2026 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

[edobici_forza]

I had the most pleasurable ride in a long time! I rained all last week in the Menlo Park CA area. I got in one ride after the rain. Today I just wanted to ride the coast. there is a Multi-use-trail in Half Moon Bay that I have ridden often. I decided to ride this route but add the north end which I have never even saw before. it was amazing. Pillar Point (which is an Air Force radar location based on the posted signs) Funny I worked down the hill for a minute, never rode there. it was so beautiful. lots of nice hikers, walkers and riders.

I have ridden 75% if this route with my Ibis Exie, but I knew I was in an adventurer mode today so needed a little backup. And I was riding solo. so having friends push as backup was not in the mix.

That said..,My ride today was perfect! Even dodging the tourists on the MUTs. My goal was about a 3 hour ride, no set distance. I was out for 4hrs. a few stops. 30 miles. And absolutely stunning scenery. Mission accomplished.

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I took this photo while I was coaching a friend who asked me about a bike for his grandson. I wish I had video of the breaking waves. I had just started my ride. maybe 15 minutes in.View attachment 206405

Only local will know that the tiny Half Moon Bay Airport is below the horizon of this photo

Sorry, slowly reviewing many photos. more to come.

 

[edobici_forza]

a few more...

 

[Chargeride]

Half moon bay Airport.
Love it

 

[Rás Cnoic]

a few more...View attachment 206409
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[DiggyGun]

Been off the Forum for a while for various reasons.

Initially with pain reasons, had very severe Plantar Fasciitis which was very painful and long term to sort. Eventually beat that with a lot of expensive shockwave therapy.

Then got arthritis and a cyst in my neck and couldn’t turn my head, so riding a bike was not safe. That took about nine months to get better.

Medically much better now, still don’t have full movement in the neck still but enough for driving and cycling, but no pain which is great.

However, although better medically wise, we put our bikes into storage along with all our other chattels, as we relocated from the UK to Wroclaw in Poland in October 2025.

Temporary living in a nice city centre apartment whilst waiting for our new house to be built. We get the keys end of March, then it will be another three to four months to get the house finished. We are hoping to move in around August time and have all our possessions shipped over from the UK.

We do though, have our Bosch bike batteries and all of our L-Ion batteries stored in a box in the wardrobe of the apartment, so part of the bike is with us. Turned out, that we could put the bike into long term storage, you are not allowed to store L-Ion batteries because of the fire risk.

So instead of cycling around Wroclaw we are doing a lot of exploring of the city on foot, averaging around 7.5km per day. Good for the health generally which is great and I’ve lost over 7kg since being here. But my right hip started to hurt, so saw the Doctor and had various tests. Turns out that my hip is fairly worn out and will need a full replacement within a year or two, but the advice is to keep on walking as this is strengthening the muscles around the hip.

One of the nice things about Wroclaw and the village that were moving to are the cycle paths. There are so many of them, usually separate from the pedestrian paths, plus it’s fairly flat around here. So really looking forward to getting back on the bike and exploring further and then exercising my new hip.

Did read recently that Wroclaw is the 28th best bike-friendly city in the world, so good timing.

Mainly for me, a reminder of what our bikes look like.

DG…

 

[Stefan Mikes]

What news, Diggy! Get well for the warm season, which is simply magical in Wrocław!

For me, Wrocław is the nicest city in Poland. I visited the city for many many times both for business and pleasure. It was a time a former Wrocław punk-rock band ZWŁOKI were my bandmates! Wrocław is not only bike friendly, it is just gorgeous!

Views from the Penitent Bridge (1459, St. Maria Magdalena church), Wrocław.

Views from Sky Tower, one of the highest buildings in Poland.

The Monument for The Anonymous Passer-By, near Capitol Theatre.

Three of several hundred dwarfs to be found in Wrocław.

Wrocław is a city on several rivers and hundreds of bridges but I'm not good at photographing them (A view from the Cathedral, July 2004).

A gig we had in Wrocław in 2015. The greatest original Polish PUNKS as well as ZWŁOKI onstage. "No People", a Gdańsk Deadlock cover song with the author and original singer Plexi.

@DiggyGun: You are probably aware Lower Silesia you live in has some nicest mountains to be visited, also on e-bikes, aren't you? And well, Czech Republic with her mountains and no borders is so close to you...

 

[DiggyGun]

What news, Diggy! Get well for the warm season, which is simply magical in Wrocław!

For me, Wrocław is the nicest city in Poland. I visited the city for many many times both for business and pleasure. It was a time a former Wrocław punk-rock band ZWŁOKI were my bandmates! Wrocław is not only bike friendly, it is just gorgeous!

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Views from the Penitent Bridge (1459, St. Maria Magdalena church), Wrocław.

