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

[dodgeman]

Congrats on your 5000 milestone, amazing effort buddy!

Thank you. 5000 miles for you takes what, about 2 months?

 

[Brian-s]

You guys kill me with these pictures. My wife and I rode 16 miles yesterday but I couldn’t find anything to take a picture of unless you like to see corn or soybean fields.

It always seems that way. What I go by everyday I don't take a picture of because I see it everyday but somebody posts something and it's unique so it seems much better. For that same reason your pictures might appear great to somebody else even though to you it's an everyday item

 

[Stefan Mikes]

So far, the only picture of me taken during the Mazovian Gravel 120, 2024. (The name of Lady Photographer was not disclosed).

The classification. I had 146th time on the finish line. According to the rules, I was not classified as an e-biker. 197 people of 206 who had started also finished the race. 21 people who had paid their participation fee didn't even start.

I have a feeling I represented the EBR Forums quite well

That was my second and last Mazovian Gravel race (I completed the MG 2023 263 km race successfully, too). I have fallen out with the race organizers who could not take my critics of the inclusion of MTB singletracks in the Rookie Race Well, paying for the participation and getting nothing out of it is not what I like Fortunately, we now have as many as three serious gravel races with the e- category in Poland, so I wouldn't cry

 

[Prairie Dog]

Another epic trail ride in Canmore, AB this Saturday morning. Rode three singles in succession including Highline, Cloudline and Guy Lafleur. Arrived back at home two hours ago and desperately need some shuteye. Teaser photo of Ha Ling Peak. More to come.

 

[Chargeride]

I have fallen out with the race organizers who could not take my critics of the inclusion of MTB singletracks in the Rookie Race

So Stefan was this measured critique or did you go on the bounce still sweating from the race

I speak as someone very likely to do the latter and regret it later

 

[Captain Slow]

I took the long way home on Thursday after work. Here is the first picture of my new ride, Vader.

I named the bike Vader because he's got a Force groupset and well he's a dark colour (I wanted yellow, but it was a warranty replacement and I didn't have a choice). So dark side of the Force ..............

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I took the long way home on Thursday after work. Here is the first picture of my new ride, Vader.

I named the bike Vader because he's got a Force groupset and well he's a dark colour (I wanted yellow, but it was a warranty replacement and I didn't have a choice). So dark side of the Force ..............

Beautiful bike! What city?

 

[RabH]

I was planning a big trip on the bike tomorrow but while I was charging my batteries my bike wouldn't switch on, I'm pretty sure its the Evo display at fault and I have a new one ordered which will hopefully arrive on Tuesday/Wednesday so fingers crossed that will get me back in the saddle! I will be heading out tomorrow on my trusty 15 year old Giant CRS Hybrid, back to pedal power only so we will see how far I manage to go this time but it sure won't be my usual 100...

 

[Saratoga Dave]

I ran into the non power on, intermittent shutoff thing as well a couple of years ago on my 2018 Giant Toughroad, similar to your Road E. New display fixed the problem, bike is still going strong under my son’s command. That era Giant ebike was a damn good piece of equipment.

 

[RabH]

I ran into the non power on, intermittent shutoff thing as well a couple of years ago on my 2018 Giant Toughroad, similar to your Road E. New display fixed the problem, bike is still going strong under my son’s command. That era Giant ebike was a damn good piece of equipment.

Yes I'm pretty sure that's the issue Dave, I spoke to my LBS and the earliest they could look at it is July 12th...

I did have the display replaced under warranty at 9 months old but that was caused by the app bricking the display! Never used the app since other than changing the assistance, with it totally offline to stop it updating the software!

 

[keithj69]

Welcome to the RabH betting pool... We will do closest to the pin, $1 dollar per mile RabH does on the old hybrid. The winner that is closest to the actual end mileage wins the pool. I am in for $69 miles.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

So Stefan was this measured critique or did you go on the bounce still sweating from the race

You would be surprised to learn an influential rider (the key race's sponsor) was of the same opinion as I The person tried to ride the 250 km race, and DNF because of the too much demanding race route! (Cannot reveal more).

