Friday Makes FIVE days in a row... (The Muppet Count Cackles.......)

Longer than Normal Tracking Today

We got REALLY chilled during our ride yesterday.  We wanted to do a full work-week's worth of riding, but after the last 2 rides with less than optimal temperatures, we just weren't in the mood to ride in the cold again, even though we will have to more and more as the winter sets in.
For today, though, our solution was simple and effective:  Since we have to haul the trike down a mile to the nearest paved road, we just drove it 25 MORE miles so we could ride the fabled Albuquerque Bosque Trail, where the breeze was minimal and the temperatures about 15 degrees or more warmer at 5200 feet than around home at 6800 feet elevation.
And a beautiful day indeed, it was.  We went south on the Bosque Trail from Central Avenue and decided to ride the southern end of the trail, around the South Valley loop.  The weather was just cool enough to be enjoyable, and the slight changes in elevation North and south on the trail are easily dealt with and non stressful. 

Even though the trail is so relatively flat, it requires steady pedaling to maintain speed and was just downright enjoyable.
It was also a bit longer than we expected.  I thought we might break 10 miles but we actually broke 16, and we were very satisfied with our exertion levels.
A year ago this route was almost un-rideable with pavement heaves, tree roots, cracks and potholes marring its surface most of the way south of Tingley Beach.  A repair and repaving project early this year has resulted in a very nice surface and a pleasure to ride on.
When we got to the southernmost part of the loop, the trail runs somewhat parallel to Broadway, which is extremely loaded with heavy traffic including lots of tractor-trailer rigs.  When we got to Rio Bravo and turned back west away from Broadway, it was a great relief to enjoy the relative silence again riding next to the Rio Grande irrigation ditches instead of the roaring highway. 
My blood glucose dropped a couple times on this ride; once to 50, and each time I snarfed a 29 carb oatmeal power bar.  So with a bit of crude math:
2 X 29 = 58 total carbs burned
16 miles ridden divided by 58 = 
I guess I was making .28 miles per carb.  More or less.  Mileage is unreliable and variable and unpredictable....

Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.2        Ending Voltage: 12.8
Lowest Temp  63 F      Highest Temp:  73 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  16.34
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  5.6 MPH                                7.1 MPH                    21.2 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
2 hours 53 minutes                2 hours 17 mins          36 mins 31 secs

FOUR Days in a Row.. (Realizing No One's Counting)

Today's Again-Boring Tracking
Today's ride was more of a proof-of-principle than a real ride.
It was WINDY and cold this morning and we almost didn't ride simply because it was so miserable.  However, we STILL need exercise even in cold weather, perhaps MORE so in cold weather, so we bundled up and rode. 
The worst part of riding in the cold?  Shuffling around getting READY to ride, putting up with the chilling wind without the effort of pedaling to warm ourselves up.  Riding, in itself, is much less unpleasant because we are at least burning calories and keeping ourselves a bit warmer.  Today was not that enjoyable because of the wind and cold but it was valuable lesson time:  In future, we need to take MORE layers than we think we need.  Knowing I normally warm up quickly, I had only 2 long sleeve layers and 1 short sleeve layer, using my handy dandy polar fleece skull cap under my helmet and my half-mittens on the handlebars.  This would have meant immediate overheating yesterday and before, but today, I was COLD and stayed that way.  Even after climbing the difficult hill to the Post Office, I was still cold and uncomfortable and we both decided to cut it short and return rather than go on up to the beloved Shell Station for drinks & snacks.  Had we started out with better wind-breaking layers we likely would have had the fortitude to keep riding 10 or more miles, but we were already chilled to the bone and motivation was definitely lacking.
BUT, Hey..... We'll probably make it FIVE days in a row tomorrow, lacking any deep snow or ice or heavy rains.  Maybe we'll even make it 5 MILES as well.....

Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.0        Ending Voltage: 12.9 
Lowest Temp  48 F      Highest Temp:  59 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  3.55
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  5.3 MPH                                6.5 MPH                    24.6 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
  40 minutes                           32 mins  51 secs         7 mins 9 secs

THREE Days in a Row...

