I get frustrated when I don't ride almost daily, and the last couple weeks have seen spotty cycling performance on my part.
The recent weather has been no help, and today the forecast called for cold and wind. The trees were rocking and rolling with "Breeze" this morning but I've often ridden in wind and cold. The temperature was a bit bitter, but the sun was shining brightly, so I decided to make a go of it anyway.
Jacque had some birthday mail for me to take to the Post Office, so that was another motivation to get out and do something useful with the activity.
Plus I don't like how my belly hangs over my belt, but I love to eat. The lot of human weakness and suffering..... BAH
It was cold enough that I dug out my winter riding gear:
-Fleece skull cap
-Velcro face mask
-Turtleneck long sleeve underlayer
-Shooting mittens, with finger flaps
-Extra windbreaker outer layer
I rolled away from the house and was a bit dismayed at how COLD the wind was. Not only was the wind fairly strong, it was bitter cold. I only went a few hundred feet before I stopped and put on ALL the listed layers. After I got down to the pavement and rolling west toward the P.O., I wished repeatedly that I had stayed home and stayed warm. But I was committed, or perhaps NEEDED to be committed, so I kept going, surmising that the bitter headwind would surely be a TAILwind on the return trip.
About halfway down the road, my GPS, radio, and other electronics bleeped OFF and after a cursory stop and checkout I decided my battery must have dropped too low in voltage so I just disconnected everything and kept riding.
While at the PO, several people commented on the favorable impression of the trike, and one was a veteran who just recently purchased a recumbent trike and wanted to know if any group rides ever occurred in the area. I was happy to forward his info to our local recumbent riders club, which sponsors a group ride almost every month.
With the dead electronics, I have no data to display. After I got home and troubleshot the system I found it was NOT a dead battery but a loose power wire, which I promptly soldered back into place.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Ignoring Weather Forecasts...
Today's Tracking via APRS and Ham Radio
What with bad weather and travel, I have lots of useless excuses for not getting regular exercise.
Cycling and cutting firewood are the basic forms of exercise recently (all winter), and cycling is certainly more enjoyable and more aerobic. Busting firewood makes me huff and puff and produces sore joints and muscles but does not seem to keep the blood glucose as low as a few miles of pedaling does.
Yesterday I rode the relatively few miles to the Post Office and back. Though short in distance, it is intense in required effort and perhaps even more effective in sustained heart rate than my longer but less stressful 10-mile rides.
Today's ride was one of the flatter but longer 10-milers, and quite enjoyable as usual.
The weather forecasts for both yesterday and today called for snow and freezing temperatures.but both were mildly cloudy and cool. Actually perfect weather for cycling. Yesterday I encountered no other cyclists but today I was passed by two and encountered several others going the other direction, so I wasn't the only one enjoying the mild weather. California has been getting hammered with heavy rains the last couple of weeks so undoubtedly it will eventually make its way here, but we'll enjoy the great weather while it lasts.
I rode my recumbent 2-wheeler both days and enjoyed the ride on the old beater. Of course while climbing the hills up our goat-path dirt road towards home and other steep hills I was reminded of the advantage of the catrike: No wobbling no matter how steep the hill or how slow the speed.
Yesterday's Mileage: 5.51 miles
Today's Datum:
Ride Started: 12:15 PM Ride Ended: 2:17 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 14.2 Ending Voltage: 13.1 Lowest: 13.1
Lowest Temp 57 F Highest Temp: 60 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 10.55
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
5.2 MPH 7.5 MPH 26.6 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 1 min 1 hour 24 mins 37 minutes
What with bad weather and travel, I have lots of useless excuses for not getting regular exercise.
Cycling and cutting firewood are the basic forms of exercise recently (all winter), and cycling is certainly more enjoyable and more aerobic. Busting firewood makes me huff and puff and produces sore joints and muscles but does not seem to keep the blood glucose as low as a few miles of pedaling does.
Yesterday I rode the relatively few miles to the Post Office and back. Though short in distance, it is intense in required effort and perhaps even more effective in sustained heart rate than my longer but less stressful 10-mile rides.
Today's ride was one of the flatter but longer 10-milers, and quite enjoyable as usual.
