2020 : Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[Chargeride]

Bought the bike, guy was a pleasure to talk to, opened his garage and it had maybe 10 or 12 efatbikes of various quality, which it turns out he builds and maintains for his extended family.
He let me ride his latest build, full carbon..fox suspension, 29x5, Bafang Ultra and then plugged his laptop in to tune my motor to my spec
..which was 11 everything
Going for a proper spin in the woods tomorrow.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

For another eBike I’m sure

You wouldn't believe how expensive maintaining as many as three bikes could be...

 

[Mulezen]

But you have a mechanic in the family

 

[Stefan Mikes]

But you have a mechanic in the family

Them spare parts don't come free...

 

[minigrrl]

I presently need to sit at the office and make some money

I am incredibly envious of all your rides. I just read and look at pictures and live vicariously through your adventures. I live very close to David, but hardly ever get out to the places he does (we have jetskis too and seeing that lovely flat water on the bay makes me want to cry for missed opportunities!).

I have plans. When I first got the bike I told myself, self, you have to throw that bike on the car once a week and go somewhere different. That's happened twice in 2 months.

But right now, I too am stuck in my (home) office, working far too many hours a day toward a big deadline at the end of the month. I have to force myself away from my desk for an hour every day to ride around the same old boring (well, it's quite pleasant, but not overly interesting) bike path route otherwise I'd never move at all.

 

[minigrrl]

View attachment 71514
Sugar-beet, or Poland's "grey gold". Sugar production campaign is at full speed now. Although corn-syrup is more and more used, beet-sugar is one of the most important Polish products. I know a thing or two about it as I was working as the sugar-plant shift-manager-deputy near to the end of my University years.

Where I grew up (Winnipeg, Canada) there was a sugar beet factory (it's gone now) and I can still imagine the smell (quite pleasant) of the processing sugar beets in the autumn after the farmers dropped their loads off. Very evocative of the crisp cold air and beginning of the school year etc. Looks like I'll have to visit Poland in the autumn to ever smell that smell again! I imagine you are quite familiar with that aroma Stefan? And maybe not so enamoured of it as I am if you actually worked in a factory for a while!

 

[FlatSix911]

You wouldn't believe how expensive maintaining as many as three bikes could be...

I share your pain... but it's far better than maintaining a few cars.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I am incredibly envious of all your rides. I just read and look at pictures and live vicariously through your adventures. I live very close to David, but hardly ever get out to the places he does (we have jetskis too and seeing that lovely flat water on the bay makes me want to cry for missed opportunities!).

I have plans. When I first got the bike I told myself, self, you have to throw that bike on the car once a week and go somewhere different. That's happened twice in 2 months.

But right now, I too am stuck in my (home) office, working far too many hours a day toward a big deadline at the end of the month. I have to force myself away from my desk for an hour every day to ride around the same old boring (well, it's quite pleasant, but not overly interesting) bike path route otherwise I'd never move at all.

You at least are riding, Sarah, at least judging by your Strava. You cover longer distances than I do now. Yet, it is not true I do not ride. Haven't driven my car for a week but I get on one of my e-bikes to do my chores such as shopping almost every day. Now I think to make a midnight ride to our county city to buy some cigarettes (Mine are not available at night at the nearest gas stations).

Where I grew up (Winnipeg, Canada) there was a sugar beet factory (it's gone now) and I can still imagine the smell (quite pleasant) of the processing sugar beets in the autumn after the farmers dropped their loads off. Very evocative of the crisp cold air and beginning of the school year etc. Looks like I'll have to visit Poland in the autumn to ever smell that smell again! I imagine you are quite familiar with that aroma Stefan? And maybe not so enamoured of it as I am if you actually worked in a factory for a while!

The smell of sugar beet is terrible After doing my shift, I was taking a shower at the plant and was changing clothes to Set B. After reaching my quarters, I was taking the shower again and changed to the Set C. I was still smelling with sugar beet! For that reason, the plant employees (both permanent and campaign ones, men and women) were keeping their own company

The campaign workers were of the worst sort because you didn't work at the sugar plant if you didn't have to. For instance, convicts on the parole were working there. The plant, very old, post-German was obsolete. We were experiencing constant breakdowns (reported as "failures"). That was a great adventure though, lasting for country-wide negative record of 112-day campaign. (The plant was closed and demolished in 1990 as inefficient and bankrupt).

I share your pain... but it's far better than maintaining a few cars.

