Chargeride
Well-Known Member
I'm so sorry for that loss, he featured in so many of your ride posts, fit and sharp right to the end would be my hope, of course many would say I'm lacking in both already
.
RIP Jerzy
.RIP Jerzy
2024 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos
- Thread starter Saratoga Dave
- Start date
Prairie Dog
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Red Deer
Sorry to hear of the loss of your good friend. Sounds like he enjoyed life to its fullest right up to the last day. Despite losing track of your group, it appeared that you had a decent ride and were able to sample its sweet rewards.1st of May: The International Workers' Day
May 1st is celebrated in Poland as the Labour Day since the Communist times. Poland is very specific about that as the holiday is followed by May 3rd, the Constitution 1791 Day. That makes many people take the whole week off! Unlike other big holidays (when everything is closed), the May Holidays mean all businesses related to leisure (i.a., cafes and restaurants) are working! A man from a cycling group had invited people for a Metric Century group ride in the Bolimów Landscape Park for May 1st. I arrived in Sucha Żyrardowska by a train literally swarmed by cyclists!
To make a long story short: A group of three was a train stop behind me (I told them I would not ride the rough terrain from Żyrardów where they started). I also was riding faster than they (Vado 6.0, very well prepared for gravel rides). The people in the group ignored my messages, missed me, and eventually we only shortly met near to the end of my ride. You cannot imagine how irritated I got when I saw the stupid happy face of the group leader who turned my potential nice group ride into a solo effort! Good the day was just gorgeous at least!
View attachment 175046
It was at least 26 C, it felt like a proper Summer day. There was a strong SE wind that was pleasantly cooling the body on the ride! Here, at the Bolimów Lake. A big number of cyclists were hiding from the sunshine in the trees behind me. It was one of my several stops so the group riding behind could catch up with me.
View attachment 175047
Waiting for the group at the "nodal point", where different loops of the route were converging. My Vado 6.0 is on its way to become a proper "premium-gravel e-bike". The recent changes involved installing Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss 700x47 tyres run under low pressure.
View attachment 175048
At the "nodal point".
View attachment 175049
View attachment 175050
Any gravel cyclist riding through Nieborów must take a stop at the Buffina Cafe, as it is usually the most remote point on the trip. I sent a message of my wherebouts to the group: No-one cared to read the message, and they must have passed the cafe when I was not watching the road. I waited for those people for 40 minutes there to no avail! At least I could eat a lot of desserts meanwhile
View attachment 175051
View attachment 175052
The group leader messaged me late on my ride: 'We are making a diversion to the Oberwanka Beach on River Rawka. Please wait for us'. Then I realised the lack of communication put the group far ahead of me. When I arrived in the beach, the group was just leaving the site. None of those people even managed saying 'I'm sorry for the situation'! I'm not riding with any of them in the future.
My good humour was all gone. I could have easily made a Metric Century on the day but decided to take a train home instead.
View attachment 175056
As I had to wait for the train for some 50 minutes, I consoled myself with ice-cream in the nearby Ice Land cafe
View attachment 175057
85 km for the day.
Jerzy Has Passed Away
Jerzy Bańkowski, one of the most distinctive persons I have ever known, a man extremely popular on my social media, a friend for 10 years and my cycling buddy, passed away on Friday April 26th, 2024 at age 77.
As he had gone silent on Facebook and Strava, and his phone was off, @Brix suggested I could visit our mutual friend to check the status on Monday. As I arrived at his home, a family member told me what had happened.
Jerzy swore he would be cycling on the pedal power as long as he could. The man has always kept his promises! He, for instance, accumulated as many as 10,000 km ridden in 2023! Last Friday, he finished his last 43 km ride, made a lunch and posted his last message on Facebook. As he was eating his lunch, he suddenly died. We will remember him long and well!
View attachment 175058
Jerzy on one of our numerous rides. R.I.P. Jerzy!
Rome
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Likewise
Jerzy was your cycling friend. You posted photos of you and him on your ride reports. I specifically remember the photos when both of you rode to a famous bridge in Warsaw. There were islands forming on river bed.
I said those are alluvial.
He doesn't like to wear helmet.
Rip. Jerzey.
Jerzy was your cycling friend. You posted photos of you and him on your ride reports. I specifically remember the photos when both of you rode to a famous bridge in Warsaw. There were islands forming on river bed.
I said those are alluvial.
He doesn't like to wear helmet.
Rip. Jerzey.
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
That SUCKS!1st of May: The International Workers' Day
May 1st is celebrated in Poland as the Labour Day since the Communist times. Poland is very specific about that as the holiday is followed by May 3rd, the Constitution 1791 Day. That makes many people take the whole week off! Unlike other big holidays (when everything is closed), the May Holidays mean all businesses related to leisure (i.a., cafes and restaurants) are working! A man from a cycling group had invited people for a Metric Century group ride in the Bolimów Landscape Park for May 1st. I arrived in Sucha Żyrardowska by a train literally swarmed by cyclists!
To make a long story short: A group of three was a train stop behind me (I told them I would not ride the rough terrain from Żyrardów where they started). I also was riding faster than they (Vado 6.0, very well prepared for gravel rides). The people in the group ignored my messages, missed me, and eventually we only shortly met near to the end of my ride. You cannot imagine how irritated I got when I saw the stupid happy face of the group leader who turned my potential nice group ride into a solo effort! Good the day was just gorgeous at least!
