Late fall update

The fall weather has been perfect for riding.   Usually, we bike as late into the season as we can.  The year before last, we rode until Dec 15th.  Last season,  winter came calling earlier than usual, so the trike had it's hiatus early. This year we haven't been out on the roads or trails to enjoy the recent fair weather bonus.

I have had some foot problems off and on all season.  (actually,  for years.)  Numb toes while riding at times and pain in the balls of my feet after  long rides.  Switched  from Shimano clipless pedals to Egg Beater clipless pedals just before we did a group tour in June.  That gave me quite a bit of relief from numb feet toes, but as the season went on the problems slowly returned, and as they did, they seemed to be worse than before.

I had an appointment with a sports medicine podiatrist.  I was hoping that he could prescribe some orthotics to put in my biking shoes. Perhaps if the clips from my pedals weren't pushing into my feet so much, the pain would go away.  I had read of quite a few cyclist, on my favorite biking forum, that had tried stiff insoles, and gotten good results.  Earlier in the season, I had tried some, but didn't have much success.  Surely the sports medicine doctor could come up with something.  I knew he  was an athlete an d participated in triathlons, he was bound to have some ideas.

 Alas, that was not the case.  I was diagnosed with Morton's  Neuroma in both feet.  Morton's neuroma is a thickening of the nerve tissue
  between the second and third toes.  Scar tissue  forms around the nerve putting pressure on it and causing pain.  when I walk, it feels like I have a wadded up sock under the ball of each foot.  I also get "hot feet" and tingly toes, even when I am not out pedaling.

At first I thought that  the Morton's Neuromas  I have, are caused by bunions, which I have had for more years than I can remember.  My Mom had them too, in my case they were hereditary.  I will spare you, and not post a picture.  But I can tell you that I would never get a job as a foot model.  Finding shoes that fit  has been a problem for me for years and years.   It isn't easy to find a biking shoe in a EE width.  I wear Nashbar Sandals for riding and they work well for me because they have adjustable straps.  In cold weather I wear socks with them.

My foot Dr. set me straight, telling me that the neuroma's were likely cause by biking.  The pressure of the pedal pushing up into my foot causes swelling, and the swelling occurring over and over, causes scar tissue to form around the nerve.  That is what causes the pain.

When the pain keeps me from riding, that is SERIOUS.  The podiatrist gave me some little wedges to put in my biking sandals, but they seem to only make the pain worse.

Next step an MRI, which clearly showed the neuroma's and the location of them.  It only confirms what the Doctor has already told me, I  need surgery.  

Towards the end of this month, I am scheduled to have the bunion and the neuroma removed on my right foot.  After removing the bunion,  the Doctor will cut a wedge of bone,  out of my big toe to straighten it, and then put a titanium rod in, to hold my toe straight.  The rod will be removed after 6 months.  He will remove the sensory nerve that is causing all the pain.

From what I've read, the surgery can be painful to recover from, but at this point my feet are really interrupting the activities of my life, so I feel it is time to  do something about it,  it is time to move forward.  I will likely have the left foot done at the end of the biking season next year.

So until spring, I will leave you with a recap of a few of our favorite pictures from our rides this year.   Enjoy.  Thanks for taking the time to read our blog.  Please tune in next spring to read about our adventures yet to come.

Flat tire saga, continuation., and hopefully a happy ending.

No pictures to post and no rides to blog about, but I will do an update on the outcome of our visit to Terra Trike.

It was a nice day, we  had loaded up the trike the night before.  I had an appointment to see a sports medicine podiatrist, (more on that later.)  Since we knew we would be pulling the flatbed trailer, with the trike on it, Tony called the Dr.'s office to scope out the parking situation.  The receptionist told us there was a church yard across the street, so I parked there with no problem.  The church is  along a high traffic road, we didn't really want to leave the trike sitting there unattended.  It likely would have been just fine, but why chance it.   Tony decided he would sit in the car while I went to my appointment.  Button was along to keep him company.

After that we headed over to Terra Trike.  They did accept all 5 tubes back, and agreed to put Schwalbe on in their place, but they didn't have any with schrader valves.  One of the gals, (they were both very helpful.) told me that Terra Trike brand tires are made by Schwalbe,   I always thought Schwalbe tubes were made in Europe, so not sure if that is accurate or not.

The guy changing the tubes told me he found little metal shavings in one of the tires.  This could be from when our local bike shop drilled out the double walled rims for schrader valves earlier, in the summer.  That would also explain why we have had so many flats.

We ended up having Terra Trike brand tubes put back on because we wanted to ride.  WE called around to several bike shops, none carried Schwalbe tubes.  The guy who changed the tubes said he shook the rims  out really good, so he hoped he got all the shavings.  We hope he did too.

