Category Archives: bike

June Goals and tire issue solved!

It’s Bagel Wednesday! Even though we didn’t bike there, we did still get there on 2 wheels:

I had my usual wheat bagel.

It was over toasted on one side.  Must have gotten stuck in the toaster or something.

Another hot day on tap today with storms a brewing.

Pixie says – somebody please turn on the fan!!

So the goals for June.  It’s my birthday month, so there has to be lots of fun in there!

1.  So that’s the first goal then.  Enjoy turning 43! That will happen this weekend.

2. Go no TV for one week. Starting the first full week of June.  John wanted to do this, so I am joining him. Who wants to join us for this one?  No TV.  No netflix movies on the computer either.  I can read the news on the internet. Should I made that an official challenge to anyone who wants to join?

3. Operation Sleep.  I must work on finding some way to get more sleep. I am going to get a sleep mask to start and see how that works, plus I am getting some supplements like 5HTP and magnesium.

4.  I am finally really ready to progress on losing this last bit of weight that I have talked about for the last 2 years.  Now I am ready.  Of course, it will take longer than a month, but I am going to really keep control of nibbling and eat good nutritious foods (except on long ride days LOL).

5. Sitting less for work.  As a transcriptionist, I sit very still during the day.  That is a lot of sitting! I am going to experiment this month with my work station to try to do some work standing or sitting on an exercise ball.  My goal is to work up to 3 hours of my workday in the new position.

Okay – those sound good to me!  So does lunch:

I ate this lunch on the porch today.  I got the mail hand delivered to my by the mail carrier as well since I was out there.  That is nice service 😀

After lunch, I headed to Inside Edge to see about my bike tire.  Back at the end of April, I ran over a beer bottle and got a flat.  I pulled out the chunk of glass, but what I didn’t know was that a tiny sliver was left behind.  After putting several hundred miles on the bike, that little sliver of glass worked its way through to the inside of the tire.  The shop guys turned the tire inside out and felt where the shard was coming through and pulled it out.  it was about this size – “O””.  Tiny, but razor sharp.  That was poking a hole into each tube.  Nice to know it wasn’t serious like the rim or needing a whole new tire.  I’ll be on the road again soon enough!  They didn’t charge me, either, but I did buy another tube.

Nice afternoon latte today:

Made with almond milk today.  Actually the unsweetened vanilla almond milk.  I like this stuff.

Work still amazingly busy.  I will have to work at night a bit because of taking some time to go to the bike shop today.  Love that job flexibility!

Dinner time and since it is hot, we wanted something easy.  Eggs always fit that bill.  I just scrambled them and put a laughing cow on top.

Plus french cut green beans sauteed in coconut oil.  How about that for a change up?

I got my new tube in and put the tire on my bike all by myself after dinner.  It took me a good half hour to do, too! Good skill to know.

I am going for a short solo ride tonight.  Not too far in case I have a problem, but I just want to get in a little trip 😀  Work can wait until I get back.

Question: Do you have any goals/non-goals for June?

Squish goes the water bottle and a new friend.

I woke up this morning ready for a run at the track!  I set my water bottle at the edge of the track, put on my tunes and headed around.  I was feeling great, I have to say.  I decided to go 4 miles today.

I had just finished up 3 miles and was going to stop for a drink because I was thirsty, but then a song came on that I wanted to run with and not break stride.  I am sure you know what I mean.

As I rounded a lap, I see a maintenance truck pulling into the track.  I kind of laughed and thought – “look out water bottle.”  Well, wouldn’t you know he drove right over it and stopped *on* it.  I was coming around the bend and he hops out the truck.  I’m all “You just ran over my water bottle!!”  He looked at me really funny.  I think I scared him (you know, sweaty yelling lady running towards him and all that).  I went over and my bottle was wedged under the tire.  I pulled and pulled and got it out, but it was all smooshed.  Keep in mind that I lost one bottle with my bike.  This was my spare.  It was bright blue.  I don’t know how he missed it.  Good thing I did not have my phone or camera with it!!  So, no drink for Lori.  I just did the other half mile so I could get the complete 4 and grouched my way home.  Can the universe just leave me alone for a little while?  I’m tired of people messing with my stuff….

I had a hankering for some waffling when I got home!

These came out super crispy.  I think I left them in the iron longer, but tasty!

Busy, busy at both jobs today.  Pixie has been very needy since we got back.  This is me trying to work and she just comes over and does this:

I kept pushing her just off my lap to the side, but she kept stretching back onto it.  Maybe she thought I wouldn’t notice or something.  Cute.

Lunch break consisted of pumpkin mixed with yogurt and cereal.  Looks boring, but I assure you that it was tasty.

I was so absorbed in work that the time flew by.  John made me a latte, which I paired with a couple squares of Lindt.

