2023 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

[BlackHand]

My dad said the greenhouse had collapsed, I thought he was exaggerating
View attachment 149894

Check for footprints. Could've been a Sasquatch

 

[Prairie Dog]

Check for footprints. Could've been a Sasquatch

Or obvious signs of its calling card.

 

[RabH]

Yesterday was such a beautiful day but with wind speeds of 45-50mph I wasn't chancing it, I was tempted for about a millisecond! On to today and there were varying forecasts all of which were rain showers, with the wind down to a rideable 25-30mph I wasn't going to sit indoors and think about what I could have done! So off I set without a real plan in my mind, starting off on the cycle path which runs past the Hillend Loch! During the rotten weather days I gave the bike a full service and treated it to some new drivetrain parts which were overdue, the chain had over 6500 miles on it and the 50t sprocket had over 13000 miles and the cassette almost 11000 miles so all 3 were replaced! I decided to let the chain go during the winter and just run it into the ground as I knew the cassette and chainrings would require changing anyway, I was surprised ro see virtually no wear on the 34t sprocket so I didn't change it (I was actually struggling to locate it anyway) and due to my chain being so worn I had been avoiding using the small ring for a while anyway...

Here she is in all her glory! The headset bearings were in perfect condition after almost 5 years and almost 25000 miles of punishment and the motor is still super smooth after having 2 of the bearings replaced at 14500 miles! I also replaced the front pads which had covered almost 10000 miles, I seem to go through rear pads much more often and I put it down to all the twisty roads where rear braking is essential...after todays ride I had to replace the front mudguard which started to disintegrate, luckily I had a spare as I bought a new set due to the rear snapping last year!

These 3 were enjoying a morning siesta next to the cycle path, probably planning to get up to some mischief later

I reached the first loch of the day, the Hillend Loch! Sunday was a tale of 3 bridges and today it was 3 lochs....

A short time later I arrived at loch number 2, the Black Loch which was very choppy today due to being exposed to the near 30mph wind!

I was now heading for Avonbridge and was pleasantly surprised to see the arrival of the sun!

I passed through Avonbridge and took the back road to Standburn which then leads to Linlithgow, I passed over the Forth and Clyde canal on the way!

I got through Linlithgow which can be a busy town but I seemed to time it right today and avoided all the traffic, I continued on towards Bridgend where I turned south heading for Beecraigs Country Park! I reached the top of the climb before the big descent where I usually hit over 40mph but today it was right into the wind so 30mph was a struggle!

This is before the descent!

Looking up towards the Country Park!

The descent!

So far I had been lucky with the weather, only encountering a couple of short sharp showers! I continued up the climb to the country park and decided to head down to the Beecraigs Loch and just as I arrived there therain started to come down, my timing couldn't have been better due to lots of tree cover!

This is the road into the loch and you can see the rain clouds above the trees...at least the sun made an appearance again after the shower! Loch number 3 for the day!

On my way into the loch I spotted a photographer in camo with a huge lens, I'm sure he got some amazing phootos with the changing conditions! The loch sits right in a valley with 20% gradients either side, on leaving the loch you are virtually right into the climb and its a real brute! The roads here are very narrow but thankfully I didn't meet any cars, its twisty roads and ups and downs all the way back to the road to Torphicen!

Last photo of the day before all the climbs to Torphicen!

Of course after all the climbing there is a huge descent once you pass through Torphicen, this one wasn't into the wind this time so i hit 40.4mph here! From here I followed the road to Westfield and turned south again to take the big climb up the back road to Armadale, more lovely descents here and luckily the roads remained dry thanks to the strong wind! From Armadale it was a straight road home with nothing much to report, I arrived home and found the roads wet but the sun had come out again! It was certainly my lucky day as I avoided all the rain and had an absolute blast, I reached exactly 1000 miles for the year today from 17 rides, an average of 58.8 miles which is good going for the winter! I saw a couple of new born lambs in a field but it was during a fast descent so didn't manage to photograph them, Spring is almost here! This was my 498th ride on this amazing bike and it will be 5 years old next week, hopefully I can get another 2 rides in to make 500 on its 5th birthday, I have 340 miles to go to reach 25000 miles but that aint gonna happen in 2 rides...