ON SUNDAY, I SUCCESSFULLY ORGANIZED A GRAVEL RIDE OF 10 MEN. RODE FOR 100 MILES MYSELF, of which 110 km was a gravel group ride.

Please watch a short video by Paweł Jońca. I do appear often riding my Vado. Paweł didn't spare his critics like leading the group into impenetrable woods or making a wrong turn into sands! Enjoy!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Welcome to the RabH betting pool... We will do closest to the pin, $1 dollar per mile RabH does on the old hybrid. The winner that is closest to the actual end mileage wins the pool. I am in for $69 miles.

I'd join in for a dime a mile. My bet: 73.2 miles.

 

[Chargeride]

You would be surprised to learn an influential rider (the key race's sponsor) was of the same opinion as I The person tried to ride the 250 km race, and DNF because of the too much demanding race route! (Cannot reveal more).

ON SUNDAY, I SUCCESSFULLY ORGANIZED A GRAVEL RIDE OF 10 MEN. RODE FOR 100 MILES MYSELF, of which 110 km was a gravel group ride.

Please watch a short video by Paweł Jońca. I do appear often riding my Vado. Paweł didn't spare his critics like leading the group into impenetrable woods or making a wrong turn into sands! Enjoy!

Well it looks like you have good support for your grievance, my usual experience of bad organisation is when the wife is doing triathalons and there is no help whatsoever for the entire process, just hundreds of people all asking strangers where the start is and finding out 2 mins before the gun that they needed to have signed some form at a desk around the back with no signage whatsoever.
Im always there fuming.
'just 10 pieces of paper stuck to trees with simple directions would solve this chaos instantly'
Im convinced they WANT the chaos

 

[Prairie Dog]

We were back in Canmore, AB for what we hoped was going to be another epic ride on a couple of machine-built trails. Highline and Cloudline were completed two years ago with help from Alberta Parks, the Canmore MTB Association and loads of volunteers from the Friends of Kananaskis. Rated blue, Highline does have the distinction of being bestowed a black diamond when it comes to climb difficulty with some technical challenges coming in the form of boulders and drainage sections of Three Sisters Creek that must be crossed. Once you're up the climbs, the trail rolls along the sidehill, with shorter ups and downs to plow through. The soil is rocky, the switchbacks steep, and fitness is a good thing to have.

Our trio heads out towards Highline trail as Ha Ling Peak towers over us. Previously named Chinaman’s Peak, it was changed in 2018 to be less offensive. Ha Ling was a Chinese cook for the CP Railway in 1896. The story behind the mountain stems from a $50 bet wagered that Ha Ling could not summit the peak and plant a flag in less than 10 hours. He ended up completing the climb in 5 hours and was back in time for lunch. Naturally, no one believed him so he led a party of cynics up to the top where he planted yet a larger flag beside the original one which was visible from the townsite of Canmore. The locals referred to it as Chinaman’s peak in his honor.

Feelin’ the burn. We sensed that this was not going to be an easy trip up as the climbs started modestly but became progressively more difficult further on.

At around the 2km mark, I understood why Highline is such a popular choice for both hikers and riders as we received just a peak of what to expect.

More climbing before we could take in the full view of the vista of the mountains and Quarry Lake below.

Another impressive view of Ha Ling Peak.

At age 36, PJ is the youngest rider in our trio and has climbed to the top of Ha Ling in addition to 160 other peaks in various regions of K-Country, Canmore, BNP, and Clear Water Country. Now that’s impressive.

We make our way cautiously down the other side and end up carrying our steeds over the rocky terrain below before ascending once again on the bikes.

The boys and I take a well-deserved break at this bridge crossing over Three Sisters Creek.

