JGcycle
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Saint John
I have ridden about 2500km so far this year. Much better than last year, when I only rode about 2000km for the whole year.
2024 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos
- Thread starter Saratoga Dave
- Start date
JGcycle
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Saint John
The weather here has been very good this year. I have usually been able to get out riding 5 or 6 days a week.Is your weather good every day? it certainly seems to be and I'm just a little jealous despite it being lovely here today...Its supposed to be nice tomorrow also so I will almost certainly be out on the bike tomorrow after missing out today!
Jeremy McCreary
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Pretty impressive! I've averaged about 2400 km/yr in my 2 years of ebiking, but I have a 12-month riding season. What's your riding season?
JGcycle
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Saint John
My typical riding season is late March to late November. However, this year I started riding March 2nd.
RabH
Well-Known Member
If I get one nice day out of 6 I'm lucky...
dodgeman
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Macomb, Illinois
I rode to a nearby state park called Argyle. It has a lake and a road around the lake that is very curvy and has some steep hills. I ended up with about 18 miles and just under 1100 feet of elevation gain, most of that in the 5 miles around the lake. A few pictures of the lake and the road across the dam.
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
Still here.
Rode the bike around the corner from my dads nursing home to find this incredibly atmospheric viaduct, still in use, the towers on the right are the leftovers of the
original structure built by good old Isambard Kingdom Brunel, finished in 1848,
The construction of the South Devon Railway was granted by an Act of Parliament in 1844. The last 21¼ mile stretch linking Totnes with Plymouth required the building of five substantial viaducts designed by the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806 – 1859). A newspaper article from 10 May 1848 reporting the official opening of the line, describes the spectacle marvelled by the first travelling passengers.
find
Its over 100ft high, I have no idea why they left the original pillars, maybe ground compression or something, the little wood and river is incredibly serene and
beautiful, I really felt like I'd discovered some ancient remains in the Amazon
Quite imposing arching over you alongside the free standing remains of the Brunel structure
You access it down this gorgeous riverside path
Then on to the bridle path to the Dartmoor way, the British love a good sign......which we ignore.
The eyes on the black sheep
Pretty well straight up for five minutes of full power, bottom gear.
The bike can make it, but the constant rocks and tyre grabbing holes puts you your stride, I'm just too old to wrestle with it for long c,imbs.
There are wild ponies and horses on Dartmoor, all the mares were white and the foals black, a hiker joked with me that there must be a black stallion somewhere
and dont wear white
Ive never seen panda cows before
I climbed a Tor, they are granite outcrops on featureless land, the word means tower in Celtic.
Cute calf procession
Ivybridge itself is mostly very ordinary, a generic any town.
Probably its best feature is the river through the centre.
oh and the women
Holy smokes it is full of stunning women, you cant go into any supermarket without falling in love before you leave.
I might stay.
Rode the bike around the corner from my dads nursing home to find this incredibly atmospheric viaduct, still in use, the towers on the right are the leftovers of the
original structure built by good old Isambard Kingdom Brunel, finished in 1848,
The construction of the South Devon Railway was granted by an Act of Parliament in 1844. The last 21¼ mile stretch linking Totnes with Plymouth required the building of five substantial viaducts designed by the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806 – 1859). A newspaper article from 10 May 1848 reporting the official opening of the line, describes the spectacle marvelled by the first travelling passengers.
Its over 100ft high, I have no idea why they left the original pillars, maybe ground compression or something, the little wood and river is incredibly serene and
beautiful, I really felt like I'd discovered some ancient remains in the Amazon
Quite imposing arching over you alongside the free standing remains of the Brunel structure
You access it down this gorgeous riverside path
Then on to the bridle path to the Dartmoor way, the British love a good sign......which we ignore.
The eyes on the black sheep
Pretty well straight up for five minutes of full power, bottom gear.
The bike can make it, but the constant rocks and tyre grabbing holes puts you your stride, I'm just too old to wrestle with it for long c,imbs.
There are wild ponies and horses on Dartmoor, all the mares were white and the foals black, a hiker joked with me that there must be a black stallion somewhere
and dont wear white
Ive never seen panda cows before
I climbed a Tor, they are granite outcrops on featureless land, the word means tower in Celtic.
Cute calf procession
Ivybridge itself is mostly very ordinary, a generic any town.
Probably its best feature is the river through the centre.
oh and the women
Holy smokes it is full of stunning women, you cant go into any supermarket without falling in love before you leave.
I might stay.
JGcycle
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Saint John
You sure do make up for it when you do get out though.If I get one nice day out of 6 I'm lucky...
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
I could see so many gates on your way in so many of your videos. Will all of them open? How does entering a private property is looked upon in Britain?Then on to the bridle path to the Dartmoor way, the British love a good sign......which we ignore.
