Sunday Cyclers

Today's Time Around Town

We enjoyed a low key worship service at home today since our Church meetings are still suspended at our chapel.
Sundays feel pretty good as a Day of Rest.  I rarely get a whole lot done on other days but at least on Sunday I don't have to feel guilty about it.
We came up with the idea of a trike ride, since local weather was so pleasant outside, as it has been for the last couple of days.  Today we rode separate trikes, good stuff.

Jacque has dual wire cargo crates on her Catrike Pocket, so of course she got to haul both doggies.
I myself could have hitched up the bike trailer and hauled one or both on MY trike, but Jacque is SO willing.....
We didn't do any monster miles or hills but still got wonderful aerobic exertion .... good stuff.

Ride Started:   2:40 PM      Ride Ended:  3:42 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.0  Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0   Lowest Voltage:  13.0

Beginning Blood Glucose: 158   Ending BG: 93 

Lowest Temp:  75 F    Highest Temp:    85 F

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles:   4.26

Distance Walked: .6 mile (Dog Potty Trips)
Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  4.2 MPH                                5.0 MPH               17.4 MPH 

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
  1 hour 1 min                        51 minutes           10 minutes

Tandem Terrors

Today's Tandem Trip Route

Jacque wanted to do some riding today so we dragged out the old reliable Tandem Terratrike to do the togetherness thing.
The weather dried up today with super clear skies and bright sunshine, but cooled a bit, thankfully, by a noticeable breeze.
We rode 'round the village square, stopped there to allow the doggies to do their business and admire the plethora of roses all over the place, and went on our way.
We attracted a fair amount of attention today, as usual.  So far as we know we are the only recumbent riders in the community, although plenty of folks ride "normal" bikes locally.
We stopped at one 4-way stop, waved a waiting pickup to take the right of way, but he rolled down his window and said he'd never seen such a thing before and preferred US to go ahead so he could watch us pedaling.
We didn't really plan to go anywhere and didn't;  just rolled around a few blocks and came home.
Tiring but  very satisfying....

Ride Started:   2:00 PM      Ride Ended:  2:57 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  12.8  Ending Battery Voltage:  12.9   Lowest Voltage:  12.8

Beginning Blood Glucose: 162   Ending BG: 99 

Lowest Temp:  68 F    Highest Temp:    78 F

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles:   3.15

Distance Walked: .6 mile (Dog Potty Trips)
Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  3.7 MPH                                4.7 MPH               14.9 MPH 

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
  52 minutes                        40 minutes             12 minutes

Thank God for Grandma.... Gear

Today's Shopping Trip Route

I exhausted myself completing another remodeling project today:  Cutting another hole in the roof, installing a vent pipe for the new bathroom ceiling vent, and screwing everything down tight with waterproofing caulk.  THEN putting all the blasted ladder, cords, and tools away.
I had thought I was too tired to do a trike ride today when Jacque mentioned she needed some items from Walmart,  thus shattering my resolve to take the rest of the day off.
I volunteered to take the trike and trailer for the shopping spree (big order of cheese and a Watermelon - without the Watermelon I prolly could have done without the trailer)
I must have overdone the exertion quotient working on the roof and bathroom ceiling, since my Blood Glucose measured a dangerously low 47 just before I rode away, and this after eating a couple of yummy cookies trying to get the BG back toward normal.
So I forced another couple of cookies down and rode away  in splendor.
I was shocked, SHOCKED, to hear a loud crunch and clatter when I go out on the main drag of Highway 95 going north.  I didn't know what had fallen but it sounded important, so I pulled off the side of the road into the grass and stood up to see.  It was my CAR KEYS lying in the wheel-path of all oncoming traffic, and I had to wait for THREE cars to pass before I could retrieve them.
For some reason nobody ran over them, in spite of their precarious positioning where they fell.
Thankful I am they didn't.  Who knows what kind of damage a weighted tire / wheel could have done to them.
I've dropped many things before, but this is the first time the keys had popped out of my pants pocket.
I realized I still had a fat tape measure in the same pocket, from my work project, and perhaps it had crowded the pocket sufficiently to ease the keys outward and onward.
After putting the tape measure into one of my saddlebag pockets, I had no other narrow escapes.
Thankfully.
The bike trailer is not much weight nor effort to pull behind, especially when it's empty.
However, after I strapped the plastical bag containing the several-pound-weight watermelon, I DID notice a bit of increased pedaling effort, and especially going uphill even at a slight grade.  Going the home route involves several small and uncomfortably large hill climbs, and I wound up making frequent use of "Grandma Gear".  For the rare unaware, "Grandma Gear" is the absolute lowest gear, with the smallest gear engaged up front, turning the absolutely largest gear on the rear sprocket for maximum power and minimum pedal-power climbing said inclines.  Makes for slow progress but helps save the lungs and feet slaving away faithfully.
The forecast had called for rain and thundershowers at the time of my excursion, but though there were several black and threatening clouds overhead, no rain interfered with me.
I was saddened to pass a recently-scrunched BEAVER lying in the middle of the road, evidently struck down while trying to cross the road to the other end of the small stream crossing under the road.  We see all kinds of critters in these parts, but beavers are not often spotted.  Poor Guy.
Made it home safe and sound again.  God is Good.

