2024 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos
- Thread starter Saratoga Dave
- Start date
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
A proper MTB helmet!
JGcycle
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Saint John
Coming from a motorcycling background, where full-face helmets are the way to go, I just had to have a full-face ebike helmet.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Nothing wrong with it! Safety first!
Prairie Dog
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Red Deer
And so, it begins. Snowfall wasn’t as significant as I thought yesterday but that’s all about to change by this weekend as we expect a heavier dose of 15 to 25 cm to fall today.
Loved the traction afforded by the studded 4.5s and the frozen ground beneath provided the foundation for all of that divine grip.
I came across only one other fatbiker on my ride at Heritage Ranch.
I followed this mule buck a block from home and he seemed unperturbed by my presence.
Loved the traction afforded by the studded 4.5s and the frozen ground beneath provided the foundation for all of that divine grip.
I came across only one other fatbiker on my ride at Heritage Ranch.
I followed this mule buck a block from home and he seemed unperturbed by my presence.
Jeremy McCreary
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
What's all that white stuff?
;^}
Your well-chosen soundtracks always seem to resonate with both the tempo of the action and the feeling I think I might have had if I were the one in the saddle in that place. Generally serene — even on the technical offroad stuff.
Where do you find this music?
RabH
Well-Known Member
Awesome video PD, that looked like a lot of fun!
That Norco is a beast, looks like it can tackle anything except doing a limbo under a log...
We got a few inches of snow today but it has turned to slush now, thankfully its not going to freeze tonight or that would have been horrendous! I'm itching to get out on the bike again after 9 days of no riding due to extremely cold and dangerous conditions! Tuesday is looking a possibility though so fingers crossed...
Prairie Dog
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Red Deer
I typically try and select soundtracks that capture the mood and settings of the locale. Finding appropriate audio tracks for the rides in Japan was a bit of a challenge. Lots of traditional folk music but not much contemporary fusion blends that would suit the ride themes. Spotify really is my only source and find it to be pretty decent for all genres. I use a third-party downloader for conversion to MP3 format.
I’m sure your itchin’ to get out on the bike. I know that feeling well. This is my only method of escaping the winter doldrums but believe me after 6 months of cold and snow spring can’t arrive soon enough. The Bigfoot is a beast but it’s also a hefty bike to lug around. There was no way around that tree in the video and it was too high off the ground that I didn’t have any other choice but to muscle the 60lb bike over it. Maybe I should have taken your cue and done the limbo.Awesome video PD, that looked like a lot of fun!
We got a few inches of snow today but it has turned to slush now, thankfully its not going to freeze tonight or that would have been horrendous! I'm itching to get out on the bike again after 9 days of no riding due to extremely cold and dangerous conditions! Tuesday is looking a possibility though so fingers crossed...
The Ranch is THE place to winter ride if you own a fatbike as the trails there are the first to be set by other riders. Chances are pretty good that you’ll have some degree of hardpack the day after a fresh snowfall. I usually head out on a weekday morning when there is no other soul around and prefer it that way. I'll ride some of the less popular trails on weekends just not in as expedient fashion as I would at the Ranch.“I came across only one other fatbiker on my ride at Heritage Ranch.“
wonder why
Nvreloader
Western Nevada
- Region
- USA
Hey PD
Tell us how you went around that log jamb, over, under or around or went another route.
Hope you had your saw with you, as you need it in that neck of the woods.
Toa,
Tell us how you went around that log jamb, over, under or around or went another route.
Hope you had your saw with you, as you need it in that neck of the woods.
Toa,
Jeremy McCreary
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Thanks! What do you do about rights?
Prairie Dog
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Red Deer
This log jam? The downed poplar was too low-slung to drag the bike under so I had no other recourse but to hand bomb it. I would like to think that I have the morals of Paul Bunyan but I feel that this would be too big a job to entrust to a hand saw.
Jeremy McCreary
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Pretty gutsy carrying explosives on an eMTB on a single-track! I think I'd just turn around.
;^}
Prairie Dog
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Red Deer
I presume there would be an infringement issue but my videos really don’t make it farther than this forum plus many of the tracks I select are royalty free and I don’t profit or request subscribes from any of the videos as well. I’m no youtuber and hope to continue to fly under the radar until the day arrives when I can no longer make it work.
That reminds me, I need to renew my certification as a qualified hazard tree blaster.
Nvreloader
Western Nevada
- Region
- USA
One cut from the bottom, in the center and it should provide enough room to get across in the "V" provided. lol
Remember that it only takes 1/3 amount placed internally (1" hole dia) as 2/3 outside,
I am talking about C-4... Big Boom.
Just have a BIG tree to hide behind, while waiting...
Remember that it only takes 1/3 amount placed internally (1" hole dia) as 2/3 outside,
I am talking about C-4... Big Boom.
Just have a BIG tree to hide behind, while waiting...
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
What about the weather in the British Isles? What I hear is terribly bad!
