Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
I'm so glad to see the e-Mate on so many bikes!
D
Deleted member 18083
Guest
Kholo : up and down and around the Brisbane River …
I've seen three or four weddings at Kholo Gardens but all have been outdoors beside the lake. The old chapel waits patiently.
For ebikers the road to Kholo Gardens is exciting with gravel downhills that urge one to dispense with brakes. The sweeping bends – flat rather than cambered – can be deceptive. The road base can be smooth and compacted or loose and rutted. Take care!
The best part? Climbing the hills (because it's safer and just as much fun as hurtling downhill)… especially when there is a spare battery in the pannier and, therefore, no need to be frugal with power assist.
Beyond Kholo Gardens the road is sealed. It is not the sort that is manufactured under licence and laid by machines but old-style spray the road every fifth year and toss gravel all over the hot tar. The good thing about these roads? You're out in the country where motorists lift a hand off the steering wheel in friendly greeting and motorcyclists nod by way of acknowledging a kindred adventurer. 100% country folk or city escapees.
And then there are the hills! Not huge but serious in their own way; perhaps a kilometre long and a hundred metres high. Every now and then, there is a flat stretch by way of respite…
I've seen three or four weddings at Kholo Gardens but all have been outdoors beside the lake. The old chapel waits patiently.
For ebikers the road to Kholo Gardens is exciting with gravel downhills that urge one to dispense with brakes. The sweeping bends – flat rather than cambered – can be deceptive. The road base can be smooth and compacted or loose and rutted. Take care!
The best part? Climbing the hills (because it's safer and just as much fun as hurtling downhill)… especially when there is a spare battery in the pannier and, therefore, no need to be frugal with power assist.
Beyond Kholo Gardens the road is sealed. It is not the sort that is manufactured under licence and laid by machines but old-style spray the road every fifth year and toss gravel all over the hot tar. The good thing about these roads? You're out in the country where motorists lift a hand off the steering wheel in friendly greeting and motorcyclists nod by way of acknowledging a kindred adventurer. 100% country folk or city escapees.
And then there are the hills! Not huge but serious in their own way; perhaps a kilometre long and a hundred metres high. Every now and then, there is a flat stretch by way of respite…
- Stefan, here's another ebike with an E-Mate.
- Steve, note the E-Mate's banana carrier in the Small town main street photo.
- I'll need to repeat the ride and stop to take some hill photos.
Readytoride
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Virginia
Sorry to be late answering. Things are getting tense in our area and due to get much, much worse as the virus spreads. Had a lot to do to get horse and dog feed stocked enough to last a few months, and get in the essentials and nonperishables before the possibility of a shutdown raises its inevitable head.
Answer: As a background I'm a former competitive equestrian endurance rider (2000 - 2014), so my education on how to approach sustaining myself during a long distance bike ride comes from my years of equestrian distance riding competition. That said, we learn early on to always carry articles of food and water with us, especially when the trail is in tough mountainous terrain with limited or no natural forage for the horse, or the rider for that matter. Water, electrolytes (for both horse and rider), and fruit/carrots (which are excellent for both rider and horse because of their water content and energy value). Your horse has a digestive system that doesn't halt in the face of non-forage times like a human digestive system does, so you needed to keep a certain level of food in their stomach throughout the 50 to 100 miles you are riding them.
As a human we can go for many hours without food, but we do need water, and electrolytes. For a bike ride I carry these fluids: one bottle of grapefruit juice, one bottle of electroyle (such as Pedalyte which is designed for the more delicate constitution of babies and toddlers - easy to consume and excellent for restoring the salt and potassium used by the body during workouts), and one bottle of neutral ph or alkaline water. For calories I carry: 1 or 2 bananas (good for potassium), carrots (better for fiber and water and don't smoosh in your panniers) , and sliced apples which are excellent for both natural sugar and fiber for the gut, and easy to consume while continuing to cycle. Also a bag of nuts and seeds for protein, and sometimes a bit of cooked chicken for more protein and for bulk in the stomach. A stomach with a bit of food to process is a happy stomach.
(Fun fact: if you are riding a horse and feeding carrots or apples from the saddle as you trot down the trail, make sure to keep your fingers out of the way when you lean forward to put the food within grabbing distance of your horse's mouth, because when a horse is moving, it grabs with its teeth. Only when it is standing still does it take offered food with its lips. My horse was amazing and could snake his head around fast to take a carrot from my hand without missing a beat while trotting at speed (10-12mph) down a trail. I learned early on what it feels like to have those teeth clamp down by accident if my fingers got in the way, so I always slowed him down slightly when I offered apples. And I always carried food that we could share.)
