2020 : Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[Anna]

Haha! What's your ride, Anna?

Bought a 2020 Liv Intrigue a few weeks ago. (Out performs my Liv Valle sport). Full suspension, syncpro motor, all the goodies.) I giggle while riding it. . Such a thrill! Similar to your new Trance. I need to get a camera and upload better photos! I have been following your camera suggestions along with David’s.

 

[Anna]

I just want to describe my yesterday's ride in a massive rain No photos, no video, just words! Oh, let me show you a map at least.

There was a massive rainfall throughout Poland on Monday, together with thunderstorms. I got a notification my monthly delivery of Nespresso awaited me in the InPost parcel locker by the local supermarket (the InPost service is the best thing to happen to Poland...) I could drive up there but no. "I didn't buy all that waterproof clothing to not use it! I need a ride!" So I put waterproof trousers, jacket and helmet on and I even put goggles on to protect my glasses against the rain Additionally, I wore water-repellent thick gloves and I rode off with truly waterproof Ortlieb Bike-Packer pannier.

Additional items were my smartphone (tucked to the waterproof jacket pocket) and a folded knife; I knew the 30 Nespresso "bars" would be delivered in a big cardboard box so I needed to be able to repack them into the pannier.

It was some Inferno outside. My yard was full of rainwater. There are many gravel streets in the neighbourhood as the town maintains its "forest" character. The potholes were covered with rainwater. I was so glad to have the 60mm-travel air-shock in my Lovelec now... The front brake failed to perform due to poor adjustment. I had strong lights on the bike because the visibility was next to none. I was riding slowly, fully enjoying warm rain; it was pure fun!

When I reached the supermarket (I took the longer route away from the traffic), the gloves were already fully soaked. It mercifully stopped raining for a short while so I could collect the parcel using my smartphone to unlock the locker. I quickly brought the shipment and the bike into the mall, made the knife-work, repacked coffee into the pannier and rode back home. Another massive rainfall!

I could as well be riding naked... Oh no, the jacket-pocket had protected the smartphone at least! I predicted almost everything except of one thing. There is a street called Główna (Main St.) which is by no means the main one There also is the lowest point of the whole town there, by the cemetery. I rode into a puddle... and rainwater went above my ankles! While I was riding!

That was a short ride that made me extremely happy. Coffee capsules arrived dry.

P.S. Lovelec is a rear-hub motor e-bike. I wonder if a mid-drive motor one could be ridden in deep water...

View attachment 56472
A 6-km ride. I think the little creek flooded.

You are a determined brave soul, Stephan!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Bought a 2020 Liv Intrigue a few weeks ago. (Out performs my Liv Valle sport). Full suspension, syncpro motor, all the goodies.) I giggle while riding it. . Such a thrill! Similar to your new Trance. I need to get a camera and upload better photos! I have been following your camera suggestions along with David’s.

Intrigue is the sister of Trance! Congratulations!

 

[Mr. Coffee]

A morning of long climbs, long views, screaming descents, and hot brakes:

The Salish Sea and Cascades from the summit:

The first five miles of the descent averaged about 29mph. Then I had to stop to let my brakes cool.

I love this sign. I'd love it better if it had a dinosaur and a spider on it too. Or maybe a geoduck.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The Night Forest Thriller

Joking. That was a fantastic ride with a lot of adrenalin.

As I work more nowadays, I could find time for riding only after 5 p.m. but we're having long days now. At 6 p.m., I was ready to ride. The route plan was a loop leading through several forests. I thought it would be easy. I was wrong. At least I travelled light, with two water bottles, some sandwiches and an ultralight windbreaker that turned out to be necessary. I didn't even take bike tools with me! Why should I? My Trance E+ (a.k.a. Monster) is absolutely reliable.

The first 20 kilometres led through tarmac and gravel/sandy roads I had been familiar with. I thought the whole trip would be an easy ride. I even wrote so @Browneye in another Forum thread...

The sandwiches were tasty & nourishing. Just after I restarted the ride, I discovered I needed to pull the windbreaker on. It was not warm anymore.

I entered the forest -- the Skulski Las -- and the disaster adventure began. The "green" trail was entirely covered with the windblow. The Skulski Las is a Nature reservation so nobody clears the trail from fallen trees. Well, I own an "all mountain" e-bike so I just took a detour in the "cross-country" way. And I lost the trail. Twice. I was lucky it had happened before the sunset. I was walking the Monster, carrying it over larger logs, forced us through the bushes, riding a morass. Finally, I found a hunting pulpit, so civilization could not be that far. Then, I found a field in a clearing, so a road had to be nearby. I was saved.

