Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[Deleted member 18083]

Will you be our friend …

Wanora Road, SE Queensland
Photo at 10 km on map​

 

[Prairie Dog]

Enjoyed the ride very much, thanks for sharing.

Thanks. By accident, I inserted two identical scenes into the video showing me as I cycled by the camera. My bad as I should have better reviewed the footage before uploading it for processing as I was just heading out the door to run some errands. That being said, I do enjoy riding that stretch of trail.

 

[RandallS]

After days of snow and ice I was determined to get a ride today, despite the -8C temp! I have lost 2 uncles and an aunt to Covid in the past week so I had to get out to clear my head, its hard to tell a 92yo they have lost 2 brothers and a sister in the space of a week! I thought of a route which would be relatively safe with no twists and turns, mainly straight roads! My heated gloves came in very handy today, they were keeping my hands toasty and defrosting my water also which kept freezing up inside the feed tube!

<<snip>>

It was good to get out again even despite the cold, not my usual long Sunday ride but I was more than happy to be just cycling again!

To clarify my "sad" response, it's got nothing to do with the ride of course.

Was out on a ride myself (as yet undocumented) on Friday and got really bad (albeit expected) news about my sister's ongoing battle, which is coming to an end soon.
Although the conditions were quite cold at -11C, I was glad I was out on my bike.
It too allowed my to clear my head before I zoomed home and began the process of arranging things to take my 92 year old mother the 300+Kms to visit her first born child one last time - local COVID rules be-damned.
If I'd been at home I probably would have been a mess...

On another vein - regarding weather in your part of the world, a good friend from Edinburgh is sending me a lot of photos and it does look a little (OK - a LOT) treacherous. Keep it vertical!

 

[Prairie Dog]

My last few rides have been relatively uneventful with the exception of an impromptu river crossing last week. I decided to visit an area that I had not been to for several months and thought that the most convenient way to get there in timely fashion was to cross the frozen tributary. I just needed to find a solid path that would lead me to the other side.

When the snow along the river bank was too deep to ride any further,


I ventured out onto the frozen ice where I followed some old sled and X-country ski tracks......



then rode along until I spotted a recent and well used footpath that I felt was safe enough to traverse over to the other side. Needless to say, I ended up walking the bike over as the path wasn't as trodden as I expected it to be. The shallow bank and stairs that welcomed me upon my arrival convinced me that I made the right decision.

3 Mile bend is a 55-acre nature park that is also home to an off-lease area. I must admit that The Bend is quite a nice spot for Spot.

Several of my daylight rides were combined with outings during evening hours including a ride out to Mackenzie Trail Park on the north side of the city. On my way out to the trail, I stopped by City Hall Park to view the festival of lights for one last time before the municipality takes them down at the end of the month. I'll try and follow up with a video of the display tomorrow.


‘Twas a brisk ride today as the mercury plunged to -16 C but felt more like -25 C.

5 km into the ride, I experienced a minor mechanical set back as my chain dropped off the small sprocket and was wedged firmly between the cassette lockring and the rear drop out. No amount of pulling could free it so I pulled off my outer gloves and removed the multi-tool out from the saddle bag. I used the beefiest hex wrench available and along with a few stiff tugs on the chain, I managed to wrestle it free. No idea what could have caused the malfunction but just prior to the incident I did run through a patch of gravel at a bridge underpass and it’s possible that a rogue stone could have been the culprit. The black spot on the map shows where I was inconveniently delayed.

Not a good day for photos as the overcast conditions and snow made for washed out results.

The forecast for next week looks a bit more promising. At least we will have mostly sunlit days to look forward too.

 

[PatriciaK]

To clarify my "sad" response, it's got nothing to do with the ride of course.

Was out on a ride myself (as yet undocumented) on Friday and got really bad (albeit expected) news about my sister's ongoing battle, which is coming to an end soon.
Although the conditions were quite cold at -11C, I was glad I was out on my bike.
It too allowed my to clear my head before I zoomed home and began the process of arranging things to take my 92 year old mother the 300+Kms to visit her first born child one last time - local COVID rules be-damned.
If I'd been at home I probably would have been a mess...

On another vein - regarding weather in your part of the world, a good friend from Edinburgh is sending me a lot of photos and it does look a little (OK - a LOT) treacherous. Keep it vertical!

So sad for you and your family. Peace.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I have lost 2 uncles and an aunt to Covid in the past week so I had to get out to clear my head,

got really bad (albeit expected) news about my sister's ongoing battle, which is coming to an end soon.

