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

[Prairie Dog]

Cool tunes, it all seemed very empty, was it for any reason, or am I too used to videos of Tokyo.
I was waiting for the Akira tune to kick in

That’s what I love about the countryside. Life in Minobu is a far cry from what it’s like in Metro Tokyo. Population: 10,000 and likely declining. Problem here is that there are really no attractions other than a renown Buddhist temple where tourists pay through the nose to stay, chant and eat veggies.

 

[RabH]

Yesterday was an off day from the bikes as we took time to visit with Sai’s 80 year old obasan (aunt) and pay respects to her father’s gravesite up in the hills. I like to think that he has a beautiful view atop.

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I finally got around to editing the footage I shot on the first day. Follow Sai as she takes us along the scenic country roads in around her hometown.

What a beautiful place to ride a bike, awesome video PD! Sai is a machine!

I've had a tough week or so prepping for a colonoscopy which I had on Thursday, no polyps this time thankfully! Ironically Thursday was the only nice day of the past week!They took some biopsies so its a waiting game which could take months but I'm feeling fine and feel my strength coming back, looks like a nice day tomorrow but I think I will rest another day and hope to get out on Monday for a shorter ride!

 

[DaveMatthews]

What a beautiful place to ride a bike, awesome video PD! Sai is a machine!

I've had a tough week or so prepping for a colonoscopy which I had on Thursday, no polyps this time thankfully! Ironically Thursday was the only nice day of the past week!They took some biopsies so its a waiting game which could take months but I'm feeling fine and feel my strength coming back, looks like a nice day tomorrow but I think I will rest another day and hope to get out on Monday for a shorter ride!

Best of luck mate!
Your shorter rides are a "best of" for me!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

What a beautiful place to ride a bike, awesome video PD! Sai is a machine!

I've had a tough week or so prepping for a colonoscopy which I had on Thursday, no polyps this time thankfully! Ironically Thursday was the only nice day of the past week!They took some biopsies so its a waiting game which could take months but I'm feeling fine and feel my strength coming back, looks like a nice day tomorrow but I think I will rest another day and hope to get out on Monday for a shorter ride!

Welcome back to the world outside your toilet! Fingers crossed on your biopsy results.

Now that your colonoscopy's behind you, put it to work. No one loves cycling more than you. But we all have moments of doubt in the saddle.

So next time you hit an ice-cold 50-mph headwind in a downpour on a 10% climb — which seems to happen to you a lot — appreciate how much more fun it is than a colonoscopy prep.

 

[RabH]

Welcome back to the world outside your toilet! Fingers crossed on your biopsy results.

Now that your colonoscopy's behind you, put it to work. No one loves cycling more than you. But we all have moments of doubt in the saddle.

So next time you hit an ice-cold 50-mph headwind in a downpour on a 10% climb — which seems to happen to you a lot — appreciate how much more fun it is than a colonoscopy prep.

Ain't that the truth, Jeremy! Thanks for your kind words and awesome humour!

Best of luck mate!
Your shorter rides are a "best of" for me!

You know me too well, Dave! Thanks buddy!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Biała Rawska with Krzysiek

The big issue these days is to select proper clothing. Morning and evening temperature can be as low as 6 C, while it can be as high as 14 C in the afternoon! (Never mind). As I got off the morning train in Jaktorów, I was even not surprised to meet Krzysiek (Chris) on his vintage road bike there It is enough to mention the place, date, and time on Facebook, and the chances are Krzysiek shows up without any hint or earlier confirmation Krzysiek is a way older than I am, and has been a road cyclist all his life. He is a dependable person: I could rely on him, and he could rely on me. That's why our trip was pleasant and successful!

Thanks to my selection of the ride starting point, we reached Radziejowice pretty quickly. My mate confessed that he never had time to see the Park & Palace in Radziejowice! You don't need to ask me twice So we immediately rode up there!

The site is run by the Government and is named The House of Creative Work. It is a haven for artists, who can relax and work there in peace. The park is full of statues of Polish artists. Although the restaurant/cafe was pre-booked (so closed), we got coffee and tea anyway.

