2020 : Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

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My short ride yesterday posed a number of puzzles none more universal than this one
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Alaskan: A couple of questions:

1. One of your bikes has a Brooks B17 Imperial saddle. What is the saddle bag that is attached?
2. Is that a Trek app that have screen captures for?

Grant
Actually the saddle is not a Brooks but rather a Selle Anatomica, also a leather saddle with a cutout similar to that of an Imperial. The saddle bag is large Brooks Isle of Wight.

The screen capture is from the Bosch Ebike Connect web site. All the data is automatically uploaded by my Nyon display via wifi when I get home after a ride. There is also an app for android or apple phone that accesses the same Bosch cloud data base.
 
Why I am not riding my new bike today. Why I'm not riding anything today. Why I'm sitting in my lounge chair typing this post, sleeping dogs sprawled all over the oriental rug, an ebook on my lap, a warm blanket over my legs, my ears listening to the wooshing wind racing past outside in a hurry to get anywhere else as quickly as possible while dragging the sullen clouds in a harried group flight across the non-existent skies. The trees are all merrily engaged in an impromptu crowd flash dance choreographed to match Fred Astair and Ginger Roger's giddy twirling routines to the snappy beat of the 1933s swing band music in "Flying Down To Rio".

I've had enough of this weather. It is welcome to fly all the way down to Rio as far as I'm concerned. I'm about ready to get back to resting my eyes.

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Oh, and there are now 10 Happy Chicken Eggs left in the fridge. I was happy to consume one Happy Egg for breakfast.

Photo below for the Happy Chicken Eggs photo from a previous post when it was, yes, a sunny day:

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Nice new Vado...I’m gonna pass the picture on to GF in my continuing campaign to allow me to get her one
My two friends that have them LOVE them. I was delighted at how "female friendly" the bike topography was when I tried it out.

You need to find a shop that has the bike in your GF's size, and have her take a test ride.
 
My plan is/was to ride around and see if any places have blueberry plants (I must bring home a shrubbery--Monty Python bastardization) today. Alas, the wind is howling, I am waiting for the Benadryl to kick in, and a knee is protesting.

Maybe the wind will die down? Stay tuned. Now my brain is stuck with, "You must bring me a shrubbery."
Must first get coconut shell halves. Wonder if they can be ordered on line from the grocery store? :) But it would be hard to operate coconut and bike at the same time.

Stay healthy out there folks!
 
My plan is/was to ride around and see if any places have blueberry plants (I must bring home a shrubbery--Monty Python bastardization) today. Alas, the wind is howling, I am waiting for the Benadryl to kick in, and a knee is protesting.

Maybe the wind will die down? Stay tuned. Now my brain is stuck with, "You must bring me a shrubbery."
Must first get coconut shell halves. Wonder if they can be ordered on line from the grocery store? :) But it would be hard to operate coconut and bike at the same time.

Stay healthy out there folks!
 
First of all: @Readytoride, congratulations! A beautiful new Vado and welcome to the club! Perhaps you will want to visit the thread that actually is the Turbo Vado/Como User Club:

I can see there was a tremendous Forum activity while I was out riding and taking a rest. It has taken me two hours to go through all interesting messages!
 
The Rider of The Apocalypse [KPN West ride]

So, our enlightened Health Minister, Mr Szumowski has lifted the ban on the public access to recreation sites effective the coming Monday (why not effective on the announcement day so people could enjoy this weekend remains a mystery to me). To make the life hard enough, the Government ordered every person appearing in the public to cover their nose and mouth (meaning "wear some sort of a face mask") including this weekend. People wearing prescription eyeglasses are unhappy as their glasses mist over in the weather we are experiencing now. Therefore I wear a face-screen when shopping but the screen is not compatible with my cycling helmets.

I gave up riding for a couple of days; that made me lazy and feel unwell. I had to force myself into some cycling. I'm fed up with the boring roads of my neighbourhood, so I decided to carry my Good Ole Mule in my estate car to Leszno (which is the southern gate to the Kampinos National Park [KPN]) and ride out of there. Luckily, the Czech e-bike has the Quick Release front-wheel so it was fairly easy to use the car for the bike transportation.

I thought I could make a metric century again. Not. The only positive thing about the Saturday was full sunshine. The weather forecast read "Windless". Not. I could see flags lively billowing en route. With the temperature of 10 C (50 F) it was very difficult to select proper clothing. For example, staying at rest meant feeling like in the Summer while it was freaking cold during the ride. The Government order "cover your nose and mouth" was good for me (It is not "wear a face-mask" but "cover your nose and mouth"). So I wore my nice breathable balaclava and with the good goggles there was no fogging over at all!

I was able to break yet another ban: I rode into the forest. There was a shortcut fire-road and I used that.

