2024 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

[Saratoga Dave]

Well, we took a bit of a pounding in 2023. Richard Friedman (Alaskan) and then Alan Hicks are gone and missed by many of us. Dave Berry stepped off the stage over a year ago, whereabouts unknown… the hugely popular Dallant has been missing in action for a couple of years now. There are others, but that is the nature of these internet associations.

But here we go into another year. Drafted into this role last year, I’ll again start this thread just for purposes of being able to easily find entries from each year.

For me this begins year nine on EBR. I continue to greatly value the information and people we’ve got here. Just 3730 miles for 2023, looking for that 4000 mile mark this time, if all goes well. So off we go!

 

[RabH]

Nice one Dave, I posted this in the 2023 thread before you created the new one!

2023 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

I pressure washer my bike for disassembly. I have to check bearings. Asphalt scum is difficult to clean underneath. Shrike!!!

forums.electricbikereview.com

 

[Saratoga Dave]

No one can keep up with you, we all understand that

 

[Stefan Mikes]

"A Message To You Rudy", or the Mieczysław 2024 Ride

It was raining all the Mieczysław Day (the first name of the Polish patron of January 1st), and I could finish my ride report right now

There is a man nicknamed Rudy (Redhead), a person who has only been riding gravel for a year but of a great charisma and contagious enthusiasm. He is very active and positive in the Mazovia Gravel community. He together with two other people/clubs had done all preparations to make the New Year's gravel group ride a success. But heavy raining was forecast for the first day of the year and the event was postponed to Three Kings Day (Jan 6th).

I try to go for a longer ride on every New Year's Day ("Workout is the best cure for hangover!") so I pulled waterproof/water-repellent clothes on and pedalled to Grodzisk Mazowiecki where the event would have started if not the bad weather.

Of course, the start line in the front of the railway station was empty (I could see a single gravel cyclist riding around; I think he just gave up).

I stopped under a roofed area near to the historical Adam Chełmoński's Mansion (a public area). (Rudy had really tried, and made his ride plan go through interesting places). There, I was near to go back home as the sound of the rain was most depressing!

A dangerous crossing of river Pisia-Tuczna in Grzymek. I know the place very well and hate it!

People say there are many premium gravel roads in the area. Well, these roads may feel "premium" when you are riding them in a dry and warm weather...

There, I started wondering whether my own enthusiasm didn't go too far

I actually enjoyed crossing the river Pisia-Gągolina!

An interesting landmark: A dilapidated bridge over Okrzesza in Pieńki-Towarzystwo

At some point I decided I had enough! My "arctic" gloves got soaked with rainwater and swelled up so much I could not pull them back on my wet hands again. Took a dry replacement pair from the pannier and -- seeing smooth asphalt road in front of me -- I started pedalling very fast to get to Skierniewice-Rawka as fast as possible. I stopped under a bus stop shelter on Hwy #719 (it is "my road"!), ate sandwiches, swapped the battery (the first one was good for only 60 km under those conditions) and made a sprint to my destination.

I dreamed of a cup of coffee or hot chocolate in Skierniewice; alas! even our Little Frog stores were closed on the holiday!

So I had to wait for 20 minutes for the return train, and started feeling the cold...

Hopefully, I didn't catch a cold! Of my Strava friends in the area, there was only one man who ventured out for a rainy ride on the day!

The message I sent to Rudy on that day

 

[Chargeride]

Ha Stefan, same here, and another Storm coming, we've called in Henk.
I'm in Wales again, its rained non stop except for a couple of two hour slots where we walked the Panoramic trail and did a bit of the Traws Eryri trail.

Panoramic Walk

Dolgellau new year's eve, yes, pissing down.

A small part of the 120 mile Traws Eryri trail from Macyllenth to Conway.

Streamable Video

Watch this video on Streamable.

streamable.com

The view in real life was breathtaking, a 1000ft climb straight off, which we are going back down in that clip, it was clear on the way up, but its all on my GoPro.
The wife pedalled it all the way.

I gunned it to the top to check the trail as the tarmac ended near the top, ate my sandwiches, explored a few trails, scrolled my phone for a bit, oiled the chain, adjusted the brakes before she arrived

So many deep puddles on the valley floor part though, we will return in the summer.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I'm in Wales again,

Wales is beautiful!

 

[Chargeride]

It sure is, the coastal drive is simply magical, you drive through a forest from lord of the rings, past derelict stone built churches and farms, rows of tiny ancient miners cottages and then climb up the edge of the cliff to a panorama of the beaches and the Irish sea.
Never tire of it

 

[JRA]

Beautiful weather here on the north coast of OR on 1/1.

Thanks El Niño!

