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

[Deleted member 57338]

Falling behind already. Here it is the end of March and have not been on any substantial rides yet.
Today wed 3/29/2023 finally self motivated.....
Michaux State forest, 26.6 mi (42.8 km) with 4872 ft (1485 m) total elevation change. Nothing exceptionally spectacular to see since it is a managed resource area as can be seen by the clearing of timber.

The air is fresh, creeks are running fast and clean. I am not an authority on gravel by no means, but the road surface seemed ideal. Also rode a little bit of logging/fire/snowmobile double track type of path. would like to be back when the mountain laurels are blooming, I was too late last year.
The most enjoyable part of the ride was the utter and total quietness, (other than my CYC, wished it was a BBSXX) and the "sense" of remoteness. Only crossed paths with one couple that was thru hiking a portion of the Appalachean Trail on the
5 1/2 hr ride.

 

[Twin Valley]

i rode further than yesterday (11miles) and a bit more energetically. I felt over-dressed standing in the sunshine of my yard but soon I hit the open main road and was struck by a discouraging cool wind that wasn't supposed to be there. It abated at the first bend. By the time I passed Miz Hick's goats I was warming and breathing easier.

View attachment 150480

All the best in dealing with your tick disease, in our neck of the woods Lyme disease is becoming better understood but can still be a battle to overcome symptoms, I thought I would post a couple of "western pictures" that I'm sure you and others will get a chuckle out of . . .no Specialized Turbo in these pics but include the area I spend summer and fall e-bike roaming the valleys on my daughter's family ranch in central British Columbia, winter is hanging on much too long for my sanity as I've replaced the bike with the trusty walking stick, included is a picture in Mulezyn's namesake my new mule - well a Kawasaki mule which is handy on the ranch and a lot faster getting from A to B without saddling up, another picture for Stefan's dem cookies - not as good as kolacski but Jase sure seems to be enjoying it, speaking of Jase a pic of him and his new horse "Sparkles" yes he gets a bit of teasing for that name but wow, that horse is all heart and a treat to watch working, and this time of year we need to include a new-born - my youngest grandson's cow and he sure was excited about it and needed to show a pic of him using the mineral feeder as a swing, and finally as we left for home early this morning a brilliant sunrise creating sparkles of its own on the willow branches - tonight I went over the Turbo from top to bottom and tomorrow is a ride somewhere if only in our country neighborhood . . .

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I felt over-dressed standing in the sunshine of my yard but soon I hit the open main road and was struck by a discouraging cool wind that wasn't supposed to be there.

Two different continents, two different countries, two different regions and the same feelings! Wednesday was a day of magnificent sunshine here. The reported temperature was 6 C, the promised wind was mild (12 km/h, less than 7 knots). Despite promising weather conditions, I should have worn my Winter Armalite (or the standard clothes for mild winter, including a sailor's jacket, winter helmet and goggles)! I put slightly less heavy clothes on... and was freezing on my shopping ride.

How come sunshine, crazily high temp reported on Wahoo were so offset by seemingly mild wind I felt like it were below the freezing point?! (We had snowing the day before). Oh, Spring, come.

The caption: "Didn't I tell you we should have put some extra weight on Marzanna?!"
There is a Polish ritual called "Marzanna Drowning". On March 21st, people (especially schoolkids skipping the school) carry a puppet representing the Slavic goddess Marzanna and drown "her" in the nearby river thus symbolizing the end of the Winter.

another picture for Stefan's dem cookies - not as good as kolacski but Jase sure seems to be enjoying it

What is the name of the thing Jase was eating?

 

[Twin Valley]

Two different continents, two different countries, two different regions and the same feelings! Wednesday was a day of magnificent sunshine here. The reported temperature was 6 C, the promised wind was mild (12 km/h, less than 7 knots). Despite promising weather conditions, I should have worn my Winter Armalite (or the standard clothes for mild winter, including a sailor's jacket, winter helmet and goggles)! I put slightly less heavy clothes on... and was freezing on my shopping ride.

How come sunshine, crazily high temp reported on Wahoo were so offset by seemingly mild wind I felt like it were below the freezing point?! (We had snowing the day before). Oh, Spring, come.

View attachment 150521
The caption: "Didn't I tell you we should have put some extra weight on Marzanna?!"
There is a Polish ritual called "Marzanna Drowning". On March 21st, people (especially schoolkids skipping the school) carry a puppet representing the Slavic goddess Marzanna and drown "her" in the nearby river thus symbolizing the end of the Winter.


