2020 : Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[RabH]

Another Schwalbe Marathon fan here, over 6,100 miles covered and not a single puncture and they are still like new! Welcome Archie and Ania! Now I'm going to get a puncture...

I knew this statement would come back to bite me They were predicting thunderstorms for a few days so I wasn't expecting to get out today, when I woke up it was actually looking perfect for a ride so I checked the forecast again and it was saying the thunderstorms wouldn't arrive until around 4pm!

So off I went with a smile on my face looking forward to a lovely ride in the country...well just over 5 miles into my ride I was on a narrow single track road and spotted a tipper truck headed my way and I knew he wouldn't get past me so I pulled over to the verge to let him through, after he passed I stepped on the pedals and was aware of the back wheel not feeling quite right! Yes it was a puncture, I pulled over to the side of the road and was expecting to have it fixed in 5 minutes and be on my way....

I removed the back wheel in a matter of seconds and had a look at the tyre and spotted a large metal staple protruding out about 1/2" so I used my pliers (I always carry pliers) to pull it out and only one half came out, I couldn't see the other part! I removed the tyre and sure enough the other half was lodged inside the tyre, so I removed it and checked the inside of the tyre for any more debris! All good so I just grabbed a new tube to save me time and proceeded to reinstall the tyre, this is when the problems began!!! I had most of the tyre back on the rim just by hand but as always the last part was pretty tight!

There was about 6" still to go over the rim and it was very tight, so being an experienced cyclist who had dealt with a multitude of punctures in my day I proceeded to push the other side of the tyre into the centre of the rim and it helped a little but I still had about 5" to get over the rim, I used my tyre levers to get it over the final part only for one of the (plastic) levers to snap...quickly followed by the other! It was time for the walk of shame, only the second time this has ever happened to me in over 50 years of cycling...lesson learned (if you buy Schwalbe Marathon tyres make sure you have strong tyre levers!!! Thankfully I only had to walk 3.5 miles to get home, it could have been much worse!

Ironically the last time it happened I also encountered a truck on a narrow single track road and pulled over to let him past...that time I couldn't get my patches to seal and had forgotten to carry a spare tube or 2 I had actually driven 60 miles with my bike in the car and my car was 30 miles away when it happened...luckily I came across a telephone engineer working at the side of the road and he very kindly gave me a lift back to the car!

 

[PDXzap]

Loaded for bear recycle!

The pandemic shut down many of the bottle/can redemption machines which in turn created long lines at the service centers with equally long wait times... so around here things have been piling up.

The machines have opened up once again. I would have taken more but with the backlog there is a strict limit in place on the amount you can redeem at one time.

 

[Buckdubay]

How do you like your bike?

I love it. I

How do you like your bike?

I love it. Since I got it on Father’s Day I have put about 120 miles in. Having the pedal assist has put the fun back in cycling. It’s been 4 years since I have been able to ride mileage like this.

 

[Buckdubay]

Loaded for bear recycle!

View attachment 56683

The pandemic shut down many of the bottle/can redemption machines which in turn created long lines at the service centers with equally long wait times... so around here things have been piling up.

The machines have opened up once again. I would have taken more but with the backlog there is a strict limit in place on the amount you can redeem at one time.

I like the way you have even recycled the kids tag-a-long as a trailer. Is it well balanced?

 

[Mulezen]

RabH...rookie mistake on your part...me...I always expect a flat and haven’t had one (5K on acoustic...from 2013, another 2.5 K on my ebikes) for 8 years. Stay pessimistic is my motto...I let my guard down however the other day and hopped on the tractor to find a front tire (tyre) flat as a pancake. Pessimism goes only so far.

 

[steve mercier]

Forgive me for barging into this thread: Kanaka creek park.

 

[steve mercier]

Summer is here Yay! : So are the mosquitos Boo!

 

[steve mercier]

Floating along the North Alouette river

 

[steve mercier]

A favorite view of the PItt River

 

[steve mercier]

Get off your butts and hit the trails and then post here people!

