2024 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

Life has been extremely busy, so when I somehow got a Sunday without much to do I had to get out even if the weather wasn't as nice as it has been.

Heading out of town on Old Waterford Road. Pretty popular gravel route if you're heading to northern Loudoun. Road conditions sucked (huge rain Friday night and its too early in the season for VDOT to have been grading the gravel roads smooth). Good day to take it easy and try not to plow into a 6" deep pothole at 25mph.
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Historic Waterford.
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Leaving Waterford and heading north. Good day for 50mm tires.
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We can't stop here, this is bat pothole country!
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The John G Lewis Memorial Bridge, a steel truss bridge originally built in 1889. Its was moved from its original location (now route 7, a 6 lane highway) in 1932. Recently the entire span was rehabilitated. The truss bridge doesn't support the deck anymore, they basically set the structure aside, built a new steel and timber deck and then set the historic truss on top of it.
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The field behind my bike is actually Scott Airpark, a 3000ft grass runway and home to the Lovettsville Vintage Aerodrome.
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The long road back.
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RabH said:
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I have waited a while for decent Sunday weather and today it finally arrived, so I made the most of it as once again the weather is looking awful going into next week! I had a route planned out in my head involving a trip past Knockhill Racing Circuit but as I approached from Saline and Steelend I landed in the middle of a time trial and I couldn't believe it when they turned towards Knockhill... I then had a brainwave and came up with a brilliant alternative route!

I headed for Grangemouth first of all and stopped at the canal for a photo of the Kelpies and you can see how nice the weather was!

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I then used the footpath over the Clackmannanshire bridge with the stunning Ochil Hills directly ahead of me!

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I continued on the main road for a few miles until Forestmill where I took the back road which leads to Saline, its a very quiet road and has some nice views of the hills also!

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As I approached Saline I saw a sign saying there was a cycle event taking place, I started up the big climb and could see some cyclists ahead and passed them easily until the top of the climb when they all shot past me on the flat part like I was standing still! 😂 I knew there was another big climb coming though and I passed them again, then I heard a noise from behind and it was a young guy who shot past me on the climb! 😯That doesn't happen very often, he was obviously super fit...;)

I was nearing the turn off for Knockhill and spotted the young guy that passed me taking the turn to Knockhill so I decided to continue past and came up with a different route! That was when I had a lightbulb moment and remembered a ride last year when I took this exact road in the opposite direction and thought it would be a great idea to do it this way! The road leads to Kelty and its a nice descent most of the way and with the wind right at my back, it was pushing me along nicely! At Kelty I truned south and soon had this big climb up to Hill of Beath!

This is near the top of the climb looking back down and there is a cyclist way in the distance tackling the climb! He actually passed me not long after this on the slight descent down into Crossgates, he must have shot up the climb so fast!

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I then had a lovely descent which was soon followed by another big climb, once again this is near the top looking back down!

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I had this lovely view to my left!

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My kickstand has started dropping down recently so I had to use a bungee cord to stop it falling and it was a bit awkward with my panniers so I didn't use it today! I have a new one already but the bolts are siezed solid so will need some work to get them out...I continued up the remainder of the climb and I knew what was coming at the top! :D

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This was the main reason I chose this route as I knew how tough the climb was from the other direction, it plunges all the way down to Burntisland and it was absolutely amazing all the way down!😁 43.8mph was my top speed! Burntisland would be my turning point and it was instantly a big climb again, near the top of the climb I had a lovely view of the Forth with the bridges in the distance!

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I wasn't intending to cross the bridge today but with the excellent weather I decided to go for it and I was rewarded with this awesome sight, Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was docked at Rosyth for repairs!

View attachment 173036The downside was the amount of people it attracted to the bridge though...can't have it all! ;)

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I was glad to get over the bridge and was now heading west towards Newton, stopping for 1 more photo of the bridges! The clouds were starting to gather now and the wind was picking up and of course I was now tackling the headwind!

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I had changed my first battery at 51 miles and had 3 batteries so I knew I would have plenty juice available to tackle the headwind! I passed through Newton and the road was getting busy with people enjoying the nice weather so I turned off the main road and took the back road to Philipstoun where I passed over the canal!

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I tried to get the horses to turn but the grass was too delicious I think! 😂

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I had a nice view of the Ochill Hills from here also!

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There were many cars parked up at the canal, there is a Bistro here so I'm sure they were all tucking into some nice food!;)

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They have been dredging the canal and looking at the bridge, I think somebody had crashed into it! Its quite a drop but maybe they just dislodged the wall!

