Tag: magnet

My Faster Bike Rides and New Goals

On By Michel McDonaldIn Bike, Cycling, Exercise6 Comments

I was riding my bicycle this morning and was paying close attention to my average speed.  Lately it has been 11.5 mph give or take.  Today it was 12.5 mph.  That meant that I got home 30 minutes earlier than I usually do.  Riding faster doesn’t just mean that I will exercise faster, it also means I will burn more calories every time I ride.

I have these index cards which I used to use to keep track of my bike riding.  I would write it out so I had a hard copy because digital seems to get deleted a lot.  I first started writing it down on November 3rd 2008.  My average speed was 10 mph and I only rode for 38 minutes burning 345 calories.  Gradually over time I can see that my speed goes up to 10.7, 10.9, 11.1 etc.

My last entry was when I hurt my shoulder and I stopped riding, that was July 20th 2009.  My average speed was 14.0 mph.  That of course was doing 23 miles in 1 hour and 38 minutes.  Of course I was probably gone from the house for 2 hours with breaks but I don’t seem to recall.  I also see that I started riding in October 2009, I only got 3 bike rides logged then stopped, my shoulder was still in a lot of pain but I wanted to get exercise.  Then my shoulder got better and I started riding again and had 2 entries in July 2010 for 23 miles each but the next day after my 2nd bike ride my back wheel broke and the log entries end right there.  Of course I wasn’t used to riding anymore so my average speed was only 11.9 and 11.0.

I will add all of those old logs to my Bike page soon.

Today my average speed was 12.5 mph which has gone up from 11.2 since July 6th, 2 weeks ago when I started logging my cycling times again.  I had been riding since early June but couldn’t get my bicycle computer to work since I put the tire on backwards which meant the magnet was on the wrong side.  Oopsie.

I think that I am progressing very well and I’m sure that it won’t be too far off when I’m going 14 mph again, or even 15 mph.  The riding times will get shorter even though I will still be doing the same 23 mile route.  If that becomes the case then I will step it up and continue on to Hart Park.  That will add 10 miles to my route, 5 miles each way.  I have mapped it out:

That start point (A) is my halfway point where I stop riding and rest for a few minutes so this still might be a resting point before I continue on to Hart Park.  Once I get used to the ride then I will probably just continue on until I get to Hart Park and rest there.

Of course I’m probably talking many months before I’m in enough shape to do it but I will eventually do it.  When my average speed gets up to 15 or 16 mph then I will definitely do it.  In fact, I was ready to start doing it just before I had to stop riding because of my shoulder in July 2009.  I made a video and put it on YouTube that showed my bike ride from where I get on the bike path over on Truxton all the way to Manor St. and made a sequel from Manor all the way to China Grade Loop.  I wanted to do a 3rd video from China Grade Loop to Hart Park but… my shoulder and all.  So that never happened.

My goal now is to continue as I am now (training) until I am not in as much pain from the bike ride so that I may ride to Hart Park.  The day that I plan on that is the day I will bring my video camera with me to film it.  I know it’s boring to most people but it is an achievement to me and I’m sure to others.

I can’t wait to see how many calories I will burn from riding 33 miles every day.  The fat will just melt off, I hope lol.

My Interesting Ride Today

On By Michel McDonaldIn Bike, Cycling, ExerciseLeave a comment

I went on my ride this morning but I found that I had a few problems.

  • As I was riding the bike I got to where Kaiser Permanente hospital is and their lights were shining on me and I went to look at the computer to see what time it was and to see how fast I was going with my new tires and seat but the screen was blank.  So I pulled over to find out what the issue was.  When I put the wheel back on the front fork I put it on backwards so my magnet was on the wrong side of the wheel lol.  So I put it on the correct side and spun the wheel but it still didn’t work.  It’s because of what my pimpled front tire did to the computer wire, it stripped it so there are wires that are exposed so it doesn’t work now.  So today I have no reference of how fast I was going or how many calories I burned.
  • When I left the house I didn’t notice that my back wheel had a bump to it.  As I was riding on the bike trail I could feel the bump and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do about it because it’s a brand spanking new tire.  When Darrin bought me the new tires he also bought me new tubes that had the presta valves.  My front wheel is brand new (26×2.00) but my back wheel (26×1.95) is the original wheel on the bike so since they are both different sizes they both won’t accept presta valve because the presta valve tubes have this big ring under the valve.  The regular tubes that you buy don’t so I just had to change the tube on the bike trail then all was good.
  • And now my new seat lol.  Yesterday when I first put the new seat on I rode it down the street then had to come back to adjust it.  Then I rode around a bit and had to make an adjustment here and there and I thought I had it all worked out but I guess I didn’t.  So on my bike ride this morning I think I pulled over 3 times to make adjustments.  I finally got it to a comfortable position.  I had to raise my handlebars though because even though the instructions are to lower the seat by 1 inch I did that yesterday and my legs were bending too much so I put it back so today all I had to do was raise the handlebars and that fixed that issue.