View attachment 175046
It was at least 26 C, it felt like a proper Summer day. There was a strong SE wind that was pleasantly cooling the body on the ride! Here, at the Bolimów Lake. A big number of cyclists were hiding from the sunshine in the trees behind me. It was one of my several stops so the group riding behind could catch up with me.
View attachment 175047
Waiting for the group at the "nodal point", where different loops of the route were converging. My Vado 6.0 is on its way to become a proper "premium-gravel e-bike". The recent changes involved installing Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss 700x47 tyres run under low pressure.
View attachment 175048
At the "nodal point".
View attachment 175049
View attachment 175050
Any gravel cyclist riding through Nieborów must take a stop at the Buffina Cafe, as it is usually the most remote point on the trip. I sent a message of my wherebouts to the group: No-one cared to read the message, and they must have passed the cafe when I was not watching the road. I waited for those people for 40 minutes there to no avail! At least I could eat a lot of desserts meanwhile
View attachment 175051
View attachment 175052
The group leader messaged me late on my ride: 'We are making a diversion to the Oberwanka Beach on River Rawka. Please wait for us'. Then I realised the lack of communication put the group far ahead of me. When I arrived in the beach, the group was just leaving the site. None of those people even managed saying 'I'm sorry for the situation'! I'm not riding with any of them in the future.
My good humour was all gone. I could have easily made a Metric Century on the day but decided to take a train home instead.
View attachment 175056
As I had to wait for the train for some 50 minutes, I consoled myself with ice-cream in the nearby Ice Land cafe
View attachment 175057
85 km for the day.
Jerzy Has Passed Away
Jerzy Bańkowski, one of the most distinctive persons I have ever known, a man extremely popular on my social media, a friend for 10 years and my cycling buddy, passed away on Friday April 26th, 2024 at age 77.
As he had gone silent on Facebook and Strava, and his phone was off, @Brix suggested I could visit our mutual friend to check the status on Monday. As I arrived at his home, a family member told me what had happened.
Jerzy swore he would be cycling on the pedal power as long as he could. The man has always kept his promises! He, for instance, accumulated as many as 10,000 km ridden in 2023! Last Friday, he finished his last 43 km ride, made a lunch and posted his last message on Facebook. As he was eating his lunch, he suddenly died. We will remember him long and well!
View attachment 175058
Jerzy on one of our numerous rides. R.I.P. Jerzy!
JGcycle
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Saint John
Sorry to hear about your friend's passing.1st of May: The International Workers' Day
May 1st is celebrated in Poland as the Labour Day since the Communist times. Poland is very specific about that as the holiday is followed by May 3rd, the Constitution 1791 Day. That makes many people take the whole week off! Unlike other big holidays (when everything is closed), the May Holidays mean all businesses related to leisure (i.a., cafes and restaurants) are working! A man from a cycling group had invited people for a Metric Century group ride in the Bolimów Landscape Park for May 1st. I arrived in Sucha Żyrardowska by a train literally swarmed by cyclists!
To make a long story short: A group of three was a train stop behind me (I told them I would not ride the rough terrain from Żyrardów where they started). I also was riding faster than they (Vado 6.0, very well prepared for gravel rides). The people in the group ignored my messages, missed me, and eventually we only shortly met near to the end of my ride. You cannot imagine how irritated I got when I saw the stupid happy face of the group leader who turned my potential nice group ride into a solo effort! Good the day was just gorgeous at least!
View attachment 175046
It was at least 26 C, it felt like a proper Summer day. There was a strong SE wind that was pleasantly cooling the body on the ride! Here, at the Bolimów Lake. A big number of cyclists were hiding from the sunshine in the trees behind me. It was one of my several stops so the group riding behind could catch up with me.
View attachment 175047
Waiting for the group at the "nodal point", where different loops of the route were converging. My Vado 6.0 is on its way to become a proper "premium-gravel e-bike". The recent changes involved installing Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss 700x47 tyres run under low pressure.
View attachment 175048
At the "nodal point".
View attachment 175049
View attachment 175050
Any gravel cyclist riding through Nieborów must take a stop at the Buffina Cafe, as it is usually the most remote point on the trip. I sent a message of my wherebouts to the group: No-one cared to read the message, and they must have passed the cafe when I was not watching the road. I waited for those people for 40 minutes there to no avail! At least I could eat a lot of desserts meanwhile
View attachment 175051
View attachment 175052
The group leader messaged me late on my ride: 'We are making a diversion to the Oberwanka Beach on River Rawka. Please wait for us'. Then I realised the lack of communication put the group far ahead of me. When I arrived in the beach, the group was just leaving the site. None of those people even managed saying 'I'm sorry for the situation'! I'm not riding with any of them in the future.
My good humour was all gone. I could have easily made a Metric Century on the day but decided to take a train home instead.
View attachment 175056
As I had to wait for the train for some 50 minutes, I consoled myself with ice-cream in the nearby Ice Land cafe
View attachment 175057
85 km for the day.
Jerzy Has Passed Away
Jerzy Bańkowski, one of the most distinctive persons I have ever known, a man extremely popular on my social media, a friend for 10 years and my cycling buddy, passed away on Friday April 26th, 2024 at age 77.
As he had gone silent on Facebook and Strava, and his phone was off, @Brix suggested I could visit our mutual friend to check the status on Monday. As I arrived at his home, a family member told me what had happened.
Jerzy swore he would be cycling on the pedal power as long as he could. The man has always kept his promises! He, for instance, accumulated as many as 10,000 km ridden in 2023! Last Friday, he finished his last 43 km ride, made a lunch and posted his last message on Facebook. As he was eating his lunch, he suddenly died. We will remember him long and well!