We found out later, that indeed, Schwalbe does make the Terra Trike brand tubes.  Likely Schwalbe tubes and other brands that Schwalbe may make, are contracted out and made in Taiwan  and other countries. This would explain the "made in Taiwan" that is on the Terra Trike tubes.

Terra Trike agreed to take the tubes back, even after the metal shavings were found, likely because 2 of the 5 tubes were defective, before they were even put in the rims.  They were very courteous and gracious about the whole thing.  They did their best to help us resolve  the situation.

I have to say, I am a bit nervous about having the same brand tube son again, but we will give them a try and see how they go.  I am still going to order some Schwalbe tubes.

We are hoping this is the end of the flat tire saga.

Enough is enough

Indian summer has been parked here in Northern MI for about a week now, and we have been enjoying every bit of it.  We even slept with the bedroom window open a few nights ago.  We have been trying to mix our winter preparations with some "play time."

Saturday was spent winterizing our camping trailer, hauling the kayak up from the lake,  making sure the paddle boat is set to endure the cold, emptying the rain barrel, and turning it upside down, and taking some cushions in.

 Haven't emptied the flower pots yet, as the flowers are still blooming.

We still have to get some wood together for using in the fireplace this winter, and put the grill away.
 In between  all of that we have been taking walks and enjoying the deck.  Had morning coffee out there a few times.  Soon Tony will have the lawn chairs stacked and tarped.  hen there is all the leaves to deal with. I was going to mulch them and bag them, but Tony told me the handle came off of the new lawn mower last time he used it.  Haven't had time to look at it yet.

We decided to ride to church Sunday morning, then take a side ride on the way home.  Got everything ready to go on Saturday night, got up early on Sunday, got dressed, filled the water bottles, and  put on our shoes and helmets.  I went into the garage to get the trike out, only to be greeted by ANOTHER flat tire.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  It has been less than 3 weeks since we put all new tubes and tires on.  Things were fine on our last ride.  How could we have a flat?  The car was already hooked up to the camping trailer, which is going into storage on Monday.

I had such a hard time lining up the ball and the hitch, that I didn't want to unhook it, so we stayed home from church.

I knew the tire was going to be a bugger to get off, but after lunch, Tony and I decided to tackle it.  It took 2 of us to get it off.  We finally got it by letting as much air as possible out of the tube, (wasn't much left in there anyway.) then I squeezed the opposite side of the tire together, which gave more slack to get the edge of the tire off of the rim.

Took the tube out and went in the house to my trusty cake pan of water to check for a leak.   I put the tube in, and squeezed a small section, looking for an air bubble to pop to the surface, none appeared. I repeated the process several times, using the stem of the tube for my starting and ending point.  Still no telltale bubble.  Finally, I held the tube under water, for about 2 minutes.  Slowly, little bubbles started to form along the seam of the tube.  I brushed them away, and more formed.  I had found the problem, a defective tube. I had bought 5 new tubes all at one time, this was the second one that was defective.  Caught the leak on the first tube at the bike shop, when we were having the  new tires mounted.  It wasn't even on the trike yet, leaked right away, when it was pumped up.

   As a precaution,  I decided to check the one I was going to put on the the rim.  Back to the cake pan I went with the pumped up tube.  I held it under the water for about a minute or 2, and little bubbles began to slowly form all over the surface of the tube.  Yep, another defective one.  No more spare tubes,  no riding, until I get some and I sure don't want the brand that is on there now.  Since 3 out of the 5 tubes I bought are defective, I don't really trust the other 2 that are on the trike now.  We'll be looking for anoter brand of tubes, for sure.

This morning I called Terra Trike, which is where I got the tubes.  Told them the whole story, they said they will have to determine if they are going to" deem" the tubes defective, and then decide what they are going to do.  As I write this, I am waiting for them to call me back.  We are heading in their direction tomorrow, so I am hoping we can just load the trike up, take it there and have them change all the tubes to a different brand .

We decided to switch to Schwalbe tubes.   They are kind of pricey, but teh people I know, taht use them really like them a lot amd feel the price is worth it. The tubes are made in England, and they under go  pretty stringent quality control.   Each tube is filled with air for 24 hours to check for leaks.  If it passes the test, it is packaged and shipped.  The butyl on the tire is a denser weave, so the tire doesn't loose air as fast.  Ours lose about 10 -15 pounds between each ride, sometimes they are down 20 pounds.  We have found that we like to ride at 85 PSI.

It has surely been the summer of flat tires.  I have checked the rims for sharp edges, including spokes that might be poking through the liner.  I put the tubes in straight, and check the tires for any punctures or sharp objects that might be causing the tube to go flat.  All the stuff I learned in my bike maintenance class. about tires and tubes, has been put to use.  Each tire on the trike has been flat at least once this year.

