Today's Tracking via APRS / GPS
I was getting ready to take a garbage bag full of stuff for the Talking Talons donation store today, and had the bag all strapped in the front bicycle basket. THEN -
A dear friend, Paul, callsign N5DBB, called and invited me to lunch. How could I turn that down? So I decided instead to ride out to Edgewood to our favorite eatery, Katrina's East Mountain Grille .
I was thinking it was only 10 miles but the GPS claimed it was 11-something when I arrived there. After a yummy lunch of cheese enchiladas, I decided to take the long way home, on south to I-40 and old route 66, and then ride back to Gutierrez Canyon Road to make a loop back home.
Old 66 can be a fun ride, but between Edgewood and Sedillo Hill there are several miles of no shoulder whatsoever, and my so-called Christian attitude was shattered several times by motorists who thought a foot or so was plenty of clearance, and of course COULDN'T be bothered to slow down and wait when oncoming cars approached. One fellow gave ME plenty of clearance, pulling into the other lane as he passed me, but forced an oncoming car to veer off onto the shoulder to avoid a collision. SIGH..... bah. If I cannot tame my tongue and temper I'm going to have to stop cycling. I'll go to Hell for sure for some of my verbal outbursts when such things occur.
My 2-wheel recumbent has not been ridden regularly since we got our Terratrike, and the derailleur was not grabbing all the gears in the back cassette nor the front ring gears, so I had to stop several times to adjust the works. It still slips and pops in and out of gear in the lower Granny Gears so I'll likely have to replace the cassette soon.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.1 Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp 82 F Highest Temp: 96 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 25.66
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
7.7 MPH 9.0 MPH 32.5 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
3 hours 18 mins 2 hours 50 mins 28 minutes
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
Monday Meandering Madness
Today's Track, Look Closely to see our Overlaps
The things I'll do to support the alliteration habit -
Jacque had an old Colander and Pestle she'd promised to a local friend so we used that excuse to ride the trike her direction this morning. That's only 3 miles away from us, but hey: We like short trips or long trips, as does our travel-buddy-doggie Tinkerbell.
When we returned to the car from that 4-mile jaunt, Jacque must have been feeling unchallenged or guilty or something since she suggested we keep going to the Post Office and back, which of course means the last mile at the top of the hill and the Shell Station for rest break and treats. Since we got going early, it was a bit shaded from mild cloudiness, and we had a fairly stiff breeze to keep us cooled down, it was a great ride.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.3 Ending Voltage: 13.2
(LiFeP04 battery, freshly charged this time)
Lowest Temp 77 F Highest Temp: 88 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 9.25
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
3.8 MPH 6.3 MPH 29.1 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 28 mins 1 hours 27 mins 1 hour
The things I'll do to support the alliteration habit -
Jacque had an old Colander and Pestle she'd promised to a local friend so we used that excuse to ride the trike her direction this morning. That's only 3 miles away from us, but hey: We like short trips or long trips, as does our travel-buddy-doggie Tinkerbell.
When we returned to the car from that 4-mile jaunt, Jacque must have been feeling unchallenged or guilty or something since she suggested we keep going to the Post Office and back, which of course means the last mile at the top of the hill and the Shell Station for rest break and treats. Since we got going early, it was a bit shaded from mild cloudiness, and we had a fairly stiff breeze to keep us cooled down, it was a great ride.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.3 Ending Voltage: 13.2
(LiFeP04 battery, freshly charged this time)
Lowest Temp 77 F Highest Temp: 88 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 9.25
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
3.8 MPH 6.3 MPH 29.1 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 28 mins 1 hours 27 mins 1 hour
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Tiring but Satisfying Loop-Around Ride
Today's APRS/GPS/ Ham Radio Tracking
Yesterday we encountered a local cyclist while snacking at the corner Shell Station who told us he likes to ride a loop down Gutierrez Canyon Road, Route 66 to Tijeras, and back up North-14 ... which is all within our normal riding range though we never before rode that loop. So today we did.
It seemed a bit warmer today than yesterday but we wanted to do a longer ride than we've done recently. Thus we stopped often for water and rest breaks. Gutierrez Canyon was a very nice ride and for that advice we're thankful. On the way up that road we saw a cyclist coming toward us the other way and Jacque told me "I think that's the guy we saw yesterday!" But, seeing shapely butt and legs approaching, I responded "Naw, this one's a babe!" And it was, and a cheerful one... obviously not a professional athlete or racer in training too busy and focused to wave at old farts on a trike. Then, not a mile farther on, we DID encounter the dude who told us about Gutierrez Canyon, and he was friendly too.
The trouble started when we got to the end of Gutierrez Canyon and entered Olde Route 66, which is now under destruction, er, I should say CONstruction.... maybe. The contractor's warning signs blink "CYCLISTS USE CAUTION... ROAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION" but we rather think it should say "MOTORISTS Use Caution" since Cyclists must Always use caution no matter what. There was several hundred yards of roadway blocked off so narrowly that there was no shoulder to ride upon, so we took the right hand lane as lawfully allowed and slowed down only a few vehicles that backed up behind us. When we stopped in Tijeras for Jacque to mail some packages, a fellow pulled up in his Big Red Truck and asked me, rather snooty-like, "Do you really think it's safe to ride through these construction zones where there's no shoulder and people have to WAIT behind you as you ride?" I answered, "Well, No, it's NEVER safe to go out on a roadway, even in a Car!" He sputtered and griped a bit more and then stalked off, unfortunately a typical example of a typical motorist. Most motorists have similar attitudes toward people-powered travelers but don't take the time to stop and gripe you out. Most complainers are content to wave out the window with the index finger or honk as they go by. Some honkers are friendly and some are not, so we normally assume all honkers are friendly and smile and wave.