What is the name of the thing Jase was eating?

A roasted marshmallow squished between chocolate chip cookies- outside it seems anything tastes good

 

[Prairie Dog]

It appears that there may only be a handful of us who are still coping with an abundance of snow cover including fellow Albertan @Twin Valley. However, with the tumultuous weather of March madness behind us, it’s just a matter of time before it will all fade away but until then I’ll continue to stick to riding the trails with a healthy dose of carbide studs. It’s been quite mild and I’ve had to carefully manage the time that I leave the house while the singles are still packed hard enough to ride on. A few more patchy spots are clearly visible along the trails and as the days pass by they will become even more prominent. I’m still crushing it with the Norco though getting to the trail heads requires a bit more effort than the sprightlier Levo.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

It appears that there may only be a handful of us who are still coping with an abundance of snow cover including fellow Albertan @Twin Valley. However, with the tumultuous weather of March madness behind us, it’s just a matter of time before it will all fade away but until then I’ll continue to stick to riding the trails with a healthy dose of carbide studs. It’s been quite mild and I’ve had to carefully manage the time that I leave the house while the singles are still packed hard enough to ride on. A few more patchy spots are clearly visible along the trails and as the days pass by they will become even more prominent. I’m still crushing it with the Norco though getting to the trail heads requires a bit more effort than the sprightlier Levo.

View attachment 150545
View attachment 150542
View attachment 150544
View attachment 150546
View attachment 150543

Love how the first and last pieces of music in the video always managed to sync up with passing trees and bumps.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

the Norco

Art, I'm curious. Your Sasquatch comes with 27.5x4.5" tyres. It means the e-bike should be high. How has Norco (and you) coped with that?

 

[RandallS]

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.

Missed one - if you are going out for pastry, the best is on the west side of Lisbon, Portugal, at a place called Pastéis de Belém.

Caution - there WILL be a lineup, and you will probably need to order at least double what you think you want.
I'm salivating just thinking about them.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Missed one - if you are going out for pastry, the best is on the west side of Lisbon, Portugal, at a place called Pastéis de Belém.

Caution - there WILL be a lineup, and you will probably need to order at least double what you think you want.
I'm salivating just thinking about them.

Thanks for the tip! Portugal is high on our go-to list.

Was totally surprised to find world-class pastry shops in every Spanish city we visited — including Madrid, Seville, Granada, Valencia, and Barcelona. And OMG, the things they do with chocolate! (Chocolate was common in Spain for nearly a century before the rest of Europe caught on, and it shows.)

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Thanks for the tip! Portugal is high on our go-to list.

Was totally surprised to find world-class pastry shops in every Spanish city we visited — including Madrid, Seville, Granada, Valencia, and Barcelona. And OMG, the things they do with chocolate! (Chocolate was common in Spain for nearly a century before the rest of Europe caught on, and it shows.)

Admit Italy has the best ice-cream!

 

[RabH]

5 years of e biking and I'm loving it more than ever

My amazing bike has just turned 5 years old, this bike was my introduction to e bikes back in 2018 and by pure coincidence today was my 500th ride on it! It was mentioned by @Jeremy McCreary that I might make a trip round the block to mark my 500th (due to the poor weather forecast) and @Prairie Dog said knowing me it would be at least a metric century, well he does know me better so... Spring has actually sprung and when I set off at 9.15am it was a very balmy 10C, rising to 15C later in the ride! It was a murky overcast day with rain showers forecast but it turned out to be better than the forecast which was a real bonus!

The wind was from the SW today and aound 15-20mph so I headed east to Broxburn using most of the new cycle paths when possible, with the intention of turning west to take on the big descent at Kingscavil! I have been waiting for the right day to take on this descent and today was that day, its a very narrow road so timing is of the essence and my luck was in as a car had just passed me so I knew there would be nothing coming in the opposite direction! The descent is in 2 parts as it drops down steeply and flattens before the steepest part which is hidden from view!

With the car out of view I put the hammer down and hit 46.7mph, what a buzz that was My bike is super stable due to the low centre of gravity and it felt really safe! As you can see the road then climbs steeply and just as I started the climb a car appeared over the brow of the hill but thankfully the driver had the sense to wait until I passed, I'm sure he was glad I was riding an e bike or he would have had quite a wait! Just before the descent its a nice straight road with some lovely views of the green pastures!

A lone horse was enjoying a snack and didn't even flinch when I stopped, the meal must have been tasty! It was nice to have some dry roads also!