View attachment 175058
Jerzy on one of our numerous rides. R.I.P. Jerzy!
Saratoga Dave
Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear that, Stefan. I’ve been reading about and seeing your pics of this guy for quite some time now. Sounds like he went out properly though, if maybe a teeny bit early.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Quite interestingly, there are so many people saying 'I have never actually met Jerzy in person but I feel I knew him well from his posts and your ride reports'. Today, I rode to my brother for the Vado crankset replacement, and to test several Kampinos National Park roads. Jacek said the same of Jerzy as I quoted above!
After I learned of Jerzy's death, I rode the Southern Bridge of Warsaw to see Jerzy's Islands again...
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
May 3rd Classic KPN Group Ride
May 3rd 1791 Constitution Day of Poland
The Friday's route was well researched by me the day before. As I was leading a group of five recreational riders (3 female and 2 male), a gravel cyclist met en route asked us whether he could join. Only in a few kilometres I had a chance to talk to the guy. What a surprise! That was my old good friend, Roadie Staszek (now, I should say Gravel Staszek, hehe) with whom we were on the last ride together ages ago! What a joker! He had studied the FB announcement and thought he needed some "Snailton" ride, so he just intercepted us!
("Snailton" is the opposite of a Marathon: it is an extremely slow and a pretty short ride with casual cyclists).
Atop a high sand-dune in the Kampinos National Park (KPN) East. (The trail looks busy but it was just a coincidence). I chose a route (Fire-road #39) possibly free of sand. During hot and dry weather, the Mazovian sands seem to, like, emerge, making the rides quite difficult.
The Palmiry E-Bike Sprint
As we arrived in Gościniec Na Szlaku (The Inn On The Trail) in the village of Palmiry, we were half an hour too early! However, the friendly owner agreed to serve food (but not coffee) to us. As we were leaving, one of our riders asked me if nothing was left; I said we took everything with us. My plan was to go SL Turbo, ride well ahead of the group and take some ride photos and a movie. As I was a several km into the ride, I discovered I left my backpack in the restaurant! I growled and returned to the inn at the full speed, then I was spinning and mashing the cranks to catch up with the group again! The whole e-sprint took 11.6 km, and I re-joined the group at the Memorial Site of Palmiry just 3 minutes after they arrived there! I was riding my Vado SL, so I got exhausted at that point already!
At the former Central Military Armament Depot (pre WW2). Staszek is in the centre.
Only one of the ladies agreed to be pictured. Having ice-cream in Mariew, outside the KPN. Here, we parted our ways. I was simply tired.
Genuine Czech "Nealko" (non-alcoholic) beer in Biker Pub.
I decided to ride right home. Then I recollected I might have no beverages at home, so I grit my teeth and rode to "my" BP service station. To be greeted by the personnel: 'Here you are Mr Cyclist! Are you aware you left two packs of cigarettes on the counter yesterday? We even made a note: Mr Cyclist left his cigarettes here! Everybody knows you here, Mr Cyclist!'
On a side-note: My brother Jacek rode for 197 km on his Giant Trance E+ yesterday! He's preparing for the Mazovian Gravel 240 to be ridden on his traditional Marin gravel bike!
The famous Palmiry E-Sprint
75 km.
Now, Staszek has started playing an important role in my cycling! We're riding a perfect "premium gravel route" in the Bolimów Landscape Park today, and we're going to explore the River Bzura tomorrow!
May 3rd 1791 Constitution Day of Poland
The Friday's route was well researched by me the day before. As I was leading a group of five recreational riders (3 female and 2 male), a gravel cyclist met en route asked us whether he could join. Only in a few kilometres I had a chance to talk to the guy. What a surprise! That was my old good friend, Roadie Staszek (now, I should say Gravel Staszek, hehe) with whom we were on the last ride together ages ago!
What a joker! He had studied the FB announcement and thought he needed some "Snailton" ride, so he just intercepted us! ("Snailton" is the opposite of a Marathon: it is an extremely slow and a pretty short ride with casual cyclists).
Atop a high sand-dune in the Kampinos National Park (KPN) East. (The trail looks busy but it was just a coincidence). I chose a route (Fire-road #39) possibly free of sand. During hot and dry weather, the Mazovian sands seem to, like, emerge, making the rides quite difficult.
The Palmiry E-Bike Sprint
As we arrived in Gościniec Na Szlaku (The Inn On The Trail) in the village of Palmiry, we were half an hour too early! However, the friendly owner agreed to serve food (but not coffee) to us. As we were leaving, one of our riders asked me if nothing was left; I said we took everything with us. My plan was to go SL Turbo, ride well ahead of the group and take some ride photos and a movie. As I was a several km into the ride, I discovered I left my backpack in the restaurant!
I growled and returned to the inn at the full speed, then I was spinning and mashing the cranks to catch up with the group again! The whole e-sprint took 11.6 km, and I re-joined the group at the Memorial Site of Palmiry just 3 minutes after they arrived there! I was riding my Vado SL, so I got exhausted at that point already!At the former Central Military Armament Depot (pre WW2). Staszek is in the centre.
Only one of the ladies agreed to be pictured. Having ice-cream in Mariew, outside the KPN. Here, we parted our ways. I was simply tired.
Genuine Czech "Nealko" (non-alcoholic) beer in Biker Pub.
