to take off my sunglasses so I could see! The ones I have aren’t photochromatic; so it looked a bit dark when I was wearing them. I got home around 10:00 am; and about an hour later, it was drizzling. As of now, 12:25 pm, the expected strong wind hadn’t arrived. The main problem actually looks like gusts up to 30-40 mph. That’s enough to blow me away if I’m up there on the levee; and I’m glad it’s expected to calm down by tomorrow morning. So worry is wasted — this time, anyway. For a few weeks, my Sunday ride has been rather short; and I want to work back up to 40 miles or so. The temperature tomorrow will be good for riding: mid-50s to low-60s; and clear. We might get T-storms this afternoon; and I’ll be glad to get them over with while I’m indoors!

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Turkey Roll

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Turkey Roll? Turkey roll sounds like a kind of submarine sandwich. And in fact, many folks are eating turkey today. That’s quite the usual for Thanksgiving. My turkey roll was a ride! I didn’t put in any more miles than usual for a weekday; and that sure makes me feel lazy. But I didn’t take ride food along; and I didn’t want to have to reapply sunblock. I also knew that rain is possible today; and of course I didn’t want to get caught in it. As it turned out, I was home way ahead of any rain. I stowed the road bike and rode the hybrid to the ATM; and I stopped at the drug store to buy a soda. Then it was home to fix my ‘Thanksgiving dinner”. Last Saturday I found a box of macaroni and cheese at the salvage store. I fixed the macaroni per the instructions on the box; and tossed it with tuna fish and some peas. Along with a variety of olives and some cranberry sauce, it made a nice meal. The forecast for tomorrow and Saturday is a rainy one; and I hope it isn’t pouring tomorrow morning. I need to get to the supermarket. As usual, I need bananas; but I figured any grocery store would probably be packed today. People will be trying to get last-minute things for Thanksgiving dinner. Tomorrow is Black Friday; but I think I’ll steer clear of the bargain-hunting mobs. In my family we don’t go for extravagant gifts; and if it’s going to rain tomorrow, I’d have to worry about getting my merchandise home without having it get soaked. This is the annoying kind of day when it’s a little too cool indoor for comfort; but not cool enough for the heater to stay on. It looks like it will stay that way for a few more days. Soon enough, though, I’ll be complaining about how cold it is!

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Fait Accompli

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment / CAL

FAIT ACCOMPLI!! Fait Accompli! Success! I made it! Today I rolled up to my Love to Ride 2022 mileage goal: 5000 miles by December 30. I thought I could do it, and I was right; although I didn’t expect to finish six weeks early! I’m not sure I want to set another goal for this year. There isn’t time to try training for a century ride next month; and I don’t relish the idea of riding 100 miles when it’s cold and windy. Tonight it’s going to get down to 39 degrees. It’ll be a chilly ride tomorrow morning. I need to get out some warming packs; and in fact, it’s time I ordered some more of them. I hope we don’t get subfreezing weather this season, like we did early this year; but we never can be sure what’s coming weather-wise. I first tried warming packs several years ago because I was so tired of my hands freezing during cold-weather rides. Now I wonder how I managed without them; and even wish I could fit them inside my shoes to keep my toes warm. All you need to do is remove the packs from their wrapping; shake them; and let them sit 15-20 minutes. They’ll warm up; and then you can put them inside your gloves. If they get cool, shake them to reactivate them. These warming packs are good for up to 18 hours from first use. At the moment I’m not thinking about riding; I’m simply enjoying the thrill of fait accompli.

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It Got Cold

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

It Got Cold! Hey, it got cold! Temperatures in the 40s might not seem cold to some folks; but to me that’s cold enough! Especially when it’s windy and damp. I remember a co-worker that I had, many years ago. This person had come from Ohio, I believe it was; and said that, the first Winter here, she’d never been so cold in her life. Far from “perking you up”, cold weather makes me feel tired; sluggish; and slow. When it got cold Saturday night, it was too cold in here; and as a result, I didn’t sleep well. Then for my Sunday ride, I was tired; and really didn’t feel all that well. Add wind, and full-fingered gloves that made fueling awkward; and I rode only a bit over 19 miles. This morning when I went riding, there was a fine drizzle; and that doesn’t go well with glasses. I decided to ride laps around the park rather than deal with the wind on top of the levee; and I was glad I did! As I rode, it seemed to be getting colder; and the wind seemed to get stronger. At the moment, it’s 50 degrees; and the humidity is 80%! Add a 13 mph wind, and it’s not at all comfortable outdoors. Maybe I’ll ride in the park again tomorrow. My new hybrid is in the shop. Yesterday I was riding to work; and the chain came off the cassette. The bike shop is closed Mondays; so I had to wait until today to take the bike in. Maybe it just needs adjusting. I hope I didn’t manage to damage it somehow. Luckily the bicycle is still under warranty!

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Danged Wind

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Danged Wind! That danged wind really threw a monkey wrench into my plans. I’m getting so very close to meeting my to Love to Ride mileage goal. As of last night, I had a hair over 55 miles to go. My plan was to ride 40 or so miles today; then finish tomorrow. But as we all know, things don’t always work out as planned. Yesterday morning was drizzly; and it was already getting cooler by 8:30 am. During the day the temperature continued to drop; and by this morning it was in the low 40s. Add winds of 12-15 mph — with gusts up to 24 mph — and I was facing a cold ride! I’ve gone riding before in wind like that; but when the temperature is cold as well, it drains my energy. It doesn’t help that it got much cooler so fast. But I started out; and the first time I tried to get a bit to eat, the bag with my “bites” in it snagged on my glove’s fingers. Down it went; and I lost six of eight pieces of energy bar. Full-fingered gloves drive me crazy! So there I was, with half of my ride food gone. I did have a spare energy bar with me; but it wasn’t cut into pieces. The wind also made it harder to manage getting a bottle (with electrolyte drink) in and out of its cage. Today it took me an hour or so to ride only 9.5 miles! I felt so cold and tired that I decided to head for home early. Danged wind; it’s not the first time that wind has ruined a ride. I hope things calm down a bit by mid-afternoon; then maybe I can take another short ride.

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rehash

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Rehash? It feels like a rehash every time I blog about a week’s activity. Monday, I went for a pre-dawn ride; and Tuesday I did the same. And so on. How about something new? Monday morning I went for a ride; and as soon as I opened the door, I was dismayed to see how foggy it was. It’s the first big fog we’ve had in a while; and my hopes of seeing the almost-full moon were dashed. But Tuesday I got lucky. Here’s something unusual to report! It was clear; and I was able to see the eclipsed moon! It was darker than many lunar eclipses I’ve seen; but it was in a position where I could take frequent looks at it as I rode. Actually, the moon was so dark that it was a little hard to find! On the way home the moon was behind me; but I could still take glances at it over my shoulder. In Summer I can’t do that, because the moon is in the wrong place in the sky. Also on the way home, I could watch the sky lightening as the sun prepared to rise. What a ride! I’m fast closing in on my Love to Ride mileage goal. As of this evening, only 64.48 miles left to go! I intend to ride to the salvage store tomorrow; and that will knock off about 10 miles. I need to run an errand or two; and that means another mile or so. Tomorrow night we’ve got a cold front due. Down to 43 degrees; and the wind will be 10-15 mph. That means a chill factor in the 30s. Maybe I’ll put in a short stint on the road bike tomorrow; and do a shorter-than-usual Sunday ride. Then I won’t have to be out in the cold so long. Wimpy, aren’t I? That’s enough of a rehash. Time to enjoy the weekend!

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