Sincere words of sympathy to both of you, friends. The life can be really cruel...

I have yet to figure out how to join clips together.

If you have some time David, try a free PC application called VSDC. You'd spend a while figuring out how object-oriented video editing is done but it is worthwhile to try. I was able to make advanced videos with this free tool (like three video streams simultaneously playing on the same screen!)

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Started off with a balaclava, 3 layers on feet, hands and upper. Two layers on legs. More than enough after I warmed up, but goggles would have been nice for those lower cold spot creek crossings. That colder air behind my glasses really makes my eyes water!

You really need goggles, Tim. I have also discovered it was possible to dramatically reduce the number of clothing layers by wearing skiing wares (@Readytoride inspired me to investigate in that direction).

Just a base layer and the snowboarding jacket are sufficient for temperatures down to 0 C (32 F) including strong wind and raining. The internal membrane of the jacket is certified against 15000 mm of water. (Technically, I even don't need to protect my neck with the tubular acryl hood here).

So-called Winter Tyres (a warning)

Whenever Schwalbe offer winter tyres, such tyres are always studded/spiked. Their Marathon Winter Plus have proven so far excellently. Which cannot be said of Continental Top Contact Winter II ones! So-called "winter tyres" from Continental (not studded) are a joke. I set off for a coffee with my friend Jazza on Saturday, riding my Lovelec "shod" with the Continentals. On cornering, I rode into a lump of snow: my e-bike slipped and started falling! Luckily, I jerked my body strongly as to oppose the bike movement and came out from the jam successfully. Otherwise, my ride could terminate rather abruptly. I agree with Schwalbe now: A non-studded bike tyre is not a winter tyre!

Ride Map.

Ride metrics. My torso was only covered with a thin thermo base layer and the snowboarding jacket!

 

[RabH]

To clarify my "sad" response, it's got nothing to do with the ride of course.

Was out on a ride myself (as yet undocumented) on Friday and got really bad (albeit expected) news about my sister's ongoing battle, which is coming to an end soon.
Although the conditions were quite cold at -11C, I was glad I was out on my bike.
It too allowed my to clear my head before I zoomed home and began the process of arranging things to take my 92 year old mother the 300+Kms to visit her first born child one last time - local COVID rules be-damned.
If I'd been at home I probably would have been a mess...

On another vein - regarding weather in your part of the world, a good friend from Edinburgh is sending me a lot of photos and it does look a little (OK - a LOT) treacherous. Keep it vertical!

I hope you and your mother get to spend some special moments with your sister, best wishes to you all.

Yes, the east of the country got it pretty bad! I had only travelled a few miles east yesterday when I noticed the difference! Today we have a biting cold wind and even though its a beautiful sunny day I'm staying indoors in the warm!

Thank you, Stefan!

 

[Chargeride]

Gravel riders' playground …

Brisbane Valley Rail Trail
Fairney View, QLD
Watch video clip full-size in separate screen.

The rougher the better is how the avid mountain bikers and gravel grinders like the rail trail. From experience, I can report that my 2019 Riese & Müller Homage is not sufficiently rugged to take on trails like this on a regular basis*… no problem for an entry-level eMTB like my Trek Powerfly 5.

* Mounting the second battery on the primary battery's lid, which is held in place by a press stud (no kidding!), is the problem. The solution has been to strap the lid and the second battery down with multiple velcro strips. Conjure up images of old-style sports cars with leather straps keeping their hoods from coming adrift at high speed on gravel roads. Oh, what fun!

I notice the clouds are bobbing around a bit like its adjusting the paralax, it doesnt detract from the serenity though.
Lovely.

 

[Sierratim]

You really need goggles, Tim.

I agree! I have ski goggles that I've used for years for cross country skiing and snowshoeing. They're an 'over the glasses' (OTG) style allowing me to wear my Rx glasses. Unfortunately the goggles are too high to work well with my Specialized MIPS helmet. The helmet forces the goggles down on my face to the point where my glasses are too uncomfortable.

I'm considering another set of goggles but what I've found so far seems to have the potential interference issue.

 

[Clueless]

cold -10c bright ....the drift was to hard and to deep .... I’ve met my match

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I agree! I have ski goggles that I've used for years for cross country skiing and snowshoeing. They're an 'over the glasses' (OTG) style allowing me to wear my Rx glasses. Unfortunately the goggles are too high to work well with my Specialized MIPS helmet. The helmet forces the goggles down on my face to the point where my glasses are too uncomfortable.

I'm considering another set of goggles but what I've found so far seems to have the potential interference issue.