I decided to ride right home. Then I recollected I might have no beverages at home, so I grit my teeth and rode to "my" BP service station. To be greeted by the personnel: 'Here you are Mr Cyclist! Are you aware you left two packs of cigarettes on the counter yesterday? We even made a note: Mr Cyclist left his cigarettes here! Everybody knows you here, Mr Cyclist!'
On a side-note: My brother Jacek rode for 197 km on his Giant Trance E+ yesterday! He's preparing for the Mazovian Gravel 240 to be ridden on his traditional Marin gravel bike!
The famous Palmiry E-Sprint
75 km.
Now, Staszek has started playing an important role in my cycling! We're riding a perfect "premium gravel route" in the Bolimów Landscape Park today, and we're going to explore the River Bzura tomorrow!
Last edited:
Mr. Coffee
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- A Demented Corner of the North Cascades
Bandon, OR to Gold Beach, OR:
Nehalem Bay State Park, OR to Pacific City, OR:
Nehalem Bay State Park, OR to Pacific City, OR:
Prairie Dog
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Red Deer
Every spring around this time, we ride out to the historic city of Lacombe, AB which is widely known for its rich heritage and culture. Landmarks such as the Flatiron building, Michener house, the Lacombe Blacksmith Shop and the many colorful murals are permanent highlights for this thriving city.
There are a number of routes that one can choose to get there but the most logical choice would be the Trans Canada corridor which for many begins along the scenic Red Deer to Blackfalds connector. Instead of an out and back we decide do a loop around the rural roads and back towards the town of Joffre. We both started out with 90% charge on the Creo batteries and completed our ride with 72% remaining. We both used PAS sparingly and only on assents where we felt it necessary to do so particularly on the last leg of the ride.
Starting out along the tree lined connector to Blackfalds. There really is no signage indicating direction of the TC Trail so one must either be familiar with the route or use the online interactive map.
Clang! Clang! We bolted over this rail crossing just in the nick of time before the guard rail came down.
This would be our first powered road ride of the season. It sure was a treat and pretty plush compared to the training wheels that we’re accustomed to riding week in and out but nevertheless these still remain fast rolling bikes even without PAS. They’ll be called into duty over the course of the riding season.
Picturesque Blindman River.
Is that a caw? Nope, just an old beater truck.
What me worry? The face on this gentle soul tells it all.
We spotted this garter snake sunning itself in the middle of the warm pebbled pathway. It was just large enough that we couldn’t avoid not seeing it. It wasn’t long before it slithered away into the grass.
Just beyond Lacombe Lake, this quaint wooded section of the TC Trail is a pretty spot but the entire length of the trail is not maintained during the winter season which is unfortunate.
Upon crossing this wooden walkway, we arrive at Lacombe Lake. Notable bird species that can be observed at this lake are grebes, loons, wrens, eagles, coots, Canada Geese and warblers. It was pretty quiet on this day though.
A second footbridge further along the trail and yet another a restful spot to ponder the day’s events.
A quick descent along this township road was all that remained to reach the outskirts of Lacombe.
Arriving on main street we stopped in for a shot of java at the Ona Café and Bakery and took in a bench view of the iconic Flat Iron which is likely the highlight of the city’s center and the oldest of its kind in the province. The café wasn’t too shabby either and this likely reflected in the primo price of our lattes. It’s one of several chic joints that have popped up over the past couple of years that seem to have adapted well to the town folks.
Then it was off to one of my favorite murals. Hey, Doreen!
Back on the road again, it was a relief to break from the busy main hwy and turn onto RR 255 aka the ‘Freedom Road’. This lightly trafficked stretch of tarmac is smooth rolling and we both find it quite calming for the soul.
Further up the road, a somewhat of a stark contrast between industries. The Nova Cor petrochemical plant is located beside this recently completed 47-megawatt solar farm that occupies and leases 200 acres. The farmland beneath the arrays that was once used to graze cattle will now be maintained by a herd of sheep.
Back along busier Hwy 11 and a few kms from homebase, this descent isn’t particularly appealing as the shoulder narrows between the rumble strips and heavy amounts of winter gravel.
More gravel appears to the right as Sai makes her way up along the other side of the marked shoulder. The courtesy displayed by the drivers of vehicles who passed and gave us wide berths were exemplary to say the least.
One more quick blast down this familiar descent before we make our way towards homebase. What a great trip and the weather conditions were sublime. It was especially gratifying to have a tailwind coming home which doesn't occur frequently.
There are a number of routes that one can choose to get there but the most logical choice would be the Trans Canada corridor which for many begins along the scenic Red Deer to Blackfalds connector. Instead of an out and back we decide do a loop around the rural roads and back towards the town of Joffre. We both started out with 90% charge on the Creo batteries and completed our ride with 72% remaining. We both used PAS sparingly and only on assents where we felt it necessary to do so particularly on the last leg of the ride.
Starting out along the tree lined connector to Blackfalds. There really is no signage indicating direction of the TC Trail so one must either be familiar with the route or use the online interactive map.
Clang! Clang! We bolted over this rail crossing just in the nick of time before the guard rail came down.
This would be our first powered road ride of the season. It sure was a treat and pretty plush compared to the training wheels that we’re accustomed to riding week in and out but nevertheless these still remain fast rolling bikes even without PAS. They’ll be called into duty over the course of the riding season.
Picturesque Blindman River.
Is that a caw? Nope, just an old beater truck.
What me worry? The face on this gentle soul tells it all.
We spotted this garter snake sunning itself in the middle of the warm pebbled pathway. It was just large enough that we couldn’t avoid not seeing it. It wasn’t long before it slithered away into the grass.