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Views from Sky Tower, one of the highest buildings in Poland.

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The Monument for The Anonymous Passer-By, near Capitol Theatre.

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Three of several hundred dwarfs to be found in Wrocław.

View attachment 206442
Wrocław is a city on several rivers and hundreds of bridges but I'm not good at photographing them (A view from the Cathedral, July 2004).

A gig we had in Wrocław in 2015. The greatest original Polish PUNKS as well as ZWŁOKI onstage. "No People", a Gdańsk Deadlock cover song with the author and original singer Plexi.

@DiggyGun: You are probably aware Lower Silesia you live in has some nicest mountains to be visited, also on e-bikes, aren't you? And well, Czech Republic with her mountains and no borders is so close to you...

Hi Stefan

Many thanks for your kind comments.

Yes we’re thoroughly enjoying the city. Lovely architecture and culture. The centre (Rynek) is just gorgeous.

It’s a compact city so great for walks. One of the things we do is take a tram (free for me) to the final stop and then walk back, exploring on the way.

Where we’re moving to has local forests with cycle tracks, a cycle track behind the house and we can cycle into the city about 15km on dedicated cycle paths.

One thing we need to do when we get the R+M e-bikes is to treat them to a full service as they have not been used for a while. Fortunately there is a R+M dealer in the city.

DG…

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Fortunately there is a R+M dealer in the city.

So many things have changed in so few years! Only several years ago R&M were denying the very existence of Poland
Explore Wrocław as much as you can! Then there will be the time to see the wonders of Lower Silesia, I promise!

I think you are talking about the dealer in Świdnicka.

Zakręt Śmierci (The Turn of Death) near Szklarska Poręba, Lower Silesia.

Vang Stave Church, Karpacz, Lower Silesia.

The castle of a Baron von Münchhausen, Szalejów Dolny, Lower Silesia

Kłodzko, Lower Silesia

As Lower Silesia was a German province before, it looks totally differently from most of Poland!

 

[DiggyGun]

So many things have changed in so few years! Only several years ago R&M were denying the very existence of Poland
Explore Wrocław as much as you can! Then there will be the time to see the wonders of Lower Silesia, I promise!

View attachment 206443
I think you are talking about the dealer in Świdnicka.

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Zakręt Śmierci (The Turn of Death) near Szklarska Poręba, Lower Silesia.

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Vang Stave Church, Karpacz, Lower Silesia.

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The castle of a Baron von Münchhausen, Szalejów Dolny, Lower Silesia

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Kłodzko, Lower Silesia

As Lower Silesia was a German province before, it looks totally differently from most of Poland!

Hi Stefan.

Yes, that’s the dealer. We have been there and I tried the new Homage, very nice.

DG…

 

[Chargeride]

Baron von Münchhausen.

I always picture him as the Vulgarians in chitty chitty bang bang.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

What news, Diggy! Get well for the warm season, which is simply magical in Wrocław!

For me, Wrocław is the nicest city in Poland. I visited the city for many many times both for business and pleasure. It was a time a former Wrocław punk-rock band ZWŁOKI were my bandmates! Wrocław is not only bike friendly, it is just gorgeous!

I don't believe they are that small, just crouching.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Indeed

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Been off the Forum for a while for various reasons.

Initially with pain reasons, had very severe Plantar Fasciitis which was very painful and long term to sort. Eventually beat that with a lot of expensive shockwave therapy.

Then got arthritis and a cyst in my neck and couldn’t turn my head, so riding a bike was not safe. That took about nine months to get better.

Medically much better now, still don’t have full movement in the neck still but enough for driving and cycling, but no pain which is great.

However, although better medically wise, we put our bikes into storage along with all our other chattels, as we relocated from the UK to Wroclaw in Poland in October 2025.

Temporary living in a nice city centre apartment whilst waiting for our new house to be built. We get the keys end of March, then it will be another three to four months to get the house finished. We are hoping to move in around August time and have all our possessions shipped over from the UK.

We do though, have our Bosch bike batteries and all of our L-Ion batteries stored in a box in the wardrobe of the apartment, so part of the bike is with us. Turned out, that we could put the bike into long term storage, you are not allowed to store L-Ion batteries because of the fire risk.

So instead of cycling around Wroclaw we are doing a lot of exploring of the city on foot, averaging around 7.5km per day. Good for the health generally which is great and I’ve lost over 7kg since being here. But my right hip started to hurt, so saw the Doctor and had various tests. Turns out that my hip is fairly worn out and will need a full replacement within a year or two, but the advice is to keep on walking as this is strengthening the muscles around the hip.