The weather forecasts for both yesterday and today called for snow and freezing temperatures.but both were mildly cloudy and cool. Actually perfect weather for cycling. Yesterday I encountered no other cyclists but today I was passed by two and encountered several others going the other direction, so I wasn't the only one enjoying the mild weather. California has been getting hammered with heavy rains the last couple of weeks so undoubtedly it will eventually make its way here, but we'll enjoy the great weather while it lasts.
I rode my recumbent 2-wheeler both days and enjoyed the ride on the old beater. Of course while climbing the hills up our goat-path dirt road towards home and other steep hills I was reminded of the advantage of the catrike: No wobbling no matter how steep the hill or how slow the speed.
Yesterday's Mileage: 5.51 miles
Today's Datum:
Ride Started: 12:15 PM Ride Ended: 2:17 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 14.2 Ending Voltage: 13.1 Lowest: 13.1
Lowest Temp 57 F Highest Temp: 60 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 10.55
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
5.2 MPH 7.5 MPH 26.6 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 1 min 1 hour 24 mins 37 minutes
Friday, February 10, 2017
Home Again Home Again
Today's Track to the Post Office & Back
First rides since we got back from Quartzsite Wednesday.
I've been "planning" to ride every day since getting home - but each day so far I've waffled around until after the 3 PM hour, which results in way too many commuter cars for comfort riding along the road shoulder.
Today BOTH Jacque and I decided to go a-riding our wee tricycles, and we got going early enough to avoid the hurry-home rush hours.
We were both much braver about riding our goat-path non paved mile of private road, since we both had bounced around so successfully among the rocks & ruts around Quartzsite. So instead of trailering the trikes down to the pavement, we rode them all the way from our front step.
Of course, going DOWN to the pavement was not too consequential, but coming UP those steep grades was another set of stories. Jacque was packing both Tink and Lilly in her side baskets and was thus heavier loaded than I. More later on THAT situation.
It was a beautiful warm day today (Mid-60's), more like early May than February, though the forecasters are promising freezing temps again soon, as like tomorrow and over the weekend. We'll see.
I am again amazed how well my early-model Catrike Road with the thin "racing tires" works on non-paved surfaces. I've ridden this thing for several months now and I had never even CONSIDERED riding it on rocks, dirts, or gravel until I was almost forced to out in the rocks of Quartzsite AZ, rocks that CRIPPLED the Army's camels back in the 1800's that were tried for desert operations. If you hadn't heard the "story", Quartzsite was the area where the U.S. Army brought in camels for tryouts, hoping since they were "Ships of the Desert" in the Arabian deserts and the Sahara. If they could go that long without water, carry heavy loads, etc, the Army hoped they would be of some service in the Southwest campaigns to capture or control Apache leaders like Geronimo, Cochise, and others. The trouble with camels was that they are soft hooved. They do great in sandy terrain but their hooves literally fell apart in the rough rocks and terrain of the Desert Southwest. So after a few months the camels were sold at auction, given away, and a few actually just turned loose to fend for themselves, and after a few years the Camel faded into the faint recesses of largely forgotten history in the American Southwest.
I had driven our RV to Quartzsite with no towed vehicle, and "commuting around" in a 35 foot RV is NOT something anyone wants to do frequently, especially after finding a quasi decent parking spot. The only way I could get around the huge area of the Quartzfest hamfest was to either walk or ride the only other vehicle I had with me: The Catrike. Thus it was to my great surprise that, though the rocks and ruts were rough, my small tires did not disintegrate or shred or even develop leaks or flats as I gained confidence and rode the trike further and further and more often. When we started out today I tested the tires and they were still firm and hard; even after no added air pressure since the day I BOUGHT the trike, several weeks and then almost a month bouncing around the Arizona desert.
At any rate, today's ride was fairly short: Just to the Post Office and back, but it was more intense than usual having to deal with the mile of goat-path largely-unimproved road we have leading to our house from the pavement of Frost Road. Jacque was so tired by the time we got to the Post Office that she wasn't interested in the usual last quarter mile leg up the hill to the Shell Station with its lovely draft Diet Sodas and Non Diet candy bars and ice cream treats we like so well.
