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

I’m back in the saddle again. I rode 14 miles into town to the drugstore looking for allergy medicine, which none of them had. We took a long vacation to Idaho and Montana that lasted almost a month. We also got sick in the middle of it, maybe Covid but who knows for sure so I didn’t feel like riding when we first got home. We stayed a couple nights in a little town called St. Mary on the east side of Glacier Park. We ran into 4 bicyclists who had ridden the going to the sun road that day. It’s about 50 miles and a lot of climbing. After driving the road a couple days later that has to be a scary bike ride, it’s pretty narrow in places and a lot of traffic. They were going to ride two more days and take a different route to get back to their starting point.

I didn’t get any pictures of my ride today but a couple from our vacation.
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That middle pic is brilliant!
Glad to hear you're feeling better.
 
It was sunny for the whole ride, the strong wind was as suppressed by the trees as it did not slow us on the headwind part of the ride but helped on the tailwind part; and even if it was cold, it did not really feel cold. A wonderful day!
It looks rather cool on your side of the pond Stefan but an enjoyable ride nevertheless. 👍 We hit a high of 24 C for the second day in a row and we’ll gladly take it as I’m sure temps will begin to trend downward after the long weekend.

We rode 55 km today in almost idyllic conditions accentuated by fall colors. Not a cloud in the sky with light winds from the SE and as a bonus there was little road traffic to speak of. I presume most have completed travelling to their destinations and are likely dining on turkey and stuffing.

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As we headed out near the city limits, we passed this cute couple on their ebikes wearing matching helmets and HiVis wear.

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For some this long weekend, work simply doesn't end after the harvest.

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Not much else to say other than I hope everyone stays healthy and keep the rubber side down.

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It looks rather cool on your side of the pond Stefan but an enjoyable ride nevertheless. 👍 We hit a high of 24 C for the second day in a row and we’ll gladly take it as I’m sure temps will begin to trend downward after the long weekend.

We rode 55 km today in almost idyllic conditions accentuated by fall colors. Not a cloud in the sky with light winds from the SE and as a bonus there was little road traffic to speak of. I presume most have completed travelling to their destinations and are likely dining on turkey and stuffing.

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As we headed out near the city limits, we passed this cute couple on their ebikes wearing matching helmets and HiVis wear.

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For some this long weekend, work simply doesn't end after the harvest.

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Not much else to say other than I hope everyone stays healthy and keep the rubber side down.

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Hope you had a happy thanksgiving!
 
Im putting together a vid for my birthday party, so heres why I have a severe fear of bears after our trip to Inuvik in 1997, also some clips of what the Dempster Highway does to cheap tyres, the tire changer is mad mike from Boundary Alaska.

Speaking of bears, this event happened a week ago along Hwy #40 in K-Country close to where I was riding trails just a few days ago. Check out the cyclist in the video. Oh, and btw, happy birthday! 🥳

 
I rode 19 miles today. There is a pretty good sized Amish community in our area and they are very creative with their cloths lines. The first picture is of a cloths line, it must be 20 feet high on the right side and is setup on a pulley arrangement. The next two pictures of a combine and an auger wagon, a common sight this time of the year in Western Illinois during harvest season.
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Went to a new area today and explored Oxford and part of Oxfordshire.
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We’ve been watching Morse and Lewis on catch up TV, so we took the opportunity to look at some of the sights on the TV.

Some of the Oxford Colleges.
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The old Morris Garage of MG fame.
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Some of the Colleges Boat Houses.
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Some of the Millennium Mile Markers for NCN Route 5.
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DG…
 

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Last night I had a good look at all the flooded areas after we had a months worth of rain in 24 hours, the east of the country seemed to fair better so that was my choice! With all the crazy weather we have been having I decided I would go for a big ride today as the forecast was looking promising, it was pretty mild for the time of year and no howling winds for a change! I was going to drive to Kincardine and cycle to St Andrews from there but I was a little too early as it was still dark when I reached Kincardine, so I continued on until daylight was breaking through at Powmill!

I was travelling inland to St Andrews with the intention of heading back down the east coast to get back to the car! Just after setting off I was greeted with some lovely early morning mist shrouding the Ochill Hills, there's a nice path for a couple of miles which kept me away from the morning traffic!