Wednesday APRS/GPS/Ham Radio Tracking
We did not get going early this morning but we did get going.
It was windy and cooler than yesterday but it makes us feel so much better overall after riding that we still wanted to get in a ride before it got too late.
We decided to ride east today instead of west, just for variety's sake.
The wind at our backs was fairly stiff so we worried about the return trip, knowing the wind would still be cold and in our face and working AGAINST us instead of mildly pushing us along.
We took a small detour through a housing development, expecting a lot less motor traffic, which paid off.... but we soon ran out of pavement at a cul-de-sac - which we immediately used for a rest and water stop.  With the wind coming in a bit stiffer and the temperature not getting any balmier, we turned back toward home after exiting the housing development with the idea of getting back home in jig time.
Jacque suggested aloud that we keep riding on past our home turnoff and go west to the usual daily post office run, with the idea of getting in a few more miles than usual today.  And so we did.
Our doggies enjoyed meeting a few new mutts to snarl and bark at, especially in the housing area where we had not ridden before.  We actually were going to wander around that neighborhood a bit more but encountered a big, LOOSE dog that we decided we did not want to encounter in closer quarters, so we turned around and left.
As usual, we encountered smiling admirers at the Post Office and at the Shell Station where we stopped for the usual rest/snack break.
Black clouds had been gathering as we approached the Post Office and we worried we might get rained on but, after all, snacks and lemonade are IMPORTANT so we continued on up to the station after the short Post Office break.  It got a bit gloomier weather-wise as we dallied, but got going again with no rain or snow bothering us.... at least for the first few hundred yards toward home.
As we screamed downhill past the Post Office, coasting because it was too fast to pedal, we encountered a few smatters of raindrops and it was COLD.  Which just encouraged us to put the metal to our pedals in hopes of getting back before the weather got serious.  We got smacked with only  a few dozen very cold raindrops before we got back, and of course once we stopped the trike and got out of the weather, it stopped sprinkling.  It's still a dark and stormy looking day out there, but so far no additional moisture has fallen.
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.4        Ending Voltage: 13.1  (Battery now charged after yesterday's ride)
Lowest Temp  55 F      Highest Temp:  70 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  9.2
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  4.3 MPH                                6.3 MPH                    27.9 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
  2 hours 9 minutes                1 hour 27 mins           41 mins 21 secs

Wow, Two Whole Days in a Row: We are SO Committed

Today's As-Usual APRS Tracking
Or, more accurately, perhaps we NEED to be committed, for any number of reasons.
We have quasi-decided that if we get going earlier in the day we will more likely ride since it will be easier than trying to squeeze in a ride later in the afternoon.
Plus, today, the wind was forecast to be terrible this afternoon.
It was cold and breezy enough when we left this morning I almost wimped out, but since I have ridden  for several years almost year round, minus  a week or so for horribly rainy or icy weather, I fully realize it not only CAN be done, but that getting going is the hardest part, NOT the actual riding....
And thus it was today.  It was windy enough that neither of us ripped off any layers while riding  - but then we didn't have more than a couple of light layers to start with.  It was sunny but a bit cool with the breezes, and altogether another fine riding day.
We also made another instant new friend at the Shell Station at the Top of the Hill who admired our funky tandem trike and our doggies.
Going downhill, on the way back, Jacque loves to stick out her arms (and sometimes yell) while we scream down the road at horrific speeds approaching 30 MPH.  I planned to video record her doing her foolishness but realized I would endanger us both if I took one hand off the handlebars.... so I have to figure out a way to mount a camera so I can win the America's Funniest Video award without our crashing and burning being part of the entertainment.
Beginning Battery Voltage:  12.7        Ending Voltage: 12.7  (Battery now charging after this ride)
Lowest Temp  62 F      Highest Temp:  67 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  4.28
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  3.2 MPH                                5.2 MPH                    26.7 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
  1 hour 20 minutes                49 mins  4 secs          31 mins 54 secs

Well. It's a New Week, So.....

Monday Morning Tracking via APRS and Ham Radio
We've started riding on the first day of this week so hope to continue the rest of the days of the week.  Wish us luck and blessings.
One of our friends came up to us when we stopped for snacks, potty breaks, and rest at the Shell Station.  She exclaimed "I LOVE seeing you guys on your trike!  We see you all the time!"
She must have a faulty or forgiving memory, but surely we  could use that as one more motivational excuse to ride:  To enthrall our public.

Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.2        Ending Voltage: 12.7 
Lowest Temp  59 F      Highest Temp:  70 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  4.16
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  3.0 MPH                                5.5 MPH                    27.9 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
  1 hour 24 minutes                45 mins  38 secs         38 mins 22 secs