This afternoon,  called Terra Trike back and left a message asking them to call me and let me know what they decided about the tubes, but they never called back.  The trike is loaded on the trailer ready to tag along when we go to Grand Rapids tomorrow.  Guess I'll just show up at Terra Trike with the trike and the bad tubes and see what they say.  They can't ignore me then.

Enough is enough. Time to move onto a different brand of tube.

2011 fall color tour

It might be fall, but our weather was more like summer today.  We rode in shorts, short sleeved shirts, and sweatshirts.  Took our sweatshirts off at about the 8 mile mark.  Temps were in the low 70's, very nice for riding.

I packed our lunch, (didn't need any hot chocolate today.)  and we were off.  We are starting to be more mindful of when we leave for a ride.  The days are getting shorter and we don't want to be riding home in the dark.

Took our usual route to Dighton,  stopped and took a picture of the little building that is being built in front of the self milking barn.  The workman were up on the roof working today on the barn, maybe the roof will be done the next time we ride by.  I find myself still wondering about what they are going to use the little building for.  It looks very small in comparison to the huge shell of the self milking barn.

The woods are full of color, and make a striking contrast against the green meadows.

We stopped at church and had our lunch.  Our church is built where an old school house used to stand.  When the school house was condemned and torn down, the school bell was salvaged, and our church had a bell tower built to house. it.  The bell works and is used on special occasions.

Here is what is on the church sign that is by the road.  There is a different saying on it each week.

Button was happy to be included in the ride today.  He jumped in his carrier when I put it on the floor. Once we got going,  he still "chittered" for a very long time.

From the church, we headed up to TV tower hill.  Took this picture of what I saw in the bike mirror, shortly before we reached the top.  It took us 38 minutes to make it.

The colors on that hill are especially pretty, there are a few gravel roads nearby that host a prettier color show, but our trike doesn't do very well on gravel, so we stay on the paved roads as much as possible.

The show went on  and on.  Such a display and we are blessed with wonderful weather to get out and enjoy it.  I found a good description of why leaves change color on the website, Science Made Simple.

Here is what it said;
Leaves are nature's food factories.  Plants take water from the ground through their roots.  They take a gas called carbon dioxide from the air.  Plants use sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose.  Oxygen is a gas in the air that we breathe.  Glucose is a kind of sugar.  Plants use glucose as food for energy and as a building block for growing.  The way plants turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar is called photosynthesis.  That means" putting together with light." A chemical called chlorophyll helps make photosynthesis happen.  Chlorophyll is what give plants their green color.

 As summer  ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter.  This is how the trees "know" to begin to get ready for winter.  During winter, there is not enough water for photosynthesis.  The trees will rest, live off of the food they stored during the summer.  They begin to shut down their food making factories. The green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves.  As the bright green fades away, we begin to see the yellow and orange colors.  Small amounts of these colors have been in the leaves all along.  we just can't see them in the summer, because they are covered up by the green chlorophyll.

Wow, how can plants do that?  They don't even have a brain.  Only God could create something so complex.  When I look at a tree during the winter I often think about how the tree is not only surviving, but building new buds and leaves for the spring.   It really is amazing, and only a small piece of what God is capable of.  If he can take care of the trees in the dead of winter, he can certainly take care of us.

Once we got to the top of the hill, we stopped for a rest.  since we didn't really want to go down the other side of the hill, and then go back up again, I decided to walk a ways and take some pictures.  There is a section where I could look down at the trees, it is such a sight to behold with all the colors.

 I walked about a half mile, stopping to take pictures as I went.

It didn't take us very long to get to the bottom of the hill after we turned around, but the road is in such bad condition, that I have to really watch where I am driving and keep my speed at 20 MPH or under.  I keep hoping the road is slated for repair, and each year it gets worse and worse.

We saw lots of these caterpillars crossing the roads today.   I call them orange and black woolies, but they are really known as,  the Wooly Bear caterpillar.  In the fall of 1948, a curator of insects at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City,  went on an outing with his wife, 40 miles north of the city.  They went to look at wooly bear caterpillars. Dr Curran collected as many as he could, looked at the average number of brown segments, and through a reporter at the New York Herald Tribune, he forecast the severity of the  coming winter. His experiment continued for 8 years.  He attempted to prove that there was a scientific connection between the stripes of the caterpillar and the winter weather. The publicity that surrounded it all, made the Wooly Bear caterpillar the best known caterpillar in America.  As far as I know there is no connection between the caterpillar and the type of winter we have.  The caterpillars turn into a tiger moth.

We decided to take 20 Mile Rd. to Tustin, and then take the trail home.  This spot was to pretty to pass without getting a picture.

The trees along the trail gave us a show too.

One of the last roads to our house had some nice colors to add to our day, making a nice way to finish our ride.

We rode 26 beautiful miles today.  Thanks God, for such beautiful scenery and colors. And thanks for keeping us safe, once again.