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

That is very pretty, the pictures look lovely but I can imagine how it feels standing there.
Im sure that ferry was in our local docks a few months ago 😂
Its actually the 32 year old MV Caledonian Isles that's in dry dock at Birkinhead for extensive repairs! The new ferry is amazing, I thought the engines had actually cut out because it was so quiet... 😂
 
Sudovia Gravel E-SPRINT 2025 Winner For The Second Time 🥇💪💪💪😊

Screenshot_20250517_184429_Strava.jpg

It was the most difficult race I've ever ridden!

Details: later.
 
Last edited:
1747595275961.png


Back to the racing at Knockhill today, it was their 50th anniversary car race meeting and once again the weather was amazing! With light winds forecast for the morning and a 30mph NE wind expected in the afternoon I was very excited about my ride home with a cracking tailwind pretty much all the way! :D I actually covered just under 40 miles in just over 2 hours on my way home with that awesome tailwind!😁I set off at 7am with no wind to speak of but it was a little chilly so the long fingered gloves had to go on, 1 hour later they came off again!;)

I stopped at Grangemouth for some photos!

The Kelpies!

1747595995396.jpeg

The River Carron!

1747596036498.jpeg

The Ochil Hills!

1747596055553.jpeg

My next stop was at Kincardine Bridge where I grabbed a couple of photos of the Clackmannanshire bridge with the Ochils looking amazing in the background!

1747596156924.jpeg

1747596171002.jpeg

Another couple of miles and I had to stop again for photos!

1747596218845.jpeg

1747596259522-jpeg.193893

1747596278893.jpeg

I was now heading for Forestmill where I took the back road to Saline and from there I headed up the quiet back road to Knockhill to avoid the traffic heading to the circuit, some nice scenery here also!

1747596482306.jpeg

I arrived at the circuit at the perfect time, missing the worst of the traffic and enjoyed a cracking days racing although there were many delays due to accidents (all part of racing)! Some photos from the circuit!

1747596678660.jpeg

1747596694009.jpeg

1747596707617.jpeg

1747596721127.jpeg

1747596733869.jpeg

A stunning 1984 Opel Manta, shame it was only doing parade laps and not racing though..

1747596805340.jpeg

A very old Bentley, it sounded incredible!

1747596882347.jpeg

It was time to enjoy that awesome tailwind now, it was just what I needed after a tiring day!;)

Another couple of photos of the Ochils on the way home!

1747597013560.jpeg

1747597025609.jpeg

I had the wind pushing me along at 35mph on this flat road!

1747597071844.jpeg

A few photos at Falkirk before the final climbs to home!

1747597156002.jpeg

1747597169471.jpeg

1747597185203.jpeg

I was very tired when I got home but very content after a brilliant day of cycling and racing, the good weather looks set to continue for another week! I'm sure the rain will return soon though, our reservoirs are starting to struggle after a lengthy dry spell...most unlike Scotand!
 

Attachments

  • 1747596259522.jpeg
    1747596259522.jpeg
    467.4 KB · Views: 21
  • elevation_profile404.jpg
    elevation_profile404.jpg
    23.5 KB · Views: 1
  • trip-284569878-map-full404.png
    trip-284569878-map-full404.png
    567.6 KB · Views: 2
Sudovia Gravel 2025
17th May 2025

Regarding my "victory" in a gravel eSprint race let keep it simple: I was the first e-biker who crossed the finish line. My direct competitor, young female Anna (who rode a good Haibike with Bosch system and was accompanied by a female friend riding a traditional gravel bike) simple had no chance against my experience, and big KUDOS to her for completing the most difficult race I have ever taken part in! The third e-biker contestant had chickened out and didn't show up at the event (even if he had paid all participation fees!) Taking my performance in the absolute terms, I finished 48th of 54 who finished Sprint/eSprint. Additional 25 paying riders even Did Not Start (DNS). Guess why :)

Last year's Sudovia Gravel was a delightful excursion. Sunshine, very warm, dry. You could enjoy views of low mountains, gorgeous lakes, and ride premium gravel; even steep climbs felt easy!