 

[steve mercier]

Make hay while the sun shines

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I knew this statement would come back to bite me They were predicting thunderstorms for a few days so I wasn't expecting to get out today, when I woke up it was actually looking perfect for a ride so I checked the forecast again and it was saying the thunderstorms wouldn't arrive until around 4pm!

So off I went with a smile on my face looking forward to a lovely ride in the country...well just over 5 miles into my ride I was on a narrow single track road and spotted a tipper truck headed my way and I knew he wouldn't get past me so I pulled over to the verge to let him through, after he passed I stepped on the pedals and was aware of the back wheel not feeling quite right! Yes it was a puncture, I pulled over to the side of the road and was expecting to have it fixed in 5 minutes and be on my way....

I removed the back wheel in a matter of seconds and had a look at the tyre and spotted a large metal staple protruding out about 1/2" so I used my pliers (I always carry pliers) to pull it out and only one half came out, I couldn't see the other part! I removed the tyre and sure enough the other half was lodged inside the tyre, so I removed it and checked the inside of the tyre for any more debris! All good so I just grabbed a new tube to save me time and proceeded to reinstall the tyre, this is when the problems began!!! I had most of the tyre back on the rim just by hand but as always the last part was pretty tight!

There was about 6" still to go over the rim and it was very tight, so being an experienced cyclist who had dealt with a multitude of punctures in my day I proceeded to push the other side of the tyre into the centre of the rim and it helped a little but I still had about 5" to get over the rim, I used my tyre levers to get it over the final part only for one of the (plastic) levers to snap...quickly followed by the other! It was time for the walk of shame, only the second time this has ever happened to me in over 50 years of cycling...lesson learned (if you buy Schwalbe Marathon tyres make sure you have strong tyre levers!!! Thankfully I only had to walk 3.5 miles to get home, it could have been much worse!

Ironically the last time it happened I also encountered a truck on a narrow single track road and pulled over to let him past...that time I couldn't get my patches to seal and had forgotten to carry a spare tube or 2 I had actually driven 60 miles with my bike in the car and my car was 30 miles away when it happened...luckily I came across a telephone engineer working at the side of the road and he very kindly gave me a lift back to the car!

Tough luck... I wonder if my Michelin Protek Max inner tube would self-repair in your situation...

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Get off your butts and hit the trails and then post here people!

I was doing that until a few minutes ago. 33 km into Friday’s ride so it’s time for a flat white beside the Brisbane River. (iPhone at the ready!)

 

[Saratoga Dave]

The Walkway Across the Hudson in New York this afternoon, a former train bridge which burned in 1977, I believe - I remember seeing the smoke from twenty miles away that afternoon. Sat abandoned for several decades and has now been reborn as a hugely successful park and centerpiece of the Hudson Valley Rail Trail. Always a blast to ride across, and the trail itself is a winner as well. The Ulster County side heading to New Paltz is particularly beautiful and well done.

(I took a little artistic license with the first picture by flipping it so the sign over the path is readable from this side. This is looking east across the river towards Poughkeepsie.)

 

[Mr. Coffee]

A circumnavigation of a small island in the Pacific Ocean (more precisely, in the Salish Sea):

By request, a picture of my ride:

Near Whale Watch Point (no whales in evidence today):

Near False Bay:

Cattle Point:

Bonus! Alpacas:

 

[Readytoride]

202.4 miles (323.84 kilometers) logged these past two weeks in increments of 20 to 30 miles per ride.

105.1 miles (168 kilometers) of the rides have been down in Fauquier, the county below us, specifically for the fabulous paved roads which have downright spectacular views and are lightly traveled with very friendly motorists. The remaining 97.3 miles (156 kilometers), often with my neighbor, have been around our exquisite local gravel roads which are serenity incarnate, comprised of the most exquisite views found anywhere, and so sweet to ride after the rains have dampened the dust.

Our farm has been keeping us very busy mostly mowing, gardening, mowing, summer projects (painting, mulching, and replacing old fences), riding the horses, mowing, sewing, and... did I mention mowing? We have a lot of fields. They are all growing a terrific crop of pasture grass.

So getting out and riding meant morning runs because the afternoon heat and humidity has been a killer.

