2020 : Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[Sierratim]

I cannot say anything about the UK but Poland got its most severe Winter hit in 1978-1979, with the first dramatic snowfall and attack of frost on New Year's Eve 1978.

View attachment 72923

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The summits over the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains get similar conditions at times. Snow removal is an going process each winter with railroad plows shuttling back and forth between Truckee, california and Reno, Nevada to keep the tracks open, most of the time at least.

Engine mounted rotary plows were introduced in the 1930's making the job a bit easier.

<iframe width="640" height="360" style="border:1px solid #e6e6e6" src="https://abc10.com/embeds/video/103-7dea61c8-f75d-4104-91c8-5d53e88271a3/iframe" allowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true"></iframe>

Similar equipment keeps the main highway open except in the worst storms.

 

[Readytoride]

@RabH
Is that frost on the field in the first two photos?

 

[RabH]

@RabH
Is that frost on the field in the first two photos?

It is yes, it didn't get much above zero all day!

 

[reed scott]

The music a bit annoying, which I always say, cant be arsed changing it...just a range test in the dunes, starting at Joseph Bruce Ismays house, builder of the Titanic for some novelty.
Speeded up 2X as usual and a few accidently mirrored shots, because I made it with a few drinks, so dont think Im going back on myself.
I might have mentioned this before , all the rubble Im riding over is all the bombed buildings from Liverpool after ww2, they dumped the lot to protect the dunes, but 80 years later its starting to fall out as they receed.
In Ismays day there was no sea wall or lake and the dunes extended from his house to mile out, with luxury buildings in them, it was a millionaires paradise, the Captain lived in a smaller house in the same road.
Its now quite tatty, but slowly being regenerated and becoming very trendy for young with money to spend.

Another great video. I had to cut the playback speed in half on the fast parts. I was getting vertigo. Really.

 

[FlatSix911]

The summits over the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains get similar conditions at times.
Snow removal is an going process each winter with railroad plows shuttling back and forth between Truckee, california and Reno, Nevada to keep the tracks open, most of the time at least.

Engine mounted rotary plows were introduced in the 1930's making the job a bit easier.

"https://abc10.com/embeds/video/103-7dea61c8-f75d-4104-91c8-5d53e88271a3/iframe"

Similar equipment keeps the main highway open except in the worst storms.

Very interesting photos and video... thanks for sharing!
The rotary plows were a huge improvement over the original early fixed plows.
I have often wondered how the heavy snow was cleared on the rails over Donner Summit.

 

[Twin Valley]

amazing weather for our part of the world, spent about 3 hours pedalling about on a day with no wind and above zero temperatures, the not very clear picture below is actually the setting for a "fishing" story, about directly behind my handlebars you will see a couple of young fellows ice fishing, I yelled down asking them about the thickness of the ice, he said about 4 inches and proceeded to tell me what sounded like a whopper when he said yesterday a good sized fish after being hooked

hauled his fishing rig down the hole, while I was standing there he got a bite and pulled up a fairly large northern pike complete with his yesterday's fishing rod still attached to the pike's mouth, wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it - but I'll need a good cold spell before I haul my ice fishing gear out . . .

 

[Anna]

Be careful putting the "everyone falls off, you're not doing it right if you don't" mantra in peoples subconscious. I like staying on two wheels, upright and pain free.

I almost decked it yesterday downhill, pavement, tight turn. Small amount of gravel on the paved road...my back tire slid out. Never thought big mountain bike tires would slide like this! Certainly has shaken my confidence.

 

[Sierratim]

I almost decked it yesterday downhill, pavement, tight turn. Small amount of gravel on the paved road...my back tire slid out. Never thought big mountain bike tires would slide like this! Certainly has shaken my confidence.

My wife went down on curve just like this several yeas ago. Cut her elbow down to the bursa. I flushed it out with the 1st Aid Kit syringe as much as she would allow. Ended up taking her to one of those emergency care centers to get it cleaned out right. She was fine, after a numbing shot, some scrubbing and probing, and a couple of stitches.

She's very cautious on gravel turns now.

 

[Art Deco]

I almost decked it yesterday downhill, pavement, tight turn. Small amount of gravel on the paved road...my back tire slid out. Never thought big mountain bike tires would slide like this! Certainly has shaken my confidence.

