Chargeride
Well-Known Member
Ah well they blocked it after letting it through.
No beatles on youtube it seems
No beatles on youtube it seems
D
Deleted member 18083
Guest
Thanks for your inspiration PDXzap …
Of course, this being the Brisbane River, our ubiquitous mangroves have insisted on photobombing the scene.
Inspiration! Thanks PDX! You made me stop and admire the graceful arches of a similar bridge across the our Brisbane River. The engineers amongst us will probably note the differences in construction!
Sherwood Bridge
Of course, this being the Brisbane River, our ubiquitous mangroves have insisted on photobombing the scene.
Go Between Bridge, Brisbane River
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
Stephan you need to adjust the top sliding plate on your rack in order to level it out.Exploring Lublin and Beyond (feat. Dick Jagger)
That's gonna be a totally photo-overloaded post, sorry!
I met a guy nicknamed Dick Jagger (36 now) as a drummer for the original Polish punk-rock band ZWŁOKI 8 years ago. Our friendship has been building slowly; meanwhile Piotr left his hometown of Wrocław (Breslau) for Lublin in East Poland for personal reasons. Jagger got very interested in my e-bike escapades (which I report on FB), and he expressed great eagerness to ride together. The day has come: I have been preparing for the trip to Lublin (that included taking the Trance and the Vado with my station-wagon and considering the weather conditions) for a week. At 10:00 on Saturday, I met Jagger in the Old Town of Lublin, where he lives in a beautiful loft in an ancient town-house.
View attachment 59417
Meet Jagger. Mr. Dick Jagger.
Lublin! The city that is never mentioned as a major tourist attraction of Poland. How wrongly! In the 15th-16th c. the Renaissance city was at the top of its importance and power. Here, King Casimir IV Jagiellon issued an edict giving freedom to Jews. Here, Poland and Lithuania created their Commonwealth in 1569, forming a European superpower state. Here, Prussia paid the Second Homage to the Kingdom of Poland in the same year. The city was saved from destruction in 1944 by a rapid action of the Soviet Army, preserving the city's beauty. Here, Soviet Union created the Communist Poland in 1944, too. The city that was in decline even 20 years ago is gorgeous now.
Many of you might have heard the name of "Lublin" because it was very important Jewish city before WWII. The author Isaac Bashevis Singer published his "The Magician of Lublin" novel in 1960, and that won him the Nobel Prize. A movie based on the novel (with the title song performed by Kate Bush) was released in 1979.
View attachment 59421
However, we rode down the Lubartowska St. to see the Lublin Land at our journey start. A friend has told me the same place was a grim, dirty and dangerous location just 20 years ago. Now, there are flowers everywhere.
View attachment 59423
At the border of Lublin and Łęczna counties. Jagger, as an early Millenial is in love with the modern technology so he caught on the idea of e-bike instantly. As a relatively young drummer, he is strong. He rode (on the average) half of the whole distance in the Off mode with the Eco mode for ascents, against headwind, and to ride faster.
View attachment 59422
Jagger and me in the park of Zawieprzyce, 22 km from the trip start. "Zawieprzyce" means "a place beyond the River Wieprz". The name of the river Wieprz means "Hog"
View attachment 59425
Our Eastern province (voivodship) of Lublin borders with Belarus and Ukraine. The Land of Lublin is mostly a farming country, although the chemical and aerospace industry can also be found there.
View attachment 59427
Polish farmland is only rarely fenced, so we could eat delicious redcurrant straight from the plant at road-side.
View attachment 59428
Jagger was an excellent ride companion, and he is a humorous person! Here, attempting to do the wheelie next to the redcurrant plantation
View attachment 59430
The Land of Lublin is rich with cereals (there's even famous "Lublin Flour"!)....
View attachment 59431
...hops, and tobacco. The soil is fertile there. A hops plantation can be seen in the picture. The "Lubelski", "Marynka", "Sybilla" etc. hops varieties contribute to the taste of Polish lager beers (nine hops varieties are grown in the Land of Lublin).
View attachment 59432
A family of storks was very interested with us(Any prosperous Polish village has to sport a stork nest).
View attachment 59433
We were able to find an excellent Polish restaurant "Oleńka" in the county-town of Łęczna. The soup called "chłodnik" or the "cold soup" was just delicious! I could describe the food served at Oleńka as "true Eastern Polish home-made countryside meals served with a city elegance". Oh my! That was really good!
View attachment 59434
A horse on the Hog (meadow).
