2025 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

[Stefan Mikes]

It was established by the Angles and the name means Priests settlement

Preston = Priest Town, no wonder

Today, I recalled our trip a year ago.

Rathmullan on Lough Swilly (Co. Donegal, Ireland). More than 90 Gaelic earls sailed from this port in 1607 to emigrate to Europe, ending the era of Gaelic rule in Ireland and beginning English and then British rule until 1922. An event known as the "Flight of Earls".

Not fond of it Charge, are you I and @Brix had to see Norn Iron at least for a while

 

[Chargeride]

Where I live is called the bible belt in reference to the large Irish catholic population, they call Liverpool the unofficial capitol of Ireland and I remember the Irish bars back in the 80s openly collecting for the IRA.

The bombings were horrific, one of my girlfriends was caught in the last of them, the Manchester bombing, she was showered with glass in the street.

Endless bomb warnings, they put bomb proof wraps on all the windows at work.

Im not going into the details, but also its still going on, search pipebombs in NI, it should be headline but they bury it in local news

 

[JGcycle]

A few pics from this morning's 24km ride:

 

[Chazmo]

Today I rode with some friends (see pic). These guys do very well on their unassisted bikes though I try not to embarrass them. No, seriously, they do great.

Anyway, cheers! A little over 80 miles for the week over four riding days. Just some beautiful weather. Life is good.

 

[Mulezen]

Where I live is called the bible belt in reference to the large Irish catholic population, they call Liverpool the unofficial capitol of Ireland and I remember the Irish bars back in the 80s openly collecting for the IRA.

The bombings were horrific, one of my girlfriends was caught in the last of them, the Manchester bombing, she was showered with glass in the street.

Endless bomb warnings, they put bomb proof wraps on all the windows at work.

Im not going into the details, but also its still going on, search pipebombs in NI, it should be headline but they bury it in local news

I recall collection jugs for IRA in Boston in 80s. A lot of munitions flowed through to the Emerald Isle. From a peace-loving country like mine…imagine that.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Where I live is called the bible belt in reference to the large Irish catholic population, they call Liverpool the unofficial capitol of Ireland and I remember the Irish bars back in the 80s openly collecting for the IRA.

The bombings were horrific, one of my girlfriends was caught in the last of them, the Manchester bombing, she was showered with glass in the street.

Endless bomb warnings, they put bomb proof wraps on all the windows at work.

Im not going into the details, but also its still going on, search pipebombs in NI, it should be headline but they bury it in local news

A civil war is a nasty thing. I appreciate a lot has changed for better since 1988 but I admit I felt badly in Ulster. Derry is even not Belfast!

 

[JGcycle]

A few pics from this morning's 26km ride:

 

[Chargeride]

That boat needs a bike rack.

 

[Chargeride]

I recall collection jugs for IRA in Boston in 80s. A lot of munitions flowed through to the Emerald Isle. From a peace-loving country like mine…imagine that.

The turning point was that Sean Bean, Harrison Ford movie, Patriot games.
It was the first time the IRA was shown in a bad light by Hollywood.

 

[Chargeride]

Went to Llandegla this morning on the Levo, pretty busy, a lot of young men on top end pedal bikes, everyone was rammed into the Cafe watching the Hardline Red Bull final.

I managed to mostly stay in control, but the red at Llandegla is much faster so constantly hitting the speed limiter.

The bike just devours large rock gardens, to the point Im purposely aiming at them for a laugh.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Barbecue with Tommy's Family (Bug River)
I cannot ride without a goal. Having learned Tommy with his wife would spend the weekend at his parents recreational plot in Kamieńczyk upon Bug, I asked my friend if I could join on Saturday to which he gladly agreed but kept my visit secret to the rest of the family to make them surprised! I had a very good morning train connection to Tłuszcz (literally: Fat) As I already knew the popular area along River Liwiec with its crowds of holiday visitors and boring asphalt roads, I planned a gravel ride around the area... and don't regret it!

After some kilometres of empty asphalt roads, I hit gravel. In Basinów, a rogue little dog attacked me! I sped up to see a patch of sand in front of me... 'I'm done!' I thought but rode through the sand easily. The crazy dog was a good and endurant runner! I accelerated as quicky as I could on the bumpy gravel road but the little hero was following me for some five hundred metres!