As befits the home for artists, the interior of the Palace was gorgeous!

A former railway station in Mszczonów. Nowadays, only cargo trains are handled there.

The "Big Tree" business. Imagine you planted trees at the age of 25 and only start selling them as big trees when you are 45 years old.... I am not able to grasp this with my mind!

Approximately half of our trip meant climbing. I rode at only 20/50% Vado 6.0 assistance and had (intentionally) a single e-bike battery only. Krzysiek (as a lightweight person riding a road bike) was faster on climbs but I (a heavy man on a heavy e-bike) was making it up by being faster on the descents!

Visiting home of Mariusz Pudzianowski, a former Strong Man champion.

Technically, I ride to Biała Rawska for ice-cream in Caffe Adriano. It is off-season now. The selection of cake was huge (some 15-20 types and flavours but I settled for.., two pączki and coffee! I just wanted pączki, something I could get anywhere, haha! (No pictures from Biała Rawska then).

You know by now the immense size of the fruit (especially apple) industry of Poland, and that the area south of Warsaw is only orchards! The industry is shared by Mazovia and Land of Łódź.

A historical and protected Tree Avenue past Osuchów, Mazovia. There, the declines became prevalent, which was good for me, as it was still a long way home!

A mansion in Żabia Wola, which is a Community Centre. We took a little bit longer stop there, as hard pedalling took some toll on me by then!

I made a navigation error, and had to quickly re-plan our trip to Pruszków. Komoot chose a "gravel" shortcut, consisting of stone, gravel and some sand! I admire the patience of Krzysiek, who had to ride it on 28 mm road tyres! Anyway, that was a good shortcut! The rest of the trip was in my neighbourhood so it was uneventful. I escorted Krzysiek to the Pruszków train station and then...

...rode for a lunch in McDonald's. Rest assured, McD in Europe (especially in Poland) is really good!

A huge apple I picked from the ground in an orchard.

10% battery left after riding 108 km was not bad at all!

Ride map. 108 km is the distance actually ridden (excludes the train trip).

It was a good, good day!

 

[Prairie Dog]

I've had a tough week or so prepping for a colonoscopy which I had on Thursday, no polyps this time thankfully! Ironically Thursday was the only nice day of the past week!They took some biopsies so its a waiting game which could take months but I'm feeling fine and feel my strength coming back, looks like a nice day tomorrow but I think I will rest another day and hope to get out on Monday for a shorter ride!

Rest up Rab. You’ll be back in saddle before you know it as we all know how much you love to ride. All best buddy.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Yesterday’s ride would take us north from our homebase in Minobu to the village of Narada located in the mountainous region east of the Minami Alps. Considered a hidden gem, it’s relatively still undiscovered by many tourists. A distinct landmark is the Nishiyama dam constructed back in 1960s along with a suspension bridge that spans a small lake.

Heading out, we thought we would encounter a few more cyclists taking advantage of the superb weather conditions but only came across two including this roadie.

We started later in the morning so frequent stops along the way were limited and brief as we wanted to return home before it became too dark. Darkness comes early and the sun quickly disappears behind the mountains here.

The view overlooking the Haya River from the Minami Alps Highway.

This area is known throughout Japan for the type of rock employed in the making of inkstones or ‘Suzuri’ used for traditional Japanese calligraphy.

We dropped by a roadside tourism midway in Hayakawa and asked about places to eat in Narada. There would be few places to seek nourishment between here and our final destination.

More views of the Haya River from this bridge above. We were intrigued by a man below who looked like he was panning for gold.

It never dawned on me that we would encounter so many tunnels along the highway and so naturally I neglected to attach a light to my bike. Most were short and well lit but, on several occasions, I needed to follow closely behind Sai wishing I had her integrated light system. The situation was made worse whenever cars passed us by in the dark.

Construction seemed to take place on various sections of the Minami Hwy but never disrupted the flow of traffic.

