2020 : Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[RabH]

I got a bonus ride today as it was supposed to rain all day yesterday (which it did) and today, when I woke this morning I got a nice surprise as the rain had actually stopped and the roads were getting dry! No photos today as I just wanted a ride before the rain returned, amazingly I didn't even get a sprinkle!

I had to be selective with my route today because it rained heavy for over 24 hours and a lot of the back roads would have been flooded, so at first I used the main roads, that didn't last because they were rather busy so I headed for quieter roads that I knew well and there was little chance of flooding! I almost succeeded until 8 miles from home when I came across a road closed sign! I got lucky though as there is an alternative route close by and I knew it would be fine! It turned out to be a very nice ride, getting home dry is always a bonus!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

the rain had actually stopped and the roads were getting dry!

UNBELIEVABLE! What's gone wrong with the Scottish weather?! You'll become too soft, @RabH soon

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Not always on the very edge of the water …

Although my rides along Moreton Bay are often right at the water's edge, I am sometimes diverted through suburbia or around wetland areas that have spared 'development'.

Here are a few photos taken away from the coast on Monday's ride along the 70 km southern section of the Moreton Bay Cycleway. Sometimes the juxtaposition of suburbia and wilderness is altogether too close; should I have turned the camera ninety degrees to one side to record the scene more accurately?

Right of Path : Toondah Harbour Wetlands
Left of Path (out of view!) : pleasant bayside suburb
​

The truth revealed (thanks to geotagging photos with a smartphone app)…

Not quite lost in the wetlands …

Eprapah Creek, Victoria Point​

• X : location of dinghy photo (post #2240 on previous page)
• Position of photos recorded using Geotag Photos Pro 2 (inexpensive smartphone app)
• Map screenshots from HoudahGeo (computer app).
• Almost all of my photos are posted with location plus camera data, so anyone can check where/how they were taken. (Unless photos were taken at home or somewhere private, why delete the info?)

Trivia: US equivalent of Moreton Bay, Queensland (≈27.5º south) is Tampa Bay, Florida (≈27.5º north). Both bays are important sea cow habitats — US manatees (4 metres with rounded beaver-tail); AU dugongs (3 metres with fluked whale-tail).

 

[Deleted member 18083]

What's gone wrong with the Scottish weather?! You'll become too soft, RabH

The usual uncomplicated winter weather here …
The rules are simple: if there needs to be rain, just let it happen and then return to 'normal' promptly and without fuss.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The usual miserable winter weather here …

We're having that or worse during this exceptionally cold summer here. It was 16 C in the morning!

 

[RabH]

We're having that or worse during this exceptionally cold summer here. It was 16 C in the morning!

16C is perfect If we are lucky we get that in the afternoon!

 

[PatriciaK]

Following (loosely) Mr Coffee's tread trails, aboard the ferry to Shaw Island ( more pics later)

 

[Stefan Mikes]

aboard the ferry

Love them ferries very much, perhaps because we don't get too many of them here.

We're going to SW Poland with my brother Jacek to conquer Jizera Mts this Friday. We're both very excited! Meanwhile, I have planned a next route, hopefully to be taken in the second half of September. It is about Bieszczady Mts, which are a part of the Carpathians, are pretty tall, and secluded. Unfortunately, the Bieszczady National Park has enforced a bike ban there, so one of few options would be to climb onto the border mountain-pass with Slovakia by a narrow road, and descend back. No chance to make a loop because of the nature of the terrain. I wouldn't go there without a spare Giant battery, which might or might not be delivered by September (the times are hard now). The elevation gain would be 1500 m (4500 ft), which makes me feel a respect to those mountains!

 

[Chargeride]

I'm in Grasmere...Lake District, it has rained constantly for two days.
Im sure you could patent the clouds up here for some kind of water production consistency.

Sunny tomorrow and bike will be out in this gorgeous area.
Every turn is a picture postcard of classic English victorian, middle class mountain climbing perfection, criss crossed with ancient paths that are now cycle routes.

 

[RandallS]

Yesterday I drove out to Canmore, Alberta, to go for a ride with an ex work colleague who lives there.
Canmore is in the Canadian Rockies and is right beside Banff National Park.

It's normally about an hour or so from my house, but current road construction added about 20 minutes to the trip.
Here's a shot from my car from about 40 Km from Canmore:


And another one, a little bit closer.



About to set off - my friend Steven is on his non ebike - a Specialized Stumpjumper of unknown vintage.



It's downhill from his house to town and the trails we were going to ride, so the first 6 or 7 Km were easy but very picturesque. Lots of single track through the trees before we came out to the gravel path beside teh Bow.



We went across that bridge and up to the right where the Telecommunication tower was.
Up there is an area known as the Canmore Nordic Centre - it was an easy climb on my Fathom but I had to wait for Steven a number of times.
He's pretty fit, but it is a good climb via switchbacks.

We are halfway up and took a little detour to a lookout location.



From the top, we rode around the normally teeming Nordic Centre (Covid has had an impact) and then started down a MTB downhill trail. We think we were on a trail named Soft Yoghurt but we got off it where it connected to Devonian Drop.

I'd not ridden these kinds of trails in many a year, and I was rather tentative at first, but warmed to the occasion until we both agreed that it was beyond our skill levels (it was Blue but seemed pretty difficult to us ) and traversed out to something simpler (Legacy Trail). When I was a skier, Black Diamond and 2xBlack diamond were 50%+ of my run choices, but not 30 years later on a new eMTB...