Not long after this I came across this lovely Shetland pony, it had a twin which bolted when I stopped!

I was now heading for Linlithgow and decided to take the back road up past the Linlithgow Canal Centre where some nice narrowboats were moored up!

This road climbs steeply up to Beecraigs Park, from the opposite side that I usually use. I was in luck today as the deer were in the field and they very inquisitive about the guy on the bike I stopped for this photo part way up the climb, a good time to grab a snack before the really steep part!

I passed the country park and then enjoyed the big descent down into Torphicen where I took the road down through the Avon Gorge and passed through all the villages which lead to Falkirk! I was riding through Falkirk with the intention of heading for Bonnybridge but I spotted the signs for the Falkirk Wheel which is the worlds only rotating boat lift and decided to explore as I haven't been there for quite some time. The Falkirk Wheel is a mechanical device that transfers the canal boats from the Forth and Clyde Canal to the Union Canal, in all the years I have visited I have only ever seen it in action once and I wasn't in luck today...

A very interesting video regarding the canals can be seen here and you can see the wheel in action!

I left the wheel in the opposite direction and I was rewarded with a nice view of all the narrowboats!

Now I was heading for Bonnybridge where I would join the quiet back roads which eventually lead back into Falkirk, at the far end of the town! Once again I was rewarded with this lovely scene, their mother was about 50 yards away until I stopped and she was letting me know what she thought of me! I'm sure the little 'uns were enjoying the 15 degree sunshine after the bitterly cold recent weather!

Just after I took the photo below a huge tanker truck appeared round the bend and as he spotted me he decided to move towards the verge, resulting in mud flying everywhere form the very soggy verge! Some of it just missed me...

From there I had a trouble free ride home and what a brilliant ride for my 500thI was sure lucky with the weather, I did get caught in a few sharp showers but quickly dried off again in the sunshine! About 30 mins after I arrived home the heavens opened so I was very lucky indeed! In those 500 rides I have covered 24801 miles which is an average of almost 50 miles, March has been my best month this year with 425 miles covered from only 7 rides, an average of just over 60 miles! Here's to another 500 riders in another 5 years, I would love to put 50000 miles into this bike but who knows what the future will bring so I will enjoy each ride as it comes!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

today was my 500th ride on it!

Congratulations, Braveheart!

 

[RandallS]

@RabH Nice Ride!
I've riddin the wheel in Falkirk a couple of times, not on a Narrowboat, just as a tourist on their own boat.
I have piloted the Trent-Mersey many years ago. Nice relaxing holiday!

Do you cycle along the canal that runs by the Kelpies?
It's been a few years since I've been there but it looked like it would be a on a nice route

 

[RabH]

@RabH Nice Ride!
I've riddin the wheel in Falkirk a couple of times, not on a Narrowboat, just as a tourist on their own boat.
I have piloted the Trent-Mersey many years ago. Nice relaxing holiday!

Do you cycle along the canal that runs by the Kelpies?
It's been a few years since I've been there but it looked like it would be a on a nice route

That sounds amazing Randall, I have never cycled along this part of the canal but I probably should take a leisurely ride along it one day as it would be very relaxing I have ridden another part of the canal in the past but came across a viaduct with huge stones buried in the path to keep people away from the dangerous part, I had to about turn and headed back to the roads! Sadly there are stories of idiots pushing people off their bikes on the canal paths so thats always at the back of my mind....

Thank you, Stefan!

 

[Mulezen]

Twin V…west of here in the foothills of the Blue Ridge they call Mules four wheel drive horses for trail rides
BTW…my tick problems are with the Lonestar Tick…another noxious import (I assume) from Texas.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Love how the first and last pieces of music in the video always managed to sync up with passing trees and bumps.

Funny sometimes how timing of the video and audio tracks seem to come together in the end. I do try and keep the sound tracks for the ride and aerial scenes separate but it doesn’t always work out that way.

Art, I'm curious. Your Sasquatch comes with 27.5x4.5" tyres. It means the e-bike should be high. How has Norco (and you) coped with that?

I’m only 5’6” in height so all of my rides are based on the small size category. The Bigfoot is the first ebike that I’ve owned with 27.5ers. My first ride was a Giant Trance which rolled on 29ers and the Levo (size S2) being a mullet is a compromise.

