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

[Stefan Mikes]

260km, that might as well be a trip to the Moon for me

The guy in the front, Michał B. has changed me. He is an ultramarathon rider (max distance 823.7 km or 514 mi, 10th in Mazovian Gravel 500; he could have won it if not his bike failure) who once told me this:

"The distance is something that only exists in your mind"

I took his lesson very seriously! True, e-bikes are not good for very long distances but indeed, it is only your mind that limits you On the other hand, you can be proud of what you are doing yourself and what I would not dare to emulate!

 

[jason.flood]

Are you aware you can control your e-bike using a HRM and Specialized Smart Control? I've used a Polar OH-1 wrist HRM to try it out and it worked but I discovered my medications controlled my heart rate themselves, so it turned out to be impractical for me!

I wasn’t aware. That sounds interesting. So it could in theory increase assistance it heart rate goes up?

 

[jason.flood]

I splashed out on a bottle of dry lube, it really does stop the sand sticking to the chain, it’s a beach bike and a hub drive, the drivetrain is only under my weak power stress.

Ah yes one of the guys I work with was talking to me about his hub drive putting less strain on the drive train. Makes sense. I wonder how many extra life that equates to in terms of chains, chainrings and cassettes?

I actually have a bottle of muc-off dry lube which I used on a trip to mull last summer - when I thought it would be dry. During the first night in my tent it completely hammered it down most of the night a Mike bike got completely drenched. Next morning when I set off it was dry and sunny but my chain was squeaking like mad and had lots of bright fresh surface rust. I had to cycle about 6miles with a moderate climb to Ulva Ferry with the squeaking when I got there a man on a very nice yacht in the marina gave me some light oil which saved my life as I had another 70km of very hilly riding to do that day.
Next time I will take some wet oil with me on a multi day trip just in case. and ignore the weather forcasts in the west coast of Scotland

 

[Chargeride]

Here's the vid, you can see our pathetic attempt , but it was a good fun few hours on the beach .

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I wasn’t aware. That sounds interesting. So it could in theory increase assistance it heart rate goes up?

It's not a theory, it's a fact! First, you set the base assistance in Smart Control Heart Rate. Then, you set Smart Control to your HR threshold and automatically get more assistance to keep your heart rate in check (Specialized is an amazing brand...)

I could really test it out. However, my medications keep my HR in the reins at 120 bpm maximum so I did not actually need the HR monitor or HR Smart Control. And that's one of the reasons I can muster more than 100 W from my legs only in short bursts.

Here's the vid, you can see our pathetic attempt , but it was a good fun few hours on the beach .

I've watched it on YouTube. Another interesting video with a lovely British English!

 

[RabH]

Yet another blustery day, I was actually questioning my sanity at one point... The forecast said wind gusts around 35mph which is right on my limit, unlike Wednesday though the winds were there to stay! I set off at 12.15pm with 2 batteries charged to 80%, I used the same road as Wednesday to enjoy the tailwind but carried on past Bathgate this time all the way to Broxburn where I took this photo of the stunning Almond Valley viaduct!

I then turned west with 60% of my first battery left and battled into the brutal headwind, no way was it only 35mph! With so much battery power left I decided to crank the assist up to level 3 to make some progress, I reached Uphall and turned north towards Threemiletown where I had a nasty crosswind for 2 miles! I then turned west back into the headwind and heading for Beecraigs Country Park, grabbing a photo of the bridges over the Forth in the distance!

The fields to the south were looking saturated!

Its a long straight road for a couple of miles and the strong winds did a good job of drying the roads!

I reached the end of the straight part and had the descent down into the valley ahead of me, normally I love this part but not today with that brutal wind! I stopped for these photos before tackling the descent!

I set off and a big gust of wind hit me hard just before the start of the descent, I decided to feather the brakes to keep my speed down and half way down I was hit by another gust that caused a crazy oscillation like a speed wobble and I was just about to grip the bars tightly when experience kicked in and I remembered thats the worst thing you can do in this situation! I eased my grip and it was still shaking like crazy and a car appeared round the bend and I could see fear in the drivers eyes when he saw my bike shaking! Believe me I was way more scared... Thankfully I stayed on and heaved a huge sigh of relief as the bike straightened up again! I was now on the big climb up to Beecraigs Country Park and stopped part way up for a breather and a few photos!

My first battery had now taking a beating from that headwind and as I crested the climb it had dropped to 30% and I had another big climb ahead, another couple of miles and it was down to 23% and I knew as soon as it dropped to 20% it wouldn't last much longer so I switched to my second battery! Another couple of photos before yet another climb!

I reached the top of the climb and saw a road closed ahead sign, the road down to Torphicen which is closed for 12 weeks and was my intended route! I thought about chancing it but it would have been a huge climb back up if I couldn't get through so I took the diversion! Its a road I know well but I knew it was going to be tough if it was still in the condition I remember, it starts off with a big climb and then its a very fast and very rough descent! I stopped before the descent for these photos and thought about taking a cabin at the Glamping centre instead of tackling the brutal descent...

The road starts off pretty smooth as you can see from this photo but just around the corner it becomes very bumpy and is like that all the way down, once again the brakes were on all the way and the wind was just brutal!

