Friday's Great Around-Town Ride

Nice Tracking Today via Ham Radio APRS
Jacque just got her new Catrike out of the repair shop where we bought it mere weeks ago.  Not only had the 2 front tires (it's a Tadpole variety) worn almost bald in about 10 short riding trips, but the super small super-thin tire on the right front had picked up a tiny teensie thorn that punctured the tube right next to the kevlar tire liner.  These wheels are so small and shallow it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to pry the tire off in order to repair or replace the tube.  My first attempt to repair the flat was successful but stressful, hoping it would be a long time between flats.  On my second attempt at patching the tube, a  couple days later, I could not get the tire back on the rim without multiple attempts, the last one with lots of soapy water trying to lubricate the job.... it was still extremely difficult.
When the tire went flat the third time we decided to let the shop we bought it from do the repair... they ruined the tire trying to get it off the rim.  So we agreed to pay a few hundred extra to install larger wheels and tires on all 3 trike-tire positions.  That took several weeks to accomplish, and now that Jacque has her trike back, she's absolutely delirious about it.
So, we were both anxious to put some miles on our human powered vehicles today.  We left earlier than usual and decided to go ride around Albuquerque since we needed some shopping and errands done within the big city limits.
The city of Albuquerque has recently built a bicycle path overpass over Interstate 25 near Montgomery.  We decided to park near Los Altos Park and ride the several miles across town to the west end of the new overpass and ride over I-25 just to see where the new bike path and overpass took riders, if it did not in fact dead-end somewhere as many of our bike paths do.  The original bike path has sat as an unused mile that dead-ended right at the fenced shoulder of I-25 for years, and there is considerable local enthusiasm about the addition to the bike network.  A few locals have actually ridden over the overpass and commented on it online and the city announced it was open for the public a couple weeks ago.
Consider our frustration when we finally arrived at the new path about 9 miles later and found the old path is still a dead-end:  It lies about 100 yards from the new path on the other side of the diversion channel and does NOT have a connection to the new trail and overpass.  When we rode back down to Jefferson to get on the new trail we found it was totally blocked off with "Jersey Bounce" concrete barriers as well as a locked gate just before the overpass ramp.  City workers could be seen painting railings and barriers on the new section.  So we rode back, without discovering where the new overpass and path go, if anywhere.  BAH
This is surely the longest pedaling trek Jacque has ever undertaken.  By the time we returned toward the parked car, it was well after noon and getting very hot and muggy.  As long as we kept moving there was sufficient breeze to keep us from overheating but ..... I started worrying about Jacque as she has a trick knee and she didn't have her knee support brace with her.  When we finally topped the hill at Sandia High School, I decided we needed to find a shady place for her and Tinkerbell to stop and rest and wait for me to ride back and bring the "rescue vehicle".  It seemed to be a good idea, since although tired, Jacque was not hurting or discouraged from further longer trips... and excited about doing it again and continuing to build up her endurance for future rides.
About halfway through our ride, I noticed the front wheel brake was dragging slightly and making noise.
I finally stopped and looked closer at the wheel and was shocked, SHOCKED, to find the front quick-release spindle had come completely loose from vibration and the wheel was only held in place by gravity and the brakes which kept the tire from falling completely out of the fork during bumps, turns, and vibration.  Simple to fix but scary to realized I'd again made the mistake of ignoring a small unusual noise on the bike.....
Beginning Battery Voltage: 12.9   --    Ending Voltage: 12.5
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     19.85
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
03.7 MPH                                6.0 MPH                   19.4 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
5 hours 19 mins                     3 hours 18 mins        2 hours

Things That Got Done Today

-No Bike Riding Today
-Worked at the Albuquerque Bishop's Storehouse from 8:30
-Repaired broken ground wire in Taurus APRS bag (it had recently stopped beaconing for unknown reasons)
-Cut Final Exterior 50 X 25" ceiling piece to complete sealing in the rafter section over the doorway to the Mud Room
-Painted ceiling piece to match rest of house to avoid having to try painting it upside down after installation
-Painted missed spots on deck wall where Jacque had been unable to move junk away from the wall
-Walked the Dogs just before sundown

