2025 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos
- Thread starter Saratoga Dave
- Start date
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
The Outline of Warsaw
As drawn by e-bike rides
Spoiler alert: This is the rough outline of Warsaw as drawn my two e-bike rides on 21st and 22nd June 2025. I needed to ride for 192 km, and use trains and a ferry to complete the task!
The idea was as follows: Ride outside the city limits of the capital city of Poland but closely to the border, and enter the city only if it could not be avoided. I rode my Vado SL on Specialized Rhombus Pro tyres and never regretted that choice!
Saturday June 21st, 2025
The Summer Solstice
A big stable in Dawidy, south of Warsaw Chopin Airport. Horse riding is quite popular in Poland.
One of a very few Orthodox churches of Warsaw, Hagia Sophia, located at very city limits (southern).
"All roads lead to darned Kierszek!"
I allowed myself showing this apocalyptic photo of that place for a reason! I managed to lose myself in the neighbouring Kabacki Forest for several times in the past. Whichever way I rode, I was ending up in Kierszek! Later, I found that riding south from South Warsaw almost inevitably would lead you through Kierszek! Now, my "Warsaw Outline" route led through Kierszek as well!
I suddenly realised I actually liked the Polish way of gravel cycling, which often leads you cross country Riding roads is boring... Ride into an overgrown double track, and boredom is gone! (Polish Summer is the fact: see the crops!)
I now take a great care about hydration and nutrition. Afraid of starving, I rode to a little grocery store in the village of Okrzeszyn where (untypically of me), I bought sausage and buns. Just as I sat at a bus shelter and started eating...
...I heard disk brake squeaking and that big man greeted me, smiling (Photo: It is my bike, not his!)
I had published a Strava Beacon on Facebook as well as my Komoot route plan. Tomek studied that, and intercepted me en route! We spent a half an hour talking and then rode together via Zawadowski Embankment to the Southern Bridge of Warsaw. (That was one of very few occasions I had to enter Warsaw: just to cross the Vistula).
On Ann the Jagiellon (Southern) Bridge of Warsaw. I named those shoals "Jerzy's Isles" to commemorate my late friend Jerzy Bańkowski who had been very fond of that view. Because of the drought, the isles became big and even the greenery appeared on them!
Cucumber (Soup) Street on the right bank of the Vistula. This place is the start of a difficult gravel/XC trail named Amazon (Upper and Lower). I was waiting for my friend Makenzen, who wanted to intercept me there but was slightly late. It was a hot day!
Makenzen is an avid rider of recumbent bikes. An interesting fact is the roads near to Warsaw city limits are mostly gravel or dirt. My friend's bike was only good for paved roads, so we spent a longer while in Józefów to find some asphalt streets! (Here, at Warsaw city limit in Józefów).
Lublin Motorway is located on the eastern border of Warsaw. We enjoyed a long streak of excellent bike paths or service roads there.
We parted our ways at the entry to the Military Range in Sulejówek. My plan was avoiding Warsaw, so I had to ride through the Range. Makenzen continued her ride on asphalt to make 100+ km on the day.
The Military Range now allows the public access. Not much military training happens there anymore. Pictured: a tank road.
As I reached Warsaw Mokry Ług train stop, I realized it would be more practical for me to ride to the Warsaw City Centre "on the wheels". So I did! I made 118 km (73 mi) total on the day.
Sunday, June 22nd, 2025
An exceptionally hot day!
I took morning trains to get to Warszawa Mokry Ług (that's where I completed the main ride the day before).
Turned out, my friend Anna intercepted me there!
Anna has been an enthusiast e-biker for several years now. She was on numerous domestic and foreign e-bike trips with her (recently late) husband. She rides a Swiss made Flyer, a Bosch E-Bike with the Performance Line motor and Intuvia display, belt drive and IGH. Recently, her e-bike was inspected by a Bosch E-Bike engineer who fixed the system, so now the motor properly cuts off at 25 km/h (it was 22 last year!)
@BlackHand: This is the e-bike I was talking about in another thread. Anna started the ride in SPORT mode while I had reduced Vado SL assistance to 50/50%. As the outcome, she was riding at 25 km/h upwind while I had to chase her! I asked her to reduce the assist to TOUR, and then we could ride together. No need to mention she overtook me on a steep overpass climb, even if I went SL Turbo! Anna made 58 km on the day, kudos to her!