We pushed and pulled her Catrike, loaded wth 2 not-at-all-helpful lapdoggies, up the steepest parts of the road, er, goat-path, home. I was again surprised to be able to pedal MY ride ALL the way up the same hills, with only a few catch-my-breath stops and a few feet of "Three Wheel Drive": Pedaling while helping the left and right front tires through the gravelly spots with both hands.
So - Another First. I've always had to get off all other bikes to walk and push them up the steeper parts of our hilly road approach. Not sure I'll repeat this performance very often - I prefer "distance" to "difficulty" - But at least I know I did it once, Har Har.
Ride Started: 2:45 PM Ride Ended: 4:49 PM
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 5.62
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
2.7 MPH 5.3MPH 27.9 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 6 mins 1 hour 5 mins 1 hour 1 minutes
First rides since we got back from Quartzsite Wednesday.
I've been "planning" to ride every day since getting home - but each day so far I've waffled around until after the 3 PM hour, which results in way too many commuter cars for comfort riding along the road shoulder.
Today BOTH Jacque and I decided to go a-riding our wee tricycles, and we got going early enough to avoid the hurry-home rush hours.
We were both much braver about riding our goat-path non paved mile of private road, since we both had bounced around so successfully among the rocks & ruts around Quartzsite. So instead of trailering the trikes down to the pavement, we rode them all the way from our front step.
Of course, going DOWN to the pavement was not too consequential, but coming UP those steep grades was another set of stories. Jacque was packing both Tink and Lilly in her side baskets and was thus heavier loaded than I. More later on THAT situation.
It was a beautiful warm day today (Mid-60's), more like early May than February, though the forecasters are promising freezing temps again soon, as like tomorrow and over the weekend. We'll see.
I am again amazed how well my early-model Catrike Road with the thin "racing tires" works on non-paved surfaces. I've ridden this thing for several months now and I had never even CONSIDERED riding it on rocks, dirts, or gravel until I was almost forced to out in the rocks of Quartzsite AZ, rocks that CRIPPLED the Army's camels back in the 1800's that were tried for desert operations. If you hadn't heard the "story", Quartzsite was the area where the U.S. Army brought in camels for tryouts, hoping since they were "Ships of the Desert" in the Arabian deserts and the Sahara. If they could go that long without water, carry heavy loads, etc, the Army hoped they would be of some service in the Southwest campaigns to capture or control Apache leaders like Geronimo, Cochise, and others. The trouble with camels was that they are soft hooved. They do great in sandy terrain but their hooves literally fell apart in the rough rocks and terrain of the Desert Southwest. So after a few months the camels were sold at auction, given away, and a few actually just turned loose to fend for themselves, and after a few years the Camel faded into the faint recesses of largely forgotten history in the American Southwest.
I had driven our RV to Quartzsite with no towed vehicle, and "commuting around" in a 35 foot RV is NOT something anyone wants to do frequently, especially after finding a quasi decent parking spot. The only way I could get around the huge area of the Quartzfest hamfest was to either walk or ride the only other vehicle I had with me: The Catrike. Thus it was to my great surprise that, though the rocks and ruts were rough, my small tires did not disintegrate or shred or even develop leaks or flats as I gained confidence and rode the trike further and further and more often. When we started out today I tested the tires and they were still firm and hard; even after no added air pressure since the day I BOUGHT the trike, several weeks and then almost a month bouncing around the Arizona desert.
At any rate, today's ride was fairly short: Just to the Post Office and back, but it was more intense than usual having to deal with the mile of goat-path largely-unimproved road we have leading to our house from the pavement of Frost Road. Jacque was so tired by the time we got to the Post Office that she wasn't interested in the usual last quarter mile leg up the hill to the Shell Station with its lovely draft Diet Sodas and Non Diet candy bars and ice cream treats we like so well.
We pushed and pulled her Catrike, loaded wth 2 not-at-all-helpful lapdoggies, up the steepest parts of the road, er, goat-path, home. I was again surprised to be able to pedal MY ride ALL the way up the same hills, with only a few catch-my-breath stops and a few feet of "Three Wheel Drive": Pedaling while helping the left and right front tires through the gravelly spots with both hands.