Well, Better. 14 Miles today

I wasn't sure where I wanted to ride today to (1) break up the monotony and (2) get some miles in for exercise, so I decided to ride up to Paa-Ko, the upper class side of the East Mountains, and inspect the streets and roadways in the neighborhood for mowing possibilities.  A couple of the Paa-Ko residents had suggested I put my tractor to paid service by offering to mow the weedy road shoulders.  I wanted to see up close and personal, first, to make sure said street shoulders weren't strewn with debris or large rocks that could damage my mowing blade on the tractor.  It made for a nice bike ride, and I think I can name a price that could make me some money for my time and equipment.  We'll see.
Beginning Battery Voltage: Unk   --    Ending Voltage: Unk (Forgot to connect the tracker - DUH )
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     14.41
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
05.3 MPH                                8.0 MPH                   28.0 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
2 hours 44 mins                      1 hour 49 mins        36 mins 40 secs

Tuesday, Nothing New

I saddled up for a good longish ride yesterday.  I had sold an item on Ebay and boxed it up with a prepaid parcel post label and it weighed a whopping 20 pounds.  I planned to take the heavyweight package to the post office and then ride into Albuquerque to deliver some used bike-wheel spokes to a friend who has a bent rear wheel resulting from a broken spoke, something I'm well familiar with.
I at first thought I'd tow my bike trailer to carry the heavy parcel but dreaded dragging that thing all the way into Albuquerque and back.  I decided to try bungee-ing it onto my front cargo bracket and see if it would fit, and stay there while I slowly bounced down our mile of rocky dirt road to the pavement.  3 bungee cords later I took off.  Mercy, does that extra weight alter the balance and manueverability of the bike.  Especially on the rocks and gravel, it really complicated handling the bike.  It's hard to believe the extra 20 pounds also slowed me down noticeably climbing the long hill toward the post office.
Finally I arrived at the P.O. and was mildly shocked they accepted my parcel without question or weighing-in or any comments at all.  The slightly threatening cumulus clouds overhead seemed to be gathering in the direction of Albuquerque and Tijeras canyon, so I waited a bit while eating a snack and guzzling water in the P.O. parking lot.  The clouds seemed to be getting even darker so I decided I didn't want to risk getting wet and turned around and rode home.  Much to my disappointment, the rain never happened.  It was cloudy and cooler all day... a perfect day for an Albuquerque bike ride.  BAH
I did, however, make better progress on finishing trim on our roof over our deck.  Jacque started painting the house exterior a couple weeks ago and has now petered out but I'm still completing some years-old unfinished business on house trim so it all  can be painted at once.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.8   --    Ending Voltage: Unk
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     5.85
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
04.5 MPH                                6.8 MPH                   25.2 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
1 hour 18 mins                      51 mins   20 secs       26 mins 40 secs

A Cyclist's Life: Threw Rock at Dog, Got a Bloody Stump

(No, this dog didn't result in any blood.... it's our beloved TINKerbell fondly wearing the new Cycling Hat Jacque sewed for her)

 Today's Short but Sweet Ride Track

I did the usual Monday-Morning-Guilt-Trip thing again today:  It's been 6 days since I rode the bike and I decided to do the 5-something mile mail run this morning, hoped-fully before the sun got too hot.
All last week we received at least one rain-shower each day, and the results have been wonderful:  The air smells terrific, the fire danger is down here in the East Mountains, things are starting to green up, our road is washing out again, etc.  All good. we LOVE THE RAIN -
But though the recent temperatures have cooled somewhat, the increased humidity has made the temperatures more uncomfortable, and the "swamp cooler" we have on the roof has almost no effect except to make it seem even more humid in the house so we run it in blow-air mode only just to keep the air moving in the house, which helps.  Riding the bike down the new ruts and rocks in our mile of unpaved private road to the pavement of Frost Road wasn't too bad and the ride up to the Post Office wasn't bad at all.   Some clouds were a bit threatening but no rain fell on me during the short ride.
Oh, yeah -  here's a photo of Jacque and I eating our pick-a-nick lunch on the edge of the rock cliff just below Kiwanis Cabin on Sandia Crest on our 4th of July hike:

