2025 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos
- Thread starter Saratoga Dave
- Start date
Jeremy McCreary
Bought it anyway
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Does your wife know that you're out cavorting with Floris?
Shortly after we moved to coastal SoCal from Colorado, I took a Coast Highway thrill ride in the first part of a big Pacific winter storm, when it was still mostly just wind. Exhilarating!
Then I got to the dip where the highway comes down to sand level at South Ponto Beach. Hadn't figured blowing sand into the equation.
There were already drifts across the road. And within seconds, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth were all full of sand. Turned tail to wash out my eyes at home. Lesson learned.
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DaveMatthews
Dave's not here. Cheating since 2018
- Region
- Canada
Have experienced this in Oregon around Cannon Beach etc.
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
I wear full motorcycle offroad goggles, lesson learned.
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
The sand was really soft and climbing into wind was exhausting even in Turbo.
Climbing with the wind was like having another 1000 watts.
Jeremy McCreary
Bought it anyway
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
I can imagine. Both my bikes have hybrid tires, 38 mm and 2.3". Neither has any chance of staying up in loose sand, let alone making forward progress in it.
I know, that's what fatties are for, but I don't have the garage space.
If I ever have a hard fall at speed, it's likely to be from hitting a stealth pocket of loose sand at speed on an otherwise hard-packed dirt road on my gravel bike with 38 mm tires. Get a lot of those pockets around here — even miles inland.
Oh well, every paradise has its sand.
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Chargeride
Well-Known Member
Tyres by Ozempic, stay on the road skinny boy.
Jeremy McCreary
Bought it anyway
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
No, no, the 38 mm gravel tires obviously aren't for hardcore MTB stuff, but they otherwise do just fine offroad 99% of the time.
No problem at all on damp low-tide beach sand.
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Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
As I have to ride "Mazovian Engraver" 
(Mazovian everything but gravel) often, I'm used to riding sand. While a proper e-MTB on 2.6" tyres just cuts through the sand as if a knife cuts butter*, I nowadays have to do with 700x42 mm and 700 x 47 mm Specialized Rhombus Pro. Riding the sand is especially easy for my big Vado in full Turbo.
---------
I had a chance to experience a rare phenomenon called "soil storm" on the West Coast of Sweden back in 1997. I drove my brand new car; I gave her a wash in Sweden on the entry as I heard Sweden was as clean a country as you could drive your car for a month and the car would be still impeccably clean (it is true!) However, as I was returning from Oslo via the West Coast motorway, I could see a wall of yellow-brown fog in front of me! As you must not stop on the motorway, I just slowed down and lit the anti-fog lights. I was driving very slowly at zero visibility only to keep the car in the lane and not to veer off the road. After some time, my car emerged from the fog. My Nexia was completely covered with a thin layer of soil! Of course, it required washing very soon. As I could read afterwards, the soil storm happens when a strong wind blowing from Kattegat Strait carries a big amount of loose rich soil; it is a rare phenomenon though.
Necessary to mention, I was on many business car trips to Scandinavia in late 1990s. Once the car was washed in Malmoe, I could drive in Sweden for two weeks in a clean car. Driving through Germany made the car noticeably dirty while the return in Poland made the car totally soiled Yeah but those were the 1990s; Poland is a very clean country nowadays!
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*) @Chargeride why don't you try yourself on the Levo
(Mazovian everything but gravel) often, I'm used to riding sand. While a proper e-MTB on 2.6" tyres just cuts through the sand as if a knife cuts butter*, I nowadays have to do with 700x42 mm and 700 x 47 mm Specialized Rhombus Pro. Riding the sand is especially easy for my big Vado in full Turbo.---------
I had a chance to experience a rare phenomenon called "soil storm" on the West Coast of Sweden back in 1997. I drove my brand new car; I gave her a wash in Sweden on the entry as I heard Sweden was as clean a country as you could drive your car for a month and the car would be still impeccably clean (it is true!) However, as I was returning from Oslo via the West Coast motorway, I could see a wall of yellow-brown fog in front of me! As you must not stop on the motorway, I just slowed down and lit the anti-fog lights. I was driving very slowly at zero visibility only to keep the car in the lane and not to veer off the road. After some time, my car emerged from the fog. My Nexia was completely covered with a thin layer of soil! Of course, it required washing very soon. As I could read afterwards, the soil storm happens when a strong wind blowing from Kattegat Strait carries a big amount of loose rich soil; it is a rare phenomenon though.
Necessary to mention, I was on many business car trips to Scandinavia in late 1990s. Once the car was washed in Malmoe, I could drive in Sweden for two weeks in a clean car. Driving through Germany made the car noticeably dirty while the return in Poland made the car totally soiled
Yeah but those were the 1990s; Poland is a very clean country nowadays!-------------
*) @Chargeride why don't you try yourself on the Levo
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Chargeride
Well-Known Member
Yo Stefan, how did you find the storm video?
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Lovely, Chris! I shared the video to my FB with these words:
"JA PIERDZIELĘ (the shout of the utmost awe!) You must see it!
My mad English mate Cartridge rides the dunes during the Storm Floris!
P.S. He's not stupid at all. He wore motorcycle goggles!"
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
Ha, yes cool, but I meant how did you find it, I posted it in anonymous mode.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
Hmm, I posted it not to go to subscribers and your the only sub who accessed it, you must be special 
Sussed it, posting not to your subscribers actually posts to your subscribers because the algorithm lives in the 4th dimension.
Sussed it, posting not to your subscribers actually posts to your subscribers because the algorithm lives in the 4th dimension.
