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

[Stefan Mikes]

Congrats! But were you the first or second Stefan across the line?

The second one First Stefan was 151st

Just To Let You Know
One of the "ultra" features was climbing onto Góra Kalwaria (Mt. Calvary), 10.6% max incline, 677 metres on rough cobblestones. I made it unlike many other racers Vado SL, SL Turbo Mode, 44-36T gearing. Not bad, eh?

Recorded speed of 10.2 km/h at the 10.6% incline. I was on the adrenalin rush there!

 

[dodgeman]

Thats pretty good Stefan. If my math is good you averaged 80 mph, but my math isn’t that good.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Thats pretty good Stefan. If my math is good you averaged 80 mph, but my math isn’t that good.

You are correct. Not.

@Readytoride: See the Polish Gravel Grinder version

Crossing the River Fiszor for the 300 mile group. The bottom of the river was full of rubble! Riders were wearing flip-flops there. One rider protected his legs with long plastic bags! (Crossing the Struga creek was easier for our 255 km group!) Photo courtesy Victor Troshka.

 

[Watana Bob]

Congratulations Stefan! You and Rab are just incredible. If only I could ride like you guys.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Mazovian Gravel 2023, East Mazovia Edition, MG 250 (160 mile) Race
Day 1, June 17th, 2023

'It is not a leisure trip, brother. It is a race. You need to avoid stopping, and use as much of assistance as the battery range allows!' said Jacek as he was transporting me to the elegant Warsaw neighbourhood of Royal Wilanów. This year 160 mile and 316 mile racers started from so called Wilanów Beach (which is just an urban meadow), and each starting group had its time slot. 600 people (2 x 300) paid to participate, several did not show up. There was even trading the 'starter packages' in the weeks before the race! (The original fee was 80 to 95 US$).

The 8:10 am group starting the ride. I could count 10 riders there.

The race motto was: "Accept the Challenge". Completely ready to ride! (See the socks, a part of the Starter Package, very nice!)

The tall man Michał B. of Łódź (MG500 #10 - his Pinarello H tyre cracked so he was not on the podium later -- he had to apply the inner tube for the tubeless system) has been my gravel cycling mentor. He said "The Distance Only Exists In Your Mind". A great lesson!

My Starting Group 37 (9:05 am). The organizers Bartek and Marcin were perfectly aware who I was. That I was a senior person with medical conditions, and the only e-biker in the race. Both were very friendly, and Bartek approached me and asked if I was OK to ride, and whether I planned to make the race in one or two days. The man in blue behind me was next to me at the finish line, and the man at my right hand side was the second behind me. The man with the Swiss Cross became #38.

The "slow" start. We should get to the flying start in 7 minutes minimum but I realized I was left alone by the group! (It took me 4:55 to get to the flying start line).

The first trap set by the organizers: An earthwork requiring the rider getting off the bike and carrying the bike uphill in loose soil, tree roots and rubble. And, carry the bike down the "hill". That was the first time I was glad I took the lightweight Vado SL for the race!

Riding in semi coma after my crash.

The Crash (Always Wear The Helmet!)
The route required to leave the path along the Royal Canal, ride the pavement for some distance and return to the Canal trail. As I was negotiating a speed bump on the pavement at some 30 km/h, I lost balance and crashed with my e-bike to the right side. The witnesses said I was laying for a while (I must have fainted) then vigorously got up, said everything was okay and restarted the ride. In fact, I was in semi coma and only could see the track on my Wahoo bike computer! As Jacek was monitoring me, he instantly drove his car to intercept me, and he stopped me, with the witnesses following me on their bikes. As I sat on a bench, they started asking me questions to realise I was semi-conscious. I must have spent a good half an hour on the bench to come back to my senses!

The Specialized Echelon II helmet withstood the impact and saved my head. Road rash on the knee, elbow and shoulder was disinfected by Jacek, and it dried up soon. Yes, and a bruised thigh and shoulder. I was continuing the ride anyway.

I admit I was trying riding my Vado 6.0 for a distance since a stop in Nieporęt. A very bad decision! The heavy Vado with inadequate tyres was not a proper ride for an 'ultramarathon' ("ultra" in the sense of "technically very difficult"). I returned to riding my Vado SL in Korycin, and it remained my e-bike of choice to the end of the race!