Jeremy McCreary
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Prairie Dog
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Red Deer
Hazardous pay for sure but I’m sure it’s rewarding to see an unstable tree removed in such surgical fashion. Compliments of Vancouver Island Tree Service.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Adventures in Kampinos National Park (KPN)
I got an invite to yet another group ride by Fat Man, this time of MTB difficulty. I knew from the very start I would not be able to participate: too cold, too difficult. As I am fond of that group, I set off at 9:27 (European time format, haha!) on my Vado 6.0 to intercept the group on the trail, say 'Hello' and take some pictures. I wanted to make the day's ride on a single battery, so I set the assistance to 25/55% (Assist 0.8x with 286 W max motor power). A 22 km boring ride took me 70 minutes gross.
Village of Sieraków in the East KPN. There, the MTB trail with the descent from Wierzejna Mt. had its exit point. It was around 1 C, sunny, and the ground was frozen.
The long waiting began; I actually had to wait for 50 minutes for the group riding from north Warsaw! My mistake was wearing too thin socks. Soon, my left (bad) foot started freezing out...
At last! The scattered group of a dozen of MTBers emerged from the forest led by Fat Man! He had brand new fat tyres with Kevlar inserts on his bike this time.
I admire those people! So endurant! There were several women in the group, too.
The Cobblestone!
I followed the group for several kilometres. The East KPN is a difficult cycling environment. There is a lot of mud and deep sand, and all singletracks are full of tree-roots. Surprisingly, riding in the area is the easiest during a dry winter weather as the mud is frozen, and the sand is heavy, packed, and frozen too, thus completely rideable!
The group soon jumped onto the Palmiry Road segment paved with rough cobblestone. While the group riders followed a dangerous narrow path on the roadside (and soon disappeared in the woods), I simply rode the cobblestone for its full length! For the first time in my life!
That road segment (a summer 2021 photo).
Now, my Vado had its tyres under 2.8 bar (40 psi), a front shock, and a Redshift seat-post. What's the problem to ride the cobblestone? The most important is my head was not shaking! Shaking arms? The better, it was warming my body up! Now, seriously: After I could switch to asphalt past the Palmiry Memorial Site, I pedalled hard to reach the village of Palmiry and its restaurant as soon as possible!
Cycling friendly 'Inn On The Trail' restaurant in Palmiry. I entered it just six minutes past the opening!
The map of cycling trails and points of interest in the easternmost part of KPN (exactly where I was riding on Saturday!) A wall painting.
After the first sips of Winter Tea, I felt my feet unfreezing and getting warm!
That's what I love in cycling: Good grub on the trail!
ul. Rolnicza (Farming Street) connecting Czosnów with Łomianki (and there starts the bike path system of Warsaw). A very long, almost straight street with some one thousand street numbers is the longest road-cycling connecting street I know of It is the only way for a roadie to get from a popular workout area to Warsaw! Any serious Warsaw roadie must have been riding this street at least once!
For those who don't know about him: This is my 1st cousin Jacek (who by chance lives in Farming Street). We are 'brother' to each other. Apart of many other qualities, Jacek is an avid gravel and MTB rider, and one of the best bike mechanics I know! He actually taught me everything about working with bikes! (Jacek reminded me he had my winter studded tyres in the storage but decided it was too early for the change).
A wabbit!
The younger of the brethren, Piotr, trying my Vado unassisted. He was a way too tall for my e-bike!
'Could you give me the best route from here to Mariew?' I asked Jacek. He found one of his KPN routes and shared it with me. What I missed was the route led in the opposite direction I needed! Without giving it a second thought, I followed the Komoot route riding a Rail Trail to find myself on the Palmiry Road again! Hahaha! (This time, I deliberately took an MTB detour to avoid the cobblestone!)
'Boar is wild
Boar is evil
Boar has very sharp tusks
If you meet a boar in the woods
Run onto a tree as fast as you can!
/A nursery rhyme/
A boar warning and advice in Truskaw. Of course the actual poster gives a practical advice what to do in case of meeting a boar. Certainly 'do not feed them!'
Hunting is derided by a big part of the Polish society, and hunters are being 'cancelled'. Boars have become an issue, as the beast population grew to a big number, and now boars can be even spotted in big cities! The good news is we have two wolf families in the KPN. Not that I would like to meet a wolf myself but wolves are important to keep the wildlife population in check.
It was after the dark when I got on paved roads. A strong cross-wind added to the chill effect. The powerful low-beam headlight added to the e-bike battery consumption. Still, I arrived home with 10% of the battery. (@Jeremy McCreary: see the clock I remind you Wahoo is an American product, haha!)
For these of you interested in the e-bike technology: See how difficult it is to freeze the e-bike battery out. The internal battery resistance produces heat, keeping the battery warm enough!
I passed the 5,000 mile yearly mark on that ride!
I got an invite to yet another group ride by Fat Man, this time of MTB difficulty. I knew from the very start I would not be able to participate: too cold, too difficult. As I am fond of that group, I set off at 9:27 (European time format, haha!) on my Vado 6.0 to intercept the group on the trail, say 'Hello' and take some pictures. I wanted to make the day's ride on a single battery, so I set the assistance to 25/55% (Assist 0.8x with 286 W max motor power). A 22 km boring ride took me 70 minutes gross.