I don't carry sweets because processed sugar goes into the system as acidic, and that combined with your muscles' lactic acid waste from burning calories can result in muscle soreness or, worse, debilitating cramps. If there is a question of the lactic acid buildup being extreme - and that relies totally on how much calorie energy you use to propel yourself and the waste it leaves in your muscles as it is burned - carry 1 or 2 sour pickles with you as well. The vinegar in dill pickles will almost instantly stop any leg cramps by fooling the receptors inside your mouth. It is amazing.
As a human you don't need an extraordinary amount of food for a 50-100 mile bike ride, you just need "smart" food as your fuel.
At every 7-8 miles, take a drink. Even if you feel you don't need it, do it anyway. By the time your thirst receptors are telling your brain you need fluids, you're already dehydrated. Once every 20 miles, take a drink of electrolytes. It is amazing how it picks the body up and keeps it going. Stop and eat a snack every 20 miles, or whenever the mood strikes. Better that your body be burning aerobically (food input) than anaerobically (stored body fat) when you ride a distance. By the way - any perceived weight loss for one ride is actually just water loss. It takes multiple bike rides and multiple miles over multiple days for a rider to lose true body fat weight.
Try to stop every 8 or so miles and get off your saddle to give your backside a rest. The same goes for the standard treed horse saddle used in equestrian riding - after a while it numbs your butt and hurts like hell. So when you see a horseback rider standing in their stirrups, it's usually because their ass is screaming bloody murder from the pain of sitting too long on a hard saddle, and not because the rider wants a better view to see the distance. That's why endurance riders use treeless saddles - no rigid saddle to cause pain to either horse or rider. One can ride for hours and hours pain free. (You have a total of 12 hours to complete a 50 mile ride (including all vet checks plus your final vetting), and 24 hours to complete a 100 mile ride. Vet checks are usually placed 10-15 miles apart, and have mandatory time limits that you have to remain at the check - to let your horse rest and eat - before you are allowed back out on the trail to continue. Those checks give your butt and legs and back a nice break from riding.) As a cyclist we don't have the luxury of treeless saddles, or mandatory stops even on an organized charity ride, so give your poor posterior a break whenever you can.
Anyway, enough for now. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
Regarding the Vado - the step through style I wanted was on backorder when I put in my order. At that point I believe it was not yet in shipment to the US from the factory. Because there is a very good chance that nonessential businesses here in Virginia may be asked to close soon (this week or next week) if the virus goes as badly as projected, and the shop called two days ago to tell me the bike wouldn't be in until mid April at best, I took a trip back to the shop to talk to them. Upshot was I cancelled my order and my 50% deposit was returned. The bike shop promised me that when the bike comes in, it will still have my name on it so that I can purchase it then. the shop sent out notification today that they are reducing hours (and staff) to limit drop in foot traffic and help safeguard their employees.
And so it begins.
Anyway, today I got in a good 22 mile ride, staying strictly on the one paved road in my area, to see how my knee felt. Got to really zoom along despite the total elevation change of 1,214'. Far less traffic out than normal, but all the drivers were exceptionally polite, keeping social distance, and then some. Everyone waved back to my wave of greeting. I love the drivers in this area - they are all so friendly and considerate.
The entire ride I was entertained by listened to a recording of my brother's music band from yesterday playing all Irish music and classic bluegrass in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Normally they would have been booked to play at one of the area pubs (they are usually booked for gigs every weekend at events and pubs), but all are closed now. So he and the band decided to do an impromptu session that they live streamed. I logged in at the start of my ride and listened while I rode. It was great, and the music (fiddle, mandolin, banjo and guitar) was toe tapping fabulous. Excellent tunes to cycle to, and I noticed the beat of the Irish and bluegrass music matched my cadence perfectly! The site that hosted the video already has 2.2k hits for the band's video !!!!! Awesome!!!
I'm ready for that 80°f day tomorrow and some fun cycling ...if the incoming rain lets me! I have to check out some new roads I want to use for my 60 mile ride.
I might try fitting the Badass delimiter on my bike before then. The unit is still sitting in its box, waiting to be installed. I don't need it on the gravel roads, but it would be nice for the paved roads not to have the assist cut out at 20mph.