Modern Poland (especially the well developed regions) is the country of asphalt and dirt roads Yes you find gravel road in less developed areas such as East Mazovia; and in forests. As gravel roads are, well, despised, a decent gravel road is a rarity in my country!

I had no time for taking pictures! Here, the Professional Firefighter Station in Jadów, one of few towns of the area. Jadów is a popular holiday destination on the picturesque River Liwiec.

Horses met somewhere on the trail (Poland is big in horse breeding!)

Met my Guardian Angel Jacek in the village of Liw. We went straight to the local Inn for some decent food!

Zhur with sausage, followed by a pork chop with vegetable salad. I was only on nutrients on my ride until Liw!

Me taking the photo of the Castle in Liw.

The Castle of Liw with a motorcycle rally and rock concerts! (See the tents).

A historical note

The castle of Liw upon River Liwiec was completed in 1429 by the order of Duke of Mazovia Janusz I. Liw was a big city at that time, having its own Land (sub-province). Liw was even bigger under the reign of Duchess Anna of Mazovia and Queen Bona Sforza in 16th c. The castle was damaged in mid 17th c. by the Swedish, and Liw slowly turned into a little village... Same as the big city of Nur in Mazovia that is a small village nowadays, too. However, the Castle of Liw has been reconstructed, and a lot is being done to attract visitors there (like, motorcycle rallies, rock concerts...)

The MG pitstop in Liw. We were there late (I was the second last rider of MG 250 there!) We were met with very warm and hospitable reception that you can expect in Polish countryside! The local people were aware of the Race (I spoke with two farmers sitting in their Land Rover while I had a short stop on my ride, so I know it). The people of Liw wanted to show their hospitality at the best to the cycling visitors! Only boiled fresh cabbage was available. We were not hungry, so we thanked our hosts and only took some banana on our leave.

Now, the 'ultra' has just started. What you can see is a weak representation of future kilometres, what we gravel cyclists call "ujeby & wyrypy" (U&W), which can be translated as "trail that is excessively exhausting, and segments on which it is easy to crash".

Fording the Creek Struga ('Struga' means 'a creek'). Shoeless and sockless! The bottom was covered with fine clean sand at the left hand side and everybody was walking their bikes there. Then, you were walking in mud, were cleaning your feet with grass and... you were swarmed by mosquito! Fancy how fast we were putting our socks and shoes again to escape the insects!

The next kilometres were so full of U&W that I must have been pale with fear on my face. Jacek was observing the trail exit from his car. One cyclist emerged from the trail walking his bike, pale, unresponsive, apparently totally exhausted. I crashed again: this time in soft sand...

We got in Grębki to an agro-touristic ranch and stables which I was familiar with from the past. Yes, they had a spare room. With the bathroom outside and a bunk bed inside Oh, we could now take a shower, set the batteries, phones, and the Wahoo on charging, and have a couple until we fell fast asleep!

151 km on the Day 1.

tbc...

 

[Readytoride]

Jesus Christmas, Stefan!!!! You crashed and were unresponsive for several minutes??? Then vision impaired and were out of it when you were stopped, sat down and questioned?? That's a concussion, dear fellow, and an ambulance trip to the hospital in my mind, not a green flag to continue!! Really, really glad you are alright.

Wanna hear how the bike batteries held up, and I don't blame you for ditching the Vado for your lightweight ebike when the route threw those "hike up the hill with your bike on your shoulder" obstacles at you. I can never remember how my Vado is coded for the Walk function, so I'd struggle as well

In all, an amazing feat of endurance. Waiting now for the conclusion!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Mazovian Gravel 2023, East Mazovia Edition, MG 250 (160 mile) Race
Day 2, June 18th, 2023

Jacek was still asleep when I left the ranch at 4:45 am. It was raining during the night. I put my thin windbreaker on but it was rather necessary against the morning cold (in no case a chill! It was even warm if not the apparent wind of the e-bike, as it seemed to be windless!) The more I rode the more I realized what the real meaning of the "ultra" (as in ultramarathon) was. It was all about the difficulties staggering up as I was riding. Like, a forest road totally damaged by lumberjack vehicles and full of puddles. Or, a sandy road full of ruts, making it easy to crash. It looked as if those two guys Bartek and Marcin had a database of all most hopeless roads of East Mazovia and combined them into a race route plan! I was explained that the MG250 was just a "demo version of MG500 for the less advanced"

Would you call that road "gravel"? There, I was eating my early breakfast consisting of two bananas and some nutrients. There was a drizzle in the air.