Don’t feel bad for us as almost everyone is expected to walk their bikes up except for the most insanely fit riders many of who passed us on the way up Highline.

The cooling waterfall of Three Sisters makes it a nice spot to hangout especially after a few heat sweltering assents.

We encounter more hikers further up the trail. Everyone including other riders were courteous and accommodating of each other.

One more short climb afterwards and Richard is rewarded with a respite on the Cloudline bench.

We finally reach the entry point to Cloudline and this is where fun began. Built with loving care, this flowy DH had us grinning from ear to ear top to bottom.

With our spirits lifted after the DH, it was only fitting that we were greeted with this superb mountain vista as we briefly stopped at the Middle Sister Access which would connect us on to our final single of the day.

The final leg of the ride was on Guy Lafleur and to be frank it was a bit of a let down at the day’s end. Trailforks refers to this old school rooty classic as energy sapping loam and they weren’t far off from being totally right as it was hard to catch any speed on this single due to the cantankerous root infested sections. I had barely enough left in the tank to complete the run.

We stop briefly at a cutline and admire the view with the TC highway visible in the distance before moving on.

Further up the trail, Richard takes a bit of a tumble as the line he opted to ride was a bit too close to a couple of loosely spaced logs causing him to lose his balance. He was fine but was a bit perturbed about his selection.

One last crossing at Pigeon Creek and a short jaunt on to the highway as we finish our ride.

Grand view of Grotto Mtn. from the MD of Deadman’s Flats and homebase for the ride. This was certainly one of the most challenging rides I’ve taken on but the exhilarating ride back down had me convinced that this is why so many riders choose this particular trail time and time again.

 

[Chargeride]

Absolutely gorgeous, Im not having a go, but a lot of our roads are rougher than that trail.

So well maintained, you could really take it all in.

 

[DaveMatthews]

We were back in Canmore, AB for what we hoped was going to be another epic ride on a couple of machine-built trails. Highline and Cloudline were completed two years ago with help from Alberta Parks, the Canmore MTB Association and loads of volunteers from the Friends of Kananaskis. Rated blue, Highline does have the distinction of being bestowed a black diamond when it comes to climb difficulty with some technical challenges coming in the form of boulders and drainage sections of Three Sisters Creek that must be crossed. Once you're up the climbs, the trail rolls along the sidehill, with shorter ups and downs to plow through. The soil is rocky, the switchbacks steep, and fitness is a good thing to have.

View attachment 177922
View attachment 177924
Our trio heads out towards Highline trail as Ha Ling Peak towers over us. Previously named Chinaman’s Peak, it was changed in 2018 to be less offensive. Ha Ling was a Chinese cook for the CP Railway in 1896. The story behind the mountain stems from a $50 bet wagered that Ha Ling could not summit the peak and plant a flag in less than 10 hours. He ended up completing the climb in 5 hours and was back in time for lunch. Naturally, no one believed him so he led a party of cynics up to the top where he planted yet a larger flag beside the original one which was visible from the townsite of Canmore. The locals referred to it as Chinaman’s peak in his honor.
View attachment 177926
View attachment 177925

Feelin’ the burn. We sensed that this was not going to be an easy trip up as the climbs started modestly but became progressively more difficult further on.

View attachment 177927View attachment 177928

At around the 2km mark, I understood why Highline is such a popular choice for both hikers and riders as we received just a peak of what to expect.

View attachment 177929

More climbing before we could take in the full view of the vista of the mountains and Quarry Lake below.

View attachment 177930
View attachment 177931

Another impressive view of Ha Ling Peak.

View attachment 177932

At age 36, PJ is the youngest rider in our trio and has climbed to the top of Ha Ling in addition to 160 other peaks in various regions of K-Country, Canmore, BNP, and Clear Water Country. Now that’s impressive.

View attachment 177934

We make our way cautiously down the other side and end up carrying our steeds over the rocky terrain below before ascending once again on the bikes.