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Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Thank you very very much for your extensive answer, Flora! The horse part was something new for me and it was very interesting. (My friend who lives in NYC is a dressage rider but I didn't knew anything about the endurance riding). I'm digesting the information now. So, drink often. Make a rest every 10 kilometres or so. Eat frequently. Now, there will be a new question:
I am insulin-resistant and hence diabetic. So far, my rides were not very long (from the perspective of the power-assisted bike) and certainly the ride times were relatively short. For that reason I was eating very little on my rides if at all in the hope the workout would burn the excess glucose (my doctor recommends a lot of workout in the fresh air). As I ride longer distances now with less of power-assist I noticed I felt I was starving; the sign of that was bad humour and a feeling of being hopeless. So all these chocolate bars and cakes on the route, which I basically should not eat at all. Do you think carrying cheese, sausage, sweet pepper and some pickles would be a better riding diet?
Sorry to hear about your cancelled Vado purchase. I gladly hope the situation would revert back to normal soon. Now, some considerations regarding the battery range vs the speed. The 20 mph limitation is not that bad. Taking into consideration I'm a weak rider, try to economise on the battery (and the strong winds would blow until the beginning of real Spring), I rarely hit the 20 mph now. It pays in far longer battery range which we all need on long rides. It will be interesting to hear about your experiences with the Badass; I'm sure you will notice significant battery range drop. No speed limit is good for zooming but not for long range rides
Besides, I don't recommend installing the new device prior to your metric century ride. What works - works. It reminds me a day when both I and a customer installed the latest Windows update before an online training session I intended to do. That day was lost!
I also regret you won't have the Vado soon as the bike is a real "zoomer". I intend to use my extra battery to see how fast I could get to Warsaw Żoliborz on a Vado with its intended purpose of a fast commuter. Again, I would be conquering upwind on the return way. The Winter is coming back here. It will be the last day in the 50's F today.
I was trying to listen the music on my rides when I was an "acoustic" rider. In fact, listening to the music makes the distance feel shorter yet I have given it up. Not that it isolates me from the ambient sounds which seems unsafe to me. I just like to listen to the sounds of the Nature, although it has rather been the howling of the wind in the recent months I'm glad, however, you can enjoy the music on your rides!
Good metric century ride to you!
I am insulin-resistant and hence diabetic. So far, my rides were not very long (from the perspective of the power-assisted bike) and certainly the ride times were relatively short. For that reason I was eating very little on my rides if at all in the hope the workout would burn the excess glucose (my doctor recommends a lot of workout in the fresh air). As I ride longer distances now with less of power-assist I noticed I felt I was starving; the sign of that was bad humour and a feeling of being hopeless. So all these chocolate bars and cakes on the route, which I basically should not eat at all. Do you think carrying cheese, sausage, sweet pepper and some pickles would be a better riding diet?
Sorry to hear about your cancelled Vado purchase. I gladly hope the situation would revert back to normal soon. Now, some considerations regarding the battery range vs the speed. The 20 mph limitation is not that bad. Taking into consideration I'm a weak rider, try to economise on the battery (and the strong winds would blow until the beginning of real Spring), I rarely hit the 20 mph now. It pays in far longer battery range which we all need on long rides. It will be interesting to hear about your experiences with the Badass; I'm sure you will notice significant battery range drop. No speed limit is good for zooming but not for long range rides
Besides, I don't recommend installing the new device prior to your metric century ride. What works - works. It reminds me a day when both I and a customer installed the latest Windows update before an online training session I intended to do. That day was lost!
I also regret you won't have the Vado soon as the bike is a real "zoomer". I intend to use my extra battery to see how fast I could get to Warsaw Żoliborz on a Vado with its intended purpose of a fast commuter. Again, I would be conquering upwind on the return way. The Winter is coming back here. It will be the last day in the 50's F today.
80's F? Do I read correctly? How lucky you are!
I was trying to listen the music on my rides when I was an "acoustic" rider. In fact, listening to the music makes the distance feel shorter yet I have given it up. Not that it isolates me from the ambient sounds which seems unsafe to me. I just like to listen to the sounds of the Nature, although it has rather been the howling of the wind in the recent months
I'm glad, however, you can enjoy the music on your rides!Good metric century ride to you!
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
You might not need any bike if the curfew would be announced...
Readytoride
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Virginia
@JayVee - we are concerned that a public mandate to seriously keep people home may well happen here in Virginia. How something as unprecedented at that will be accomplished, especially in this country, is unknown. Since we live out in the rural countryside, we may not be as heavily affected, or patrolled if the situation calls for that measure, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared...just in case. With a horse you can disappear into the woods or be so far afield that you aren't in view of roads, allowing you to ride for miles and miles with zero detection, even from the air. With a bike...not so much.