The monument to the right apparently was dedicated to a couple who plunged to their deaths from a nearby waterfall. A tragic Romeo and Juliet love story.

Another view of the Haya tributary after exiting a short tunnel.

This lush gorge seen from atop a bridge caught my attention on our approach to Narada.

We passed a trio of riders who likely had spent time in Narada before heading back south.

Our arrival in Narada - Nishiyama Dam and Narada Lake offer splendid views including a suspension bridge that spans across the water.

We decided to ride rather than take the time to walk our bikes up this steep 14% grade to the restaurant and barely managed to squeeze our way past this car on the way up.

A meal deserving of our arrival at the destination. Soba noodles and dipping sauce, rice, onion tempura, and pickles. One simply selects a choice from a display menu, then inserts currency in the slot of a vending machine and presses the button designating the item selected. The machine spits out a ticket and you hand it to the staff and patiently wait until your number is called then pick up your order. Your food is diligently prepared fresh while you take in the view from your tableside window. The quaint restaurant is located adjacent to the building where one can rest aching muscles in the soothing mineral waters of the Naradanosato Hot springs.

No time to relax as we pushed off for the return leg home. Good to know that most of the trip back would be along long winding descents. Nothing left to do but to set the bikes on cruise control and enjoy the ride.

With the sun setting behind our backs, it was good to be riding on familiar roads closer to home.

 

[MTO]

Welcome back to the world outside your toilet! Fingers crossed on your biopsy results.

Now that your colonoscopy's behind you, put it to work. No one loves cycling more than you. But we all have moments of doubt in the saddle.

So next time you hit an ice-cold 50-mph headwind in a downpour on a 10% climb — which seems to happen to you a lot — appreciate how much more fun it is than a colonoscopy prep.

LMAO!

 

[MTO]

Rode...mowed...dozed yesterday. Forgot to look for the Northern Lights...oh well, there is always the comet.
Today I chanced the fast route to check on Bobby's $$$"Pumpkin Patch" $$$. I didn't see him but did see two school buses and about 50 cars...noon on a Friday. There will be traffic jams this weekend.
Attached...a sampling of the latest decor along my roads.

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I knew Bigfoot exists. I’ve been telling everyone for years!

 

[MartsEbike]

Back to work tomorrow so took the opportunity for a ride out...

Unfortunately it wasn't the best day for photography!

The Old Town Hall - Leighton Buzzard. Originally built in the 16th century, it fell into dilapidation and was rebuilt in 1851. In 1918 it was converted into a Fire Station. Today its a Pizza Express outlet!

This is a Shand Mason, a horse-drawn fire engine that would have been used in the fire station above. Imagine this coming to your rescue!!

The work of local artists, making a name for themselves

Old Canal Lock built in 1857.... Everything is old in Britain!

This is what's left of King Henry VIII hunting lodge, it sits on the Ashridge Estate. First built in 1280. It was badly damaged by Oliver Cromwell's forces during the English Civil War (1642-1651). It was rebuilt again in 1823! Today its a private home.

Ashridge House (and Estate), has been home to kings and queens over the years. Today its owned by the National Trust and open to the public. A truly magnificent building. My photography isn't doing it any justice!

Dunstable Downs - views as far as the eye can see. During the summer you'll find gliders, parasailers and kites flying over this hill taking advantage of the updraft!

 

[MTO]

It was U.S. Navy fleet week in San Francisco, so Friday we loaded up and drove 60 miles South to the North end of the Golden Gate Bridge, down by the water and rode up the hill to the bridge. Here’s the underside of the north end.

Suicide nets!

Getting onto the bridge.

A view of the city by the bay from the bridge.

We made it to the other end, where there is a restaurant, gift shop, vistas, etc.

A cross section of the cables

Down at the beach, en route to the marina district. Alcatraz!!

We have arrived!

Some cool military vehicles.

Some of USA’s finest!

The Blue Angels! Some fun facts:
-When in formation, their wing tips are 18 inches from the next Angel, at speeds of up to 700 miles per hour.
-They fly to all of their shows. When they flew to Hawaii across the Pacific, they were escorted by a fuel tanker and each one had to refuel mid flight 10 times.

