2020 : Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[Jaxx]

First Spring like day. Cut the grass, although technically still winter. Swept up the leaves left over from Xmas, then? Prept the bike and myself. Wonderful day 63f, ignored government advice (I've had a transplant) 24 miles of, sun, wind and Spring countryside. Pics are of Beverley Minster, the last one, the Minster from Westwood Common. You are allowed to graze your cows there over the season, free of charge. That's of course if you own any?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Behold! My first metric century done. Have to take a nap

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The Perfect Day (My First Metric Century)

Flora, are you @Readytoride? I did my part! Oooh, how my bum hurts! (Where would we be without e-bikes?)

Greetings from the park in Sochaczew. The first segment of the trip (equal to the marathon distance) was at 10 C and against nasty upwind. Then the temperature rose to 15 C, the sun felt very warm, the crosswind had the cooling effect. I only wore the summer cycling jersey on my torso, the scarf to protect the throat, the medium gloves and the helmet but the goggles were unnecessary! Almost the Spring though the Winter still smelled in the air.

The smoke-stack in Moszna is the landmark of the Borough of Brwinów and can be seen from any airplane flying over Warsaw. The chimney was built in the late 1980's for a district heat plant that luckily was never constructed. Nowadays it is a powerful antenna for telecomms.

Surprise! While riding a multi-purpose lane I met a group of construction workers replacing the old paving with tarmac. The segment was about a mile long and I had to make a detour via Bramki. Fortunately, I am very much familiar with the village and found the way around easily.

The 25 km long string of multi-purpose lanes between Błonie and Sochaczew is of poor quality. However, the traffic on the Highway 92 is so heavy...

...that it is better to have such lanes than nothing. The Hwy 92 is under the bike ban. I admit that part of the ride was actually boring.

The forgotten road was a disgrace for Poland before joining the European Union. Fancy that narrow road inside the city of Sochaczew to handle the entire large-truck traffic between the USSR and East Germany and later between Belarus and Germany. That continued for several decades. The Sochaczew houses were shaking, walls used to crack, and the inhabitants suffered enormous noise 24 hours a day. There is a beltway nowadays.

I bought some chocolate bars in Błonie and regulated my glucose-level en route

A defunct narrow-gauge railway in Sochaczew. I though there was an old steam-engine left around as a monument but could find none.

The Castle of the Mazovian Princes in Sochaczew.

The 55th kilometre in the Łódź Voivodship (which is more Central Poland than Mazovia is). Not only had I to replace the battery but also had a crisis there. Ate two last chocolate bars, drank a lot of isotonic beverage and was laying in the grass by the side road. I recovered.

In the large village of Bolimów, Łodź Voivodship. There are plethora of houses like these in the picture there. I think these are pre-WW2. Bolimów is located at the edge if the Bolimów Landscape Park and this is why it is a popular tourist destination.

The late Renaissance St. Anne church in Bolimów. It is noteworthy Bolimów was the place of the first German use of gas weapon in 1915 against the Russian army. There is a tourist trail dedicated to WW1 around.

A terrible road between Bolimów and Wiskitki. Once, I was touring with my car there. I could drive at 40 km/h. I was pursued by a tractor that could make 50 km/h on the same road...

The main square of the village of Wiskitki, Mazovian Voivodship. A friend of mine was once driving through the village. She could not pronounce the name of Wiskitki, so she gave the village the easier name: Wisconsin

Hey! I was there only two days before! How comes? Holendry Baranowskie.

I was taken by surprise! These guys were making the horses gallop!

The poppy-seed yeast cake at the bakery in Jaktorów. Delicious! As good as pączki.

My first metric century ever! I am shocked how little energy is drawn from the battery in Eco mode (PAS 1) when the ride is downwind.

The route stats. Bullshit as always with Endomondo. Not 6 C but 15, not "partly sunny" but "sunny", not 5 km/h wind but at least 15 km/h.

 

[steve mercier]

Happy Saint Patricks' day everybody! Deer may safely graze in Colony Farms park

 

[steve mercier]

Riddle me this Batman. Why are the words Deer and Moose both plural and singular ? Surely they deserve as much language as the lowly mouse.

 

[Readytoride]

Stefan - Congratulations!!! Awesome job, great photos, and lively reporting!! Bravo! Bravo!!

While you were larking about enjoying a metric century on your bike, accomplishing a splendid goal, I spent my day with a skillsaw, tape measure, miter saw, lots of 14' long cedar boards, and much climbing up and down of ladders with hammer in my hand and finishing nails dangling precariously from my lips - all to finish a building project goal.

I hope to ride tomorrow, or the next day. Already have a 60 mile ride mapped out, and will revisit it again tonight to see if it needs to be modified. Can't wait to ride!!!