Lucky me I own a single old car which I bought at the same price as the cheapest of my e-bikes A big repair of the Megane is probably cheaper than an e-bike spare battery For these reasons, I prefer riding e-bikes!

 

[Deleted member 18083]

We have jetskis too and seeing that lovely flat water on the bay makes me want to cry for missed opportunities!

Here's a link to a post on this thread: a jetski rider waiting, somewhat impatiently, for her companions to join her. Looks fun!

I'll need to do that ride again and, this time, stop at the Pelican Café!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Midnite Turbo Ride

It's so good to own a Turbo. An S-Pedelec. I normally ride my Vado for recreation, and even my commutes are recreational; not tonight.

If I were to drive to Pruszków to buy my cigs, I wouldn't do that so late at night. It's so boring! But, well, ride a Turbo for the purpose it was designed? Of course! So, proper clothes on again, fast. A backpack to keep the matters simple (I always carry my wallet even if I pay with Google Pay; the e-bike registration/insurance might be handy if I met a curious police officer en route). 5 C, light headwind on the way back, fog, no traffic. The highway was mine. Ah, twice stopped by the red light. The Vado's display reported 22:26 ride time. I would not make it faster with the car. And riding the Vado in Turbo mode at night felt like having an orgasm

I feel extremely safe with my Vado, especially with the powerful automotive grade Supernova headlight. I could even use it in high-beam mode tonight!

The ride metrics. Strava is not totally accurate regarding the ride time and weather. 5 C, foggy, the wind was nothing to talk about, only slowing my bike a little on the return way. I also cannot agree to the "average cadence". I was consistently spinning at 80-90+ rpm. What is "average"? Short moments when I was not pedalling to shift?

I hardly ride in Turbo mode, to get more workout (by riding slower = for longer time). Turbo mode is hard on the battery consumption as well. (The final battery temperature was 23 C, and the motor was at 40 C at that cold night). Yet, there are times when riding in 100% Turbo mode is justified, and it gives so much fun!

@David Berry: You read the book and please tell me what you think. I might want to buy it, too!

 

[Prairie Dog]

Midnite Turbo Ride

I would not make it faster with the car. And riding the Vado in Turbo mode at night felt like having an orgasm

View attachment 71615
I feel extremely safe with my Vado, especially with the powerful automotive grade Supernova headlight. I could even use it in high-beam mode tonight!

View attachment 71616
The ride metrics. Strava is not totally accurate regarding the ride time and weather. 5 C, foggy, the wind was nothing to talk about, only slowing my bike a little on the return way. I also cannot agree to the "average cadence". I was consistently spinning at 80-90+ rpm. What is "average"? Short moments when I was not pedalling to shift?

View attachment 71620
I hardly ride in Turbo mode, to get more workout (by riding slower = for longer time). Turbo mode is hard on the battery consumption as well. (The final battery temperature was 23 C, and the motor was at 40 C at that cold night). Yet, there are times when riding in 100% Turbo mode is justified, and it gives so much fun!

@David Berry: You read the book and please tell me what you think. I might want to buy it, too!

Boy, I wasn’t kidding when I stated how descriptive and unique your post ride reviews were. Case in point.
.........I may have to go out and buy a turbo Vado myself!

Wow, you were really moving!

 

[Deleted member 18083]

A hazy sky* lazy day …

Borallon, west of Brisbane​

I had intended to go for a few hours' jaunt in the country but… I had forgotten to bring a water bottle. So here's the only dam photo that I took before cutting the excursion short!

On the way home Amazon blocked out the Ride with GPS app with today's Kindle must-buy: The Secret Lives of Cows. For less than the cost of an espresso from Mario! I was tempted and went home to read whilst savouring a few of my own barista creations.

* The dust in the sky is courtesy of the arid regions 'out west'.

 

[Mulezen]

Ordered

 

[minigrrl]

Here's a link to a post on this thread: a jetski rider waiting, somewhat impatiently, for her companions to join her. Looks fun!

I'll need to do that ride again and, this time, stop at the Pelican Café!

Nice! That isn't me. Our skis do not have the giant speakers that share one's taste in music with the masses... We'll have to check that cafe out sometime - we generally go in at Horizon Shores which is a bit south from there and head north-east through the islands, we can take a detour along the coast instead.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Idle threat …

near Coominya
Brisbane Valley Rail Trail​

We did get a few drops from these clouds… just a very few.

When I see a stretch of dirt like this, I ache to be at the controls of a small high-wing plane again. Settle it down for a moment and then fly off as innocent as can be. Probably, there are all sorts of Fly with GPS apps that would catch one out. They didn't exist in the 1970s!