Just beyond Lacombe Lake, this quaint wooded section of the TC Trail is a pretty spot but the entire length of the trail is not maintained during the winter season which is unfortunate.
Upon crossing this wooden walkway, we arrive at Lacombe Lake. Notable bird species that can be observed at this lake are grebes, loons, wrens, eagles, coots, Canada Geese and warblers. It was pretty quiet on this day though.
A second footbridge further along the trail and yet another a restful spot to ponder the day’s events.
A quick descent along this township road was all that remained to reach the outskirts of Lacombe.
Arriving on main street we stopped in for a shot of java at the Ona Café and Bakery and took in a bench view of the iconic Flat Iron which is likely the highlight of the city’s center and the oldest of its kind in the province. The café wasn’t too shabby either and this likely reflected in the primo price of our lattes. It’s one of several chic joints that have popped up over the past couple of years that seem to have adapted well to the town folks.
Then it was off to one of my favorite murals. Hey, Doreen!
Back on the road again, it was a relief to break from the busy main hwy and turn onto RR 255 aka the ‘Freedom Road’. This lightly trafficked stretch of tarmac is smooth rolling and we both find it quite calming for the soul.
Further up the road, a somewhat of a stark contrast between industries. The Nova Cor petrochemical plant is located beside this recently completed 47-megawatt solar farm that occupies and leases 200 acres. The farmland beneath the arrays that was once used to graze cattle will now be maintained by a herd of sheep.
Back along busier Hwy 11 and a few kms from homebase, this descent isn’t particularly appealing as the shoulder narrows between the rumble strips and heavy amounts of winter gravel.
More gravel appears to the right as Sai makes her way up along the other side of the marked shoulder. The courtesy displayed by the drivers of vehicles who passed and gave us wide berths were exemplary to say the least.
One more quick blast down this familiar descent before we make our way towards homebase. What a great trip and the weather conditions were sublime. It was especially gratifying to have a tailwind coming home which doesn't occur frequently.
BlackHand
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Western WA
Looks like it was a great ride!
Does Sai always ride with her taillight on the seatstay like that?
I've been daydreaming lately about the Canyon Grizl:ON which has built in lights down at the bottom of the seatstays.
Prairie Dog
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Red Deer
That Grizl is one good looking allrounder and I really like those integrated taillights. She sports an older Varia RVR315 which is mounted on the saddle rails of her Creo. The Cygolite Hot Shot on the seat stay is still quite visible though I don’t think it holds a candle to her Cannondale. Her CD Synapse RL2 is equipped with the Smartsense system with radar, front and rear lights is much easier to maintain with only one battery pack to charge.
Prairie Dog
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Red Deer
Sai didn’t feel any need for a recovery day so off we on for another 35km outing today at her request. Gusting southeasterlies were of little concern since this ride would be relatively brief.
Only one other roadie encounter on this ride despite it being a weekend.
More farm machinery on the move. This one being a spray applicator with retracting booms.
Glad that I don’t have hay fever. I stand corrected as I believe that these were straw bales.
On our way home, we stopped by this roadside stand which was offering farm fresh eggs, home baked bread, tomato/pepper plants and firewood for sale. It was operated by the daughter of a farmer friend who has since retired. The Steeles are still actively working their land but the younger generation has now assumed succession of the family farm which is a good thing.
Only one other roadie encounter on this ride despite it being a weekend.
More farm machinery on the move. This one being a spray applicator with retracting booms.
Glad that I don’t have hay fever. I stand corrected as I believe that these were straw bales.
On our way home, we stopped by this roadside stand which was offering farm fresh eggs, home baked bread, tomato/pepper plants and firewood for sale. It was operated by the daughter of a farmer friend who has since retired. The Steeles are still actively working their land but the younger generation has now assumed succession of the family farm which is a good thing.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
A Phenomenal Bolimów Forest Ride with Staszek C.
I first met Staszek on the last February day three years ago on the first group ride I participated in He is one of the best people I've ever met: Composed, unassuming, an experienced road cyclist and ultramarathon gravel rider. He has a great sense of humour, too! After the group ride of Friday, I wanted to take a recovery day on Saturday, just to read Staszek was inviting people to "the best gravel ride you could imagine". I did not hesitate a moment when I saw his route plan: it looked perfectly. (Bear in mind I had a ride in the Bolimów Forest just three day before and was disgusted with both the route planned by someone else as well as with his conduct as a group leader!)
Staszek knows as much of advanced cycling as he said in the beginning: 'We will ride our bikes at a brisk pace but we're not racing. One needs to expedite their body energy at a constant rate. So our cruising speed would be 20-25 km/h, and we want to achieve the average speed of 21 km/h'. As soon as we started the ride from Radziwiłłów Mazowiecki, I immediately asked for a stop; I had to bring the assistance of my Vado 6.0 to be very low: 15/20% to maintain my mentor's ride criteria!
'Let us stop here' -- Staszek demanded -- 'I need some photos how a premium gravel road should look like! Sadly, the majority of Polish gravel cyclists think they should ride MTB terrain but that's not the gravel cycling!'
Staszek is riding a Specialized Diverge gravel bike with his own modifications, such as a 1x drivetrain, 38 mm tyres. He told me the Bolimów Forest was one of very few locations in Poland where the Forest Service actually rolled the fire-roads after adding fresh gravel!
Crossing a walkway over River Rawka.
As we were riding against moderate headwind, Staszek asked me to become the "keirin pacing-bike" so he could be drafting behind me. It worked so well!
