2025 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

[JGcycle]

A pic from today's 17km ride:

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Still at it, just not a lot to photograph till the trees get green again. Saratoga Battlefield this morning on a 60 degree sunny day, heavy rain coming for the next several days and a good 20 degree temp drop.

 

[Watana Bob]

Still at it, just not a lot to photograph till the trees get green again. Saratoga Battlefield this morning on a 60 degree sunny day, heavy rain coming for the next several days and a good 20 degree temp drop.

View attachment 191686

Thats a good looking bike Dave, even without the green leaves!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

A pic from today's 17km ride:

View attachment 191685

That's a really nice red. What kind of work boat in the backgound?

 

[Chargeride]

The little known mountain shuffle scoot method.

 

[JGcycle]

That's a really nice red. What kind of work boat in the backgound?

Thanks about the colour. The boat is a cable ferry that shuttles vehicles across the river. It uses a fixed underwater cable to pull itself across the river and back.

 

[Base]

Short morning ride through the country side. Almost summer today, 27 °C

40 minutes ride through the forest around the corner. No helmet so just the relaxed mtb trail parts and some logging paths.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

That’s a very inviting logging path! Love that kind of riding.

 

[Base]

This area is known since around 1250 and lays between Antwerpen and Bergen op Zoom. Since 1805 it is a nature preservation area. Currently it is in the slow transformation from pine to oak/birch Forrest with patches of Heath and some farm land

 

[Chargeride]

I've been doom scrolling the Facebook snapped carbon frame page.
Wtf, there's even destroyed carbon rotors.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

April Is A Weaver: She Weaves Some Summer With Some Winter (Nasielsk Lunch Ride)

I knew I wouldn't make a long ride this weekend because of the forecasted attack of Winter and excessive northerly (NNW) wind. I decided to take a trip by trains to a Mazovian town of Nasielsk and then sail with the tailwind back to Warsaw City Centre on a single battery of my Vado 6.0.

Platform 9 ¾, Warsaw West Station
The Warsaw West Station has been in the reconstruction for years, and it is not over yet, creating a chaos. Platform 9 is located at such a weird place it feels just another railway station, with terribly bad access. For this reason, people refer to that strange place as Platform 9 ¾ (as in Harry Potter). To get there and avoid a parkour at the station and around, I got from my first train off at a station called Warszawa Włochy (Italy, a complicated historical reason for the name!) and pedalled for 5.6 km to the Platform 9 ¾ as it was simply the easier way! (Still, I had to carry my e-bike up a steep and high stairs!)

On the first train.
After having reached the Platform 9 ¾.
The train was on time. It took over an hour to get to Nasielsk.

It turned out the Nasielsk station was located 5 km from the city but I had my e-bike of course.

The Best Polish Restaurant in Mazovia

Technically a pizza takeaway, the "Kaban's" place in Nasielsk is imho the best Polish cuisine eating place in the whole province. Operated by three female cooks, the food there tastes home... The bonus is the food is inexpensive there. I paid US$6.80 (GBP5.19) for the complete meal including compote! And... you can keep an eye on your e-bike while inside the restaurant!

The Main Ride
As soon as I left the restaurant bar, I was hit by hail; it was also snow, all propelled by a strong wind. The first kilometres were not nice! The leaden skies and cold made me feel sad. I would have nothing to report on!

Thanks to the tailwind, I reached the first waypoint, the Dębe Dam relatively quickly. The reason for the dam is to create the artificial Zegrzyńskie Lake on River Narew. There also is a small hydro powerplant.

Already in Dębe, the weather turned. Now, I had a gorgeous Spring with 8 C and splendid warm sunshine!

A nice recreational area in Wieliszew.

The weather turned again... Now, it was 1 C!

The Zegrzyńskie Lake. Do you think the skies look dirty? No, it is the fugging HAIL falling on me with its full strength!

Some swans at the Lake shore. Thanks to environmental protection, the waters of the Lake are clean, and there are many birds living there.

