Oh, how true. Had a similar happening as of today (not as dramatic) and the defensive style of riding helps a lot.
A Grand "Smart Sam" Tyre Test (Vado) - Mixed Terrain Ride
Some of you might have already known my opinion on Turbo Vado: "The e-bike that loves the road". Whenever I was riding off-road with the Vado, I was regretting that. The reason was quite banal: The otherwise excellent Electrak 2.0 tyres were perfect for road (very low rolling resistance, extremely good road grip, hard to puncture) but they "hated" unpaved roads. My main worry was there tyres could not cope with loose sand (and there is plenty of sand in Mazovia).
@FlatSix911 and
@TS25 were patiently explaining to me I just needed different tyres for my Vado and they have eventually convinced me. Their advice was "try Schwalbe Smart Sam". I was afraid of harsher ride on tyres of less air volume; and of noise of knobby tyres. I shouldn't have worried as it turned out.
I had two rides on Friday: A shorter one early in the morning (to prove the tyres could do in the local forest), and a longer afternoon one in deliberately mixed terrain. What great tyres! Silent on paved surfaces, aggressive off-road. Less cushioning action was countered with the inflation pressure close to the rated minimum; and the suspension handlebars as well as seat-post worked more actively. Of course, the 1.75" tyres are not the 2.6" (as are on my Trance E+), and the lack of suspension hurts a little but not that much as I was afraid of!
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On the early morning forest ride. The temp was 8 C (46 F)!
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My chosen route deliberately involved more of off-road and gravel roads than of blacktop/macadam (or it felt so). Interestingly, the road construction (at least in Mazovia) is actively continued and more and more local roads are of high quality. For instance, the street I live at has been recently paved with macadam, and that street had been a dirt one for the whole time before! Regarding the weather (which was sunny), I was oppressed with strong cold wind (took no windbreaker with me) and I returned home rather chilled.
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There was a lot of sand (over hard) on my way. I found with pleasure the Smart Sam tyres were able to handle such surface well. I met some issues with deeper sand but even that could be ridden over.
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In the infamous Mazovian sands.
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I visited the "mansion of Józef Chełmoński" in Kuklówka Zarzeczna. Chełmoński was a realist painter, and he moved into this house in 1889, where he lived until his death in 1914. I'm sure the house looked far better when the painter lived there...
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"Storks", one of Chełmoński's best known paintings.
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A lot of forest paths, easier or harder.
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On a rail trail. That's a novelty for Poland.
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At a windmill lover. He had a plenty of windmills in his garden!
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An apple-tree that belonged to no-one. I could not resist it and ate an apple. What a taste! How juicy it was! (I think I can understand Adam & Eve now...)
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I've been to these crossroads for many times, and I used to describe the place as "backwoods". How much has it changed over half a year! Let us start with a new asphalt road leading to this junction...
I was just eating a piece of kiełbasa at a bus shelter in Kraśnicza Wola when a gentleman approached me:
-- Good day and bon appetite! Wasn't it you zooming around there for couple of times? I can recognise the red helmet, the powerful headlight, and you were just zooming at high speed by my house?! -- Yes, that was me! -- What the heck this vehicle is?! A registered bicycle? So fast?!
And we had a good half an hour talk. Surprising how many people think e-bike is about pushing the throttle... (which is technically forbidden in the EU). The man was enchanted. He only saddened after he learned that specific e-bike cost four-thousand dollar
discounted price. (You can buy a car for half of that in Poland. Very old car but you can).
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Fifty well spent miles. All in 25/25% Eco mode. I needed a solid workout!
I think it will be a while before this smile disappears after a truly awesome ride in the Scottish countryside, I've said it many times but I will say it again, I love this amazing bike!
The only thing that spoiled my day was an idiot in a car that almost killed me just after I left home, thankfully I anticipated that he wasn't going to stop when it was my right of way!