I'm asking it out of curiosity. For instance, you are free to enter any private property (but not the home!) or a public area in Sweden as long as you behave there and are respectful. In Poland, all public areas have a free access but you are not allowed to enter the private property (the latter is as clear to the Poles as even most of fields are not fenced!)
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Chargeride
Well-Known Member
They are simply livestock gates on a public way, stop sheep and cattle taking a wander into town.
No, you wouldnt enter a private path unless it also contains a public way.
Its no big deal though, simply 'sorry Im lost' and turn around.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Find out why Poland looks so differently to the United Kingdom
(I also read your two other sentences, thank you!)
RabH
Well-Known Member
Yes I do, any opportunity for a big ride is taken with gusto and today was the case in point!You sure do make up for it when you do get out though.
I noticed I hadn't ridden out to the beautiful Trossachs since June so with a decent forecast today I put that right! The wind was from the NE and around 20mph which is unusual for around here and it didn't really help me until late in my ride and I sure needed it! I set off just before 7am in a northerly direction down the back roads towards Cumbernauld, it was a little chilly but just nice for riding the hills!
Early morning view of the Campsie Hills, I was just skirting round them today until late in my ride!
From Cumbernauld I took the back road through Twechar and on through Kirkintilloch where I truned north for Lennoxtown and had another view of the Campsies down this awesome descent!
I stopped at the Whitefield Pond in Lennoxtown for a snack and a photo!
From there I was heading west towards Strathblane and heard a truck approaching and I knew I had a climb coming just round the bend, I spotted a tiny road off to the left and decided to pull in to let the truck pass and I got a little beep of his horn to say thanks! I noticed there was a line of cars behind the truck, I was holding him up and he was holding them up!
While I was waiting for them to pass I noticed a little bridge just around 100 yards up the tiny road and walked up to investigate and came across this lovely view!A little later I reached Strathblane where I turned north on to the main A81 which runs all the way to Aberfoyle, thankfully the road wasn't busy so I got lucky! I was nearing the village of Dumgoyne and stopped for this photo of the A81 at the Glengoyne Distillery! I didn't stop for any samples as I hate whisky...I guess I'm not a true Scot!
I continued along the A81 and reached this long straight with a nice descent and a very nice view of the mountains surrounding the Trossachs National Park!I stopped again at the bottom of the descent for these photos!
Most of the A81 is in very good condition, I just love riding this road!
I reached the turnoff for Aberfoyle but decided to give it a miss this time and turn east towards Thornhill instead, the reward for going this way is the stunning Lake of Menteith!
One of the reasons I chose this route was the road from Thornhill to Callander which starts with a huge climb and culminates in a truly awesome descent! This is the first climb and it just keeps going up for almost 3 miles!
The descent makes the climb worth the effort and the stunning views just keep coming!
I arrived in Callander and stopped on the bridge in the centre of town for some photos, what a beautiful day it was!
Callander was my turning point so it was time to turn SE on the main A84, a very busy road at times but I timed it nicely today and really enjoyed riding it for many miles which are mostly downhill until I reached Doune! At Doune I decided to take the road to Bridge of Allan which starts with some big climbs and is followed by some brilliant descents!
The scenery isn't too shabby either!
The road is in great condition for the most part!
I passed through a busy Bridge of Allan and turned south for Stirling, the only city I choose to ride my bike through! I know it well and can avoid the congested parts! Now came the huge 4 mile climb from Stirling up over the Campsies, only this time the wind was in my favour and it made the climb so much easier than it usually is!
It really ramps up just after this part!
Then comes the steepest part up past Loch Coulter!
At the top I had an amazing view of the Ochils!
Loch Coulter!
Now I had some big descents to look forward to, at first the road rises and falls like a rollercoaster in parts before arriving in the Carron Valley where I turned east towards Denny and had a 4 mile descent to bask in! That sure was fun despite the 20mph headwind, it didn't slow me down much!
From Denny I took the road to Bonnybridge with the intention of taking the back roads up to Falkirk, only to be stifled by a road closure! I thought about chancing it but came up with a nice alternative instead, taking the road to Abronhill where I made a wrong turn which turned out to be a blessing as I enjoyed a very narrow back road with no traffic anywhere!The road eventually brought me out on the road I was intending to take, I really wasn't sure where it would go...
I arrived home knackered but absolutely buzzing after a brilliant day on the bike!
That was imperial century #17 for the year, 3 more than I did in my best year in 2012 way before my e bike days!Attachments
In rural areas here (Washington State, and especially east of the Cascades) gates often have an open grid of steel bars to discourage livestock from moving through. When a local politician learned that the state was responsible for "cattle guards," he was offended that the state was hiring people to guard cattle. He lost the next election, as I recall.