@Stefan - One can compare dressage to endurance by saying one is a like a precision solo ballet/dance choreography in fancy expensive clothing and fancy shoes all performed on a small stage with each competitor taking the stage at a specific time, while the other is like the Boston Marathon - a mass start, run your own run, pit stops, marked course, long miles with the goal to either win, top ten, or simply to complete - but on a natural, ungroomed cross country course. Very much akin to what ultra marathoners do, considering both equestrian endurance and ultra marathoners sometimes share the same venue and the exact same trail, sometimes at the same time!
I competed in both dressage and endurance at different times in my life, but was more successful in endurance because endless drilling demanded by dressage to perfect something as simple as a 20 meter circle, day to day, month to month, year to year drove me nuts. That and being confined to an arena. Some people love that type of precision riding. I craved the great outdoors, the scenery, the challenge, and riding for hours. Same reason I have in riding a bike, which is now my fun sport. Retired from competition, it no longer holds me in thrall.
And yes, I am fully aware of the intelligence behind NOT changing anything within one week of a ride. No new tack, shoes, clothing, eating habits, etc. It is practiced religiously in Edurance riding. If one doesn't, then one generally comes face to face with Murphy's Law. Good way to end up with a dreaded ride pull on your lifetime competitive records, and an ignominious horsetrailer ride for you and your horse back to basecamp.
However, this bike ride isn't sanctioned (per say) but just a friendly competition. And I'm curious to see how the Badass works. I think I'll dare chance it.
Regarding diabetes - that's a whole other kettle of fish to manage when riding distances. I'm not diabetic, but if I were I'd discuss my rides with a dedicated sports physician first to get their advice. Having ridden with diabetics on the trail, and knowing my own system, the need to keep glucose levels on a relatively flat, even keel is critical no matter what the distance. I use vitamin B100 to help achieve an optimum metabolism of my blood sugar through the day, throughout a ride. It flattens the blood sugar curve as well as prevents carpel tunnel issues (tingling and numb hands). Metabolic distress is a big issue with horses in distance competition and pretty much matches lameness as a reason a horse will be pulled from a ride. So a smart rider balances the proper food intake for the horse based upon the number of miles being ridden. The smart cyclist does the same for their own body.
Seriously speaking, you don't burn off extra glucose without risking a metabolic situation. If you are taking insulin, you do so to ensure your body is processing blood sugar levels at optimum for the next 24 hours based upon an average seditary nonsports life style. So fuel yourself with the appropriate food that won't lead to any spikes, but that will lead to your body having the right amount of energy necessary for the task at hand without compromising your insulin intake. Protein is good, as well as simple carbs. Try to stay away from complex carbs and heavily processed food. That stresses your digestive system with extra work to break down the food. Taking a probiotic before your ride will help alleviate any negative byproducts of digestion and will kept keep the gut flora at optimum levels.
Again, a good sports doctor should have suitable information to share, so discuss your bike rides and goals with them. It is their field of expertise after all.
Just my humble opinion. One old timer to another.
@Stefan - One can compare dressage to endurance by saying one is a like a precision solo ballet/dance choreography in fancy expensive clothing and fancy shoes all performed on a small stage with each competitor taking the stage at a specific time, while the other is like the Boston Marathon - a mass start, run your own run, pit stops, marked course, long miles with the goal to either win, top ten, or simply to complete - but on a natural, ungroomed cross country course. Very much akin to what ultra marathoners do, considering both equestrian endurance and ultra marathoners sometimes share the same venue and the exact same trail, sometimes at the same time!
I competed in both dressage and endurance at different times in my life, but was more successful in endurance because endless drilling demanded by dressage to perfect something as simple as a 20 meter circle, day to day, month to month, year to year drove me nuts. That and being confined to an arena. Some people love that type of precision riding. I craved the great outdoors, the scenery, the challenge, and riding for hours. Same reason I have in riding a bike, which is now my fun sport. Retired from competition, it no longer holds me in thrall.
And yes, I am fully aware of the intelligence behind NOT changing anything within one week of a ride. No new tack, shoes, clothing, eating habits, etc. It is practiced religiously in Edurance riding. If one doesn't, then one generally comes face to face with Murphy's Law. Good way to end up with a dreaded ride pull on your lifetime competitive records, and an ignominious horsetrailer ride for you and your horse back to basecamp.
