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

[Stefan Mikes]

That Verdant IPA looks scrumptious.

It was only a Verdant glass. The strong hazy IPA was from Fuerst Wiacek, Berlin, Germany. This is one of very few German breweries that understand what craft beer is!

The night before, we were in Craft Beer Junction pub in South London we are friends with. There, we had this Imperial Stout:

It was the most expensive beer I have ever bought... £49 a bottle.

Now in Margate, Kent, a seaside resort...

...with this ultimate goal.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

The night before, we were in Craft Beer Junction pub in South London we are friends with. There, we had this Imperial Stout:

View attachment 198578
It was the most expensive beer I have ever bought... £49 a bottle.

For that kind of money, I'd expect 20 grams tops, carbon fiber and Dura-Ace everything.
;^}

 

[Chargeride]

Ugandan vanilla beans, used by local witch doctors to entrap adventurers with their mystical mind bending effects, leaving them powerless to resist as they empty them of their purse .

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Ugandan vanilla beans, used by local witch doctors to entrap adventurers with their mystical mind bending effects, leaving them powerless to resist as they empty them of their purse .

There was a keg of 13% Imperial Stout from Azvex, a brewery in Liverpool. The keg broke (!!!) so I had to find the more expensive beer in the fridge.

We had the Azvex IS the next night in Canterbury

 

[Chargeride]

Ramping up the effort to stay with friends on the trails is completely exhausting.
Its exercise Ive needed, but holy smokes, I'm walking around like a 90yr old, got back at 1pm, woke up still in all my gear on the couch five hours later

 

[Chazmo]

Ramping up the effort to stay with friends on the trails is completely exhausting.
Its exercise Ive needed, but holy smokes, I'm walking around like a 90yr old, got back at 1pm, woke up still in all my gear on the couch five hours later

Oh, gosh, Charge… That kind of whole body/mind exhaustion is really good for the soul (once in a while). Sounds like you’re having a blast! I’ll be getting out this morning for a ride myself. Possibly two today. Weather here in central Massachusetts is exquisite.

 

[Art Deco]

Have experienced this in Oregon around Cannon Beach etc.

Hit some sandy dunes along the New Jersey coast. It's like riding onto fly paper . All forward progress just dead stopped.

 

[Art Deco]

Former 2 time downhill mountain bike champion, hence the bling bike! The speeds those guys do on those extremely rough downhill tracks is insane, I've done over 50mph on my e bike on smooth roads but doing that on rough tracks takes balls of steel...

And probably a misfunction under the helmet as well.

 

[Art Deco]

It was only a Verdant glass. The strong hazy IPA was from Fuerst Wiacek, Berlin, Germany. This is one of very few German breweries that understand what craft beer is!

The night before, we were in Craft Beer Junction pub in South London we are friends with. There, we had this Imperial Stout:

View attachment 198578
It was the most expensive beer I have ever bought... £49 a bottle.

View attachment 198579
Now in Margate, Kent, a seaside resort...

View attachment 198580
...with this ultimate goal.

That's a beer priced like wine or cheap whiskey. Better last a while.

 

[Chazmo]

Over 32 miles today as I combined a lunch trip with my usual trail ride…

First, lunch at my favorite spot in Sterling, MA (Elsa’s Café). Fättie is hiding next to the sign. Steak tip caesar salad. Maximum yum!

Next, back through my home town to the Mass Central Rail Trail and up the hill between Manning and Mill Street in Holden, MA. This picture taken at the tippy top. This section has recently been completed with pristine, paved (stone dust) switchbacks on the front and back side of the hill that make the hill completely passable for casual riders. There are still some moderate, direct climbs which I often take up and over the hill, but I really enjoy the switchies for a lovely ride.

And, here we are at my usual turn-around point, Maple Spring pond in Holden, MA. Fättie preening by the pond:

 

[fooferdoggie]

I would have taken a photo, but I would have died. There was this long mt hood to the beach relay races, about 120 miles, I think. coming home on the bike path is one of their pit stops with a bunch of porta potties, it is 4 pm 100 degrees+ wit htye blacktop and the smell just about knocked me off my bike. Hundreds of runners just used the things.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

That's a beer priced like wine or cheap whiskey. Better last a while.

People in England love small talk with strangers (l'm used to it). One of such chats began in a Margate restaurant bar where a gentleman expressed his interest in us drinking IPAs instead of lager. I told him the life was too short to drink Lager

I love engaging in small talk here. For instance, i praised a vintage road bike of an older chap wearing a helmet and cycling gloves while enjoying his coffee by a supermarket. Then it went for a nice longer chat!

We attended open air concerts in Dreamland of Margate on Saturday. Buzzcocks were the most disappointing (they played many new songs nobody was interested in and the stage sound mix was terrible).

The Stranglers were just excellent. They provided rich, studio like sound! Even their newer songs were interesting!

As John Lydon a.k.a Johnny Rotten the original singer went a little insane the three surviving Sex Pistols hired a younger, red headed, tattooed and charismatic singer Frank Carter. It was a perfect energetic and even funny performance (the guitarist Steve Jones forgot playing a guitar solo in one of the songs and admitted that, haha). Worth every quid we spent for our VIP tickets!

St. @Brix of Margate