2020 : Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[Saratoga Dave]

Hey Buck, are you anywhere near Saranac Lake? Maybe you know Forest Home Road... one of the prettiest fall bike rides I know of anywhere, up to the fish hatchery and back down. Probably well past peak by now, though.

 

[Taylor57]

Rode a little on the CV link today in the Coachella Valley.

 

[Art Deco]

Just 2.5 years so not long at all, time sure flies when you are having fun!

@RabH You put more miles on your bike in those years then I did on my car and bike combined Yeah, I should get out more ...

 

[Taylor57]

Did a ride out to the Scarborough bluffs last week, and decided to test my new GoPro Hero9...

The shot at :45 and the shot at 1:00 are only 750 metres apart, but we had to ride 7km to get there. We could have shaved it down a km if we took an uphill trail, but it was covered with wet leaves, and people doing some leaf peeping, so didn't want to have to stop part way up to avoid collisions (lots of selfie takers out).

This included a short 200 metre 9-13% grade run on the west side and a 1+ km 8-12% on the east. Given that there's not much on the west side, at least from a cycling perspective, I'll skip it next time.

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Oh, here's a pic to make it more clear...

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I think the Barenaked Ladies are from Scarborough..

 

[Chargeride]

Good luck with your new ride... I think you will enjoy the mid-drive.

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Yes, thats last years model and I think its actually a bit sleeker, but Ive noticed the 2020 battery encased version has room for another battery diy piggybacked.
Oh the range baby.

 

[Chargeride]

I think the Barenaked Ladies are from Scarborough..

Horizon levelling on?

 

[Chargeride]

What motor?

Bafang ultra.
Im not going to answer any further uncomfortable questions.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Ride On! (Smart Control Ride On A Windy, Cold, and [Possibly] Rainy Sunday)

Even if I might be unwilling to ride in Piździernik (a Polish corruption of the month name translating to C*ntober) , I have to ride or I die soon. Having had a look at the weather forecast, I gave up the idea of riding 40+ miles. Strong wind, low temperature and -- perhaps -- raining? That would have required e-socks and a spare battery. No way! I travelled light, with tools, spare clothes and gifts for my daughter Magda in a large Ortlieb Vario backpack.

After the first 10 kilometers, I discovered I had too warm clothes! As I was spinning upwind, my body was warm. I had to unzip the Gore-Tex winter jacket I had under my windbreaker. I was riding in the Specialized Smart Control mode, more on it later.

After having visited my daughter, I headed North. I'm so bored with local roads I wanted to see something new on that dreary day. It turned out I had been on any single local road in the region already... Here, the local flooding, the result of recent violent raining. The River Utrata is normally not that big... I was lucky: Only few droplets of rain fell on me on the ride.

Mazovian fields in Październik (that's the proper name of the month of October). The carrot seemed to be already picked up by the farmers. (I could see some leftovers in the field).

Another Wawrzyszew. It is not the Wawrzyszew, the Warsaw neighbourhood I was brought up in. (Not that it is any common Polish location name; just a coincidence).

Like, the Halloween time?

Just the day before, a neighbour (I should have written: the Neighbour) paid a visit to me. His nickname is Szopenoi (Chopin-Oi) as punk-rock was his youth choice. The beverage is called Otrębusy Okowita (the Otrębusy Aqua Vita) and it is in fact perfectly home-distilled walnut vodka. An excellent complement for the post-ride coffee. My ill leg was suffering from slight hypothermia, and the cup of the Aqua-Vita-laced coffee brought life back to it!

Specialized Mission Control ride map. Some of you might be aware my Vado is classified as a moped in Poland. I rode some "bike ban" roads, met a police car, and the policemen didn't react seeing me. Good!

Come on... It was colder than that and the wind was stronger... The calories have been updated from the Vado display as Endomondo app always gets them wrong

A word on Specialized Mission Control Smart Control mode. If you know your distance to ride, predicted elevation gain and, say, 5% battery left for the end of the ride demand, Smart Control won't ever fail you. I actually finished the ride with as many as 16 percent of the battery left. Not many other brands can boast of the same capability. And the silence of the Vado motor... Love that e-bike!

Bafang ultra.
Im not going to answer any further uncomfortable questions.

All in all, it was just 2200 quids. Ride on!

 

[Buckdubay]

Hey Buck, are you anywhere near Saranac Lake? Maybe you know Forest Home Road... one of the prettiest fall bike rides I know of anywhere, up to the fish hatchery and back down. Probably well past peak by now, though.