However, this bike ride isn't sanctioned (per say) but just a friendly competition.
And I'm curious to see how the Badass works. I think I'll dare chance it.Regarding diabetes - that's a whole other kettle of fish to manage when riding distances. I'm not diabetic, but if I were I'd discuss my rides with a dedicated sports physician first to get their advice. Having ridden with diabetics on the trail, and knowing my own system, the need to keep glucose levels on a relatively flat, even keel is critical no matter what the distance. I use vitamin B100 to help achieve an optimum metabolism of my blood sugar through the day, throughout a ride. It flattens the blood sugar curve as well as prevents carpel tunnel issues (tingling and numb hands). Metabolic distress is a big issue with horses in distance competition and pretty much matches lameness as a reason a horse will be pulled from a ride. So a smart rider balances the proper food intake for the horse based upon the number of miles being ridden. The smart cyclist does the same for their own body.
Seriously speaking, you don't burn off extra glucose without risking a metabolic situation. If you are taking insulin, you do so to ensure your body is processing blood sugar levels at optimum for the next 24 hours based upon an average seditary nonsports life style. So fuel yourself with the appropriate food that won't lead to any spikes, but that will lead to your body having the right amount of energy necessary for the task at hand without compromising your insulin intake. Protein is good, as well as simple carbs. Try to stay away from complex carbs and heavily processed food. That stresses your digestive system with extra work to break down the food. Taking a probiotic before your ride will help alleviate any negative byproducts of digestion and will kept keep the gut flora at optimum levels.
Again, a good sports doctor should have suitable information to share, so discuss your bike rides and goals with them. It is their field of expertise after all.
Just my humble opinion. One old timer to another.
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Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Did I already told you Flora I love your posts? 
Just to clarify my health situation: insulin resistance means the body produces too much of insulin and cannot use it properly. It means both glucose and insulin peaks at the same time. My doctor advice was: take care what you eat, take Metformin, do work-outs.
Your advice on hydration was very good. I'm just after the 54 km ride on which I stopped at every 10th kilometre or more frequently and had a solid drink. It made me feel better! Now, interesting battery range figures for my Vado 5.0, wind, assistance levels. I am 216 lbs now (loss of 20 lb since Jan 1st 2020); I ride in a forward/upright position.
27 km (16.77 mi) downwind segment (suburban/urban), Sport Mode: 50% of the 604 Wh battery used. Time 1 h 00 minutes, average speed 27 km/h (16.77 mph).
The same segment but upwind, Turbo Mode: 76% of the charge drawn (combined figure of the two batteries). Time 1 h 03 minutes, average speed 25.7 km/h (16 mph).
The effect of the wind was tremendous! Translated to the full battery charge with -5% margin (Vado cuts the battery off at 5%), the range is 51.3 km (31.9 mi) in the Sport mode downwind and 33.8 km (21 mi) in the Turbo mode upwind. Which means, the metric century on Vado is possible but in the Eco mode and under possibly calm weather. I would try the Imperial Century only during a warm and calm Springtime!
From today's ride: the gift for Jerzy as a golden medal for his "acoustic" bike exploits At the TREK LBS in Warsaw.
Just to clarify my health situation: insulin resistance means the body produces too much of insulin and cannot use it properly. It means both glucose and insulin peaks at the same time. My doctor advice was: take care what you eat, take Metformin, do work-outs.
Your advice on hydration was very good. I'm just after the 54 km ride on which I stopped at every 10th kilometre or more frequently and had a solid drink. It made me feel better! Now, interesting battery range figures for my Vado 5.0, wind, assistance levels. I am 216 lbs now (loss of 20 lb since Jan 1st 2020); I ride in a forward/upright position.
27 km (16.77 mi) downwind segment (suburban/urban), Sport Mode: 50% of the 604 Wh battery used. Time 1 h 00 minutes, average speed 27 km/h (16.77 mph).
The same segment but upwind, Turbo Mode: 76% of the charge drawn (combined figure of the two batteries). Time 1 h 03 minutes, average speed 25.7 km/h (16 mph).
The effect of the wind was tremendous! Translated to the full battery charge with -5% margin (Vado cuts the battery off at 5%), the range is 51.3 km (31.9 mi) in the Sport mode downwind and 33.8 km (21 mi) in the Turbo mode upwind. Which means, the metric century on Vado is possible but in the Eco mode and under possibly calm weather. I would try the Imperial Century only during a warm and calm Springtime!
From today's ride: the gift for Jerzy as a golden medal for his "acoustic" bike exploits
At the TREK LBS in Warsaw.