Even if Anna's Flyer was equipped with rather slick pavement tyres, she bravely followed me on multiple "Mazovian gravel" segments involving potty gravel, dirt, sand and forest paths! Only carefully and slowly.
After we arrived to Warszawa Nowodwory (via a long Vistula embankment), we hoped to take a public (free) ferry to the left bank. The ferry is financed from the Citizen Budget, and the city signs a yearly contract with the ferry business.
The Hoopoe can accommodate up to 12 passengers (with bikes or without). The turnaround time is 20 minutes, so we used an hour to get to the other bank of the river (there was a long queue!)
I was delighted with the performance of my Fearless on Specialized Rhombus Pro tyres. I could ride shallow sand...
...but had to walk the e-bike when the area turned into a sand beach Believe it or not but that's called "Mazovian Gravel" and races often are routed through sandy areas here! (I was intentionally riding Kampinos National Park East to be outside Warsaw city limits).
A wet dream of a gravel cyclist. There is a nature reservation by the name of "Elk's Mud Land", which I have never visited before!
The area of Radiowo has the word "Radio" inside not without a reason. The area was strongly connected to the radio technology before WW2. It, among others, hosted the Transatlantic Broadcasting Company that was transmitting its broadcasts across the ocean (for the Polonia community in Americas). Here, a former guard-house with the "Be Prepared" inscription.
A badly maintained train stop in Gołąbki. A useful place but greatly devastated, no disabled access, and a dilapidated footbridge. I had to carry my e-bike up and down the bridge! (the railway forms part of Warsaw city limits).
In Caffe Italiano, Pruszków. The delicious Cold Soup was all I needed for the end of that hot day!
Arrived home at 18:38.
As drawn by e-bike rides
Spoiler alert: This is the rough outline of Warsaw as drawn my two e-bike rides on 21st and 22nd June 2025. I needed to ride for 192 km, and use trains and a ferry to complete the task!
The idea was as follows: Ride outside the city limits of the capital city of Poland but closely to the border, and enter the city only if it could not be avoided. I rode my Vado SL on Specialized Rhombus Pro tyres and never regretted that choice!
Saturday June 21st, 2025
The Summer Solstice
A big stable in Dawidy, south of Warsaw Chopin Airport. Horse riding is quite popular in Poland.
One of a very few Orthodox churches of Warsaw, Hagia Sophia, located at very city limits (southern).
"All roads lead to darned Kierszek!"
I allowed myself showing this apocalyptic photo of that place for a reason! I managed to lose myself in the neighbouring Kabacki Forest for several times in the past. Whichever way I rode, I was ending up in Kierszek! Later, I found that riding south from South Warsaw almost inevitably would lead you through Kierszek! Now, my "Warsaw Outline" route led through Kierszek as well! I suddenly realised I actually liked the Polish way of gravel cycling, which often leads you cross country
Riding roads is boring... Ride into an overgrown double track, and boredom is gone! (Polish Summer is the fact: see the crops!)I now take a great care about hydration and nutrition. Afraid of starving, I rode to a little grocery store in the village of Okrzeszyn where (untypically of me), I bought sausage and buns. Just as I sat at a bus shelter and started eating...
...I heard disk brake squeaking and that big man greeted me, smiling
(Photo: It is my bike, not his!)I had published a Strava Beacon on Facebook as well as my Komoot route plan. Tomek studied that, and intercepted me en route!
We spent a half an hour talking and then rode together via Zawadowski Embankment to the Southern Bridge of Warsaw. (That was one of very few occasions I had to enter Warsaw: just to cross the Vistula).On Ann the Jagiellon (Southern) Bridge of Warsaw. I named those shoals "Jerzy's Isles" to commemorate my late friend Jerzy Bańkowski who had been very fond of that view. Because of the drought, the isles became big and even the greenery appeared on them!
Cucumber (Soup) Street on the right bank of the Vistula. This place is the start of a difficult gravel/XC trail named Amazon (Upper and Lower). I was waiting for my friend Makenzen, who wanted to intercept me there but was slightly late. It was a hot day!
