home trainer

Bicycle Bites, Motion Morsels and Transportation Tidbits

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 5 Comments

I must have been hungry when I wrote this post, going by the title. But this is not about food you eat while riding your bike. It’s one of those posts wherein I list various random bike stuff, thoughts and news. It’s usually a combination of stuff I did, saw or read about that isn’t enough for its own separate post. The blurbs can be educational, factual, just a slice of life, or even a rant. I bet you’ll find at least one of them interesting. I think I’ll go have a small snack while you keep reading. If you do, thanks!

Continue reading →

Lessons from My First Ride on the Mag Ascent Home Trainer

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

Overview

I finally fixed my flat and put the old Fuji Silhouette on the heavy Mag Ascent home trainer. Below is a shot of my GPS data on Strava. I went for 15.2 miles per hour for half an hour, which isn’t great but it is a ilttle faster than usual. I had it set on the lowest of three resistance levels, and usee the gears to get a slightly harder workout. The trainer is heavy steel so is not going anywhere. All you need is to fit the rear wheel correctly into slots, which is very intuitive at least with my bike, then prop up the front wheel; I used books. Overall it was sturdy, easy to get started on, and it doesn’t take up alot of room. Continue reading →

Cadence & Speed Sensors; Proposed Bike Lanes; and My Verified Iron Deficiency

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

Part I:   More Data from Garmin Gadgets

I finally made it to Sun & Ski Sports for the sensors.  Once I figured out how to sync then with my Garmin vivoactive hr watch, they were easily installed by Mike the Mechanic.  Speed is already measured by the watch, but now it can be measured on the home trainer.  That is, if we don’t blink and miss Austin’s short winter and I don’t need to pedal inside.  However, clearly, I do.  The X-Files has been back on for over a week and I hadn’t seen either episode.  Such Scully-y and Mulder-y goodness!  If you’re not a fan, you have no idea.  I’m sure the paranormal investigating FBI agents are cyclists when not busy hunting conspiracies or aliens and such.

Continue reading →

To (Vitamin) B, or Not to B: A Cautionary Tale + Fat-Burning with a Home Trainer

~ A Dude Abikes ~ Leave a comment

Hey, I Thought This Was a Blog About Bicycling!

img_20180109_234846634_ll272103260.jpg
A week as a vegan dangerously depleted my B vitamin levels.

After still feeling exhausted, groggy and not coordinated enough to bike safely, I took action and called my doctor. He ordered B6, B12 and iron tests. Then I went to get a Vitamin B complex injection. Soon after, my headache, brain fog and some fatigue lifted. I felt ok enough to see the hilarious new movie Jumanji:  Welcome to the Jungle with occasional riding partner Saurabh, and going home I had the occasion to run to catch a bus. A Dude Abikes does not run (maybe some day), so this was a significant sign that I had more energy from the shot. Even though I was drinking fresh organic fruit and vegetable juice and eating soups that I or a health food restaurant made, it was imbalanced and I paid the price. Hard. It will be interesting to see the lab results.

The lesson for me, and maybe for you, Dear Reader, is while something may seem healthy and doable, it may not work for you individually. Buyer beware!

Continue reading →