The paved roads of the county below us. What it feels like to ride through heaven, just admiring each beautiful view that comes into sight, for miles and miles and miles. And sharing the happiness with the few motorists who also are traveling these roads. All of us, bound together by, and graciously sharing, the beauty around us.

A Loudoun County gravel road perspective, this one with a cotton candy cloud sky edged by a blue border of what would appear to be a graceful ballet of waves on an ocean rather than a solid immutable fortress of ancient mountains. This view never fails to delight, no matter what season, weather, or time of day. This is one view along one of my favorite loops - a simple 10 miles "down one road and back up another road" ride.

The endless miles of stone walls of Fauquier County. Most are so old that they predate the past 200 years. The unique post and rail configuration over the wall was to prevent livestock (cows and horses) from climbing over the stone walls and breaking them down. The crossed posts concept dates back to colonial times - two posts would be slanted towards each other, their bases on opposing sides of the wall, their tops wired together where they crossed each other. The rails (either one or two) would be hung on the wire at each end. The construction eliminated the need to plant the posts in the ground, and thus was easy to do, saving time and work to install.

Over time Mother Nature would rearrange the stone walls at her discretion, usually quite artistically, if you want to put it poetically, with random sections here and there succumbing to the inevitable chaos of gravity and prostrate homage to Father Time. Then humans would come along and do their own rearranging, generally in a far most geometric pattern of strict no nonsense lines and laser level courses.

I love these endless stone walls. I find them delightfully entertaining, intriguingly complex, and quite "chummy" with the landscape. They work quite well with the palette and paintbrush I carry around in my mind

It did seem that the art of estate maintenance has been on full display lately. My hat is off to these workers who are out in the heat, busy ensuring that the old fences are replaced with new and landscapes are groomed into putting their best foot forward for the likes of myself to enjoy. It's a hot, sweaty job, but the workers, one and all, were happy to exchange waves hello and smiles as I cruised by, little knowing I had complete empathy with them. Been there, done that, every season, every year.

My neighbor at the end of the road has been having fun dressing her little pig statue in the lastest pandemic styles. I'm curious to see what Miss Piggy will be wearing for the 4th of July.

 

[RabH]

RabH...rookie mistake on your part...me...I always expect a flat and haven’t had one (5K on acoustic...from 2013, another 2.5 K on my ebikes) for 8 years. Stay pessimistic is my motto...I let my guard down however the other day and hopped on the tractor to find a front tire (tyre) flat as a pancake. Pessimism goes only so far.

The weird thing is I used the same tyre levers to fit the tyres in Feb 2019 and never had a problem, you would think the tyres would be easier to remove and refit after covering 6,200 miles...I guess not...

I bet the tractor tyre was easier to fix!

 

[pmcdonald]

I was doing that until a few minutes ago. 33 km into Friday’s ride so it’s time for a flat white beside the Brisbane River. (iPhone at the ready!)

View attachment 56721

Classic Aussie flat white, David.

I didn't even realise that was an Australian thing until I was met with blank looks in Seattle one trip. I'd like to think the world has since made peace with the brilliance of our second best export.

Cold ride to work this morning, down around zero C. Still, lovely crisp sunrise made it worth getting out of bed. (That and, you know, a wage)

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Down the river from the café …

Brisbane River at Teneriffe​

This is a few minutes downstream from the 10.30 am coffee stop. Old-style riverside walk: presumably, the designer thought it would be a good idea to place a double row of loose pavers between the concrete slabs!

 

[RabH]

The weird thing is I used the same tyre levers to fit the tyres in Feb 2019 and never had a problem, you would think the tyres would be easier to remove and refit after covering 6,200 miles...I guess not...

I bet the tractor tyre was easier to fix!

I now have the proper tools for the job, just did a practise run at home and it took me less than 5 minutes to remove the wheel, remove the tyre and tube and reinstall, the tool to install the tyre is awesome! I just need the thunderstorms and heavy rain to go away now! At the moment its looking like Tuesday before I will ride again...maybe a damp trip tomorrow morning!