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A little further along the path and I just had to stop again!

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I passed through the Crook of Devon and had to join the main road again, thankfully it wasn't too busy just yet! A short time later the sun broke through and I managed to capture it just before it disappeared behind the clouds!

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I was now heading towards Kinross where I would be back on quieter roads for a while, from there I soon passed through Milnathort and it was time to join the main A91 which passes through many villages! Just after passing through Gateside I stopped for this photo of the Lomond Hills, this is the benefit of leaving early!

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The next village was the wonderfully named Auchtermuchty, a proper Scottish name ;) The traffic was getting busier here so I stopped and had a snack and a short break before continuing on towards Cupar which is usually very busy and today was no exception! I had been looking for alternative routes last night to avoid the traffic and spotted a road at the far end of Cupar which passes through Pitscottie and it turned out to be a real gem, there was very little traffic for a good few miles which was a welcome relief! Of course there's always a downside and that was the state of the roads after the flooding and lots of farm traffic leaving mud everywhere, at least there weren't many potholes though so a little mud never does any harm!

I arrived in St Andrews and was greeted with some sunshine and light winds for a change!

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I then climbed the big hill up past the holiday park and grabbed one last photo of the town!

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Normally I hug the coast road leaving St Andrews but I decided to use a different road today to explore a bit and it would also cut about 10 miles off my journey, meaning I would get back to the car and drive home before the evening rush hour! I really enjoyed the roads I had chosen, lots of ups and downs and twisties to enjoy! Eventually I was back on familiar roads passing through Colinsburgh, Drumeldrie, Upper and Lower Largo and then through the aptly named Lundin Links which is mainly a golf course! ;)

I then joined the coast road at Leven and grabbed this photo next to the sea wall!

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I hugged the coast for another 8 miles or so and arrived in the busy town of Kirkcaldy where I stopped on the Esplanade and devoured my packed lunch, while I was having my lunch I spotted a trawler passing!

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It had actually started spitting with rain here, nothing heavy but I had a nice seat under a shelter! A few minutes later the sun made another appearance, this was to be the last of the sun though!

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Thankfully the rain didn't return though so a little cloud wasn't going to spoil my awesome day, leaving Kirkcaldy its a big climb still hugging the coast! I stopped for this photo near the top of the climb!

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Then its a lovely descent through Kinghorn and on towards Burntisland, passing the holiday park at Pettycur Bay! The residents get a great view perched way up on the hill!

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I passed through Burntisland and its straight into a big climb up towards Aberdour, I passed an old couple on analog bikes going up the climb and they were really struggling! It was also into a headwind and the wind had picked up now so it was no surprise! I stopped before Aberdour for a couple of photos, you can see parts of Edinburgh across the Firth of Forth here!

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The bridges over the Forth in the distance, I wasn't going over them today!

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While I was taking the snaps the couple appeared and stopped next to me, they really needed a breather! The gent spotted my e bike and said "no wonder you shot up that climb" I told them they should invest in e bikes but they weren't keen, they like the workout they get on their analog bikes and only do shorter rides anyway! They couldn't believe I had covered over 76 miles and still had another 34 to go...😂

I then plunged down the 16% descent into the village and was now heading for Rosyth with the intention of taking the coast road again through Culross and on to Kincardine where I would turn north and head back to the car! I was a little worried about this road and had an alternative in mind if I came across any flooding but thankfully it was passable and not too deep! This was on the road the pros used in the World Championships earlier this year and its still in great condition!

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I arrived in Kincardine and turned north towards Forestmill, passing the Ochill Hills once again which looked very different from early morning!

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The road to Forestmill was getting really busy now so I decided to turn off the main road and use the quiet back road from Forestmill to Saline, it would add a few miles to my trip but I was just glad to get off the busy road! I use this road all the time and know it well from riding to Knockhill racing circuit, its narrow but there is very little traffic!

