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Eurobike

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Eurobike The Eurobike Road EURXC550 is in an affordable price range for most folks; and is great for riding on paved surfaces. This bicycle features a carbon steel frame; and dual disc brakes provide lots of stopping power. A riding bag is included; so this one makes a nice commuting bike. Some assembly is required; instructions and the tools you’ll need come with the bike. Then just pump up the tires; and off you go! Speaking of pumping tires, a floor pump isn’t practical to take along on a ride. The Pro Bike Tool Pump is an alternative; however, it does need re-drilled holes in the bike frame for mounting. Maybe the Pro Bike Tool Inflator would do. Just be sure to carry some CO2 cartridges with you! The Eurobike, I admit, seems heavy to me. It weighs 39 lb/17.69 kg; that’s heavier than my hybrid. I probably wouldn’t want it for a century ride. Then again, I did a 100-miler on my adult trike; and that rig probably weighed about 50-55 pounds! Whatever bike I’m using, today I’m not doing much riding. I needed fresh produce; and for that I go to Winn Dixie. My round trip was less than six miles; and a trip to the ATM and the drug store added barely over two more miles. By the time I finished those errands, it was getting quite hot; and I was also quite hungry! The sky was pretty cloudy; and I wasn’t sure what the weather might do. So I stayed home; but I didn’t hear thunder until about 12:20 pm.  I hope I can get myself going early tomorrow. Isolated T-storms are predicted from 10:00 am; and Eurobike or not, I don’t like to be caught in a storm!   

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Incredibell

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Incredibell I love my Incredibell. The hybrid has one; and I wish I could put one on the road bike. Unfortunately the handlebar tape makes those handlebars too big for the Incredibell’s fastening band. But something the bell does not do is let me ride upside down! This bell has a bright, clear tone; and its non-rusting alloy composition is a plus. That’s especially true if you live in a humid climate. On top of that, our average annual rainfall is five feet.  Sometimes it seems like I’m in a diving bell! In fact, I might want just such an apparatus tomorrow. It’s another stormy forecast; and in fact, it rained pretty hard for a while this morning. Saturday morning is looking OK; and so is Sunday. I think I’ll forgo the trip to the salvage store and hit the regular supermarket. I’m about out of apples; and I need bananas. I’ll sure miss raiding the grab-bag bins; but I’ve got to get back to a more healthful diet!  Going to the supermarket is a round trip of six miles at most; and maybe I’ll take a short ride on the road bike afterwards.  Maybe. My legs have been feeling tired; and I might need a bit of a break. Oddly, walking makes me notice the fatigue more than riding does! I seem to be developing what they call “cyclist’s shuffle”. I sure don’t need to work up burnout now. Cycle September begins in two weeks; and I want to make a strong showing! I’ll see what the weather is doing tomorrow morning; and take it from there.

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Tommaso Endurance Road Bike

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Tommaso Endurance Road Bike This Tommaso Endurance Road Bike is built to last; and it’s also built for comfort on long rides. It has a lightweight aluminum frame; plus aluminum wheels for affordable performance. Components are by Shimano; and the compact frame geometry lets you assume a more relaxed riding position. There are 24 gears, for a wide range of riding conditions. The frame has a lifetime warranty. Color available are black; white; and burnt orange. When I bought my road bike, I was unaware of the existence of  Tommaso bikes. If I had known, I might have looked for one of them. They certainly cost much less than the bike that I did buy. On the other hand, my road bike still seems to be going strong at ten years old. “Scottie” has a carbon fiber frame; but that’s not why I chose the Scott. I tried several road bikes at the shop; but at the time I had absolutely no experience with road bikes. That made it impossible for me to be really discerning. It’s probably fair to say that I happened to manage the Scott best by sheer chance. I see that the Tommaso Endurance Road Bike has rather sparse spoking on its wheels. I guess that’s typical for road bikes; because my own road bike has similar wheels. But they ought to hold up as long as I don’t try any technical off-road riding!

