The Weather Outside has been Frightful, my dear. Two days of sub freezing weather and almost total rain, fog, snow, ice, and lack of SUNSHINE.
Bleak Stuff, and not too inviting for pedaling around town on the trike or bike.
Today again was frightfully cold, with 25 degrees outside at about 5:30 AM, warming all the way up to 27 for most of the day. But the sun was out much of the time, and I thought I ought to seize the day for a trike ride regardless of temperature. In this area, if I wait for warm sunny days I likely would be restricted to spring and summer days, many of which will be too HOT and humid.
THAT is too few days to even keep my legs limbered up, much less maintain some level of fitness and general relatively healthy blood sugar levels.
Jacque is a very tolerant spouse, and if I'm not unduly interrupting something or forgetting a prior engagement, she gladly tells me to GO and DO.
So I bundled up. I wore a light warm pullover with the bright yellow windbreaker as the outer layer.
Digging deeper into my saddle bags, I dug out my fleece skull cap and my openable-mitt hunting gloves and took off. My blood glucose had been a bit low before I left; I had eaten a couple of cookies to get going, and I was still a bit loopy when I finally got rolling.
After about the first half mile I was feeling fine and zooming well.
I did NOT regret the layers. I did not get overheated intolerably and I stayed warm most of the ride except for the feets getting a little chilly from time to time.
I rode my usual route around the outer paved streets encircling the town, but took a short detour into a previously unexplored newer neighborhood. The street turned out exactly as my dated GPS projected, and there was no outlet, just a couple turns around new looking homes leading to a dead-end circular driveway, where I came back out the same way I came.
I again encountered a couple riding two aged bikes: One riding a bike and his female companion pulling a large child-carrier trailer. I see them many times coming the other way on my rides, and I have never seen any children in the child-carry trailer. I'm convinced they use it to haul produce and groceries, and may be their sole means of transportation. I keep wanting to provide a photo of them, and sometime I'll take the opportunity to stop them and take a picture with their permission.
About the same time I encountered these fellow cyclists, I stopped at the intersection crossing Highway 95 just barely south of Highway 60, and was surprised at the TRAFFIC jamming the streets. It was almost precisely 4:00 PM and evidently the time of school exiting. I had to wait for wads of cars to pass and clear the intersection before I could dare cross the street. I finally spotted a small opening and entered, crossing the street and waving wildly to draw attention to myself in hopes of the rushing crowd spotting and avoiding me. Thankfully it worked and I got across and on to a side street with almost no traffic.
I usually wave and smile to all drivers passing me both ways, so most undoubtedly consider me a friendly nut. That much I freely admit to....
Ride Started: 3:16 PM Ride Ended: 4:19 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.6 Ending Battery Voltage: 12.9 Lowest Voltage: 12.9
Beginning Blood Glucose: 67 Ending BG: 62
Lowest Temp: 39 F Highest Temp: 42 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 6.65
Distance Walked: .75 mile
Overall Average Speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.3 MPH 7.9 MPH 20.7 MPH
Overall Average Speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.3 MPH 7.9 MPH 20.7 MPH
Total Trip Time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 3 mins 51 minutes 13 minutes
1 hour 3 mins 51 minutes 13 minutes
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