View attachment 59435
-- "Your Trance is a lot of a bike!" -- mentioned Jagger upon first seeing the e-bike. It doesn't look as big in the picture here, does it. Here, we felt powerful after the lunch. Jagger put the POWER mode on and disappeared at the distance. He hit 51.5 km/h on the flat and also hit the speed limiter
View attachment 59436
The harvest has just begun. (Do you call the machine "a combine harvester" in English? If so, the Polish name for it is "kombajn").
View attachment 59438
The youngest airport in Europe: The Lublin Airport (LUZ) in Świdnik. I didn't know it existed before I saw it!
View attachment 59439
I was stunned with the beauty of Lublin...
View attachment 59440
Just remove the cars, road-signs and the antenna, and you are back in the Jewish Lublin...
View attachment 59441
Lublin! The city unknown to the tourist crowds!
View attachment 59442
The European Centre for Meetings and Culture. You can even find an excellent craft-beer pub there, Browar Zakładowy. And the vista point at the roof.
View attachment 59443
Jagger was testing climbing and handling capabilities of Trance E+ there. For your information, the Vado 5.0 could climb to the half of the incline there only.
View attachment 59444
Jagger was also testing the full-suspension in Ogród Saski (The Saxon Garden). It is not the Saxon Garden of Warsaw!
View attachment 59445
Krakowskie Przedmieście (The Cracow Suburb) in Lublin. It is not the Cracow Suburb of Warsaw!
Lublin is a university city. There is the Marie Curie University and the Catholic University of Lublin as well as several smaller private universities in the city. That makes the city young and fashionable.
View attachment 59446
Brama Krakowska (The Cracow Gate) of Lublin. It is not the Cracow Gate of Ojców, Lesser Poland!
View attachment 59447
The (Renaissance) Main Square of Lublin. You actually needed a 15 mm ultra-wide-angle lens there to cover the square in it's entirety. My lens wide-end was at 24 mm, unluckily.
View attachment 59448
The Magician of Lublin.
View attachment 59449
"Święty Spokój" (Peace of Mind), a bookstore and vinyl record store combined with a cafe. Just like in America.
View attachment 59450
The Lublin Castle.
View attachment 59451
45 miles in Lublin and beyond. The stats have been updated from the Vado's display.
View attachment 59452
Within Poland. It takes 2 hours drive from my place to Lublin over the excellent S17 freeway. It will be 1.5 h when the new Southern Warsaw Beltway has been finished.
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
Pic is washed out in the bright light of the hottest day of the year here ( which is only 85/30).
Last edited:
Dallant
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
You definitely need to publish a bike touring book for Poland!Exploring Lublin and Beyond (feat. Dick Jagger)
That's gonna be a totally photo-overloaded post, sorry!
I met a guy nicknamed Dick Jagger (36 now) as a drummer for the original Polish punk-rock band ZWŁOKI 8 years ago. Our friendship has been building slowly; meanwhile Piotr left his hometown of Wrocław (Breslau) for Lublin in East Poland for personal reasons. Jagger got very interested in my e-bike escapades (which I report on FB), and he expressed great eagerness to ride together. The day has come: I have been preparing for the trip to Lublin (that included taking the Trance and the Vado with my station-wagon and considering the weather conditions) for a week. At 10:00 on Saturday, I met Jagger in the Old Town of Lublin, where he lives in a beautiful loft in an ancient town-house.
View attachment 59417
Meet Jagger. Mr. Dick Jagger.
Lublin! The city that is never mentioned as a major tourist attraction of Poland. How wrongly! In the 15th-16th c. the Renaissance city was at the top of its importance and power. Here, King Casimir IV Jagiellon issued an edict giving freedom to Jews. Here, Poland and Lithuania created their Commonwealth in 1569, forming a European superpower state. Here, Prussia paid the Second Homage to the Kingdom of Poland in the same year. The city was saved from destruction in 1944 by a rapid action of the Soviet Army, preserving the city's beauty. Here, Soviet Union created the Communist Poland in 1944, too. The city that was in decline even 20 years ago is gorgeous now.
Many of you might have heard the name of "Lublin" because it was very important Jewish city before WWII. The author Isaac Bashevis Singer published his "The Magician of Lublin" novel in 1960, and that won him the Nobel Prize. A movie based on the novel (with the title song performed by Kate Bush) was released in 1979.
View attachment 59421
However, we rode down the Lubartowska St. to see the Lublin Land at our journey start. A friend has told me the same place was a grim, dirty and dangerous location just 20 years ago. Now, there are flowers everywhere.
