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Holidays Already

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Holidays Already! 🎄 Today’s Featured Product! 🕯️ AVASTA Bilbo New!! Micronew Dual Control Levers For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Good grief, holidays already! They come earlier every year, don’t they? If you’re looking for bicycles for children, there’s quite a selection out there. For example, the Besrey 5 in 1, for wee ones ages 1-4. This tricycle/balance bike is easy to assemble; and the carbon steel frame has a no-edges design to minimize transmission of vibrations. Assembly manual included. Non-slip handrail; and turning is limited to 70°. Color: Pink (shown); Red; Black; Green; and Blue. Catch Up? 🌡️ It’s the holidays already, or close to it; but when will our weather catch up with the season? Today’s temperature reached 77 degrees; and that doesn’t really feel like November. Tomorrow night it’s supposed to fall to 54 degrees; but I hope it won’t be too windy! Chilly weather is all too often blown in by a stiff cold front! I’m becoming more and more comfortable on my new road bike; but I don’t feel quite ready to ride it in strong, cold wind; especially not for mile after mile. I guess my riding skills will catch up to it eventually. 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.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Better Late than Never

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Personal Care /

Better Late than Never ⏰ Today’s Featured Product! 💥 Luxobike Cycling Gloves New!! Sunlite Full Fenders For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Better late than never, as the old saying goes; and that can apply to the seasons, too. Our first really cool (for us) weather is due Saturday night; and I need to get the hand warmers ready for later in the season. Fifty-four degrees is one thing; although already cold enough for me. But when it’s below 50; and a chill wind is blowing, I’m ever so grateful for some help in keeping my hands warm. I’ll have to try tucking hand warmers into my socks at the ankles, too. Maybe my feet won’t get so frigid! There doesn’t seem to be a problem with keeping these warming packs from one season to the next; and once activated, they can produce heat for up to 11 hours. If they cool off, just shake them to reactivate. Retirement Perk 🚲  A big retirement perk is that I don’t have to get up at 4:30 am to ride. I can go out almost any time of day, although I prefer to ride early. But better late than never! I don’t expect to see snow outside my window; but when it’s below 40 degrees Fahrenheit; pitch dark; and with a strong wind (all too often a headwind on the way home!) I don’t need snow to feel too cold! Before I had any hand warmers, my poor paws would freeze; and so would my toes. But I had to go out at 5:00 am to be sure I did get in some mileage. Waiting until after work meant I might not ride because I was tired. So now I can enjoy waiting to ride until the sun is up!   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.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Back to Life

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Back to Life 🌄 Today’s Featured Product! 🎆 Sigma Sport Blaze Flash New!!   Nick’s Crispy-Cookie-Chocolate Keto Bar For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! My Garmin came back to life! I thought it had worn out; but maybe I haven’t quite re-learned how to use it. Or maybe it ran too low on charge to tell me, Low Battery. My legs need to come back to life, too. Yesterday they felt stiff; heavy; and tired. Today they were better; and I rode almost 20 miles. I guess that’s part of being a Midlife Cyclist! I hope I never have to give up riding, even if I eventually have to go back to an adult tricycle. But it looks like older riders don’t have to ease up just because of their years. They can still ride and enjoy it! First Rain 🌧️ My new road bike got its first rain today. Fortunately it was a light drizzle rather than a real rain; and I had less than a mile left to go. I didn’t have a poncho with me; and ponchos really aren’t the best thing for cycling rain wear. They flap around too much! It can get very hot and sweaty under that plastic. I worry about the hem of the poncho getting caught in the gears. On the other hand, a poncho has enough room under it for my Camel-Bak. I like to keep that Camel-Bak from getting too wet; mostly because of the stuff I carry in its pockets. Who needs a drowned cell phone? 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.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Home Stretch

