Did you ride today?

Took random day off....67, low humidity and little to no wind.....pushed out 26 in flip flops and Jesus music....was heavenly. Navigated thru 2 elementary school's rush hr of kids riding to school, some wirh parent escorts as well as the usual gaggle of joggers and walkers with and without pets and even refreshing sprinkler spray in a few spots. Ahhhhhhhh, needed that action!

Today I tried to be lazy and failed. My recumbent needs some very minor adjustments, and I just didn't feel like doing the work myself. So I hopped aboard and rode to the LBS, where I was shocked to hear that they're running 24 days behind. Meaning the bike would sit there for 23 days before even seeing a wrench. I'd fully expected 8-14 days, but 24?! Thanks but no thanks. I headed out to a second shop where they claimed they'd be able to help me in no less than 20 days. [email protected] I really did want to be lazy.

It wouldn't matter, but I've run into a recurring problem with my touring bike and have an event coming up at the beginning of June. If I can't solve the problem before then, I'll have no choice but to ride the 'bent. I guess I'll just have to get up off my dead @$$ and do the adjustments myself.

In any event, visiting the two LBS and returning home again gave me 18mi on the 'bent. Because I'd planned to drop the bike off and walk home, I didn't bring canine companion Chip or his trailer. I was frankly surprised at how much faster I was able to ride without the added ~45lbs represented by Chip, his trailer, and assorted gear. Felt nice.

Chip was happy to see me when I returned home, even happier when I stowed the 'bent and broke out the Montague folding MTB and his Burley trailer. We headed out in the late afternoon for a quick 10mi jaunt, including a solid 4.5mi run for Chip. That gave me a total of 28mi between the 'bent and the MTB. Good day, even if I utterly failed in my attempt to be lazy.

I will hide my shame at your failure .... I am sure you feel bad enough, only riding twice in one day.

I understand the maintenance thing sometimes, though. I have an intermittent thump in the rear (I think) of my work bike--maybe the two most-used cogs are a little too worn for the chain? the rest work fine---but since I have tried to adjust and fiddle and somehow fix the issue---and have failed repeatedly--I really don't want to tackle it again and fail again. On the other hand, there is no shop around here I trust ...... so I will have to get over myself.

On the working bike front, two hideously slow very short rides .... two days in a row when I just did not feel it at all. Still better than not riding .... on top of that the heat has started to edge its way in ..... I did a group ride early Saturday and it was still pleasantly cool .... about the same time today and it was starting to get unpleasantly warm. I can still do pre-dawn meditation outside, but once the sun clears the horizon, pleasant weather's reign starts eroding. By noon it is almost not fun to be out there .... and it is only May.

Getting on time to reschedule everything around late-evening rides if I can.

longjohn said:

What do you use to listen to Jesus music? I never listened to music while I rode until this year. My son bought me a Bluetooth speaker so I figured I better use it so I don’t appear ungrateful. I usually either play music from my library on my phone or select something from Apple Music. The speaker is rechargeable and can recharge my phone and Garmin on the fly if I forget. It also has a built in headlight in case I get caught out after dark. I haven’t tried riding with the headlight because I have another light I use for night rides.

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I have an Altec Lansing submersible bluetooth speaker strapped to frame of the flipflop belt drive party bike and have another one that hangs on the strap of my camelbak when riding offroad or on other bikes. I listen to UP! on iHeart app on my fon that rides in the top tube bag on party bike commuter or in the camelbak in a ziploc on other bikes.



Pic of bag the fon rides in...weatherproof and can use touchscreen while in the bag. Faces up. Can run any mapping or data app dashboard too....




Here is pic of the one on the camelbak. As you can see it gets sprayed with mud on occasion. Just washed it off. $30 speaker, plenty loud, long run times in 3-4hr range with it pretty loud too. Many rides in rain, have been hit with sprinklers, even floats in the pool or river. Been real happy with them and the sound is great IMO for how small they are.

Not for days now. Mrs. Newleaf went to Vegas last weekend. Apparently no one told her that what happens in Vegas is supposed to bloody stay there: she came back with a nasty case of the flu, which I immediately caught. I have not been this sick since I was an active cigarette smoker prior to 2010 and acquired the occasional ugly lung infection. This flu wasn't as hard on the lungs, but made up for it with exhaustion, body aches, and blithering mental stupidity among other happy symptoms. I hope the fever has broken at last. Thought it had yesterday, but that was just the Tylenol finally working.

At this point I would not be surprised if my upcoming event, the Elephant Rock ride, ends up being too much. I signed up for the metric century, which would normally be easy mileage for me. Between illness, weather, mechanical issues, and saddle sores, confidence is now low.

I'd planned to ride my recumbent in the event if I was unable to address the saddle sore issue between than and now. Well, I haven't addressed it but the recumbent is an unfortunate non-starter: during routine maintenance right before I came down with this mess, I found broken spokes on my rear wheel. Apparently they were too light for use with a trailer. Since it's 'that' time of year, finding a place with as little as a two week waiting list is presently quite difficult. Worse is getting the bike to the shop. It will fit in Mrs. Newleaf's car, but not easily or well.

Stay healthy, y'all.