Saturday Search & Scramble, With Limited Electronics

Jacque and I attended a ham radio club breakfast at http://www.lepeepabq.com/ this morning and planned to do a short ride down the Bosque afterwards.  As soon as we parked at the Albuquerque BioPark I realized my worst fears:  I had forgotten my pannier had been left behind at home, charging the new LiFePO4 Battery.  Which was worse than running with a slightly discharged battery:  I had no backup, my pannier contains my spare medicines, blood glucose meter,  cycling gloves, AND spare battery for 'emergencies' !  But we rode without such things, and I ran only the post mounted GPS to record trip data, on  its own internal battery.
The purpose of this trip was to photograph some of the new bollards on the southern end of the Bosque Trail, at 2nd Street and southward, where the wonderfully smooth new pavement put in by the county last year was offset by the new traffic-control bollards installed at the same time which PREVENTED us and other 3-wheelers from getting through.  It's been several months since we were turned around by the new blockages and we had heard nothing to indicate anything had been done about the confounded things.  The local cycling clubs were needing photos and other evidence to bring up at local government meetings in hopes of bringing about change and increased access by all people-powered contraptions.
Imagine our surprise when we arrived at the expected blockages to find they had been modified already, allowing us access with room to spare!

Well, it's still a fairly tight squeeze and we could not safely ride between these with any speed at all, but at least we can get through now.  You may note the "footprint" of the wooden bollard to the right and the fact it appears to have been sawn in half to increase the width of passage.
We got back to the car before noon but it was still quite warm and tiring today.  In my mind this trip was going to amount to no more than maybe 5 miles, but it turned out to be 11.... not a huge ride but more than I'd planned on for this "obstruction-inspection" trip.

Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  11.01
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  4.9 MPH                                 7.3 MPH                    15.3 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
2 hours 13 mins                       1 hour 30 mins          43 mins12 secs

Fun Friday Flying

Today's Loop - Track Around ABQ
UNM's fall semester has begun, so we are again cooking noon meals for the LDS Institute Students .  Today Jacque whomped up home made macaroni & cheese smothered with bacon squares, her world renowned home baked rolls, fresh salad, and fresh home made cherry cobbler and ice cream for dessert.  I mixed and baked the cherry cobbler but I'm not a tart-fruit guy so I have no idea how it tasted, but the whole meal got lots of compliments including the cobbler. 
We normally do a 20-mile trike ride after this noon college feeding, but last week when we tried to re initiate that route Jacque's legs cramped up so badly I had to ditch her at the Unser racing museum on Montano and ride hoogie-boogie back to the car to rescue her.
Thus we were a bit edgy about trying this full route again.  Jacque had some muscle relaxant prescribed since then, so she felt that would help her make the trip - and it seemed to do the trick, since we made the 21-mile loop today without incident or complaint.
Of course we stopped for our first break at Old Town and enjoyed a chocolate sundae for me and an iced lemonade for Jacque.  The two movie-star doggies endured their usual adoring fans stopping to exclaim on their cuteness and beauty and of course to pet them too.  Riding an unusual vehicle like this TerraTrike always results in lots of smiles and interest from passersby, whether motorists, other cyclists, or pedestrians.  While I was visiting the restrooms in Old Town, Jacque fielded lots of questions about the dogs and the trike from out of state and even a couple from a foreign country.
When we saddled up and rode away we had a small audience watching our every move, and many of the Old Town visitors turned and watched us go by and smiled and laughed as they spotted the dogs in the rear perch.... a typical day on the trike.
Afternoon clouds helped cool things off for us, and occasional breezes, but of course the sun came out in full strength for much of the ride to keep us from getting too cold.  Har.
I hadn't charged my new LiFePO4 Battery in the last couple weeks and it showed signs of drooping today.  I was chatting with a ham radio operator in Gallup on the stem-mounted walkie-talkie and suddenly the GPS started complaining it was losing power, meaning the battery voltage was getting too low to keep it happy.  So I had to cut the radio conversation short and turn the 2-way radio off to make sure the GPS and position beacon would stay alive for the remainder of the ride.  This IS a great battery but I DO have to charge it OCCASIONALLY....
Beginning Battery Voltage:  12.7        Ending Voltage: 12.6 
Lowest Temp  81 F      Highest Temp:  90 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  20.97
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  5.2 MPH                                 7.1 MPH                    20.7 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
4 hours 4 mins                       2 hours 57 mins          1 hour 6 mins