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Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
I could not live there JayVee. Perhaps with a good e-MTB 
D
Deleted member 18083
Guest
Arriving for lunch …
This section of the river is about 80 km from the mouth (Port of Brisbane) and is at the farthest reach of the tides.
The Brisbane River was crossed three times during yesterday's ride (map) and each time I'd look back at the road I'd travelled along ten to thirty minutes earlier. Wonderful! And now it was time to head home, once again glimpsing the river from the other side.
All photos were taken from the southern side (right bank) the Brisbane River. Ipswich (where Jen and I live) is on our side of the river; Brisbane on the opposite bank.
Brisbane River at Colleges Crossing
A surprise awaited: six black swans (Cygnus atratus)! They're monogamous birds that can be seen in pairs, small gatherings or flocks of several hundred. Occasional visitors to the Brisbane River, they'd just dropped in for a few hours and immediately paddled across to see what was on offer for lunch! The young family did the right thing, 'look but don't feed'.Colleges Crossing, Ipswich .
The swans are looking for a handout from the mother, momentarily distracted from her smartphone; the extraordinarily well-behaved dog is transfixed; daughter watches from a safe distance; father has eyes only for his wife and son is absorbed in that most wonderful of things in a little boy's life, mud!This section of the river is about 80 km from the mouth (Port of Brisbane) and is at the farthest reach of the tides.
The Brisbane River was crossed three times during yesterday's ride (map) and each time I'd look back at the road I'd travelled along ten to thirty minutes earlier. Wonderful! And now it was time to head home, once again glimpsing the river from the other side.
All photos were taken from the southern side (right bank) the Brisbane River. Ipswich (where Jen and I live) is on our side of the river; Brisbane on the opposite bank.
Brisbane River, Ipswich.
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Dionigi
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Santa Cruz & Pittsburgh
Unfortunately on Monday we returned to Pittsburgh from Santa Cruz. The time was right to leave the hot spot of the Bay. But on our last week we had four great rides for a total of 207 miles and 9,800 feet of elevation. The attached photos are from a ride from Santa Cruz to Monterey, which took us through the fertile agricultural zone of California's Central Coast. The return trip was partially on HWY1 and adjacent farm roads that hugged the cliffs.
Mr. Coffee
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- A Demented Corner of the North Cascades
Out dirt grubbing:
Day two of antisocial distancing. 26 miles round trip up Salmon Creek. I turned around after 15 miles up. I was by myself, houses were getting far apart and I'm pretty sure there was no cell coverage. In one area that I will ride to eventually, cell phone users must go to the cemetery or go up a steep road quite a ways to the top of a ridge. Today was gorgeous. The bike was quieter after having the chain lubed yesterday.
After you climb up a couple of good grades, this ride becomes a more gradual up. Eventually, you will come out on the Conconully highway and can either turn and go to Conconully, or go back down to town. That could be another ride, but I'd want to be sure that businesses were open in Conconully and maybe have my charger along.
On the way back, I thought I was about to get busted. I ran a stop sign, slowly, and there was a sheriff car creeping down the road towards me. He seemed to be busy peering at houses so I lucked out.
A water stop. Looking back towards town.
Then a rocky hillside on up the road.
Just some more antisocial photos. The last is of yet another cannabis farm.
After you climb up a couple of good grades, this ride becomes a more gradual up. Eventually, you will come out on the Conconully highway and can either turn and go to Conconully, or go back down to town. That could be another ride, but I'd want to be sure that businesses were open in Conconully and maybe have my charger along.
On the way back, I thought I was about to get busted. I ran a stop sign, slowly, and there was a sheriff car creeping down the road towards me. He seemed to be busy peering at houses so I lucked out.
A water stop. Looking back towards town.
Then a rocky hillside on up the road.
Just some more antisocial photos. The last is of yet another cannabis farm.
As of last week the Muddy creek cafe has now lost the MU on the sign
Readytoride
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Virginia
That's just for bikes, right? Asking for a friend. /s
Alaskan
Well-Known Member
The new law goes in to effect October 1, 2020
With bipartisan House vote, Washington on verge of joining Idaho and Oregon by allowing people biking to treat stop signs as yield signs
The “safety stop,” also known as the “Idaho stop,” is on the verge of becoming law in Washington State. That means people biking will soon be able to legally treat stop sign…
www.seattlebikeblog.com
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
It will not stop the gas guzzlers from yelling at you when you do.The new law goes in to effect October 1, 2020
With bipartisan House vote, Washington on verge of joining Idaho and Oregon by allowing people biking to treat stop signs as yield signs
The “safety stop,” also known as the “Idaho stop,” is on the verge of becoming law in Washington State. That means people biking will soon be able to legally treat stop sign…
D
Deleted member 18083
Guest
The old man (me) and the sea (them) …
And then it was time to change batteries and delve around the E-Mate pannier – they really are popular! – for a snack, albeit not up to the culinary standards set by Stefan and R2R!
