Today's Frosted Frigid Tracking
Jacque was in the mood for riding today, and it was sunny and beautiful out, so we rode the Tandem Trike to the Post Office and back.
Sunny though it was, and the house thermometer said it was several degrees warmer than yesterday, it was certainly windier and felt even colder. Still, yearning for bragging rights, we struggled onward.
We had to stop for several breaks along this admittedly short ride, mostly because my blood glucose was in the 50-70 range throughout the ride, way below the 150-200 level recommended for fairly heavy exercise for diabetic dunces like myself. The cold seemed to soak into our bones so deeply it seemed hard to get the legs warmed up and pumping properly as well.
Jacque found a new doggie belly-pack that allows me to carry Jazzy in harness in front of me, keeping her close to me while separated from her arch-enemy Tinkerbell way back in the read seat. Going east toward the Post Office it was so cold and windy we had to stop and rearrange the belly pack so it was inside my windbreaker, allowing me to zip her up out of the wind with only her head poking out the top. This made both me and Jazzy happier and warmer. We will provide photos of this confabulation soon. Get ready to laugh out loud, but it works.
We were both cold and bushed by the time we got to the Post Office, but it has become ingrained in our habit to continue onward another quarter-mile or so up to the Shell Station for some liquid refreshment and dietary-incorrect snacks. Today instead of decaf tea or unleaded soda, it was popcorn and HOT COCOA, which at first was SO hot it burned our tongues..... but it was nice to get some heat into our cores to help us thaw out and beat the chill. Their snack-bar has become pet-friendly, meaning they allow our puppies inside with us at the snack tables, so it was very nice to rest a while and chill, er, in this case, warm up. Of course the doggies made several new friends; this just cannot be prevented.
When we finally got rolling and arrived back at the transporter vehicle, we were approached by a passing motorist with the various "twenty questions" about the trike.
It was SO nice to get back inside the steel cage and turn up the heater to get out of the wind. It's supposed to be warmer the next couple of days so we hope to use them to keep the legs pumping while we can before the hard cold weather/snow/ice returns....
Trip Started: 11:02 AM Trip Ended: 12:56 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp 41 F Highest Temp: 56 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.32
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
2.1 MPH 5.4 MPH 31.0 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 1 mins 48 mins 6 secs 1 hour 12 mins
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Red Sky at Morning, Cyclists Take Warning
Today's spotty tracking via APRS and Ham Radio
We awoke this morning with a bright red sunrise, which we normally think portends a stormy day, as per the old saying "Red Sky at Morning, Sailor Take Warning; Red Sky at Night, Sailor's Delight". It was a tad cold also just as the sun was arising: 7 degrees F.... Talk about shivering a sailor's timbers.
Then the breeze began swaying the treetops so we figured it was going to be another cold & windy & blustery & miserable day.
Believe it or not, it didn't turn out to be a bad day at all. I had determined I was going to ride at least a few miles no matter HOW nasty the weather was (discounting blizzards, gale force winds, and heavy rains).
I had a good excuse to ride: I had a ham radio I'd repaired along with several radio magazines I wanted to deliver to a teenage ham friend about 10 miles away, so why not use that delivery for a compelling reason to ride the bike?
I'd hoped, as usual, to get going around 10:00 AM so it would be warmed up a bit and I could get back in time to do something besides flop on the couch after riding the bike. Trouble is, I had a priority need that had to be addressed first: We were out of homemade cookies. Jacque is busily trying to put the Chinese out of business with her new supercomplicated knitting machine, and I like making cookies, and make most of them most of the time anyway, so I whomped up a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. Then I had to bag them into ZipLock sandwich baggies, 3 in each bag. The reason for 3 to a bag? It's simple. However many I put in a bag or other container I will eat, usually within a few minutes. Put 'em all in a cookie jar and I will eat all of them in short order or until my tummy explodes. Put the cookies in some kind of container and I can easily pick one container and eat whatever is inside. If there's 6 in a bag I will eat 6. I cannot stop at 2 or 3. Same thing if there's 20 in the "container". I used to put 4 in each baggie but they last another day or 2 if I only put 3 in each bag. Go ahead, call me weird. It's been done before....
Now, with the psychological disorder discussion out of the way, back to the bike ride. I got the cookies properly assembled and containerized right after noon, so by the time I got the bike loaded up with water, cargo, radios, and specialized emergency bike food rations (Chocolate Chip Cookies, What ELSE?) it was 1:30 PM-ish.
Bouncing down our goat-path private road to the pavement of Frost Road, I was happy to note it wasn't terribly windy or extra cold.
