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Short Visit?

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

Short Visit? 🚪 Today’s Featured Product! ☄️ Clif Builder’s Reduced Sugar New!! Moshay 20-Inch Adaptive Training-Wheel Bicycle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! So far, Fall seems to be making a short visit. I sure won’t want a bonfire anytime soon, s’mores or not. This happens year after year.  We’ll have endless heat and humidity; then at last we get a few more-or-less cool nights. Then the weather turns hot again. It got into the 80s this afternoon! I’ve gotten out some of my cold-weather cycling clothing; but by about 8:00 am it’s already getting too warm for it! Then there’s the drawback to cold weather and layering: I have articles of clothing all over the place! I get tired of my furniture looking like clothes racks Eventually ⌛️ I suppose this short-visit impression will, eventually, be swept away. We’re bound to get a cold front; and I expect it will arrive all of a sudden. I’d prefer a more gradual cool-down! Today I went out on the road bike; and put in 19.7 miles. At present, such mileage by road bike leaves my hamstrings feeling a bit achy; especially just below the glutes. The bike shop says, I’m using different leg muscles than on the hybrid. I can believe that! I’m glad, though, that Sunday morning isn’t expected to be really cold. It’s full-moon time; and it will be more enjoyable if I’m not freezing. 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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Cold Weather Pros

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

Cold Weather Pros ➕ Today’s Featured Product! 🎆 GU-Gel Tri-Berry New!! NEKRASH Duck Bike Bell For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Believe it or not, there are some cold weather pros! I’ve brought up the cons often enough: I get cold easily; my nose runs like crazy; cold wind stings my eyes and makes them water. And a cold wind somehow feel stronger than a not-cold wind. But when it’s cool enough for leg warmers and long sleeves, I need far less sunblock. Wearing a skull cap helps protect my ears from wind noise. Another of the cold weather pros is, the sun doesn’t beat down as hard as it does in hot weather. Unfortunately the sun is lower in the sky; and it’s in my eyes more! Breaking in the Road Bike 🚲 I’m busy breaking in the road bike. Yesterday I rode 19+ miles. Today I did a much shorter ride, but included harder efforts of 2 minutes each. I need that if I’m to get stronger! After 14 minutes of leisurely pedaling, I began to push the pace for two minutes on; two minutes off. I did five or six such efforts; and they sure got my heat rate up! I don’t know my exact heart rate; the sensor doesn’t seem to be working. After lying around idle for a year, I guess the battery died. But I could tell that I was likely in Zone 4. And tomorrow? Maybe take it easy on the hybrid. Breaking in the road bike doesn’t have to mean riding into overtraining. 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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Cycling Doies Strange Things!

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

Cycling Does Strange Things! 🎃 Today’s Featured Product! 🎃 Body Sport Aerobic Step   New!! Earth MTB For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store!  Cycling does strange things to my mind. Is it just me; or does it happen to everyone?  This morning I was on the road bike, busily pedaling against a headwind. I wasn’t thinking of anything in particular; when out of the blue, “Talleyrand” popped into my head. I couldn’t remember where he came into the scheme of things; but I knew I had to look him up when I got home. I though maybe he was involved in the War of the Revolution; but he was involved with Napoleon.  I Got Close! 🚲 I was thinking of pushing the road bike to 20 miles today. But as I said, cycling does strange things. Or maybe not so strange. When I got to the turnaround spot, which is a hair over 10 miles on the hybrid, the road bike’s computer said something like 9.85 miles. Different tire size, I suppose. But I got close to my mileage goal! This was the longest ride on the road bike to date; so naturally my legs were a little tireder than usual. Even if cycling does strange things, this is not among them. I tinkered with the chain ring shifting on the way home; and when I halted at a stop sign half a mile from home, I wasn’t quite sure which gear I was in. So I walked the remaining distance.  Maybe a shorter, more intense ride tomorrow? I haven’t decided whether to shoot for RAGBRAI 2027; but if I’m aim for it, it isn’t too soon to begin working up to it! 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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Calming Down?

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

Calming Down? 😌 Today’s Featured Product! 😍 Larabar Apple Pie New!! Szynic Bike Seat For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Is that wind finally calming down? Last night and this morning, the forecast still predicted gusts up to 20 mph. I couldn’t quite face that on the road bike; so I rode the hybrid in the park. And then there didn’t seem to be any such gusts! My legs felt stiff, probably because of yesterday afternoon’s ride on the hybrid. I had quite a headwind on the way home; and such rides make me feel like I’ll never get anywhere!  Tomorrow the wind will still be about 10 mph; so “calming down” is a relative term. But I need to get back on the road bike!   Ready for 20? 🚲 I need to practice on the road bike; but am I ready for 20 miles on it? It will be great when I am! For the past few weeks, I’ve done short rides on the road bike; and rides on the hybrid. Bit by bit, I want to extend the distances on the road bike. Even when I’ve worked up to regular 20-mile rides on the road bike, I want to ride the hybrid a few times a week. No point in letting it sit idle; and I’ll still need it for shopping trips. So it needs to stay in shape! 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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Steady!

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Training /

Steady! ⚖️ Today’s Featured Product! 👍 JungleA Exercise Step Platform New!! Quest Double Chocolate Chunk   For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I’m delighted to say that I feel more steady on the road bike now. My start-ups seem more secure. The process is going more quickly than my earliest efforts at riding on two wheels. It will be a while, though, before I can manage a water bottle on the road bike. The bottle cages on the new road bike are tight; and at present I have to stop when I want a swig of electrolyte drink! Poco a poco 🤏 I’m not fast yet; but poco a poco accelerando, as they say in music. Get faster little by little! Just now, trying to pull out a water bottle while rolling would probably make me veer all over the place. I’m not steady enough yet to attempt it; and I think I need more practice at one-handed riding first. Putting that bottle back into its cage would be a lot harder than getting it out; and I’ll have to be prepared to let a bottle drop. Then I’ll have to stop and pick it up. I remember that from my early days of using a road bike. It was quite a nuisance; but there’s always a learning curve! 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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Different Kind of Legs?