At that moment, I had enough! Stopped at a service station for a big cuppa Mocha and to warm up a little!

The weather turned one more time Here, a long and beautiful bike path along the Żerański Canal (the Canal connects the Lake with River Vistula in Warsaw).

After many kilometres, the beautiful MUP ended. It felt like Spring, still 7 C.

No bike path? Ride gravel!

I reached Warsaw and decided to take the Quick-Link Bridge, our latest, this time.

Warsaw Old and New Town as seen from Quick-Link.

Back in my county town of Pruszków. The wind was as strong as it felled a heavy fence!

A great Polish specialty, only available in the warm season: ogórki małosolne (Low Salted Cucumber). Unlike fermented cucumber or cucumber pickled in vinegar, "małosolne" are pickled in brine with garlic and dill. These do not keep long, so it is the seasonal delicacy. Available unusually early this season! (These cucumbers smell and taste the Summer)

Ride Map. 75 km for the day.

 

[Chargeride]

what are those green things, are they still alive?

 

[Chargeride]

Been considering doing weights and dieting, I'm sure YouTube can read your mind now.
This aged Californian cycling 'chiro' talks engagingly and rides the beautiful south coast, he's kinda pushed me to at least think of improving my health.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

April Is A Weaver: She Weaves Some Summer With Some Winter (Nasielsk Lunch Ride)

I knew I wouldn't make a long ride this weekend because of the forecasted attack of Winter and excessive northerly (NNW) wind. I decided to take a trip by trains to a Mazovian town of Nasielsk and then sail with the tailwind back to Warsaw City Centre on a single battery of my Vado 6.0.

Platform 9 ¾, Warsaw West Station
The Warsaw West Station has been in the reconstruction for years, and it is not over yet, creating a chaos. Platform 9 is located at such a weird place it feels just another railway station, with terribly bad access. For this reason, people refer to that strange place as Platform 9 ¾ (as in Harry Potter). To get there and avoid a parkour at the station and around, I got from my first train off at a station called Warszawa Włochy (Italy, a complicated historical reason for the name!) and pedalled for 5.6 km to the Platform 9 ¾ as it was simply the easier way! (Still, I had to carry my e-bike up a steep and high stairs!)

View attachment 191703
On the first train.
After having reached the Platform 9 ¾.
The train was on time. It took over an hour to get to Nasielsk.

It turned out the Nasielsk station was located 5 km from the city but I had my e-bike of course.

The Best Polish Restaurant in Mazovia

View attachment 191705
Technically a pizza takeaway, the "Kaban's" place in Nasielsk is imho the best Polish cuisine eating place in the whole province. Operated by three female cooks, the food there tastes home... The bonus is the food is inexpensive there. I paid US$6.80 (GBP5.19) for the complete meal including compote! And... you can keep an eye on your e-bike while inside the restaurant!

The Main Ride
As soon as I left the restaurant bar, I was hit by hail; it was also snow, all propelled by a strong wind. The first kilometres were not nice! The leaden skies and cold made me feel sad. I would have nothing to report on!

View attachment 191706
Thanks to the tailwind, I reached the first waypoint, the Dębe Dam relatively quickly. The reason for the dam is to create the artificial Zegrzyńskie Lake on River Narew. There also is a small hydro powerplant.

View attachment 191707
Already in Dębe, the weather turned. Now, I had a gorgeous Spring with 8 C and splendid warm sunshine!

View attachment 191708
A nice recreational area in Wieliszew.

The weather turned again... Now, it was 1 C!

View attachment 191709
The Zegrzyńskie Lake. Do you think the skies look dirty? No, it is the fugging HAIL falling on me with its full strength!

View attachment 191710
Some swans at the Lake shore. Thanks to environmental protection, the waters of the Lake are clean, and there are many birds living there.

At that moment, I had enough! Stopped at a service station for a big cuppa Mocha and to warm up a little!