Ride Started:   2:25 PM      Ride Ended:  3:30 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.6  Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0   Lowest Voltage:  13.0

Beginning Blood Glucose: 47   Ending BG: 143 

Lowest Temp:  75 F    Highest Temp:    82 F

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles:   5.15

Distance Walked: .7 mile (Dog Potty Trips)
Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  4.9 MPH                                7.3 MPH               16.4 MPH 

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
  1 hour 2 mins                      43 minutes           20 minutes

More Errands??

Today's Short Route Around a Few Blocks

I resumed remodeling today and quickly ran out of the proper trim.  Thus I decided to hitch up the Bike BOB trailer and haul the stuff that-away.
The closest and first building supply I went to did NOT have what we needed.  So I rode a few more blocks to CHC (Cabool Home Center, Mtn Grove Store) and thankfully they had it.
We have decided to finally re-erect my 50 foot Rohn radio tower and put the weak TV antenna atop it, as well as a few radio antennas.  Our TV on-the-air is weak here and many in the area have similar towers next to their homes for TV reception.  Hopefully it will help.
BUT, since I gave or sold my post-hole diggers when we moved from NM, I now needed another set, so I pulled one off the shelf labeled "$16.98" and headed for the pay counter. 
I thought 16.98 was awfully affordable for new post hole diggers, and sure enough when the nice lady rang it up it turned out to be THIRTY-NINE and 98 cents, in spite of my telling her it was in a rack marked less than 17 bucks.  I need it, so I paid the money and lashed all onto the bike trailer and made off.

Taking a little detour so as to get a few more carbs burned, I was soon home.
Had to take a rest break to soothe the sore feet.  Then I got busy again cutting and attaching trim to the master bathroom.
Once I got going it was hard to stop until finished, in spite of the sore feet.
I finally got to a stopping point..... until next energy burst.

Ride Started:   2:47 PM      Ride Ended:  3:20 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.0  Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0   Lowest Voltage:  13.0

Beginning Blood Glucose: 92   Ending BG: 81 

Lowest Temp:  67 F    Highest Temp:    75 F

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles:   1.59

Distance Walked: .7 mile (Dog Potty Trips)
Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  5.0 MPH                                8.0 MPH               26.6 MPH 

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
  34 minutes                         13 minutes           21 minutes

Riding with Purpose: Errands

Today's Problematic Route

This shot from our Visit to Alley Mill Yesterday.
81 MILLION gallons a Day from the Spring feeding this old mill

Well, it was again drizzling (And POURING) rain all morning.  We drove around the soggy countryside and got some shopping done anyway.
Of course, after we got home around noonish the weather cleared up quite a bit and the sun actually peeked out a few times, lighting up the gray sky to bluish in spots.
I thought I should sneak in a trike ride, and finally saddled up and left shortly after 3 PM.  By now the skies had partially darkened again and I worried I might  get soaked by the black clouds speeding overhead, but I suspected if I tried to wait for clear skies again I might miss another couple days of enjoyable exercise.
As it turned out, no rain got to me, but other misadventures did.
I carried a UPS parcel with me to deliver to the UPS dropoff up on the other end of town, with plans to just do the rest of the around-town loop on the way back home.
This all worked fine, but as I chugged along I remembered we needed new windshield wipers on out Ford Exploder, and I had forgotten to bring one of the worn ones so I could match it at the car parts store.  I decided if I got home early enough I would re-ride back to an auto parts store and purchase the desired items.
Sure enough, when I arrived back at the driveway, the weather had not turned bad and I still had daylight and plenty of time for another ride to the parts store.  I googled local stores to see what was closest and Bingo!  Western Auto popped up only a couple blocks away seemingly close to the village square.  When I got close, though, I was saddened to see the "Western Auto" name emblazoned.... FAinTly... on a now - empty building on the square, typical of too many former business entities nowadays.  So I googled other possibilities that supposedly wouldn't be exhaustingly far away.  I settled on the only place I could find:  Ace Hardware on the north end of town.
I arrived after another mile ride at the intersection just before crossing the Route 60 freeway. 
As I waited patiently for traffic to open sufficiently for me to enter the main road, I finally got to cross, with more traffic coming.  Instead of staying on the good pavement, I tried to go far to the right shoulder, which LOOKED fine until  I hit a few water-filled potholes and cracks, whereupon I suddenly realized I had contracted a tire blowout on my right front wheel.  For the next half hour or so I put on a nice sideshow of tire disassembly and replacement.  Several times I thought I should call Jacque to come rescue me but I finally got it back together and rolling again.
For the life of me I could not find any tear or hole in the tire or tube, but the shock of hitting the sharp edge of the pothole had just boogered the air completely out of it.  I carry a spare tube, patches, and CO2 cartridges for inflating tires  "effortlessly", and it just took time and frustration to dig it all out and take out the defunct tube, install a new one, and get the CO2 injector to work and re-inflate the tire.  I was pleasantly surprised to see I still had time to cross the freeway to access Ace Hardware.
The nice lady there said she didn't think they HAD wipers in stock, but sure enough they did, thankfully.
The rest of the ride back was comparatively uneventful, though my feet were burning a bit from the extra time cranking.
Thankfully the new wipers fit perfectly, though of a different brand, so my two small errands were a small success.
Tired but energized, attitude improved... typical results of riding.