Meanwhile,back to today's ride.... I am always at least mildly surprised at the difference in auto drivers from day to day.   Most days, 99% of auto drivers are courteous almost to a fault, but most days at least one lunatick tries to see how close he/she can brush by me without actually knocking me sideways.  Today was one of those days where everyone was just great, sometimes even crowding the oncoming cars in the other lane to give me a wide berth.   (We had a notorious case a few years ago where a young woman was passing a group of cyclists on Old Hiway 66 near Tijeras and, upon cresting a small hill and finding an oncoming car in the other lane headed toward her, couldn't be bothered to slow down or wait for a gap in the clutch of cyclists:  She just abruptly pulled back to the right, plowing into  2 cyclists,
killing the husband and maiming his wife on the other bike, and only after months of the police making excuses for her young age (and not-mentioned cuteness) was she charged with some kind of traffic offense which, as I recall, resulted in no jail or probation or monetary loss for her, perhaps a short suspension of her driver's license)
/Rant off.  The mud at the bottom of our mile-long dirt road was dried enough to find a narrow path to get across without mud all over me or the bike, and the return home was not too bad, considering I always have to dismount and push the bike up at least a third of the rocky hill road.  As I huffed and puffed into our yard and parked the recumbent, the neighbor's dog opened up on me.  This is the typical dog-lover neighbor you tend to have in the East Mountains:  Several dogs, shut up most of the day in the house, likely never walked or exercised, since their seemingly only joy in life is barking at us in our yard or inside our home almost 100 yards from our common fence-line.  Only one was out yapping at me this time, and he was right in the corner railing at me for being in my own yard, so I picked up a few rocks to heave at him and walked around the juniper trees to get within throwing-range of him.  I drew back my arm for the first throw and was shocked to feel immediate pain:  I'd failed to respectfully note the lack of distance between me and a nearby 5 foot tall cactus plant and I'd slammed my rock-laden hand right into the midst of it.  Talk about inadvertently cutting off your own nose to spite your face.... I managed to shut the noisy offending mutt up by going ahead and peppering his area with small rocks.. with my age and arthritis there is little chance I'd ever nail him... but you know the old saying:  What goes around comes around.  Now if only the neighbor's dogs could accidentally fall into some cactus whenever they start barking at us when they hear us walking inside our house... but poetic justice is for humans only, one supposes.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.8   --    Ending Voltage: 12.9
Ride's Lowest Temperature: 70 degrees F -- Highest Temperature: 77 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     5.57
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
04.9 MPH                                7.6 MPH                   22.4 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
1 hour 8 mins                        44 mins   10 secs       25 mins8 secs