In this shot - I am NOT blocking the trail! It was shortly after where we connected with a Black diamond run - the fellow in the background selected that option.


Once at the bottom of the hill, with one minor mishap on a tight turn on the switchbacks (no harm - and Mirracycle mirrors are tough thankfully) we were back down at the Bow River.

We rode the trails East along the river, before heading back to his house for a refreshment before I went home.
Steven did try out my bike once we got back to his place - I think I may have converted another one!



MTB legs.



It was a fun day, with great company, in a stunning location and with superb weather.




Not a huge distance travelled on the bike but I'm starting to get the hang of a MTB again.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

MTB legs.

Ouch! That's one thing that puts me off re mountain biking. What pedals did hurt your shins, Randall?

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Steven did try out my bike once we got back to his place – I think I may have converted another one!

Randall…
Keep spreading the message of this wonderful new side to life.

Thanks for sharing your ride. It's been a long time since I was in that beautiful area.
David

 

[RandallS]

Ouch! That's one thing that puts me off re mountain biking. What pedals did hurt your shins, Randall?

OneUp composite - minor scratches. Part of the experience I guess.

If I stick to paved paths then I don't get the experience, nor the "colour".

 

[Art Deco]

16C is perfect If we are lucky we get that in the afternoon!

But only a few months out of the year, right?

 

[PatriciaK]

There's no place I'd rather be on a beautiful summer day than the Great Pacific Northwest! It was another perfect day for a ride, this time on Shaw Island, one of the San Juan Island chain in the Salish Sea, just north of the Puget Sound.

The ferry cabin was all cordoned off to help passengers social distance. They requested the at those who drove in remain in their cars, but many didn't.

After about an hour, we arrived at Shaw. The only store on the island, and the Post Office, are right at the ferry landing:

The last time we were here - about 30 years ago (!) - the Franciscan nuns ran the ferry dock and store. Now, the dock is staffed by Washington State Ferry employees, and the store is run by "civilians".

There is another group of nuns on the island, an order of contemplative Benedictines, at the Our Lady of the Rock Monastery. They were the reason we visited so many years ago. We helped them bring in the hay for the season (Benedictines are expected to be self-sufficient - they run a working farm and also sell hay to local farmers). We rode past the monastery today, but didn't stop in because we hadn't called ahead. Next time!

After getting the bikes organized, we proceeded of in our island tour. These folks were out representing for Covid sanity and justice

Next door, what looked to me like an old mine? Someone's idea of a lawn ornament.

The views were lovely from just about everywhere

Passed the island school

They're looking for teachers, if anyone is interested in living a bucolic, idyllic island life! Apply today !

Continued along the quiet, winding, hilly roads, through beautiful cedar and Douglas Fir forest

Stopped in a small county park for lunch, then headed back towards the ferry. We stopped in at the historical museum and library, but they were closed - you know why. Lovely little complex, though!

Finally arrived back at the ferry dock, where were shared an iced coffee and an orange cranberry scone as a reward for doing so well on all the hills!

On the ride back to Anacortes, we popped across to Orcas Island, where all the cars disembarking had to back off! I took a video, but can't find it .

Arrived back at our car a bit tied t, but happy we had had the chance to visit wonderful Shaw!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Only to re-visit the blueberry/huckleberry and bilberry subject...

"Jagodzianka", or bilberry-jam bun, available at any Polish cake-shop during the summer. The only other cake that is equally popular here is the rose-jam filled "pączek". (To stay on topic: I rode my Trance to buy the bun; and bread this morning )

 

[RabH]

But only a few months out of the year, right?

If we are very lucky!

@RandallS You live in a beautiful part of the world, your photos are amazing!

For once there was no threat of rain, back on my favourite quiet back roads which were still pretty sodden but my mudguards do a wonderful job! I think most people are back at work now, only 1 other cyclist spotted in 2 hours of riding! What a wonderful ride it was, part of me doesn't want to go back to work now but my wallet disagrees! I will just keep going on my rides while I still can, I know I will be back at work in September (possibly before) which is approaching rapidly now, the year has gone so quickly!

 

[RandallS]

There's no place I'd rather be on a beautiful summer day than the Great Pacific Northwest! It was another perfect day for a ride, this time on Shaw Island, one of the San Juan Island chain in the Salish Sea, just north of the Puget Sound.

...BIG SNIP...

On the ride back to Anacortes, we popped across to Orcas Island, where all the cars disembarking had to back off! I took a video, but can't find it .

Arrived back at our car a bit tied t, but happy we had had the chance to visit wonderful Shaw!

QUOTE]

PatriciaK, that looked like a fantastic ride. Once common sense returns and this virus stuff is under control on both sides of the border, I would love to explore that area on my bike.
My mother in law lives not far for the Sidney to Anacortes ferry terminal in Sidney BC so I'd have a base of operations for both Vancouver Island as well as the Islands between our two countries..

 

[RandallS]

@RabH , this area around the Calgary does indeed have some wonderful outdoor spaces.

There's a golf course near Canmore in the Kananaskis Park where they used to have the starters remind players when they start: "Don't forget to Look UP" !

I am going to have to see what the trail riding is like around there soon. Summer is fleeting here, and we've had a glorious last few weeks.

Stay tuned!

 

[jaizon]

Great advice and information!