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Working Hard

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Working Hard This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” “Working hard? I thought you were retired!” people might say. Well, I’m out of the paid workforce; but that doesn’t mean I’m through with work. I’ve said for the last few years that my website would be my job after I retired; and it sure is! It seems like the more I do, the more I think of further things to do. Today’s project was editing my Bicycles page. A site visitor who wants, say, a MTB, might not want to browse through a page showing 50-something bicycles to find a MTB. With the page’s new format, they can click on MTBs; and view the MTB page. Same for Touring Bikes; and so on. Luckily I had made almost all of the necessary pages earlier; so the project went more quickly. But I was still working hard! In fact, I’m hardly finished that project; and now I’m thinking of doing a similar job on the Boutique page! Today I skipped riding. I’m doing that too often of late; and I need to ride all I can before my foot surgery next month. Recovery might take several months; and I’ll miss being able to ride. I’m looking for non-weight bearing exercises that I can do while I wait for my foot to heal. Oops, I just now thought of yet another bike category for the Bicycles page. Retired? I’m still working hard!

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Dancing Shoes

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Dancing Shoes? Since when are cycling shoes, dancing shoes? I don’t think I would want to dance in my cycling shoes. The soles are too stiff; and even MTB shoes, with their recessed cleats, might lead to slipping. This morning, however, I was at my bike shop, buying a new pair of cycling shoes. The shop owner was teasing me about my dancing shoes; and I said, yeah, I’m ready for the foxtrot. I got a size larger this time, because of the bunion/bone spurs on my left foot. The shoes still feel a bit too snug at that spot; but I figure they’ll stretch over time. Shoes do that, you know. The pair I’m replacing are a good three years old; and they’re getting pretty soft around the heels. I read somewhere that you’re risking bio-mechanical trouble by “trying to milk more miles out of shot shoes”. I’ve got enough trouble without that! Better to pay for a new pair of shoes now, than have major doctors’ bills farther down the road. The weather forecast over the next few days shows a warming trend. I hope it doesn’t shoot up into the 90s again! Rain chances are low to none until next Wednesday; so at least I won’t need a rain suit.

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Not a Bike?

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Not a Bike? When is a bike not a bike? That depends on your exact definition. To me, a bike is something that  you can pedal to make yourself move, be it a two-wheeler; an adult trike; or even a unicycle. An indoor exercise bike is in the gray area. You can pedal as fast and hard as you like; but no amount of effort makes you and that thing get anywhere. Your CV system might be getting a terrific workout; but I’d rather have my efforts transfer into forward motion. Hence I came up with the term un-bikes!  Our weather is finally turning into something more like October. It was below 60 degrees this morning; and with a 12 mph wind, it felt quite chilly. And down to 54 tonight! We’re into another spell of dry weather; and who knows how long it will last. We still need rain. This morning I rode in the park, short and easy. I didn’t feel like battling the wind on top of the levee. Incidentally, sometimes I see things up there that are not a bike, such as scooters. Those things can fly; but they don’t have pedals. Neither do roller blades.  Of course I’ll be getting chilly while riding; and that means it’s hot-chocolate time! In recent months, I stocked up on reduced-calorie hot chocolate that I found in the salvage store. I didn’t care how hot the weather was; I knew I would want that stuff come Winter. I’ve got four or five boxes of it; so I should be all set!

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October Already

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

October Already?! Gosh, it’s October already? Where did this year go? We don’t get spectacular Fall colors here; so I won’t be going on any leaf-peeping rides. In fact, it still feels very summery! But as it’s October already, it’s time to start considering the Christmas gift list. Got kids? There are options ranging from balance bikes for toddlers; and trailercycles for kids ready to pedal, but not quite ready for independent riding. Older kids may want to take off on their own; and perhaps a Magna Throttle will fit the bill. Naturally there are bikes for adults and seniors, too. For someone who has balance issues, an adult trike is great; or it you don’t need a trike, but need a power boost, an e-bike can be a godsend. Know someone who wants to ride with a partner; but they’re both worried about being unable to stay together? A tandem might make a great joint gift. Then there are accessories, from helmets to pedals to lights. Spider Spoke Lights are more suited to Hallowe’en than Christmas, I would think; but some folks enjoy them any season. A Zukka Bike Handlebar Bag is great for carrying a camera; snacks; and a map when you go out exploring. I can tell it’s October already by how early it gets dark. But it still hasn’t cooled off much. In fact, it’s been so hot and dry that we’ve got a red flag warning! That’s rare for us; and of course it makes me rather uneasy. Not until Sunday night is it expected to get cool — a frigid 58 degrees! Maybe it will finally feel like Fall.