Another Month, Another Axle Abomination

Today's APRS Track, or Watch the Chicken Cross the Road
Wow.  We've been Sluffing.  A whole week since we last rode the trike.  We did a Monday and Tuesday overnight RV trip to test the new transmission this week so I s'pose that's our excuse for not riding earlier.  Another mail ride today, and since it was getting cloudy for our usual possible-Monsoon-Rain-of-the-day we didn't worry about getting overheated even though it was after 1 PM when we got going.
We had noticed our new local Twist And Turn Ice Cream Shoppe was finally open for business so we were anxious to try them out after picking up the mail.  After all, it's directly across the street (Highway 14) from our usual trike-treat stop, the Shell Station.
Since we've never ridden the trike across this road before we cogitated about how to cross it with minimal risk.  We decided to turn around in the Spears Auto Repair entryway and make a less-sharp left turn across North 14.  As we turned around Jacque looked left and right and up and down  and announced "The Coast is Clear" in all directions so we poured the coal to the pedals to scat across the street.
At which point we suddenly and abruptly came to a screeching halt, right in the northbound traffic lane of N-14.  We recognized instantly what had happened without even looking, and hopped off and lifted the defunct locked-up rear wheel and dragged the trike, cargo and doggies and all, back off the road and up onto the paved "Bike Path" paralleling N-14.  Sure enough, the rear axle had worked itself loose, allowing the wheel to twist sideways - locking the sprocket and chain against the axle dropouts.  It didn't take long to fix it, and it worked fine with no apparent damage once it was released and reinstalled, but this is a recurring problem that we have learned to hate with an otherwise wonderful machine.  The Terratrike comes stock with a "quick-release" rear wheel and axle, which means it has a tiny spindle holding all that tension and weight.  I simply MUST either build or modify the wheel for a solid bolt-in rear spindle and axle or get our Friendly Local Bike Shoppe to do it for us.
The aforementioned Twist and Turn was ice cream as advertised and very welcome and will be a future frequent frolic for sure.
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.2        Ending Voltage: 13.0 
Lowest Temp  70 F      Highest Temp:  84 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  4.46
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  3.0 MPH                                 6.1 MPH                    28.7 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
1 hour 29 mins                       43 mins 39 secs          46 mins 13 secs

Wet Wednesday Wandering

Today's Track via APRS , GPS, and Ham Radio
Jacque had the excuse for a ride today:  She's part of several sewing clubs and the latest installment in one of her group projects arrived at the Busy Bee Quilt Shop in Edgewood.  Since that's only a little over 10 miles from here it's a favorite ride for us.  So off we went.
As usual of late, it was almost 10 AM by the time we got going, but we weren't too worried about excess heat since we're still receiving almost daily showers courtesy of our Monsoon Season.  We hoped to at least encounter some clouds as we rode, and indeed we did.
Not that we didn't have to stop often for rest breaks and water....
Jazzy is learning a cute - not-so-cute - habit of barking at dogs we encounte along the way.  Tinkerbell is VERY picky and selective about who SHE barks at:  Generally they have to be aggressive German Shepherds, like our close neighbor dog she loves to 'argue' with every day.  But Jazzy?   She hears the faintest noise or "Woof" even hundreds of yards distant and she roars into full throat, snarling and barking..... in a shrill puppy tone that degenerates into disappointed whines of disappointment when we are no longer within barking distance of the offending dog.  The first few times it was quite "cute" but later we got to telling her quickly to HUSH:  It hurts our ears, and it especially rattles Jacque's ears since her head is directly in front of the doggie's riding perch.
We arrived at the desired destination in Edgewood, and by the time we were ready to leave, noticed the darkening skies and decided to ride straight back home in hopes of beating the storm.... but as we turned due west on Dinkle Road, there was a solid wall of black storm directly in our path maybe a mile ahead, with lightning a-popping all around it.  So we decided to see if we could make it a mile or two SOUTH on 344 to Walmart both for shelter and to pick up a few odd items.  It was sprinkling lightly on us as we entered the parking lot at full pedal, and we were able to shelter the trike under an overhanging break shelter just outside one of the entries to the store JUST as the storm broke in a fury, with a huge downpour that lasted at least 20 minutes with lots of thunder and nearby cracks of lightning.
We took the little dogs just inside the vestibule, where they usually allow us to sit with the dogs even though they don't allow them inside the main store.  They still attracted lots of child and adult attention, and enjoyed most of it, as customers entered and left next to us.  Tink is not at all brave during thundershowers and quivered and shivered all during the downpour even though we were safely inside and protected from it.
We snacked and waited for the storm to pass, and then a bit longer to allow the streets to dry out a bit.  Even though we have fenders on the trike, they don't totally prevent water from sloshing over us as we cruise.
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.2        Ending Voltage: 13.0 
Lowest Temp  70 F      Highest Temp:  81 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  25.10
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  4.5 MPH                                 7.1 MPH                    31.2 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
5 hours 35 mins                     3 hours 33 mins         2 hours 1 minutos