View attachment 59423
At the border of Lublin and Łęczna counties. Jagger, as an early Millenial is in love with the modern technology so he caught on the idea of e-bike instantly. As a relatively young drummer, he is strong. He rode (on the average) half of the whole distance in the Off mode with the Eco mode for ascents, against headwind, and to ride faster.
View attachment 59422
Jagger and me in the park of Zawieprzyce, 22 km from the trip start. "Zawieprzyce" means "a place beyond the River Wieprz". The name of the river Wieprz means "Hog"
View attachment 59425
Our Eastern province (voivodship) of Lublin borders with Belarus and Ukraine. The Land of Lublin is mostly a farming country, although the chemical and aerospace industry can also be found there.
View attachment 59427
Polish farmland is only rarely fenced, so we could eat delicious redcurrant straight from the plant at road-side.
View attachment 59428
Jagger was an excellent ride companion, and he is a humorous person! Here, attempting to do the wheelie next to the redcurrant plantation
View attachment 59430
The Land of Lublin is rich with cereals (there's even famous "Lublin Flour"!)....
View attachment 59431
...hops, and tobacco. The soil is fertile there. A hops plantation can be seen in the picture. The "Lubelski", "Marynka", "Sybilla" etc. hops varieties contribute to the taste of Polish lager beers (nine hops varieties are grown in the Land of Lublin).
View attachment 59432
A family of storks was very interested with us
View attachment 59433
We were able to find an excellent Polish restaurant "Oleńka" in the county-town of Łęczna. The soup called "chłodnik" or the "cold soup" was just delicious! I could describe the food served at Oleńka as "true Eastern Polish home-made countryside meals served with a city elegance". Oh my! That was really good!
View attachment 59434
A horse on the Hog (meadow).
View attachment 59435
-- "Your Trance is a lot of a bike!" -- mentioned Jagger upon first seeing the e-bike. It doesn't look as big in the picture here, does it. Here, we felt powerful after the lunch. Jagger put the POWER mode on and disappeared at the distance. He hit 51.5 km/h on the flat and also hit the speed limiter
View attachment 59436
The harvest has just begun. (Do you call the machine "a combine harvester" in English? If so, the Polish name for it is "kombajn").
View attachment 59438
The youngest airport in Europe: The Lublin Airport (LUZ) in Świdnik. I didn't know it existed before I saw it!
View attachment 59439
I was stunned with the beauty of Lublin...
View attachment 59440
Just remove the cars, road-signs and the antenna, and you are back in the Jewish Lublin...
View attachment 59441
Lublin! The city unknown to the tourist crowds!
View attachment 59442
The European Centre for Meetings and Culture. You can even find an excellent craft-beer pub there, Browar Zakładowy. And the vista point at the roof.
View attachment 59443
Jagger was testing climbing and handling capabilities of Trance E+ there. For your information, the Vado 5.0 could climb to the half of the incline there only.
View attachment 59444
Jagger was also testing the full-suspension in Ogród Saski (The Saxon Garden). It is not the Saxon Garden of Warsaw!
View attachment 59445
Krakowskie Przedmieście (The Cracow Suburb) in Lublin. It is not the Cracow Suburb of Warsaw!
Lublin is a university city. There is the Marie Curie University and the Catholic University of Lublin as well as several smaller private universities in the city. That makes the city young and fashionable.
View attachment 59446
Brama Krakowska (The Cracow Gate) of Lublin. It is not the Cracow Gate of Ojców, Lesser Poland!
View attachment 59447
The (Renaissance) Main Square of Lublin. You actually needed a 15 mm ultra-wide-angle lens there to cover the square in it's entirety. My lens wide-end was at 24 mm, unluckily.
View attachment 59448
The Magician of Lublin.
View attachment 59449
"Święty Spokój" (Peace of Mind), a bookstore and vinyl record store combined with a cafe. Just like in America.
View attachment 59450
The Lublin Castle.
View attachment 59451
45 miles in Lublin and beyond. The stats have been updated from the Vado's display.
View attachment 59452
Within Poland. It takes 2 hours drive from my place to Lublin over the excellent S17 freeway. It will be 1.5 h when the new Southern Warsaw Beltway has been finished.
Dallant
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Haven't posted here for a while. Getting the Bosch update done on Saturday to my Allant +7 was interesting as I specifically asked the Trek tech to actuate the light on/off function and to remove the Sport mode and substitute the EMTB mode. All went well until my family went for a ride and after 3 miles I suddenly had a flat! So much for getting much chance to test the new functionality!