The real civilization was found in the village of Żelechów (you can judge the size of a village by the size of its church). Now, let me tell you about proper bike lighting. If you ever think of riding in a forest near to the sunset, and especially after the sunset, you need to use a powerful headlight. Mine is CatEye Volt 1700 and although it is very expensive, it is worth every Grosz. The middle-beam of that lamp is sufficient for night riding in the forest. The high beam will make a day out of the night Since I was to ride roads at night as well, I used Knog Road Blinder R70, a great rear light, too.

As a patented imbecile, I dared riding in another forest at night. 41st kilometre here. At this specific point, I discovered I was riding in the wrong direction. I don't need to add that after massive rainfall of yesterday and the day before yesterday the forest paths and fireroads were full of rainwater, do I? The Monster passed the exam: I rode in so deep puddle that the motor got into it -- and survived. (See the CatEye middle-beam here).

55 km in 3:00:00 hours. I lost a lot of time when I was walking Monster through the bushes.

The trip map. Note: All pictures taken with a smartphone and processed on a PC.

 

[steve mercier]

Bought a 2020 Liv Intrigue a few weeks ago. (Out performs my Liv Valle sport). Full suspension, syncpro motor, all the goodies.) I giggle while riding it. . Such a thrill! Similar to your new Trance. I need to get a camera and upload better photos! I have been following your camera suggestions along with David’s.

Upload some pics !

 

[Captain Slow]

Stephan, the picture just above looks a lot younger than your avatar picture. You look like an actor.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Moreton Bay Fig …

Enoggera Creek Bikeway​

Monday's ride continued…

After leaving the Moggill Ferry and riding through the pleasant horsey suburb of Brookfield, my route took me behind Mount Coot-tha – steep and forested (photos later) – down to the quaintly-named suburb of The Gap. The 'gap' is between Mount Coot-tha and the D'Aguilar Range visited last week (photos a few pages back).

Who dreamed up these strange names? Coot-tha is from an Aboriginal word for honey (obtained from native stingless bees) and D'Aguilar honours one of Queen Victoria's finest, Major-General Sir George Charles d'Aguilar KCB, etcetera, who never set foot in Australia.

Stranger still is the naming of this creek – crossed by the concrete causeway slightly left of centre in the photo. The Enoggera Creek, somewhere between this beautiful Moreton Bay fig, and where it flows into the Brisbane River changes its name to Breakfast Creek. This isn't like the Missouri becoming the Mississippi: we can understand that even if we don't agree on the change. No one knows where the change occurs!

If you come up the creek after breakfasting and squabbling with 'natives' at its confluence with the Brisbane River – as explorers Oxley and Cunningham did two centuries ago – it's Breakfast Creek; if you travel downstream it's the Enoggera (from an Aboriginal word for a social or sacred gathering).

And to make things more interesting: where the early nineteenth-century explorers had their famed breakfast, there is now a conspicuous plaque declaring the spot to be Lyndon B Johnson Place, but that's a story to go with a future ride.

Second photo taken from where my ebike is in the first photo.

 

[RabH]

After a few days of thunderstorms (they are returning tomorrow for another 3 days) I was back in the saddle today and what a beautiful day it was, 40 glorious fun filled miles in the sun! At 8am it was 16C which is perfect for me and there was a cool breeze from the southwest which I enjoyed on the way back as it had risen to 23C by then! I was back on my favourite back roads today which were just sublime with very little traffic!

I could see a couple of roadies in the distance and when they reached a climb I was catching them quickly, I was thinking I would just blast past them but decided to stop and have a snack! After a few minutes I set off again and I could see them in the distance once again and wondered what direction they were headed, I lost sight of them for some minutes and thought they had taken another road!

All of a sudden they appeared in the distance once again and I knew they would be going pretty slow as it was quite a climb they were tackling, I just kept plugging away and eventually had them in my sights once again, amazingly I actually passed the first one on the flat, his mate was starting a big descent and probably expecting his buddy was right behind him but as he looked back I could see him doing a double take! He did give me a wave which was nice, I had a look back and saw his buddy flying down the descent chasing me!

I stayed in his mates wheel and as we reached a roundabout he approached in the left lane, I was going right so wished him a good day! I was now on a long but slight downhill and was keeping a good pace going, around 25mph and just loving the ride, all of a sudden I could hear a noise from behind and lo and behold it was the 2 roadies again, I think they decided to follow me and blow me away on the downhill which they did! I actually caught them again just as I reached my turning point, this time they were going left and I was going right so I wished them a great day, it was fun sharing the road with them!

I'm not sure if I will get out again this week with more thunderstorms coming but if I see an opportunity I will grab it for sure!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

First

After a few days of thunderstorms (they are returning tomorrow for another 3 days

First the covid, the weather next. This year's summer looks as wasted for Europe...