To our bad surprise, the personnel of Buffina Cafe in Nieborów took a weekend off! So we just sat in the neighbouring "La toscana" restaurant I took Cold Soup for the starter...
Ooh! That spaghetti was just delicious!
Past Nieborów, we shortly parted our ways to test different routes. We converged at the entry point to the Łowicz Road, which is a gravel road of such a high quality I call it "a gravel cycling superhighway"! Its fine gravel is pressed so hard it resembles tarmac!
There are three golden rules of aviation/group cycling:
As I arrived in the train stop, I was 11 minutes ahead of the train. I could not believe my eyes! 61 km and only 40% of the battery charge used?! That's riding together with Staszek: Easy, pleasant, and economic
The man is incredible! While I was nervous, he rode in Ice-Land Cafe, bought himself ice-cream, bought the train ticket online, had the ice-cream and even had a chat with a fellow cyclist! He arrived at the train-stop 4 minutes ahead of train, which was exactly what he had planned!
As I arrived in my neighbourhood, it became hot (temperature could be anything from 28 to 31 C). I put the 60/60% Turbo on and rode quickly to the BP service station. 'Mr Zbyszek!' -- I called out to the sales assistant -- 'Please start making Iced Frappe right now! You'll save me from overheating!' Then I rode home, passing by our local Hollywood...
I still hold the Strava E-Bike Course Record/King Of Mountain on the Superhighway #33. The Saturday ride was just my third best effort there
Besides, our average speed for the ride was 21.5 km/h as planned 80% of premium gravel, the rest being asphalt.
Just mentioning: I'm joining yet another Staszek's adventure on this Sunday: exploring the River Bzura
@mfgrep: You said you must ride your Vado 4.0 assisted. I rode my Vado 6.0 for 4.4 km to my nearest train station unassisted on Saturday to conserve the battery!
I first met Staszek on the last February day three years ago on the first group ride I participated in
He is one of the best people I've ever met: Composed, unassuming, an experienced road cyclist and ultramarathon gravel rider. He has a great sense of humour, too! After the group ride of Friday, I wanted to take a recovery day on Saturday, just to read Staszek was inviting people to "the best gravel ride you could imagine". I did not hesitate a moment when I saw his route plan: it looked perfectly. (Bear in mind I had a ride in the Bolimów Forest just three day before and was disgusted with both the route planned by someone else as well as with his conduct as a group leader!)Staszek knows as much of advanced cycling as he said in the beginning: 'We will ride our bikes at a brisk pace but we're not racing. One needs to expedite their body energy at a constant rate. So our cruising speed would be 20-25 km/h, and we want to achieve the average speed of 21 km/h'. As soon as we started the ride from Radziwiłłów Mazowiecki, I immediately asked for a stop; I had to bring the assistance of my Vado 6.0 to be very low: 15/20% to maintain my mentor's ride criteria!
'Let us stop here' -- Staszek demanded -- 'I need some photos how a premium gravel road should look like! Sadly, the majority of Polish gravel cyclists think they should ride MTB terrain but that's not the gravel cycling!'
Staszek is riding a Specialized Diverge gravel bike with his own modifications, such as a 1x drivetrain, 38 mm tyres. He told me the Bolimów Forest was one of very few locations in Poland where the Forest Service actually rolled the fire-roads after adding fresh gravel!
Crossing a walkway over River Rawka.
As we were riding against moderate headwind, Staszek asked me to become the "keirin pacing-bike" so he could be drafting behind me. It worked so well!
To our bad surprise, the personnel of Buffina Cafe in Nieborów took a weekend off! So we just sat in the neighbouring "La toscana" restaurant
I took Cold Soup for the starter...Ooh! That spaghetti was just delicious!
Past Nieborów, we shortly parted our ways to test different routes. We converged at the entry point to the Łowicz Road, which is a gravel road of such a high quality I call it "a gravel cycling superhighway"! Its fine gravel is pressed so hard it resembles tarmac!
There are three golden rules of aviation/group cycling:
- Ride (aviate)
- Navigate
- Communicate
As I arrived in the train stop, I was 11 minutes ahead of the train. I could not believe my eyes! 61 km and only 40% of the battery charge used?! That's riding together with Staszek: Easy, pleasant, and economic
The man is incredible! While I was nervous, he rode in Ice-Land Cafe, bought himself ice-cream, bought the train ticket online, had the ice-cream and even had a chat with a fellow cyclist! He arrived at the train-stop 4 minutes ahead of train, which was exactly what he had planned!
As I arrived in my neighbourhood, it became hot (temperature could be anything from 28 to 31 C). I put the 60/60% Turbo on and rode quickly to the BP service station. 'Mr Zbyszek!' -- I called out to the sales assistant -- 'Please start making Iced Frappe right now! You'll save me from overheating!'
Then I rode home, passing by our local Hollywood... I still hold the Strava E-Bike Course Record/King Of Mountain on the Superhighway #33. The Saturday ride was just my third best effort there
Besides, our average speed for the ride was 21.5 km/h as planned
80% of premium gravel, the rest being asphalt.Just mentioning: I'm joining yet another Staszek's adventure on this Sunday: exploring the River Bzura
@mfgrep: You said you must ride your Vado 4.0 assisted. I rode my Vado 6.0 for 4.4 km to my nearest train station unassisted on Saturday to conserve the battery!