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Home Stretch 🥅 Today’s Featured Product! 🎇 Kind Dark Chocolate Cherry New!! Larabar Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store!   At last we’re in the home stretch of hurricane season! Now I’m less tempted to wish for a set of Home Bicycle Folding Rollers. These are a way to “ride” when you can’t go outdoors; and they can be used with MTBs and road bikes. Hybrids, too, I would suppose. Years ago, I had a set of rollers; before I had a road bike. I actually became fairly adept at “riding” the rollers with the hybrid; but couldn’t seem to manage with the road bike. Rolling without Rollers 🛞 So I do my rolling without rollers; and I hope I reach the home stretch of tomorrow’s ride withoug getting rained on. Speaking of rolling, I think my legs could use a session with a foam roller.Maybe it’s because I’m still re-adapting to a road bike; but my legs feel stiff and tired. At least it looks like wind conditions will be favorable tomorrow — but there’s a 30% chance of rain. The temperature still doesn’t feel like Fall; and Fall seems to come later every year! 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.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Strong Arm?

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Strong Arm? 💪 Today’s Featured Product! 🌠 Kodiak Protein Balls New!! VEVOR Folding Adult Tricycle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I don’t seem to have a strong arm on the bike. When I was on the road bike day before yesterday, riding one-handed gave me trouble. I kept swerving; and my legs felt tired as well. I guess I need to use my kettlebell more; and do more core- and arm-strengthening exercises in general. Then maybe I’ll have a strong arm for one-handed riding! After all, I won’t want to have to stop every time I need to grab a bite of food. I wish I could take Kodiak Protein Balls along; but when I mixed them, I didn’t put in quite enough liquid. I ended up with something too crumbly! Gray Day 💨 It’s been a gray day; although not very windy. I don’t mind not having a strong wind; especially when I’m riding. Wind noise is bothersome to my ears; and I ought to get me a pair of Wind-Blox Pro. And of course, battling a headwind for mile after mile is very tiring. Today I skipped the ride; and that gave me some time to get other things done. For example, I began looking through the kitchen cabinets. I found a box of brown sugar that was too old to keep; and I’d forgotten how much electrolyte drink mix I had! I guess I should take inventory more often. 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.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Come On Fall

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Come On Fall 🍂  Today’s Featured Product! 🎃 Women’s PRO Barrier Jacket New!! GripGrab Winter Lobster Gloves For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Come on, Fall! Where are you keeping yourself? Here we are, on the verge of November; and we haven’t gotten a real cold front yet. I’ve said many times that it’s not fun riding in the cold and wind; but this is the wrong season for afternoon temperatures around 80 degrees! Mornings are cool enough for a vest or even a jacket; and my leg warmers are seeing regular use. I actually like it when it’s just cool enough for those leg warmers; then I use up less sunblock. Clouds ☁️ There have been a lot of clouds today; and that helped keep it from getting so hot. I went out early, and did only a very short ride. My legs felt a little sore after yesterday’s ride; but not to a degree that made me wish for Voltaren Gel. I think that I actually need a day off from cycling! Now that Biketober is over, I can take some time off without feeling guily. Tomorrow should be a good day for it, as rain is possible. But it’s not getting cold yet. Come on, Fall! And now we have to think about Christmas.  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.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Out of Order?

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Out of Order? ⛓️‍💥 Today’s Featured Product! 🎆 CASTELLI Leg Warmer New!!   LOYALHEARTDY Wheel Unicycle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store!   My legs seemed out of order today; and I don’t think it was the leg warmers. It was cool enough to wear them; but leg warmers don’t provide energy or strength. I think I might have gone a bit too far; and I had a headwind on the way home. It’s not the best thing to get too ambitious too soon! However, Biketober isn’t over yet; so I wanted the mileage. This morning I tried on-bike eating. I suspect that a plain banana before starting wasn’t quite enough; and maybe an HOL bar wasn’t enough. Thank goodness I had some “goos” with me! I ate one at the turnaround point; and had to stop on the way home for another! BOOtiful Day? 🎃 I’m sure that many people are hoping for a “BOOtiful” day tomorrow; or, to be more exact, a bootiful evening. I remember the fun of going trick-or-treating as a kid; and the excitement of sorting through the candy after getting back home. There were some candies that showed up only at Hallowe’en; so we kids were delighted to get them. But I don’t remember ever seeing anyone going trick-or-treating on wheels! Or even one wheel; but for a sufficiently skilled rider, that might have made a terrific clown set-up. Unfortunately, that simply isn’t safe in a crowd. I’ll see what the weather is doing tomorrow morning; and I hope my legs won’t be out of order! 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.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Rolling Smorgasbord

