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

[Stefan Mikes]

There's a deployed kickstand showing in this photo?

Look carefully!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Look carefully!

I did. Where?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I did. Where?

At the very front of the platform, beneath!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

At the very front of the platform, beneath!

Sorry, still don't see it in that 1st scooter photo.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Sorry, still don't see it in that 1st scooter photo.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

View attachment 157110

Well hidden! Was the kickstand down in the 1st photo?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Well hidden! Was the kickstand down in the 1st photo?

I'm sorry! I did not realize I posted as many as two scooter photos! The first one belongs to the Estonian company Bolt (a kind of Uber & Lime). There is a tiny single kickstand attached to the front left of the riding platform. It is hidden from the view in that picture: therefore you people thought the scooter was supported by the pole!

The second e-scooter is operated by a Berlin company called TIER Mobility. That model has a double well hidden kickstand. In fact, the people who replace Bolt batteries overnight lay their e-scooters on the right hand side for safety reasons because of the flimsy kickstand while you can find most of TIER ones standing upright!

I was met by a funny phenomenon this morning. I had to ride to an ATM to get some cash, and it was too a long distance for me to walk. When I was returning by Bolt, I decided to take a picturesque walkway along the Vistula. At some moment, I could hear a beep, and the scooter slowed down to a walking speed of 6 km/h! After some distance, there was another beep and the Bolt regained its full power! Once I got to the hotel and looked at my smartphone, I found that message: "You have entered the slow zone by the city ordinance. Your ride speed has been reduced to the walking speed!" Darn geofencing!

 

[Rexlion]

Wow, that geofencing is really something.

Imagine when they decide to remotely turn off the electric vehicular transports of people who don't fit the P-C profile..... I guess I'd better have some good walking shoes.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Geofencing might be a good thing if it saves micromobility from the yahoos who would ruin it for everybody.

But imagine when it gets direct control of your brain for commercial purposes. There you'll be, down on the sidewalk, desperately trying to claw yourself away from every subscribing shop, with a thought-bubble saying, "Must ... not ... go ... in.... Must ... not ... go ... in."

 

[Chargeride]

I have never ridden an electric scooter, I must try one.
They have pothole, me under a bus, written all over them for me.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I have never ridden an electric scooter, I must try one.

Try a Lime (Uber app works for them, too). Lime scooters have the front suspension that works! Unfortunately, the same city of Płock that introduced Slow Zones also banned Uber (so Lime, too). We had a good time together with my Texan colleague in Frankfurt am Main. Instead of a long walk from the Messe to the restaurant, we took Lime scooters (David could use his Uber app), and the group ride was fun!

 

[Chargeride]

Of course if I see a silly challenge I have to react.
A tide based wading crossing on a beach.
Sign me up.

These sand bars got larger and larger until they were practically impossible to navigate, I really thought the bike was going to snap in half....again.

So I found a crossing point, which turned out to be totally the wrong one, and I couldnt judge the depth at all..so needs must

It turned out to eventually be over knee deep, and in a steep dip, I was a long way from home, so I ditched that idea.
Water was lovely and warm though.

This shot gives you an idea how commited I would be before it even got that deep.
Yup, thats just a big nope.

A friendly local guessed my plan and called me over, this is the crossing point and the dogs gave me a good gauge it was shallow.
He was quite the ebike enthusiast, had a fat bike at home and was totally excited about electrifying it after seeing mine.

It was an easy crossing, it just looked worse than it was because of the seaweed on the bottom.

We chatted for half an hour and then I explored the other side of the river.
Very serene feeling riding down the bank, absolute raw nature, complete with unstoppable consequence if you overstay your welcome

Of course an hour had gone by and the crossing back was twice as deep, this is where the water came to with my cranks level, using the throttle.
Well up the battery itself, just kept the speed up, no problems.

This lane to the beach is a nightmare, if you meet someone coming the other way while driving, it can be a quarter mile reverse, bearing in mind you are already driving with foilage rubbing both sides.

Ive found so many ..unknown to me..creeks, lanes and remote villages on this visit, simply by taking my dad for drives and turning down every terrifyingly small lane I could find.
Its really picking him up as his mind slows down in his isolation.
And every drive Im thinking.
I might not make this one

 

[Chargeride]

Try a Lime (Uber app works for them, too). Lime scooters have the front suspension that works! Unfortunately, the same city of Płock that introduced Slow Zones also banned Uber (so Lime, too).

We have peach coloured versions everywhere, much like that one you have.
You have to register with ID and a passport photo, I dont think they speed limit geofence, but they do claim to know if you are riding on the pavement

 

[Stefan Mikes]

We have peach coloured versions everywhere, much like that one you have.

That is yet another operator! (Rode such a scooter in Helsinki where the micro mobility is as popular as they have all European operators there).

You have to register with ID and a passport photo,

We do not have such strict rules here in EU. No passport photo needed. All they want is the payment method that might be a bank card, PayPal or Google/Apple Pay depending on the operator. You only need to specify your age. (The Uber app supports the Lime scooters, which is very competitive).

I dont think they speed limit geofence, but they do claim to know if you are riding on the pavement

Geofencing has many flavours with e-scooters. For instance, you cannot ride outside the allowed area (if you do so, the scooter switches the motor off and warns you not to stay there). Or, you cannot terminate the ride (so you are continuing to pay) in the prohibited place.

I have a funny story for you but will share it only after I have the relevant photos processed!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Of course an hour had gone by and the crossing back was twice as deep, this is where the water came to with my cranks level, using the throttle.
Well up the battery itself, just kept the speed up, no problems.

I wonder whether the corrosion is pertaining to your e-bike

 

[Chargeride]

The spokes have suffered the most, but I dont think they are structural.