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My plan was to take the back road from Saline to join the road that runs from Knockhill to Powmill and its a really nice descent, first I had to do a lot of climbing though to get up to the road! I started my descent and the farmers had been trimming the trees and the road was covered in clippings from thorn bushes! Then the inevitable happened, I got a rear wheel puncture! I was certain it would be a thorn and was shocked to find a razor sharp piece of stone embedded in my tyre! Of course it had to happen when I was carrying my 2 spare batteries so I had to release all the straps to remove the batteries and turn the bike upside down! While I was fixing the flat I had an audience and they made such a racket!🤣

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Would you believe I was only 2 miles from the car when the puncture happened, I was actually tempted to just push the bike and leave the repair until I got home but I decided to fix it to enjoy the remainder of the descent! What a brilliant day that was, I will sleep well tonight for sure!😛
 

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Last night I had a good look at all the flooded areas after we had a months worth of rain in 24 hours, the east of the country seemed to fair better so that was my choice! With all the crazy weather we have been having I decided I would go for a big ride today as the forecast was looking promising, it was pretty mild for the time of year and no howling winds for a change! I was going to drive to Kincardine and cycle to St Andrews from there but I was a little too early as it was still dark when I reached Kincardine, so I continued on until daylight was breaking through at Powmill!

I was travelling inland to St Andrews with the intention of heading back down the east coast to get back to the car! Just after setting off I was greeted with some lovely early morning mist shrouding the Ochill Hills, there's a nice path for a couple of miles which kept me away from the morning traffic!

View attachment 164322
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A little further along the path and I just had to stop again!

View attachment 164324
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I passed through the Crook of Devon and had to join the main road again, thankfully it wasn't too busy just yet! A short time later the sun broke through and I managed to capture it just before it disappeared behind the clouds!

View attachment 164326
I was now heading towards Kinross where I would be back on quieter roads for a while, from there I soon passed through Milnathort and it was time to join the main A91 which passes through many villages! Just after passing through Gateside I stopped for this photo of the Lomond Hills, this is the benefit of leaving early!

View attachment 164328
The next village was the wonderfully named Auchtermuchty, a proper Scottish name ;) The traffic was getting busier here so I stopped and had a snack and a short break before continuing on towards Cupar which is usually very busy and today was no exception! I had been looking for alternative routes last night to avoid the traffic and spotted a road at the far end of Cupar which passes through Pitscottie and it turned out to be a real gem, there was very little traffic for a good few miles which was a welcome relief! Of course there's always a downside and that was the state of the roads after the flooding and lots of farm traffic leaving mud everywhere, at least there weren't many potholes though so a little mud never does any harm!

I arrived in St Andrews and was greeted with some sunshine and light winds for a change!

View attachment 164343
I then climbed the big hill up past the holiday park and grabbed one last photo of the town!

View attachment 164344
Normally I hug the coast road leaving St Andrews but I decided to use a different road today to explore a bit and it would also cut about 10 miles off my journey, meaning I would get back to the car and drive home before the evening rush hour! I really enjoyed the roads I had chosen, lots of ups and downs and twisties to enjoy! Eventually I was back on familiar roads passing through Colinsburgh, Drumeldrie, Upper and Lower Largo and then through the aptly named Lundin Links which is mainly a golf course! ;)

I then joined the coast road at Leven and grabbed this photo next to the sea wall!

View attachment 164345
I hugged the coast for another 8 miles or so and arrived in the busy town of Kirkcaldy where I stopped on the Esplanade and devoured my packed lunch, while I was having my lunch I spotted a trawler passing!

View attachment 164346
It had actually started spitting with rain here, nothing heavy but I had a nice seat under a shelter! A few minutes later the sun made another appearance, this was to be the last of the sun though!

View attachment 164347
Thankfully the rain didn't return though so a little cloud wasn't going to spoil my awesome day, leaving Kirkcaldy its a big climb still hugging the coast! I stopped for this photo near the top of the climb!

View attachment 164348
Then its a lovely descent through Kinghorn and on towards Burntisland, passing the holiday park at Pettycur Bay! The residents get a great view perched way up on the hill!

View attachment 164349
I passed through Burntisland and its straight into a big climb up towards Aberdour, I passed an old couple on analog bikes going up the climb and they were really struggling! It was also into a headwind and the wind had picked up now so it was no surprise! I stopped before Aberdour for a couple of photos, you can see parts of Edinburgh across the Firth of Forth here!

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The bridges over the Forth in the distance, I wasn't going over them today!

