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Give It Up

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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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Costa Rica

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Costa Rica 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.” Costa Rica has a number of cycling tours to offer, with durations of six to fifteen days. These tours rely quite heavily on the mountain bike; and you’d better get your biceps in shape for the white-water rafting! The 8-day Coast-to-Coast tour crosses the country from East to West. You’ll ride past villages and farms; fields of sugar-cane; and banana plantations. There’s even a volcano along the route; and coffee plantations as well.. If you want a longer Coast-to-Coast tour, there’s the 15-day route. This tour is physically challenging — you’ll engage in mountain biking; kayaking; and white-water rafting. Included is a bicycling climb over the Continental Divide. For a 10-day jaunt, you can undertake the Pacific, Arenal & Caribbean Coast tour. It includes cycling and river rafting; and hikes to view waterfalls. You can take a soak in the Arenal area’s hot springs to ease out those kinks in your muscles. These are only three of the tours available; and I must say that they all sound strenuous. I don’t even have a mountain bike; but maybe my hybrid would do? Costa Rica can get very wet, especially in the southern part of the country. In that warm climate, you might be able to get through the rain without a poncho, unless you’re at  high altitude. January through March is the dry season; so I, for one, would prefer to schedule a tour during that time. The average annual temperature is 89 degrees; and having a way to keep cool sounds like a wise precaution. From beaches to mountains; white-water to coffee growing areas, Costa Rica offers a wide variety of adventures! ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © 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 Here Comes the Chill December 28, 2023 Frumenty December 27, 2023 Twelve Days December 26, 2023 Season’s Greetings! December 25, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Cote-de-Velo

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Côte de Vélo? Côte de Vélo is another of my bad jokes. I thought of roller coasters yesterday when I went for a ride, and ended up doing lots of coasting. That led me to think of Bicycle Coast! I don’t know what was wrong with me, but my legs seemed very tired; and my stamina was poor. Maybe my legs need more massaging, much more often. That foam roller spends too much time occupying space on the shelf! I rode not quite 20 miles, instead of the 25 miles I was aiming for. Maybe I needed to eat more? So today I skipped riding. I didn’t spend the day on a park bench amidst Autumn leaves, though. It’s still very hot here; and except for two very short walks, I’ve been staying indoors where I can stay cool. Autumn makes me think of hot chocolate; but on a day like this, I say, perish the thought! Right now, at 4:00 pm, it’s 100 degrees! Tomorrow looks like more of the same. When will this end? I’ve got to ride early again; and hope it doesn’t turn into more côte de vélo. Being hot doesn’t help with that; and yesterday I forgot to wear my cooling band around my neck. Did that omission make such a difference? I must remember it tomorrow. So far, no hurricane trouble. If this heat is keeping them away, maybe the trade-off is worth it. But this is August; and hurricane season has nearly four months left! In fact, September is considered peak season. Thus we can’t let our guard down. I’m stocking gallon jugs of water, just in case. Many a weekday ride sees me wearing my Camel-Bak; and taking along electrolyte drink. It’s already so hot by 7:00 am that I need it. Ride at 5:00 am? That’s a possible solution; but unless I’m after a view of the full moon, I’d rather sleep a little later!

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More Heat

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More Heat! We’ve got more heat coming; in fact, it looks like our heat machine is about to crank up a notch or two. It makes me wish that anything with “ColdStone” written on it can cool me off. I’ve been using my sun sleeves when I ride, so I don’t have to use up my sunblock so fast. Those sleeves keep my arms a little cooler; but I haven’t used my leg sleeves yet. I’m keeping them for when my Sunday long rides get back up to 40 miles. Once I’ve got both arms and legs sun-protected, I’ll have less sunblock to wash off post-ride! Here I am, complaining about “more heat” before July is over. August and September tend to be our hottest months; and the heat can into persist into November or later. It makes rides harder when I don’t get going until at least 7:30 am. I started using a hydration system for water, so I can put an electrolyte drink in my water bottle. That’s important, as I’m starting to extend at least one weekday ride to 20 miles or so. I have no idea whether I’ll really get to do RAGBRAI next year; but if I do, I must be able to ride more than 12-15 miles per day! In fact, RAGBRAI averages something like 40 miles per day; and there’s also climbing to contend with. RAGBRAI also means riding through the day; and Iowa can get as hot as New Orleans. So if I can do that ride, I’d better bring along several pairs each those arm and leg sun-protection sleeves. And I hope it’s not as humid there as it is here! I’ve been enjoying not having to rise at 4:30 am to ride; but  maybe I should resume my pre-dawn rides until Fall? It would spare me so much riding in the heat! Incidentally, I’ve noticed that it doesn’t get light so early in the morning; which means that the days are already getting shorter. But they sure aren’t getting any cooler!