The village of Jeruzal was made famous by the "Ranczo" (The Ranch) sitcom (I have never seen that programme!) The store visible in the picture has been televised as a model countryside store, with local weirdos sitting on the benches, drinking 8% fruit "wine" called Mamrot ("Mumble") and discussing things. The store got a cult following, and Jeruzal gets many visitors (who would have never heard of that village or the store if not TV). I hear Ms. Krystyna Więcławska has a good business as any tourist must buy a bottle of Mamrot while in Jeruzal! I was thinking of buying a bottle of Mamrot myself! Alas! The store was opened from 8 am on Sundays while I arrived in Jeruzal at seven!

At least two (remote) villages were renamed to Jeruzal in 19th c. The local people thought the new name (Jerusal-em) would bring a lot of pilgrims I have already been to both Jeruzals! The guy on the bike, Łukasz, was my direct rival on the ride. Riding from Liw through the creek as well as U&Ws he effectively cancelled my strategic advantage! We started really racing... Pretending not to (Jacek sent me earlier the message: "There are still 15 riders in Liw. Fight!")

That's why it is called "ultra" (I could not take photos in really bad places as I was fighting for my dear life!)

After long and hard ride, I found myself in the area more familiar to me, on the Vistula right embankment. When I saw this, I yelled: "These perverts! To tell us to ride on grass! What next?!"

Oh yes they could invent even more. Now, we had to carry our bikes up the steep and high staircase onto the Góra Kalwaria road bridge over the Vistula...

If you think the staircase was not steep or high, see it from the right perspective I was already atop with my pannier (carrying it upstairs felt like climbing Calvary with the cross...). Before I was ready to pick my Vado SL downstairs, a line of gravel cyclists (mostly from MG500) formed there! Let me not describe getting the Vado SL upstairs using the Walk Mode (the stairs were too steep to carry the VSL in my hand) or racing through an extremely narrow pedestrian walkway along the bridge, or zooming with traffic to the next exit...

Yes, those guys invented the "Mt Calvary Cobblestone Climb" as described in Post #1,124! As I could make it and was overcharged with adrenalin, I started really racing I sprinted through Góra Kalwaria and started approaching a 10% curvy descent. I could see several people on bikes with drop-bars behind me, trying to catch up with me. No way! I sprinted even faster and descended at crazy speed. When I was already on the flat, I heard "ON YER LEFT!" and then several Time Trial bikes overtook me The Góra Kalwaria Trail is reportedly the most ridden segment in the world (according to Strava). I was sprinting all the time (or pedalled as hard as I could in SL Turbo mode), and I was overtaking any gravel cyclist I met (all of them were already very tired!)

The roadies always take a detour between Dębówka and Cieciszew and then head towards Gassy. Our trail was gravel one (very narrow and technical) just along the river and straight to Gassy. When I was riding there, I exclaimed aloud: "Just the last fuggin' gravel road on the race! And possibly my last one ever!" -- and at that moment a gravel cyclist overtook me. He could hear my every word! As we passed Gassy, we got onto a paved road towards the blue bridge of Jeziorka and we turned left there. Suddenly, several Time Trial bikes appeared on my left side, with the smiling riders merrily shouting at me: "Guy! You are great! Don't give up! Race together with us!" but I had to turn left... onto the very last gravel road on the trip! And... There was a MG500 rider pedalling hard. As we rode side by side, I asked 'MG500?' -- 'Yes!' -- 'Then I don't race with you' -- I said -- 'I let you be first on the finish line' -- to which he replied -- 'My foot feels like burning. I do not race anymore today!' --

So I crossed the finish line...

...and pulled brake levers hard! I heard bravos and hand-clapping. A female photographer took several pictures of me, and I was laughing from the delight! (I hope to get those pictures!)

Drunk with happiness, I expressed the greatest compliments of the ride plan to Marcin the co-organizer! Yes, it was a real adventure, once you passed all the obstacles! It was no time for boredom during the race!

I was immediately decorated by a little boy, got a bottle of the special "Finisher's Beer" (whatever it was, it tasted like the nectar of the gods!), and a little girl approached me to offer food, excellent coffee and perhaps some mineral water? I felt like in heaven!