Cabbage Tree Creek, Shorncliffe.
There has been talk about longer rides, second batteries and keeping our selves well fed. Thursday and Friday are non-riding days for me, so here is a photo from Tuesday's ride along the Moreton Bay Cycleway. I saw these two prawn trawlers returning from the bay and snapped them without getting off my Powerfly or the bike path.And then it was time to change batteries and delve around the E-Mate pannier – they really are popular! – for a snack, albeit not up to the culinary standards set by Stefan and R2R!
Moreton Bay Cycleway.
- The motorway is Highway 1 which, at 14,500 km, is the world's longest ring road.
- 34.5 km : Shorncliffe Pier and, more importantly, Mario's mobile espresso machine.
- 88 km (actually just before) : trawler photo, battery swap & non-gourmet snack.
- Cabbage Tree Creek, where the trawlers are based (32/89 km), runs west-east.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Jerzy Decorated with A Medal (or The Great Recumbent-Bike Chase)
Not much to do in the work and bored, I decided to make a long ride to meet Jerzy at the Warsaw neighbourhood of Radość (literally meaning Joy). Our suburbs seem to be so far apart it is always a hard decision to meet each other at one of our places. For Jerzy, coming to me means taking a lengthy travel with trains. For me, calling him means a long and boring car drive through Warsaw traffic jams. That is what makes our meetings at our homes infrequent; Jerzy comes to me sometimes in the warm season for a night spent over craft beer, and I drive to his place even less frequently (we cannot party there). If and when we meet it is the Warsaw City to which we have equal distance with our trains. Or, bicycles.
It was for the first time I rode to Jerzy both ways since the spare Vado battery has given me the necessary range, and the Vado itself is fast enough as a commuter. The Winter is biting back; the temperature was in the 40's F again (and it will be colder in the coming days) but the wind was just symbolic (goggles were the must, though).
Jerzy was completely surprised when he got my phone call. I was saying a famous neighbour-dialogue from one of Polish movies:
-- Jerzy, come up to your fence the same as I'm coming up...
-- Why should I come up to my fence?! -- he exclaimed.
-- Because I am at your gate! -- I laughed out.
The pretext to take the ride was to "decorate Jerzy with a medal for outstanding cycling exploits" or, hand out the Knog Oi! bell as a gift to him. Jerzy made half of David Berry's distance in 2019 but Jerzy rides old & worn but a well maintained acoustic hard-tail bike. We had a good time at coffee (I allowed myself as much as three spoons of sugar!) and I went back via a different, longer but more interesting and safer route.
I was just riding one of the most beautiful bike-only lane in Warsaw, the one running along the Siekierki Bridge over the Vistula River (it is many kilometre long path made in good tarmac) when out of sudden something took me over at unbelievable speed. It was a very compact recumbent two wheel bike with aerodynamic orange trunk. I pushed on pedals and switched the assistance to Turbo mode and went into pursuit. Not to avail. The guy who looked like a dwarf from the backside must have been riding 40-45 km/h and the only thing I could achieve was to keep the track of the orange point vanishing at a distance. I switched back to Sport to conserve the battery and spun my pedals so fast and hard as never in the past. I was just pursuing him. That continued for some kilometres. Finally I caught him at the red signal.
-- Hi! What a nice "wild strawberry" (poziomka) you have! -- I exclaimed with a delight. It is an untranslatable Polish idiom for recumbent bikes.
-- Indeed! -- the bearded tall blonde man in his thirties replied. He was by no means a dwarf -- It is all about the aerodynamics and I need no motor for that! By the way, what is your motor power? -- he demanded.
-- Two hundred and fifty watts -- I replied humbly -- but that's what they call a Speed e-Bike, good up to 45 km/h -- I said.
-- Oh. -- He thought e-bikes should be more powerful.
The signals changed to green and he put on a spurt again. He was very good with detecting green signals and I did everything to not to be stuck at the red. It was for many kilometres; I rode in the Sport mode working hard, he must have thought he lost me and eased up a little. I caught him at a red signal again.