Unfortunately any tire will slide if you push it hard enough. Glad it was an "almost" ... ride some easy routes till you get your confidence back up.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Oh no, not more mangrove pictures …

Deception Bay​

It's been far too hot to head inland, so no cow or camel photos from me.

For three days in a row I've headed for the coast. Now, this might be a sensible strategy but it comes at a price: motorway traffic! Solution? Go early! That's obvious but even at five in the morning there's plenty of traffic and, with the sun rising straight ahead it's a good idea to slip behind a high truck to avoid being blinded.

Forty-five minutes after leaving home, the car was parked, the Homage ready to go and me… well, I was not quite ready. There was the small matter of enjoying a flat white brought along from home in that new travel mug that had demanded that I buy it as a Black Friday special.

This ride is easily broken into six sections of approximately equal length. The first ten kilometres, with coffee dispensed with, I set off straight down the Schulz Canal to the sea. This is a canal dredged for flood abatement alongside the airport. It's pleasant, not industrial, and is a favourite haunt of those, both winged and bipedal, spending the early morning snatching crabs or fish.

The second ten-kilometre stretch is from Nudgee Beach (the very first photo in this thread), through the wetlands to the shrimp trawlers moored in Cabbage Treee Creek. The 'wetlands' in between were not living up to their billing despite the high tide; how could they do so without rain as well?

Boondall Wetlands when it's dry: video clip from my handlebar safety cam. Sorry, I have no idea how to edit, cut, splice and so on. Fortunately it's all over in less than an minute!

Coffee at Mario's and around Lovers Walk (below) and across the viaduct (30 km announcement from the chirpy lady in Ride with GPS). The wind coming in from the Pacific was backing from SE to NE, so I was sheltered from it as I went around the big horseshoe known as Bramble Bay.

Lovers Walk, Bramble Bay​

40 km: Scarborough, a favourite spot with mangroves (see photo above).

50 km: Rothwell, a ride through largely undeveloped parkland between suburban houses and the mangroves.

60 km: Deception Bay, break for a morning snack before heading back the same way.

Video clip of Moreton Bay Cycleway at Deception Bay.
No one had beaten me to the deck chairs!
Actually, this clip is from three days before – Friday's almost identical ride! Or was it from Sunday?

 

[Art Deco]

Oh no, not more mangrove pictures …

View attachment 73030

Deception Bay​

It's been far too hot to head inland, so no cow or camel photos from me.

For three days in a row I've headed for the coast. Now, this might be a sensible strategy but it comes at a price: motorway traffic! Solution? Go early! That's obvious but even at five in the morning there's plenty of traffic and, with the sun rising straight ahead it's a good idea to slip behind a high truck to avoid being blinded.

Forty-five minutes after leaving home, the car was parked, the Homage ready to go and me… well, I was not quite ready. There was the small matter of enjoying a flat white brought along from home in that new travel mug that had demanded that I buy it as a Black Friday special.

This ride is easily broken into six sections of approximately equal length. The first ten kilometres, with coffee dispensed with, I set off straight down the Schulz Canal to the sea. This is a canal dredged for flood abatement alongside the airport. It's pleasant, not industrial, and is a favourite haunt of those, both winged and bipedal, spending the early morning snatching crabs or fish.

The second ten-kilometre stretch is from Nudgee Beach (the very first photo in this thread), through the wetlands to the shrimp trawlers moored in Cabbage Treee Creek. The 'wetlands' in between were not living up to their billing despite the high tide; how could they do so without rain as well?

Boondall Wetlands when it's dry: video clip from my handlebar safety cam. Sorry, I have no idea how to edit, cut, splice and so on. Fortunately it's all over in less than an minute!

Coffee at Mario's and around Lovers Walk (below) and across the viaduct (30 km announcement from the chirpy lady in Ride with GPS). The wind coming in from the Pacific was backing from SE to NE, so I was sheltered from it as I went around the big horseshoe known as Bramble Bay.

View attachment 73031

Lovers Walk, Bramble Bay​

40 km: Scarborough, a favourite spot with mangroves (see photo above).

50 km: Rothwell, a ride through largely undeveloped parkland between suburban houses and the mangroves.