Then Jacek took the customary photo of me at the finish line (Polish: Meta).

I was the last competitor who got the applause as the awarding ceremony for MG500 started in several minutes after my arrival! See the Women's Masters. The winner Maria rode 509 km for 32 seconds short of 21 hours! The redhead with the braid is a popular female roadie champion known as the "Rust", and she represented the bronze medallist, and acted as a co-organizer. The tall man in blue is Marcin the co-organizer, and the dark man in black T-shirt is Bartek co-organizer. The latter is known for his motto: "To ride, you have to be riding" (that is "if you want to survive a gravel race, you have to persistently be working out on a bike"). A great motto!

Men Masters, MG500. The winner Grzegorz rode the 509 km in 17 hours 45 minutes gross! What a feat!

As you already know, I finished the 255 km race as #248 out of 283, so I was better than 35 other people who started in MG250 The "Jeruzal Man" Łukasz arrived 17 minutes behind, and another one was 31 minutes behind me. I lost to a man who was on the finish line just 5 minutes before me! I could have one cigarette less to be better than him!

263 km in 12 hours and 17 minutes of pedalling, 26 hours 48 minutes from start to finish.
----------------------
@Readytoride: Thank you very much for your concern! I must have experienced a slight concussion but was lucky again! And totally motivated to finish the race!

As for e-bikes: In my opinion, the current e-bike technology eliminates our steeds from ultramarathons. Either the e-bike (and the batteries/chargers) is too heavy for harsh terrain, or (in case of lightweight e-bikes with small Range Extenders), the charging time overnight would take as much of time as to place the rider in the last place! I could only make my feat thanks to two e-bikes and the SAG car...

Next year, Jacek buys a traditional gravel bike and rides in the MG 2024 (I pass). As for myself, I plan taking part in two 200 km events: Sudovia Gravel, and the Kaszebe Runda. The former (northeast Poland, Suwałki) is organized on beautiful gravel roads with many very steep inclines. The latter is a totally open formula (not a race) on asphalt roads of Kashubia (in Pomoria, near to Gdańsk). Both events will be good for my Vado 6.0 with three batteries as long as I replace the Vado tyres with my Schwalbe Smart Sam tyres.

Dear friends, thank you for your time and patience about my big reports!

 

[Art Deco]

Well quite the adventure @Stefan Mikes . I can see your happiness in your photos , however I think that may have something to do with the brain injury you suffered at the beginning . Definitely not what most of us would consider a fun ride.

 

[RabH]

Jesus Christmas, Stefan!!!! You crashed and were unresponsive for several minutes??? Then vision impaired and were out of it when you were stopped, sat down and questioned?? That's a concussion, dear fellow, and an ambulance trip to the hospital in my mind, not a green flag to continue!! Really, really glad you are alright.

Wanna hear how the bike batteries held up, and I don't blame you for ditching the Vado for your lightweight ebike when the route threw those "hike up the hill with your bike on your shoulder" obstacles at you. I can never remember how my Vado is coded for the Walk function, so I'd struggle as well

In all, an amazing feat of endurance. Waiting now for the conclusion!

Agree with this, you need to be very careful with concussion! Make sure you replace that helmet, Stefan! @Stefan Mikes

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Friends Do you think I could process all those pictures if I still suffered the concussion I could have got last Saturday morning?

Art, you joker! Some people enjoy taking risks for fun. I'm not that type. I just love to have goals The goal for MG 2023 250 was precisely defined, the rules too (if I broke them three or four times who cares?)

Now, my Strava handle reads Stefan Mikeš Mikulski | Electric Bike Review I do represent you people

 

[dodgeman]

Nice job Stefan. That was not a bike ride, more of an adventure.
I rode 16 miles to Walmart to get an oil filter for my daughters car. I’m going to change the oil and do her front brakes this weekend for her.

 

[kahn]

@Stefan Mikes

"East Mazovia" I think that the Marx Brothers did a movie that was set there!

 

[kahn]

The Final Results of #MG2023, the 255 km gravel race

I took the 248th place, MG250 category (men and women, Open). 283 riders of that category actually started in the race, and 7 of them DNF. It makes 35 contenders behind me Necessary to mention as many as 300 people paid for the participation in the 255 km race but 17 have never showed up.
Could be worse! Like not finishing the race or being last

View attachment 156184
The red GPS means the rider was penalized with extra time for not riding exactly the mandatory route.