Terrific Tuesday Trek

I needed a couple items from Davis Hardware so I used that for an excuse to ride the bike up and down hill today.  As usual it was later than desired to start a "ride through the country" but with the clouds and a few sprinkles it was quite nice.  Jacque was away to her Mountain Quilters guild and had left Tinkerbell with me so I saddled up her little perch on the front handlebars on the 2-wheel recumbent and took her with me.  She's an enthusiastic traveler so she willingly submitted to the relatively unusual ride.
My blood glucose was unusually high when I started and stayed high all during the trip, so I was unable to stop for a snack along the way like normal, pedaling along trying to burn off the excess glucose, which didn't succeed until I'd ridden all the way down and back, whereupon my BG finally dropped ..... to 57.  So I got into Jacque's stash of super yummy homemade ice cream and cooled myself off.
I'm very tired of fighting the derailleur and lower gears on this bike.  I need to bite the bullet and replace the cassette and shifter for the rear derailleur.  Trying to shift into lower gears while climbing hills is very unpredictable and frustrating, with lots of chain jumping and involuntary up-shifts into higher gears and loss of forward momentum.  I likely need to clean and re-pack
My ham radio / GPS/APRS tracker failed to work today, which I didn't realize until I'd returned home.  It appears to have a short in the wiring harness which I hope to solve before bedtime tonight.
Beginning Battery Voltage:  12.9        Ending Voltage: 11.7
Lowest Temp  73 F      Highest Temp:  85 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  12.80
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  4.2 MPH                                 7.1 MPH                    31.7 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
3 hours 4 minutes                  1 hour 48 mins           1 hour 17 minutes

Movin' Along A Little Monday

Today's boring track via GPS, APRS, and Ham Radio
Jacque and I spent this Monday Morning painting the utility hallway in the house.  Along about noon we almost totally finished the south wall, needing to clear out cabinets and laundry appliances to do the other.  By this time I was tired of the bending and stretching - exercise that makes you tired but doesn't do anything aerobic for you - and suggested a mail run on the trike.
It was one-ish before we got going, and would normally have been super hot all the way huffing and puffing up our long hill to the Post Office at San Antonito (renamed Sandia Park by the Anglo area realtors).  However, clouds came our way and provided welcome shade for much of the ride, which makes for a nice ride in spite of it being the afternoon hours.
As usual, our 2 lap dog beauty-cuties attracted lots of attention both at the Post Office and the Shell Snack Station (Still waiting for the Twist 'N Turn Ice Cream Shoppe to open).
Beginning Battery Voltage:  12.9        Ending Voltage: 11.7 (I finally charged the LiFePO4 battery via the solar panel on the roof of the house)
Lowest Temp  73 F      Highest Temp:  85 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  4.76
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  2.8 MPH                                 6.2 MPH                    28.1 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
1 hour 42 minutes                  46 mins                      56 minutos

Terrific Tired Tuesday

Today's Track of the ABQ Loop Ride

Jacque and Jazzie with Large Lemonade

Jacque had a feeding project with her Eastern Star chapter today so we decided to do an afternoon ride, in spite of the Albuquerque heat, after the O.E.S. operation ended - about 1 PM.
Since the North Diversion Trail lies only about 200 yards west of the lodge building we just left the Exploder parked there and planned to ride our "normal" 20+ mile loop down to UNM, west to Old Town and then further west to the Bosque Trail, thence north to Paseo Del Norte, back east to the North End of the North Diversion Trail, and then  south back to Osuna where the dinosaur-powered vehicle waited.
All was well at first.  Although sunny and warm, when pedaling we encountered at least a slight breeze in our faces which was very refreshing and cooling.
We had just ridden Martin Luther King road through downtown and into the older neighborhood just west of downtown, clinging to the right side of the street, and some important lady zoomed up behind us and, instead of just passing us by  on the otherwise empty street, HONKED at us irritably as though to say "Get Out of the WAY!" I couldn't help it, being a basically bad person.  I immediately swerved away from the extreme right side of the street and took the entire lane, causing Jacque (stoking behind me on the tandem) to laugh out loud.
The Important-Lady-In-A-Hurry promptly turned off on a side street, even though she still had an empty oncoming lane in which she could have passed us effortlessly.
Yes, Yes, I fully realize that though we had the legal right to occupy and ride in the street just as though we were operating a legal vehicle (which we were), "They Had the Right of Way" would not make much of a proper epitaph to engrave on our headstones at the mortuary.  But we had nowhere to go;  the adjacent curb would not allow us to leave the street, and if we'd stopped at the curb she would have had to pull into the oncoming lane to pass us at any rate.  So There.
We arrived safely at Old Town Plaza without further incident and partook of our chosen treats for the thus-accomplished mileage.