Shivering Saturday Sailing

Today's Turgid Tracking via APRS and Ham Radio
GAAAACK.  It's been TEN DAYS since we rode anywhere under people-pedal-power.  Bah.  Humbug.
We planned to do our afternoon Bosque ride yesterday, Friday, but at the last minute before we left home we got a phone call committing us to something other than afternoon aerobic exercise.  Oh Well.
Howsomever, today we actually got with the program and took a good ride.
Mind you, this isn't an easy jump-on-the-trike undertaking.  Jacque fell down some stairs while visiting my brother up in Utah, and though the steps were carpeted, she suffers with a very sore bottom.  When she's sitting, it takes a bit of care to find positions that don't hurt, clear through the pain medication.  This was our first attempt at riding since the fall, so we were more than a bit concerned.
PLUS, this morning was probably the coldest morning we've experienced this fall.... it was 25 degrees on one end of the house when we got up and 23 on the other end of the house.  So we lolly-gagged around until 10:00 to get going in hopes the weather would warm up a bit.  We bundled in several layers, and I wore solid leather shoes instead of my normal tenny-runners and TWO pairs of socks.  My experience with cold weather cycling is that 2 things suffer the most while riding in the cold:  Fingers and Feets.  My prior experience also dictated that I not put on anything actually heavy and woolly, but just 3 or 4 layers I could pull off as I warmed up.  We started off with me wearing my "shooter's mittens" on my hands:  medium padded mittens with a velcro-fastening 'pocket' that encloses the fingers, and which can be easily opened to expose the fingers for working the radio knobs and other details.  Designed for cold weather shooting, but works for cyclists "not carrying", too.
Our plan was deceptively simple:  Ride east out to Edgewood, pick up a quilt square-of-the-month from  Busy Bee Quilts, maybe make a short side trip to Wally World and then ride home.  Total max distance 25 miles or so.  If either of us wanted to turn back early, we agreed to turn back.
Every bike trip produces something to laugh about, and today was no exception.  While climbing a hill on eastbound Frost Road, a westbound "Souped-Up" Honda approached us, and when he got right next to us while passing, REVVED up his engine in neutral several times to impress us with his pipes, I guess.  Jacque and I laughed out loud, and talked about the idea that "Brapping your pipes" is a way to impress other people cranking along under their own power.
We made it about 4 miles, a third of the way there, and Jacque's pain pills were not keeping up with the strain.  So we turned back, and were glad we did.  The east-bound wind had picked up considerably and though it didn't slow us down much, the cold wind was SHARP.
So, even though conditions weren't totally favorable, and we were certainly not totally confident in how it would work out with our aches and pains.... it was, as usual, invigorating and FUN.  We gotta get back to a daily routine....
Just after getting back in the Exploder, we spotted a couple walking their little doggies along the path we'd just exited.  We did a double-take.... their doggies appeared to be PAPILLONS!  -And one was a sable & white, with the other one a tri-color Black, White, and small patches of Brown.... almost exactly like OUR doggies!  So we just HAD to pull over and chase them down so we (and our look-alike doggies) could exchange greetings.  Jazzie, our beserk pup, went into hysterics and was almost impossible to shut up or calm down, so the visit was short, unfortunately.

Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.2        Ending Voltage: 13.1 
Lowest Temp  52 F      Highest Temp:  66 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  8.06
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  4.4 MPH                                6.4 MPH                    27.8 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
  1 hour 49 minutes                1 hour 15 mins           33 mins 32 secs

Windy Wednesday, Great Riding

Today's Short Tracking in the Other Direction
Jacque made an appointment for a haircut with a stylist lady who lives only a few miles from us, so Jacque suggested we  use it for an excuse for another trike ride today.... she didn't have to twist my arm.
This week is Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta , and the weather forecasters have been amazed at the lack of wind and rain that normally accompany such an event.  Every other year or so they've even had snow to deal with.  Unlike the past several years, EVERY morning so far of the Fiesta has been almost perfect launching days with little wind and no rain.  Forecasters had predicted last night that today would be a chancy one, with likely high winds that might force balloon launch cancellations.   Well, it was largely calm again this morning and the balloons launched as did the Jim & Jacque Tricycle Operation.
It was cool enough that my 3 layers, one with long sleeves, were welcome for the first mile and a half.... until we got to our first long hill.  By the time we topped that little climb I was overheated and begging to stop so I could peel off some layers and change to my open-fingered warm weather riding gloves.  And guzzle some water.
Since we stopped at no public places, we had no lengthy interactions with passers-by, just a nice long visit with Jacque's hairdresser, as well as a dozen or so momentary interactions with passing motorists, most of whom gave us next-lane wide clearance.  Only one sooper-large pickup truck gave a seemingly angry BRRAAPPP! of his diesel exhaust as he roared around us, and even he took the other lane and gave us plenty of room.  Nice folks.

Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.2        Ending Voltage: 12.7 
Lowest Temp  63 F      Highest Temp:  73 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  5.58
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  3.1 MPH                                 5.6 MPH                    28.1 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
  1 hour 47 minutes                59 mins  24 secs         47 mins 57 secs