That is because Tim skiing goggles are made for skiing helmets. I have found the large OTG goggles I wear nor only match my snowboarding helmet but also the Bell Super Air R MIPS Spherical one.

Large goggles matching a full-face helmet!

 

[Sierratim]

That is because Tim skiing goggles are made for skiing helmets. I have found the large OTG goggles I wear nor only match my snowboarding helmet but also the Bell Super Air R MIPS Spherical one.

View attachment 77541
Large goggles matching a full-face helmet!

Perhaps I need to get a winter helmet...

 

[Prairie Dog]

That is because Tim skiing goggles are made for skiing helmets. I have found the large OTG goggles I wear nor only match my snowboarding helmet but also the Bell Super Air R MIPS Spherical one.

View attachment 77541
Large goggles matching a full-face helmet!

I’m in a similar predicament as Tim albeit with my ski helmet. Finding a good fitting and comfortable pair of goggles to work with the helmet and RX glasses has become an arduous process. I sure could have used a set yesterday instead of relying solely on my RX sport wraps! Fogging like you wouldn't believe.

I have a pair of Scott OTG versions arriving tomorrow and hope that they check off all of the boxes. Another concern of mine would be peripheral vision or potential lack thereof with goggles.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I have a pair of Scott OTG versions arriving tomorrow and hope that they check off all of the boxes. Another concern of mine would be peripheral vision or potential lack thereof with goggles.

I cannot say anything about your future goggles. I can only say (in a form of a joke) that the European brand 100% (www.100percent.com) names their googles that way not without a reason

Perhaps I need to get a winter helmet...

I don't want to sound a devil's advocate but snowboarding helmets are very good for winter cycling and are made for wearing goggles. I got the advice to buy a snowboarding helmet not anywhere else but on the very same Forums

 

[Prairie Dog]

I cannot say anything about your future goggles. I can only say (in a form of a joke) that the European brand 100% (www.100percent.com) names their googles that way not without a reason

They are next on my list if the Scotts don't fit.

Search results for: '100 accuri otg goggles clear lens'

Canada's #1 Motorcycle Dealership and eCommerce Store

www.blackfootonline.ca

or these.

Gordini Ultra Vision OTG Goggles - Unisex | MEC

Gordini Ultra Vision OTG Goggles - Unisex: The temples of these goggles feature foam reliefs that prevent your glasses from digging in to your temples. Crisp Carl Zeiss optics and fog-banishing vents complete the package.

www.mec.ca

 

[Prairie Dog]

Here is the video footage of my brief side trip to the core last Wednesday to view the City Hall park lights. It starts out as a bit of a bumpy downhill ride due to the fact that I had to dial down the EI stabilization for the sake of overall improved viewing. Using the side walk was the quickest route downtown. The designated bike lane to the right of the flow of traffic is virtually covered in ice.

 

[RandallS]

I was trying to get oriented where you were and was surprised i was right (when I saw the TELUS building).
Must have been cold as I saw zero pedestrians.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I was trying to get oriented where you were and was surprised i was right (when I saw the TELUS building).
Must have been cold as I saw zero pedestrians.

You know our little city well. The structure that was dimly lit was likely the Stantec building. The Telus Center is located just northeast of it. I’m inclined to think that the lack of people downtown has more to do with economic factors at play. After 5 pm the streets are barren and most shoppers head to the malls on the south end of town. It was like this even before COVID.

 

[RandallS]

My ride from last Friday was a little chilly to start off, at -11C, but I wanted to get a few KMs in before the really cold weather arrived. I decided to take a run by the hospital where I had an appointment yesterday, as I'd heard the parkade that served the out-patient area I was going to, had some construction going on. The FMC (Foothills Medical Centre) has never really had good parking and with the colder weather, I didn't want to have to use a surface lot. That's at location X on map below. It was nice to ride down into the parkade and warm up - I did get a few strange looks...

Here's the route and some technical details.

After leaving the parkade, I headed south to the Bow river at which point I needed a bio break (cold weather at work). I just used a simple cable lock for the quick pit stop at the public washrooms.
I have one of those cheap movement alarms I should setup for these types of stops. There's a nice café there and a bridge across the river that I often take to go visit friends.



After finishing my business, I headed east along the Bow river until teh next bridge crossing (under a freeway bridge) and I continued east towards downtown Calgary. I planned to stop in the East Village at a coffee shop that my best friend's daughter's husband manages. Along that pathway at location Y, I took a few snaps including a sculpture that caught my eye.