The cold weather and persistent winds made me resign from making the metric century, which is encircling the whole KPN. I was too weak to do that. Perhaps the next time but I'll need real Spring to do that. So I circumnavigated the KPN West only, making it 74 km or 46 miles. (I was very close to the Vistula River and regret I didn't feel in the shape to ride up there to take some pictures.)

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The Rider of The Apocalypse (or rather of Minister Szumowski) :D The balaclava kept my face pleasantly warm. I took this photo soon after emerging from the woods (the village of Miszory, which is on the boundary of the KPN West).

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After all the upgrades, the Good Old Mule has become as heavy as a motorcycle, especially with the heavy panniers. The Hebie Rex 605 bipod-kickstand is a miracle!


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The Pletscher Athlete rear-rack is a wonder. Not only securely carrying two heavy panniers but also allowing to mount the rear-light in the best, visible position.

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The route as planned. I was so close to the Vistula River! Unfortunately, that was not the right day to ride up to the river.

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I was actually even closer to the river than planned. Encircling the entire KPN means 106-110 km ride and I will certainly make it. In the Spring, when it comes.
 
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No pictures, but I did take a short, 8 mile ride to look for a shrubbery. I found three that would do. While I was at the nursery, a couple of conversations ensued at the proper distance, about my ebike. I rode home the shorter way and blasted through the dangerous intersection with the traffic. I hit 17mph when under the traffic light and then braked and made the turn onto a less busy road. Wheeew.

I returned with my pickup and hauled the shrubbery home. Ni Ni.

The shrubbery has been transplanted into its "Forever Home." We'll see if a plant more suitable to the wet forests can survive and produce berries in the desert.
 
The alternative route home …
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On the return leg of my last ride up the rail trail I 'cut the corner', giving Fernvale and its 'world famous' meat pies a skip. This was the route where I suffered range anxiety on the Powerfly last month when I had a spare battery in the pannier but no key to facilitate the changeover.

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This backroad with its well-maintained chipseal, sweeping curves and exhilarating switchbacks is a joy to ride on the Homage.

The Homage is an amazing ebike with heaps of torque, especially in Turbo assist, to climb the 150 metres up the Marburg Range (second photo). These are not epic climbs but they are fun rides which I can only accomplish on an ebike long after giving them on my road bikes.

Equally important, on the descents, were the smooth Magura hydraulic disc brakes – just a dab needed with my right index finger. Downhill the Homage was impeccably behaved, freewheeling into the low seventies through each of the dips. I realise that my speed was 'nothing special' by road bike standards – the Homage is very upright with the handlebar higher than the seat – but it was fun.

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Marburg Range
In the lower photo (actually taken first) the road sweeps around from my position to the top right where it is just visible, and crests further on near the burned trees (tossed cigarette?).
 
Nice late morning ride. Came upon some kids at their driveway's end waving a sign saying 'Honk it's my birthday'. They cheered at the tinkle of my bell. A little further on the flower pot man and across the street Bobby Lloyd's farm. His three thousand acre farm backs up to the rutted end of my road. He told me a few years back that the corn maze/pumpkin patch was making more money than the crops. i've seen the kids being bused in, long lines along the main road from the Richmonders coming for a rural adventure. I hope the virus doesn't bring things to a crash. The last photos from near my road...two contrasting casts of mind.
 

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Algebra for Cyclists - 101 Test - Multichoice Answers

Two friends set out for a ride today, together, at the same time on identical bikes.

100 miles apart.

Friend A in the south cycled 31.85 miles, left at 12:22, and arrived home at 3:00. Her maximum speed was 28.8mph.

Friend B in the north cycled 25.1 miles for a duration of 2:24:29 with a 1:35 moving time. Her maximum speed was 28.8mph.

Solve each problem for 10 points. Check correct answer:

A. Which friend did NOT spend half her time gadding about, taking photos of her bike against pretty backdrops, and standing around chatting to random strangers about her bike as well as stuff completely unrelated to ANYTHING important. □ Friend A □ Friend B □ Neither □ Both

B. Which of the following texted "Well?" at the end of the ride? □ Friend A □ Friend B □ The motorcyclist on the Harley waving hello □ The barking dog at the 13.2 mile point □ What's a text?

C. How many texts were exchanged during the ride, and how many emoji were used per text? □ 10 □ 1,000 □ 5 billion and only gifs were used □ This is a dumb question and I refuse to answer it.

D. Who wore a pink and purple helmet? □ Friend A □ Friend B □ The motorcyclist on the Harley waving hello □ The barking dog at the 13.2 mile point □ One of the above

E. Who texted "I love my bike!" at the end of the ride? □ Friend A □ Friend B □ The motorcyclist on the Harley waving hello □ The barking dog at the 13.2 mile point □ All of the above

Please show all computation work for full points.

Friend A:
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Friend B:
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