Jim and Beloved Ice Cream

After only a few miles it started to build up clouds overhead, from nearly a "blue clear sky" as George Strait might describe it seemingly only moments earlier.  This cooled things at least slightly more and was very pleasant although we feared we might get rained on....Still hoping it WOULD rain since we're enjoying our "New Mexico Monsoon Season" and not about to complain about rain even if it did come hard enough to soak us.
Well, it never did rain, although the clouds continued to gather and threaten.  At about the 11 mile mark, however, we began to realize we'd "bitten off more than we could chew" and decided to take the turn east at Montano instead of riding clear up to Paseo and head back to the vehicle from there.
A small word of advice to riders:  AVOID Montano at all costs.  At least eastward from the Bosque.  There is a trail alongside Montano, and even Montano itself has a striped bike lane, but the trail is so decrepit and broken up it is disgraceful, with all kinds of huge potholes, buckles with wide gaps in the trail surface, and currently a slew of downed tree limbs and debris from our recent storms.  The Bike Lane out on the roadway of Montano is not perfect, either, though in much better shape than the trail.  The traffic, however,  is nonstop and high speed.  Going right through downtown traffic at 4th and 2nd were hair raising experiences too.  Mercy.
Arrival finally back at the vehicle provided another unpleasant surprise:  My key refused to unlock the tailgate of the Ford Exploder.
Upon closer examination I realized someone had been "jimmying" the keyhole and the guts of the lock were broken.  So I walked around the SUV, fearing a broken window and missing valuables, but the rear door lock was the only thing damaged.  So now I gotta break out the Ford Shop Manual and see if there's a way to unlock the tailgate when the lock's broken....
Beginning Battery Voltage:  12.9        Ending Voltage: 11.7 (Guess I finally need to charge this LiFePO4 battery)
Lowest Temp  77 F      Highest Temp:  86 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  19.86
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  4.6 MPH                                 7.2 MPH                    23.0 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
4 hours 21 minutes                2 hours 44 mins          1 hour 36 mins

Smokin' Saturday

Partial Tracking Today, with Broken Antenna

Water / Snack Break along Olde Rt 66

Jacque's had trouble the last couple days with a hurting stiff neck, so she wasn't up for a trike ride today.  I wasted all morning until right after noon when I suggested a ride to Edgewood to pick up a check Jacque was expecting.  Jacque suggested I just go by myself, which I promptly (?) did.
Even so late in this sunny day, the weather was comfortable and didn't seem at all overly hot as it has been much of the earlier part of the week.  (After looking at the logged temps, it must have been much less humid today.  It was quite nice in spite of elevated temperatures.)
When I got to Edgewood, it clouded up a bit and really cooled off as it began to sprinkle on me just as I was leaving town.  I looked up at the dark cloud overhead and decided to just ride through it instead of seeking shelter, and it paid off.  It only sprinkled lightly and cool on me for a few miles and then cleared off again, with renewed sunshine but seemingly moderate temperatures.  PERFECT day for riding.
On the outbound leg toward Edgewood, I decided to cut across Sedillo Hill Road and ride Olde Route 66 on into the village center.
Olde 66 has very spotty conditions, from smooth pavement with wide shoulder to crumbling pavement with NO shoulder at all.  The saving grace is the supposedly lower traffic on the old Mother Road, but on this weekend it seemed awfully crowded, with lots of thoughtless drivers who evidently have never ridden a bike on a public road:  Many crowded past me with barely any clearance at all, severely straining my so-called Christian Attitude and pure language habits.
This is not a widely read journal, but I offer unsolicited advice for any dear readers who may be unfamiliar with biking alongside cars - most of which have NO idea most US laws state cyclists have as much right - and right-of-way - on public roads as do Dinosaur-powered vehicles:  (Even on Interstates in some areas where there are no available secondary roads)