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

View attachment 149949

Yesterday was such a beautiful day but with wind speeds of 45-50mph I wasn't chancing it, I was tempted for about a millisecond! On to today and there were varying forecasts all of which were rain showers, with the wind down to a rideable 25-30mph I wasn't going to sit indoors and think about what I could have done! So off I set without a real plan in my mind, starting off on the cycle path which runs past the Hillend Loch! During the rotten weather days I gave the bike a full service and treated it to some new drivetrain parts which were overdue, the chain had over 6500 miles on it and the 50t sprocket had over 13000 miles and the cassette almost 11000 miles so all 3 were replaced! I decided to let the chain go during the winter and just run it into the ground as I knew the cassette and chainrings would require changing anyway, I was surprised ro see virtually no wear on the 34t sprocket so I didn't change it (I was actually struggling to locate it anyway) and due to my chain being so worn I had been avoiding using the small ring for a while anyway...

Here she is in all her glory! The headset bearings were in perfect condition after almost 5 years and almost 25000 miles of punishment and the motor is still super smooth after having 2 of the bearings replaced at 14500 miles! I also replaced the front pads which had covered almost 10000 miles, I seem to go through rear pads much more often and I put it down to all the twisty roads where rear braking is essential...after todays ride I had to replace the front mudguard which started to disintegrate, luckily I had a spare as I bought a new set due to the rear snapping last year!

View attachment 149951
These 3 were enjoying a morning siesta next to the cycle path, probably planning to get up to some mischief later

View attachment 149952
I reached the first loch of the day, the Hillend Loch! Sunday was a tale of 3 bridges and today it was 3 lochs....

View attachment 149953
View attachment 149954
A short time later I arrived at loch number 2, the Black Loch which was very choppy today due to being exposed to the near 30mph wind!

View attachment 149955
View attachment 149956
I was now heading for Avonbridge and was pleasantly surprised to see the arrival of the sun!

View attachment 149957
View attachment 149958
I passed through Avonbridge and took the back road to Standburn which then leads to Linlithgow, I passed over the Forth and Clyde canal on the way!

View attachment 149959
I got through Linlithgow which can be a busy town but I seemed to time it right today and avoided all the traffic, I continued on towards Bridgend where I turned south heading for Beecraigs Country Park! I reached the top of the climb before the big descent where I usually hit over 40mph but today it was right into the wind so 30mph was a struggle!

This is before the descent!
View attachment 149961
Looking up towards the Country Park!

View attachment 149962
The descent!

View attachment 149963
So far I had been lucky with the weather, only encountering a couple of short sharp showers! I continued up the climb to the country park and decided to head down to the Beecraigs Loch and just as I arrived there therain started to come down, my timing couldn't have been better due to lots of tree cover!

This is the road into the loch and you can see the rain clouds above the trees...at least the sun made an appearance again after the shower! Loch number 3 for the day!

View attachment 149964
View attachment 149965
View attachment 149966
View attachment 149967
On my way into the loch I spotted a photographer in camo with a huge lens, I'm sure he got some amazing phootos with the changing conditions! The loch sits right in a valley with 20% gradients either side, on leaving the loch you are virtually right into the climb and its a real brute! The roads here are very narrow but thankfully I didn't meet any cars, its twisty roads and ups and downs all the way back to the road to Torphicen!

Last photo of the day before all the climbs to Torphicen!

View attachment 149968
Of course after all the climbing there is a huge descent once you pass through Torphicen, this one wasn't into the wind this time so i hit 40.4mph here! From here I followed the road to Westfield and turned south again to take the big climb up the back road to Armadale, more lovely descents here and luckily the roads remained dry thanks to the strong wind! From Armadale it was a straight road home with nothing much to report, I arrived home and found the roads wet but the sun had come out again! It was certainly my lucky day as I avoided all the rain and had an absolute blast, I reached exactly 1000 miles for the year today from 17 rides, an average of 58.8 miles which is good going for the winter! I saw a couple of new born lambs in a field but it was during a fast descent so didn't manage to photograph them, Spring is almost here! This was my 498th ride on this amazing bike and it will be 5 years old next week, hopefully I can get another 2 rides in to make 500 on its 5th birthday, I have 340 miles to go to reach 25000 miles but that aint gonna happen in 2 rides...