60 km: Deception Bay, break for a morning snack before heading back the same way.

Video clip of Moreton Bay Cycleway at Deception Bay.
No one had beat me to the deck chairs!
Actually, this clip is from three days before – Friday's almost identical ride! Or was it from Sunday?

not more mangrove pictures … are the purple trees done blooming now?

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Are the purple trees done blooming now?

The not-so-good answer to a good question: YES… and NO.

The jacarandas bloom in early spring, coinciding with the magpie swooping season. It's now 'summer' (Dec–Jan–Feb), so the jacarandas should be bare of flowers and the magpies should be sweet-natured again. It's too hot today to check on the latter, and tomorrow is forecast to be worse.

I have a suspicion that the jacarandas were late-bloomers in 2020. Too dry? Too hot? I'm not sure and won't leap to any climate change-related explanation.

Here is a screenshot of today's Ipswich (inland from Brisbane) weather forecast…

Obviously, it is too hot to ride locally… early mornings excepted when it is pleasant. That is, arguably, the main reason why so many people are opposed to 'daylight saving': why exchange a cool morning before work for a long, hot afternoon!

If you look near the bottom of the list of related forecasts, you'll notice that Redcliffe (by the bay) is seven degrees cooler than Ipswich. The winds tend to be from the NE – north indicating hot; east indicating off the Pacific. The effects tend to cancel each other near the coast.

 

[Art Deco]

The not-so-good answer to a good question: YES… and NO.

The jacarandas bloom in early spring, coinciding with the magpie swooping season. It's now 'summer' (Dec–Jan–Feb), so the jacarandas should be bare of flowers and the magpies should be sweet-natured again. It's too hot today to check on the latter, and tomorrow is forecast to be worse.

I have a suspicion that the jacarandas were late-bloomers in 2020. Too dry? Too hot? I'm not sure and won't leap to any climate change-related explanation.

Here is a screenshot of today's Ipswich (inland from Brisbane) weather forecast…
View attachment 73094

Obviously, it is too hot to ride locally… early mornings excepted when it is pleasant. That is, arguably, the main reason why so many people are opposed to 'daylight saving': why exchange a cool morning before work for a long, hot afternoon!

If you look near the bottom of the list of related forecasts, you'll notice that Redcliffe (by the bay) is seven degrees cooler than Ipswich. The winds tend to be from the NE – north indicating hot; east indicating off the Pacific. The effects tend to cancel each other near the coast.

I knew you started a Hot Dry Summer. Sorry. OTOH, I didn't know Magpies ever had a sweet season. Our Corvids ... crows, ravens, grackles ... don't. I've never been down there, and never will fly that far, so your posts are a view into a different world, indeed.

 

[minigrrl]

Here is a screenshot of today's Ipswich (inland from Brisbane) weather forecast…
View attachment 73094

Obviously, it is too hot to ride locally… early mornings excepted when it is pleasant. That is, arguably, the main reason why so many people are opposed to 'daylight saving': why exchange a cool morning before work for a long, hot afternoon!

If you look near the bottom of the list of related forecasts, you'll notice that Redcliffe (by the bay) is seven degrees cooler than Ipswich. The winds tend to be from the NE – north indicating hot; east indicating off the Pacific. The effects tend to cancel each other near the coast.

Wow, crazy hot there tomorrow. Looks to be "only" about 36 here in Logan...

I'm all for daylight savings. Miss the long summer evenings (I grew up in Canada and the UK). Sadly, I'm usually working from 4am, in the cool part of the morning, in meetings with my colleagues in the States... Once my meetings are finished it's too hot to do anything much in the summer except keep on working. It's wonderful in the winter though, as I can stop work for a few hours and go out in the nice warm part of the day.

 

[PDXzap]

@Chargeride
Nice video but whoever's job it is to clean the sand off that one stretch of path needs to be canned!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I almost decked it yesterday downhill, pavement, tight turn. Small amount of gravel on the paved road...my back tire slid out. Never thought big mountain bike tires would slide like this! Certainly has shaken my confidence.

Even a car can slide in such conditions if the corner is met at too high speed, @Anna... Good nothing wrong happened to you!