 

[Chargeride]

That is yet another operator! (Rode such a scooter in Helsinki where the micro mobility is as popular as they have all European operators there).

We do not have such strict rules here in EU. No passport photo needed. All they want is the payment method that might be a bank card, PayPal or Google/Apple Pay depending on the operator. You only need to specify your age. (The Uber app supports the Lime scooters, which is very competitive).

Geofencing has many flavours with e-scooters. For instance, you cannot ride outside the allowed area (if you do so, the scooter switches the motor off and warns you not to stay there). Or, you cannot terminate the ride (so you are continuing to pay) in the prohibited place.

I have a funny story for you but will share it only after I have the relevant photos processed!

You actually have to take a picture for face scanning by the scooter at the start of the rental.
UK are big brothers younger brother.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Of course an hour had gone by and the crossing back was twice as deep, this is where the water came to with my cranks level, using the throttle.
Well up the battery itself, just kept the speed up, no problems.
View attachment 157173

You're a brave man. Nothing I love more than wading in the ocean. So naturally, I'm tempted to ride through the water every time I ride a beach.

Then I get visions of my corroded, burned-out hulk of a bike lying dead in the surf. And me looking on sadly, bottomless, cuz the burning battery caught my shorts on fire.

You're not allowed to go bottomless on the beaches here, so I chicken out.

Ive found so many ..unknown to me..creeks, lanes and remote villages on this visit, simply by taking my dad for drives and turning down every terrifyingly small lane I could find.

Its really picking him up as his mind slows down in his isolation.
And every drive Im thinking.
I might not make this one

Exploring like that is fun — especially with a buddy along. I'm sure your dad enjoys those outings.

 

[Prairie Dog]

This is a bit late in coming but I’m finally getting around to posting a follow up to my ride on Thursday. This would only be my second visit to the trails of West Bragg Creek and I know that it likely won’t be my last.

Powderface Ridge was also high on my list of trail rides this year so I thought that I would take it on when it was still early in the season before the swarms of summer hikers converged on it.

The trailhead is located about an hour’s drive west of the townsite of Bragg Creek, AB at the end of the paved section of Hwy 66. This 15 km loop can’t be taken lightly as the rocky terrain could prove to be challenging even for the most seasoned rider.

It’s a grueling grind on an aesthetic mountain ridge. Steep and technical, with lots of large loose rock combined with a view of the Rockies to the west and the foothills to the east, making this an athletic test piece with constant rewards. You definitely don’t want to be riding it on a hardtail.

My plan was to ride it from north to south (CW) starting from the Powderface Trail which is a gravel forestry road and likely the most convenient way to access the ridge via the Trail Creek Junction. I arrived at the starting point of my ride at 9am and immediately set off up the PF Trail.

There is no signage for the Creekside junction but you’ll know that you’ve arrived at the trail head by a visible pullout which allows for limited vehicle parking. From there, a small orange marker on one of the trees indicates the trail entrance.

The 1.3 km up the steep and rocky junction trail towards the ridge gets your heart pumping and is an early warning of what to expect further on. Nothing on this trail comes easy.

The rocks seemed to outnumber roots but they also made their presence felt.

Last uphill stretch before arriving at the saddle on top of the Powder Ridge Trail.

A fabulous view of the Nihahi Ridge.

Just prior to reaching the summit at 2250 meters, I met another rider on his Santa Cruz emtb who came up on my six as we both approached the top. We ended up walking our bikes up the last 100 meters as the steep and rocky terrain was impossible to ride over. He remarked how there was still snow present two weeks ago along the section just before the decent down the ridge trail.

The well deserved view atop the summit on the Powderface Ridge Trail.

The Ridge trail makes a sharp exit left and drops off the east side of the ridge and down a descent into the forest and as expected more of the same accompanying rock-strewn terrain.

Being accustomed to fallen tree encounters, there was no way that this one was going to halt my way to the east ridge.

Another climb brought me back up on to the open east ridge and down to a lush alpine meadow. I stopped here for a snack and also thought that it was a good spot to capture some aerial footage. The views were stunning but I could have taken advantage of a superior vantage point had I left the trail and hiked another 200 meters to the south summit cairn overlooking the Elbow Valley (Rt of center in the image). I could hear the echoes of hikers up at the flag cairn but I was firmly planted and enjoying the view from my lower perch. I was constantly on the lookout for wildflowers but it might have been too early in the season.

The view of the Elbow Valley as seen from the drone. The meandering Elbow River and emerald waters of Forget Me Not Pond are backed by an astonishingly picture-perfect panorama of the Rockies.

I started my descent down the Ridge Trail. By this time, I had already crossed paths with several hikers most of who were walking the trail from point to point. This couple were keenly interested in how my FS bike handled the rocky terrain.

Back in the forest, more of the same but steeper now. It was hard to set a consistent pace typical of the terrain on the trail. No picking lines here, you just go with the flow and try and let the bike do its job.

I exit the trail down to the parking area. This completes my ride of the Powderface Ridge Loop and I can definitely say without a doubt that its reputation precedes it. I can’t imagine riding this as an out-and-back but those who have the legs to do so, would certainly deserve all of the accolades. I would even consider riding this trail during the winter on a fat bike when all of the rocks and roots would be covered in a foot or two of deep snow.

Before driving the 200+ km back to home base, I stopped by the nearby picturesque Elbow Falls to take in some refreshing views.

Looking back along Hwy 66, the beauty of the area alone makes it deserving of to visit. Just be sure to purchase a K-Country park pass before you head out on the road.

This video is longer than usual but I think it depicts a true visual experience of what the Powder Ridge Trail is really like to ride. That being said, if it’s not your thing, feel free to skip over it.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Holy smokes, never mind the bike trail, the drive over and back is worth a day by itself. 400 kilometers? Easy and apparently worth every one of them.