Where was BROTHER?

Oh, now I realize he was your support person and not riding. That's how you had a spare light-weight bike! I can be slow especially even reading about a L O N G R I D E!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Where was BROTHER?

Oh, now I realize he was your support person and not riding. That's how you had a spare light-weight bike! I can be slow especially even reading about a L O N G R I D E!

I will be honest Kahn: if not the brother, I would not make the race. He was my transport early in the morning. He took care of me after I crashed. He made it possible to swap e-bikes on the ride (I could not make it without the Vado 6.0 for some 80 km). I got pictures from him I could not make himself!

Jacek (59) is a healthy, slim person. He now rides with my former gravel cycling club, and got infected with the gravel cycling. Yes he will be riding epic rides on the Giant Trance E+ I gave him: In the mountains But he wants to be riding gravel on a regular bike.

That is why I want to take part in any gravel event where the heavy Vado 6.0 with three batteries would do

Now, watch the video. My start in the race. My friend, the Welsh Paul N. was encouraging me: "Good luck, Stefan, good luck!". It was so sweet! And he speaks such good Polish!

 

[PatriciaK]

Back in the Great Pacific Northwest, back on the La Free. though not riding today - too many chores to be done after months of absence, and the weather is kind of cool and windy...typical pre-July 15 summer here !

 

[Art Deco]

I will be honest Kahn: if not the brother, I would not make the race. He was my transport early in the morning. He took care of me after I crashed. He made it possible to swap e-bikes on the ride (I could not make it without the Vado 6.0 for some 80 km). I got pictures from him I could not make himself!

Jacek (59) is a healthy, slim person. He now rides with my former gravel cycling club, and got infected with the gravel cycling. Yes he will be riding epic rides on the Giant Trance E+ I gave him: In the mountains But he wants to be riding gravel on a regular bike.

That is why I want to take part in any gravel event where the heavy Vado 6.0 with three batteries would do

Now, watch the video. My start in the race. My friend, the Welsh Paul N. was encouraging me: "Good luck, Stefan, good luck!". It was so sweet! And he speaks such good Polish!

You know I dislike videos @Stefan Mikes . I'll do it later ... but I remember you complaining about your legs not being strong enough to ever ride a SL bike ... and now you just finished an ultra marathon? ... on an SL .??
And imagine carrying your heavy ebike over all that ....

 

[Prairie Dog]

Woohoo…nicely done, Stefan!! This ride should go down as one, if not, the most epic one that you’ve accomplished. Glad to hear that you survived the crash and kudos for getting back on the saddle when many would have conceded. Jacek is such a good brother and deserves a medal for being your SAG.

 

[PatriciaK]

Mazovian Gravel 2023, East Mazovia Edition, MG 250 (160 mile) Race
Day 1, June 17th, 2023

'It is not a leisure trip, brother. It is a race. You need to avoid stopping, and use as much of assistance as the battery range allows!' said Jacek as he was transporting me to the elegant Warsaw neighbourhood of Royal Wilanów. This year 160 mile and 316 mile racers started from so called Wilanów Beach (which is just an urban meadow), and each starting group had its time slot. 600 people (2 x 300) paid to participate, several did not show up. There was even trading the 'starter packages' in the weeks before the race! (The original fee was 80 to 95 US$).

View attachment 156204
The 8:10 am group starting the ride. I could count 10 riders there.

View attachment 156205
The race motto was: "Accept the Challenge". Completely ready to ride! (See the socks, a part of the Starter Package, very nice!)

View attachment 156206
The tall man Michał B. of Łódź (MG500 #10 - his Pinarello H tyre cracked so he was not on the podium later -- he had to apply the inner tube for the tubeless system) has been my gravel cycling mentor. He said "The Distance Only Exists In Your Mind". A great lesson!

View attachment 156207
My Starting Group 37 (9:05 am). The organizers Bartek and Marcin were perfectly aware who I was. That I was a senior person with medical conditions, and the only e-biker in the race. Both were very friendly, and Bartek approached me and asked if I was OK to ride, and whether I planned to make the race in one or two days. The man in blue behind me was next to me at the finish line, and the man at my right hand side was the second behind me. The man with the Swiss Cross became #38.

View attachment 156208
The "slow" start. We should get to the flying start in 7 minutes minimum but I realized I was left alone by the group! (It took me 4:55 to get to the flying start line).