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The Road Goes On

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Food /

The Road Goes On “The road goes on, and ever on”; or something like that. Tolkien got that part right. During a long ride, our road sure can seem endless! What can we do to make seemingly endless miles more bearable? First, a proper bike fitting. This admittedly can be costly; but it’s well worth it. Then there’s conditioning. Trying to bang out 100 miles in a day with little or no training is unwise; although supposedly some riders have done it. How they got through those miles, I don’t know. Their legs must have given them agony in the following days! So, you’ve gotten a bike fit; and you’ve been working up to longer and longer rides. What else makes long rides more comfortable? Good bike shorts certainly are far more comfortable than regular shorts with underwear beneath them. Cycling shorts are meant to fit smoothly, and to be worn next to the skin. The other option is apt to mean two layers of fabric bunching up under you. That causes nasty chafing; and the last thing you want after a ride is saddle sores! Chamois Butt’r can help prevent skin irritation, so use it pre-ride; and take some to along so you can freshen up as the road goes on. Don’t forget about fueling during your rides. The best bike fitting; the most comfy bike shorts, can take you only so far. For rides of an hour or less, on-bike eating might not be needed; just have a snack before rolling out. For longer rides, there are many options. I like to try different kinds of bars, such as RXBars. And don’t forget hydration! Even when it’s cold, for rides much over one hour, plain water doesn’t make the grade. I need electrolyte drink, too. They say, once you’ve reached a certain fitness level, you can ride infinitely as long as you have an adequate fuel supply. So let the road go on!

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What’s in My Panniers?

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What’s in my Panniers? This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” What’s in my panniers when I get home from the salvage store? It can be quite a lot! Today’s trip was quite productive. As usual, I headed straight for the grab-bag bins; and this morning I hit the jackpot there! I got seven snack-sized packs of smoked roasted almonds; three chocolate-coated toffee bars that normally cost $1.69 apiece; and more. Twenty items for three bucks! Thus the savings on those candy bars alone more than paid for the other items. In fact, sometimes the savings on grab-bag items cover everything else I buy on that trip! More ride food! Elsewhere in the store, I found Zone Perfect bars, in a Salted Caramel Brownie flavor. Lately I haven’t found much at the salvage store that’s suitable on-bike food; so I pounced on those things and got six. I’ll try one for tomorrow’s ride! I also found a few Vital Performance collagen bars; and some Biosteel. Otherwise my haul today was rather mundane. In fact, I’m trying not to bring home too much! During the pandemic I fell into the habit of stocking up as much as I could, while I could. From what I heard in the news, stay-at-home orders might be handed out at any time; and if it came to that, I wanted to have enough supplies to tide me over. Now I’ve got the problem of using up all that stuff! So what’s in my panniers? For now, I’d better try to keep it to a minimum?

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Dare I Hope?

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Dare I Hope? This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” Dare I hope that Fall is actually going to come? I rode out at 5:00 am this morning to see the moonlight on the river; and it actually felt rather cool! Not that I want it to freeze; but I’m more than ready for some relief from this heat! I kept it short and easy today. Yesterday I rode 19.6 miles — at a leisurely pace, to tell the truth — and as for keeping it short, I needed a few things from the supermarket. I had to get home and get out the hybrid and panniers. Anyway, I’m not yet up to putting in 19 miles every day! ROCKBROS Arm Warmers So, if the weather is going to turn cool, I’ve got to turn my attention to my cold-weather cycling wardrobe. I’m listing arm warmers first, because I’m likely to need to cover my arms before it’s too cool for bare legs. Arm warmers are useful if it’s chilly when you ride begins; but you know it will get too warm for long sleeves before you finish. BALEAF Women’s Cycling Jacket A good cycling jacket is a must as it gets colder outdoors. I’ve had models that feature removable sleeves; but more important to me are POCKETS! Especially on a cold day, when I know my nose will act up; and I need to carry a handkerchief or two. It’s handy to have extra pockets in case those in your jersey aren’t sufficient! Santic Women’s MTB Jersey Speaking of jerseys, there are long-sleeved jerseys for those days when it’s too warm for a jacket; but you don’t want to mess with arm warmers. I’ve never tried one myself; I’m still content with a long-sleeved blouse. GripGrab Leg Warmers Leg warmers are much easier to ride in that regular trousers. They allow a much better range of motion; and you don’t have trouser cuffs flapping around your ankles. That’s an annoyance; and a safety hazard as well. And now for the little stuff. At far left, a helmet liner. Once the temperature falls to the mid-60s or below, I’m miserable without one! Second from left, Pearl Izumi Lobster Gloves. I need these when the mercury drops below about 45! Second from right, Hand Warmers. Not even the heaviest gloves really keep my paws from getting cold when it’s freezing out there! At far right, cycling shoe covers are useful when it’s both cold and raining. Helmet Liner Pearl Izumi Lobster Gloves Hand Warmers Cycling Shoe Covers I hope the above suggestions give you a good start in developing that Winter cycling wardrobe. As I said, it was almost cool this morning. Dare I hope that hot chocolate season will arrive?