Right after this I determined to check my blood sugar before resuming the ride home and was shocked, SHOCKED to find my blood glucose test kit GONE and the zipper pocket it rides in WIDE OPEN, which meant I'd somehow forgotten to zip the darn thing in when I tested it several miles previously. Very frustrating to do something stupid and not be able to blame it on anyone else.
It was not a terrible loss - the test strips are worth more than the meter that uses them - but a loss nonetheless, and we decided we'd drive back along that route and hope the kit was not out in the middle of the road and flattened by subsequent traffic.
Climbing the 6 miles of hill from Tijeras to Sandia Park was not fun but not too tortuous either. It was getting hot and we stopped more frequently but did OK, especially since there is a Phillips 66 station at Cedar Crest halfway up the hill, with Lemonade and Ice Cream Sandwiches, two of our favorite vices.
It must be a popular stop for nice little old ladies, since several came over and pampered Tinkerbell, who understandably hates to be fussed over and sweet-talked. We finally topped the hill by the Shell Station and Post Office and got safely back to the dinosaur powered vehicle and when we drove to where we thought the glucose tester kit might have been, there it was, safely off the road, in the shade, and totally safe and sound. God is Good.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.2 Ending Voltage: 13.0
(LiFeP04 battery, still uncharged for 4 days now)
Lowest Temp 80 F Highest Temp: 88 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 16.84
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
4.0 MPH 6.5 MPH 28.6 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
4 hours 14 mins 2 hours 35 mins 1 hour 38 minutes
Yesterday we encountered a local cyclist while snacking at the corner Shell Station who told us he likes to ride a loop down Gutierrez Canyon Road, Route 66 to Tijeras, and back up North-14 ... which is all within our normal riding range though we never before rode that loop. So today we did.
It seemed a bit warmer today than yesterday but we wanted to do a longer ride than we've done recently. Thus we stopped often for water and rest breaks. Gutierrez Canyon was a very nice ride and for that advice we're thankful. On the way up that road we saw a cyclist coming toward us the other way and Jacque told me "I think that's the guy we saw yesterday!" But, seeing shapely butt and legs approaching, I responded "Naw, this one's a babe!" And it was, and a cheerful one... obviously not a professional athlete or racer in training too busy and focused to wave at old farts on a trike. Then, not a mile farther on, we DID encounter the dude who told us about Gutierrez Canyon, and he was friendly too.
The trouble started when we got to the end of Gutierrez Canyon and entered Olde Route 66, which is now under destruction, er, I should say CONstruction.... maybe. The contractor's warning signs blink "CYCLISTS USE CAUTION... ROAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION" but we rather think it should say "MOTORISTS Use Caution" since Cyclists must Always use caution no matter what. There was several hundred yards of roadway blocked off so narrowly that there was no shoulder to ride upon, so we took the right hand lane as lawfully allowed and slowed down only a few vehicles that backed up behind us. When we stopped in Tijeras for Jacque to mail some packages, a fellow pulled up in his Big Red Truck and asked me, rather snooty-like, "Do you really think it's safe to ride through these construction zones where there's no shoulder and people have to WAIT behind you as you ride?" I answered, "Well, No, it's NEVER safe to go out on a roadway, even in a Car!" He sputtered and griped a bit more and then stalked off, unfortunately a typical example of a typical motorist. Most motorists have similar attitudes toward people-powered travelers but don't take the time to stop and gripe you out. Most complainers are content to wave out the window with the index finger or honk as they go by. Some honkers are friendly and some are not, so we normally assume all honkers are friendly and smile and wave.
Right after this I determined to check my blood sugar before resuming the ride home and was shocked, SHOCKED to find my blood glucose test kit GONE and the zipper pocket it rides in WIDE OPEN, which meant I'd somehow forgotten to zip the darn thing in when I tested it several miles previously. Very frustrating to do something stupid and not be able to blame it on anyone else.
It was not a terrible loss - the test strips are worth more than the meter that uses them - but a loss nonetheless, and we decided we'd drive back along that route and hope the kit was not out in the middle of the road and flattened by subsequent traffic.
Climbing the 6 miles of hill from Tijeras to Sandia Park was not fun but not too tortuous either. It was getting hot and we stopped more frequently but did OK, especially since there is a Phillips 66 station at Cedar Crest halfway up the hill, with Lemonade and Ice Cream Sandwiches, two of our favorite vices.
It must be a popular stop for nice little old ladies, since several came over and pampered Tinkerbell, who understandably hates to be fussed over and sweet-talked. We finally topped the hill by the Shell Station and Post Office and got safely back to the dinosaur powered vehicle and when we drove to where we thought the glucose tester kit might have been, there it was, safely off the road, in the shade, and totally safe and sound. God is Good.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.2 Ending Voltage: 13.0
(LiFeP04 battery, still uncharged for 4 days now)
Lowest Temp 80 F Highest Temp: 88 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 16.84
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
4.0 MPH 6.5 MPH 28.6 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
4 hours 14 mins 2 hours 35 mins 1 hour 38 minutes
Friday, June 21, 2013
Friday Egg Shopping Trip - By Trike
Today's APRS/GPS Tracking
FOUR days in a row. We feel positively righteous. Hah
We got off relatively early today, which was wonderful since it was already getting very warm and sunny.