View attachment 177935

The boys and I take a well-deserved break at this bridge crossing over Three Sisters Creek.

View attachment 177936

Don’t feel bad for us as almost everyone is expected to walk their bikes up except for the most insanely fit riders many of who passed us on the way up Highline.

View attachment 177938

The cooling waterfall of Three Sisters makes it a nice spot to hangout especially after a few heat sweltering assents.

View attachment 177940View attachment 177939

We encounter more hikers further up the trail. Everyone including other riders were courteous and accommodating of each other.

View attachment 177941

View attachment 177943
View attachment 177944

One more short climb afterwards and Richard is rewarded with a respite on the Cloudline bench.

View attachment 177946View attachment 177945

We finally reach the entry point to Cloudline and this is where fun began. Built with loving care, this flowy DH had us grinning from ear to ear top to bottom.

View attachment 177947View attachment 177948

With our spirits lifted after the DH, it was only fitting that we were greeted with this superb mountain vista as we briefly stopped at the Middle Sister Access which would connect us on to our final single of the day.

View attachment 177949

The final leg of the ride was on Guy Lafleur and to be frank it was a bit of a let down at the day’s end. Trailforks refers to this old school rooty classic as energy sapping loam and they weren’t far off from being totally right as it was hard to catch any speed on this single due to the cantankerous root infested sections. I had barely enough left in the tank to complete the run.

View attachment 177950View attachment 177952

We stop briefly at a cutline and admire the view with the TC highway visible in the distance before moving on.

View attachment 177953

Further up the trail, Richard takes a bit of a tumble as the line he opted to ride was a bit too close to a couple of loosely spaced logs causing him to lose his balance. He was fine but was a bit perturbed about his selection.

View attachment 177954

One last crossing at Pigeon Creek and a short jaunt on to the highway as we finish our ride.

View attachment 177955

Grand view of Grotto Mtn. from the MD of Deadman’s Flats and homebase for the ride. This was certainly one of the most challenging rides I’ve taken on but the exhilarating ride back down had me convinced that this is why so many riders choose this particular trail time and time again.

View attachment 177956

Fantastic!

 

[Prairie Dog]

Absolutely gorgeous, Im not having a go, but a lot of our roads are rougher than that trail.

Yes, I’ve heard stories about the road conditions over there. Perhaps it’s better to get back to basics.

 

[Captain Slow]

Beautiful bike! What city?

Vancouver, BC.

Those pictures of Canmore are really nice.

 

[RabH]

Back on my 15 year old Giant Hybrid for the first time in 3 years!

With my e bike awaiting a new display it was time to dig out my trusty old Giant CRS 1.0 which I purchased back in 2009 and it has served me so well, it even survived a head on collision with a kids mountain bike a few yards from home after cycling 120 miles... @keithj69 @Jeremy McCreary You guys were way out with your guesses, maybe I should have mentioned I haven't ridden the bike since April 2021! It was never going to be more than 50 miles with a temp of 22C and a SW wind around 20mph in the afternoon, my hands and knees were hurting also due to the totally different riding position!

I probably should have headed out early morning when the winds were much calmer and it was only 14C or thereabouts! I had things to do though and had to wait until 11am, the winds were pretty light at first but I knew they would increase as the day went on! Normally when I was riding my standard road bikes I would head into the wind to have the wind at my back on the way home, but that wasn't really an option today so I opted to enjoy the wind at my back in the hope the return journey into the wind would help cool me down! I forgot to factor in the climbs though...

Speaking of which I was riding through Dechmont and was going to continue to Uphall and turn north and take the road towards Threemiletown but the old fool in me decided to tackle Burnhouse road which is even tough on my e bike! I really surprised myself by making it up without having to walk any parts, it really is a beast of a climb!