However, when I huffed and puffed up on the pavement, I discovered and unusual west-bound breeze blowing me in the face (since, obviously, being a cyclist, I was headed east thus forcing the wind to blow to the west). I stopped within a few hundred feet and dug out my windbreaker layer and also my polar fleece skull-cap Jacque made for me several years ago. I also switched from fingered gloves to my shooter's mittens, which are warmer since my fingers can associate with each other, but have fold-back flaps so I can work the radio buttons (or a firearm mechanism if I was a shooter instead of a cyclist).
With this combination it took me a while to get overheated, and that wasn't until I was halfway up the second long hill on this direction.
I have recently re-realized that "cotton kills" when exercising in cold weather. Cotton tee shirts get sweaty and then they get COLD. I have a few fairly expensive turtleneck "wick-action" polyfiber undershirts that I have begun wearing again for riding in cold weather and they really are worth the money: They still get sweaty but they do a decent job of wicking the sweat away from my torso and not getting too hot or too cold.
I dropped off my precious cargo and turned around for home. I had sorta wanted to do a larger and longer loop ride around these East Mountains but the cold breeze was motivating me to buzz it back home and not dilly-dally. Even then, it was almost 5:00 when I arrived back home, and that's not far from being DARK.... and here in this kind of weather it gets COLDER when the sun don't shine.
Within the last 4 miles of home, I saw a school bus coming up in my rear view mirror. Thankfully I was on the newer stretch of Frost Road where there is a nice wide shoulder so I was able to give the bus plenty of room to get around. Not all bus drivers around here are too careful of such low forms of life as cyclists, but this one did not crowd me at all. Thus I was shocked to hear a scream of epithets from the bus as it passed. Silly me, it was a teenage student with his window pulled down venting his newly discovered hormonal displacements at me. I hope he thought it was worth it: He surely suffered some discomfort from opening his window to the bitter outside air.
I could easily have taken real offense at such behavior except for the fact that, even at my advanced age, I still remember being teenaged, bullet-proof, and stupid. Now, of course, I'm just stupid. Grew out of the rest....
Trip Started: 1:36 PM Trip Ended: 4:37 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp 37 F Highest Temp: 42 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 19.56
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.6 MPH 8.6 MPH 25.3 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 59 mins 2 hours 16 mins 42 mins 49 secs
We awoke this morning with a bright red sunrise, which we normally think portends a stormy day, as per the old saying "Red Sky at Morning, Sailor Take Warning; Red Sky at Night, Sailor's Delight". It was a tad cold also just as the sun was arising: 7 degrees F.... Talk about shivering a sailor's timbers.
Then the breeze began swaying the treetops so we figured it was going to be another cold & windy & blustery & miserable day.
Believe it or not, it didn't turn out to be a bad day at all. I had determined I was going to ride at least a few miles no matter HOW nasty the weather was (discounting blizzards, gale force winds, and heavy rains).
I had a good excuse to ride: I had a ham radio I'd repaired along with several radio magazines I wanted to deliver to a teenage ham friend about 10 miles away, so why not use that delivery for a compelling reason to ride the bike?
I'd hoped, as usual, to get going around 10:00 AM so it would be warmed up a bit and I could get back in time to do something besides flop on the couch after riding the bike. Trouble is, I had a priority need that had to be addressed first: We were out of homemade cookies. Jacque is busily trying to put the Chinese out of business with her new supercomplicated knitting machine, and I like making cookies, and make most of them most of the time anyway, so I whomped up a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. Then I had to bag them into ZipLock sandwich baggies, 3 in each bag. The reason for 3 to a bag? It's simple. However many I put in a bag or other container I will eat, usually within a few minutes. Put 'em all in a cookie jar and I will eat all of them in short order or until my tummy explodes. Put the cookies in some kind of container and I can easily pick one container and eat whatever is inside. If there's 6 in a bag I will eat 6. I cannot stop at 2 or 3. Same thing if there's 20 in the "container". I used to put 4 in each baggie but they last another day or 2 if I only put 3 in each bag. Go ahead, call me weird. It's been done before....
Now, with the psychological disorder discussion out of the way, back to the bike ride. I got the cookies properly assembled and containerized right after noon, so by the time I got the bike loaded up with water, cargo, radios, and specialized emergency bike food rations (Chocolate Chip Cookies, What ELSE?) it was 1:30 PM-ish.
Bouncing down our goat-path private road to the pavement of Frost Road, I was happy to note it wasn't terribly windy or extra cold.
However, when I huffed and puffed up on the pavement, I discovered and unusual west-bound breeze blowing me in the face (since, obviously, being a cyclist, I was headed east thus forcing the wind to blow to the west). I stopped within a few hundred feet and dug out my windbreaker layer and also my polar fleece skull-cap Jacque made for me several years ago. I also switched from fingered gloves to my shooter's mittens, which are warmer since my fingers can associate with each other, but have fold-back flaps so I can work the radio buttons (or a firearm mechanism if I was a shooter instead of a cyclist).