We thought to ride east on Frost Road again today, hoping for easier climbs and longer flats. It was all of that, but hills of ANY kind are not fun to climb, and it's a bit shameful we wind up in Grandma Gear (Lowest Gear Possible) so early on hills and chug ever so slowly toward the crest of each one. Thank goodness passing cars, pedestrians, and cyclists cannot easily see what gear we are struggling along in. Just don't tell anyone, OK?
Jacque remembered seeing a roadside sign for eggs at the Tumbleweed Lane intersection, so when we came upon Tumbleweed we turned there and made our first cycling sojourn up that worthy hill.
About a quarter mile up Tumbleweed sat the desired egg vendor; a typical East Mountain Redneck Palace (Doublewide on an Acre). We decided to at least ride up to the top of Tumbleweed, which was in view a bit farther up the hill, and stop for fresh eggs on the way back.
When we finally reached the top we were ever so happy to turn around and coast back down to the eggseller's house. He turned out to be a nice guy, but he was exceedingly proud of his eggs (More than twice what stores charge) so we think this will be the last purchase from this particular entrepreneur.
Today's ride took a relatively short time, since we were running flatter terrain and had no ice cream or soda stores to tempt us to stop. Other than a couple water breaks and the egg purchase, we just rode out and back. BORING but still invigorating. We've decided we MUST keep daily rides going: Neither of us is in decent shape.....
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 13.1
(LiFeP04 battery, still uncharged for 3 days now)
Lowest Temp 75 F Highest Temp: 84 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 6.10
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
4.9 MPH 6.4 MPH 28.3 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 15 mins 57 minutes 17 minutes
FOUR days in a row. We feel positively righteous. Hah
We got off relatively early today, which was wonderful since it was already getting very warm and sunny.
We thought to ride east on Frost Road again today, hoping for easier climbs and longer flats. It was all of that, but hills of ANY kind are not fun to climb, and it's a bit shameful we wind up in Grandma Gear (Lowest Gear Possible) so early on hills and chug ever so slowly toward the crest of each one. Thank goodness passing cars, pedestrians, and cyclists cannot easily see what gear we are struggling along in. Just don't tell anyone, OK?
Jacque remembered seeing a roadside sign for eggs at the Tumbleweed Lane intersection, so when we came upon Tumbleweed we turned there and made our first cycling sojourn up that worthy hill.
About a quarter mile up Tumbleweed sat the desired egg vendor; a typical East Mountain Redneck Palace (Doublewide on an Acre). We decided to at least ride up to the top of Tumbleweed, which was in view a bit farther up the hill, and stop for fresh eggs on the way back.
When we finally reached the top we were ever so happy to turn around and coast back down to the eggseller's house. He turned out to be a nice guy, but he was exceedingly proud of his eggs (More than twice what stores charge) so we think this will be the last purchase from this particular entrepreneur.
Today's ride took a relatively short time, since we were running flatter terrain and had no ice cream or soda stores to tempt us to stop. Other than a couple water breaks and the egg purchase, we just rode out and back. BORING but still invigorating. We've decided we MUST keep daily rides going: Neither of us is in decent shape.....
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 13.1
(LiFeP04 battery, still uncharged for 3 days now)
Lowest Temp 75 F Highest Temp: 84 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 6.10
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
4.9 MPH 6.4 MPH 28.3 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 15 mins 57 minutes 17 minutes
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Third Day in a Row, Wowzers
APRS/GPS/Ham Radio Tracking Up the Canyon
We are truly and deeply impressed that we've maintained such a long term commitment to daily riding..... three whole days now. Sigh.
We try, as many cyclists do, to avoid boredom by trying new routes or deviations occasionally. We really enjoy riding east since the terrain is flatter and the hills more gradual. But there is not much out that way to entice the eye nor the hungry innards.... no tall trees, nor trees of ANY kind, and the closest store for refreshment is the Super-WalMart in Edgewood. So today we rode up the nasty climb to the Post Office, then the short jaunt up to the Shell Station for liquid and solid refreshment (OK, so I like the excuse for Ice Cream Sandwiches).
Then we continued east - more or less - up the Sandia Crest Road, even though it is a very very very long climb, slight in some areas and steep in others. The Forest Service has warning signs right here at the main intersection of North-14 and Frost/Sandia Crest Road that the road is closed "ahead" but we assumed we would be able to continue as far as we wanted since, with the 3-wheeler, we are narrow enough to ride around the usual orange barrel blockades.
We started later than we wanted - almost 10:30 when we saddled up - and it was of course getting VERY warm. It was also gusty and breezy, normally an irritation, but a blessing for the cooling effect today. We stopped for several water and rest breaks almost immediately, finally making it to the Post Office and then on to the Shell Station maybe 1/4 mile farther on. As we snacked and rested a CHERRY 1955 vintage Candy Apple Red F1 Ford Pickup turned into the parking area, whereupon the driver loaded it on a ramp onto a tow trailer. Perhaps they took it to a car show, it was certainly pretty enough. A very nice momentary diversion. After the commercial delights available there at the Shell Bicycle Support Station, we crossed the main highway of N-14 and chugged up the road toward Sandia Crest.
