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

[Stefan Mikes]

No comprehendi

Just ride your Levo and stop worrying.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

View attachment 196943

So who won, you or the boat?

 

[Chargeride]

Just ride your Levo and stop worrying.

Seriously I went to that post but it was mine and then I got confused

 

[Chazmo]

Seriously I went to that post but it was mine and then I got confused

I talk to myself all the time. Especially when I’m looking at a big hill ahead of me.

 

[JGcycle]

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

 

[Chazmo]

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

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Wow, super beautiful day up there, and wonderful scenery!!! I’m hoping to get out myself as we’re having a gorgeous day here (in central MA) today too!

 

[Chargeride]

So who won, you or the boat?

I think she wants some recharging.

 

[Chargeride]

Good day for riding in Marin, very slight fine rain now and then.
Brian brought his dog, its completely crackers.

Straight away he was knocked off by this fallen branch that was perfectly hidden in camouflage, we heaved it out of the way.

The dog just loves to run

Then he put a hole in his sidewall, had to put a tube in.

The bridge was being repaired so there was a big diversion through the country lanes.

Derelict mining cottages everywhere

The Snowdonian range in the distance, it looked amazing in real life,

Constantly passing buildings in the middle of the forest straight out of a nature reclaiming movie

Marin is probably the most scenic red trail in Wales, the image doesn't remotely convey the feeling of scale.

Rain cooled us down after a long climb

The whole place is picture postcard, you drive right over this bridge to enter the trails..this is some photo off the net.
The ivy tea rooms near Llanrwst

 

[Rás Cnoic]

I'm all on Charge's service, only he doesn't need my help


My Vado SL has 11,490 miles (18,486 km) and 4 years, no single warranty repair required.
My MY 2017 Vado (Gen 1) had two warranty interventions since 1st November 2019:

• Free upgrade to 2020 electronics (including deadly expensive Supernova lights)
• Free rebuild on the "lifetime frameset warranty" 3 years post the purchase, 1 year post the warranty expiry, free upgrade from Vado 5.0 to 6.0.
• The motor replaced once after 14,000 km and 3 years but that was the Gen 1 motor.

I thing @Chargeride your mates really abuse their Levos. You're not that type (could see the delicate shoes you rode your Levo in)

Mountain bikes are made to withstand abuse. Hard not to, off road in mud and rocks and gravity.

My bike shop, part of a chain of bike shops called the Bicycle Chain and a major Spesh dealer, said that over 50% of Spesh EMTBs had motors replaced under warranty. Sone had 3 or 4 motors replaced but that this was not unusual for EMTBs of any brand in U.K. conditions (wet).

My Vado SL had 2 motor replacements & 2 TCU replacements all under warranty.

Also the YT channel EMBN asked a major U.K. ebike motor repairs company about motor wear and tear, they said most of the water seals in e bike motors are just not good enough, that brands have neglected this important aspect but that this was improving. They said when they repair any motor they now tend to replace the seals to improve them.

They were being polite but you could see they were incredulous that major brands do such a crap job in sealing the motor.

 

[Chargeride]

The chinese Bafang motors are far better sealed and weather proof constructed, you can and I have ran them completely submerged with no issues at the time or later,
But they are low tech and heavy, you pick your weapon

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The chinese Bafang motors are far better sealed and weather proof constructed, you can and I have ran them completely submerged with no issues at the time or later,

I had my three motors (Specialized 1.2s, SL 1.1, and Yamaha PW-X2) completely submerged on several occasions, no ill effects. No seawater, though

 

[Stefan Mikes]

SPEC X KONTRA 022 (cancelled): A ride with Tommy

Specialized Warsaw and an obscure road cycling club by name of Kontra 022 announced a gravel group ride two weeks ago. The weather forecast for Saturday was firm and dire: constant raining with a thunderstorm at 16:00. As I set off to get to South Warsaw at 9:00, I was unaware the event was cancelled at 8:50 "due to weather". I met my buddy "Tommy" (he prefers to be nicknamed like that) at Specialized Warsaw at 10:35. Oh, the ride had been cancelled? But it was not raining! Well, I and Tommy took the plunge

Stephan's Sacred Wood, a nature reservation 12.5 km into the ride.

"The event cancelled due to weather" Not only no single droplet of rain but also the Sun started shining

"What a terrible weather!" -- Tommy laughed -- "We must be soaked to the bone by now!" We stopped on a hopeless "rail trail" for a while. It was a bumpy, muddy and overgrown trail along the railroad.

At that point I realised the ride organizer was incompetent, and he even hadn't ridden his own route! It is very easy to draw the ride plan on the map. Only what if your actual route hits a a mound of soil? (Before that, we had to cross an active railroad embankment: that was totally unacceptable!)

"Hey Stef, we need to hurry up! My wife is waiting for me!" -- said Tommy. So we sped up, oh, how we sped up! Meanwhile, Tommy went short on water. I led him to a Warsaw cycling Mecca, the only convenience store on a popular Mt Calvary - Warsaw trail in Cieciszew. There, we made a short stop, and could sit on proper chairs

We made the finish line at Specialized on that "rainy day with thunderstorms"

Tommy hurried up to his Wife (he was there on time!) while I ate lunch at META Bar. Oh, my diabetes hit me there. I took no pill with me and only wanted to sleep... Rode to a Metro station, took a train home and only there could take care of myself. I was exhausted!

78 km for the day. I rode my Vado 6.0 at 35/50% assistance for the main ride.