Tuesday Thundershower Trip

Today's Soggy Track Courtesy of Ham Radio APRS
We had a nice rain shower YESTERDAY afternoon, so it would appear our long longed-for monsoon season has finally arrived.  In Vietnam, monsoon meant it rained, continuously, day and night, for weeks on end.  Back here in "the world", in New Mexico, monsoon season means it rains at least a little bit, almost every day, one day it's a soaker, next day it's a sprinkle, but rarely do rain showers last for more than an hour at a time.  Often it starts during the 4th of July weekend, though rarely has it been so dry forr weeks on end as it has this year.
Anywho.  Back to today.  I quasi-planned to do a 20 or 30 miler today.  As usual, however, by the time I got all done with putzing around, chores, shoveling cat poop, refilling the big and little dog water reservoirs, etc, it was well after noon.  It was also a bit cloudy outside, with nice shade from the clouds, although when I went outside to look around, it didn't look threatening and - if it rained - it looked like I had plenty of time to make a decent bike ride.  I decided to ride up to the Post Office since it would be a good turnaround  / wimp-out point if the weather got too threatening.  I arrived at the P.O., safe and sound, and retrieved the mail and socked it into my seat-back pannier.  As I checked my blood sugar and found it was too low to make it through another several miles of exertion, I dug into my stash and started chowing down on some homemade trail mix (regular M&M's, Peanut M&M's, and almonds) as a pickup pulled in next to me in the parking lot and as the driver went inside, the passenger stared at me like I was a Martion, just bug-eyed, continuously, until I finished sturring my face and rode away.  I was losing confidence I could make a decently long ride so I decided to just ride up the Sandia Crest road as far as I could and then turn around.  Which was an unexpectedly enjoyable ride.  I need to take a day sometime and attempt the entire huff-puff journey clear to the top of the Crest.  Thousands of local cyclists do it, regularly, but I never have, although I attempted it a year or so ago when Jacque's Uncle Max brought his carbon fiber racer  bike up from Prescott AZ and blew us off by riding it to the top of the Crest... at 80-something years of age.  Show-Off Old Fart, anyway.
Anyway, riding that road is a bit more enjoyable, I think, because so many cyclists keep that road populated that the drivers seem to be  used to cyclists and more tolerant of them.  Just short of Doc Long Picnic Area , I started to run out of steam as the clouds continued to conglomerate.  Of course the slightly steep grade is much more fun coming down than going "up".
Just as I crossed N-14 back onto Frost Road at a good clip, rain began to splatter me in the face.  Then it started to get WET, and of course COLD.  I turned off the Frost Road shoulder and diverted to the not-as-nice bicycle trail to lessen worries about passing vehicle.  I was looking for some kind of shelter where I could take cover for a few minutes so the rain might thus slow down but didn't spot any.  I passed a camper trailer for sale... it was a gooseneck so I wondered if I could fit under to take shelter.  I rode past it about 300 yards and the rain just got colder and harder.... and my handlebar radios and electronics wer getting soaked.  I pulled over and disconnected the electronics and stuck them inside my rear pannier and turned the bike around and rode furiously back toward the little goose-neck camper.  Sure enough, by laying the tall bike over and bending myself over, I could take shelter under the goose-neck and I did.  The rain poured down for probably another 10 minutes and then slowed to a mild sprinkle.  I got out from under my impromptu shelter and looked around:  A hole in the rain clouds was almost directly over me and it looked like it might be big enough for me to saddle up and ride again, and so I did.
I wish I'd taken pictures of me, soaking wet, etc, but didn't think to bring out the camera.  Oh Well.
Arrived safely home even though there was a bit of lightning popping not far enough distant, with no further soaking.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0   --    Ending Voltage: 12.9
Ride's Lowest Temperature: 59 degrees F -- Highest Temperature: 80.6 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     8.27
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
03.7 MPH                                7.0 MPH                   33.9 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
2 hours 15 mins                    1 hour 11 mins          1 hour 5 mins

Monday Milquetoast Mail Ride

Today's Short Boring APRS Track
So, I wasn't able to alliterate all the title words with M's.  At least nothing I could think of that made sense.
I spent most of last week pounding away on the house (Wanna Buy it??  It's For SALE) and thus didn't do any decent riding on the 2-wheeler Fun Machine.  So today I decided to stress the legs and get in at least a ride to the mailbox and back.
Even though it was 10:36 AM by the time I got rolling, it wasn't overly hot.... UNLESS I stopped for a drink or a breath.
On my way across the parking lot, I suddenly noticed the wording on a sign on the parking lot of our beloved US Post Office:

 So what the cat-hair is a sign proscribing bicycling doing at a taxpayer funded public facility?
Our government at work.  It PROBABLY intends to prevent riding and rolling on the sidewalks,
but, Red Ryder, that isn't what the sign says.  BAH

Beginning Battery Voltage: 12.6 (Now THAT's Weird) --    Ending Voltage: 12.7
Ride's Lowest Temperature: 77 degrees F -- Highest Temperature: 81 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     5.55
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
05.2 MPH                                7.8 MPH                   26.5 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
1 hour 3 mins                       42 mins 40 secs        21 mins 19 secs