-- Hey, don't ride out -- I shouted -- Let's talk! It was a great pleasure to pursue you, you gave me a motivation for harder work-out!
-- Hah, glad to hear it! -- He smiled -- The motivation is a great thing but I tell you I'll never let an electric bike overtake me!
-- Thank you for the work-out again! Bye! -- And we parted our ways.
I admit I was very tired when I reached home. When I came to Jerzy, my first battery had 17% of the charge left. After coming home, the second battery had only 6% left -- the result of the chase and somewhat longer distance.
Jerzy decorated with the Oi! medal in Joy.
Taking a rest in Siekierki, in the pedestrian-only lane. The bridge and the bike-only lane are at the right.
The route stats.
Not much to do in the work and bored, I decided to make a long ride to meet Jerzy at the Warsaw neighbourhood of Radość (literally meaning Joy). Our suburbs seem to be so far apart it is always a hard decision to meet each other at one of our places. For Jerzy, coming to me means taking a lengthy travel with trains. For me, calling him means a long and boring car drive through Warsaw traffic jams. That is what makes our meetings at our homes infrequent; Jerzy comes to me sometimes in the warm season for a night spent over craft beer, and I drive to his place even less frequently (we cannot party there). If and when we meet it is the Warsaw City to which we have equal distance with our trains. Or, bicycles.
It was for the first time I rode to Jerzy both ways since the spare Vado battery has given me the necessary range, and the Vado itself is fast enough as a commuter. The Winter is biting back; the temperature was in the 40's F again (and it will be colder in the coming days) but the wind was just symbolic (goggles were the must, though).
Jerzy was completely surprised when he got my phone call. I was saying a famous neighbour-dialogue from one of Polish movies:
-- Jerzy, come up to your fence the same as I'm coming up...
-- Why should I come up to my fence?! -- he exclaimed.
-- Because I am at your gate! -- I laughed out.
The pretext to take the ride was to "decorate Jerzy with a medal for outstanding cycling exploits" or, hand out the Knog Oi! bell as a gift to him. Jerzy made half of David Berry's distance in 2019 but Jerzy rides old & worn but a well maintained acoustic hard-tail bike. We had a good time at coffee (I allowed myself as much as three spoons of sugar!) and I went back via a different, longer but more interesting and safer route.
I was just riding one of the most beautiful bike-only lane in Warsaw, the one running along the Siekierki Bridge over the Vistula River (it is many kilometre long path made in good tarmac) when out of sudden something took me over at unbelievable speed. It was a very compact recumbent two wheel bike with aerodynamic orange trunk. I pushed on pedals and switched the assistance to Turbo mode and went into pursuit. Not to avail. The guy who looked like a dwarf from the backside must have been riding 40-45 km/h and the only thing I could achieve was to keep the track of the orange point vanishing at a distance. I switched back to Sport to conserve the battery and spun my pedals so fast and hard as never in the past. I was just pursuing him. That continued for some kilometres. Finally I caught him at the red signal.
-- Hi! What a nice "wild strawberry" (poziomka) you have! -- I exclaimed with a delight. It is an untranslatable Polish idiom for recumbent bikes.
-- Indeed! -- the bearded tall blonde man in his thirties replied. He was by no means a dwarf -- It is all about the aerodynamics and I need no motor for that! By the way, what is your motor power? -- he demanded.
-- Two hundred and fifty watts -- I replied humbly -- but that's what they call a Speed e-Bike, good up to 45 km/h -- I said.
-- Oh. -- He thought e-bikes should be more powerful.
The signals changed to green and he put on a spurt again. He was very good with detecting green signals and I did everything to not to be stuck at the red. It was for many kilometres; I rode in the Sport mode working hard, he must have thought he lost me and eased up a little. I caught him at a red signal again.
-- Hey, don't ride out -- I shouted -- Let's talk! It was a great pleasure to pursue you, you gave me a motivation for harder work-out!
-- Hah, glad to hear it! -- He smiled -- The motivation is a great thing but I tell you I'll never let an electric bike overtake me!
-- Thank you for the work-out again! Bye! -- And we parted our ways.
I admit I was very tired when I reached home. When I came to Jerzy, my first battery had 17% of the charge left. After coming home, the second battery had only 6% left -- the result of the chase and somewhat longer distance.
Jerzy decorated with the Oi! medal in Joy.
Taking a rest in Siekierki, in the pedestrian-only lane. The bridge and the bike-only lane are at the right.
The route stats.
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