So today I finally got to ride a good distance and it was a beautiful day! Rode about 28 miles and got to see some great midwestern summer views. Even got to test the new EMTB mode in a hilly open field, and it worked great!
So today I finally got to ride a good distance and it was a beautiful day! Rode about 28 miles and got to see some great midwestern summer views. Even got to test the new EMTB mode in a hilly open field, and it worked great!
PatriciaK
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Pacific Northwest and Piedmont Triad
Fourteen miles round trip on the Interurban Trail in Bellingham, WA, USA, this lovely day!
The ride began inauspiciously when I stepped in a pile of dog poop - which I didn't notice until dismounting to walk around some roots/stones on the single track from the parking lot to the main trail, when I smeared it into the down tube of my beautiful bike! Yuck!!! Got the bike and my shoe cleaned up as well as possible, then continued. Fortunately, the ride only got better from that point!
The trail is the railbed of the former Bellingham and Skagit Interurban Railway, an electric line that ran from 1912 to 1930.
It's a mostly level packed gravel trail through second growth forest
With a few spectacular views out over Bellingham Bay
Though mostly level, there were a couple of fairly decent hills. The bike did a great job assisting, except for one hill where I got on the wrong side of my husband and my front tire dug into some loose gravel, coming to a dead halt. Ended up using walk assist to get up that one!
Around 4 miles in, we had to leave the trail and ride the road - Chuckanut Drive - for a bit to get around the section passing through Arroyo Park. A missing (since 1930!!!) trestle there requires single track mountain biking .75 miles down, then back up, a very steep canyon with Chuckanut Creek running through the bottom. No, thank you! The last time I ride this trail, over 30 years ago, I took a spill in that section that was the beginning of my chronic knee problem!
Husband rode part of that on the way back - here's some of the steep, twisty boardwalk trail
Once past the detour, the trail continues past Fairhaven Park, and turns into paved surface as it runs through a neighborhood to Marine Park, adjacent to the Alaska Ferry Terminal complex and the Amtrak station
Had a rest, snack, and photo with the bike, then retraced our route back down to Larrabee on the trail
Beautiful day, beautiful ride!
The ride began inauspiciously when I stepped in a pile of dog poop - which I didn't notice until dismounting to walk around some roots/stones on the single track from the parking lot to the main trail, when I smeared it into the down tube of my beautiful bike
! Yuck!!! Got the bike and my shoe cleaned up as well as possible, then continued. Fortunately, the ride only got better from that point!The trail is the railbed of the former Bellingham and Skagit Interurban Railway, an electric line that ran from 1912 to 1930.
It's a mostly level packed gravel trail through second growth forest
With a few spectacular views out over Bellingham Bay
Though mostly level, there were a couple of fairly decent hills. The bike did a great job assisting, except for one hill where I got on the wrong side of my husband and my front tire dug into some loose gravel, coming to a dead halt. Ended up using walk assist to get up that one!
Around 4 miles in, we had to leave the trail and ride the road - Chuckanut Drive - for a bit to get around the section passing through Arroyo Park. A missing (since 1930!!!) trestle there requires single track mountain biking .75 miles down, then back up, a very steep canyon with Chuckanut Creek running through the bottom. No, thank you! The last time I ride this trail, over 30 years ago, I took a spill in that section that was the beginning of my chronic knee problem!
Husband rode part of that on the way back - here's some of the steep, twisty boardwalk trail
Once past the detour, the trail continues past Fairhaven Park, and turns into paved surface as it runs through a neighborhood to Marine Park, adjacent to the Alaska Ferry Terminal complex and the Amtrak station
Had a rest, snack, and photo with the bike, then retraced our route back down to Larrabee on the trail
Beautiful day, beautiful ride!
Attachments
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
You have noticed that! Haha! I have, too. We were not using the rack on that ride; I discovered the screws went loose and levelled the rack later
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
How I Returned On Pedals, or Giant AUTO Mode Test
A day without an adventure is the day lost, as my favourite motto reads. Confronted with perfect riding weather (I love when it is warm, @RabH!), I drove my Trance E+ to the forest to make the ultimate Giant E+ AUTO assistance mode test for the 500 Wh battery range. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept: Giant e-bikes can analyse the read-outs from as many as six sensors to automatically determine the necessary amount of electrons to be fed to the motor.
On my numerous car trips over "my" Hwy 719 past Żyrardów, I could often see direction signs to the unusual village name of Benenard (not "Bernard"), which was decidedly non-Polish; it could be a Hollander place-name. I could also notice how juicy-green the forest around the road has been. So I started and ended my test-ride-loop in Benenard. (I was smart enough to mark the location where I left the car with a Google Maps pin).