The Boeing 777. The pilot flew this thing like a stunt plane, it was unbelievable!

This guy watched the whole thing from a balcony across the street.

America! **** yeah!!

After the air show, we started heading towards the piers to check out the Naval ships, but it was so crowded, we were moving too slow and it was getting late, so we decided to turn around and head back.
Have a great day everyone , and keep the rubber side down! .

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@MartsEbike: Could you tell me something about the Cycle Superhighway 1 in England?

 

[Prairie Dog]

Wowsa! The hills around Minobu really pack a punch. It sure beats the heck out of the flat as a flounder routes where we normally ride back home. Plenty of ups and downs this morning to keep us on our toes plus a great cardio workout.

But upon reflection, it was all worth it in the end.

We stopped to hydrate at one of the many vending machines that can be seen virtually on every street corner.

Eventually making our way along the road beneath the Chubu Odan Expressway.

Then stopped briefly for this express train headed to Shizuoka.

Before hitting one more dastardly climb. A 1.2 km stretch with a max gradient of 10%.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Announcement

Between 26 and 28th of this October, I am open for a meeting or a ride with any EBR member in London UK

I plan to ride a Santander bike or e-bike over a 26 km/16 mile route I named "All Cycling Bridges of London". In fact, these might not be all but it is 11 bridges from Battersea to Tower plus walking the bike through the Millenium Bridge. (The starting point is SE1 0JA: Southwark Street in The Bankside).

I was also thinking of renting a demo e-bike at one of Specialized dealers in The Cut, Waterloo but decided I needed nothing fancy for the London ride, and nobody would even try to steal a Santander from me

Combatant Cuisine

Not to confuse Jeremy more! As you now know, a 'partisan' is an adherent of a political party in North America but it is a Resistance Movement combatant in continental Europe Sunday was a rainy day. I almost gave up but eventually put my rainproof and warm clothes and set off for a Vado 6.0 ride at 16:00. Just several minutes ago the clouds broke and the Sun started shining! Temperature instantly dropped to 6-7 C but I didn't care! (I chose my heavy e-bike because it had proper mudguards, and only because of that!)

28 minutes later, I arrived in Combat Cuisine Bar.

I took a bowl of Military Pea Soup for the starter (it is a staple Polish meal, packed with sausage and bacon!) Honestly, the bowl was good for me and I could leave then.

I, however, felt sorry for the owners and poor business they were getting this cold and rainy October. Had apple juice, spent some time browsing the Internet, and eventually felt I could eat a little bit more
(I was sitting inside a hut, and was still warm from the effort on the ride and because of the warm soup!)

So I got me grilled pork-neck with a fermented cucumber, horseradish, mustard, ketchup and a bun (chips/French fries would be too much for me!)

The Combatant Cuisine closes next Monday. I hope for some lunches there this week!

Well, low assistance means low battery consumption! (21.6 kilometres).

 

[MartsEbike]

@MartsEbike: Could you tell me something about the Cycle Superhighway 1 in England?

Hi Stefan, these Superhighways are only found in London and I don't have any first hand experience of using them myself. They've spent a lot of time and money to create these fully segregated cycling "superhighways" but as you get further out you get from centre of London it does revert to just being "a painted line" protecting you from traffic. So the title doesn't always match what you'd expect of it.

The National Cycling Network is much more interesting - and still growing. These routes spread all over the country are opened with the intention of being accessible to all (Abled and Disabled alike) - but that said, in places you won't always have nice tarmac to ride on, it could be off-road paths, gravel tracks, woodland/forest, disused railway lines, following canals, across farmland etc.

These routes usually pass some great places too, often through "areas of outstanding natural beauty", and with historical / cultural and recreational highlights along the way. You'll also find plenty of good pubs and cafes etc to stop for refreshments!

Gravel / MTB riders especially will appreciate this network as it offers so much good riding....