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Mr. Coffee
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- A Demented Corner of the North Cascades
Headwinds!
www.relive.cc
Relive 'Headwinds, Two Bakeries, and a whole bunch of dirt'
View my ride: Headwinds, Two Bakeries, and a whole bunch of dirt
www.relive.cc
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Exploring River Bzura (A Group Ride)
It would be my eight day of pretty long rides: I should have stayed at home for Sunday to recover. However I thought I could not let the last day of the Poland's May Long Weekend go to waste, especially with the Summer weather so rare this month! Rode to a train station where I met the group (four riders led by Staszek C.), and we started our ride in Sochaczew at 10:01 am.
A visit to the ruins of the Castle of Mazovian Dukes in Sochaczew. The castle was built in the second half of 14th c. by Duke Siemowit III The Older, and was demolished twice during the wars with Sweden and Prussia. The castle is located on a hill overlooking River Bzura (it was fun just being lifted by the SL motor of my Vado SL atop the hill!)
I am not fond of riding with "snails". ("A snail" is a rider who pedals at a very slow pace). Snails do ride as slowly as I not only have to turn the motor assistance off but also am usually riding faster than them just on the pedal power! (Assisted or not, I always put my maximum continuous leg power into the cranks and simply cannot ride slowly!) That way, I was in the lead all the way on the first leg of the trip, unassisted. Tailwind and a small loss of elevation certainly helped. As I started climbing an incline, I heard 'Are you riding unassisted Stefan?!' from behind -- 'All the way guys, all the way!' As they could see me quickly climbing that incline at the cadence of up to 119 (!!!) in a low gear, they burst with laughter! I think I rode up to 30 km without any motor assistance!
A trestle bridge over the Bzura in Witkowice, a place I know by heart!
Bzura is not a small river, and it is unregulated, causing the flood at times. High embankments protect inhabited areas against the flood well though.
Riding the east Bzura embankment was easy, so I continued riding without any assistance for several kilometres. The silence of my e-bike was priceless!
As I stopped there for a photo and a very short rest, I discovered I had to turn the motor on to be able to catch up with the group!
Staszek was stopping quite frequently for photos. And we started riding through sandy or grassy dirt roads... I gave up and used the electrical assistance from that point onwards!
Brochów was the first civilized place we entered since the ride start from Sochaczew. A visit to a convenience store was necessary! I took a short detour to intercept the group there, watching the Gothic church meanwhile.
I started suffering from the eight day of cycling, and because of the fatigue of the unassisted pedalling. I do not look happy in the picture!
Early into the ride, Staszek suggested the group could return home "on the wheels", which was enthusiastically received ("snails" can be slow but they are endurant!) As Staszek said 'We have seen everything to see; a return ride now?' I excused myself and told the group I would be riding home solo, which they accepted.
Can you see the pain in my eyes? An hour worth recovery stop by a convenience store.
My butt was hurting very badly. My legs were very tired. I felt overheated (it could be 28-30 C at that time). The return ride was against headwind and with elevation gain. Trust me, I used the electrical assistance of my Vado SL to its limits! Still, had to stop for several times to relieve my butt, and I had a lunch in Błonie.
The touring part.
Group leader (blue) and I (red). The group leader completed the ride just 11 minutes before me. It tells you something on how fast e-bikes can be
It would be my eight day of pretty long rides: I should have stayed at home for Sunday to recover. However I thought I could not let the last day of the Poland's May Long Weekend go to waste, especially with the Summer weather so rare this month! Rode to a train station where I met the group (four riders led by Staszek C.), and we started our ride in Sochaczew at 10:01 am.
A visit to the ruins of the Castle of Mazovian Dukes in Sochaczew. The castle was built in the second half of 14th c. by Duke Siemowit III The Older, and was demolished twice during the wars with Sweden and Prussia. The castle is located on a hill overlooking River Bzura (it was fun just being lifted by the SL motor of my Vado SL atop the hill!)
I am not fond of riding with "snails". ("A snail" is a rider who pedals at a very slow pace). Snails do ride as slowly as I not only have to turn the motor assistance off but also am usually riding faster than them just on the pedal power! (Assisted or not, I always put my maximum continuous leg power into the cranks and simply cannot ride slowly!) That way, I was in the lead all the way on the first leg of the trip, unassisted. Tailwind and a small loss of elevation certainly helped. As I started climbing an incline, I heard 'Are you riding unassisted Stefan?!' from behind -- 'All the way guys, all the way!'
As they could see me quickly climbing that incline at the cadence of up to 119 (!!!) in a low gear, they burst with laughter! I think I rode up to 30 km without any motor assistance!A trestle bridge over the Bzura in Witkowice, a place I know by heart!
Bzura is not a small river, and it is unregulated, causing the flood at times. High embankments protect inhabited areas against the flood well though.
Riding the east Bzura embankment was easy, so I continued riding without any assistance for several kilometres. The silence of my e-bike was priceless!
As I stopped there for a photo and a very short rest, I discovered I had to turn the motor on to be able to catch up with the group!
Staszek was stopping quite frequently for photos. And we started riding through sandy or grassy dirt roads... I gave up and used the electrical assistance from that point onwards!
Brochów was the first civilized place we entered since the ride start from Sochaczew. A visit to a convenience store was necessary! I took a short detour to intercept the group there, watching the Gothic church meanwhile.
I started suffering from the eight day of cycling, and because of the fatigue of the unassisted pedalling. I do not look happy in the picture!
Early into the ride, Staszek suggested the group could return home "on the wheels", which was enthusiastically received ("snails" can be slow but they are endurant!) As Staszek said 'We have seen everything to see; a return ride now?' I excused myself and told the group I would be riding home solo, which they accepted.