Just one of the run of the mill roads between farms near home. I could have stop at a 100 spots and took the same picture. I live in a very beautiful place in the fall. Saranac Lake area is a extremely beautiful spot. Saranac lake is about 40 minutes away by car

 

[Readytoride]

My ride today. (Sorry. Couldn't resist)

Met up with a neighbor for a casual stroll cross-country to enjoy a perfect Autumn day. We did a grand total of 4 miles at a blistering pace of 5mph. Certainly didn't set any world records, but we had a grand time, and I arrived back home with plenty of energy still left (about 21 miles) in the 'ol equine "battery".

Tomorrow will be meeting up with my cycling friend (who was riding her horse today in the ring) for a 20 mile ride. Weather is again supposed to be stunning - bright, sunny, clear, calm, and warm enough for t-shirts. Appropriate cycling story to be posted tomorrow. Promise.

@Stefan Mikes - Thanks for the shout-out on the Specialized Mission Control app. I will try my Vado's app tomorrow. Will be riding in an organized 60 mile gravel road ride this weekend, so that app sounds like it would be an asset. (Yes, will be carrying the extra battery of course.)

 

[fooferdoggie]

I used ride with gps to map this route it was one they already had and I just changed the start and stop point. we were on a great forrest trail that started somewhat paved then paved then dirt and rock and everything in-between for about 8 miles up. there were offshoots that there was no way to get the tandem up and it lopped and the path it looped too was a narrow and way to steep path to ride the tandem on. I didn't to even know it but we went by the cemetery my grandma is in. we have done more climbing y about 500 feet but this was a steady up hill pretty much the whole way. we missed a turn and gone down faster but then had to ride on the streets back where we started the climb. ended up being 45 miles total. may be the last day this year we could ride this path when it gets muddy it wont work on the tandem. serious drop-off on this ride but not like we were right on the edge. I wonder how many tandems have come up here? I bet we were the the only tandem on this trail. managed my first selfie while riding

 

[antboy]

Horizon levelling on?

I believe it was on for all the shots, yeah.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Airborne …

Lovers Walk, Shorncliffe
Moreton Bay Cycleway
7.35 am, 24 km​

 

[Stefan Mikes]

David, you're the master of trail photography!

@David Berry: Could you explain the meaning of the road-sign?

 

[percymon]

Got another 10 miles in on the Fastroad EX Pro yesterday, note exactly earth shattering distances but a cool grey day and more back road cycling with the wife alongside on her Kalkhoff (bar the steep bits where her hub gearing isn;t low enough for her, even on max assist, so she has to bail out and walk up). A brief bit of sunlight broke the clouds..

 

[RabH]

@RabH You put more miles on your bike in those years then I did on my car and bike combined Yeah, I should get out more ...

My brother said that also about his camper van! I won't be adding many miles this week unless I brave the cold and wet, today I would need a boat...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My brother said that also about his camper van! I won't be adding many miles this week unless I brave the cold and wet, today I would need a boat...

Sunny today here! And I cannot ride out! Or?

 

[RabH]

Sunny today here! And I cannot ride out! Or?

Or maybe you can?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Or maybe you can?

Did some cleaning at home, hung the laundry, degreased & lubed Trance's chain, now am going to do same on the Vado chain

There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can "overhaul" it, or you can ride it. On the whole, I am not sure that a man who takes his pleasure overhauling does not have the best of the bargain. He is independent of the weather and the wind; the state of the roads troubles him not. Give him a screw-hammer, a bundle of rags, an oil-can, and something to sit down upon, and he is happy for the day.

 

[Akrotiri]

My most recent weekend 30mile ride was more interesting than usual courtesy of the komoot app. My plan was ofcourse my home near the main port as the start point to watchtower beach. I planned my route via komoot which I like but half way thru it detoured me to the old or damn near ancient Greco-Roman road. I can barely remember the last time I had to drive thru this road as it was in the 1980s in my trusty 1986 Audi 5000. Komoot surprised me as I thought it would always direct me via the modern EU funded roads that have been built the last 20years. It turned out fun anyway but a bit scary at one point I had to fend off 2 very aggressive dogs, one that I estimate weighed more than me. All while keeping a look out for local poisonous snakes while looking for rocks to throw at the dogs. Thinking about procuring some type of pepper spray or whatever from now on.

Besides that unexpected excitement I aired down the Schwalbe hurricane tires to the max low of 23 psi and the tires proved their worth for the good portion of rough and sharp gravel. It slowed me down but I made it to watchtower beach late but without incident. The Bontrager lync lights were fantastic for the ride home at night and provided more than enough illumination.

Now if I can only find some pepper spray lol.