Ride Started:   3:29 PM      Ride Ended:  5:30 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.5  Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0   Lowest Voltage:  12.9

Beginning Blood Glucose: 102   Ending BG: 112 

Lowest Temp:  71 F    Highest Temp:    82 F

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles:   9.97

Distance Walked: .9 mile (Dog Potty Trips)
Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  5.0 MPH                                8.0 MPH               26.6 MPH 

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
  1 hour 59 mins                 1 hour 15 mins       44 minutes

Friday Date Night Long Ride

Enjoyable But Short Route

We sat in house most of the day today with dark cloudy rain skies overhead and rain running everywhere.  For a while it looked like Noah Build Us An Ark.
Howsomever, it actually cleared up and stopped raining later in the day and the SUN actually came out.  We had mostly loafed all day because of the miserable weather.  I spent a half hour or so running the pressure washer to blast more dirt and mold off the siding and roof trim.
Jacque was not feeling very well because of her joints being stiff and sore from being housebound all day.  She was suggesting building one of her fabulous home built Pizzas but needed pepperoni to proceed.
On impulse I suggested going out to eat, and since our favorite Mexican restaurant is only a few blocks away, we decided to do THAT.  Since it's so close, I tentatively suggested riding the trike over for dinner, and in spite of her stiff joints, she jumped at the idea.
Dragging the Tandem Terratrike out of the garage, we soon saddled up and rode off, leaving the disappointed doggies and cat behind.  The dogs enjoy riding in the cart behind Jacque's seat and complain loudly when realizing they are to be left behind.
Dinner was great, although the service was extremely slow.  They do a great job on Mexican fare, and mine even had a few sliced Jalapenos in the Nachos Locos, very tasty and not bad for the Midwest where they think ketchup is spicy flavored.
I left a big tip, in spite of the slow service, to reward them for being open and serving great food in this weird time of the world.
Got home safe and sound, a bit fatigued in spite of the shortness of the ride (The Tandem is HEAVY).
Jacque's joints are much better and our moods of course are uplifted from pedaling around a while.

Ride Started:   5:25 PM      Ride Ended:  7:26 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.3  Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0   Lowest Voltage:  12.9

Beginning Blood Glucose: 60   Ending BG: 99 

Lowest Temp:  70 F    Highest Temp:    72 F

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles:   6.69

Distance Walked: .9 mile (Dog Potty Trips)
Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  .7 MPH                                4.2 MPH               12.7 MPH 

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
  2 hours 1 minute                 21 minutes          1 hour 19 minutes

Wimpy Birthday Riding

Today's Ever-So-Boring Route

Well, yesterday was the end of my 73rd year on this Earth and the beginning of my 74th. 
Mercy.
As the old saying goes, "If I'd Known I was going to Live this Long, I'd have taken Better Care of Myself!"

I had forgotten that a couple of years ago I rode 73 miles on my 71st birthday in Ohio while we were RV'ing around the countryside.  (I miscalculated the route and rode 2 more miles than planned).
This year I had a VERY temporary fantasy about riding 73 miles to celebrate, but I've been so wimpy and lazy recently that I just decided to do my now-usual ride around the perimeter of our monster city of Mountain Grove (Pop. ~4600).
I now kinda regret not laying out a more aggressive trip, even though it would have taken all day long to accomplish it IF I lived through it, but we all gotta go sometime, right? Right?  - Never Mind -
Our weather forecast had called for afternoon storms but it was mostly just cloudy with a bit of sun peeking through occasionally, and not cold or damp much at all.  I rolled up my pants legs to keep the cloth out of the chain contact, instead of tucking them into my tall socks.  The additional air flow was welcome.
Evidently our locals are getting more used to seeing such a contraption riding through their neighborhoods.  Instead of curious stares I now get lots of friendly waves from people I pass in their yards as well as the ones I encounter in cars on the streets.
Maybe I'll try to do an after-birthday mondo ride.... if our weather ever gets a forecast for a day without rain.......

Ride Started:   2:44 PM      Ride Ended:  4:30 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.3  Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0   Lowest Voltage:  12.5

Beginning Blood Glucose: 229   Ending BG: 76 

Lowest Temp:  70 F    Highest Temp:    72 F

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles:   6.69

Distance Walked: .9 mile (Dog Potty Trips)
Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  7.1 MPH                              8.2 MPH               21.7 MPH 

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
  57 minutes                    49 minutes           8 minutes