With this combination it took me a while to get overheated, and that wasn't until I was halfway up the second long hill on this direction.
I have recently re-realized that "cotton kills" when exercising in cold weather. Cotton tee shirts get sweaty and then they get COLD. I have a few fairly expensive turtleneck "wick-action" polyfiber undershirts that I have begun wearing again for riding in cold weather and they really are worth the money: They still get sweaty but they do a decent job of wicking the sweat away from my torso and not getting too hot or too cold.
I dropped off my precious cargo and turned around for home. I had sorta wanted to do a larger and longer loop ride around these East Mountains but the cold breeze was motivating me to buzz it back home and not dilly-dally. Even then, it was almost 5:00 when I arrived back home, and that's not far from being DARK.... and here in this kind of weather it gets COLDER when the sun don't shine.
Within the last 4 miles of home, I saw a school bus coming up in my rear view mirror. Thankfully I was on the newer stretch of Frost Road where there is a nice wide shoulder so I was able to give the bus plenty of room to get around. Not all bus drivers around here are too careful of such low forms of life as cyclists, but this one did not crowd me at all. Thus I was shocked to hear a scream of epithets from the bus as it passed. Silly me, it was a teenage student with his window pulled down venting his newly discovered hormonal displacements at me. I hope he thought it was worth it: He surely suffered some discomfort from opening his window to the bitter outside air.
I could easily have taken real offense at such behavior except for the fact that, even at my advanced age, I still remember being teenaged, bullet-proof, and stupid. Now, of course, I'm just stupid. Grew out of the rest....
Trip Started: 1:36 PM Trip Ended: 4:37 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp 37 F Highest Temp: 42 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 19.56
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.6 MPH 8.6 MPH 25.3 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 59 mins 2 hours 16 mins 42 mins 49 secs
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Humph - It's Even Colder when the Sun's not Shining
Today's Tracking
We finally got a call back from the realtor listing the cute A-Frame house we spotted a couple days ago, so Jacque suggested we ride the trike over to view the place with the realtor present.
Looking outside prior to riding, it was a little cloudy but no moisture and no wind evident. So I thought it would be an OK ride. Jacque worried a little about it but I reassured her it would be fine since it wasn't stormy or raining/snowing.
Well, all that was true, but we were taken aback at how COLD it was. Without the sunshine it was just this side of miserable. There is a slight uphill grade approaching the for-sale house, so I was getting close to overheated (with Jazzie acting as a belly-warmer tucked into the front of my windbreaker). However, it seemed the INSTANT we stopped riding, I immediately got cold again and didn't get warm until we started riding back toward the house. The A-Frame was cute but the asking price made us not even want to make a lowball offer on it. It was small, it was cramped, and the master bedroom is up a steep set of stairs, unattractive to a sexy woman with a problematic knee such as my lovely spouse.
We normally would have ridden on up toward the East to our short but steep post office run for a finale, but we were so thoroughly chilled when we got back to the petro-powered transport vehicle we stopped and loaded it up on the roof-rack and got that bad petro-powered heater going. It was great to find our toes again....
Our tires on this Trike are now getting dangerously bald. We bought them new at Wal-Mart a year or so ago and thought we might invest in some more expensive but longer-lasting ones. After looking up prices online and finding "high-quality" 20" X 2.0" tires listed at FIFTY bucks a pop NOT including shipping, we decided we'd prefer to just buy another set of Walmart tires and get another year or so service out of them.
Trip Started: 11:26 AM Trip Ended: 12:47 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.9
Lowest Temp 38 F Highest Temp: 45 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.31
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
3.3 MPH 6.1 MPH 27.2 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 18 mins 42 mins 34 secs 35 mins 26 secs
We finally got a call back from the realtor listing the cute A-Frame house we spotted a couple days ago, so Jacque suggested we ride the trike over to view the place with the realtor present.
Looking outside prior to riding, it was a little cloudy but no moisture and no wind evident. So I thought it would be an OK ride. Jacque worried a little about it but I reassured her it would be fine since it wasn't stormy or raining/snowing.
Well, all that was true, but we were taken aback at how COLD it was. Without the sunshine it was just this side of miserable. There is a slight uphill grade approaching the for-sale house, so I was getting close to overheated (with Jazzie acting as a belly-warmer tucked into the front of my windbreaker). However, it seemed the INSTANT we stopped riding, I immediately got cold again and didn't get warm until we started riding back toward the house. The A-Frame was cute but the asking price made us not even want to make a lowball offer on it. It was small, it was cramped, and the master bedroom is up a steep set of stairs, unattractive to a sexy woman with a problematic knee such as my lovely spouse.
We normally would have ridden on up toward the East to our short but steep post office run for a finale, but we were so thoroughly chilled when we got back to the petro-powered transport vehicle we stopped and loaded it up on the roof-rack and got that bad petro-powered heater going. It was great to find our toes again....