My original intent had been to ride up as far as the Doc Long Picnic Area , take another break, and turn around for the return trip. We got so hot and tired our motivation began to suffer, so - in spite of taking multiple breaks - we turned around when we got to the Forest Service road block barring passage of vehicles. Even though someone in a white Ford pickup drove up to the barrier, right in front of us, and moved the barriers aside so he could drive past unmolested, I worried about possible consequences if we were caught by rangers on the wrong side of the barrier. We were maybe 2 miles short of our goal, but those miles were all chug-chug uphill, so we didn't complain about turning around. Our disc brakes complained and suffered on the way down..... a very thrilling ride, but the trike is not stable when approaching 30 MPH, so the brakes got a workout.
Who Knows? Maybe we'll achieve the worthy goal of FOUR days in a row.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 12.9 Ending Voltage: 13.2
(Love this new LifEP04 battery, uncharged for 2 days)
Lowest Temp 83 F Highest Temp: 89 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 7.42
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
3.6 MPH 5.9 MPH 30.0 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 3 mins 1 Hour 15 mins 47 minutes
We are truly and deeply impressed that we've maintained such a long term commitment to daily riding..... three whole days now. Sigh.
We try, as many cyclists do, to avoid boredom by trying new routes or deviations occasionally. We really enjoy riding east since the terrain is flatter and the hills more gradual. But there is not much out that way to entice the eye nor the hungry innards.... no tall trees, nor trees of ANY kind, and the closest store for refreshment is the Super-WalMart in Edgewood. So today we rode up the nasty climb to the Post Office, then the short jaunt up to the Shell Station for liquid and solid refreshment (OK, so I like the excuse for Ice Cream Sandwiches).
Then we continued east - more or less - up the Sandia Crest Road, even though it is a very very very long climb, slight in some areas and steep in others. The Forest Service has warning signs right here at the main intersection of North-14 and Frost/Sandia Crest Road that the road is closed "ahead" but we assumed we would be able to continue as far as we wanted since, with the 3-wheeler, we are narrow enough to ride around the usual orange barrel blockades.
We started later than we wanted - almost 10:30 when we saddled up - and it was of course getting VERY warm. It was also gusty and breezy, normally an irritation, but a blessing for the cooling effect today. We stopped for several water and rest breaks almost immediately, finally making it to the Post Office and then on to the Shell Station maybe 1/4 mile farther on. As we snacked and rested a CHERRY 1955 vintage Candy Apple Red F1 Ford Pickup turned into the parking area, whereupon the driver loaded it on a ramp onto a tow trailer. Perhaps they took it to a car show, it was certainly pretty enough. A very nice momentary diversion. After the commercial delights available there at the Shell Bicycle Support Station, we crossed the main highway of N-14 and chugged up the road toward Sandia Crest.
My original intent had been to ride up as far as the Doc Long Picnic Area , take another break, and turn around for the return trip. We got so hot and tired our motivation began to suffer, so - in spite of taking multiple breaks - we turned around when we got to the Forest Service road block barring passage of vehicles. Even though someone in a white Ford pickup drove up to the barrier, right in front of us, and moved the barriers aside so he could drive past unmolested, I worried about possible consequences if we were caught by rangers on the wrong side of the barrier. We were maybe 2 miles short of our goal, but those miles were all chug-chug uphill, so we didn't complain about turning around. Our disc brakes complained and suffered on the way down..... a very thrilling ride, but the trike is not stable when approaching 30 MPH, so the brakes got a workout.
Who Knows? Maybe we'll achieve the worthy goal of FOUR days in a row.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 12.9 Ending Voltage: 13.2
(Love this new LifEP04 battery, uncharged for 2 days)
Lowest Temp 83 F Highest Temp: 89 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 7.42
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
3.6 MPH 5.9 MPH 30.0 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 3 mins 1 Hour 15 mins 47 minutes
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Ride East, Young Man
Short Ride but Great APRS Tracking
Or, Ride East, Old Fart - in my case.
Wow, talk about long term commitment.... We've now done TWO WHOLE DAYS in a row of our daily riding commitment. We don't plan to ride on Sundays except in the rare case we think we can get to Church un-sweaty enough for fellow worshipers to stand us.
We decided to ride a ways east today since it is flatter, though no nearby gas stations or other stores from which to purchase ice cold fizzy soda pop. Or ice cream bars.
It was a nice ride, in spite of being a warm sunny day. We got going early, about 8:30 AM, so we avoided the certain-to-be-worse heat later in the day. When we turned around at Mountain Valley Road, we were pleasantly surprised to find a mild, cool, headwind to cool us off as we rode the more-downhill return trip. The breeze had been blowing just gently enough behind us on the way east that it provided no heat relief until we reversed course.
Jacque exclaims with pleasure about how great her trick knee feels after a ride. Evidently it provides enough exercise to limber it up and strengthen it without the stress and pounding from walking or running.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.6 Ending Voltage: 13.2
Lowest Temp 73 F Highest Temp: 80 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 7.22
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
5.8 MPH 7.4 MPH 27.7 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 14 mins 58 minutes 16 minutes
Or, Ride East, Old Fart - in my case.
Wow, talk about long term commitment.... We've now done TWO WHOLE DAYS in a row of our daily riding commitment. We don't plan to ride on Sundays except in the rare case we think we can get to Church un-sweaty enough for fellow worshipers to stand us.
We decided to ride a ways east today since it is flatter, though no nearby gas stations or other stores from which to purchase ice cold fizzy soda pop. Or ice cream bars.