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From here I joined the road into Linlithgow with 70 miles now covered! It was very busy here also but I turned off the main road as soon as I could and took the road up to Torphicen which was much quieter! I had almost 14 miles of climbing to contend with from Linlithgow up to Longridge and my second battery had dropped to 26% with 86 miles covered so I switched to my final battery and with 30 miles to go I was able to up the assist level to help me into the headwind and up the remaining substantial climbs!

At Longridge I turned west passing through Fauldhouse and on to Shotts where I enjoyed some nice descents before the big climb up through Hartwood and up past the Shotts Prison, a really tough climb where I used assist level 3 before taking my favourite back road to Hareshaw where I got a nice surprise to discover they have fixed the rougher part of the road past a big farm where it floods a lot! It was so smooth and so much fun to ride, time will tell if it will still flood!

At Hareshaw I had covered 98 miles and I was still feeling strong, so I took the main road to Newhouse and continued west to Holytown where I turned north for Calderbank and was soon back home with 105.5 miles in the bag! What a brilliant day of cycling and not a single drop of rain for the first time in a long while, when I arrived home the wind had totally dropped and it was so warm! When I left at just after 7am it was frosty and it was a bit chilly for most of the ride but it didn't bother me in the slightest as I had an absolute blast! 😁
Click to expand...
105.5 miles !! Double exclamation points !!
 
RabH said:
View attachment 173018

I have waited a while for decent Sunday weather and today it finally arrived, so I made the most of it as once again the weather is looking awful going into next week! I had a route planned out in my head involving a trip past Knockhill Racing Circuit but as I approached from Saline and Steelend I landed in the middle of a time trial and I couldn't believe it when they turned towards Knockhill... I then had a brainwave and came up with a brilliant alternative route!

I headed for Grangemouth first of all and stopped at the canal for a photo of the Kelpies and you can see how nice the weather was!

View attachment 173024
I then used the footpath over the Clackmannanshire bridge with the stunning Ochil Hills directly ahead of me!

View attachment 173025
View attachment 173026
I continued on the main road for a few miles until Forestmill where I took the back road which leads to Saline, its a very quiet road and has some nice views of the hills also!

View attachment 173027
View attachment 173028
View attachment 173029
As I approached Saline I saw a sign saying there was a cycle event taking place, I started up the big climb and could see some cyclists ahead and passed them easily until the top of the climb when they all shot past me on the flat part like I was standing still! 😂 I knew there was another big climb coming though and I passed them again, then I heard a noise from behind and it was a young guy who shot past me on the climb! 😯That doesn't happen very often, he was obviously super fit...;)

I was nearing the turn off for Knockhill and spotted the young guy that passed me taking the turn to Knockhill so I decided to continue past and came up with a different route! That was when I had a lightbulb moment and remembered a ride last year when I took this exact road in the opposite direction and thought it would be a great idea to do it this way! The road leads to Kelty and its a nice descent most of the way and with the wind right at my back, it was pushing me along nicely! At Kelty I truned south and soon had this big climb up to Hill of Beath!

This is near the top of the climb looking back down and there is a cyclist way in the distance tackling the climb! He actually passed me not long after this on the slight descent down into Crossgates, he must have shot up the climb so fast!

View attachment 173030
I then had a lovely descent which was soon followed by another big climb, once again this is near the top looking back down!

View attachment 173031
I had this lovely view to my left!

View attachment 173032
View attachment 173033
My kickstand has started dropping down recently so I had to use a bungee cord to stop it falling and it was a bit awkward with my panniers so I didn't use it today! I have a new one already but the bolts are siezed solid so will need some work to get them out...I continued up the remainder of the climb and I knew what was coming at the top! :D

View attachment 173034
This was the main reason I chose this route as I knew how tough the climb was from the other direction, it plunges all the way down to Burntisland and it was absolutely amazing all the way down!😁 43.8mph was my top speed! Burntisland would be my turning point and it was instantly a big climb again, near the top of the climb I had a lovely view of the Forth with the bridges in the distance!

View attachment 173035
I wasn't intending to cross the bridge today but with the excellent weather I decided to go for it and I was rewarded with this awesome sight, Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was docked at Rosyth for repairs!

View attachment 173036The downside was the amount of people it attracted to the bridge though...can't have it all! ;)

View attachment 173039
View attachment 173040
View attachment 173041
I was glad to get over the bridge and was now heading west towards Newton, stopping for 1 more photo of the bridges! The clouds were starting to gather now and the wind was picking up and of course I was now tackling the headwind!

View attachment 173042
I had changed my first battery at 51 miles and had 3 batteries so I knew I would have plenty juice available to tackle the headwind! I passed through Newton and the road was getting busy with people enjoying the nice weather so I turned off the main road and took the back road to Philipstoun where I passed over the canal!

View attachment 173043
I tried to get the horses to turn but the grass was too delicious I think! 😂

View attachment 173044
I had a nice view of the Ochill Hills from here also!