Makenzen is an avid rider of recumbent bikes. An interesting fact is the roads near to Warsaw city limits are mostly gravel or dirt. My friend's bike was only good for paved roads, so we spent a longer while in Józefów to find some asphalt streets! (Here, at Warsaw city limit in Józefów).
Lublin Motorway is located on the eastern border of Warsaw. We enjoyed a long streak of excellent bike paths or service roads there.
We parted our ways at the entry to the Military Range in Sulejówek. My plan was avoiding Warsaw, so I had to ride through the Range. Makenzen continued her ride on asphalt to make 100+ km on the day.
The Military Range now allows the public access. Not much military training happens there anymore. Pictured: a tank road.
As I reached Warsaw Mokry Ług train stop, I realized it would be more practical for me to ride to the Warsaw City Centre "on the wheels". So I did! I made 118 km (73 mi) total on the day.
Sunday, June 22nd, 2025
An exceptionally hot day!
I took morning trains to get to Warszawa Mokry Ług (that's where I completed the main ride the day before).
Turned out, my friend Anna intercepted me there!
Anna has been an enthusiast e-biker for several years now. She was on numerous domestic and foreign e-bike trips with her (recently late) husband. She rides a Swiss made Flyer, a Bosch E-Bike with the Performance Line motor and Intuvia display, belt drive and IGH. Recently, her e-bike was inspected by a Bosch E-Bike engineer who fixed the system, so now the motor properly cuts off at 25 km/h (it was 22 last year!)
@BlackHand: This is the e-bike I was talking about in another thread. Anna started the ride in SPORT mode while I had reduced Vado SL assistance to 50/50%. As the outcome, she was riding at 25 km/h upwind while I had to chase her!
I asked her to reduce the assist to TOUR, and then we could ride together. No need to mention she overtook me on a steep overpass climb, even if I went SL Turbo! Anna made 58 km on the day, kudos to her!Even if Anna's Flyer was equipped with rather slick pavement tyres, she bravely followed me on multiple "Mazovian gravel" segments involving potty gravel, dirt, sand and forest paths! Only carefully and slowly.
After we arrived to Warszawa Nowodwory (via a long Vistula embankment), we hoped to take a public (free) ferry to the left bank. The ferry is financed from the Citizen Budget, and the city signs a yearly contract with the ferry business.
The Hoopoe can accommodate up to 12 passengers (with bikes or without). The turnaround time is 20 minutes, so we used an hour to get to the other bank of the river (there was a long queue!)
I was delighted with the performance of my Fearless on Specialized Rhombus Pro tyres. I could ride shallow sand...
...but had to walk the e-bike when the area turned into a sand beach
Believe it or not but that's called "Mazovian Gravel" and races often are routed through sandy areas here! (I was intentionally riding Kampinos National Park East to be outside Warsaw city limits).A wet dream of a gravel cyclist. There is a nature reservation by the name of "Elk's Mud Land", which I have never visited before!
The area of Radiowo has the word "Radio" inside not without a reason. The area was strongly connected to the radio technology before WW2. It, among others, hosted the Transatlantic Broadcasting Company that was transmitting its broadcasts across the ocean (for the Polonia community in Americas). Here, a former guard-house with the "Be Prepared" inscription.
A badly maintained train stop in Gołąbki. A useful place but greatly devastated, no disabled access, and a dilapidated footbridge. I had to carry my e-bike up and down the bridge! (the railway forms part of Warsaw city limits).
In Caffe Italiano, Pruszków. The delicious Cold Soup was all I needed for the end of that hot day!
Arrived home at 18:38.
Last edited:
Base
Bike nerd
- Region
- Europe
- City
- in the exact center of the Netherlands
After a few days with 40+ degrees C completely different weather now. 18 C with rain. Good for the fields which are now full with flowers finally.
And yes this time with one of the other EBikes from the shed, full power Vado 4
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
Chazmo
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Central Massachusetts
Silly to call that gravel, but I’ll be riding through it is “fun.”...but had to walk the e-bike when the area turned into a sand beach
Now you’re speaking my language, Stefan!