Our tires on this Trike are now getting dangerously bald. We bought them new at Wal-Mart a year or so ago and thought we might invest in some more expensive but longer-lasting ones. After looking up prices online and finding "high-quality" 20" X 2.0" tires listed at FIFTY bucks a pop NOT including shipping, we decided we'd prefer to just buy another set of Walmart tires and get another year or so service out of them.
Trip Started: 11:26 AM Trip Ended: 12:47 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.9
Lowest Temp 38 F Highest Temp: 45 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.31
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
3.3 MPH 6.1 MPH 27.2 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 18 mins 42 mins 34 secs 35 mins 26 secs
Monday, January 20, 2014
HEY! We're CRUISIN' ......
Today's Tracking Link via APRS and Ham Radio
Jacque's knee seems to get better with cranking on the bikes so she again was enthused about riding today, since the last couple rides seemed to make her knee pain subside.
We did the usual mail run up the hill toward NM-14 and Frost Road, and from there up to our watering hole at the Shell Station. Smoking it back toward our turnoff at speeds approaching 30 MPH, we decided to pass by our parked gas-burning transport vehicle and see how far we could ride the other direction, since the hills that direction are less strenuous.
Please, dear reader, keep in mind that our absolute fastest pedaling speed seems to be about 25-27 MPH, and anything faster is achieved only down steep hills with substantial tail-winds. Of course, Jacque, in the back stoker seat, sticks out her arms and flaps them like an eagle taking off.... trying to act like it's an E-ticket roller coaster ride at the Santa Monica Pier or something. Typical California Girl....
We got about 3 more miles down the road when we spotted a cute A-frame house with a "For Sale" sign out front. Such things are difficult for a young mother like Jacque to pass by without stopping to examine the situation. We liked the place and would have liked to get more details about it (It's close to the pavement of Frost Road without our normal mile of rocks, ruts, and goat-path) - but the listed realtor on the sign failed to answer the phone. We're now home, hours later, and still no response. If you're trying to sell your home and are having little luck, ask your realtor if he/she is answering their phone. That is, if you can get hold of them......
It was again cold out and about but very bright and sunny and warm - WHEN the breeze stopped or slowed down. This happened a few times on today's ride. After climbing hills I would have to stop and take off the windbreaker layer and then after another mile or so of cooling off I'd have to put it back on. I need to do a Google search for self-temperature-regulating clothing, if such exists outside fighter plane cockpits.
Trip Started: 1:00 PM Trip Ended: 3:34 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.2 Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp 41 F Highest Temp: 59 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 8.52
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
3.4 MPH 6.1 MPH 28.7 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 30 mins 1 hour 23 mins 1 hour 7 mins
Jacque's knee seems to get better with cranking on the bikes so she again was enthused about riding today, since the last couple rides seemed to make her knee pain subside.
We did the usual mail run up the hill toward NM-14 and Frost Road, and from there up to our watering hole at the Shell Station. Smoking it back toward our turnoff at speeds approaching 30 MPH, we decided to pass by our parked gas-burning transport vehicle and see how far we could ride the other direction, since the hills that direction are less strenuous.
Please, dear reader, keep in mind that our absolute fastest pedaling speed seems to be about 25-27 MPH, and anything faster is achieved only down steep hills with substantial tail-winds. Of course, Jacque, in the back stoker seat, sticks out her arms and flaps them like an eagle taking off.... trying to act like it's an E-ticket roller coaster ride at the Santa Monica Pier or something. Typical California Girl....
We got about 3 more miles down the road when we spotted a cute A-frame house with a "For Sale" sign out front. Such things are difficult for a young mother like Jacque to pass by without stopping to examine the situation. We liked the place and would have liked to get more details about it (It's close to the pavement of Frost Road without our normal mile of rocks, ruts, and goat-path) - but the listed realtor on the sign failed to answer the phone. We're now home, hours later, and still no response. If you're trying to sell your home and are having little luck, ask your realtor if he/she is answering their phone. That is, if you can get hold of them......
It was again cold out and about but very bright and sunny and warm - WHEN the breeze stopped or slowed down. This happened a few times on today's ride. After climbing hills I would have to stop and take off the windbreaker layer and then after another mile or so of cooling off I'd have to put it back on. I need to do a Google search for self-temperature-regulating clothing, if such exists outside fighter plane cockpits.
Trip Started: 1:00 PM Trip Ended: 3:34 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.2 Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp 41 F Highest Temp: 59 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 8.52
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
3.4 MPH 6.1 MPH 28.7 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 30 mins 1 hour 23 mins 1 hour 7 mins
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Get Your Kicks .... On a Tandem Trike
Today's Ham Radio/GPS/APRS Tracking
Jacque's knee was treating her well enough today that she suggested we go a-riding. So we did.