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What’s Up?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Food /

Add Your Heading Text Here What’s Up? I’d like to know what’s up with the tropics. Hurricane Lee seems to be dissipating; but Tropical Storm Margot is crazy. She keeps changing direction;  and it’s a good thing she’s not close to land. If she were, people in her potential path would be having fits: will she strike here; or not? We’re at the peak of hurricane season; and have to stay alert. Of course hurricanes bring the prospect of an electrical outage; perhaps for days or even weeks. In a hot, humid climate, that’s miserable. I have a battery-operated fan, plus a supply of batteries; but a wearable device such as Ontel Arctic Air would be great! But here’s the snag: after six hours, the device needs recharging; and you can’t do that if the power is out! I have to think about what’s up with the weather for tomorrow. Low of 75 degrees tonight, they say; a little cooler than it’s been lately. Is Fall going to come, after all?  For my ride, I think I’ll wear sun sleeves again; but I’ll still need plenty of sunblock. I just tried KINeSYS; and it’s less heavy on my skin than my usual sunblock. Several weeks ago I was in a sports shoe store; and they had sample-sized bottles of KINeSYS. The drawback was, this version of the sunblock was only SPF 30. The spray-top kept twisting around as my hands got slippery from the sunblock; and I’d wind up spraying the stuff at nothing. That was quite annoying; not to mention wasteful. Alba Botanica has been my go-to sunblock for years. I like the shorter-size tube, because I can fit it into my under-saddle pack. This sunblock does feel a bit smothery, though; and it’s rather hard to wash off. What I like most about it is, it’s fragrance-free! Of course, what’s up with on-bike food? Lately I haven’t had much luck finding ride food at the salvage store; and today I had to buy some protein bars at a different store. MET-Rx Bars seem to be quite sustaining; but some of them are more crumbly than I like. Those crumbs tend to stick in my throat. I don’t know why, but electrolyte drink seems to wash them down better than plain water. I don’t need to drive myself crazy planning tomorrow’s ride, though. It’s not as though I were arranging an expedition to Antarctica.

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Give It Up

BACK ISSUES, equipment, Outdoors /

Give It Up I might as well give it up when it comes to seeing the comet. There’s simply too much light pollution around here. The time frame for spotting it is nearly past, too. I hope I never have to give it up when it comes to cycling. For one thing, I really need the exercise! With Fall — and, we hope, cooler weather — approaching, it’s time to get that cold-weather cycling wardrobe ready. With the right clothes, there’s no need to go into hibernation for the Winter! When the morning temperatures are still around 70 degrees, a long-sleeved blouse often suffices; but as it drops below 70, I’ll need a jacket.  The jacket shown has elastic cuffs; but I prefer one with velcro sleeve openings. It’s easier to get it on even after I’ve donned heavy gloves. Keeping my hands warm during cold-day rides has always been a problem for me. Not even heavy gloves do the trick. Two seasons ago, I began using hand warmers; and they help a lot. Unfortunately my feet still get cold, even with thermal socks. That doesn’t automatically mean that the socks aren’t any good; I just get cold easily. Once the temperatures start falling below the mid-60s, I want leg warmers. They’re far less binding than regular slacks; and if it warms up during a ride, leg warmers are easily removed. They also take much less space in a Camel-Bak pocket than a pair of jeans. Keeping your head warm is very important; we hear all the time that we lose a lot of body heat through our heads. A helmet liner works well; and is especially useful if your helmet is well ventilated. Jacket, gloves, leg warmers, and helmet liner are just a few of the items that come in handy when the mercury begins to drop. The problem is, none of it keeps my nose from running!

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Back to School

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Back to School Back to school means getting back into the groove. Books; pens; and many other items. And, of course, back to school means getting the kids to school. If you opt for active transport, there are a number of options. To take a very young child to daycare, the Copilot Child Carrier is an option. This seat can carry up to 50 pounds; and its sides are a bright, highly visible color. Copilot Child Carrier works best with recreational bikes.  For a child who’s ready to do some pedaling, the Kent Wee Ride lets your youngster ride behind you. The Kent Wee Ride has a saddle and handlebars as in a regular bike. Twenty-inch wheels; coaster brakes; and a chain guard to keep clothing from getting snagged. The Kazoo Bicycle Trailercycle is designed for children ages 4-10; and up to 85 pounds. Excellent stability; with reflectors for better visibility. Oh, and how about humming a tune on the way to school? If your child is ready to pedal independently, there’s the Huffy Upshot. This bike is for kids ages 3-9. The quick-release seat clamp lets you adjust the saddle height as your youngster grows. For carrying lunch or other needs, the Anzome Kids Bike Basket fits most children’s bikes. Velcro fastenings make it easy to attach/remove; and it has a rust-resistant coating. Easy to clean, too. Naturally, getting to and from school by active transport means being mindful of safety. If possible, avoid routes with heavy motor traffic. A safety wing and lights enhance visibility. Lighting will be increasingly important as the days shorten, and kids might be starting out when it’s still dark. If your young ‘un enjoys the creepy, there are Spider Spoke Lights!

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