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Tired of Waiting

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Tired of Waiting I’m tired of waiting for it to rain. The forecasts keep saying 40% chance; even 100% chance of T-storms; and it it’s going to storm, I wish it would do so. Last night, my phone rang with a severe T-storm warning around 10:00 pm; but this morning it didn’t look like it had rained. A neighbor said it did rain early this morning, though. Today there was yet another heat advisory, starting at 11:00m am. I didn’t get out on the bicycle until almost nine o’clock; and I decided to go ride in the park, where I could get some shade. I also wanted to be fairly close to home, in case the weather got bad. I could see that it had rained in the park. It’s a funny thing about rain — one location doesn’t get a drop; and a mile away it rains hard. There were a number of wet spots on the bike path in the park. After three laps, I decided to go back home. Even in the park, there was a sign about the heat advisory; and I needed to get some laundry done, anyway. On top of that, I was starting to feel hollow. So here it is, 2:00 pm; and the storm still hasn’t broken out. I’m tired of waiting.  

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BALEAF Jacket

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Baleaf Jacket This BALEAF cycling jacket for women helps make chilly-day rides more comfy. It’s lightweight; waterproof; and is available in a variety of colors. Reflective highlights improve its visibility. The sleeves are removable, so the jacket can be converted into a vest. Sometimes it’s too cool to not have a jacket; but at the same time is too warm for a jacket! Or, use just the sleeves for sun protection on hot days. The pockets have zipper closures; no worries about your belongings falling out! Sleeves have velcro fasteners at the wrists. This is handy when you’re putting on this jacket when you’ve already got heavy gloves on your hands! I have a BALEAF as well as a jacket on another brand. The BALEAF is heavier; and I use it for colder days. Last night it got down to 71 degrees; our first taste of Fall. It wasn’t cool enough for a jacket; but I sure needed a long-sleeved blouse!

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we’re melting

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We’re Melting! We’re melting here! And there’s no beach nearby where we can cool off. The heat index was 103 F by 12:15 pm; and more is in store for tomorrow. After a lifetime here, I ought to expect this kind of thing. I know that such heat can set in as early as March! I don’t remember it ever getting so hot, so soon in the year, when I was a kid. In fact, back then the really hot/humid weather didn’t set in until early July. The heat doesn’t make cycling any easier; and in fact, it makes daily living quite tedious. When I walk places, I carry a piece of cardboard in my hand to use as a fan. Even indoors I need to keep that fan handy, despite the air conditioning. The window unit blows air upwards instead of outwards; and that’s no help! Who ever came up with such a design? Even when I ride before sunup, I get very hot and sweaty; and I’m lucky that I can ride then. Not everybody has that option. I checked the local start times for some Tour de France stages. The first two began at 14:30; or 2:30 pm. It seems pretty crazy to me that Tour de France stages don’t start until the middle of the day, when it’s the hottest. I suppose that’s for the spectators. Not many would want to be up to watch a 6:00 am start. While we’re melting outdoors, the air conditioning at work is often too cold! Then, when we come back outside, the contrast is a bit much. In Winter, the  opposite is true. It’s very hard to get it right. We finally got some rain; but I hope it’s over before morning. I want to ride!