It was pleasantly warm, dry, sunny with a lot of cumulus in the sky. I stopped by the train station in Radziwiłłów Mazowiecki to take a rest and eat a snack. Three very young cyclists approached me there. They were cycling fanatics and could see a high-level MTB for the first time in real life!
-- Cossack! -- they commented looking at the FOX full suspension or the 12-gear Shimano cassette ("Cossack!" is the Polish youth-slang term for something or someone really amazing). When they learned the Trance E+ was electric, their fascination level reached the summit On the other hand, the gravel bike of the pack leader must have been the love of the boy; I asked him many questions about gravel-cycling. He said he loved making jumps the most! It was a very pleasant and friendly encounter. We said our good-byes and parted.
I hit the trail. The AUTO mode was working unevenly. The assistance level there depended on the terrain, bike speed, leg torque, cadence, etc. When I learned pedalling consistently, it was all fine. The bike just zoomed the single-track! When I was negotiating an overpass later, the bike could ascent at constant speed of 26.2 km/h (16 mph) without downshifting: the inclination and torque sensors could properly assess the situation.
The weather was so fine and the ride so pleasant that something had to go wrong Analysing the battery level vs distance read-outs I decided I could extend the ride to reach my beloved village of Bolimów. It was a very wrong decision...
(That's a failed picture). On my way, I met a confused Russian driver of a big truck. I patiently explained to him how to reach Brochów; he could understand his mistake with the GPS navigation and we both parted in good mood. I could speak with him in Russian but I was not sure if he was Russian or Ukrainian before I could see his number plate. The drivers of big trucks (TIR) in Europe can understand any language, however! There, in Bolimów, I noticed the rain and thunderstorm approaching. I sat on a bench under a shelter roof with a 72-yo local. We had a pleasant talk about health, drinking etc. The man quit drinking vodka at the age of 70, only enjoying as much as 2.5 litre of 7% abv beer daily Regarding the weather, it rained rather symbolically so off I rode after wishing the man all the best.
After a couple of kilometres (back in the forest), I found a large tourist shelter. Then it poured! The thunderstorm was in its full. I waited until the thunders went away and it stopped raining.
This picture doesn't reflect the situation. You can imagine how forest paths and roads look after a heavy rainfall. It was mostly deep puddles, mud and damaged ruts. My Monster laughed at it! I was often riding on the grass as the MAXXIS tyres can clean themselves from mud. However, the AUTO mode detected increased rolling resistance and increased the power draw. I was left without the assistance 9 km (5.6 mi) to the destination. So what? It was still a bike, not a heavy, throttle operated cr@p I downshifted and started pedalling at high cadence. I even discovered with pleasure my health had improved and pedalling was not as hard as I had thought it would be!
Then the disaster struck. My GPS navigation app (Mapy.cz) knew all ride-able trails but it didn't know the location of my car. Google Maps knew the location but didn't know the trails... I was directed right into a bog! Oh my! The mud was already sucking my feet when I almost fell. I managed to escape. Then it turned out Google Maps were unaware there was an impassable railway track on the way! I said sorry to the "Czech Joanna" as I call the Mapy.cz voice and went back couple hundred of meters cross-country style. And then a cloudburst occurred. I had no windbreaker or rainproof trousers with me.
Can you see the white post next to the railway track? It was a kind of loudspeaker to scare off the game from the rails. Whenever a train was to pass, the loudspeakers were emitting dog barking, wolf crying, sounds of dying deer, etc. I felt like in a horror movie!
The last favour Czech Joanna did to me was finding a culvert. See the creek just forming due to the cloudburst. The smartphone stopped reacting to screen-touching. I was left powerless, navigation-free, and totally wet. I started liking the situation. It was an adventure! And a day without adventure...
Well, well, well... I was so high on oxygen and adrenalin I was indeed enjoying the ride! I could spot a large road overpass that let me understand where I actually was. I cut the woods cross-country style and hit the Hwy 719. I was almost saved! It took me two kilometres more on a rocky gravel road to get onto the tarmac in Benenard. There, I "dried" the smartphone screen against my wet jersey and the phone started recognising my touches. I was able to find my car!
The Monster was so tired it fell on the drive-side I took us a photo, packed, wrung the jersey out and drove with a bare torso but in wet padded shorts home. I set the car heating to 27 C to not get cold! When I started the ride, it was 27 C (80 F). On the return, it was 15 C (59 F) and pouring.