After more work, it was time to go out and pick up my new friend.  I decided upon the Fuji Absolute performance hybrid (after going through my check list).

Welcome to the family new bike!

24 gears, trigger shift, light frame.  When I got on this one yesterday, I knew it was the one for me, but I tried others to make sure and then slept on it.  It was on sale, too.  Had a fitting for the bike with my clip shoes on and I was ready to go.  We then picked up a helmet, a new lock, a new computer, and a water bottle (see above) so I can go to the gym tomorrow.  Still need some more stuff, but at least I can ride again!  It’s going to take getting used to, so I can’t dilly dally with the charity ride creeping up on me.  John has not found one that he likes yet.  It is a little hard at this time of year to find bikes.  Luckily for me, there were a lot of women’s bikes in stock.

I was *hangry* at this point and would have liked to have eaten out, but not after dropping a chunk of change on all this stuff.  We got home and John grilled up chicken while I cooked brussel sprouts.

Served along side a pluot.  It was so good because I was hungry!  I still have to work tonight.  Lots to do and need to earn that money! LOL.  I wish I had time to go for a spin, but that will have to wait.  I will talk about the bike in a little more detail as well.

Gotta get a snack ready for my evening work.  See you on the flip side!

How to choose the right bike for you.

Biking is such a great activity that burns calories, gets you fit, and takes you places!


I think there are 2 main reasons that people don’t continue with biking once they start.  One is that they buy the wrong bike, and the other is seat comfort.

When you are looking to buy a bike, ask yourself these questions:

1.  What type of riding am I going to do?  Casual, commuter, longer trips, trail riding, races, etc.

2.  What kind of terrain will I be riding on?  Asphalt, gravel, trails, mountains, etc.

3. How much do I want to spend?

There are basically 4 classes of bikes you can choose from.

Road bikes are very light and are built for speed and distance.  These are the bikes you see on TV in races.  The tires are very thin and the posture over the bike is bent over (for aerodynamics).  Not meant for gravel paths or grassy type terrain.

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Mountain bikes are big and beefy.  Very heavy as they need to be sturdy to take a real beating.  This is fine and good if you are doing trail riding, but if you want to ride to and from work – it’s really too heavy and you will dread riding it (been there).  The posture is more upright than the road bike, but not as upright as a commuter/comfort bike.

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Hybrid bikes are kind of a cross between the mountain and road bike.  They have a wider tire than the road bike, but are lighter than the mountain bike.  The posture is bent over like a mountain bike and will have straight across handlebars rather than curved under (like a road bike).  These are good for distance riding on a variety of paths, but not serious mountain trails.

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Commuter/cruiser bikes are really all about comfort for the rider.  The seating posture is more upright, so the handlebars are at a higher angle.  The tires are wider for good stability. The seat is usually much wider and more padded.  The bike will be heavier than a hybrid and more sturdy than a road bike.  It is not meant for really long distances.

Each class of bike is going to have a range of cost per bike.  Generally, the more expensive you go, the lighter the bike is and the better quality the individual parts are.  As you get higher grades, the differences can be pretty small, so be realistic with your budget.  A really good road bike can set you back several thousand dollars!  Good entry level road bikes are going to be around $600+

I think my best recommendation is to not purchase your bike at anything other than a bike shop.  You can buy off the rack bikes at Target or Walmart, but for just a little bit more, you can buy a good quality bike and get professional advice and a bike fitting (also very important).

When we lived in Colorado, we bought a pair of mountain bikes at Walmart because we were in Colorado and thought that is what we should get.  Plus they were cheap.  Well, I was 220 pounds at the time and the bike was super heavy.  We did road riding, but there were hills and I was completely miserable trying to truck a heavy bike up those hills.  I thought I hated biking.  Years later when I decided to try again, I ended up purchasing a used bike that was a hybrid and  fit me well, and it made all the difference in the world!  You all know how I loved that bike (curse you thief!).  It really felt like an extension of me when I went out.

When you go to a bike shop, don’t be intimidated.  Just go in with the list of the answers to these questions, and they can steer you towards the proper bike.

For example, my answers are:  I am biking for exercise, doing some duathlons, and taking long trips for enjoyment.  I am riding long distances (40 miles on average) and the surfaces I ride are gravel and asphalt.  I have a budget that out of necessity needs to be $600 or less (preferably a lot less LOL).

This puts me in the hybrid category, and more specifically, the performance hybrid.  That means a bike suited for longer rides.  The choice at this point really comes down to price and what I am willing to spend on the bike.

For seat comfort.  I had talked about that already about how time will build up your sit bones.  You also can change out the seat on any bike.  You can purchase a more comfie saddle and install it (or have it installed).  Having a comfortable seat can make all the difference in loving riding!