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors /

Rolling Smorgasbord? 🍕 🍌 Today’s Featured Product! 📣 Souke Men’s Winter Jacket New!! HOL Bone-Broth Protein Bars For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! A long bicycle ride can feel like I’m on a rolling smorgasbord. Advice about long-distance cycling emphasizes training your gut; and it’s time for me to get back to it. Before I begin a long ride, I’ll cut a protein bar into pieces; put the pieces in a snack-size plastic bag; and put the bag into my top-tube pouch. Then I can reach it easily, for one bite every 15-20 minutes. I have quite a variety of protein bars on hand; hence the remark about a rolling smorgasbord! When I shop at the salvage store, I watch for such items; and today I found HOL Bone-Broth Protein Bars. That’s something new to try! Something New 🆕 Something new to eat can be fun; and might even lead to a new favorite food, whether on the bike or not.  Sometimes, too, I wish for something new in the way of riding paths. It’s nice to have a good place to ride close by; but I admit that the same old route day after day gets somewhat tedious. It’s still warm; but some mornings have been cool enough for a jacket when I begin a ride. Then I get almost too warm on the way home! 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.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Not April Showers

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Not April Showers 💦 Today’s Featured Product! 🌟 ROCKBROS Cycling Shoe Covers New!! DARKBEAM Bike Tail Light For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Rain at the tail end of October is not April showers; but rain at any season might need special gear: ponchos; raincoats; even shoe covers, such as these ROCkBROS Cycling Shoe Covers.  They sound nice and cozy; but I personally would be concerned about ripping the soles to shreds with my attempts to clip in. Riding in rain or fog presents problems if you wear glasses; but I like to keep ARCHXX Lens Wipes handy. They seem to work quite well; and are also good for a fogged-up rearview bike mirror, or a smudgy cell phone screen. Lens wipes are also easier to carry than a spray bottle of lens cleaner. In the Dark? ⚫️ Rain, even when it’s not April showers, is no fun in the dark; so I’m glad I don’t have to do it any more. I remember pre-dawn rides when I was battling wind that drove the rain into my face. That made it harder to see; and I was getting soaked, despite a poncho; and my hands and feet were turning to ice. I never had gloves like GripGrab Winter Cycling Gloves; but I wonder how much they’d really help in this climate. Rain here tends to be heavy and soaking; and clothing designed for light rain doesn’t stand up well to such showers. I hope the coming Winter isn’t too wet; I don’t want to miss rides for the weather! 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.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Keep Warm

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Keep Warm 🔥 Today’s Featured Product! 🙂 Sunny Mini Elliptical Trainer New!! CASTELLI Women’s Endurance Bibshort For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Now that it’s almost November, I think about how to keep warm. So far our weather hasn’t been cold; but that will end some day! We can keep warm on the bike by layering; but suppose conditions are simply too nasty for outdoor activity? A Merach Walking Pad can let you get ample exercise! Its heavy-duty frame can support up to 400 lbs/181.43 kg; and its brushless motor lets you go up to 4 mph/6.4 kph. Quiet operation is great for indoor use; and the Merach Walking Pad can fit under a desk. Work out while working! Prepping the Wardrobe 🧤 Prepping the wardrobe for cold-weather rides means I need to wash the full-finger gloves that I never got around to washing last Spring. FanVince Winter Gloves sound great; but I don’t really need the touch-screen feature. Mornings now are cool enough for leg warmers; and even a jacket! Temperatures in the low 60s are fine with me; but I’m not anxious for those mornings when it’s in the 40s; and a strong wind is blasting away. I know one thing, I won’t want pickle ice then! 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.” ABOUT ME © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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