Now, I realise I was riding in the Bug Landscape Park. I simply loved gravel roads there! It was a very warm summer day. I enjoyed the smell of tree resin...

Even if I felt I got lost (I didn't!) I enjoyed the forest ride very much! That black, fine, hard packed gravel!

Even if the surface eventually turned into sand, the sand was nicely packed because of recent raining. I went back to the civilisation. The street name (Beautiful Backroads: it was actually a dirt road winding among some trees) combined with the place name (Swine Drowning) made me laugh!

It was a good time spent with Tommy and his family. I only didn't take any good photographs there.

River Bug (read: boog) is indeed picturesque! It is also an interesting example of the Polish language. The letters "u" and "ó" are both pronounced "oo". However Bóg means God while Bug... is just a river name

This kind of a low cliff made of sand can probably only be found in Mazovia. I decided not to risk riding a dangerous singletrack there but started looking for the shortest way to the nearest train station...

The people in the kayaks were very young Ukrainians. They sang beautiful songs. It made me feel like I heard boatmen on the Ukrainian river Don...

While the morning trains brought me to the starting line very quickly, the return trip was very very long...

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

After some kilometres of empty asphalt roads, I hit gravel. In Basinów, a rogue little dog attacked me! I sped up to see a patch of sand in front of me... 'I'm done!' I though but rode through the sand easily. The mad dog was a good and endurant runner! I accelerated as quicky as I could on the bumpy gravel road but the little hero was following me for some five hundred metres!

You made that dog's day.

At the peak of my roadie period, way back in the late Bronze Age, my daily commute was 10 mi each way over rural roads. Made quite a few little biking buddies. They'd wait for me to come by and chase their hearts out every time.

For nearly all, it was just entertainment I was happy to provide. Quickly developed an evasive maneuver that took care of the few who seemed to mean me real harm, so the dogs became an entertaining part of the commute for me as well.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

You made that dog's day.

My early days on e-bikes meant mostly riding asphalt. Whatever dog was trying to chase me on asphalt was met with an immediate response: full TURBO and the speed over 20 mph No village dog could make it! I could hear gravel riders complaints on village dogs but could only understand it on last Saturday

 

[Mulezen]

^ I recall riding my Giant hybrid 10 or so years ago. I was on a slight decline and rode by a young black Lab lounging on his porch. He ran over and then ran alongside of me in the grass. Friendly…playful…showing off. Every time I shifted higher and ran faster he shifted also…after proving his point he ran across the road and watched me pass at 23mph

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I have a dog maneuver that lets me open up a gap as I go by. The dogs on my commute either couldn't or wouldn't close the gap, and soon they'd give up.

That was on an old steel Raleigh road bike sans motor at the fittest time of my life. Pretty sure I could still drop most dogs on my low-power Vado SL 1 WITH the maneuver. Without it, unclear.

Dog parks aside, off-leash dogs are very rare around my current home. But if I encouter one on the SL, I'll see if they'd like to try an experiment.
;^}

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Whatever dog was trying to chase me on asphalt was met with an immediate response: full TURBO and the speed over 20 mph No village dog could make it! I could hear gravel riders complaints on village dogs but could only understand it on last Saturday

I have a dog maneuver that lets me open up a gap as I go by. The dogs on my commute either couldn't or wouldn't close the gap, and soon they'd give up.

That was on an old steel Raleigh road bike sans motor at the fittest time of my life. Pretty sure I could still drop most dogs on my low-power Vado SL 1 WITH the maneuver. Without it, unclear.

Off-leash dogs are very rare around here. But if I encouter one on the SL, I'll see if they'd like to try an experiment.
;^}

 

[Chargeride]

I looked at that map for ten seconds thinking, 'what an unusual cluster of English place names in Poland'.
Now Im sad I can never visit Nasty Dog.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Now Im sad I can never visit Nasty Dog.

You can meet him though

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I have a dog maneuver that lets me open up a gap as I go by.

I'm sure you crave for being asked what the maneuver is

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I'm sure you crave for being asked what the maneuver is

I'm selling it. Go to PayPal and send $10 to [email protected].
B^}