So - Another First. I've always had to get off all other bikes to walk and push them up the steeper parts of our hilly road approach. Not sure I'll repeat this performance very often - I prefer "distance" to "difficulty" - But at least I know I did it once, Har Har.
Ride Started: 2:45 PM Ride Ended: 4:49 PM
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 5.62
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
2.7 MPH 5.3MPH 27.9 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 6 mins 1 hour 5 mins 1 hour 1 minutes
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Rock-Hopping on a Narrow-Tire Catrike??
Today's bouncy slow tracking path
Jacque and I have both enjoyed a bit of short ridings around the rock-strewn desert here in Quartzsite AZ, RV and White-Hair Heaven. Today we thought we'd like to follow one of the many trails near us, where dozens of ATV's roar by every day, and see how far we could go and what we might see.
The El Paso Natural Gas pipeline road is very near us, so we took off following that to the West. At a little over a mile of VERY rough and unpleasant rocks and ruts, we encountered a junction with another gravel road, this one heading mostly North and South, which seemed relatively much smoother and flatter. So we turned North and continued riding, in hopes it might actually get us to Quartzsite, only 6 miles north of us, without having to dodge cars out on or near the pavement of Highway 95. My bike-mounted GPS was not at all helpful, since it showed NONE of these area dirt and gravel and rock roads, and showed us only riding out in the open across the desert. This northbound road was MUCH better, but all these roads are so rough and rutted that I found it was often easier to ride OFF the wheeled pathway and up in the rocks. Cars, trucks, and 4-wheelers beat out a 2-wheeled track between the rocks. The resulting rutted wheelways are too narrow for the front wheels of the trike to stay inside, and the if the single rear wheel of the trike is ridden in the wheel rut, both front wheels must bounce amongst the blasted rocks bounced up surrounding the track. So it was slow going, and with the occasional large patch of loose sand or gravel covering the shallow arroyos encountered several times per mile, it was tiresome work. But, indeed, this relatively smoother road eventually took us right to the outskirts of Quartzsite, where we then found the paved roads this near the townsite actually had SHOULDERS that accommodated us on our trikes and we merrily rode into town and managed to spend some money. First, of course, we had to find a bathroom, then something to EAT since now it was noonish and we had managed to work up a real appetite.
As we walked out of the service station to remount our trikes, I found a much younger couple standing next to my Catrike, obviously wanting to learn more about it. The nice looking lady looked at it closely, and asked "Is that thing Automatic?" I chuckled and told her no, it was foot pedal powered, and NO, it was definitely NOT automatic. One of my recurring frustrations with our biking and triking is that so many people seem to think we must have some kind of MOTOR on them, and IF NOT, then they invariably suggest why DON'T we put motors on them. They tend to glaze over when we tell them we enjoy the exercise, and in fact NEED the exercise to maintain our health.
The first eatery we spotted when leaving was Silly Al's Pizza - we'd heard people saying they liked the place.
We were hungry enough to try most anything, and this was close to us, so we crossed the road and chained up the trikes. One of the waitresses told us we were welcome to bring our doggies through the restaurant so we could enter the outside dining area inside their fence, so we did. Just about the same time a HUGE motorcycle group rode in from Parker AZ, so we enjoyed a bit of a wait before we finally got served, but BOY, it was worth it. If you ever stop in Quartzsite be sure to try Silly Al's, it's great. Jacque had a Pizza and I ordered a taco salad and we should have only ordered either one, since the portions were extra generous and both dishes absolutely tasty to the max.
We had planned to visit the Tyson Wells Stage Stop Museum right next to Silly Al's but after a visit to a leather store the OTHER direction we rode for home, er, that is, the RV in the desert. Good thing we did, since it took us until a little after 5 PM to finally bounce back 'home' after a full day on the trikes. Great fun, but we are genuinely TIRED tonight. RV showers and early to bed... nitey nite.
Ride Started: 9:16 AM Ride Ended: 5:23 PM
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 19.57
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
1.7 MPH 3.3MPH 13.5 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
8 hours 7 mins 5 hours 53 mins 2 hours 14 mins
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