(Not the same day as the previous photo.)

 

[Stefan Mikes]

.........I may have to go out and buy a turbo Vado myself!

I'm lucky to live in a region that allows riding S-Pedelecs, even if riding a bike with the number plate might appear strange...

 

[Chargeride]

Took the new bike out, I ve always looked at those stem mounted displays and thought, thats a bit vulnerable.
Get what you wished for, flipped the bike and snapped the mount within 10 mins, glue and tape will be the fix, because its going to happen again.

Very impressed with the climbing ability, takes a bit of getting used to after the hub drive and the entire time I'm thinking the chain is going to snap, the cranks are pretty far apart as well, which led to a lot of pedal strikes in tight areas, also the low hanging motor connected with tree roots a lot, tested it waterproofing in 2 ft deep puddles, no problems.

Heres a vid of a steep climb that it managed with ease, disclaimer its always much steeper than it looks.

GH017551

Watch "GH017551" on Streamable.

streamable.com

 

[FlatSix911]

Took the new bike out, I ve always looked at those stem mounted displays and thought, thats a bit vulnerable.
Get what you wished for, flipped the bike and snapped the mount within 10 mins, glue and tape will be the fix, because its going to happen again.
View attachment 71662

Very impressed with the climbing ability, takes a bit of getting used to after the hub drive and the entire time I'm thinking the chain is going to snap, the cranks are pretty far apart as well, which led to a lot of pedal strikes in tight areas, also the low hanging motor connected with tree roots a lot, tested it waterproofing in 2 ft deep puddles, no problems.

Heres a vid of a steep climb that it managed with ease, disclaimer its always much steeper than it looks.

GH017551

Watch "GH017551" on Streamable.

streamable.com

Congrats on the new ride and glad to hear you are enjoying the climbing capabilities of the mid-drive motor.
You may want to relocate the display to mount inside the bars next to the stem... a lot more protection off-road.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The InPost Rendezvous At Midnight

The Polish InPost system (the one based on online controlled courier mail parcel lockers - you even open your assigned locker using a smartphone) works excellent. No need to wait for the courier as long as your parcel doesn't exceed certain dimensions. I was therefore surprised my expected parcels (Loctite Blue equivalent and Park Tool CNW-2 wrench) were not delivered to the InPost parcel locker on Tuesday. It just didn't happen before.

After 11 p.m., and after watching a movie on Netflix, I took a wrench in my hand and removed the old worn chainring off my Vado. I knew what would have happened. At the moment I was putting the chainring away, I heard a notification on my smartphone. 23:26. The shipment had just arrived to the InPost locker

It took me very short time to put the proper clothes on and ride out with my Monster. I set the Giant e-MTB to the POWER mode and hurried to the Podkowa Leśna shopping centre.

My gf (who stays in London) is getting suspicious because of my night rides! Certainly I'm riding out for clandestine rendezvous! So I took this picture

A Class 1 e-MTB can easily ride as fast as the Class 3 one, minus the speed restriction...

An Anecdote
Some time ago, I drove up to the very same locker set. After I collected the shipment, I slammed the locker door shut and confirmed the pick-up on my smartphone. Only to find out I left my wallet and car's key-card inside the locker... Oh, no! Okay, I still had my phone with me. I called InPost. After several call redirection, I was connected to the right consultant. She asked me several questions to confirm my identity. Then she said: "Stand in the middle of the machine. Observe. Now, I'll remotely open a random empty locker. You tell me what side, column and row will the opened locker be". I did so. Then: "Now you tell me which side, column and row your locker had been". Click! And I had my wallet and car key back in my hands! How I thanked the consultant!

 

[RandallS]

This morning started out with freezing fog so I was not expecting to get a ride in today, even though the forecast was for +7C. But after doing some errands (car) and finishing some stuff in the basement, I observed the weather had cleared so I headed out. It was -2C but nice out and I headed for a test ride as id never ridden this bike on snow before.

My route, as is usual was up onto Nose Hill and up there I found mixed conditions. Some paved paths were clear, some were hard packed snow.







I didn't go out onto too many single track areas today, but maybe tomorrow if the weather holds.





A lot of my rides have me stopping at this lookout area for a shot down the Bow Valley towards the Rockies.
Today is no exception.

Looking forward to more winter rides. Today was really my first of any length in many, many years, and I was very pleased with the handling of the bike with stock tires.