2026 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

[Rás Cnoic]

Those are Goldilocks temps

View attachment 208869

Been marvelling at the week ahead, reorganising work, looking at maps...

 

[Chargeride]

I admire your faith in the Met Office, I wish you luck traveller

 

[Rás Cnoic]

I admire your faith in the Met Office, I wish you luck traveller

I have 2 apps - met office and one called Windy. Met is pretty conservative - "only a few drops of rain old fellow, nothing to worry about." Whereas Windy is more dramatic "ITS A FUCKING HURRICANE WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"

So usually it's somewhere in between and both remarkably say sunshine (patchy) for the week ahead.

 

[Chargeride]

The way they simplify the weather is so inconsistent and decieving.
Sunny and dry but 30% chance of rain and the graphic looks like a monsoon.

So you take an umbrella and its suntan all day.
Oh and its strangely free, why is weather prediction practically free outside of the bbc.
A few adverts on the web page is hardly gonng to cover the costs involved.

Edit..I deep dived, its quite a bag of snakes.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I have 2 apps - met office and one called Windy. Met is pretty conservative - "only a few drops of rain old fellow, nothing to worry about." Whereas Windy is more dramatic "ITS A FUCKING HURRICANE WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"

So usually it's somewhere in between and both remarkably say sunshine (patchy) for the week ahead.

Used Windy to see the maps with the wind, rain, fronts, and pressure centers headed your way. It just shook its head in grim silence.

 

[McApple]

Those are Goldilocks temps

View attachment 208869

Your lows resemble our daily highs, our lows are in the negatives

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Elektroza Nieporętoza (A NON-Gravel Group Ride)

As we accepted my long time friend Makenzen (Joanna) into our riding group, and she rides a recumbent bike on 25 mm tyres, I promised our ad hoc ride would avoid riding gravel or terrain at any cost! Weather: warm (16 C), sunny, hardly any wind (and if any, it was a friendly one!) We all four met in Warsaw-Rembertów where the e-biker Anna lives. And we rode North.

You would think we were riding gravel anyway Not. We found Komoot tried to force us inside a forest so we were considering options. An elderly lady who was walking her doggie not only took that picture but also told us a concrete slab road was a connector to a new beautiful road of a minimum traffic that would easily take us to our destination! (L to R: Yours truly, Makenzen, Anna and Tommy).

Here, they all look as a typical gravel group who emerged from the woods to cross a road and immerse into another forest again NOT! (A joke says: "Who are gravel cyclists? They are cyclists who ride across paved roads!")

Me leading the group on the Beautiful New Road

Our destination was Nieporęt, a location on Zegrzyńskie Lake. The big artificial reservoir is a favourite place for sailing, motor-boating or just numerous sand beaches at many different locations around. Here: At the "Quiet Water Inn". See one of several recumbent bikes that Makenzen owns. This one has been designed for road riding only.

At last! After several months of culinary drought, I could eventually get a pork chop with potatoes and cucumber in sour cream ("mizeria"), probably the most favourite meal in Poland!

Totally satiated with the highest quality food we got at the inn, we rode to the beach.

The motorboat guys certainly had a lot of fun!

Despite all my efforts, we could not avoid several kilometres of smooth gravel along the Royal Canal towards Warsaw. It was at least not sand.

We've been close friends with Makenzen since 2006, and even were in the same musical band!

This photo is out-of-focus but gives the gist why people love riding their bikes there!

As some of you already know, Anna is of my age group, and she (and her late husband) were e-bikers well before I turned into one! Anna was e-biking in many countries! Nowadays, she rides a nice Swiss made Flyer, a Bosch E-Bike, Nexus IGH, carbon drive belt etc.

I made 70 km total on the day. As I had to significantly reduce the assistance to match the group capability, I got a really good workout! (Not that many calories as the day before though).

 

[edobici_forza]

Those are Goldilocks temps

View attachment 208869

I am a weather geek too! so good to plan rides but you are looking too far into the future!

 

[edobici_forza]

Elektroza Nieporętoza (A NON-Gravel Group Ride)

As we accepted my long time friend Makenzen (Joanna) into our riding group, and she rides a recumbent bike on 25 mm tyres, I promised our ad hoc ride would avoid riding gravel or terrain at any cost! Weather: warm (16 C), sunny, hardly any wind (and if any, it was a friendly one!) We all four met in Warsaw-Rembertów where the e-biker Anna lives. And we rode North.