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Why are the words Deer and Moose both plural and singular? Surely they deserve as much language as the lowly mouse.

Steve, don't blame us humans. We had a plural for your deer friends but the majority of meese objected to it.

Stefan - Congratulations! Awesome job, great photos, and lively reporting! Bravo! Bravo!

Second that!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Steve, don't blame us humans. We had a plural for your deer friends but the majority of meese objected to it.

Hahaha!

I hope to ride tomorrow, or the next day. Already have a 60 mile ride mapped out, and will revisit it again tonight to see if it needs to be modified. Can't wait to ride!!!

What do you eat on longer rides and how often, Flora? I hear it is vital to eat on the ride wisely not to bonk. Same question to @David Berry and @steve mercier.
Unrelated question: What do you think makes the delivery of your Vado so delayed? I hope to ride to Warsaw today to finally pick up the complete spare Vado battery assembly -- I have waited for some two-three weeks for that.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Make hay while the sun shines …

Borallon, Queensland​

The road disappearing into the distance is a regular part of my local ride. The photo was taken looking north.

• The sunset photo from earlier this month was taken at the brow of the hill and includes the darker shed beyond the left row of bales.
• Maybe it will rain (it did) includes the farmhouse on the far right.

The second hay bale photo was taken at 2 on the map, looking SE towards the first photo…

Now, it's time to get on our ebikes and head SE towards the wedding chapel at Kholo Gardens. It'll be a rollercoaster ride involving challenging stretches of gravel. If we hurry, there is a slim chance that we might come across some migrating black swans on the Brisbane River at Colleges Crossing. Just hoping.

 

[Alaskan]

The Perfect Day (My First Metric Century)

Flora, are you @Readytoride? I did my part! Oooh, how my bum hurts! (Where would we be without e-bikes?)

View attachment 47625
Greetings from the park in Sochaczew. The first segment of the trip (equal to the marathon distance) was at 10 C and against nasty upwind. Then the temperature rose to 15 C, the sun felt very warm, the crosswind had the cooling effect. I only wore the summer cycling jersey on my torso, the scarf to protect the throat, the medium gloves and the helmet but the goggles were unnecessary! Almost the Spring though the Winter still smelled in the air.

View attachment 47626
The smoke-stack in Moszna is the landmark of the Borough of Brwinów and can be seen from any airplane flying over Warsaw. The chimney was built in the late 1980's for a district heat plant that luckily was never constructed. Nowadays it is a powerful antenna for telecomms.

View attachment 47627
Surprise! While riding a multi-purpose lane I met a group of construction workers replacing the old paving with tarmac. The segment was about a mile long and I had to make a detour via Bramki. Fortunately, I am very much familiar with the village and found the way around easily.

View attachment 47628
The 25 km long string of multi-purpose lanes between Błonie and Sochaczew is of poor quality. However, the traffic on the Highway 92 is so heavy...

View attachment 47629
...that it is better to have such lanes than nothing. The Hwy 92 is under the bike ban. I admit that part of the ride was actually boring.

View attachment 47630
The forgotten road was a disgrace for Poland before joining the European Union. Fancy that narrow road inside the city of Sochaczew to handle the entire large-truck traffic between the USSR and East Germany and later between Belarus and Germany. That continued for several decades. The Sochaczew houses were shaking, walls used to crack, and the inhabitants suffered enormous noise 24 hours a day. There is a beltway nowadays.

View attachment 47631
I bought some chocolate bars in Błonie and regulated my glucose-level en route

View attachment 47632
A defunct narrow-gauge railway in Sochaczew. I though there was an old steam-engine left around as a monument but could find none.

View attachment 47633
The Castle of the Mazovian Princes in Sochaczew.

View attachment 47634
The 55th kilometre in the Łódź Voivodship (which is more Central Poland than Mazovia is). Not only had I to replace the battery but also had a crisis there. Ate two last chocolate bars, drank a lot of isotonic beverage and was laying in the grass by the side road. I recovered.

View attachment 47635
In the large village of Bolimów, Łodź Voivodship. There are plethora of houses like these in the picture there. I think these are pre-WW2. Bolimów is located at the edge if the Bolimów Landscape Park and this is why it is a popular tourist destination.

View attachment 47636
The late Renaissance St. Anne church in Bolimów. It is noteworthy Bolimów was the place of the first German use of gas weapon in 1915 against the Russian army. There is a tourist trail dedicated to WW1 around.


View attachment 47637
A terrible road between Bolimów and Wiskitki. Once, I was touring with my car there. I could drive at 40 km/h. I was pursued by a tractor that could make 50 km/h on the same road...

View attachment 47638
The main square of the village of Wiskitki, Mazovian Voivodship. A friend of mine was once driving through the village. She could not pronounce the name of Wiskitki, so she gave the village the easier name: Wisconsin

View attachment 47639
Hey! I was there only two days before! How comes? Holendry Baranowskie.