Gorgeous as always! Love the bike.

You seem to have battled winds of 20 mph or more on many if not most of your rides this winter. But I've only been paying attention since last November. Is that serious windiness a recurring seasonal feature in your part of Scotland?

If so, it calls into question the wisdom of going commando in a kilt.

 

[RabH]

Gorgeous as always! Love the bike.

You seem to have battled winds of 20 mph or more on many if not most of your rides this winter. But I've only been paying attention since last November. Is that serious windiness a recurring seasonal feature in your part of Scotland?

If so, it calls into question the wisdom of going commando in a kilt.

Its actually a year round thing, not just winter! Its maybe a good thing or I would be doing way more 100 milers, I save the 100 milers for the calmer days! With my spindly legs a kilt is a definite no no...

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Its actually a year round thing, not just winter! Its maybe a good thing or I would be doing way more 100 milers, I save the 100 milers for the calmer days! With my spindly legs a kilt is a definite no no...

Year-round wind like that would definitely make kilts year-round entertainment for all concerned.

Still, hard to imagine Scotty on Star Trek showing off like that. Guess the Scots are more complicated than I thought. ;^}

 

[Stefan Mikes]

wind speeds of 45-50mph

Scotland: eliminated (check!)
Canada: eliminated (check!)
Australia: eliminated (check!)

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Guys, you do not need to laugh!
Our great author Stanisław Wyspiański in his 1901 play "Wedding" put those words in the mouth of the Journalist:
'But our countryside is peaceful
Let the war be waged all over the world
Only let the Polish countryside be quaint
Only let the Polish countryside be peaceful'.

Yes, the character of the Journalist was of a bigot. Still, I think the weather in Poland is quite manageable, compared
Did they experience earthquakes in California? (check!)

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Did they experience earthquakes in California? (check!)

Yep, California's a dangerous place — killer earthquakes, powerful Pacific storms with flooding and rock-throwing waves, Valley Girls.

But OMG, I mean, like totally worth it dude! Except maybe for the Valley Girls...

And the storm that just went through added a new twist — two EF1 tornados in LA!!

I mean, like, dude, that like totally NEVER happens!!

 

[Prairie Dog]

RabH said:
wind speeds of 45-50mph

Scotland: eliminated (check!)
Canada: eliminated (check!)
Australia: eliminated (check!)

Wind speed and chill may be determining factors here as you’ve so eloquently mentioned, Stefan. Another downside perhaps is the fact that we don’t have the convenience of pastry shops along the way to stop and nosh during rides.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Another downside perhaps is the fact that we don’t have the convenience of pastry shops along the way to stop and nosh during rides.

Does Tim Hortons ring a bell?

 

[Prairie Dog]

Does Tim Hortons ring a bell?

Cmon..that’s nowhere near what I would consider pastry. Flash frozen donuts that are pre-baked in a factory…ugh!

The roads where you ride there always appear to be shops/cafes where homemade goodies are lovingly made and so conveniently pop up on your routes. Do you configure your rides according to the number of delectable eateries that surround your particular region? You should plan a staged ride and call it Stefan’s Tour De Pâtisserie.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Does Tim Hortons ring a bell?

Have you been to Canada? If not, how do you know about Tim Hortons? Willing to bet that most Americans don't know about Tim Hortons. I didn't until 10 years ago. And from what @Prairie Dog said, might be better if nobody knew about Tim Hortons.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Have you been to Canada? If not, how do you know about Tim Hortons? Willing to bet that most Americans don't know about Tim Hortons. I didn't until 10 years ago. And from what @Prairie Dog said, might be better if nobody knew about Tim Hortons.