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
The organization by name Mazovian Gravel invites gravel cyclist to numerous group rides and races in the biggest province of Poland. Mazovia is mostly flat but we miss no sands (carried there by a glacier). Any race must inevitably meet some sands en routeSilly to call that gravel, but I’ll be riding through it is “fun.”
When I was asking the organizers whether we actually have some "gravel" in the province, they smiled and their answer was "One gets such gravel as one can afford" Hence, most of the rides lead through forests here. There is a "branch joke". A newbie (especially one who doesn't speak English) often says "grawer" (an engraver) instead of "gravel". Whenever I enter a hard terrain in Mazovia, I name it "Mazovian grawer" (grah-ver) Surely, riding the sands is the thing for a fat bike, and we even have a small fat-bike cycling club in Warsaw!Not that I'm any lover of hard terrain, riding it happens to be refreshing at times!
dodgeman
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Macomb, Illinois
I rode 15 miles Into town today to run an errand. I made sure to get done before 10 am because of the hot spell we‘re in right now. A “car guy” place who is into the antique signs and gas pumps. They are called visible gas pumps because you could see the gas in the large glass enclosure before it went in your car.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
You Wouldn't Believe Something Like That Could Happen!
Varmia Gravel e-Sprint: A competitor
I'm riding Varmia Gravel e-Sprint race on the coming Saturday. I was worried and ashamed as I had been a single rider of the format: What is a race without a competitor? And now...
A couple days ago, someone asked in a group chat: "You're worried to start alone? Watch the next starting list update! I've signed to the e-Sprint myself!" I didn't know who the guy was as you stay quite anonymous on WhatsApp unless you create a meaningful display name.
This morning, my brother messaged me: "One Bartosz P. will be your e-Sprint competitor!" And I thought ~Bartosz had been kidding! I know the guy! So I wrote to him on Messenger: "Thank you so much for signing to the e-race! I won't be alone! What's your ride?" To which he replied: 'I'm borrowing a Trek e-Caliber from my wife! It's gonna be fun!" WOW!
As we talked more, I learned he rode e-bikes unassisted and faster than the 25 km/h speed restriction on his own leg power. He is a very strong rider, who finished 36 minutes before my strong brother on the same 100 mile gravel race. He only turns the assistance for climbing or against strong headwind. He usually returns from his rides with 70% of the smallish 250 Wh battery!
He said several interesting things from a traditional cyclist perspective: "Since we own an electrically assisted bike at home, my views have changed. For instance: If you want to ride above the restrictor speed then you need to put more effort into the ride than you do on a trad bike. E-bikes are fun! When you have had enough, you turn the assist on. Worse if you have had enough but the battery is empty, haha!"
Fancy that. The guy resigned from racing in a Classic gravel race to have more fun riding a premium e-bike. And, first of all, he did it to spare me shame...
He said: "I have proven myself well in traditional races! It's time for something new!
My respectable competitor on a classical MTB race.
Varmia Gravel e-Sprint: A competitor
I'm riding Varmia Gravel e-Sprint race on the coming Saturday. I was worried and ashamed as I had been a single rider of the format: What is a race without a competitor? And now...
A couple days ago, someone asked in a group chat: "You're worried to start alone? Watch the next starting list update! I've signed to the e-Sprint myself!" I didn't know who the guy was as you stay quite anonymous on WhatsApp unless you create a meaningful display name.
This morning, my brother messaged me: "One Bartosz P. will be your e-Sprint competitor!" And I thought ~Bartosz had been kidding! I know the guy! So I wrote to him on Messenger: "Thank you so much for signing to the e-race! I won't be alone! What's your ride?" To which he replied: 'I'm borrowing a Trek e-Caliber from my wife! It's gonna be fun!" WOW!
As we talked more, I learned he rode e-bikes unassisted and faster than the 25 km/h speed restriction on his own leg power. He is a very strong rider, who finished 36 minutes before my strong brother on the same 100 mile gravel race. He only turns the assistance for climbing or against strong headwind. He usually returns from his rides with 70% of the smallish 250 Wh battery!
He said several interesting things from a traditional cyclist perspective: "Since we own an electrically assisted bike at home, my views have changed. For instance: If you want to ride above the restrictor speed then you need to put more effort into the ride than you do on a trad bike. E-bikes are fun! When you have had enough, you turn the assist on. Worse if you have had enough but the battery is empty, haha!"