It was a nice ride, in spite of being a warm sunny day. We got going early, about 8:30 AM, so we avoided the certain-to-be-worse heat later in the day. When we turned around at Mountain Valley Road, we were pleasantly surprised to find a mild, cool, headwind to cool us off as we rode the more-downhill return trip. The breeze had been blowing just gently enough behind us on the way east that it provided no heat relief until we reversed course.
Jacque exclaims with pleasure about how great her trick knee feels after a ride. Evidently it provides enough exercise to limber it up and strengthen it without the stress and pounding from walking or running.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.6 Ending Voltage: 13.2
Lowest Temp 73 F Highest Temp: 80 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 7.22
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
5.8 MPH 7.4 MPH 27.7 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 14 mins 58 minutes 16 minutes
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
A New Commitment
Great APRS Tracking, Short Ride
Jacque and I decided to make a new goal of riding almost every day, in the morning, first thing, before we get busy, AND before it gets too hot.
Today we awoke to cloudy skies and overcast, with faint sprinkles of moisture hitting the ground, so we delayed a bit, thinking we did not want to ride in the rain.... even if it is desperately needed and prayed-for rain. About 30 minutes later it had not sprinkled much more and was in fact almost totally dry again so we decided to take our chances and ride in the cool shade of the clouds.
It was GREAT riding weather. Just cool enough to keep us from getting too hot. Just before we got to the Sandia Park Post Office, Jacque got a call on her cell that we had a package waiting for us down in Tijeras at One Stop Office . So we picked up the mail, then rode on up to the Shell Station since the weather was still fine (Though the clouds to the west were increasingly dark and threatening). Jacque got her usual lemonade and I opted for an Ice Cream Sandwich, 40 carbs worth. Then we rode the more downhill path back to Sandia Knolls and our Exploder and drove back down the way we'd come all the way to One Stop in Tijeras. It felt silly to be driving a route we'd just ridden on the bike and could tolerably have done all the way on the bike but we have other things to get done today besides maintaining exercise and good health habits :O(
The parcel we picked up was from Walmart.com online. We gotta tell you about this purchase:
Last Saturday I participated in an Emergency Preparedness Fair at the LDS Church in Edgewood. My topic was on Emergency Communications. I wanted to encourage everyone, including you, dear reader, to take advantage of today's cheap prices on electronics and buy almost ANY kind of 2-way radio, be it CB, GMRS, FRS, or Ham Radio. By searching a bit online I was surprised to find that Wal-Mart, of all places, is the price leader on CB's and FRS and GMRS radios. I've never seen such things in Wal-Mart stores but realized, after looking at their Online Offerings at Walmart.com, that they likely don't stock such radios or display them in stores because they only want to sell stuff that sells a thousand units a day - BUT they still offer a good deal for online shoppers. Poking around, I found a Very Interesting Radio that not only was an AM/FM/Weather Alert Radio, but also had a UHF GMRS/FRS TRANSMITTER inside, with a built in hand crank generator/charger, USB port, yada, yada.
This is a VERY cool toy.... I decided I had to have one Myself and ordered it, and it just came in today. Several great features make this a great emergency tool:
-Bright LED flashlight on one end
-Very small size, about 5" X 6" X 2" not including stubby UHF antenna
-The weather alert will interrupt whatever you're currently listening to, or will just sit quietly until the Weather Service issues a warning, at which point it will squawk and wake you up in the middle of the night
-It has an external speaker/microphone you can plug in. This makes it easier to use in 2-way radio mode, and the speaker audio is routed to the smaller microphone housing. The cute thing is that it also has a built-in microphone and transmit switch, allowing you to talk out on the radio even if you can't find the external microphone. VERY well thought out emergency features.
-It has several ways of powering the radio: Internal AA battery pack, internal NiMh rechargeable battery, external AC power adapter, and external cigarette lighter 12 Volt power adapter. AND, the rechargeable battery can be recharged by operating the tucked-away hand crank.
-The USB connector allows charging or operating external devices like cell phones from the radio while operating on any of it's power sources, including the hand crank generator inside.
-The radio has scan function so you can monitor all 22 channels of GMRS/FRS included and find active channels you can talk to others with. Ours is sitting on the kitchen counter as I type this, while charging the battery, stopping occasionally on several active GMRS channels.
What Fun. Get yours today. Too bad I can't make any money selling fun toys like this - I've no connection to them.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.9
Lowest Temp 66 F Highest Temp: 80 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.28
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
3.7 MPH 6.0 MPH 25.6 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 10 mins 42 minutes 27 minutes
Jacque and I decided to make a new goal of riding almost every day, in the morning, first thing, before we get busy, AND before it gets too hot.
Today we awoke to cloudy skies and overcast, with faint sprinkles of moisture hitting the ground, so we delayed a bit, thinking we did not want to ride in the rain.... even if it is desperately needed and prayed-for rain. About 30 minutes later it had not sprinkled much more and was in fact almost totally dry again so we decided to take our chances and ride in the cool shade of the clouds.