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While I was taking the snaps the couple appeared and stopped next to me, they really needed a breather! The gent spotted my e bike and said "no wonder you shot up that climb" I told them they should invest in e bikes but they weren't keen, they like the workout they get on their analog bikes and only do shorter rides anyway! They couldn't believe I had covered over 76 miles and still had another 34 to go...😂

I then plunged down the 16% descent into the village and was now heading for Rosyth with the intention of taking the coast road again through Culross and on to Kincardine where I would turn north and head back to the car! I was a little worried about this road and had an alternative in mind if I came across any flooding but thankfully it was passable and not too deep! This was on the road the pros used in the World Championships earlier this year and its still in great condition!

View attachment 164353
I arrived in Kincardine and turned north towards Forestmill, passing the Ochill Hills once again which looked very different from early morning!

View attachment 164354
The road to Forestmill was getting really busy now so I decided to turn off the main road and use the quiet back road from Forestmill to Saline, it would add a few miles to my trip but I was just glad to get off the busy road! I use this road all the time and know it well from riding to Knockhill racing circuit, its narrow but there is very little traffic!

View attachment 164356
My plan was to take the back road from Saline to join the road that runs from Knockhill to Powmill and its a really nice descent, first I had to do a lot of climbing though to get up to the road! I started my descent and the farmers had been trimming the trees and the road was covered in clippings from thorn bushes! Then the inevitable happened, I got a rear wheel puncture! I was certain it would be a thorn and was shocked to find a razor sharp piece of stone embedded in my tyre! Of course it had to happen when I was carrying my 2 spare batteries so I had to release all the straps to remove the batteries and turn the bike upside down! While I was fixing the flat I had an audience and they made such a racket!🤣

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Would you believe I was only 2 miles from the car when the puncture happened, I was actually tempted to just push the bike and leave the repair until I got home but I decided to fix it to enjoy the remainder of the descent! What a brilliant day that was, I will sleep well tonight for sure!😛
Sigh…I never get tired of gazing at your photos. What an amazing place you get to call home. Damn shame about the puncture but you seemed to have taken it all in stride. 👍
 
Then the inevitable happened, I got a rear wheel puncture! I was certain it would be a thorn and was shocked to find a razor sharp piece of stone embedded in my tyre!
A rather unusual thing to happen to you on your rides? It is good it occured just 2 miles to your car (in the case you could not repair the wheel). Curious: How long did it take to fix the wheel?
 
Went to a new area today and explored Oxford and part of Oxfordshire.
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We’ve been watching Morse and Lewis on catch up TV, so we took the opportunity to look at some of the sights on the TV.

Some of the Oxford Colleges.
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The old Morris Garage of MG fame.
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Some of the Colleges Boat Houses.
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Some of the Millennium Mile Markers for NCN Route 5.
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DG…
We just finished Endeavour and Lewis - wish they had continued with Hathaway!
 
We just finished Endeavour and Lewis - wish they had continued with Hathaway!
We’re going to do Endeavour next.

Mrs DG is from Poland, so these are all new for her.

We’ve also done Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Marple and Miss Marple.

These days, I must admit that we don’t watch any live TV now. But watching on ITV X does seem to suit us.

DG…
 
A rather unusual thing to happen to you on your rides? It is good it occured just 2 miles to your car (in the case you could not repair the wheel). Curious: How long did it take to fix the wheel?
Its a rare occurence these days but easily fixed thanks to the mid drive, just like fixing a puncture on a standard bike! It took a matter of minutes, I didn't time it... 😂
 
Did some more new areas around Milton Keynes today.
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I know that cities have good and bad areas, but whatever part of MK you ride, there is waste strewn everywhere.

They have a reasonably good system of cycle paths, called Redways. However, they are not maintained, poor tarmac, broken lights and as I’ve mentioned above, just rubbish all over the place.

DG…
 
Just a short 1 mile ride on the acoustic bike today taking the trash to the dump. There is always a reason to ride!!
I rode my Vado SL for small grocery shopping in the OFF mode for assist today. Was very proud to be able to climb an overpass nearby on own leg power, even if that was in the 42-42T granny gear :D Interestingly, an 8 km, 30 minute ride was reported as 1% off from the main battery or 5 Wh: used for lighting and the system with its sensors working. It translates to at least 55 ride hours on the main battery :) Or, the system should be alive for 750-880 km :)
 
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