Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
2026 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos
- Thread starter RabH
- Start date
dodgeman
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Macomb, Illinois
I finally got back on the bike and I rode 12 miles today. Almost all the roads in our county are paved but the road in front of my house just got graveled . Bummer. It’s really loose stuff also so I can’t ride on it so I had to walk the bike to the corner, which is only about a quarter of a mile. The problems is this really limits where I can ride. One direction it’s a quarter mike to pavement but the other way is a mile. They will eventually pave it again but it could be weeks. A picture of the road in front of my house.
Catalyzt
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Me, too! It was the greatest, I remember Dad reading the TV guide and announcing, "It's on again!"Loved that film!
Catalyzt
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
My first serious ride since I experienced clinical death for 10 minutes on 7/14/25. 27 miles and 2,880 feet of vertical on Nightmare, the Canyon Grizl ON: CF 7, 36 pounds, 60nm of torque. Did not go through Griffith Park, rode around it to conserve battery, but I had 36% left by the end of the ride.
17 miles were completely unassisted, no motor. The toughest part started around mile 10, Los Flores Motorway, about 2.2 miles averaging 10% with a max grade of 19%. I made it just a bit past Mt. Tongva, and it's the same as it always is up there-- wild, remote, beautiful, only saw about six other people, very hot on the climb, but then I know the deal: Take a few pictures, but don't linger, because the temperature starts dropping FAST about an hour before sunset.
As you can see, this is kind of right at the edge of what Nightmare can manage. The grade was no problem-- she could have done a bit steeper, and for a bit longer, and so could I, though I would have had to stop and rest more. The surface is considerably trickier to manage on this bike than on Seeker, the 46 pound Motobecane eMTB w/ 40nm of torque, mostly because of the sandy stretches. It's tricky on the descent because the bike actually handles better on sand at 12 MPH than it does below 10 MPH, but that only works if the sand ends in a straightaway runout with harder surface. When the sand ends in a curve, you just have to go slow and stay balanced, there's nothing for it. Some minor fishtailing, but workable, harder descending than climbing, and whoa-- I wondered why they offer this bike with a dropper post. Now I understand-- a gravel bike puts far more of your weight on the front wheel, and it takes concentration to remember to keep your weight hanging -- somewhat -- off the back.
What all of this also means is that it's critical to descend no less than 40 minutes before sunset. Seeker was more forgiving, and it didn't matter if I didn't read the surface perfectly in late twilight. Not on this bike! Here's a shot of the toughest segment...
This is the view towards La Canada Flintridge from a mile or two past Mt. Tongva, about three miles and 500 vertical feet short of Verdugo Peak, where I went in 2021... or 23? I don't remember. I got onto Verdugo Motorway, but didn't get to the point where Brand Park Motorway joins it, so ALL of this trail was new to me.
On the other side, you can see Griffith Park, it's just too irritating to downconvert and post the photos.
The takeaway from this ride is that it SHOULD be possible to ride the ENTIRE spine of the Verdugos on this bike with only the stock battery and without buying the supplemental one. The stretch I rode has the steepest grade and the longest stretch over 10%. My range calculations seem to be pretty close-- still figure this bike at just over 40 miles with just over 4,000 feet of vertical. The entire spine, round trip, would be 37 miles and about 3,800 feet of vertical, so if I do it, it's gonna be tight! Will definitely have a support vehicle on call for that one in case I run out of juice! Though if it's getting too close, I can always shut off the motor for most of the 12 mile run on surface streets back home, which is mostly downhill, and save 10% for the final climb to my house.
Surprisingly capable bike. Very happy with its performance under these conditions. Nothing ever felt dangerous.
That was a blast!
17 miles were completely unassisted, no motor. The toughest part started around mile 10, Los Flores Motorway, about 2.2 miles averaging 10% with a max grade of 19%. I made it just a bit past Mt. Tongva, and it's the same as it always is up there-- wild, remote, beautiful, only saw about six other people, very hot on the climb, but then I know the deal: Take a few pictures, but don't linger, because the temperature starts dropping FAST about an hour before sunset.
As you can see, this is kind of right at the edge of what Nightmare can manage. The grade was no problem-- she could have done a bit steeper, and for a bit longer, and so could I, though I would have had to stop and rest more. The surface is considerably trickier to manage on this bike than on Seeker, the 46 pound Motobecane eMTB w/ 40nm of torque, mostly because of the sandy stretches. It's tricky on the descent because the bike actually handles better on sand at 12 MPH than it does below 10 MPH, but that only works if the sand ends in a straightaway runout with harder surface. When the sand ends in a curve, you just have to go slow and stay balanced, there's nothing for it. Some minor fishtailing, but workable, harder descending than climbing, and whoa-- I wondered why they offer this bike with a dropper post. Now I understand-- a gravel bike puts far more of your weight on the front wheel, and it takes concentration to remember to keep your weight hanging -- somewhat -- off the back.
What all of this also means is that it's critical to descend no less than 40 minutes before sunset. Seeker was more forgiving, and it didn't matter if I didn't read the surface perfectly in late twilight. Not on this bike! Here's a shot of the toughest segment...
This is the view towards La Canada Flintridge from a mile or two past Mt. Tongva, about three miles and 500 vertical feet short of Verdugo Peak, where I went in 2021... or 23? I don't remember. I got onto Verdugo Motorway, but didn't get to the point where Brand Park Motorway joins it, so ALL of this trail was new to me.
On the other side, you can see Griffith Park, it's just too irritating to downconvert and post the photos.
The takeaway from this ride is that it SHOULD be possible to ride the ENTIRE spine of the Verdugos on this bike with only the stock battery and without buying the supplemental one. The stretch I rode has the steepest grade and the longest stretch over 10%. My range calculations seem to be pretty close-- still figure this bike at just over 40 miles with just over 4,000 feet of vertical. The entire spine, round trip, would be 37 miles and about 3,800 feet of vertical, so if I do it, it's gonna be tight! Will definitely have a support vehicle on call for that one in case I run out of juice! Though if it's getting too close, I can always shut off the motor for most of the 12 mile run on surface streets back home, which is mostly downhill, and save 10% for the final climb to my house.
Surprisingly capable bike. Very happy with its performance under these conditions. Nothing ever felt dangerous.
That was a blast!
Jeremy McCreary
Bought it anyway
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Congrats! You had a truly movie-worthy medical adventure, and now you're back 11 months later. Must feel pretty sweet.
I have a similar problem on my Vado SL 1: ALL hardpack here in coastal San Diego County has at least a thin veneer of loose sand, and it scares the crap out of me on the steepest downhills. The SL and I can climb 15-20% grades on the stuff, but I'm too chicken to descend steep loose-on-hard with my 38 mm hybrid tires.
I know, I know, that center slick's no good for such descents, but I ride more on road than off, and the tires are fine offroad otherwise.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
In Puławy
So I took a train to Puławy, a city on the Vistula in Land of Lublin, and my Vado SL is with me I'm providing training to an R&D institute here this week; it is nice to ride a bike in this beautiful so green city for work instead of taking a taxi! Many employees of the nearby chemical plant also commute on bikes, so it's nothing strange with me.
It is how you live in an industrial city surrounded by a rich farming area! I love being here!
So I took a train to Puławy, a city on the Vistula in Land of Lublin, and my Vado SL is with me
I'm providing training to an R&D institute here this week; it is nice to ride a bike in this beautiful so green city for work instead of taking a taxi! Many employees of the nearby chemical plant also commute on bikes, so it's nothing strange with me.It is how you live in an industrial city surrounded by a rich farming area!
I love being here!Similar threads