It was GREAT riding weather. Just cool enough to keep us from getting too hot. Just before we got to the Sandia Park Post Office, Jacque got a call on her cell that we had a package waiting for us down in Tijeras at One Stop Office . So we picked up the mail, then rode on up to the Shell Station since the weather was still fine (Though the clouds to the west were increasingly dark and threatening). Jacque got her usual lemonade and I opted for an Ice Cream Sandwich, 40 carbs worth. Then we rode the more downhill path back to Sandia Knolls and our Exploder and drove back down the way we'd come all the way to One Stop in Tijeras. It felt silly to be driving a route we'd just ridden on the bike and could tolerably have done all the way on the bike but we have other things to get done today besides maintaining exercise and good health habits :O(
The parcel we picked up was from Walmart.com online. We gotta tell you about this purchase:
Last Saturday I participated in an Emergency Preparedness Fair at the LDS Church in Edgewood. My topic was on Emergency Communications. I wanted to encourage everyone, including you, dear reader, to take advantage of today's cheap prices on electronics and buy almost ANY kind of 2-way radio, be it CB, GMRS, FRS, or Ham Radio. By searching a bit online I was surprised to find that Wal-Mart, of all places, is the price leader on CB's and FRS and GMRS radios. I've never seen such things in Wal-Mart stores but realized, after looking at their Online Offerings at Walmart.com, that they likely don't stock such radios or display them in stores because they only want to sell stuff that sells a thousand units a day - BUT they still offer a good deal for online shoppers. Poking around, I found a Very Interesting Radio that not only was an AM/FM/Weather Alert Radio, but also had a UHF GMRS/FRS TRANSMITTER inside, with a built in hand crank generator/charger, USB port, yada, yada.
This is a VERY cool toy.... I decided I had to have one Myself and ordered it, and it just came in today. Several great features make this a great emergency tool:
-Bright LED flashlight on one end
-Very small size, about 5" X 6" X 2" not including stubby UHF antenna
-The weather alert will interrupt whatever you're currently listening to, or will just sit quietly until the Weather Service issues a warning, at which point it will squawk and wake you up in the middle of the night
-It has an external speaker/microphone you can plug in. This makes it easier to use in 2-way radio mode, and the speaker audio is routed to the smaller microphone housing. The cute thing is that it also has a built-in microphone and transmit switch, allowing you to talk out on the radio even if you can't find the external microphone. VERY well thought out emergency features.
-It has several ways of powering the radio: Internal AA battery pack, internal NiMh rechargeable battery, external AC power adapter, and external cigarette lighter 12 Volt power adapter. AND, the rechargeable battery can be recharged by operating the tucked-away hand crank.
-The USB connector allows charging or operating external devices like cell phones from the radio while operating on any of it's power sources, including the hand crank generator inside.
-The radio has scan function so you can monitor all 22 channels of GMRS/FRS included and find active channels you can talk to others with. Ours is sitting on the kitchen counter as I type this, while charging the battery, stopping occasionally on several active GMRS channels.
What Fun. Get yours today. Too bad I can't make any money selling fun toys like this - I've no connection to them.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.9
Lowest Temp 66 F Highest Temp: 80 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.28
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
3.7 MPH 6.0 MPH 25.6 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 10 mins 42 minutes 27 minutes
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
No Ride Today, Still Too Hot
We nor I went anywhere on cycles today - we got roped into helping a church friend and neighbor move from nearby into Albuquerque. It hit 100-something today and it was not fun, even though both houses were air-conditioned. Lots of bending and carrying heavy stuff, so we got lots of exercise today. Not aerobic, but tiring anyway.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Short Ride, but Still Waited Until Too Hot
Hot Tracking Today at 95 Degrees
It's been too long since we rode our tandem Recumbent Terratrike . For that matter, it's been too long since we rode ANYthing people-powered, in spite of getting in a few short rides during our recent 4,120 mile RV trip around the country. I foolishly suggested to Jacque that we saddle up the trike and do at least a short ride to the Post Office and back, about 6 miles, in spite of it being past noon already, and she foolishly agreed.
MAN, was it HOT. We should have waited for sundown evening shadows to ride in, or better yet, saddled up no later than 9 AM to get the ride in. We took plenty of water and sunscreen - and stopped at least a couple times for long pulls on the water bottles - but it was just too much. I survived it OK, but Jacque seemed to almost suffer heatstroke, got very flushed and scary looking, even with the frequent waterings and a nice stop up at the Shell Station to drink some icy fizzy soda for me and lemonade for her. The ride back to the Exploder was largely down hill and thus breezy and cooler but she was still suffering when we got back to the car and only after a good soaking in the shower was she starting to feel better again after we got back to the house. So our current motto is "Never again when it's 90 outside."
I don't recall if I mentioned earlier I recently purchased a LiFePO4 rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery for powering the cycling electronics package. It is less than half the weight of the old Sealed Lead Acid (SLA or Gel-Cell) battery we've been packing around. I did not buy the specialized charger for it, since I paid extra for the internal battery management system to be built into the battery, which prevents over-charging as well as under-voltage battery rundowns, which is deathly for a Lithium battery. The price for such things has recently fallen, so I bit the bullet and ordered one from Batteries in a Flash. We're very happy with it. It's less load to carry and lasts much longer than the lead-acid battery it replaced, AND it has been recharged several times with a simple wall wart type SLA charger that was used to recharge the old battery. This battery can actually go for several hours more abuse without recharging, where the old one rarely made it to the end of a 3 hour ride.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.2 Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp 92 F Highest Temp: 95 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.61
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
2.6 MPH 6.1 MPH 26.2 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 45 mins 45 minutes 1 hour
It's been too long since we rode our tandem Recumbent Terratrike . For that matter, it's been too long since we rode ANYthing people-powered, in spite of getting in a few short rides during our recent 4,120 mile RV trip around the country. I foolishly suggested to Jacque that we saddle up the trike and do at least a short ride to the Post Office and back, about 6 miles, in spite of it being past noon already, and she foolishly agreed.