View attachment 156209
The first trap set by the organizers: An earthwork requiring the rider getting off the bike and carrying the bike uphill in loose soil, tree roots and rubble. And, carry the bike down the "hill". That was the first time I was glad I took the lightweight Vado SL for the race!

View attachment 156210
Riding in semi coma after my crash.

The Crash (Always Wear The Helmet!)
The route required to leave the path along the Royal Canal, ride the pavement for some distance and return to the Canal trail. As I was negotiating a speed bump on the pavement at some 30 km/h, I lost balance and crashed with my e-bike to the right side. The witnesses said I was laying for a while (I must have fainted) then vigorously got up, said everything was okay and restarted the ride. In fact, I was in semi coma and only could see the track on my Wahoo bike computer! As Jacek was monitoring me, he instantly drove his car to intercept me, and he stopped me, with the witnesses following me on their bikes. As I sat on a bench, they started asking me questions to realise I was semi-conscious. I must have spent a good half an hour on the bench to come back to my senses!

View attachment 156211
The Specialized Echelon II helmet withstood the impact and saved my head. Road rash on the knee, elbow and shoulder was disinfected by Jacek, and it dried up soon. Yes, and a bruised thigh and shoulder. I was continuing the ride anyway.

I admit I was trying riding my Vado 6.0 for a distance since a stop in Nieporęt. A very bad decision! The heavy Vado with inadequate tyres was not a proper ride for an 'ultramarathon' ("ultra" in the sense of "technically very difficult"). I returned to riding my Vado SL in Korycin, and it remained my e-bike of choice to the end of the race!

View attachment 156212
Modern Poland (especially the well developed regions) is the country of asphalt and dirt roads Yes you find gravel road in less developed areas such as East Mazovia; and in forests. As gravel roads are, well, despised, a decent gravel road is a rarity in my country!

View attachment 156213
I had no time for taking pictures! Here, the Professional Firefighter Station in Jadów, one of few towns of the area. Jadów is a popular holiday destination on the picturesque River Liwiec.

View attachment 156214
Horses met somewhere on the trail (Poland is big in horse breeding!)

View attachment 156215
Met my Guardian Angel Jacek in the village of Liw. We went straight to the local Inn for some decent food!

View attachment 156216
Zhur with sausage, followed by a pork chop with vegetable salad. I was only on nutrients on my ride until Liw!

View attachment 156217
Me taking the photo of the Castle in Liw.

View attachment 156218
The Castle of Liw with a motorcycle rally and rock concerts! (See the tents).

A historical note

The castle of Liw upon River Liwiec was completed in 1429 by the order of Duke of Mazovia Janusz I. Liw was a big city at that time, having its own Land (sub-province). Liw was even bigger under the reign of Duchess Anna of Mazovia and Queen Bona Sforza in 16th c. The castle was damaged in mid 17th c. by the Swedish, and Liw slowly turned into a little village... Same as the big city of Nur in Mazovia that is a small village nowadays, too. However, the Castle of Liw has been reconstructed, and a lot is being done to attract visitors there (like, motorcycle rallies, rock concerts...)

View attachment 156220
The MG pitstop in Liw. We were there late (I was the second last rider of MG 250 there!) We were met with very warm and hospitable reception that you can expect in Polish countryside! The local people were aware of the Race (I spoke with two farmers sitting in their Land Rover while I had a short stop on my ride, so I know it). The people of Liw wanted to show their hospitality at the best to the cycling visitors! Only boiled fresh cabbage was available. We were not hungry, so we thanked our hosts and only took some banana on our leave.

View attachment 156227
Now, the 'ultra' has just started. What you can see is a weak representation of future kilometres, what we gravel cyclists call "ujeby & wyrypy" (U&W), which can be translated as "trail that is excessively exhausting, and segments on which it is easy to crash".

View attachment 156228
Fording the Creek Struga ('Struga' means 'a creek'). Shoeless and sockless! The bottom was covered with fine clean sand at the left hand side and everybody was walking their bikes there. Then, you were walking in mud, were cleaning your feet with grass and... you were swarmed by mosquito! Fancy how fast we were putting our socks and shoes again to escape the insects!

The next kilometres were so full of U&W that I must have been pale with fear on my face. Jacek was observing the trail exit from his car. One cyclist emerged from the trail walking his bike, pale, unresponsive, apparently totally exhausted. I crashed again: this time in soft sand...