Anyway back to the start, the first 8 miles were climb after climb up the back roads to Salsburgh and then the big climb from Salsburgh to Harthill, it didn't take long to get warmed up so to speak! I then enjoyed the descent down towards Harthill where I ran out of gears but managed 35.4mph, my hybrid is a 9 speed triple with a Shimano Deore groupset consisting of 48/36/26T chainrings and a 12-28 cassette so you quickly run out of gears on big descents!

At the bottom of the descent I decided to take the back road to Armadale, which starts with this climb!

I stopped at the bottom for a snack and a short break after all the climbing, taking a photo of my trusty steed!

I then headed up the climb and was glad to get to the summit and enjoyed the flat road for a bit before this lovely descent!

I was nearing Armadale and spotted a cycle path just before the big climb and decided to check it out, it actually took me out at the far side of Armadale where I joined the new cycle path down to Whitburn! I will be using that path again for sure! At Whitburn I headed NE and used the excellent cycle path to Dechmont, where I stopped for lunch before taking on the Burnhouse road climb! Thankfully the climb is broken up into 3 parts with a couple of short descents where I could get my breath back and I sure needed it!

This is the last part of the climb and I sure enjoyed that descent before the road ramps up!

This is at the summit looking back down, the other parts of the road are well hidden due to the undulations!

Part way up I stopped for this photo with a handy kerb to rest my pedal on!

This is looking east at the summit!

Now I had this awesome descent to enjoy and get my breath back!

The fun is short lived as the road ramps up again before the scary descent at the end, the road just drops away like a cliff edge! This is after going down the descent and is looking back up the hill I came down, no way could I climb that part on my hybrid without pushing so I was glad I was descending it today...

I grabbed some photos here before tackling the climb up towards Beecraigs Country Park!

The climb is gradual to begin with but I was heading in to a strong headwind now and made the decision not to do the climb up past the park which would have been brutal today, opting for the back road into Linlithgow instead! It starts with this nice descent before ramping up for a bit, I grabbed a few photos here before heading down the descent!

After the climbs the road finally descends steeply down past the Linlithgow Canal Centre, time for more photos!

I then continued down the remainder of the descent and arrived in the town centre where I stopped at a shop for an energy drink and a can of coke to give me a boost! I really wanted a bottle of coke but they were sold out, I downed the energy drink and kept the can of coke for later! I made my through the town and luckily it wasn't too busy for a change, stopping at the bridge with the viaduct in view!

I then took the back road to Standburn and knew I was in for some punishing climbs, thankfully some nice descents also! After the last of the climbs I had this lovely descent to enjoy towards Avonbridge, I downed my can of coke here to boost my energy for the climbs ahead!

After this descent there is another 2 steep descents and I sure enjoyed the break from all the climbing but I knew there were many tough climbs ahead and they would all be into the headwind! From Avonbridge I headed SW for Limerigg and battled my way up all of the climbs before reaching the Black Loch where I stopped for photos!

There were some dark clouds hanging around and I could feel rain in the air, I was actually hoping for a downpour now to refresh me but it didn't happen! I did get some short showers which helped a little...

I was just about to pull away from the loch when I spotted a duck with 6 ducklings in tow!

I then reached Limerigg and was heading for Caldercruix and decided to turn south towards Forestfield to join the cycle path which runs alongside the railway line and Hillend Loch! Its a really nice road with some lovely descents to enjoy!

I turned on to the cycle path and spotted a walker in the distance with 2 very large dogs in tow, I was just about to ding my bell when he looked round and saw me approaching and moved the dogs on to the grass! They were really beautiful dogs, I'm sure they were Newfoundlands and they must have been melting in the 22C heat with those big fur coats!

I then reached Hillend Loch, time for more photos!

That was the last of my photos, I continued along the cyle path all the way to Plains with 48 miles in the bag and I knew I had 2 miles to go so it worked out perfectly for my 50 miler! It was a tough ride but still very enjoyable, my old hybrid still has plenty life left and hopefully I do also... I look forward to getting my e bike back up and running though, the hybrid is fun to ride but doesn't come close to the fun factor my 6 year old Giant brings!