It's been a while since we rode the famed Bosque Trail in Albuquerque, so that's where we went today. Our several-day pause between bitter cold spells has been much appreciated, though we are starting to worry about our no-moisture-since-before-Christmas situation. It's still JANUARY, after all, so it's hardly tee-shirt weather. It got close to 60 degrees in town for a high (Actually, 55) but it was sunny and enjoyable.
The doggies, Jazzy and Tinkerbell, normally ride in the basket just behind Jacque's head in the rear. Jazzy's yippy screaming yelps hurt MY ears - even though I'm up front and 6 feet or so separated from her - and she doesn't respond well to training efforts. So normally Jacque develops ringing ears, or headaches, after passing a few OTHER dogs that the very sight or sound of causes Jazzy to erupt in full voice. Today I decided to try riding with her in MY lap, up front where she could see what we're passing, in hopes it might help her avoid boredom and her semi-continuous whimpering and whining in between screaming sessions at other dogs.
This worked out fairly well, in spite of her being a "handful" about half the time. When we passed other dogs and she started her deafening screeching, I found I could usually silence her by grabbing her and holding her close, or even by blowing into her ear or face while she was trying to "raise steam" for the next bark. Throughout the ride, she was MUCH quieter although of course not totally silent.
She quickly learned to balance herself on my midsection and wasn't too bad about trying to crawl up into my face or over my shoulder to pester Jacque. We had a short restraining harness on her to prevent her from leaping or falling off completely. Soon, we will try one of those front-carry "dog-papoose" waist arrangements.....
The dogs are just too much fun to leave behind on such outings, in spite of the complications they produce. (Such as always having to get carry-out food or dine in outdoor patios.)
Their cuteness delights us as well as 99.7% of passers-by. Untold kiddos and their parents exclaimed aloud as they noticed us in passing today. We stopped at Tingley Beach for a potty break, and while resting, three apparently Muslim ladies, all wearing head-scarves, approached the doggies: A Grandma - looking lady, a twenty-something young mother-looking lady, and a girl about 9 years old. They were speaking some foreign-sounding language, making unintelligible exclamations of delight as they approached the dogs and me, and the little girl ran right up to the dogs and fearfully patted Tink on the head, gasping and pulling back her hand when Tink turned around to see who was petting her. "Grandma" quickly approached, and to my surprise, SWATTED the little girl away from the trike. I thought she was upset the girl had approached the dogs, but I was quite surprised when she sidled up next to the dogs and posed and smiled for the other gal to take her picture. The young mother with the camera asked timidly if she could TAKE a picture and I of course agreed. "Grandma" then allowed the young girl to approach again.
The cutie girl again then petted both dogs timidly, darting back when the girls tried to lick her hand. Evidently she found the dogs irresistable but had little experience with cute friendly fuzzy dogs. Jacque missed this demonstration, and when I told her about the rather rough treatment of the youngest girl, she told me she had seen such behavior before with Muslim women. Very different. Sad that everyone's not totally up to my basic standards of behavior..... including me ;?)
The last 2 or 3 times we've ridden the Bosque Trail, an old ragged coyote has appeared in the middle of the trail in front of us and - though he has always jumped off into the trees before we got too close to him - we worry a bit about him finding our little doggies too much of a temptation to resist. So, from Tingley Beach, we only rode as far south as the Sonic Drive-in that lies conveniently close to the trail. There we stopped and pigged out on some tasty Politically Incorrect Junk Food.
After this deviation from good health, we rode back north instead of south and did the Mountain Road detour over to Old Town and put in a short appearance there before riding back to our dinosaur-powered bike carrier vehicle. There, again, Tink and Jazzy smiled to their adoring crowds of admirers. We normally get a soda or an ice cream treat of some kind at Old Town, but we were still a bit overstuffed from our Sonic Stopover.
Trip Started: 1:30 PM Trip Ended: 4:01 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.7 Ending Voltage: 13.2
Lowest Temp 45 F Highest Temp: 55 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 9.38
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
3.7 MPH 7.3 MPH 15.0 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 30 mins 1 hour 17 mins 1 hour 13 mins
Jacque's knee was treating her well enough today that she suggested we go a-riding. So we did.
It's been a while since we rode the famed Bosque Trail in Albuquerque, so that's where we went today. Our several-day pause between bitter cold spells has been much appreciated, though we are starting to worry about our no-moisture-since-before-Christmas situation. It's still JANUARY, after all, so it's hardly tee-shirt weather. It got close to 60 degrees in town for a high (Actually, 55) but it was sunny and enjoyable.