- Keep your eyes on the road and WATCH for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcycles.  A couple seconds of not watching the road can mean severe injury or death for someone you had no intent of encountering, much less butchering.
- If the oncoming lane is clear, feel free to pass the cyclist, giving as much clearance as you possibly can.  Preferably, pass the cyclist with a FULL LANE of clearance between you and him, even if it means pulling out in the oncoming lane.  I'm amazed at how many motorists refuse to give such clearance, even when there's no other traffic and/or when the motorist has TWO LANES to choose from.
-If you cannot pass the cyclist with at least FIVE FEET (the law in most of NM) just slow down and WAIT until the oncoming traffic is clear and you can pass the cyclist safely.  Even if he's wobbling along inside the shoulder / bike lane, you are legally and morally required to give him at least 5 feet of clearance, and on most roads that means NO passing of cyclists until you have clearance to take the OTHER lane.
Yes, it will slow you down and cost you some time.... maybe as much as 30 seconds sometimes.  That's really not a bad price to pay to avoid the adrenaline-fueled response a cyclist experiences when he feels his life is threatened.  Or the several deaths suffered each year in most areas.
-Before you criticize cyclists and their many shortcomings and "bad behavior", try riding a bike YOURSELF in the same area a few days.
If I was running the country I'd require applicants for a driver's license to ride a bike for a week or so before being qualified to drive.
-Lastly, imagine the poor sap on the bicycle is one of your dear loved ones or even YOU.  It could help the attitudes on both sides.
/Rant OFF/

Water / Snack Break at the Unmanned County Line Road Fire Station

Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.0        Ending Voltage: 12.9
Lowest Temp  84 F      Highest Temp:  100.1 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  25.97
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  6.1 MPH                                 8.9 MPH                    33.1 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
4 hours 14 minutes                2 hours 55 mins          1 hour 19 mins

Friday Frying

Today's Track Plot
Just another short but stiff run to the Post Office and Official Treat Stop (AKA Shell Station) today.
We got started after noon, but since we missed yesterday, we were anxious to ride, and Jacque spotted some distant clouds that she though promising, and sure enough, they did provide at least partial shading, but no moisture, as we huffed and puffed up the road.
Yesterday I removed a link from the front chain of the tandem recumbent Terratrike since the idler gear was not keeping it tight enough to keep from rubbing itself as it threaded around Jacque's crankset under my seat.  Then, noticing the relative dryness of both front and rear chains, I took my 30W oil can and carefully lubed each and every link-joint.... which takes a LOOONG time with 136+ links in each chain.  Then I wiped both chains as best I could to reduce the dripping slinging sludge that bike chains radiate when oiled.
What a difference it made for our ride today!  The chains and gears have been growling and noisy for weeks and today it was mostly silence and smoothness from the undercarriage.  Sweet.  Maybe the chains will last a few months longer now as well.
Just across the street from the Shell Station we noticed a new sign for a business going in the high-rent rapid-turnover A-frame building that's been vacant the last couple years:  "Twist & Turn".
The name gave no hint of the impending business activity, but today as we rode the bicycle trail, a pickup passed us with the same sign on it's door, but this sign had the addendum "Twist and Turn -- Ice Cream".  We both shouted aloud for joy:  "WOW!!"
The closest "Ice Cream Shoppe" is Dairy Queen, a rather run down facility in Edgewood, 10 miles away.  We drove by the business later and asked the lady standing outside when they planned to open for business and she told us hopefully in 2 weeks or less.  We think this will be a winning business and hope they live long and prosper.
Ice Cream Sandwiches out of the Shell Station Freezer are OK, after all, but real soft ice cream with chocolate and other coatings and.....
We plan to be first in line.
The 2 doggie travel companions, Tinkerbell and Jazmine, are even bigger hits with their adoring fans everywhere.  Even more than Tinkerbell, who was an attention getter in her own right.  They both patiently endured petting and spoiling from total strangers as well as the sweet baby talk that results when humans interact with cute tiny pooches.
Thought I might include some pics of Jacque's Catrike hanging on its new storage-mount:

Trike hanging on Deck Wall

Rear Wheel Wall Hanger (from Terratrike)

Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.0        Ending Voltage: 13.0 (LOVE this new LiFePO4 battery! - Hasn't been charged in a couple weeks)
Lowest Temp  77 F      Highest Temp:  86 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  4.28
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  3.6 MPH                                 6.7 MPH                    27.2 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
 1 hour 12 minutes                 38 mins 29 secs          33 mins 31 secs