The final note is: Don't use the AUTO mode on Giant E+ e-bikes. You might be forced to ride on the pedals only on your way back.
64 km (40 mi), of which 55 km (34.3 mi) on the 500 Wh EnergyPak Smart battery.
A day without an adventure is the day lost, as my favourite motto reads. Confronted with perfect riding weather (I love when it is warm, @RabH!), I drove my Trance E+ to the forest to make the ultimate Giant E+ AUTO assistance mode test for the 500 Wh battery range. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept: Giant e-bikes can analyse the read-outs from as many as six sensors to automatically determine the necessary amount of electrons to be fed to the motor.
On my numerous car trips over "my" Hwy 719 past Żyrardów, I could often see direction signs to the unusual village name of Benenard (not "Bernard"), which was decidedly non-Polish; it could be a Hollander place-name. I could also notice how juicy-green the forest around the road has been. So I started and ended my test-ride-loop in Benenard. (I was smart enough to mark the location where I left the car with a Google Maps pin).
It was pleasantly warm, dry, sunny with a lot of cumulus in the sky. I stopped by the train station in Radziwiłłów Mazowiecki to take a rest and eat a snack. Three very young cyclists approached me there. They were cycling fanatics and could see a high-level MTB for the first time in real life!
-- Cossack! -- they commented looking at the FOX full suspension or the 12-gear Shimano cassette ("Cossack!" is the Polish youth-slang term for something or someone really amazing). When they learned the Trance E+ was electric, their fascination level reached the summit
On the other hand, the gravel bike of the pack leader must have been the love of the boy; I asked him many questions about gravel-cycling. He said he loved making jumps the most! It was a very pleasant and friendly encounter. We said our good-byes and parted.I hit the trail. The AUTO mode was working unevenly. The assistance level there depended on the terrain, bike speed, leg torque, cadence, etc. When I learned pedalling consistently, it was all fine. The bike just zoomed the single-track! When I was negotiating an overpass later, the bike could ascent at constant speed of 26.2 km/h (16 mph) without downshifting: the inclination and torque sensors could properly assess the situation.
The weather was so fine and the ride so pleasant that something had to go wrong
Analysing the battery level vs distance read-outs I decided I could extend the ride to reach my beloved village of Bolimów. It was a very wrong decision...(That's a failed picture). On my way, I met a confused Russian driver of a big truck. I patiently explained to him how to reach Brochów; he could understand his mistake with the GPS navigation and we both parted in good mood. I could speak with him in Russian but I was not sure if he was Russian or Ukrainian before I could see his number plate. The drivers of big trucks (TIR) in Europe can understand any language, however! There, in Bolimów, I noticed the rain and thunderstorm approaching. I sat on a bench under a shelter roof with a 72-yo local. We had a pleasant talk about health, drinking etc. The man quit drinking vodka at the age of 70, only enjoying as much as 2.5 litre of 7% abv beer daily
Regarding the weather, it rained rather symbolically so off I rode after wishing the man all the best.After a couple of kilometres (back in the forest), I found a large tourist shelter. Then it poured! The thunderstorm was in its full. I waited until the thunders went away and it stopped raining.
This picture doesn't reflect the situation. You can imagine how forest paths and roads look after a heavy rainfall. It was mostly deep puddles, mud and damaged ruts. My Monster laughed at it! I was often riding on the grass as the MAXXIS tyres can clean themselves from mud. However, the AUTO mode detected increased rolling resistance and increased the power draw. I was left without the assistance 9 km (5.6 mi) to the destination. So what? It was still a bike, not a heavy, throttle operated cr@p
I downshifted and started pedalling at high cadence. I even discovered with pleasure my health had improved and pedalling was not as hard as I had thought it would be!Then the disaster struck. My GPS navigation app (Mapy.cz) knew all ride-able trails but it didn't know the location of my car. Google Maps knew the location but didn't know the trails... I was directed right into a bog! Oh my! The mud was already sucking my feet when I almost fell. I managed to escape. Then it turned out Google Maps were unaware there was an impassable railway track on the way! I said sorry to the "Czech Joanna" as I call the Mapy.cz voice and went back couple hundred of meters cross-country style. And then a cloudburst occurred. I had no windbreaker or rainproof trousers with me.
Can you see the white post next to the railway track? It was a kind of loudspeaker to scare off the game from the rails. Whenever a train was to pass, the loudspeakers were emitting dog barking, wolf crying, sounds of dying deer, etc. I felt like in a horror movie!