I’ve had to make no major changes on any of my bikes to accommodate riding position other than to slightly adjust the seat post height. Thank goodness for dropper posts though. The Norco fit me right out of the box and according to their size chart, I could have one upped in size. I wasn’t totally convinced about the 20mm rise on the stock bars. However, after riding it for over a week the lower rise provides me with a more aggressive stance when cornering. The biggest change comes with the smaller diameter wheels on the Norco. BB height is significantly lower on the fat hard tail (321mm) than the FS Levo (350mm) but I encounter more pedal strikes on the Levo due to the drop in rear suspension travel. The massive higher profile fat tires of the Norco don’t add any significant gain in height that I could tell and both of my feet are planted on the ground when the dropper is deployed in its lowest position.

Standover ht is also slightly lower on the Bigfoot. Both bikes excel at what they do best. The relatively lightweight FS Levo with slacker front end is a great all-round trail bike and its shorter chain stays makes it a notoriously nimble and maneuverable bike. For me, personally, the Norco with its shorter wheelbase, smaller wheels and 4.5” studded rubber is the best tool for the job when it comes to riding winter singletrack. It might look a bit cumbersome but there is no doubt that it is one superb performer in that particular environ.

@Prairie Dog said knowing me it would be at least a metric century, well he does know me better so... Spring has actually sprung and when I set off at 9.15am it was a very balmy 10C, rising to 15C later in the ride! It was a murky overcast day with rain showers forecast but it turned out to be better than the forecast which was a real bonus!

What a way to celebrate your 500th ride and in such grand manner! I had no doubt that you would hit another M-Cent.

 

[Twin Valley]

Thanks for the tip! Portugal is high on our go-to list.

Was totally surprised to find world-class pastry shops in every Spanish city we visited — including Madrid, Seville, Granada, Valencia, and Barcelona. And OMG, the things they do with chocolate! (Chocolate was common in Spain for nearly a century before the rest of Europe caught on, and it shows.)

our first trip to Portugal we rented e-bikes with a guide in Lisbon, an amazing experience with a young guide passionate about his country and history, mind you Lisbon is built on a series of steep hills that kept us puffing even with lots of assist, the old guys sipping their espresso cheered us up and on, shaking their heads at the crazy tourists, at first I enjoyed the pastel de Nata (custard pastry with some religious background) but soon enjoyed even more finishing off tasty meals with that glass of "port" -

 

[Chargeride]

Another one day break in the rain, scooted over to Cornwall and the little village I grew up in, called Rock.
I went to St Minver school and between the two is the gloriously named Pityme.

Back in the 60s it was quite posh, but has since gone stratospheric, with plenty of 5m homes, Gordon Ramsey has just built a 5m home near the beach.
Quite a hideous thing as well.

Its a very well known place in England for its density of high end homes and expensive living.
I used to play on this beach as a kid and Ive always wanted to ride the fattie over it and around the coast to Polzeath.
This is next to the Doom bar, which is a band of sand that has sunk many ships, there is a beer named after it that you will find in most UK pubs

I guess youre not really supposed to ride here, but there are no signs and it was quiet, so I went for it without any problems.

This part was pretty hairy because the strong wind would randomly blow me inland and then suddenly towards the edge

Approaching Polzeath and the surf was incredible, in fact most of the surfers were staying nearer the beach for safety

I lived here in Polzeath as well, in fact my parent ran the Annes cottage surf shop for a few years and we lived above it.
This place is upper class central and the two princes Harry and William could be seen surfing here every summer, the wife was gutted after we visited one year and our friend told us Hugh Grant was staying in the same apartments as us the week before.

Its all very shabby chic, low key, but the surf is fantastic all year round.
Our friends own the whole bleedin thing now, but I cant be arssd going to see them, its impossible not to end up staying and being piled with drink.
Its funny that not many people know its owned by scousers.

Its very nostalgic for me to ride around here, I would play alone on the beach as a five year old, how different things were in those days.

Got a lot of funny looks and its funny how as you get older you care less and less

The pictures dont do it justice, its a magical surf dude place, mixing broke surfer vibes with million pound houses.

Its quite the buzz for the old dear in the garage to recognise me everytime I visit.
Your mum ran the surf shop..hows she doing?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

A beautiful, nostalgic story Chargeride!
I located the places in Google Maps to understand geography better.

 

[RandallS]

@Chargeride
This how I do Doom Bar , although I'd love to combine both sometime.

Pics taken in October 2019 in the "Ye Olde Greene Manne" in Rickmansworth (near Watford).
Friends were showing us where they grew up (in MK now) , and it was our last pub lunch on that trip - headed home to Canada the next day.