You can find out much more about on the Sustran Website. Its a great place to start for anyone thinking of planning a cycling holiday in the UK.

Also, Komoot is an excellent app to find decent sections to ride. Its much better than using Strava! (Roadies like road).

 

[MartsEbike]

Hi Stefan, I just noticed you were posting about your visit to London! I hadn't seen this message when I started composing my reply earlier!

It looks like you'll be sightseeing in the centre of London then you'll be fine using the Superhighways, and other cycling routes! There are plenty of routes around London and obviously plenty to see and do a well.

Santander Bikes are available in many places. Also Lime Bikes are available everywhere. You shouldn't have any worries about finding wheels to ride.

Good idea to cover the bridges too - although some can be very busy with traffic - they do offer unique views of the city, which is great for photos!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Announcement

Between 26 and 28th of this October, I am open for a meeting or a ride with any EBR member in London UK

View attachment 184148
I plan to ride a Santander bike or e-bike over a 26 km/16 mile route I named "All Cycling Bridges of London". In fact, these might not be all but it is 11 bridges from Battersea to Tower plus walking the bike through the Millenium Bridge. (The starting point is SE1 0JA: Southwark Street in The Bank).

That route looks like a lot of fun. Bet the scenery will be superb.

There's something special about riding bridges. Rented a non-electric gravel bike in Portland, Oregon last year to knock around the city with my daughter. Lots of BIG bridges across the Willamette River there, and we went out of our way to ride them as many times as we could. Excellent bikeways on all of them.

Combatant Cuisine

Not to confuse Jeremy more! ...

28 minutes later, I arrived in Combat Cuisine Bar.

View attachment 184150
I took a bowl of Military Pea Soup for the starter (it is a staple Polish meal, packed with sausage and bacon!)

I'm easily confused about a lot of things, but not about the looks of that pea soup! My Czech grandmother's pea soup looked just like that, and I have yet to find one even half as good.

Is that style called Military Pea Soup beyond that military-themed restaurant?

The next time my internist wags his finger at me over the things I eat, I'll say, "Ha, you think my diet's bad! I know this Polish guy...."

It's all a matter of perspective. He calls it atherosclerotic plaque. I call it protective coating.
;^}

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Thank you Marts for the useful information on British and London cycling! I admit I was misled by the name "Superhighway"

E-Bike Ride, December 2023

Bike Ride, December 2023

I already had three short trips in London:

• E-Bike Ride: I find the public share e-bikes overpowered and very heavy They do serve their purpose to get from A to B very well!
• Lime e-Scooter ride: Easy for me as I have used e-scooters in so many cities...
• Bike Ride: Santander pedal bikes might be heavy and slow but the rental is inexpensive, and you do not really need more in London!

Not everybody knows I fly to London to meet my girlfriend @Brix Ewa knows I am an avid cyclist, and she will certainly give me some time for cycling in the morning one day. Quite recently, she took a photo walk along the Thames and documented all 14 London bridges from Tower to Battersea! (Pictured: Chelsea Bridge and the iconic Battersea Power Station),

Is that style called Military Pea Soup beyond that military-themed restaurant?

Pea Soup is one of the traditional Polish dishes. However, it is mainly served in the cold season. The military serves pea soup all year long as the soup is nourishing. If you want to get Pea Soup in the warm season, the biggest chance to get it is visiting one of many "military picnics" organized by the Army, hence the name The bar in Strzeniówka offers several totally basic Polish meals that are easy to make or can be kept warm for many hours in a wood-fired Army stove:

• Bigos
• Pea Soup
• Grilled Sausage
• Grilled Pork Neck
• Grilled Fish
• Chips/French Fries

and of course fermented cucumber, buns, condiments. The Cuisine is full in the warm season but it will close the next Monday until the Spring.