One of the nice things about Wroclaw and the village that were moving to are the cycle paths. There are so many of them, usually separate from the pedestrian paths, plus it’s fairly flat around here. So really looking forward to getting back on the bike and exploring further and then exercising my new hip.

Did read recently that Wroclaw is the 28th best bike-friendly city in the world, so good timing.
View attachment 206429


Mainly for me, a reminder of what our bikes look like.
View attachment 206428


DG…

Congrats on your new city. Hope you're back in the saddle soon.

Quite a medical saga you've had lately. I can vouch for the pain of plantar fasciitis. Still in physical therapy for mine, but the worst is probably behind me now. Never interfered with my cycling, thank goodness, but for a while there, the unavoidable dog walks were a real test of will.

Everyone I know with a hip replacement is glad they pulled the trigger, so good luck on yours!

 

[DiggyGun]

Congrats on your new city. Hope you're back in the saddle soon.

Quite a medical saga you've had lately. I can vouch for the pain of plantar fasciitis. Still in physical therapy for mine, but the worst is probably behind me now. Never interfered with my cycling, thank goodness, but for a while there, the unavoidable dog walks were a real test of will.

Everyone I know with a hip replacement is glad they pulled the trigger, so good luck on yours!

Thanks Jeremy

My PF played me up for many years. Tried different therapies; massage, physio, steroid injections. In the end was a course of shockwave therapy which stopped it.

If you haven’t tried shockwave therapy it is worth considering it.

Fortunately the hip only causes occasional discomfort so not too bad.

DG…

 

[RabH]

Not the day I had planned but what a day it turned out to be!

This morning I had planned to take my sister to Callander Park in Falkirk for a morning walk and I would have the afternoon free for cycling, unfortunately my sister had developed a nasty cough overnight and had very little sleep! She told me to get the bike out and stay well clear of her, message received! Once again it was a blustery day with a 30mph SW wind this time and a very mild 11C, I decided it would be a good day to head for the Forth Bridges although I was a bit worried about the gusty winds crossing the bridge! As it turned out the wind was almost a direct southerly at the bridge and wasn't an issue at all!

I made my way out to Shieldhill, passing through the village of California! The weather certainly wasn't Californian though, it was threatening to rain at any moment but was holding off for now! This view of the Ochil Hills from California paints a picture of the threatening clouds that hung about all day!

The view from Shieldhill with the young offenders institution at Polmont in the foreground, basically a prison for young offenders...

I then had a cracking descent through Reddingmuirhead and Brightons and down into Polmont! Then due east through Linlithgow, Kingscavil and Threemiletown and into Winchburgh!

The Pentland Hills near Winchburgh with those clouds teasing me all the way!

I then turned north for Newton and stopped for a snack and grabbed this photo looking north with the Ochils way in the distance!

I then had my first proper view of the bridges!

Things were looking a little brighter over the Ochils now, some amazing cloud formations!

Rosyth Dockyard across the Forth!

Then it was time to cross the bridge, time for many photos!

I timed it nicely to catch the train crossing!

After crossing I headed to Inverkeithing for lunch and then it was time to turn into the wind after 36 miles, passing through Rosyth and Crombie and taking the coast road through Torryburn, Newmills, Low Valleyfield and Culross! Then I joined the cycle path to Kincardine Bridge, at 51 miles I changed to my second battery just after crossing the bridge! This battery is almost 8 years old now so 51 miles is good going at this time of year!

The Firth of Forth at Kincardine!

Clackmannanshire Bridge with the Ochils in the background, thankfully still no rain...

Kincardine Bridge!

I then headed SW to Larbert and on to Bonnybridge, passing over the canal!

Time for the first big climb of the day, up through High Bonnybridge to join the back road into Falkirk, I even got a little sun for 2 minutes! Excuse the shadow...

From Falkirk it was another big climb up to Slamannan, it sure took a toll on my second battery and as I climbed my final hill to home at 81 miles I had 29% remaining! I had made it home dry and other than a few spits of rain it was a mainly dry day! It was 3.15pm when I got home and I was feeling good so I grabbed my 3rd battery and set off again, it would be rude not to make it a 100 miler! I decided to make a loop out to Slamannan and back to enjoy a tailwind for almost 10 miles!

After battling a headwind and big hills for over 45 miles, it was very welcome and of course just after setting off it started to rain! Sods law... The same thing happened to me last year, deja vu in play! Last year I got drenched though, it wasn't so bad this time and it actually stopped as I turned for home at Slamannan! I cranked the assist up to level 3 all the way home to negate that 30mph headwind!

What a day that was, I will sleep very well tonight for sure!

Welcome back DG @DiggyGun wishing you all the best with your health issues and good luck with your new home, it sounds like its going to be a wonderful place to enjoy the rest of your days!