View attachment 208870
You would think we were riding gravel anyway Not. We found Komoot tried to force us inside a forest so we were considering options. An elderly lady who was walking her doggie not only took that picture but also told us a concrete slab road was a connector to a new beautiful road of a minimum traffic that would easily take us to our destination! (L to R: Yours truly, Makenzen, Anna and Tommy).

View attachment 208871
Here, they all look as a typical gravel group who emerged from the woods to cross a road and immerse into another forest again NOT! (A joke says: "Who are gravel cyclists? They are cyclists who ride across paved roads!")



View attachment 208886
Me leading the group on the Beautiful New Road


View attachment 208872
Our destination was Nieporęt, a location on Zegrzyńskie Lake. The big artificial reservoir is a favourite place for sailing, motor-boating or just numerous sand beaches at many different locations around. Here: At the "Quiet Water Inn". See one of several recumbent bikes that Makenzen owns. This one has been designed for road riding only.


At last! After several months of culinary drought, I could eventually get a pork chop with potatoes and cucumber in sour cream ("mizeria"), probably the most favourite meal in Poland!

View attachment 208875
Totally satiated with the highest quality food we got at the inn, we rode to the beach.
The motorboat guys certainly had a lot of fun!


Despite all my efforts, we could not avoid several kilometres of smooth gravel along the Royal Canal towards Warsaw. It was at least not sand.


We've been close friends with Makenzen since 2006, and even were in the same musical band!


This photo is out-of-focus but gives the gist why people love riding their bikes there!


As some of you already know, Anna is of my age group, and she (and her late husband) were e-bikers well before I turned into one! Anna was e-biking in many countries! Nowadays, she rides a nice Swiss made Flyer, a Bosch E-Bike, Nexus IGH, carbon drive belt etc.


I made 70 km total on the day. As I had to significantly reduce the assistance to match the group capability, I got a really good workout! (Not that many calories as the day before though).

so cool Stefan. riding with friends is awesome!!

 

[RabH]

I was hoping to cycle up to Knockhill racing circuit for the car racing yesterday but opted for the car instead, today was the bike's turn! The forecast wasn't the best but it turned out to be a nice day for the most part, I did have to alter my ride to avoid a squall on the way to Lanark! The wind was an easterly for a change but only around 15mph, a light breeze for these parts! I decided I would head for Biggar and use the A73 to Lanark on the way back to take advantage of the easterly breeze! I took the back roads down to Allanton and over to Carluke, then the awesome back road to Yieldshields where I stopped for this photo looking SE with some threatening clouds over the Pentlands!

From there I made my way to Carnwath, I love this road!

I then passed the Alpacas and for once some of them were at my end of the field so I got some nice closeups!

Peek a boo!

I prefer the grass to you mate...

The horse wanted in on the action!

I then took the back road past the White Loch!

I had a nice view of Tinto Hill at the loch!

View attachment 208925
A short time later I arrived in Carnwath and turned SE towards Libberton, another amazing road with this awesome descent! The road ramps up after the descent and as I was heading up the climb I heard a whoosh and a guy shot past me on a completely illegal e bike, I reckon he was doing 25-30mph as he passed me on the climb...

I had this stunning view of Tinto Hill at Libberton and continued SE towards Biggar!

The road is very undulating and in great condition!

I had some nice views all the way to Biggar!

The road isn't so smooth on this big descent but fine for the bike!

This lot wanted in on the action also!

The views just kept coming!

How cute is this? the little one was sheltering from the chilly breeze...

The awesome final descent into Biggar with the stunning Coulter Hills in the background!

As always Biggar was busy but I avoided the town centre and turned SW towards Symington, it was so much warmer with the breeze at my back now! Thankfully no rain so far but looking west towards Lanark didn't look very promising! I stopped after passing through Symington for some photos of the Pentlands!

I then turned NW and joined the A73 towards Lanark but decided to head north to Thankerton as it looked much brighter that way! I did catch a little shower at one point which didn't even wet the road, I continued north through the village of Pettinain and took the back road to Carstairs Village, another cracking road with some really smooth parts and some not so smooth! From Carstairs I headed north to Forth and tackled the big climb up to Climpy, I stopped near the top for my final photos! The road doesn't look that steep in this photo but its quite a climb!