The doggies, Jazzy and Tinkerbell, normally ride in the basket just behind Jacque's head in the rear. Jazzy's yippy screaming yelps hurt MY ears - even though I'm up front and 6 feet or so separated from her - and she doesn't respond well to training efforts. So normally Jacque develops ringing ears, or headaches, after passing a few OTHER dogs that the very sight or sound of causes Jazzy to erupt in full voice. Today I decided to try riding with her in MY lap, up front where she could see what we're passing, in hopes it might help her avoid boredom and her semi-continuous whimpering and whining in between screaming sessions at other dogs.
This worked out fairly well, in spite of her being a "handful" about half the time. When we passed other dogs and she started her deafening screeching, I found I could usually silence her by grabbing her and holding her close, or even by blowing into her ear or face while she was trying to "raise steam" for the next bark. Throughout the ride, she was MUCH quieter although of course not totally silent.
She quickly learned to balance herself on my midsection and wasn't too bad about trying to crawl up into my face or over my shoulder to pester Jacque. We had a short restraining harness on her to prevent her from leaping or falling off completely. Soon, we will try one of those front-carry "dog-papoose" waist arrangements.....
The dogs are just too much fun to leave behind on such outings, in spite of the complications they produce. (Such as always having to get carry-out food or dine in outdoor patios.)
Their cuteness delights us as well as 99.7% of passers-by. Untold kiddos and their parents exclaimed aloud as they noticed us in passing today. We stopped at Tingley Beach for a potty break, and while resting, three apparently Muslim ladies, all wearing head-scarves, approached the doggies: A Grandma - looking lady, a twenty-something young mother-looking lady, and a girl about 9 years old. They were speaking some foreign-sounding language, making unintelligible exclamations of delight as they approached the dogs and me, and the little girl ran right up to the dogs and fearfully patted Tink on the head, gasping and pulling back her hand when Tink turned around to see who was petting her. "Grandma" quickly approached, and to my surprise, SWATTED the little girl away from the trike. I thought she was upset the girl had approached the dogs, but I was quite surprised when she sidled up next to the dogs and posed and smiled for the other gal to take her picture. The young mother with the camera asked timidly if she could TAKE a picture and I of course agreed. "Grandma" then allowed the young girl to approach again.
The cutie girl again then petted both dogs timidly, darting back when the girls tried to lick her hand. Evidently she found the dogs irresistable but had little experience with cute friendly fuzzy dogs. Jacque missed this demonstration, and when I told her about the rather rough treatment of the youngest girl, she told me she had seen such behavior before with Muslim women. Very different. Sad that everyone's not totally up to my basic standards of behavior..... including me ;?)
The last 2 or 3 times we've ridden the Bosque Trail, an old ragged coyote has appeared in the middle of the trail in front of us and - though he has always jumped off into the trees before we got too close to him - we worry a bit about him finding our little doggies too much of a temptation to resist. So, from Tingley Beach, we only rode as far south as the Sonic Drive-in that lies conveniently close to the trail. There we stopped and pigged out on some tasty Politically Incorrect Junk Food.
After this deviation from good health, we rode back north instead of south and did the Mountain Road detour over to Old Town and put in a short appearance there before riding back to our dinosaur-powered bike carrier vehicle. There, again, Tink and Jazzy smiled to their adoring crowds of admirers. We normally get a soda or an ice cream treat of some kind at Old Town, but we were still a bit overstuffed from our Sonic Stopover.
Trip Started: 1:30 PM Trip Ended: 4:01 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.7 Ending Voltage: 13.2
Lowest Temp 45 F Highest Temp: 55 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 9.38
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
3.7 MPH 7.3 MPH 15.0 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 30 mins 1 hour 17 mins 1 hour 13 mins
Friday, January 17, 2014
Finally Friday - A Few Extra Miles
Tracking Courtesy of Ham Radio, APRS and GPS
I had a lunch date today with a young man related by marriage. We had agreed to meet at Katrinah's East Mountain Grille in Edgewood. I debated whether to drive or ride the bike and, after looking out the window for signs of high winds, decided to take my chances and ride the distance.
I'm very glad I did. Not only has it been too long since I've made much over 10 miles on a ride, it was a great day for cycling. The winds were not totally absent but they were mild enough to avoid spoiling the ride. PLUS, in spite of not riding such distances in a too-long time, I was able to do it in reasonable time without killing myself, and an hour after I got home I can still navigate and walk around ..... which is a wonderful thing at any age, but especially mine.
I continue to be impressed how much cycling burns off the carbs and calories. I ate beans and enchiladas for lunch, which are fairly high in carbs. About 4 miles into my return ride home, I stopped for a water break and checked my blood glucose and it was 116 and dropping. I normally try to keep it hovering around 180-200 for exercise and cycling, so I ate my stash of 3 peanut-butter chocolate-chip cookies.
Just now my BG is 228, so I obviously should have pumped a bit more insulin back then.