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Keep Oriented

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Keep Oriented! Keep oriented with this StemCAPtain compass! I first got one some years ago, so I could watch my direction. If I could know my bearing, I’d know when I was about to turn into a headwind; and be ready to increase my effort level. But I don’t need a compass to tell me that I usually have headwinds on the way home! Over the  years, I’ve gone through three or four of these compasses. Once the thing somehow detached from my handlebars when I hit a bump; and I didn’t notice it right away. Of course I couldn’t find the compass; and had to buy another one. Another thing I’ve noticed is that the clear housing yellows over time. Then the compass is hard to read when I’m riding in the dark; even with my headlight. The liquid (water?) inside also seems to evaporate eventually. I’m so used to having that compass there that I want to have it; even though I don’t always look at it. My Garmin‘s screen gets a lot more of my attention these days! It sure did during today’s ride. My planned 40 miles became 42.8 because I was forced to add detours to both ends of it. There was a long string of railroad cars blocking my crossing; and I had to make quite a detour to get to the bike path. Some four hours later, those cars were still sitting there! I had to make another detour to get back home. Today I was lucky with the wind. It was calm for most of my ride! I watched the sky go from mostly clear to thin, high clouds; and then to big cumulus clouds. By the time I got home, the clouds looked like there might be a T-storm in the making. All the same, I rode over to the neighborhood Chinese restaurant to get take-out for lunch. Do you think that will help me to stay oriented?

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Rain Gear

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Rain Gear Which cog is my rain gear? I know. Bad joke. But I sure needed rain gear this morning! I decided to ride the hybrid  because of wet, muddy conditions. We had heavy rain yesterday; and things take quite a while to dry out. When I went outside, it was sprinkling a little; so I put on the poncho. I didn’t pull the hood over my head, because it makes me hotter; but I wanted to be able to get that hood on quickly if it really began to rain. I headed for the park; and sure enough, before I could get there, I needed to stop and put the hood on. In a few minutes it was raining heavily. The biking/walking path in the park is paved; and I’m glad it is. Otherwise it would have been an absolute bog. As it was, there were huge pools of water everywhere; and my glasses were so wet, I could hardly see where I was going. Between the visibility problems and the rain, I made it a short ride. I was thankful that there wasn’t any lightning; and I’m glad it was a bit cooler than usual. It gets hot under plastic! The trouble with a poncho is that it “rides” up; and that means I get wetter. Ponchos are also prone to flapping; and I wear my reflective vest over the poncho to keep it under better control. On the other hand, a poncho is pretty well ventilated. I suspect that a rain suit is too good at keeping heat in; and if the weather is warm, wouldn’t I get drenched with sweat? I guess the rain suit is better for cold weather; but I won’t get to try it until October or November – maybe not until December! All the same, I know Fall is coming. Yesterday morning it was pretty clear when I rode; and I spotted Orion in the sky. That’s a dead giveaway.

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Stabilizer Wheel Kit

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Stabilizer Wheel Kit This Stabilizer Wheel Kit can be a great help to riders who have balance issues; but who don’t want an adult trike. A physical impairment doesn’t have to mean missing the joys of cycling! This set-up had an advantage over an adult trike: it can fit through most doorways. The adult trike that I had could not; and I had to leave the poor thing outdoors. The Stabilizer Wheel Kit is easy to install; however, installation by a qualified dealer is recommended. This stabilizer is strong; and fits most bikes with 24″-27″/61cm-68.6 cm tires. I never thought of using one of these while I was getting the hang of two wheels. To me, “training wheels” would have meant a longer learning curve! But if I need balance assistance later in life, this is something to keep in mind. There are some possible drawbacks, though. It looks to me as if this stabilizer leaves no space for panniers; and that’s bad news for me. I need those “saddle bags” when  it’s time to bring home the groceries. I’m also not sure that  the tongue of a trailer can fit around the stabilizer. I need that trailer when it’ s big-load time! Adding this stabilizer to a bike that you already have might be more cost-effective than buying a trike. In these days of inflation, that’s definitely worth considering! 

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QuietKat 2019 Apex

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QuietKat 2019 The QuietKat 2019 Apex ebike certainly deserves mention. A certain social-media platform is full of messages about ebikes; and who knows? I might need the electrical assist myself some day. QuietKat 2019 Apex is designed for tough, back-country riding. That sounds almost like a mountain bike! Those wide (4.5 inches) tires might be great for muddy conditions; but how are they for road riding? Now and then I see a rider using fat tires on a paved bike path; so I suppose they’d do. Does the bike’s weight (75 lbs) make it too hard to pedal without the electrical assistance? My adult trike weighed a good bit less than that; and pedaling that rig took considerable effort. I have to admit that the “cat” is expensive. This bike’s price tag is enough to put me off; and how much does a replacement battery cost? That’s something to consider before purchasing any ebike. Recently I saw a news article about a family who had bought an electric car; and they learned that replacing the battery would cost almost as much as the car itself had! I hope that’s not the case for an ebike battery. It sounds like the battery needs some special care, which isn’t surprising. I wonder how well one would fare in this humid, salt-hazy climate. And storing it in a cool place is impossible during the Summer as long as I’m in my current residence. I’d be nervous about charging up that battery. Remember those things called Hoverboards? There were cases of fires that were caused by a charging Hoverboard; but maybe there are now built-in features to prevent such disasters.