Can you see the pain in my eyes? An hour worth recovery stop by a convenience store.
My butt was hurting very badly. My legs were very tired. I felt overheated (it could be 28-30 C at that time). The return ride was against headwind and with elevation gain. Trust me, I used the electrical assistance of my Vado SL to its limits! Still, had to stop for several times to relieve my butt, and I had a lunch in Błonie.
The touring part.
Group leader (blue) and I (red). The group leader completed the ride just 11 minutes before me. It tells you something on how fast e-bikes can be
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RabH
Well-Known Member
E bike ride number 600!
I had an epic ride planned for my 600th ride and it was supposed to be today, but the forecast completely changed with heavy rain replacing the clouds that were predicted! Yesterday it was pretty wet in the morning but it cleared up a little just before midday so I decided to chance it and head for the Forth bridges, with a light westerly wind (10-15mph) I enjoyed a fast ride out to the bridges! I actually set off in light rain but 2 miles east the roads were bone dry, it was like they hadn't had any rain whatsoever! I had left in a bit of a rush and realised I hadn't charged my phone, it only had a 48% charge so I had to limit my photos to pretty much snack stops only!
I headed out to Torphicen and took the climb up to Beecraigs Country Park and then enjoyed the brilliant descent down into the valley with a top speed of 40.6mph recorded, it would have been much faster if there wasn't a 90 degree bend at the bottom... Most of the time I do this road in the other direction and forgot how good it was heading east! I then had the big climb up to Kingscavil where I had my first snack stop! My average speed was 18.2mph at this point, I was really flying along and loving it!
I grabbed some photos here of course!
It was pretty much overcast all day but the temperature was just perfect for riding, around 15C so nothing like the crazy temps Stefan was enduring, kudos to you for riding in those temps mate! @Stefan Mikes I continued east with a slight downhill so I was really flying along and at the end of the road I turned north for Threemiletown where I had another big fast descent to enjoy! I continued south through Old Philpstoun and joined the main road east towards Newton, the road was busy here as expected but I was only 4 miles away from the bridges now! Of course I had to stop for some photos here, sadly there are new houses appearing and spoiling the view!
A short time later I arrived at the Forth Road Bridge!
I crossed the bridge which was pretty busy today due to people taking advantage of the light winds, one last photo of the rail bridge before heading for Inverkeithing!
At Inverkeithing it was time to head west, once more I was on the busy main road for a few miles!uI was using the paths as often as I could before joining the new cycle path towards Crombie! I have to say I was disappointed with the path as it was very lumpy, they are still working on it with 2 lanes being built but the lane I was using looked finished! At Crombie I had to take the road again but only for a short time before turning on to the back road to Torryburn, another lovely descent here although into the wind now which was starting to strengthen! I continued on through Newmills and Low Valleyfield and on to Culross which was jumping with people, there was some kind of fete taking place!
The road had little to no traffic on it though and within a minute I was through the village and had peace and quiet again! I continued west for Kincardine bridge and spotted a lunatic riding on the cycle path with a high speed e bike, he must have been doing close to 30mph on the straight part!
There were families with kids on the path so he had no need to be using it at all because the road had no traffic whatsoever! There is a big descent at the end of the road and I could see him at the bottom turning on to the cycle path to the bridge, I decided to stick to the road over the bridge to avoid him in case I got into a confrontation...I crossed the bridge and stopped on the other side for a snack and a couple of photos of the Ochil Hills! Construction work on the bridge will be ongoing until March 2025!
The view over the Forth to the south!
I joined the cycle path here and headed south towards Grangemouth, passing through Skinflats and then on into Falkirk! It was now time to start climbing again, I used a back road which has been closed for many weeks and discovered it had been closed to install a new 2 lane cycle path, this one was super smooth! I then had the big climb up Glenbrae to Glenn Village where I turned for Lionthorn where I stopped for a couple of photos and the sun made a very brief appearance!
Now I had the big climb up to Slamannan and decided to stick to the main road there as there was very little traffic around, continuing west towards Greengairs where I turned south on the back roads towards home! I was climbing the final hill with 71 miles covered when I had a lightbulb moment and thought it would be a good idea to have my dinner and continue the ride on my local roads to make it another 100 miler, especially considering I had planned a ride of around 150 miles for my 600th ride!
After dinner and an hours break I set off just before 6pm with a pretty leaden sky but the wind had completely dropped now and riding conditions were just perfect! I felt a little rain in the air but it wasn't enough to even wet the roads! I started on the main road in town but the traffic was very light, within a couple of miles I was on the back roads and loving the peace and quiet! I passed through Hareshaw and continued down into Allanton where I took the awesome back road to the far side of Allanton and joined the main road towards Breich, I have been through Breich a lot recently so I turned off and took the road to Shotts! I then took the back road to Eastfield and turned west to take the back road to Blackridge, this road is so much fun to ride and its extremely narrow but I didn't see a single car!
This part is a real blast!
Its much steeper than it looks, I have been nudging 40mph here before with a tailwind! A mere 30mph yesterday!
I arrived in Blackridge and turned west for home, passing Hillend Loch on the way so I stopped for some photos!I had covered 99 miles now and noticed it was going to be my fastest ever 100 miler so I stopped when the 100 appeared on my gps to take this photo!
I arrived home with 104 miles in the bag and very happy I decided to go for that evening ride, it was just amazing!
So ride no 600 was in the bag and what a ride it was, my bike was 6 years old just over a month ago and I have now covered 31836 miles so my average is just over 53 miles!Attachments
