Chargeride
Well-Known Member
It has been around for so long, my cousin used to build motorised contraptions with tank tracks and pulleys, huge cranes and working looms.
That was 50 years ago.
That was 50 years ago.
Your cousins were my kind of builders! Working gizmos, science demos, spinning tops, and kinetic art made from loose parts are my mainstays. I have 50 year-old LEGO motors that still work like new.It has been around for so long, my cousin used to build motorised contraptions with tank tracks and pulleys, huge cranes and working looms.
That was 50 years ago.
How true! One year ago I did something very stupid. After a successful 26 km ride including a lot of ice (Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus studded tyres are very good) I rode into our forecourt.I hate that turn into a forecourt in slippy conditions, my brain quickly plays out the front tyre not making it over the ridge, me face planting the cold floor and the bike sliding under a passing bus.
It was quite opposite with the "winter bike" used by Mati yesterday. He -- as an ultramarathon gravel cyclist -- of course owns a featherweight gravel bike. However, he would not ride it for the city in the winter! So he arrived with a big Batavus utility bike. We had to carry our bikes up a narrow and winding staircase. It was no issue for me to carry my Vado SL upstairs even if it had several kilograms of extra weight (like a U-lock, two water-bottles, a Range Extender). Then Mati asked me to lift his own Batavus to compare the weight. Man! That was a heavy bike! Heavier than my SL with all the extra weight on it!Don has only a non-electric road bike here -- an all-Campy Italian beauty that, compared to my ebike, weighs basically nothing.
Not everyone's cup of tea, to be sure. But when I count my blessings these days, it's pretty much at the top of the list. The only thing better (for us, anyway) is living in SoCal with ebikes.It must be good to live in SoCal!
Swell pics. Lol. I can almost feel the ocean breeze. Your images certainly portray a far different scenario than what it’s like here and reminds me of the times we spent out at Long Beach (Van Isle). Thanks for sharing.Not everyone's cup of tea, to be sure. But when I count my blessings these days, it's pretty much at the top of the list. The only thing better (for us, anyway) is living in SoCal with ebikes.
Now that’s what I’m talking about Stefan. No comfy, cushy, dry paved ride for you on that day. On a more serious note, just glad to know that you didn’t suffer anything worse than a sore shoulder. Winter riding for the uninitiated can be a bit intimidating but under the right conditions, the rewards can far outweigh the negatives based on a few simple guidelines.I could have just walked my Fearless in but I was trying to ride it. One of the baddest crashes I have ever had and at least 6 weeks of aches of my shoulder and chest! Studded winter tyres work very well as long as the ice stretch is, well, flat.
On the other hand, my earlier crash with my e-MTB on black ice made me buy and believe in Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro tyres. I could ride black ice on those 27.5x2.6" terrifying tyres with 344 big studs without any fear! (@Prairie Dog rides frozen lakes on the same tyres).
Another lovely ride Rab and I’m sure that it felt comforting having the gloves along to take the chill off. It won’t be long now before you’ll be logging more metric Cs that you're known for.I finally got February under way, we had some pretty mild weather recently but it was a bit stormy until today when the sun made an appearance and was very welcome! No 63F here @Jeremy McCreary that's about our average summer temp You sure live in a beautiful part of the world! It was -1C when I set off and it warmed up to +3C eventually, it didn't feel that cold as the wind was pretty light for a change! I had decided I wouldn't take any photos unless I could get my phone to work with my heated gloves still on, luckily it worked today!
Colorado treated us to many breath-taking snow scenes in our 20 years there, both at home and in the mountains. Not in your league, I know, but will definitely miss that.@Jeremy McCreary -
Swell pics. Lol. I can almost feel the ocean breeze. Your images certainly portray a far different scenario than what it’s like here and reminds me of the times we spent out at Long Beach (Van Isle). Thanks for sharing.
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I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s not my cup of tea as it looks so inviting….well maybe ice tea for folks like us in more northern latitudes.
enjoyed reading your back in the saddle report, I need to follow suit - I must admit the school being delayed because of the "internet being down" had me chuckling - hmm, I think I need the internet to go down and get a few chores off the list . . .Hi all, it's been a while since I posted anything, nice to see a new thread going for 2023. After taking December off from riding (long work days, short solar days, and a couple ice storms) as well as social media I was gearing up to take my first ride of the year on 1/1 when I pulled my back on New Years Eve. Didn't get back on the bike until a few weeks ago when I thought it fitting to revisit my first ride of 2022 - a check in at the estuary restoration project at Meadowdale Beach. A nice easy 20 mile ride to get back in the swing of things.
This was the only beach access for people and fish for 50+ years and what I saw here last year:
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Now, they have finally put in a nice long span and have continued the rehabilitation of the estuary to encourage salmon and chum spawing
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Felt good to get back on the bike and to amble around the small beach.
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Got in a nice 28 mile ride last weekend in freezing (but dry) temps. And I even got to commute to work once this week when my kids' school was delayed due to the internet being shut off.
Today was warmer around 45F, but damp. Still a good day for a ride so I took off to ride a couple spots above the water that I haven't been to before. Just short of 28 miles and about 2000 ft of climbing.
I guess i haven't been up this way in a while.
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So I was a little surprised to find a bus stop had been built IN the bike lane. I'm guessing they were trying to solve a problem, and either didn't care or didn't think about what the solution might mean for cyclists.
Once I got up north I headed towards Norma Beach where the road splits and goes up to the view properties on the bluff and down to the private properties near the water. No a lot of pics, but this bench is at the end of a culdesac looking up towards Picnic Point
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Not a bad view.
Also grabbed this stump art that looks like it's been here for a while
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PS: @Chargeride , anytime you want to come over and take back some of your damn ivy please do! That stuff is noxious.
Finally, this parking lot/pond always amuses me. Everytime it rains the it becomes hard to tell where the parking ends and where the pond begins. The geese don't seem to care though.
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You're a braver man than I when it comes to ice. Those must be some tires, but the slipping foot problem remains.The number of local roads covered with bare ice (basically, black ice in most of places) probably exhausted my limit of patience for a month! Here, I stopped to take the picture and straddled my HS. My boots were slipping under me, and only holding onto the e-bike allowed me not to fall! [emphasis added] However, delicately restarting the ride proved Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus 50-622 (studded winter tyres) were worth every grosz! As @Prairie Dog knows the best, studded tyres are the only cure for ice!
....
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Zhur (nourishing soup with sausage) and Winter Tea. I needed to warm up a little!
Thanks for bringing that documentary to my attention. Watched it for the SoCal scenery, of course.So I watched the Pamela Anderson doc on Netflix last night and now you post these pics
The universe is telling me to go to Socal.
Love the carving! But you say "stump art" like it's a thing. There's been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about lately, so I have to ask.Also grabbed this stump art that looks like it's been here for a while
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yes, we haven't gotten the full story yet - but every teacher and student had to reset their passwords and they still haven't restored network access at any of the schools. Got word tonight that after working through the weekend they will start turning on systems over the next several days. My theory on the delay is that the school had no process in place to take attendance without working computers.I must admit the school being delayed because of the "internet being down" had me chuckling
I guess it's not uncommon around here to see where someone had to take a tree down and then instead of removing the stump they carve it or sometimes use it as a base to put some chainsaw art or something similar.Love the carving! But you say "stump art" like it's a thing. There's been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about lately, so I have to ask.