I again have to whine a bit about some less-than-thoughtful motorists.
Most drivers will give me several feet of clearance when passing, UNLESS there is no shoulder and ONCOMING traffic is present.
It is a rare driver indeed who will slow down, follow behind the cyclist until the oncoming traffic has passed, and then pass the cyclist with the recommended 3 or 5 feet of clearance, or better yet, take the OTHER lane and let the cyclist struggle along safely in his own lane.
Most cars will instead pass the cyclist, crowding him uncomfortably, and often forcing oncoming traffic to slow down or go to the shoulder. After all, we are all in such a hurry, and a few or a few dozen seconds are just too much to ask of us.
Even Humble Me, who is a like minded friend of all cyclists, gets irritated when having to slow down for a cyclist. BUT, being a regular cycle-maniac, I know what it's like to have close encounters with 3000+ pound behemoths, so I DO wait when necessary behind a cyclist or group of cyclists and pass ONLY when I have an oncoming lane clear of traffic so I can give the cyclists a clear lane.
Okay, Okay. Rant OFF
Out here in the East Mountains we regularly have stiff eastbound winds that get even worse in the afternoon, but for some reason they weren't too bad today. I have - in the past - had to call Jacque to come rescue me with a bike rack, but no danger of that today.
For most of the trip my GPS showed a max speed of 27 MPH, and I dearly wanted to get it to show at least 30 MPH, but the downhills were just too gradual for me to attain such heady speeds, and I was fighting the mildest of headwinds both directions. So, though I windmilled my legs going down hills till I thought they would fall off, all I could attain was the 29-MPH mark.
Trip Started: 10:17 AM Trip Ended: 2:47 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.9 (Battery put on charger after this ride)
Lowest Temp 36 F Highest Temp: 55 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 23.84
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
7.7 MPH 9.0 MPH 29.3 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
3 hours 4 mins 2 hours 38 mins 1 hour 26 mins
I had a lunch date today with a young man related by marriage. We had agreed to meet at Katrinah's East Mountain Grille in Edgewood. I debated whether to drive or ride the bike and, after looking out the window for signs of high winds, decided to take my chances and ride the distance.
I'm very glad I did. Not only has it been too long since I've made much over 10 miles on a ride, it was a great day for cycling. The winds were not totally absent but they were mild enough to avoid spoiling the ride. PLUS, in spite of not riding such distances in a too-long time, I was able to do it in reasonable time without killing myself, and an hour after I got home I can still navigate and walk around ..... which is a wonderful thing at any age, but especially mine.
I continue to be impressed how much cycling burns off the carbs and calories. I ate beans and enchiladas for lunch, which are fairly high in carbs. About 4 miles into my return ride home, I stopped for a water break and checked my blood glucose and it was 116 and dropping. I normally try to keep it hovering around 180-200 for exercise and cycling, so I ate my stash of 3 peanut-butter chocolate-chip cookies.
Just now my BG is 228, so I obviously should have pumped a bit more insulin back then.
I again have to whine a bit about some less-than-thoughtful motorists.
Most drivers will give me several feet of clearance when passing, UNLESS there is no shoulder and ONCOMING traffic is present.
It is a rare driver indeed who will slow down, follow behind the cyclist until the oncoming traffic has passed, and then pass the cyclist with the recommended 3 or 5 feet of clearance, or better yet, take the OTHER lane and let the cyclist struggle along safely in his own lane.
Most cars will instead pass the cyclist, crowding him uncomfortably, and often forcing oncoming traffic to slow down or go to the shoulder. After all, we are all in such a hurry, and a few or a few dozen seconds are just too much to ask of us.
Even Humble Me, who is a like minded friend of all cyclists, gets irritated when having to slow down for a cyclist. BUT, being a regular cycle-maniac, I know what it's like to have close encounters with 3000+ pound behemoths, so I DO wait when necessary behind a cyclist or group of cyclists and pass ONLY when I have an oncoming lane clear of traffic so I can give the cyclists a clear lane.
Okay, Okay. Rant OFF
Out here in the East Mountains we regularly have stiff eastbound winds that get even worse in the afternoon, but for some reason they weren't too bad today. I have - in the past - had to call Jacque to come rescue me with a bike rack, but no danger of that today.
For most of the trip my GPS showed a max speed of 27 MPH, and I dearly wanted to get it to show at least 30 MPH, but the downhills were just too gradual for me to attain such heady speeds, and I was fighting the mildest of headwinds both directions. So, though I windmilled my legs going down hills till I thought they would fall off, all I could attain was the 29-MPH mark.