 

[RabH]

First

First the covid, the weather next. This year's summer looks as wasted for Europe...

I can't really complain as we had a long spell of dry weather in April and May, virtually unheard of here! When I'm working I have no choice but to ride in the rain or I would never get out!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I can't really complain as we had a long spell of dry weather in April and May, virtually unheard of here!

We have had drought since I bought my first e-bike. The first rainfalls came late in May. So I cannot complain on raining. I complain on cold and winds. Now, we have too much raining but to have 16 C in the daytime in June is a rare situation.

 

[PatriciaK]

Just under 10 miles this morning. Beautiful ride along the northwest shore of Whidbey, at NAS Whidbey Island. The trade-off for almost no traffic was the thunder of the planes taking off and landing (no photos allowed!) - next time we'll take ear plugs!

Standing sentinel over the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Mr. Coffee is up there in the San Juan Islands somewhere - hope he's staying dry! We could see the showers falling from the clouds.

 

[RandallS]

Yesterday's ride. I had to drop my Sportswagen off at the VW dealer for servicing so loaded the bike and went for a spin. The weather was quite strange, as we had a ridge of clouds out to the west that just stayed there most of the morning.


My first point of interest (for me at least) was going by the Foothills Hospital where I spent some time in ICU in 2012. In some other forum posts I've mentioned some leg issues (hence ebike) but it was at the McCaig Tower where they patched me up after an industrial accident where I ruptured the tendons that attach the quad on my right leg to the lower leg after a "slight" tumble. The left knee didn't like it either and nor did the ribs and a lung...was always very careful around elevator shafts on construction sites after that incident! My current ebike was instrumental in my rehab, as I was limited in mobility once I could walk again 8 weeks later. The ability to get the motion without excess strain was very therapeutic, I even lowered the saddle for a while to try to get as much motion back as I could.



My current rig - I believe you have to post a picture don't you?



Once cruising down to the cycle paths along the north side of the Bow River I passed numerous cyclists, joggers, walkers and plenty of dogs. Weather still looks threatening!




Still heading west, now on the south side of the river, I spent some time on city streets and eventually crossed over the Bow back to the north side as I headed west towards Stoney Trail which links the main North-South Highway in Alberta (#2) to the main East - West Highway (#1) which is referred to as the TransCanada. They're twinning the bridge and they were drilling pilings when I went through there.




Having ridden the public bridge back across the Bow to the South side again, I headed East through a public park called Bowness Park, which is usually crammed with people, even on a Monday. Not so much with Covid. But families were still out doing family stuff - walking and some playing in the water.



At this point it was about time to head back and get my car, with a few hills to navigate (one was 11%). Here's a shot from the top of the hill, with a view west towards COP (Calgary Olympic Park) and the Ski jumps.


I decided to take a short break with a coffee and a snack before picking up my car.

In honour of our Australian forum members, who post much more interesting rides than this one, the coffee had to be a Flat White.




Here's the route and associated stats (still earning how to use Strava).

No rides today - it's Golf league day and I'm still undefeated in my matches.
By posting that, of course I will likely lose, but I've always had close matches with the guy I am playing this evening.
We'll have fun regardless of the outcome!

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Mr. Coffee is up there in the San Juan Islands somewhere - hope he's staying dry! We could see the showers falling from the clouds.

It was a little drizzly in the morning but really nothing at all to be concerned with.

Today I switched islands:

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Mr. Coffee, the front of your bike looks intriguing. Could you post a picture of your ride?

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Ride into Brisbane …

Mount Coot-tha​

The Gap, Brisbane​

Mount Coot-tha Forest
Brisbane Central
Extractor Tower for Underground Motorway​

 

[Mr. Coffee]

@Mr. Coffee, the front of your bike looks intriguing. Could you post a picture of your ride?

What you are seeing is my Giro Montaro helmet and the Take a Look mirror. All images are taken with a helmet-mounted GoPro Hero 7 Black.

The helmet-mounted camera is great because I can just tap the camera while I am riding and take some video. Also the fact that the camera is prominently visible makes motor vehicles noticeably more respectful of my space. At night I place a light on the helmet mount so I can see around corners.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

What you are seeing is my Giro Montaro helmet and the Take a Look mirror. All images are taken with a helmet-mounted GoPro Hero 7 Black.

The helmet-mounted camera is great because I can just tap the camera while I am riding and take some video. Also the fact that the camera is prominently visible makes motor vehicles noticeably more respectful of my space. At night I place a light on the helmet mount so I can see around corners.

Uh-oh! Interesting!

 

[Buckdubay]

On of my first rides on my new Toughroad . Went up Terry mountain over looking lake Champlain