I don't think I have ever been so glad to reach the bottom of a descent, from there I had to turn north and brave the crosswind again, thankfully only a mile or so though! Then I turned west at Torphicen down the tree lined descent which was way more fun thanks to the shelter from the trees! Then I was on the road to Westfield right into the headwind once again, on the flat parts I was using level 2 assist and level 3 on the climbs!

The Westfield Viaduct!

From here I had about 7 miles of ascent towards Limerigg and my second battery was now taking a proper beating, so much so I had to use eco mode for the last 10 miles! I stopped at the Black Loch at Limerigg for these photos and then battled my way home!

I arrived home with 17% battery left, just enough to get me up my big hills at the end of the ride! I was hoping to go out on Sunday but the winds are looking even worse so it was a no brainer to go today, the first 24 miles were insanely fast but that 28 mile ride home was tough, I sure got a workout today...

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Here's the vid, you can see our pathetic attempt , but it was a good fun few hours on the beach .

"They wave a red flag when they're bombing the beach", the video narrator said nonchalantly. Good to know.

Fortunately, our military has Camp Pendleton, some 20-30 miles north of here. There they can bomb, rocket, strafe, shell, mine, and assault beaches to their hearts' content. Often hear the booms.

All we have to worry about at beaches south of there are ill-advised thongs and speedos and the occasional hungry kraken snatching people off the sand.

 

[Chargeride]

Talk of windy Scotland always reminds me of Billy and Shetland
warning one swear word at start.

Video Unavailable

This video is unavailable.

streamable.com

 

[Prairie Dog]

Talk about extremes. Lovin’ the recent warmth that eluded us this month but I should have realized by now that it’s not such a good idea to head out later in the day. Soft snow conditions made yesterday’s ride a tad sluggish and I felt wasted by the end of the ride. That being said, I’ll take these conditions anytime rather than being referred as one of the coldest places on the planet.

I came across only one other fat biker who also happened to be riding a Bigfoot.

If it was slightly colder there likely wouldn’t be this much snow clinging to the tires.

 

[jason.flood]

Here's the vid, you can see our pathetic attempt , but it was a good fun few hours on the beach .

Great contra chargeride aa

It's not a theory, it's a fact! First, you set the base assistance in Smart Control Heart Rate. Then, you set Smart Control to your HR threshold and automatically get more assistance to keep your heart rate in check (Specialized is an amazing brand...)

This sounds great. Does it work with HRM built into watches like Garmin and Apple or die you need a dedicated wrist or chest monitor?

I could really test it out. However, my medications keep my HR in the reins at 120 bpm maximum so I did not actually need the HR monitor or HR Smart Control. And that's one of the reasons I can muster more than 100 W from my legs only in short bursts

Well you are certainly living proof that there is no limit to how much active travel one can do even with your heart condition.

 

[jason.flood]

Here's the vid, you can see our pathetic attempt , but it was a good fun few hours on the beach .

Great contra chargeride aa

View attachment 170246

Yet another blustery day, I was actually questioning my sanity at one point... The forecast said wind gusts around 35mph which is right on my limit, unlike Wednesday though the winds were there to stay! I set off at 12.15pm with 2 batteries charged to 80%, I used the same road as Wednesday to enjoy the tailwind but carried on past Bathgate this time all the way to Broxburn where I took this photo of the stunning Almond Valley viaduct!

View attachment 170247
I then turned west with 60% of my first battery left and battled into the brutal headwind, no way was it only 35mph! With so much battery power left I decided to crank the assist up to level 3 to make some progress, I reached Uphall and turned north towards Threemiletown where I had a nasty crosswind for 2 miles! I then turned west back into the headwind and heading for Beecraigs Country Park, grabbing a photo of the bridges over the Forth in the distance!

View attachment 170248
The fields to the south were looking saturated!

View attachment 170249
Its a long straight road for a couple of miles and the strong winds did a good job of drying the roads!

View attachment 170250
View attachment 170251
I reached the end of the straight part and had the descent down into the valley ahead of me, normally I love this part but not today with that brutal wind! I stopped for these photos before tackling the descent!

View attachment 170252
View attachment 170253
I set off and a big gust of wind hit me hard just before the start of the descent, I decided to feather the brakes to keep my speed down and half way down I was hit by another gust that caused a crazy oscillation like a speed wobble and I was just about to grip the bars tightly when experience kicked in and I remembered thats the worst thing you can do in this situation! I eased my grip and it was still shaking like crazy and a car appeared round the bend and I could see fear in the drivers eyes when he saw my bike shaking! Believe me I was way more scared... Thankfully I stayed on and heaved a huge sigh of relief as the bike straightened up again! I was now on the big climb up to Beecraigs Country Park and stopped part way up for a breather and a few photos!

View attachment 170254
View attachment 170255
View attachment 170256
My first battery had now taking a beating from that headwind and as I crested the climb it had dropped to 30% and I had another big climb ahead, another couple of miles and it was down to 23% and I knew as soon as it dropped to 20% it wouldn't last much longer so I switched to my second battery! Another couple of photos before yet another climb!