View attachment 173045
There were many cars parked up at the canal, there is a Bistro here so I'm sure they were all tucking into some nice food!;)

View attachment 173046
They have been dredging the canal and looking at the bridge, I think somebody had crashed into it! Its quite a drop but maybe they just dislodged the wall!

View attachment 173047
From here I joined the road into Linlithgow with 70 miles now covered! It was very busy here also but I turned off the main road as soon as I could and took the road up to Torphicen which was much quieter! I had almost 14 miles of climbing to contend with from Linlithgow up to Longridge and my second battery had dropped to 26% with 86 miles covered so I switched to my final battery and with 30 miles to go I was able to up the assist level to help me into the headwind and up the remaining substantial climbs!

At Longridge I turned west passing through Fauldhouse and on to Shotts where I enjoyed some nice descents before the big climb up through Hartwood and up past the Shotts Prison, a really tough climb where I used assist level 3 before taking my favourite back road to Hareshaw where I got a nice surprise to discover they have fixed the rougher part of the road past a big farm where it floods a lot! It was so smooth and so much fun to ride, time will tell if it will still flood!

At Hareshaw I had covered 98 miles and I was still feeling strong, so I took the main road to Newhouse and continued west to Holytown where I turned north for Calderbank and was soon back home with 105.5 miles in the bag! What a brilliant day of cycling and not a single drop of rain for the first time in a long while, when I arrived home the wind had totally dropped and it was so warm! When I left at just after 7am it was frosty and it was a bit chilly for most of the ride but it didn't bother me in the slightest as I had an absolute blast! 😁
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Impressive RH! Still snow on the roads here but that won’t damper my enthusiasm as long as you keep posting these amazing rides of yours. 👍
 
Not a ride photo but an interesting promotional video :)

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=262444516914201
Varso Tower is visible in the still at the left-hand side. Golden Terraces are below, and the Zlota 44 at the right.

In one of my earlier reports, I told you about the new Varso Tower, which is the highest building in the European Union (but the London's Shard is even taller!) Soon after my ride, it was announced the VT had only been completed! However, the city panorama viewpoint would only be ready in 2025, so don't be in a rush! :)

Cheers!
 
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It’s safe to say that we’re not quite done with winter so I can't say goodbye to the snow just yet. Just another typical runup before warmer spring weather patterns become the norm. We did receive significant snowfall this month but I'm afraid that it won’t make a dent in the drought conditions that we'll ultimately end up paying the price for. Locals can expect temps to rise to 17C the beginning of next week before more unsettled conditions return and perhaps one last blast from Old Man Winter.

Rode the Riverbend Ring this morning where I took dronie out for a casual outing. I had to keep my aerial companion on a short leash due to the lack of winter tree foliage. :rolleyes:


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Prairie Dog said:
It’s safe to say that we’re not quite done with winter so I can't say goodbye to the snow just yet. Just another typical runup before warmer spring weather patterns become the norm. We did receive significant snowfall this month but I'm afraid that it won’t make a dent in the drought conditions that we'll ultimately end up paying the price for. Locals can expect temps to rise to 17C the beginning of next week before more unsettled conditions return and perhaps one last blast from Old Man Winter.

Rode the Riverbend Ring this morning where I took dronie out for a casual outing. I had to keep my aerial companion on a short leash due to the lack of winter tree foliage. :rolleyes:


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Click to expand...
I liked the close "follow along" footage. It was like going along for the ride right behind you. 👍
 
Prairie Dog said:
It’s safe to say that we’re not quite done with winter so I can't say goodbye to the snow just yet. Just another typical runup before warmer spring weather patterns become the norm. We did receive significant snowfall this month but I'm afraid that it won’t make a dent in the drought conditions that we'll ultimately end up paying the price for. Locals can expect temps to rise to 17C the beginning of next week before more unsettled conditions return and perhaps one last blast from Old Man Winter.

Rode the Riverbend Ring this morning where I took dronie out for a casual outing. I had to keep my aerial companion on a short leash due to the lack of winter tree foliage. :rolleyes:


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Could be my favorite video from you, and that's saying something! The first music selection was absolutely perfect. What was it?
 
JGcycle said:
I liked the close "follow along" footage. It was like going along for the ride right behind you. 👍
Click to expand...
Yeah, it’s a pretty cool effect. Riding along at a slightly faster pace would have been ideal but I was afraid that the drone’s smallish directional sensors might not have been sensitive enough to be able to detect the leafless branches. I’m hoping to pick up more speed once the trees begin to bud out. Otherwise, I was impressed and also happy knowing that the little guy made it through.