After the climb there are 3 awesome descents down to the A71, the road isn't in the best condition but its still a lot of fun! At the end of the road I turned west towards Allanton, it starts with a gradual climb and then its a gradual descent all the way to Allanton! I was flying along with the breeze at my back, just before Allanton I took the back road to Hartwood and headed up the big climb to Hareshaw and over the back roads to home! I managed to avoid the rain and had such a great ride and even got home to sunshine! For once I got home with a clean bike, what a bonus that was!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I let my riding partner Tommy have a look in this thread (his passive English understanding is good). Then he asked me to tell him something of some notable members. I described you Rab as a "Scot who rides for a hundred miles or more"

 

[DaveMatthews]

View attachment 208915

I was hoping to cycle up to Knockhill racing circuit for the car racing yesterday but opted for the car instead, today was the bike's turn! The forecast wasn't the best but it turned out to be a nice day for the most part, I did have to alter my ride to avoid a squall on the way to Lanark! The wind was an easterly for a change but only around 15mph, a light breeze for these parts! I decided I would head for Biggar and use the A73 to Lanark on the way back to take advantage of the easterly breeze! I took the back roads down to Allanton and over to Carluke, then the awesome back road to Yieldshields where I stopped for this photo looking SE with some threatening clouds over the Pentlands!

View attachment 208916
From there I made my way to Carnwath, I love this road!

View attachment 208917
I then passed the Alpacas and for once some of them were at my end of the field so I got some nice closeups!

View attachment 208918
Peek a boo!

View attachment 208919
I prefer the grass to you mate...

View attachment 208920
View attachment 208921
The horse wanted in on the action!

View attachment 208922
I then took the back road past the White Loch!

View attachment 208923
I had a nice view of Tinto Hill at the loch!

View attachment 208924
View attachment 208925
A short time later I arrived in Carnwath and turned SE towards Libberton, another amazing road with this awesome descent! The road ramps up after the descent and as I was heading up the climb I heard a whoosh and a guy shot past me on a completely illegal e bike, I reckon he was doing 25-30mph as he passed me on the climb...

View attachment 208926
I had this stunning view of Tinto Hill at Libberton and continued SE towards Biggar!

View attachment 208927
The road is very undulating and in great condition!

View attachment 208928
View attachment 208929
I had some nice views all the way to Biggar!

View attachment 208930
The road isn't so smooth on this big descent but fine for the bike!

View attachment 208931
This lot wanted in on the action also!

View attachment 208932
The views just kept coming!

View attachment 208933
How cute is this? the little one was sheltering from the chilly breeze...

View attachment 208934
The awesome final descent into Biggar with the stunning Coulter Hills in the background!

View attachment 208935
View attachment 208936
As always Biggar was busy but I avoided the town centre and turned SW towards Symington, it was so much warmer with the breeze at my back now! Thankfully no rain so far but looking west towards Lanark didn't look very promising! I stopped after passing through Symington for some photos of the Pentlands!

View attachment 208938
View attachment 208939
View attachment 208940
View attachment 208941
View attachment 208942
I then turned NW and joined the A73 towards Lanark but decided to head north to Thankerton as it looked much brighter that way! I did catch a little shower at one point which didn't even wet the road, I continued north through the village of Pettinain and took the back road to Carstairs Village, another cracking road with some really smooth parts and some not so smooth! From Carstairs I headed north to Forth and tackled the big climb up to Climpy, I stopped near the top for my final photos! The road doesn't look that steep in this photo but its quite a climb!

View attachment 208943
View attachment 208944
After the climb there are 3 awesome descents down to the A71, the road isn't in the best condition but its still a lot of fun! At the end of the road I turned west towards Allanton, it starts with a gradual climb and then its a gradual descent all the way to Allanton! I was flying along with the breeze at my back, just before Allanton I took the back road to Hartwood and headed up the big climb to Hareshaw and over the back roads to home! I managed to avoid the rain and had such a great ride and even got home to sunshine! For once I got home with a clean bike, what a bonus that was!

View attachment 208945
View attachment 208946

Nice ride!
One thing I always wondered though... is Biggar always better?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

is Biggar always better?

Bettar*

 

[Stefan Mikes]

New Plans

This April is a terrible month: some days are warm and nice, other cold as if it were Winter.

This early morning grocery shopping, 2 C.

I have announced a new group ride for Saturday, which might be the only day of the weekend with decent temps but there will be a very strong wind from W...

This would be a ride around Zegrzyńskie Lake formed by rivers Narew and Bug. However, there is no Bug bridge before Wyszków (the easternmost waypoint), making the trip long and exceptionally picturesque. (I might take my DSLR for the trip).

I invited "only able-bodied and fearless cyclists" to the ride, so it might turn out I would be the sole rider It's going to be fun to ride against 20 mph headwind on the way back! (Taking my big Vado).