 

[Chargeride]

That's my sulk face

 

[peterh_nz]

But here we go into another year. Drafted into this role last year, I’ll again start this thread just for purposes of being able to easily find entries from each year.

Thanks for your initiative and keeping the spirit of this thread going.

Peter

 

[Saratoga Dave]

No great photo opportunities today, but I was able to get out on the Champlain canal for a shortish ride. An actual snow event predicted for Saturday night, so I’m going to try and get out in the meantime if I can.

I don’t think I’ve ever taken a picture of the sign:

 

[Prairie Dog]

From yesterday’s first ride of the new year. Recurring freeze and thaw cycles turned some of the singles into risky endeavors. A couple of them comprised of descents were riddled with icy ruts and as a result had me looking elsewhere where the trails would have better flow and were safer to ride on. I began my morning at Garden Gnome then moved onto Moose Knuckle, down the fast double track along Mackenzie trail and finally transitioning to the Pines Single. Arrived home in time for a late lunch. Despite a rather distracting front end squeak, it was another spectacular sunny morning under blue skies and in relatively mild conditions.

It’s now looking like the warm temps that we basked in during December along with the start of the new year will be short lived as an infusion of cold arctic air is expected to sweep across the province next week as winter begins to get a tighter grip on us.

 

[Captain Slow]

Well, we took a bit of a pounding in 2023. Richard Friedman (Alaskan) and then Alan Hicks are gone and missed by many of us. Dave Berry stepped off the stage over a year ago, whereabouts unknown… the hugely popular Dallant has been missing in action for a couple of years now. There are others, but that is the nature of these internet associations.

But here we go into another year. Drafted into this role last year, I’ll again start this thread just for purposes of being able to easily find entries from each year.

For me this begins year nine on EBR. I continue to greatly value the information and people we’ve got here. Just 3730 miles for 2023, looking for that 4000 mile mark this time, if all goes well. So off we go!

Agreed, those members were great and they are sorely missed. I haven't posted in the pictures thread much over the last few years primarily because I no longer have an ebike. But as long as my ride pictures are welcomed, I will try to post a number of pictures this year and contribute to this thread.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Agreed, those members were great and they are sorely missed.

I regret other past members such as Sierratim who once disappeared for good...
Or, once the most funny person in these forums, one "Powerfly Lee formerly known as Cheetah Lee" who left the forums because of a bad e-bike accident. Lee started riding again but disappeared from Strava in August 2023.
Or, a German man of great expertise, @TS25 who might simply lose his interest in the Forums.

All of them are badly missed!

 

[Prairie Dog]

I haven't posted in the pictures thread much over the last few years primarily because I no longer have an ebike. But as long as my ride pictures are welcomed, I will try to post a number of pictures this year and contribute to this thread.

At this point, I’m not sure if it really matters as I think that we’re all part of one huge social cycling circle here. I’ve been submitting analog trip reports for well over a year now and felt just as welcome doing so since the first time I posted here on the ebr forums. Road/trail/winter wise, I continue to ride ebikes but have pivoted to a large degree now that most blacktop excursions tend to find me on non-powered wheels during the warmer months.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Captain, I’d love to keep seeing pics of what you’re up to.

 

[Chargeride]

I started screenshotting, but lost the will to live on my phone.
This is my visit to the blue lake near Dolgellau, you may admire the way I edited the wife out, she took the road to the cafe by the toll bridge and I went back for the van.
Never trust the man with the edit button .

That ride was proper battery and motor abuse.

 

[Art Deco]

Well, we took a bit of a pounding in 2023. Richard Friedman (Alaskan) and then Alan Hicks are gone and missed by many of us. Dave Berry stepped off the stage over a year ago, whereabouts unknown… the hugely popular Dallant has been missing in action for a couple of years now. There are others, but that is the nature of these internet associations.

But here we go into another year. Drafted into this role last year, I’ll again start this thread just for purposes of being able to easily find entries from each year.

For me this begins year nine on EBR. I continue to greatly value the information and people we’ve got here. Just 3730 miles for 2023, looking for that 4000 mile mark this time, if all goes well. So off we go!

The most consistently entertaining thread on EBR. Funny now, but when David started this thread there was an argument about what brand of bike (subform) it belonged in ... Thanks again @Saratoga Dave .

 

[Chargeride]

It has rained all night and has just monsooned for two hours this morning.
It's been nice knowing you, Britains going under.
Salutes from highest point.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It has rained all night and has just monsooned for two hours this morning.
It's been nice knowing you, Britains going under.
Salutes from highest point.

Leaden skies here. It has been raining for 3 days but now it is dry and getting colder. I expect ice from tomorrow, so I'd ride to my brother to swap the Vado tyres for the studded ones. We're going for a gravel group ride tomorrow (Three Kings Day).