The last favour Czech Joanna did to me was finding a culvert. See the creek just forming due to the cloudburst. The smartphone stopped reacting to screen-touching. I was left powerless, navigation-free, and totally wet. I started liking the situation. It was an adventure! And a day without adventure...
Well, well, well...
I was so high on oxygen and adrenalin I was indeed enjoying the ride! I could spot a large road overpass that let me understand where I actually was. I cut the woods cross-country style and hit the Hwy 719. I was almost saved! It took me two kilometres more on a rocky gravel road to get onto the tarmac in Benenard. There, I "dried" the smartphone screen against my wet jersey and the phone started recognising my touches. I was able to find my car!The Monster was so tired it fell on the drive-side
I took us a photo, packed, wrung the jersey out and drove with a bare torso but in wet padded shorts home. I set the car heating to 27 C to not get cold! When I started the ride, it was 27 C (80 F). On the return, it was 15 C (59 F) and pouring.The final note is: Don't use the AUTO mode on Giant E+ e-bikes. You might be forced to ride on the pedals only on your way back.
64 km (40 mi), of which 55 km (34.3 mi) on the 500 Wh EnergyPak Smart battery.
Last edited:
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
Great story Stephan. I am not sure I understand though. Are you serious about not using auto mode? I thought the display shows the remaining percent of battery ?How I Returned On The Pedals, or Giant AUTO Mode Test (or, Down with the Google Maps!)
A day without an adventure is the day lost, as my favourite motto reads. Confronted with perfect riding weather (I love when it is warm, @RabH!), I drove my Trance E+ to the forest to make the ultimate Giant E+ AUTO assistance mode test for the 500 Wh battery range. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept: Giant e-bikes can analyse the read-outs from as many as six sensors to automatically determine the necessary amount of electrons to be fed to the motor.
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On my numerous car trips over "my" Hwy 719 past Żyrardów, I could often see direction signs to the unusual village name of Benenard (not "Bernard"), which was decidedly non-Polish; it could be a Hollander place-name. I could also notice how juicy-green the forest around the road has been. So I started and ended my test-ride-loop in Benenard. (I was smart enough to mark the location where I left the car with a Google Maps pin).
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It was pleasantly warm, dry, sunny with a lot of cumulus in the sky. I stopped by the train station in Radziwiłłów Mazowiecki to take a rest and eat a snack. Three very young cyclists approached me there. They were cycling fanatics and could see a high-level MTB for the first time in real life!
-- Cossack! -- they commented looking at the FOX full suspension or the 12-gear Shimano cassette ("Cossack!" is the Polish youth-slang term for something or someone really amazing). When they learned the Trance E+ was electric, their fascination level reached the summit
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I hit the trail. The AUTO mode was working unevenly. The assistance level there depended on the terrain, bike speed, leg torque, cadence, etc. When I learned pedalling consistently, it was all fine. The bike just zoomed the single-track! When I was negotiating an overpass later, the bike could ascent at constant speed of 26.2 km/h (16 mph) without downshifting: the inclination and torque sensors could properly assess the situation.
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The weather was so fine and the ride so pleasant that something had to go wrong
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(That's a failed picture). On my way, I met a confused Russian driver of a big truck. I patiently explained to him how to reach Brochów; he could understand his mistake with the GPS navigation and we both parted in good mood. I could speak with him in Russian but I was not sure if he was Russian or Ukrainian before I could see his number plate. The drivers of big trucks (TIR) in Europe can understand any language, however! There, in Bolimów, I noticed the rain and thunderstorm approaching. I sat on a bench under a shelter roof with a 72-yo local. We had a pleasant talk about health, drinking etc. The man quit drinking vodka at the age of 70, only enjoying as much as 2.5 litre of 7% abv beer daily
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After a couple of kilometres (back in the forest), I found a large tourist shelter. Then it poured! The thunderstorm was in its full. I waited until the thunders went away and it stopped raining.
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This picture doesn't reflect the situation. You can imagine how forest paths and roads look after a heavy rainfall. It was mostly deep puddles, mud and damaged ruts. My Monster laughed at it! I was often riding on the grass as the MAXXIS tyres can clean themselves from mud. However, the AUTO mode detected increased rolling resistance and increased the power draw. I was left without the assistance 9 km (5.6 mi) to the destination. So what? It was still a bike, not a heavy, throttle operated cr@p
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Then the disaster struck. My GPS navigation app (Mapy.cz) knew all ride-able trails but it didn't know the location of my car. Google Maps knew the location but didn't know the trails... I was directed right into a bog! Oh my! The mud was already sucking my feet when I almost fell. I managed to escape. Then it turned out Google Maps were unaware there was an impassable railway track on the way! I said sorry to the "Czech Joanna" as I call the Mapy.cz voice and went back couple hundred of meters cross-country style. And then a cloudburst occurred. I had no windbreaker or rainproof trousers with me.