MAN, was it HOT. We should have waited for sundown evening shadows to ride in, or better yet, saddled up no later than 9 AM to get the ride in. We took plenty of water and sunscreen - and stopped at least a couple times for long pulls on the water bottles - but it was just too much. I survived it OK, but Jacque seemed to almost suffer heatstroke, got very flushed and scary looking, even with the frequent waterings and a nice stop up at the Shell Station to drink some icy fizzy soda for me and lemonade for her. The ride back to the Exploder was largely down hill and thus breezy and cooler but she was still suffering when we got back to the car and only after a good soaking in the shower was she starting to feel better again after we got back to the house. So our current motto is "Never again when it's 90 outside."
I don't recall if I mentioned earlier I recently purchased a LiFePO4 rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery for powering the cycling electronics package. It is less than half the weight of the old Sealed Lead Acid (SLA or Gel-Cell) battery we've been packing around. I did not buy the specialized charger for it, since I paid extra for the internal battery management system to be built into the battery, which prevents over-charging as well as under-voltage battery rundowns, which is deathly for a Lithium battery. The price for such things has recently fallen, so I bit the bullet and ordered one from Batteries in a Flash. We're very happy with it. It's less load to carry and lasts much longer than the lead-acid battery it replaced, AND it has been recharged several times with a simple wall wart type SLA charger that was used to recharge the old battery. This battery can actually go for several hours more abuse without recharging, where the old one rarely made it to the end of a 3 hour ride.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.2 Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp 92 F Highest Temp: 95 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.61
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
2.6 MPH 6.1 MPH 26.2 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 45 mins 45 minutes 1 hour
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Short Sprint Around Springville
Tracking via APRS and Ham Radio
Actually, this was HARDLY a 'sprint', more like a crawl, but alliteration requires bending the truth in the title, don'tcha know.
Yesterday, Saturday afternoon, after we arrived at my brother John's in Springville UT, we found them eager to go for a bike ride with us.
Of course, we had to burn most of our remaining daylight by eating supper first, but we got to go for a ride anyway. John's large family has enough bikes for all to ride at the same time but only the youngest, Demetrius, wound up going with us. So it was John, Danese, Demetrius, Jacque, and me. Jacque and I were a bit taken aback when we took off because John rode:
-On the left lane of the city street,
-On sidewalks wherever they were available
-Without lights, helmet, or any so called safety equipment
-And encouraged his 8-year-old to do the same, although thankfully Demetrius wore a helmet.
Jacque and I rode parallel to them as much as possible, in the street, in the correct lane, feeling out of place with our blinking lights, flags, helmets, gloves, etc. We consider ourselves to be casual riders but worried about the relative lack of road protocol. In my mind it's important for people to be using self-powered transportation but it's also nice if we observe common road rules so we don't bump into each other, right?
We saw a bit of waterfowl along our 5-mile ride, including all kinds of ducks, geese, and some kind of pelicans. Springville is aptly named, with springs flowing from the adjacent mountains, and thus the number of waterfowl.
It was getting dark by the time we turned back toward our host's home, so Jacque and I provided the blinky tail lights and headlights to help avoid the few cars we encountered on the way back.
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 18.26
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
4.4 MPH 6.4 MPH 15.8 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 10 mins 47 minutes 22 minutes
Actually, this was HARDLY a 'sprint', more like a crawl, but alliteration requires bending the truth in the title, don'tcha know.
Yesterday, Saturday afternoon, after we arrived at my brother John's in Springville UT, we found them eager to go for a bike ride with us.
Of course, we had to burn most of our remaining daylight by eating supper first, but we got to go for a ride anyway. John's large family has enough bikes for all to ride at the same time but only the youngest, Demetrius, wound up going with us. So it was John, Danese, Demetrius, Jacque, and me. Jacque and I were a bit taken aback when we took off because John rode:
-On the left lane of the city street,
-On sidewalks wherever they were available
-Without lights, helmet, or any so called safety equipment
-And encouraged his 8-year-old to do the same, although thankfully Demetrius wore a helmet.
Jacque and I rode parallel to them as much as possible, in the street, in the correct lane, feeling out of place with our blinking lights, flags, helmets, gloves, etc. We consider ourselves to be casual riders but worried about the relative lack of road protocol. In my mind it's important for people to be using self-powered transportation but it's also nice if we observe common road rules so we don't bump into each other, right?
We saw a bit of waterfowl along our 5-mile ride, including all kinds of ducks, geese, and some kind of pelicans. Springville is aptly named, with springs flowing from the adjacent mountains, and thus the number of waterfowl.
It was getting dark by the time we turned back toward our host's home, so Jacque and I provided the blinky tail lights and headlights to help avoid the few cars we encountered on the way back.