View attachment 191711
The weather turned one more time Here, a long and beautiful bike path along the Żerański Canal (the Canal connects the Lake with River Vistula in Warsaw).

View attachment 191712
After many kilometres, the beautiful MUP ended. It felt like Spring, still 7 C.

View attachment 191713
No bike path? Ride gravel!

View attachment 191714
I reached Warsaw and decided to take the Quick-Link Bridge, our latest, this time.

View attachment 191715
Warsaw Old and New Town as seen from Quick-Link.

View attachment 191717
Back in my county town of Pruszków. The wind was as strong as it felled a heavy fence!

View attachment 191718
A great Polish specialty, only available in the warm season: ogórki małosolne (Low Salted Cucumber). Unlike fermented cucumber or cucumber pickled in vinegar, "małosolne" are pickled in brine with garlic and dill. These do not keep long, so it is the seasonal delicacy. Available unusually early this season! (These cucumbers smell and taste the Summer)

View attachment 191716
Ride Map. 75 km for the day.

A hearty ride — in hail, no less! Hail didn't make the list of things I miss about Colorado.

Thanks for the reminder to do my own train-to-tailwind ride. South winds are pretty common around here, and it's easy enough to train the bike to the south end of the commuter line in downtown San Diego.

Only 31 miles home from there per Google Maps bike mode, but much of it right on the bay or ocean:

Next big south wind for sure!

 

[Chazmo]

A hearty ride — in hail, no less! Hail didn't make the list of things I miss about Colorado.

Thanks for the reminder to do my own train-to-tailwind ride. South winds are pretty common around here, and it's easy enough to train the bike to the south end of the commuter line in downtown San Diego.

Only 31 miles home from there per Google Maps bike mode, but much of it right on the bay or ocean:

View attachment 191722
Next big south wind for sure!

Jeremy, you just made me a little jealous.

 

[BlackHand]

A great Polish specialty, only available in the warm season: ogórki małosolne (Low Salted Cucumber). Unlike fermented cucumber or cucumber pickled in vinegar, "małosolne" are pickled in brine with garlic and dill

Sometimes I wonder if the Polish have more words for pickles than the Inuit have for snow...

 

[Gionnirocket]

One being marital aid.
Another being the smartest guy in the room.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Thanks for the reminder to do my own train-to-tailwind ride. South winds are pretty common around here, and it's easy enough to train the bike to the south end of the commuter line in downtown San Diego.

I greatly recommend this! The stronger the wind the merrier, hehe Two cycling mates of mine taught me the train-to-tailwind technique. A strong tailwind adds big watts to your ride! I have found the rider can easily get at the very wind speed (there is a sudden silence around you when this happens). Once, I made the longest single day trip of 208 km taking the benefit of the tailwind; that was fun!

Sometimes I wonder if the Polish have more words for pickles than the Inuit have for snow...

We for sure have many of them

Left to right: Low Salt, Fermented, and Vinegar Pickle cucumbers (I don't have Gherkins in my fridge at the moment!) Each of the variety looks, smells and tastes differently. The smell of Low Salt is such seducing people cannot stop themselves buying it in June and July The food industry makes many taste varieties: the vinegar cucumbers can be flavoured with chili or mustard, for instance.

Fermented cabbage can be eaten as is or made into Sauerkraut or Bigos. We make bell peppers or pumpkin into pickles, too. There are several named varieties of Fungi that are pickled (mushroom, too), and so on and so on (Of these, Boletus is the most expensive). Grated red beetroot with horseradish is a pickle, too!

 

[Chazmo]

Vinegar Pickle cucumbers

That’s a new one on me, Stefan. I’ll have to look for those.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

That’s a new one on me, Stefan. I’ll have to look for those.

If you look for it in a Polish store, the name is "Ogórki konserwowe".

A known export brand.

Just recently, Heinz of Poland released "Pickle Flavour Tomato Ketchup". The Polish name reads "Vinegar Pickled Cucumber Flavour Tomato Ketchup"