Can you see the white post next to the railway track? It was a kind of loudspeaker to scare off the game from the rails. Whenever a train was to pass, the loudspeakers were emitting dog barking, wolf crying, sounds of dying deer, etc. I felt like in a horror movie!
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The last favour Czech Joanna did to me was finding a culvert. See the creek just forming due to the cloudburst. The smartphone stopped reacting to screen-touching. I was left powerless, navigation-free, and totally wet. I started liking the situation. It was an adventure! And a day without adventure...
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Well, well, well...
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The Monster was so tired it fell on the drive-side
The final note is: Don't use the AUTO mode on Giant E+ e-bikes. You might be forced to ride on the pedals only on your way back.
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64 km (40 mi), of which 55 km (34.3 mi) on the 500 Wh EnergyPak Smart battery.
Saratoga Dave
Well-Known Member
Outstanding, Stefan, one of the best trip stories ever told here. All that drama at the end and no power to boot. I love your attitude: “Is that all you got? Bring it on!”
You have some great forests out there to poke around in, too. We’re glad you bought that Trance, it’s provided you with great story material.
You have some great forests out there to poke around in, too. We’re glad you bought that Trance, it’s provided you with great story material.
Saratoga Dave
Well-Known Member
Hey Steve, re that Auto stuff, one thing I have noted on my own Giant is that the range falls off a cliff after the battery gets below 20 percent or so. One minute you’re rolling along without a care in the world and twenty or so miles showing, the next you look down and it says seven or something horrible like that. It just undergoes a complete nervous breakdown and there you are looking at a big hill and a bad half hour or so. I don’t let it get below 20% anymore if I can help it.
Of course, Stefan would be over there like Thor the Thunder God, hollering into the storm and running up the hill with his bike over his shoulder.
Of course, Stefan would be over there like Thor the Thunder God, hollering into the storm and running up the hill with his bike over his shoulder.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
An estimate. Divide it by two. The estimate showed 96 km at the beginning of the ride.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
True!
It appeared as if a percent of the battery was ticked off every minute or even worse.
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RabH
Well-Known Member
@Stefan Mikes Quite an adventure you had there, looks like Scottish weather! 
So warm to you is 79F and warm to me is 59F! Loved reading your story once again, your determination is unmatched! Today was a perfect day for my 100 mile ride but I covered zero miles as my dad wasn't very well so I decided to remain at home, I'm hoping he will be ok by Friday as it looks like a perfect day, fingers crossed!
@Saratoga Dave I know what you mean with the 20% drop off, I aim to keep around 25% left for my final climbs home...
So warm to you is 79F and warm to me is 59F! Loved reading your story once again, your determination is unmatched! Today was a perfect day for my 100 mile ride but I covered zero miles as my dad wasn't very well so I decided to remain at home, I'm hoping he will be ok by Friday as it looks like a perfect day, fingers crossed!@Saratoga Dave I know what you mean with the 20% drop off, I aim to keep around 25% left for my final climbs home...
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
So the remaining % estimate diminishes too rapidly and is not reliable? Does it only happen in the last 20 percent like Dave 's ?
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
Oh I see !
D
Deleted member 18083
Guest
An unexpected clifftop ride …
Near the bottom right you can glimpse a tiny section of the cycle path that I should have taken, and on the river's left bank (we're looking downstream) the cycle path skirting the city centre is quite clear.
I think I might take the wrong route again; the view was worth it.
Add pairs of distances to find approximate ride total. For example, 32 + 58 = 90 km total. (Depends on whether the 'out' and 'return' routes were the same.)
Brisbane Central from The Cliffs
I took a wrong turn on Monday's ride through Brisbane and found myself on River Terrace which, despite its name, is separated from the river by a cliff too steep for even Stefan's Monster. The view was my reward.Near the bottom right you can glimpse a tiny section of the cycle path that I should have taken, and on the river's left bank (we're looking downstream) the cycle path skirting the city centre is quite clear.
I think I might take the wrong route again; the view was worth it.
Add pairs of distances to find approximate ride total. For example, 32 + 58 = 90 km total. (Depends on whether the 'out' and 'return' routes were the same.)
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steve mercier
Well-Known Member
we got high today too!
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