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Coffee Courier

The first thing I learned in the morning was production buildings near to the Social Care Home where my daughter lives went on fire. (As usually, we suspect it was a sabotage, a part of the hybrid war carried out by Russia). Soon after 8:00 in the morning I learned by phone the SCH was not affected by that fire; what a relief! Anyway, my daughter had been asking me for a delivery of mild instant coffee (that would be the "new" Nescafe Gold). I did the shopping early in the morning, asked my work manager for a leave, and just after we finished the last work related matter, I jumped onto my big Vado.

There was a strong NNW wind with a headwind component. I pedalled hard in SPORT mode for the half of the distance then went full TURBO to be on time. And I was on time After having delivered the shipment I chose a longer return way, and the ride was facilitated by the wind this time! I could just zoom in the SPORT mode

A new mirror. I feel I was cheated by the online store: while I expected it would be a permanent mirror, the product turned out to be a temporary one, mounted with a rubber band. Oh well, anyone can make a mistake...

I chose a long and complicated return route to enjoy sunshine at 14 C, even if the wind was cold. Here: Białuty, a local manufacturer of ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard.

A gravel shortcut among the fields.

Well, it was nice 47 km ridden at a pretty high speed, pure pleasure! (Red: very fast, Blue: fast).

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Mayonnaise, better than the politics!

I must write this. There is nothing more dividing the Polish society than mayonnaise I posted the Białuty photo with a caption: "And I still prefer Kielecki!" That is the best trigger for a heated discussion in Poland. The reactions are:

• "If you love vinegar, buy Kielecki. I'm with Winiary!" -- the immediate answer is -- "When I was a university student, I whipped oil with water using an ultrasonic disintegrator. What I got was Winiary mayonnaise"
• "Only regional mayonnaise matters" - Napoleoński, Kętrzyński, Białuty, etc. -- "If you like Kielecki then you know nothing on mayonnaise!"
• "I don't care what mayonnaise brand"
• "I eat no mayonnaise".

Though, no one, I say no one, no Pole of either sex remains silent. Everybody gets triggered I love my country!

A fridge in a Polish household in London UK

 

[Tars Tarkas]

I must write this.

Of course you must. You don't have to post it on an ebike forum though.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Of course you must. You don't have to post it on an ebike forum though.

I couldn't care less.
Haven't seen any of your ride report recently.

 

[Chargeride]

Mayonnaise, better than the politics!

I must write this. There is nothing more dividing the Polish society than mayonnaise I posted the Białuty photo with a caption: "And I still prefer Kielecki!" That is the best trigger for a heated discussion in Poland. The reactions are:

• "If you love vinegar, buy Kielecki. I'm with Winiary!" -- the immediate answer is -- "When I was a university student, I whipped oil with water using an ultrasonic disintegrator. What I got was Winiary mayonnaise"
• "Only regional mayonnaise matters" - Napoleoński, Kętrzyński, Białuty, etc. -- "If you like Kielecki then you know nothing on mayonnaise!"
• "I don't care what mayonnaise brand"
• "I eat no mayonnaise".

Though, no one, I say no one, no Pole of either sex remains silent. Everybody gets triggered I love my country!

View attachment 208973
A fridge in a Polish household in London UK

We call the vineragy version Salad Cream

 

[Chargeride]

The ride started in Nannerch, Flintshire.
An old friend has a cottage here and we spent many years in this pub and the hills around here.
We lost touch when he went to workfor British Antarctica

Straight into the bridleways

There is no need for the bridleway, its about 300 yards long and adjacent to the road

This is the driveway of that house , Im sure they never get bikes riding through.

I posted this from google maps, it was stupidly steep and rocky.

The view from the top was worth it

Alll the sheep scarpered except for this cool dude, he eventually looked up with a 'whatever' face.

More and more climbing till rewarded with this view.

Then a massive fast descent.

The path went right around the mountain base, the views were constantly inspiring

It ened up at a mtb trail centre

Then a huge climb bridleway back over the hill,

These sheep ran for miles, eventually I got past and blocked them to run back the way they came.

Dans DT Swisshub ratchet failed on this climb

Turned out the entire cassette was loose

While fixing it I recognised my friends cottage on the hillside, I havent seen it or him for 25 years, so I rode up and knocked to see if he still lived there

Riding back down the path and he appears with his wife, she was the doctor at the Antarctic base.
He didnt recognise me for a long time in my bike helmet, so I took it off and he couldnt believe it, they had been in France for two weeks and were returning from the airport.
That broken hub reunited us.