Since my computer didn’t work today I’m going to have to write down an old time when I used to go 16 miles so I can at least have something to write down.  I’ll have to fix that wire today so that I can use it tomorrow.

“The Bicycle Seat” website that I got the new seat from say to give it at least 3 weeks and considering I’ve already given my old seat and the gel cover to a neighbor I have no choice but to give it 3 weeks lol.  I can’t ride any other way.  But I do want to give it some time to get used to because I’m not numb today in the naughty parts but my butt is killing me lol.  My arms are killing me too ugh.

“Stuff”

On By Michel McDonaldIn Products I LikeLeave a comment

We went to Snider’s Cyclry today to get the parts for my bike.  I got a new stem that has an extension so that my handlebars will be high enough so I don’t have to raise them as much to get height.  I also had to buy new hand grips because in order to take the old stem off and put the new stem on I have to take everything off the right side of the bar to slide it through.  I don’t really have to take the grip off the other side but then it will be lopsided so I really kinda do have to.  All that was $25

Then we went and got my glasses frame which was $35.

And lastly we went to Target to buy a new computer because the magnet fell off the spokes when I had my accident and when I was putting the bike in the car today to go to Snider’s the wire snapped so I needed a new one.  But instead of buying another 20 function computer for $15 I bought the 12 function because I don’t need that computer, just the parts.  The 12 function computer was only $10 and I would’ve spent that on the magnet plus $2 on eBay which would’ve been a total waste of money.  While I was in the bike department I bought a new rear view mirror that goes on the rubber grip on the outside of the bike, not on the inside so I will now be able to see and I bought gloves with the tips missing.

Spoke Magnet

On By Michel McDonaldIn Daily BlogLeave a comment

When I came home from the E.R. today I noticed that the magnet on my front wheel spoke was gone (magnet for the cyclo-computer) and so I went to eBay to see if they had any and they had 1 for $2 plus $1.51 shipping.  Even though my bank account is running low, I have about $30 left, I took the liberty of making a $5 bid.  If I can avoid having to buy a whole new computer just for a magnet then I will.

There were other magnets on eBay for $7 – $9 but with shipping costs that would make them come out to be about $12 or $13.  The computer itself at Target is only $15.  I’m not paying close to the same price for a new computer just for a magnet.

If I lose the bid on this then I’m just gonna keep checking eBay to see if someone else has it cheap.  If not then when I go to target for the gloves I might as well just buy a new computer.

Cyclo-Computer

On By Michel McDonaldIn CyclingLeave a comment

Well I bought a Cyclo-computer today at Target with 20 functions.  Some of the functions are Odometer, speedometer, how many calories I’m burning, how much fat I’m burning, timer and many more.  The way it works is I put a magnet on one of the spokes on the front wheel and I attach a sensor to the fork then the wire goes up to the computer.  The computer is also removable so nobody will steal it when I go to the store.

I also bought a new lock while we were there.  It’s a much better lock and it came with a bracket that attaches to the frame.  This new lock has a key so I don’t have to worry about a combination and the spare key is in a drawer just in case I lose my first key.  If I lose both keys then I will probably lose my bike forever because this is the type of lock that you cannot open easily.

Holy Cow Delivery

On By Michel McDonaldIn FoodLeave a comment

Well Ron from Holy Cow Milk just came about 30 minutes ago with our yoplait, string cheese and bread.  I liked paying with PayPal because then I don’t have to use any checks but because of that person who responded in my first post for this company, I decided to pay by check from here on out.  At least if I pay by check I don’t have anything to lose because they don’t get their money until they deliver the goods.

I really love having milk delivered to my house instead of having to get it from the store.  Actually their milk is more expensive than the store by $1 per gallon because you can buy 2 gallons for $5 which is $2.50 each, Holy Cow charges $3.50 which if you go to the store and look that is still a very good price.  If you just buy 1 gallon of milk you are going to pay $5 for 1 gallon of the Albertson’s brand or the name brands like Foster Farms.  It just makes more sense to buy the Special Value milk for $5 for 2.

The thing I buy from Holy Cow is their bread for $1.50 a loaf, bread is expensive if you buy at the store.  They are outrageously expensive and with today’s economy you can’t get bread for less than $2.  The Albertson’s brand bread at the store is $1.79.

I also buy String Cheese which is like .35 cents.  I’ve never bought string cheese so I don’t know what that regular price is.  Yoplait is another thing I buy from them.  If you have gone to the store you will know that Yoplait is the most expensive yogurt on the shelves.  That stuff is over $1 each.  Holy Cow only charges .65 cents each.  That is the main reason I buy from them.  I can only get Yoplait when they are 20 for $10 at Albertson’s which makes them .50 cents each.  So .65 is a very good price and I’d rather give the money to Holy Cow than the big corporations.

I asked Ron to give us some business cards so we can pass them out in the neighborhood, I suggested magnet business cards that people can put on their fridge.  That is a very good idea.  I’m sure they are more expensive but you have to spend money to make money.