 

[RabH]

I know I said in my last post I would do a short ride but it was just too perfect so I kept going, I thought after 11 days off the bike I would struggle but I felt really strong! Of course my bike makes long rides a breeze, it just makes you want to keep riding and riding so I did! Early this morning we had a hard frost so I drove to Falkirk to have a walk round Callander Park, it was such a nice walk on a beautiful crisp morning! I headed back home and had lunch before setting off at 12.15pm with the frost now completely gone and the sun beating down! With just a light southerly wind it didn't feel cold at all despite temps in the single figures (celsius), as soon as I came to the shaded parts it was a whole different story though!

So I made the decision to go for a hilly ride to keep me warm, I headed out the back roads to Slamannan where I took the road to Avonbridge! After a big climb I had this awesome descent to enjoy!

It's soon followed by another climb of course!

At the end of the road I turned east where its a nice gradual downhill into Avonbridge, from there I took the back road to Standburn! Its a very narrow but fun road with little to no traffic, lots of climbing which kept me nice and toasty! Eventually it joins the main road into Standburn which is a bit of a rollercoaster and so much fun, once you reach the village its downhill pretty much all the way to Linlithgow! Its such a great cycling road as there is very little traffic and very fast! Just before arriving in Linlithgow I grabbed this photo of the railway viaduct!

Linlithgow is always pretty busy and with the sun shining it was busier than usual, I was glad to get through the town and started up the climb towards Bridgend! I stopped for a snack at the top of the climb and snapped a couple of photos looking north with the Ochil Hills in the distance!

I then turned off the main road to get some photos of the Union Canal near Philpstoun!

I couldn't believe how warm it was here, with no shade it was really nice to enjoy a bit of warmth! I then headed back to the main road and turned east for Bridgend where I then headed south up the big climb towards Kingscavil! At the top of the climb I turned west towards Beecraigs Country Park, I stopped for this photo looking SE with the Pentland Hills way in the distance!

I was now looking forward to the big descent into the valley but stopped for a few photos before starting the descent!

I had this big climb up to the country park to tackle after the descent!

I hurtled down the hill at just over 41mph, what a buzz that was! I then stopped for this photo looking back at the hill I just descended!

Part way up the climb I stopped for more photos!

I had a nice clear view of the bridges over the Forth today!

Another photo at the top of the climb, you can see the hill I descended at 41mph!

I had a nice view of the Ochils up here also!

The climbing wasn't finished yet but thankfully not as steep as the climb up to the park, soon I would have another awesome descent down into Torphicen and it was just amazing! At Torphicen the descent continues down towards Westfield and this part is just as exhilarating as the first part!

The Westfield Viaduct!

After passing through Westfield I continued west towards Avonbridge, just before the village I turned south to tackle the climb up over Heights! Another big climb which is thankfully followed by a nice descent into Blackridge, from there I turned west towards Caldercruix! At Forestfield I decided to turn south again and take the back road past Forestburn Reservoir, it has been quite a while since I used this road and I was pleasantly surprised to see some nice new tarmac for the first half mile or so! Then it was pretty rough again which didn't surprise me, I was fully expecting it! Its a real rollercoaster road and full of twists and turns and big climbs and big descents, eventually I reached the reservoir!

The road then joins the main road from Harthill to Salsburgh, I was only on it a short time when I turned south again to take my favourite local back road to Hareshaw! It starts with a big climb and then its pretty much downhill for 5 miles or so and it makes me smile everytime I ride it! At Hareshaw I took the road back to Salsburgh and doubled back to head over the climb at the Blackhill transmitters, its a bit rough in places but has some awesome fast descents!

Roughrigg Reservoir!

The next awesome descent, the Campsie Hills are in the background here!

The descents just keep coming before a short sharp climb and then a long descent into the village of Plains! Normally when I reach Plains I turn west for home but I knew the traffic would be really busy in town so I took the back road towards Greengairs and turned for home on the quieter roads and arrived home with 65 miles in the bag! I'm a bit annoyed that Ridewithgps showed 64.9 when my Wahoo clearly showed 65 when I turned it off! What a cracking return to the saddle that was, I couldn't have asked for a nicer day at this time of year! I'm off to bed now, I'm sure I will have no problem falling asleep after that ride and writing this report...