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Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Black & White
I was wondering whether putting the screen of my Samsung S24 U smartphone into the Greyscale mode would result in any power saving. The short answer is: it would if you had the screen open all the time and your phone were on the bars However, I use my phone only during the stops, so the gain (if any) was minimal. On the other hand, watching the screen in the shades of gray was a hilarious experience! Bear in mind, the phone "thinks" colour all the time (for instance, any screenshot or a photo is still a colour one, only you see it in black & white). Anyway, I was converting rare photos from my ride to B&W just to give my FB friends an idea what I was seeing on my smartphone myself!
The ride plan was: Vado SL at 60/100%. Ride upwind for a 30 km segment, make a loop through Warsaw, return home (possibly with tailwind or cross-wind all the time). I was running Strava Beacon so my mate Tomek could intercept me in Warsaw (he knew where I was and how fast I was riding all the time).
My ride was a workout to prepare for the Great Lakes Gravel race. I was testing the assistance vs. range, and tried doing minimal stops, especially as it was pleasantly cold at that time!
My upwind segment lead me to the village of Łoś (Elk). I tried to do a shortcut (by Komoot) but I could not believe my eyes! The whole dirt road got damaged by boars (which used to feed in the area). Cursing, I had to return to the main road and found a pretty long detour! Meanwhile, the day became hot.
A longer stop in Zalesie Górne. It was full sunshine already.
"All Roads Lead To Kierszek" Whenever you approach Kabacki Forest from the south (or have missed your way in the Forest), it is easier to find yourself in Kierszek than elsewhere! As I hate riding through Kierszek, I tried to give the photo some post-apocalyptic looks
Tomek intercepted me at Specialized Warsaw (it was nothing interesting there on the day. Even my Creo 2 had disappeared!) We rode to the META Bar as planned for lunch. (The beer here is some crappy big brewery non-alcoholic ale).
I stopped "racing" and just enjoyed my ride with several stops. Here, two men playing ping-pong in a huge housing quarter of Ursynów.
Average Street? Really?
As I reached my local BP service station for traditional Iced Coffee, I realised I might make a Metric Century if I only wanted. Found a very well hidden car-wash (where I washed my Fearless), did shopping etc. When I arrived home with 100.01 km for the day, I only put any electronic device on charging and fell in a deep sleep
Now, an old friend invited me for a visit on Sunday. I can see another Metric Century coming perhaps. Or, not
I was wondering whether putting the screen of my Samsung S24 U smartphone into the Greyscale mode would result in any power saving. The short answer is: it would if you had the screen open all the time and your phone were on the bars
However, I use my phone only during the stops, so the gain (if any) was minimal. On the other hand, watching the screen in the shades of gray was a hilarious experience! Bear in mind, the phone "thinks" colour all the time (for instance, any screenshot or a photo is still a colour one, only you see it in black & white). Anyway, I was converting rare photos from my ride to B&W just to give my FB friends an idea what I was seeing on my smartphone myself! The ride plan was: Vado SL at 60/100%. Ride upwind for a 30 km segment, make a loop through Warsaw, return home (possibly with tailwind or cross-wind all the time). I was running Strava Beacon so my mate Tomek could intercept me in Warsaw (he knew where I was and how fast I was riding all the time).
My ride was a workout to prepare for the Great Lakes Gravel race. I was testing the assistance vs. range, and tried doing minimal stops, especially as it was pleasantly cold at that time!
My upwind segment lead me to the village of Łoś (Elk). I tried to do a shortcut (by Komoot) but I could not believe my eyes! The whole dirt road got damaged by boars (which used to feed in the area). Cursing, I had to return to the main road and found a pretty long detour! Meanwhile, the day became hot.
A longer stop in Zalesie Górne. It was full sunshine already.
"All Roads Lead To Kierszek"
Whenever you approach Kabacki Forest from the south (or have missed your way in the Forest), it is easier to find yourself in Kierszek than elsewhere! As I hate riding through Kierszek, I tried to give the photo some post-apocalyptic looks Tomek intercepted me at Specialized Warsaw (it was nothing interesting there on the day. Even my Creo 2 had disappeared!) We rode to the META Bar as planned for lunch. (The beer here is some crappy big brewery non-alcoholic ale).
I stopped "racing" and just enjoyed my ride with several stops. Here, two men playing ping-pong in a huge housing quarter of Ursynów.
Average Street? Really?
As I reached my local BP service station for traditional Iced Coffee, I realised I might make a Metric Century if I only wanted. Found a very well hidden car-wash (where I washed my Fearless), did shopping etc. When I arrived home with 100.01 km for the day, I only put any electronic device on charging and fell in a deep sleep
Now, an old friend invited me for a visit on Sunday. I can see another Metric Century coming perhaps. Or, not
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