View attachment 170257
View attachment 170258
I reached the top of the climb and saw a road closed ahead sign, the road down to Torphicen which is closed for 12 weeks and was my intended route! I thought about chancing it but it would have been a huge climb back up if I couldn't get through so I took the diversion! Its a road I know well but I knew it was going to be tough if it was still in the condition I remember, it starts off with a big climb and then its a very fast and very rough descent! I stopped before the descent for these photos and thought about taking a cabin at the Glamping centre instead of tackling the brutal descent...

View attachment 170259
View attachment 170260
The road starts off pretty smooth as you can see from this photo but just around the corner it becomes very bumpy and is like that all the way down, once again the brakes were on all the way and the wind was just brutal!

View attachment 170261
I don't think I have ever been so glad to reach the bottom of a descent, from there I had to turn north and brave the crosswind again, thankfully only a mile or so though! Then I turned west at Torphicen down the tree lined descent which was way more fun thanks to the shelter from the trees! Then I was on the road to Westfield right into the headwind once again, on the flat parts I was using level 2 assist and level 3 on the climbs!

The Westfield Viaduct!

View attachment 170262
View attachment 170263
From here I had about 7 miles of ascent towards Limerigg and my second battery was now taking a proper beating, so much so I had to use eco mode for the last 10 miles! I stopped at the Black Loch at Limerigg for these photos and then battled my way home!

View attachment 170264
View attachment 170265
I arrived home with 17% battery left, just enough to get me up my big hills at the end of the ride! I was hoping to go out on Sunday but the winds are looking even worse so it was a no brainer to go today, the first 24 miles were insanely fast but that 28 mile ride home was tough, I sure got a workout today...

Man, your are a trooper Rab. Some amazing views there. I went out for a ride today but it was slow steady one because I joined the Edinburgh Critical Mass bike ride in the city. I’ll share some photos of that later.

 

[jason.flood]

"They wave a red flag when they're bombing the beach", the video narrator said nonchalantly. Good to know.

Fortunately, our military has Camp Pendleton, some 20-30 miles north of here. There they can bomb, rocket, strafe, shell, mine, and assault beaches to their hearts' content. Often hear the booms.

All we have to worry about at beaches south of there are ill-advised thongs and speedos and the occasional hungry kraken snatching people off the sand.

I reminisce each time I read one of your posts Jeremy. Back in ‘96/‘97 I spent a year living and working in San Diego. It’s were I bought the bike I’ve been riding ever since until I picked up my new E bike in December.

I don’t know if I’m imagining this but I have a vague recollection of riding over at Camp Pendleton. Do they allow the public onto the land one day for an annual ride or something?
One thing I a absolutely remember doing though (because I still have the tee shirts) is a Friday evening drive after work to Vegas with friends for a typical Vegas night out then driving back to SD on Saturday to take part in the midnight madness bike ride though the city. Then sleeping on the grass for about 3 hours before heading up to Point Loma at 6.30am on Sunday to complete in the SD half marathon. Crazy days but so much fun. I think it was even my fastest half marathon because the first half of it is all downhill

 

[jason.flood]

Not many miles today but #edcriticalmass was a hoot today and the weather was lovely if a little chilly
I have som videos too but can I post these directly to the forum or do they have to be uploaded to a streaming site?

 

[jason.flood]

 

[keithj69]

Did a short 15.8 mile ride today on a new route. It was nice to have the 70's after the previous Arctic blast we had here in Florida (high's in the 50's) earlier this week. I know "Whaaa for you".

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Does it work with HRM built into watches like Garmin and Apple or die you need a dedicated wrist or chest monitor?

I cannot say. I am not sure if these can deliver a continuous stream of online data. The reason I bought the Polar OH-1 was that was one of very few real/compatible wrist HRMs available say 3 years ago.

The current version is OH1+ (I think it is being charged via USB-C)

Polar OH1+ | Polar UK

www.polar.com

 

[Prairie Dog]

Not many miles today but #edcriticalmass was a hoot today and the weather was lovely if a little chilly

It’s always a fine day whenever you’re riding among like minded people.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I have som videos too but can I post these directly to the forum or do they have to be uploaded to a streaming site?

You need to upload these videos to a streaming site and paste the video link into your post.

Regarding the Critical Mass, I joined it once, and that was the slowest ride of mine I can recollect

 

[jason.flood]

You need to upload these videos to a streaming site and paste the video link into your post.

Regarding the Critical Mass, I joined it once, and that was the slowest ride of mine I can recollect

Yes the rides are very slow in order to keep the whole pack in together so that cars cannot split the group up. Riding this slow is great for experiencing, close up, the full spectrum of human reaction these rides elicit. - From the rage of a motorist being held for one minute while the group passes (even though invariably they would spend 10+ mins crawling through 1 mile of gridlocked city traffic), to the confused looks of many folk, wondering “eh?”, to the cheers and hoots of the folk who support the cause.

 

[jason.flood]

I cannot say. I am not sure if these can deliver a continuous stream of online data.

Good point. I already noticed how easily the Specialized app looses the connection of streaming data with the bike when I used the phone camera yesterday. I will research a bit more.