That being said, many Canadians across the country love TH coffee so much, it’s become such a popular staple in our culture and can now be seen in many grocery aisles from ground to beans and even K-cups.

Tim Hortons - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[DaveMatthews]

Cmon..that’s nowhere near what I would consider pastry. Flash frozen donuts that are pre-baked in a factory…ugh!

The roads where you ride there always appear to be shops/cafes where homemade goodies are lovingly made and so conveniently pop up on your routes. Do you configure your rides according to the number of delectable eateries that surround your particular region? You should plan a staged ride and call it Stefan’s Tour De Pâtisserie.

Holy Moose droppings dude!
You better be careful or someone is going to take away your baby seal clubbing card!
What a hoser, eh?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

The roads where you ride there always appear to be shops/cafes where homemade goodies are lovingly made and so conveniently pop up on your routes. Do you configure your rides according to the number of delectable eateries that surround your particular region? You should plan a staged ride and call it Stefan’s Tour De Pâtisserie.

I'd totally go on Stefan’s Tour De Pâtisserie. Then I'd try to talk him into expanding into Spain. Nobody beats Spain when it comes to pastries.

As to which really drives all those pastry stops — the pastry supply or the pastry-seeking behavior — I'm thinking some of both but more the latter. Poland's just Stefan’s enabler.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Holy Moose droppings dude!
You better be careful or someone is going to take away your baby seal clubbing card!
What a hoser, eh?

Natsiq (seal meat) filled donuts. You might be onto something there Dave though it will likely appeal to an acquired taste. Timmy’s HQ, take note, perhaps a menu addition for our northern friends in Iqaluit, NVT.

Remember when that Vancouver restaurant served it up and called it ‘seal pappardelle?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/seal-meat-indigenous-foods-traditional-hunt-elk-beaver-muskrat-caribou-1.3929734

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Have you been to Canada?

Yes, it was a relatively short business trip but I was lucky to visit Vancouver and Sunshine Coast.

If not, how do you know about Tim Hortons?

I have many Internet friends. As many as ten years ago I was corresponding (and even chatting by Messenger Audio) with a senior person from Ontario. He told me about Tim Hortons, told me Canada had a snooker champion once in the history, was describing the beauties of his province, and the like.

I'd totally go on Stefan’s Tour De Pâtisserie. Then I'd try to talk him into expanding into Spain. Nobody beats Spain when it comes to pastries.

I admit I have never been to Spain. Only I'd say Germany is not a bad country at all regarding patisseries! (Probably Austria, too).

There is a number of cycling-friendly patisseries, cafes and restaurants in the greater area around Warsaw. There is, for instance, the Góra Kawiarnia cafe in Góra Kalwaria (Mt. Calvary), which is a mecca for Warsaw cyclists. It is because there are perfect roads for road bikes leading there from Warsaw, and there are also gravel/MTB trails to the same place. You can see hundreds of bikes parked there on warm weekends. You can safely leave your most expensive bike outside GK, and it is guaranteed nobody would nick your bike; no single bike was ever stolen from GK!

Nobody steals bikes in the front of GK!

The queue grows in the peak hours... Even if making an expresso takes just 18 seconds, you need to wait for your turn!

The cafe is connected with an LBS, which is open on Sundays, too. I sometimes buy extra cycling clothes there (in case my current clothes are inadequate for the weather!)

As you can see, GK is also frequented at colder weather! (The cake with blueberries is called "Carbon")

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I admit I have never been to Spain. Only I'd say Germany is not a bad country at all regarding patisseries! (Probably Austria, too).

I've had pastries in Austria, Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and England. I had a Czech grandmother and aunt who made me pastries.

Trust me, a pastry connoisseur of your caliber should book the first flight to Granada, Valencia, or Barcelona.

Yes, we were surprised, too. Nearly everyone we saw in Spain was trim. No idea how with all those luscious-looking pastry shops — in Granada, literally on every city block downtown.

 

[Dewey]

Some pictures of the Cherry Blossoms in bloom around the Tidal Basin, Washington, DC, this morning.