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Different Kind of Legs? 🦵🏼 Today’s Featured Product! 🎆 BALEAF Men’s MTB Shorts B New!! INSANITY Base Kit For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Does riding a road bike require a different kind of legs from riding a hybrid? It sure seems like it. It’s great to start feeling like a roadie again; but it seems to me that pedaling the road bike tires my legs more than riding the hybrid. And walking seems to need a different kind of legs from cycling! First TIme! 1️⃣ Today I took the new road bike on the levee for the first time. It was still a short ride; not much over eight miles. However, it seemed to tire my legs more than 20 miles on the hybrid! But soon I hope to be doing longer “roadie” rides — and relearning how to get a bottle in and out of its cage while rolling! Instead of going for another 8-miler on the hybrid, I decided to stay home and do some cooking. Then I rolled the road bike over to the shop for tire liners.  It’s not ready yet; so tomorrow I plan to do a 20-mile ride on the hybrid. I’ll have to ride carefully, though. There’s a dense fog advisory in effect! 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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Losing?

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Losing? 😕 Today’s Featured Product! ❇️ Bikepacking New!! Perfect Keto Collagen-Protein Bars For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I seem to be losing conditioning fast. Concerns over the weather kept me from doing much for several days; and today I was determined to put in 20 miles. I want to ride some real miles in the next few days; by the weekend, tropical storm conditions aren’t impossible! But those miles this morning seemed awfully tough! On the way home, I had a 12 mph headwind; with gusts up to 20 mph! Not only was that tough on my legs; but my arms started to ache. By the time I reached home, I decided it wasn’t wise to try any work on the road bike. I’m losing conditioning for it before I even have it! More of the Same ⇉ Tomorrow might bring more of the same; at least, later in the morning. It’s a good thing that I habitually go out early. And today I sure wished I had some “cat ears“! Using the road bike still makes me a little nervous; so I still walk it to the bike path. That’s tedious, as there’s a  half-mile to go. I’m not using my biking shoes yet, because they really aren’t designed for long walks. It’s hard to be patient! But I won’t get completely back to road biking overnight. 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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I Need More Time

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I Need More Time ⌚️ Today’s Featured Product! 🎇 KiZE Chocolate Lovers Energy Bars New!! CLIF BUILDERS Reduced Sugar For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I need more time; and not in the sense of being time-crunched. I need more time on that new road bike! This morning it wasn’t raining; but the ground was still wet from previous showers. Reluctant though I was not to get my new “ride” mucked up, I took it out for some practice. I didn’t stay out long. The sky looked quite threatening; so I cut this practice session very short. And then it didn’t rain, after all! But I do seem to be getting the hang of starting up. After I took the road bike home, I went out for a ride on the hybrid. I needed to put in some miles! Eyeing the Sky 👀 Of course I’m eyeing the sky, hoping I’ll get to ride for the next few days without getting drenched. We along the Gulf coast are also eyeing the tropical map! There’s a system out there that we’ve got to watch; according to one source that I read, it has the potential to become a tropical storm! I knew it was too soon to assume that we were off the hook for this year’s hurricane season. For a change, it looks like tomorrow will be rain-free; and I hope to put in a 20-miler. I need the exercise! 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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Wobbly

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Training /

Wobbly 🚴‍♂️ Today’s Featured Product! 💥 Hiland Full-Suspension Men’s MTB New!! Mountain Biking for Kids For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I sure feel wobbly on my new road bike. That’s natural, after a year off of road bikes; but I hope it’s not long before I’m back up to snuff. Not that I’ll try riding like the person pictured above! These electronic gears will take some getting used to; and I miss having a handlebar end mirror! I feel like I’m riding blind! I need to figure out the app for my bike’s system. All this app stuff makes me feel thoroughly antiquated. The old road bike had push levers for shifting; but those brifters were, admittedly, getting harder to operate. Especially the left-hand one. In with the New 🆕 But as they say, out with the old and in with the new. This wobbly phase will pass; and I hope it doesn’t take too long. I’ve discovered that my memory of how to use my Garmin is wobbly, too. This morning I was sure I pressed “save ride”; but when I checked later, the ride wasn’t there! I wore the chest strap, but my heart rate didn’t show. After a year of lying idle, it might need a new battery. Or perhaps I didn’t have it positioned correctly. I might even have to get a new bicycle computer. We’ll see how it goes! 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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Shakedown!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Training /

Shakedown 🫨 Today’s Featured Product! 🎊 KOOTU Carbon Road Bike New!! Loire à Vélo For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Tomorrow begins the shakedown! This afternoon, I brought my new road bike home. It was hot, in the mid-80s; and I didn’t want to try riding a road bike next to traffic. After all, I’ve been off the road bike for a bit  over a year. So I wheeled the bicycle home. The prospect of this shakedown has me partly excited; and partly nervous. For my first ride, I think I’ll skip the clip-in shoes. Probably I shouldn’t try riding in the streets for the first few jaunts; but it’s half a mile to to the bike path; and that’s too far for walking in cycling shoes!    Blisters? 🩹 Cycling shoes fit more snugly than sneakers; and have much stiffer soles. That means they aren’t suitable for more than a very short walk. I don’t want blisters or corns! It will feel weird to be pedaling without toe clips; and without being clipped in. But I think it’s wise to get the feel of that new road bike before I ride clipped in. I don’t suppose it will take very long. Then I can start twenty-mile rides! 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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