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Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Komoot: EXPERT Gravel Ride
I had to do slightly unusual shopping yesterday, so planned (just for fun) a "gravel route" in Komoot. This is what Komoot told me:
Ah, an expert gravel ride Let's see.
First, I passed the site described here:
The Mysterious Case of The Tank of Pruszków
A notoriously closed railroad crossing. (An impatient cyclist can use lifts at the railway stop nearby).
The entry to the "EXPERT gravel trail".
A concrete passage across (almost dry now) R. Cold Water.
Regular "Mazovian Engraver" if you ask me.
Here, you can ride in a wrong direction and get lost if you don't know the area...
Even if it doesn't look so, this section is tricky after it has rained, or during the cold season.
Dark woods...
And you get inside a nice housing area.
Another meadow...
The civilization is near! You only need to climb onto the highway and avoid a collision with a car
On "my" highway 719.
Why did Komoot assess the route as "Expert"? I don't know!
I had to do slightly unusual shopping yesterday, so planned (just for fun) a "gravel route" in Komoot. This is what Komoot told me:
Ah, an expert gravel ride
Let's see.First, I passed the site described here:
The Mysterious Case of The Tank of Pruszków
A notoriously closed railroad crossing. (An impatient cyclist can use lifts at the railway stop nearby).
The entry to the "EXPERT gravel trail".
A concrete passage across (almost dry now) R. Cold Water.
Regular "Mazovian Engraver"
if you ask me.Here, you can ride in a wrong direction and get lost if you don't know the area...
Even if it doesn't look so, this section is tricky after it has rained, or during the cold season.
Dark woods...
And you get inside a nice housing area.
Another meadow...
The civilization is near!
You only need to climb onto the highway and avoid a collision with a car On "my" highway 719.
Why did Komoot assess the route as "Expert"? I don't know!
RabH
Well-Known Member
The storm passed without incident yesterday, it was still pretty wild today and the forecast was showing rain showers pretty much all day! In the afternoon I spotted a clearing in the weather and decided to go for it, I had to think carefully about my route as the wind was still very gusty at times (40-45mph gusts) and there were dark clouds all around! The wind was almost a direct westerly so I headed east to enjoy the tailwind, the road from Salsburgh to Harthill had been closed for a month for resurfacing and it re-opened yesterday so I just had to check it out! What a difference and it was much needed, the descent down into Harthill was just incredible but the wind was swirling a bit here so I took it easy and only hit 40.8mph...
I continued east to Whitburn where I joined the cycle path which runs almost all the way to Dechmont, I was flying along with the wind at my back at over 20mph as there were no pedestrians around and I could hear a noise behind me! I looked back to see a guy on a hybrid bike with wide tyres and they were making such a racket! He was standing on the pedals to get past me, I said hello and he totally ignored me...
That was like a red rag to a bull, as soon as I reached the downhill part of the path I had him in my sights and let rip, passing him like he was standing still....I totally ignored him and had a big grin on my face!
I never saw him again...Just after passing Dechmont I turned south towards Mid Calder, passing through the village of Pumpherston! Such a cool Scottish place name!
This was the ideal road to avoid the gusty crosswinds with lots of buildings and tree cover, I wasn't going to take any photos today but as I was descending a hill I spotted this stunning view of the Pentland Hills and just had to stop!I reached my turning point at Mid Calder and it was time to turn into the wind, my plan was to head to West Calder and take the sheltered road to Longridge! I had 4 miles to endure on the main A71 though but thankfully it was a direct headwind and the drivers behaved impeccably, I was glad to reach West Calder though where I was on quiet roads again with lots of tree cover for miles! I reached the junction where I usually turn north for Longridge but I chose to go straight through and head for Fauldhouse to avoid the crosswinds, after passing through the village I had this view ahead which didn't look very inviting...
I was basking in the sun here but the clouds ahead looked a bit threatening!
It looked a little better to the south!
The clouds were getting ever closer and directly on my path!
Amazingly I passed them and it remained dry, I stopped for this photo with the clouds almost directly above me and the road was basking in sunshine! This was looking east after passing the clouds!
I then arrived in Shotts and took the back road to Hartwood, one of my favourite roads and although it was directly into a very strong wind it was still a blast! I stopped a few times for photos to show how much fun this road is!
The final descent into Hartwood!
From Hartwood it was time to tackle the biggest climb of the day up to Kirk of Shotts, on the way up I stopped for photos of the Emus again (I thought they were Ostriches but they aren't)
This photo is my favourite despite its threatening pose, the noise it was making was so scary!
It seemed to calm down for this photo!
Part way up the climb I turned on to the best road in my area, towards Hareshaw!
One final photo just before arriving home, the last big descent with the Campsie Hills in the distance! Those clouds stayed over the hills all day!
Amazingly I got home completely dry, it was my lucky day and it was very glad I decided to brave the winds! After my epic 128 mile ride on Thursday this felt like a little trip round the block, it was hard going into that wind though...
Attachments
Chazmo
fat-tire biker
- Region
- USA
- City
- Central Massachusetts
You GO, Rab!!!!That was like a red rag to a bull, as soon as I reached the downhill part of the path I had him in my sights and let rip, passing him like he was standing still....I totally ignored him and had a big grin on my face!
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
It was only windy right on the coast, I mentioned in my video, climbing back up the dunes I was on leg, wind and electric power
Chazmo
fat-tire biker
- Region
- USA
- City
- Central Massachusetts
If misery loves company — I’m not sure it does — those kinds of coastal sand washouts are not unique to you guys. We get them fairly often around here when big storms happen on the coast(s). I remember going to a couple of coastal Massachusetts and New Hampshire towns a couple of years ago after massive storms, and there was sand covering up to about 1/2-mile inland from the beaches. Yikes!