Fancy that. The guy resigned from racing in a Classic gravel race to have more fun riding a premium e-bike. And, first of all, he did it to spare me shame...
He said: "I have proven myself well in traditional races! It's time for something new!My respectable competitor on a classical MTB race.
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Chargeride
Well-Known Member
Im worried Stefan will still come third.
Chazmo
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Central Massachusetts
FYI, this is the shiznit… Much cheaper (and just as good) to buy the powder and mix it with water for your rides. I’ve been re-using the empty G bottles and making more to refrigerate. Also, as I mentioned before, if you combine it 1/2 and 1/2 with seltzer, it’s a wonderfully refreshing drink. A little more than $1/day is aces in my book! IMO, of course.
RabH
Well-Known Member
Our weather has been abysmal recently and today was no different but I noticed a chance of getting out this evening with an improving forecast and the winds were expected to finally decrease! After my lunch I had a look out the window to the west where the rain was coming from and spotted a break in the clouds, it was very windy but I decided to chance it and hope I wouldn't get drenched! It was a SW wind around 25mph and gusting around 35mph, the strong wind had actually did a good job of drying the roads though!
So I set off at 12.15pm with the intention of riding SE to Carnwath to take advantage of the strong wind and from there I could survey the conditions and decide what to do! Not long after I left I could feel rain in the air and the clouds were looking pretty threathening, I was beginning to think I had bitten off more than I could chew! I kept going though and managed to outrun the rain, on reaching Carnwath I had a good look around and there were dark clouds pretty much everywhere! The sky looked a bit more promising to the north though so I decided to head on to the A70 towards Tarbrax, its such a brilliant road and its well protected from the wind so I was flying along and loving it!
I wasn't going to take any photos but I changed my mind when it cleared up a bit, the A70 is like this for many miles and I usually use it when the winds are from the east in the opposite direction!
There was a little hint of blue sky to the north, still some nasty looking clouds though!
This was looking west!
I had a decent view of the Pentland hills which run alongside the A70!
It was looking a bit dark to the south with Tinto hill way in the distance!
The further north I went the roads got drier!
The A70 twists and turns and rises and falls for many miles!
I was approaching the turn off for Tarbrax and didn't like the look of the clouds down by the village so I decided to continue north and stay on the A70 a little longer! I was glad I did when I reached the summit at almost 1200ft and had this amazing descent with the wind at my back!
The clouds were lingering all around now though!
I stopped for a snack and grabbed more photos of the Pentlands!
Then I actually got a little sunshine, it lasted about 5 minutes...
Amazingly I still had a clean bike and at 35 miles in I was still dry!
I eventually turned off the A70 and headed NW towards Harburn and I stumbled upon a little side road and decided to do a bit of exploring, it turned out to be a little gem although it had taken me SW and I was now battling the strong wind! Near the end I found this awesome downhill, it doesn't look very steep in the photo but it was very steep and a lot of fun!
I recognised the road at the bottom of the descent, its a road I use quite often so I knew where I was now! I continued SW and reached the road that runs from Auchengray to Addiewell, I had a big descent here but with a very strong crosswind so I had to take it easy! After the descent its straight into a climb and I stopped at the top for another snack and took this photo!
I then had another cracking descent with lots of tree cover so no crosswinds to worry about and I soon arrived in Addiewell where I turned west directly into the wind again, it was hard going here as the road is pretty exposed with very little tree cover! I would rather ride directly into the wind though as its much safer, at the end of the road I turned north towards Longridge where I took my final photo looking towards the village!
I didn't like the look of the clouds to the north here and sure enough as I passed through the village I could feel rain in the air and it looked pretty dark to the west where I would be turning soon! The rain did start to increase for a couple of miles but thankfully the strong wind blew it through and as I reached Blackridge it was dry again! I had covered 54 miles at this point and had 9 to go directly into the wind, was I glad it stayed dry all the way home from here! I sure got lucky and didn't get properly drenched, the bike just needed a wipe down when I got home so I dodged a bullet for sure and was very glad I had decided to chance it! It looks nice this evening and the wind has dropped now but I'm glad I went for it!
After my 160 mile ride last Thursday this felt like a trip round the block....Attachments
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