Last weekend, a weather anomaly hit Poland. The conditions turned into "mild winter" with maximum day temperature of 7 C dropping to 3 C, strong SE wind, and continuous heavy raining. All gravel roads turned into mud. All dirt roads turned into bog. Gravel climbs became a way more difficult than they would normally be as one had additionally counter the increased rolling resistance! Good brakes were a must! The extreme conditions made a record number of paying contestants in all formats either DNS or DNF. I was prepared: I wore my mild winter/raining attire; reached the finish line in dry shoes! :)

1747617857794.png

My brother Jacek brought us to the guest-house in Szurpiły with his car. My friend Paweł (yellow jacket) agreed to try his new Marin carbon gravel bike on the Sprint distance, as it was to be his first gravel race ever.

1747618009327.png

The starting group of Jacek (and his mate Krzysiek - brown clothes) as well as my colleague Tadek (on an MTB) consisted of 12 riders for 9:06. Only four riders of that group finished the Classic (170 km) race! (The rest DNF).

1747618239253.png

Group 2 for Sprint gathering for 10:10. (Paweł has not joined the starting group yet). See my clothing!

1747618368267.png

My competitor Anna started 10 minutes before me. Here, at 29.7 km, the first
serious climb. The rider emerging from the right is her companion Joanna, who usually had to walk her gravel bike up a steep hill!


1747618680335.png

My Wahoo had detected as many as 20 serious climbs, that is, at least 3% average grade and at least 300 m long. Some ascents were over 14% grade, asphalt or gravel/mud. There was a countless number of very steep climbs, only shorter than 300 m!

1747618798105.png

A merry flock of sheep! :) The sheep were extremely interested about the race, and running this or that way to see more! :) I also could see happy cows! It was the first time I could see a herd of cattle merrily running around a steep pasture!

1747619137527.png

Woo-hoo! Then it started!

1747619482294.png

Elevation and grade profile.

1747619545664.png

44 km into the ride. I took this photo atop Marianka, the highest and very steep (but by no means the steepest!) hill of the ride. The wind was blowing as strongly as my gas-lighter would not light! As I started riding from Marianka, the rest of the trail was a long and dangerous muddy adventure... with many steep climbs and scary descents!


Adventures
  • 23 km into the ride, I stopped for a short while at a general pitstop. A young boy ran towards me: 'What do you want, sir?' -- 'Any cake?' -- the boy sprinted out and brought me a piece. I was so hungry I almost swallowed the cake! Meanwhile, a big Lithuanian SUV driving in the reverse broke a road-sign pole just a few metres away...
  • 60 km into the ride, I made my second navigational mistake. As I turned my Vado around, I found I 'bonked' and my legs would not cooperate with me. I ate two "energy gels", drank a lot of an isotonic drink and rested for 10 minutes, helplessly observing riders taking me over. Then the power returned to my legs and I could continue the ride.
  • 66 km into the ride, I could notice something very strange. A cyclist was slowly riding his bike on the right, while another rider was running very fast with his bike on the left. As I approached them and asked what went wrong, the running cyclist didn't react. The rider explained that the Lithuanian guy lost his drivetrain and needed help. But there was no network coverage there! I spoke with the Lithuanian Ernestas in English and as soon as I could I sent the distress message to the organizer.
  • I knew in advance I would find a swamp 76.5 km into the ride. As I reached the location, I stopped and watched how other riders were crossing it. Now, a fast & furious rider overtook me and went the full speed into the marsh in the hope of flying over it! How wrong he was... As he rode into muddy water, he picturesquely crashed onto his left side, straight into the water! He rose very quickly and made a sprint onto the other side with the bike on his arm! He was lucky not to get stuck in!

1747620900581.png

My new friend Marek. We rode together for some good kilometres and were actually racing against each other! :) I hit the GPS virtual "finish line" before him but he overtook me just before the physical finish line! So my friend Paweł was 47th, I 48th, and Marek 49th.

1747621235922.png

A nice raining, innit.

Decoration :) I regret Anna must have been as tired as she didn't attend the ceremony!

1747621266414.png

"Due to extreme weather, the race is finished at 130th km, and all Classic riders are asked to proceed to the finish line the shortest and easiest way!" My brother and Krzysiek shrugged: 'We are only 26 km to the finish line! Let's complete the whole race!' I'm sure their effort will be taken into account in the final result list! (That format ended in an unprecedented number of DNF, and many riders who took the suggested shortcut).

1747621688829.png

The joy of racing!

1747621751021.png

On the next morning...

1747621788837.png

Ride Map.


I may show some official photos within several coming weeks!
 
Last edited:
Back