Trip Started: 10:17 AM Trip Ended: 2:47 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.9 (Battery put on charger after this ride)
Lowest Temp 36 F Highest Temp: 55 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 23.84
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
7.7 MPH 9.0 MPH 29.3 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
3 hours 4 mins 2 hours 38 mins 1 hour 26 mins
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Thursday was Better than Winds-Day
Mail-Run Predictable Tracking via APRS and Ham Radio
Today was a beauti-mous day, with almost no wind, a wonderful change from the last week or more.
I was determined to put in at least a few miles today and was just about ready to ride off on my recumbent 2-wheeler when I thought to ask sore-knee Jacque if she felt like riding today and the answer was YES! So I quickly loaded the tandem Terratrike on the roof rack of the Ford Exploder and within 20 minutes or so we were on our way.
Even though it was sunny and warm, the slightest breeze was still quite nippy. I at first put on the extra layer of the windbreaker jacket and within a half mile of immediate uphill pulling, had to stop and peel it off. I then did the freezing/sweating cycle the rest of the way to the Post Office. Jacque quickly tired of Jazzy's constant whining and whimpering and plucked her from the basket perch next to Tinkerbell and stuffed her into her jacket-front, leaving only her neck and head out in the open to survey the kingdom as we passed by. This helps, a lot, although the little whiner still gets bored at times and cannot resist a whimper every now and then.
Today several people beeped at us as they passed by. It must have been friendly beeping since we were on the bike trail 30 or 40 feet distant from the paved road, but we didn't recognize any of them. When people stop and talk to us they often say "We always see you riding around out here with those doggies!" Etc., so perhaps it was some of our so called admiring public.
After getting the mail and huffing the last quarter-mile or so up to the Shell Station, we bought snacks and cooled our heels for a while.... literally. Their customer benches outside have no overhang for shade, but in winter hours like today, the building shades the low sun and thus leaves us in the quasi-freezing shade. We laughed about how, in the summer, the lack of shade from the direct overhead sun about cooks us, and in cold times like today, we don't WANT shade but get no warming sun whatever. Sorta like the old saying "The Rich Folks get their ice in the Summer, and the Poor Folks get theirs in the Winter".
For the downhill ride back, I re-installed my windbreaker and did NOT get a bit overheated. Jacque loves to do her "E-Ticket Ride" thing of waving her arms high in the air when we're smoking 30 MPH or more down the road, and that of course elicits even more stares of disbelief from passers-by.
Trip Started: 1:17 PM Trip Ended: 2:58 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.8
Lowest Temp 39 F Highest Temp: 60 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.48
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
2.6 MPH 4.9 MPH 28.2 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hours 42 mins 55 mins 7 secs 46 mins 53 secs
Today was a beauti-mous day, with almost no wind, a wonderful change from the last week or more.
I was determined to put in at least a few miles today and was just about ready to ride off on my recumbent 2-wheeler when I thought to ask sore-knee Jacque if she felt like riding today and the answer was YES! So I quickly loaded the tandem Terratrike on the roof rack of the Ford Exploder and within 20 minutes or so we were on our way.
Even though it was sunny and warm, the slightest breeze was still quite nippy. I at first put on the extra layer of the windbreaker jacket and within a half mile of immediate uphill pulling, had to stop and peel it off. I then did the freezing/sweating cycle the rest of the way to the Post Office. Jacque quickly tired of Jazzy's constant whining and whimpering and plucked her from the basket perch next to Tinkerbell and stuffed her into her jacket-front, leaving only her neck and head out in the open to survey the kingdom as we passed by. This helps, a lot, although the little whiner still gets bored at times and cannot resist a whimper every now and then.
Today several people beeped at us as they passed by. It must have been friendly beeping since we were on the bike trail 30 or 40 feet distant from the paved road, but we didn't recognize any of them. When people stop and talk to us they often say "We always see you riding around out here with those doggies!" Etc., so perhaps it was some of our so called admiring public.
After getting the mail and huffing the last quarter-mile or so up to the Shell Station, we bought snacks and cooled our heels for a while.... literally. Their customer benches outside have no overhang for shade, but in winter hours like today, the building shades the low sun and thus leaves us in the quasi-freezing shade. We laughed about how, in the summer, the lack of shade from the direct overhead sun about cooks us, and in cold times like today, we don't WANT shade but get no warming sun whatever. Sorta like the old saying "The Rich Folks get their ice in the Summer, and the Poor Folks get theirs in the Winter".
For the downhill ride back, I re-installed my windbreaker and did NOT get a bit overheated. Jacque loves to do her "E-Ticket Ride" thing of waving her arms high in the air when we're smoking 30 MPH or more down the road, and that of course elicits even more stares of disbelief from passers-by.
Trip Started: 1:17 PM Trip Ended: 2:58 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.8
Lowest Temp 39 F Highest Temp: 60 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.48
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
2.6 MPH 4.9 MPH 28.2 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hours 42 mins 55 mins 7 secs 46 mins 53 secs
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