View attachment 47640
I was taken by surprise! These guys were making the horses gallop!

View attachment 47641
The poppy-seed yeast cake at the bakery in Jaktorów. Delicious! As good as pączki.

View attachment 47642
My first metric century ever! I am shocked how little energy is drawn from the battery in Eco mode (PAS 1) when the ride is downwind.

View attachment 47643
The route stats. Bullshit as always with Endomondo. Not 6 C but 15, not "partly sunny" but "sunny", not 5 km/h wind but at least 15 km/h.

Congratulations on your first Centrury ride. You sure picked a lovely day for the ride. It is so interesting to see where others ride. Thank you for sharing a bit of Poland with us.

 

[steve mercier]

Hahaha!


What do you eat on longer rides and how often, Flora? I hear it is vital to eat on the ride wisely not to bonk. Same question to @David Berry and @steve mercier.
Unrelated question: What do you think makes the delivery of your Vado so delayed? I hope to ride to Warsaw today to finally pick up the complete spare Vado battery assembly -- I have waited for some two-three weeks for that.

Stefan I learned on EBR to carry a banana and plenty of water in order to avoid leg cramps after long rides. We also carry Cliff bars , apples and oranges, mixed nuts , maybe some cheese and croissants and always a thermos of coffee. (-:

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Thank you Steve!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Friends,

Let me share my joy with you. The spare Vado battery is there! Meaning I will be able to ride out for longer distances on the Vado too.

Today, it was the last day of the "Vado range anxiety". I had to ride 55 km on a single battery, downwind then upwind. I tuned the motor for the Eco mode at 45% with 60% "max motor current" and rode to Warsaw Żoliborz (Jollie Bord was the original given name of the quarter), one of the most beautiful places in our capital city. Żoliborz is nicknamed "The Green One" not without the reason. There is a big number of LBS down there, and the SklepRowerowy.pl owns as many as 6 LBS in Warsaw, of which two (The Specialized one and the Trek one) are in Żoliborz. My direct contact, Mr. Łukasz works at the Trek store.

The downwind as well as pretty high temperature of 15 C both helped to extend the range. I had 75% battery left when I reported at the store door!

The sign on pandemia: the door blocked by an elegant set of crates so the customer could understand only 1-2 persons were allowed inside at a time; there was only one customer before me. The shop assistant -- upon seeing my Vado -- instantly reached to hand the battery out (it was pre-paid). I also bought a chain tool and a Knog Oi! bell for my friend Jerzy (wrong size! I have to ride there again to replace!)

When I was already out and figuring out how to tune the motor for the upwind ride, Mr. Łukasz joined me.

-- What do you think about this e-bike? -- he demanded.
-- Just... excellent! -- I muttered, completely surprised with this question I told him I learned to live with the BLOKS display and I was very happy with the bike.

The return upwind way was rather hard; I was still conserving the battery charge but had to use Sport mode (tuned down) often to counter the wind. I got hungry and, in our county city of Pruszków I rode in the McDrive...

Or rather McRide & McWalk The restaurants are all closed now but take-away is allowed. You are not even allowed to sit in the restaurant's garden.

Now, having had eaten and with the perspective of yet another 10 km on Hwy 719, I simply put the thing in the Turbo mode and that was it. 14% of the battery left after 55 km.

The new battery charging. With the gray/satin black looks it should look right on my Vado. No more range anxiety! Tomorrow, I'm test-riding the Turbo mode in both directions. I have to replace the bell for Jerzy anyway! Ah, I'm missing an extra charger...

The colour match is not hopeless.

 

[RabH]

Congrats on your first 100km ride, Stefan 100 miles next with your dual batteries? On longer rides I always take 2 bananas and lots of chocolate, eat just a little at a time but often and drink a lot of water to keep hydrated! The secret is to eat before you get hungry and drink before you get thirsty!

 

[steve mercier]

Only 24 hours to the start of Spring here, when the Northen Hemisphere will begin tilting toward the sun !

 

[steve mercier]

One of these items will no longer be coming along for the ride. Yay !

 

[Stefan Mikes]

100 miles next with your dual batteries?

Doable when that dreaded wind stops blowing!

Only 24 hours to the start of Spring here!

Funnily enough, we expect frost for Saturday.

One of these items will no longer be coming along for the ride.

Which one and why?

 

[steve mercier]

Doable when that dreaded wind stops blowing!


Funnily enough, we expect frost for Saturday.


Which one and why?

haha seriously ? The hand warmers

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Sorry Steve. I watched the pic on a smartphone and thought it was some sausage

 

[Cowlitz]

Anti social distancing today.