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 18.26
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
4.4 MPH 6.4 MPH 15.8 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 10 mins 47 minutes 22 minutes
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Riding Around Utah
GPS Tracking via APRS worked Great Today
We parked at my sister Neena's home not far from Ogden on Thursday night after a long day wobbling with the wind in the RV coming across Windyoming. After a short visit with her and Bill, we decided to ride the bikes over to my brother Bruce's house since it is only a few miles away in Syracuse. There is a nice rail-to-trail path that supposedly goes all the way down to Provo, so we rode a few blocks to the west, not far from the Great Salt Lake, and picked up the trail southwards. It turned out to be a VERY nice trail, with at least one exception: When encountering many city streets, cyclists must dismount and wrestle their rides over CURBS on both sides of the street. Then, you're back on the beautiful rail-trail for maybe a few blocks and then ANOTHER curbed non-crossing. Obviously a committee - designed pathway: Provide a nice path for cyclists and walkers, but of COURSE automobiles must have the priority and go their way unfettered by cyclists. After about 4 miles, the path didn't seem to be taking us due south - it was veering ever so slightly toward the east. So we turned onto city streets, got on 1000 West, which is the way we go when we drive, and rode the last 3 miles to our destination. Most of these Utah streets are WIDE with wide shoulders, and much of our street riding was marked with a bike lane, and the drivers were tolerant and courteous. Occasionally a street narrows when outside one of the many suburb-city limits but, again, the drivers were good to us and didn't mash or sideswipe us. We encountered a couple drivers who pulled out of side streets in front of us as though we were invisible but that's no change from anywhere we've ridden, especially including home in NM.
After about an hour's visit, we enquired where the famed bike path was that was supposed to be closer to their house, and were directed to a nearby Jensen Park, where a bike trail goes through and around it. There was no pathway going directly north so we rode the one going northwest, hoping it would get us to another path that would take us to Sunset instead of the Great Salt Lake, around whose periphery we were riding. A daddy-daughter couple on bikes showed a fork in the path that would take us "Straight to Sunset". As we rode, however, we found ourselves quite a bit west of our intended direction, and my old Garmin 350 doesn't compute the Utah street addresses like "350 W 3200 S", nor does it even SHOW the city of Sunset. There's a Smith's Food King about a block away from our desired destination so I made the Garmin find the store, which Garmin insists is in Layton instead of Sunset. Regardless, it now guided us back towards the correct direction. We enjoyed the ride, though much of it on city streets, and even though the outbound ride to Syracuse was 6 miles and the misguided return trip was 12 miles. It was lovely weather and a great day to be exploring unfamiliar bikeways. We'd love to explore the north / south trail that supposedly goes almost a hundred miles, but not if we have to jump curbs every few city blocks. The old railway certainly didn't have to jump curbs to get through, but of course trains have the right-of-way and can't be expected to stop abruptly every so often - unlike what is expected of cyclists.
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 18.26
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
4.5 MPH 7 MPH 20.8 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
4 hours 2 mins 2 hours 35 mins 1 hour 27 minutes
We parked at my sister Neena's home not far from Ogden on Thursday night after a long day wobbling with the wind in the RV coming across Windyoming. After a short visit with her and Bill, we decided to ride the bikes over to my brother Bruce's house since it is only a few miles away in Syracuse. There is a nice rail-to-trail path that supposedly goes all the way down to Provo, so we rode a few blocks to the west, not far from the Great Salt Lake, and picked up the trail southwards. It turned out to be a VERY nice trail, with at least one exception: When encountering many city streets, cyclists must dismount and wrestle their rides over CURBS on both sides of the street. Then, you're back on the beautiful rail-trail for maybe a few blocks and then ANOTHER curbed non-crossing. Obviously a committee - designed pathway: Provide a nice path for cyclists and walkers, but of COURSE automobiles must have the priority and go their way unfettered by cyclists. After about 4 miles, the path didn't seem to be taking us due south - it was veering ever so slightly toward the east. So we turned onto city streets, got on 1000 West, which is the way we go when we drive, and rode the last 3 miles to our destination. Most of these Utah streets are WIDE with wide shoulders, and much of our street riding was marked with a bike lane, and the drivers were tolerant and courteous. Occasionally a street narrows when outside one of the many suburb-city limits but, again, the drivers were good to us and didn't mash or sideswipe us. We encountered a couple drivers who pulled out of side streets in front of us as though we were invisible but that's no change from anywhere we've ridden, especially including home in NM.
After about an hour's visit, we enquired where the famed bike path was that was supposed to be closer to their house, and were directed to a nearby Jensen Park, where a bike trail goes through and around it. There was no pathway going directly north so we rode the one going northwest, hoping it would get us to another path that would take us to Sunset instead of the Great Salt Lake, around whose periphery we were riding. A daddy-daughter couple on bikes showed a fork in the path that would take us "Straight to Sunset". As we rode, however, we found ourselves quite a bit west of our intended direction, and my old Garmin 350 doesn't compute the Utah street addresses like "350 W 3200 S", nor does it even SHOW the city of Sunset. There's a Smith's Food King about a block away from our desired destination so I made the Garmin find the store, which Garmin insists is in Layton instead of Sunset. Regardless, it now guided us back towards the correct direction. We enjoyed the ride, though much of it on city streets, and even though the outbound ride to Syracuse was 6 miles and the misguided return trip was 12 miles. It was lovely weather and a great day to be exploring unfamiliar bikeways. We'd love to explore the north / south trail that supposedly goes almost a hundred miles, but not if we have to jump curbs every few city blocks. The old railway certainly didn't have to jump curbs to get through, but of course trains have the right-of-way and can't be expected to stop abruptly every so often - unlike what is expected of cyclists.
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 18.26
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
4.5 MPH 7 MPH 20.8 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
4 hours 2 mins 2 hours 35 mins 1 hour 27 minutes
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