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Weather Weary

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Weather Weary I’m sure weather weary. Too many forecasts have predicted T-storms, with possibly torrential rain; and then nothing much happens! This morning I rode short and easy; and on the way to the park, I could see that someone in a southerly direction was getting a T-storm. It was far away, but here it was overcast; and I didn’t get to see the full moon. I’ve had a lot of bad luck with that this year. Either the weather conditions keep me from seeing the moon; or it’s full over the weekend, and I just don’t want to get up at 4:30 am! I need a few extra hours’ sleep on Saturdays and Sundays. Tomorrow I have an appointment in a location that means taking two buses; and rain chances are high, especially in the afternoon. The thought of it makes me more weather weary than ever. Who likes standing around in a downpour while waiting for a bus? I guess this is our “monsoon” season. I remember the July, forty years ago now, when there was that terrible Pan-Am crash. We had been getting a lot of T-storms with very heavy rain; and lots of lightning. I guess they didn’t know about micro-bursts then; but I hope those people didn’t die in vain. I’m tired of waiting for it to storm; but getting caught in the rain every ride would be even more irksome. If it’s raining heavily, I can hardly see where I’m riding; and if there’s a sidewind it’s hard to control the bike. Not to mention the concerns about lightning. As usual, I can only wait and see what happens — and keep umbrella and poncho handy!

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Frazzled Friday

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Frazzled Friday Some days it all seems like too much! It sure was Frazzled Friday today! First, I started my ride a little late. Normally that doesn’t matter, but I’m still looking after my friends’ cat; and I needed to allow myself time for that. After I got home from my ride; changed my clothes; packed everything for work; and went to feed the kitty, I was already rather worn out. When I got back home from taking care of the cat, I rode to work; and didn’t notice that I was wearing my reflective vest inside-out! It isn’t any too reflective that way; and it shows how frazzled I was. Let yourself be seen! It was hard to keep my mind focused today. Mental concentration takes a lot of physical energy; and by Friday I only want the weekend to begin, anyway. Part of my mind is now always busy with plans for retirement; and naturally I’m eager for R-Day! But I’m also a little scared, because I’m heading into the great unknown. Towards quitting time, I looked out the window; and the sky was quite black. When I finally got outside, it was thundering; and I decided to take the short route home, in case it began to rain. The short route means I have to ride alongside traffic; and that was frazzled Friday all over again! I felt a few raindrops; but apparently the storm was moving away from here. As of 5:50 pm, it hadn’t rained yet. Too Late When I finally got the chance to check my email, I found two messages with Special Weather Statements regarding strong T-storms. It was too late. By then the notices had expired; but even when I have my laptop up and running, such messages usually arrive a good half-hour after they were posted. That wouldn’t do me much good if there were a tornado warning! I think the thunder scared the poor kitty. When I went to feed him, he was nowhere to be seen; and normally he’s right at the door. I guess it’s frazzled Friday for him, too. After a minute or two he appeared; and incidentally, I think he’s getting very, very lonesome. This seemed like a very long week. Today especially felt endless; and I hope the time doesn’t continue to drag like this for the rest of the year!

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Hindsight

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Hindsight IS hindsight 20/20? Hindsight may or may not be 20/20, but we can use a little of it while cycling; and especially if we have to ride alongside traffic. It helps if we can see what’s coming up from behind! I have a MTB rearview mirror for the hybrid. I hope objects in the mirror are NOT as close as they appear! It’s very useful; but I admit that sometimes I forget to watch that mirror. Riding alongside moving cars means traffic on my left, and parked cars on my right; so I also have to worry about the possibility of getting “doored“. It’s hard to watch on both sides at the same time. The road bike has a handlebar-end mirror. Not as useful as I had hoped, unfortunately. It may be different for you. The catch with this mirror is that it’s tricky to position it correctly; and every time I reach down for the water bottle, I bump it out of line! Another problem is that, if the sun is low in the sky, it shines right into the mirror; and both I and riders approaching from the rear can get blinded. In hindsight, I should have started yesterday’s ride somewhat earlier. It was 82 degrees by the time I finished; and today it reached 90! I must remember to drink more while riding; and I hope I sweat it out instead of needing frequent pit stops. Yesterday I strained something near my left knee; a tendon, maybe. The joint itself seems to be all right; and all I can do is to be careful for a while; and maybe ride in the park so I don’t have to ride up that access ramp to the top of the levee!

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