Village of Sieraków in the East KPN. There, the MTB trail with the descent from Wierzejna Mt. had its exit point. It was around 1 C, sunny, and the ground was frozen.
The long waiting began; I actually had to wait for 50 minutes for the group riding from north Warsaw! My mistake was wearing too thin socks. Soon, my left (bad) foot started freezing out...
At last! The scattered group of a dozen of MTBers emerged from the forest led by Fat Man! He had brand new fat tyres with Kevlar inserts on his bike this time.
I admire those people! So endurant! There were several women in the group, too.
The Cobblestone!
I followed the group for several kilometres. The East KPN is a difficult cycling environment. There is a lot of mud and deep sand, and all singletracks are full of tree-roots. Surprisingly, riding in the area is the easiest during a dry winter weather as the mud is frozen, and the sand is heavy, packed, and frozen too, thus completely rideable!
The group soon jumped onto the Palmiry Road segment paved with rough cobblestone. While the group riders followed a dangerous narrow path on the roadside (and soon disappeared in the woods), I simply rode the cobblestone for its full length!
For the first time in my life! That road segment (a summer 2021 photo).
Now, my Vado had its tyres under 2.8 bar (40 psi), a front shock, and a Redshift seat-post. What's the problem to ride the cobblestone? The most important is my head was not shaking! Shaking arms? The better, it was warming my body up!
Now, seriously: After I could switch to asphalt past the Palmiry Memorial Site, I pedalled hard to reach the village of Palmiry and its restaurant as soon as possible!Cycling friendly 'Inn On The Trail' restaurant in Palmiry. I entered it just six minutes past the opening!
The map of cycling trails and points of interest in the easternmost part of KPN (exactly where I was riding on Saturday!) A wall painting.
After the first sips of Winter Tea, I felt my feet unfreezing and getting warm!
That's what I love in cycling: Good grub on the trail!
ul. Rolnicza (Farming Street) connecting Czosnów with Łomianki (and there starts the bike path system of Warsaw). A very long, almost straight street with some one thousand street numbers is the longest road-cycling connecting street I know of
It is the only way for a roadie to get from a popular workout area to Warsaw! Any serious Warsaw roadie must have been riding this street at least once! For those who don't know about him: This is my 1st cousin Jacek (who by chance lives in Farming Street). We are 'brother' to each other. Apart of many other qualities, Jacek is an avid gravel and MTB rider, and one of the best bike mechanics I know! He actually taught me everything about working with bikes! (Jacek reminded me he had my winter studded tyres in the storage but decided it was too early for the change).
A wabbit!
The younger of the brethren, Piotr, trying my Vado unassisted. He was a way too tall for my e-bike!
'Could you give me the best route from here to Mariew?' I asked Jacek. He found one of his KPN routes and shared it with me. What I missed was the route led in the opposite direction I needed!
Without giving it a second thought, I followed the Komoot route riding a Rail Trail to find myself on the Palmiry Road again! Hahaha! (This time, I deliberately took an MTB detour to avoid the cobblestone!)'Boar is wild
Boar is evil
Boar has very sharp tusks
If you meet a boar in the woods
Run onto a tree as fast as you can!
/A nursery rhyme/
A boar warning and advice in Truskaw. Of course the actual poster gives a practical advice what to do in case of meeting a boar. Certainly 'do not feed them!'
Hunting is derided by a big part of the Polish society, and hunters are being 'cancelled'. Boars have become an issue, as the beast population grew to a big number, and now boars can be even spotted in big cities! The good news is we have two wolf families in the KPN. Not that I would like to meet a wolf myself but wolves are important to keep the wildlife population in check.
It was after the dark when I got on paved roads. A strong cross-wind added to the chill effect. The powerful low-beam headlight added to the e-bike battery consumption. Still, I arrived home with 10% of the battery. (@Jeremy McCreary: see the clock
I remind you Wahoo is an American product, haha!)For these of you interested in the e-bike technology: See how difficult it is to freeze the e-bike battery out. The internal battery resistance produces heat, keeping the battery warm enough!
I passed the 5,000 mile yearly mark on that ride!
Last edited:
Nah. Normal service has resumed with storm Bert. Temps went from -1c to 14c in 6 hours over Friday night. So we went from small bit of snow on Weds:
Then on Thursday morning woke up to full snowfall. Schools shut (no buses could get through etc)Power knocked out all day- part of the issue was the leaves are still out and so loads of trees and branches knocked off onto cables from weight of snow:
Friday with the sunshine caused a slight thaw, enough to have a slippery slidey ride over the local hills- which was just brilliant craic!
Then that night Storm Bert hit home, batten down the hatches and by morning the snow was pretty much gone with lashing (warm) rain all day (14c) and strong winds continuing into Sunday. Now at half past 2 on Sunday afternoon winds are dying down. Forecast is for 5 dry days ahead, temps around 10c most of the week and dipping down again. So chance for some good rides.
Pic taken out the window just now. I miss the crystal clear sunlight reflected off snow! Rare to get snow here. Really brightened up the inside of the house. Saw cobwebs I didn't know we had!
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