Jeremy McCreary said:
Could be my favorite video from you, and that's saying something! The first music selection was absolutely perfect. What was it?
Click to expand...
Thanks Jeremy. I admit that winter riding along the trails here isn’t the most scenic so I do my best to make it a bit more stimulating. I forgot to bring ND filters along with me which is why the footage might look a bit dull. The title of the soundtrack that you refer to is Diplodocus. Artist: Mareaux/MVCO. Kind of an appropriate chill out tune for the intro wouldn’t you say? ;)
 
Stefan Mikes said:
What would you say if I told you I've been riding all the day, it was 23°C and sunny?
Click to expand...
I would say that I’m not really surprised. Even though the latitudes between our countries are similar differences can occur with weather fronts especially when warm moist air currents moving northward combine with cold Arctic air which is still very much in place. Still seeing snow on the ground isn’t unusual for us though I think that many can’t wait soon enough for all of it to disappear which is likely to occur next week. All forecasts indicated a warmer than usual March but when it comes to precipitation in Alberta, that’s a bit more difficult to predict. Lots of false teasers too but that’s what spring here is all about. Most people in the prairies are probably okay with putting barbecue season off a little longer if they can trade it in for more snowfall to replenish dry soils.
 
Recon of the Mazovian Gravel 120: An Easter Saturday 2024 ride
Easter Saturday, April 30th, 2024

This year, for the first time in many years, Poland got blessed with a real Spring for the Easter. With the temperature forecast to +23 C (73 F), I pulled on Summer cycling clothes and set off to Warsaw by unassisted Vado SL, a train, and the Metro in the morning.

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We cyclist are being pampered in the big cities of Poland. You can transport your bike free by train (except for a long-distance one), metro, tram or bus as long as there is a space for it. The tickets are inexpensive, too. Here, in the Warsaw Metro.

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Top: In the Wilanów "Beach". Not a beach at all! :D Just a spread of sand where you can play beach volleyball in the Summer. The place is the starting point for the Mazovian Gravel races. Bottom: Cucumber Street. From that point on, you are entering singletracks along the Vistula.

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Hello, mate! :D

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Equestrians on a rare stretch of a good gravel road.

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The sad fact about the Mazovian gravel cycling: The area around Warsaw is nearly devoid of gravel roads (it is either asphalt or dirt). In a desperate attempt to make gravel cycling feasible, the organisers direct the riders off-road, which decidedly is not the gravel-cycling domain. (It was not that hopeless yet...)

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Top: After the terrible Vistula singletrack was over, the route plan directed me to a technical singletrack along River Świder.
Centre: Naked women taking a swim in the Świder :) (They were are actually not stark naked even if the area is famous of nudism).
Bottom: 'Take your strong & heavy e-bike for the ride!' -- my brother had been trying to convince me -- 'You'll get less tired!' I can only be glad I chose my Vado SL for the ride as I was constantly forced to carry my e-bike...

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Graffiti under one of the bridges over the Świder.

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Top: The trail was very technical, hard, and dangerous (you could fall from the cliff into the river!) I could not meet a single gravel bike there, only MTBs. Worse, the trail was covered with horse manure in many places! Not a good idea to be riding there. When I was taking the photo of the tree-trunk, I heard a loud "ATTENTION!" from behind. I rushed aside, and a young MTBer just bunny-hopped the obstacle!

Bottom: A smart grocery store owner by the name of Maniek placed that sign on the trail. Trust me, that simple action with the "only 150 m away" notice must have guaranteed Maniek plethora of cycling customers! I was lucky. Starving and dehydrated, I entered the store just before 14:00, that is just before closing for Easter Saturday!

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Suffice to say, the singletrack along the the third river, Mienia, was just tragic!

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Now what?! During the MG races, there always is a water obstacle for the riders. I was absolutely not ready for that! So I looked around... entered a private property, and crossed a dilapidated little bridge across the Mienia :) It is not Texas: They won't shoot at you! :D

After having completed the singletracks, I was totally exhausted, with the Mińsk Mazowiecki train station still 22 km ahead, and that would mean only 40% of the MG 120 route. I need to seriously talk to the organisers. They cannot put beginners onto that crazy technical MTB trail! If they stick to their ideas though, I'm not riding the MG 120 at all!

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As I reached the Mińsk Maz. train station, I only waited for 3 minutes for my train. I was done with the cycling for the day! (66 km total).
 
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I've kind of turned the bedroom in my old flat into a defacto bike repair centre, and then stupidly decided to use it to also fix the wife's mother's old bike, that she road for thirty years, as a birthday present.
It has stood in the rain for 10 years, but I'm used to rust, but omg, what have I taken on.
I've started, so I'll finish.
A whole can of wd40 so far.

So no rides, I'm fighting my own stupidity
 
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