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Sturmey Archer Hub

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Sturmey Archer Hub This saved my first century! The Sturmey Archer Hub came to my rescue when I rode my first century. My tricycle was a single-speed when I bought it; and I didn’t add the three-speed hub until about a month before the big ride. For several months, I had worked towards century day. I got tired of fighting the wind during long rides; and it finally dawned on me that I needed some kind of assistance. Part of me resisted (pride); but the other part said, come on — you need this! Let’s be practical! I’m sure I couldn’t have made it through those 100 miles without the Sturmey Archer. The wind was nasty that day; and seemed to be against me most of the time. With the hub, I could spin in a lower gear when I got tired of fighting the wind; and the rare times when I had a tailwind, the high gear actually let me get up some speed. I look back now, and wonder how I ever managed that ride. That trike probably weighed around 50-55 pounds; and its width meant it put up a lot of wind resistance. I’ve been spoiled by the much-lighter road bike; and I think I’ve gotten lazy, too. I don’t have to work as hard to ride 10-12 mph; and so I don’t! If your adult trike is a one-speed, the Sturmey Archer Hub is worth considering if you do a lot of riding. As I said, it saved the day when I did my first century. The low gear is handy for both headwinds and inclines. On one ride (not the century), when I got a stiff tailwind, I was blasting along at 15 mph! That hub was worth it.

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School Again

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Uncategorized /

School Again It’s almost time for school again already! It always comes too soon, doesn’t it? It sure did when I was a kid! If there’s a safe place to ride, how about letting the kids get to school under pedal power? When I was a kid, there was absolutely no way we could safely do that. We had several miles to go; and part of the route was a rather narrow, two-way road with ditches on both sides; and no shoulders! Add heavy traffic; and such a ride, if possible at all, would have been terrifying! I wish now we could have walked; or ridden bicycles. This Huffy sounds like it can take a lot of hard use. The drawback is, I’m not sure it could be equipped with fenders and a luggage rack. Books and other supplies might have to be carried in a backpack. That can amount to quite a heavy load! The Huffy is also a one-speed. If the route includes any hills, the lack of extra gears will make the trip harder.   But we hear about how important physical activity is for anyone; and on the way home, the ride can let a child “blow off” some of the stresses of the day. If there’s some fun in getting there and back home, school again might be a bit easier. Oh, and don’t forget the helmet!

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looby loo

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Looby Loo? Here We Go Looby Loo came to mind when I thought about lubing my hybrid bike’s chain. I played that game when I was a child; but hadn’t thought about it in ages. After three days of mid-day downpours, a bicycle’s chain needs an oil job. On the other hand, why bother if it’s going to rain again the next day? More showers and T-storms are predicted for tomorrow, especially in the afternoon. Today it rained so hard that we got a flash flood warning! And poor St. Louis really got clobbered! If I decide to go “looby loo” tonight, maybe I’ll walk to work tomorrow. I’m getting rather tired of having my bicycle rained on; and of worrying that I’ll have to ride home in a deluge. The bicycle needs a good general cleaning, anyway.  I’ve been lucky lately with the weather for my early-morning rides. Yesterday it was mostly clear when I rode; and I saw the  old crescent moon. The dark part of the moon was visible; and one of the planets was close by. Venus, maybe. Today the moon was too low in the sky; and/or there were too many clouds. I had to make it rather short this morning. Some days I’m too sleepy to get going in time; and then I get aggravated with myself. I’m also annoyed with myself about my eating habits of late. I really need to get back on track!  It’s hard to eat a really good breakfast when I’m just home from an hour’s riding; have to get ready to go to work; and my appetite is suppressed from the exercise! It’s hard to pack enough food to carry along, too. I sure miss working from home; and want more than ever to retire.

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