Obviously, it is too hot to ride locally… early mornings excepted when it is pleasant. That is, arguably, the main reason why so many people are opposed to 'daylight saving': why exchange a cool morning before work for a long, hot afternoon!

Good to have you back, David! Regarding the Daylight Saving Time: Poland dreams of staying at the Summer time. Why exchange the longer bright afternoons with the night at 3 p.m. in the Winter? We love our long Summer evenings as well!

 

[RabH]

I almost decked it yesterday downhill, pavement, tight turn. Small amount of gravel on the paved road...my back tire slid out. Never thought big mountain bike tires would slide like this! Certainly has shaken my confidence.

Sorry about your scare, I hope this doesn't put you off too much! It happens to us all and just reminds us to ride carefully and be aware of the dangers! Gravel can be very unforgiving but as Art said you should ride some easy routes to build your confidence again and your scare will be put to the back of your mind I'm sure! I remember many years ago I was descending a local hill at about 45mph when I experienced a horrendous speed wobble on my carbon road bike, it was my biggest scare ever on a bicycle!

Thankfully I managed to correct it and stay in one piece but I avoided that hill for several years until I got my e bike and I summoned the courage to go back! I went down at just over 40 mph on the first attempt with ease and the bike was super stable, earlier this year I descended at 48 mph and felt totally safe, its all about the conditions at the time!

Today was supposed to be the only dry day of the week but when I woke it was very overcast and didn't look promising at all, I had some errands to run first thing and I could feel some rain in the air! By the time the errands were run it looked a little brighter so I took a chance and went for it! The first hour went well but soon the rain started and it didn't stop until I was close to home, thankfully it wasn't heavy though and I was well prepared! It was a little warmer today, around 5C so I was back on the quiet country roads, it really was a blast despite the weather!

No photos today, it wasn't the day for them! I have now covered 5,879 miles this year, looks like I should pass 6,000 for the first time ever! We are expecting snow this week so my rides might be curtailed for now but any opportunity will be taken for sure!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It was a little warmer today, around 5C

-2 C here. Riding out for the supermarket now; I'm going to take the longer route to stay in the saddle for more than 25 minutes

It was only 21 minutes of actual ride with 17 minutes spent in full Winter Armour #2 (minus the gloves) inside the store.

I was so well dressed I felt no cold at all!
P.S Reported max speed is nonsense

 

[Anna]

Sorry about your scare, I hope this doesn't put you off too much! It happens to us all and just reminds us to ride carefully and be aware of the dangers! Gravel can be very unforgiving but as Art said you should ride some easy routes to build your confidence again and your scare will be put to the back of your mind I'm sure! I remember many years ago I was descending a local hill at about 45mph when I experienced a horrendous speed wobble on my carbon road bike, it was my biggest scare ever on a bicycle!

Thankfully I managed to correct it and stay in one piece but I avoided that hill for several years until I got my e bike and I summoned the courage to go back! I went down at just over 40 mph on the first attempt with ease and the bike was super stable, earlier this year I descended at 48 mph and felt totally safe, its all about the conditions at the time!

Today was supposed to be the only dry day of the week but when I woke it was very overcast and didn't look promising at all, I had some errands to run first thing and I could feel some rain in the air! By the time the errands were run it looked a little brighter so I took a chance and went for it! The first hour went well but soon the rain started and it didn't stop until I was close to home, thankfully it wasn't heavy though and I was well prepared! It was a little warmer today, around 5C so I was back on the quiet country roads, it really was a blast despite the weather!

No photos today, it wasn't the day for them! I have now covered 5,879 miles this year, looks like I should pass 6,000 for the first time ever! We are expecting snow this week so my rides might be curtailed for now but any opportunity will be taken for sure!

View attachment 73122

Thank you all for your kind support. When I was a very young doe I used to ride my skinny wheeled SR bike down Torey Pines road from UCSD La Jolla to Cardiff without using the brakes (for fun). Seriously steep. What a knucklehead.
Love the photos. Keep them coming.

 

[Twin Valley]

not a ride report per se more why I couldn't go out on an absolutely beautiful, sunny day - after lobbying for a new family partner on our rural property, our latest addition decided to round up "most" of the Christmas decorations that Charl spent a good time on the weekend displaying . . . thought it best to not head down the lane on the bike and help restore the festive season . . .