Hope these help a little bit if you are thinking about a bike (or wondering if the one you have is right for you).

Back to the grind

We are now home safe and sound. Sunday was a snack eating day with chocolate and bread and crackers. I woke up pretty puffy feeling this morning! Up too early as Pixie was pushing on the bedroom door at 5:30. I got up and moved into the spare room so she wouldn’t wake up John and she curled up on me and we fell back asleep. (FYI – she does not come in the bedroom as it is John’s 1 allergy free room). I ended up sleeping in a little bit later this morning and didn’t get up until 7:30.

I was debating whether to jog the 2 miles to the gym or drive, but I wasn’t sure I wanted a total of 4 miles with a weight workout, plus it was kind of rainy, so driving it was.

I hopped on the stationary bike when I got there for 10 minutes, which actually just pissed me off, so probably not a good idea in hindsight LOL! Then I did weights:

Exercise Set/rep/weight Muscle worked
Barbell squat 3 sets of 10 with 45# bar (full squat) Lower body
Dumbbell Pullover 3 set of 10 with at 25# DB Back
Decline Sit Ups 3 sets of 10 Abs
Alternating side lunge 3 sets of 10 (each leg) holding 15# DBs Lower body
Dumbbell chest fly 3 sets of 10 with 20# DBs (40# total) Chest
Seated calf raise 3 sets of 10 at 110# Calves
Reverse lateral raise 3 sets of 10 with 12# DBs (24# total) Shoulders
Kickbacks 3 sets of 10 with 15# DBs (30# total) Triceps

I thought about more biking or treadmilling, but I just wasn’t into it at all. So I went home and had a comforting breakfast.

Pumpkin cream of wheat sweetened with a bit of molasses and topped with pecans and crystallized ginger.   I do believe my pumpkin stash is going to make it!

I took a vacation day from job #1 today, but still worked job #2. I am going to have to stick with both for a while longer to pay for the new bike, so good thing I didn’t quit job #1 yet!

After doing the work available, I had some lunch.  We need to grocery shop!  I did find a cucumber in the veggie drawer, so paired that with tuna and crackers.

I have narrowed down my choices on bikes. After discussion with the bike people about how we ride, the type of bike I am looking for is a performance hybrid.  Because we do some riding on gravel surfaces and some rough road sides, a true road bike is out.  A commuter/comfort hybrid is out because of the distances that we ride. That puts our needs at a performance hybrid designed for longer rides where you sit more forward and not so upright.

The brands we are considering right now are Giant, Fuji, and Cannondale and a few others. I have looked at the Giant, which I liked, and today after lunch I went  to test “drive” the Fuji, a Raleigh and a Haro.  Have a lot of decisions to make!  I did go ahead and get my pedals.  I still have the bike shoes (obviously), but the clip pedals went bye-bye.  $80 down the drain there and only 3 months old.   I’ll put a post together about choosing a bike and hopefully get that done tomorrow.  A lot goes into a decision like this.

Came back from bike testing to have a latte and a piece of yummy pain de bluets that we purchased at a market before we left Montreal yesterday.

It came from this market – how delicious!

I’ve been working on the cookbook, and I hope to have it finished up over the weekend?  Eeep!

Dinner time was a round up.  I had baked some rye bread and threw a sweet potato in the oven while that was going.  I paired that with an omelet with laughing cow and sauteed broccoli.

I usually microwave my sweet potatoes for time reasons, but the taste of an oven baked sweet is sooooo good.

Tired kitty today:

Not sure from what because she really doesn’t do anything….

Stocked up on groceries tonight!  I bought some canning jars as I am participating in a jam swap next month.   Should be fun as I have never preserved jam before.   I just make it and eat it LOL!

After getting back I tested out the new rye bread:

It came out really good!  I am not sure I would have ever thought to pair peanut butter on rye, but it was good.

Tonight is more working and polishing up the cookbook.  Oh – and Football!!!!!

Question: How do you cook your sweet potatoes?

Crazy busy day

You know those days where you have some things planned, and you end up doing everything but those things? The plan was for DH and I to go on a long bike ride, have some frozen yogurt and go to the library.
Instead, we got groceries, then my parents found a house they really liked, and needed us to take them to the realtor’s office to put in the offer. So then we went out to lunch (Panera bread, where I had healthy choices), and by the time all was said and done – it was 5PM.
Now it is stormy, so no bike ride. And no frozen yogurt either! Oh well, there is always tomorrow.
Just a brisk walk today, and probably a bowflex workout that I didn’t get in yesterday.

Panera bread looks scary on the surface, but they really have some excellent choices to get for a meal. For around 500 calories, you can have 1/2 a sandwich and 1/2 salad with a side of fruit. I got the cafe turkey sandwich (mustard only, no mayo), and a 1/2 fandango salad. Yum!