View attachment 156229
We got in Grębki to an agro-touristic ranch and stables with I was familiar with from the past. Yes, they had a spare room. With the bathroom outside and a bunk bed inside Oh, we could now take a shower, set the batteries, phones, and the Wahoo on charging, and have a couple until we fell fast asleep!

View attachment 156230
151 km on the Day 1.

tbc...

Geez, Stefan! I'm glad you're ok! That was an epic ride, congrats on completing it !!!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

but I remember you complaining about your legs not being strong enough to ever ride a SL bike ... and now you just finished an ultra marathon? ... on an SL .??

It was the 76 km on Vado 6.0 that helped me finish the Day 1 earlier It was very important related to the total battery energy available, and to the charging plan overnight. The SL alone would not let me do the complete ride! All these matters such as carrying 4 e-bike chargers, 2 USB-C ones, the extension cord. three big batteries, four Range Extenders...
No, e-bikes are not made for ultramarathons!

However, I know what you wanted to say. Yes, my shape has improved significantly for the last 3+ years, especially in relation to endurance. The experience gained matters, too. Change in mentality. Hard workouts! Important mods to my e-bikes. And it is true riding Vado SL was the greatest factor in the improvement of my physical form.

And imagine carrying your heavy ebike over all that ....

Well, I was lucky as the northern part of the ride (Nieporęt - Korytnica) was relatively easy and involved many asphalt roads so it could be ridden on the Vado 6.0. Still, I had a moment of fear in one of the forests: I had to make a sharp turn left and then the rear wheel slipped in the mud (but I regained the balance).

Jacek is such a good brother and deserves a medal for being your SAG.

Oh, I totally agree!

My Vado 6.0 ride with the battery swap at the 47th kilometre from Nieporęt. As other 255 km race members comment now: 'Everything from Liw to Góra Kalwaria in the south was bloodthirsty sand'

The community uses these terms for the region: "Flatpoland" or "Flatsand Poland"

 

[Prairie Dog]

It’s been raining steadily for several days now. No grievances on my behalf as we really do need the moisture. It’s good news for who have been battling the wildfires and relief for some of the evacuees who can now return to their homes. In fact, we’ve had so much rain that some regions have experienced severe flooding. It’s been such a transformation in weather compared to the past two weeks when we were facing record high temps and drought conditions.

The rain, in fact, turned to rare snow along stretches of the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper with some areas receiving up to 20 cm. It was a little over a week ago that I was riding trails in Louise and it was bone dry at the time.

I said to heck with the rain and decided to go for a ride on this wet and blustery day. I donned my rain gear, slapped the Speedrocker fenders on the bike and headed out to Lacombe along the Trans Canada Trail. The 66km outing wasn’t typically a difficult one but with the temperature hovering around 7C and strong SW wind gusts along with the rain made for an interesting ride nevertheless.

The Blindman River. According to folklore, this tributary received its name from the Cree Tribe when one of their parties became snow blinded while traveling and needed to rest along the banks of the river.

Lacombe Lake and the surrounding lands. The rain was pretty consistent but a brief lull in the system allowed me to stop along the way to get some aerial shots.

Livestock and horses seem to be oblivious of the weather and all were quite content grazing in their respective surroundings.

Arriving in the heritage Town of Lacombe. I love the main street with its remarkably restored buildings and wide variety of arts and culture.

I’ve posted pics of the town center murals before, but I never seem to tire of gazing at these amazing works of tromp l’oeil any chance that I get.

This house caught my eye as I left the townsite. It used to be a pretty non-descript abode until someone decided that it needed a dramatic makeover. It’s home to a massage therapy business. Me likey!

Missed it by a day. The LA Vintage Machinery Club hosts an annual event every Father’s Day when tractor enthusiasts from all over Alberta gather to view and display antique machinery and farm equipment.

Heading home in the rain I was warm and dry but brought along a spare set of gloves just in case. It was also a good opportunity to test out a Shakedry Gore jacket as well as some Castelli shoe covers that seemed to have fared quite well.

One last stop along one of several convenient wood bridges as I make my way home.

Back on home turf, I came across one of several trees with severed limbs as a result of yesterday’s storm. More rain on the way but what looks to be clearing skies by Thursday.