Venturing through downtown, heading for my coffee break, I stopped to remove my earbuds as I hadn't charged them fully before going out. The audiobook I was listening to Peter May's "Runaway".
Since I'd stopped I took a few photos - but they were in the shadows of the high-rises in the area and aren't the best.



I arrived at my coffee break location Z which was pretty well bang on 25 KMs from my start, and had a latte and chocolate croissant (nice healthy lunch).



That was when I got the sad news about my sister - and thank you to all of you who shared their kind thoughts.
I quickly loaded up and headed for home at a "vigorous" pace, setting 3 Strava segment PR's, but no Turbo...
As I said in another post, I was glad I got the news while out biking - it gave me time to wrap my brain around events (which were not really a shock - but you're often "not really prepared").

To almost finish this off, for most of the ride, it was colder than -10C, and I had my phone on my Quadlock mount.
When I got home, it was unresponsive and I wondered if my ride metrics were going to be there or not (not that I cared at that point), but after warming up a bit, everything returned to normal.

Lastly, the reason for checking out the hospital parking was for my shoulder appointment yesterday. Result is NO surgery for the moment.
The reason is the surgeon felt that a lot of the damage was old (Rugby, Hockey etc..) and I'd been living with already. She figures I'd lose a lot of mobility if she operated now, and has me on a regime of stretching and strengthening for ~6 weeks and then a review of progress.

Hopefully that will save this year's golf season, but boy, does this ever hurt while doing the exercises (and trying to sleep at night)!
But then again, post surgery, I'd be doing most of the same ones anyways, so it's time to suck it up and get on with it.

Gives me more to do during the winter as well, as I think my winter riding limit is around that -10C mark, and right now it's -14C.
The weekend looks promising though!

 

[Prairie Dog]

My ride from last Friday was a little chilly to start off, at -11C, but I wanted to get a few KMs in before the really cold weather arrived. I decided to take a run by the hospital where I had an appointment yesterday, as I'd heard the parkade that served the out-patient area I was going to, had some construction going on. The FMC (Foothills Medical Centre) has never really had good parking and with the colder weather, I didn't want to have to use a surface lot. That's at location X on map below. It was nice to ride down into the parkade and warm up - I did get a few strange looks...

Here's the route and some technical details.


View attachment 77618

View attachment 77617

After leaving the parkade, I headed south to the Bow river at which point I needed a bio break (cold weather at work). I just used a simple cable lock for the quick pit stop at the public washrooms.
I have one of those cheap movement alarms I should setup for these types of stops. There's a nice café there and a bridge across the river that I often take to go visit friends.

View attachment 77608 View attachment 77621

After finishing my business, I headed east along the Bow river until teh next bridge crossing (under a freeway bridge) and I continued east towards downtown Calgary. I planned to stop in the East Village at a coffee shop that my best friend's daughter's husband manages. Along that pathway at location Y, I took a few snaps including a sculpture that caught my eye.

View attachment 77610 View attachment 77611 View attachment 77609 View attachment 77623 View attachment 77610

Venturing through downtown, heading for my coffee break, I stopped to remove my earbuds as I hadn't charged them fully before going out. The audiobook I was listening to Peter May's "Runaway".
Since I'd stopped I took a few photos - but they were in the shadows of the high-rises in the area and aren't the best.

View attachment 77612 View attachment 77613

I arrived at my coffee break location Z which was pretty well bang on 25 KMs from my start, and had a latte and chocolate croissant (nice healthy lunch).

View attachment 77615 View attachment 77624 View attachment 77614

That was when I got the sad news about my sister - and thank you to all of you who shared their kind thoughts.
I quickly loaded up and headed for home at a "vigorous" pace, setting 3 Strava segment PR's, but no Turbo...
As I said in another post, I was glad I got the news while out biking - it gave me time to wrap my brain around events (which were not really a shock - but you're often "not really prepared").

To almost finish this off, for most of the ride, it was colder than -10C, and I had my phone on my Quadlock mount.
When I got home, it was unresponsive and I wondered if my ride metrics were going to be there or not (not that I cared at that point), but after warming up a bit, everything returned to normal.

Lastly, the reason for checking out the hospital parking was for my shoulder appointment yesterday. Result is NO surgery for the moment.
The reason is the surgeon felt that a lot of the damage was old (Rugby, Hockey etc..) and I'd been living with already. She figures I'd lose a lot of mobility if she operated now, and has me on a regime of stretching and strengthening for ~6 weeks and then a review of progress.

Hopefully that will save this year's golf season, but boy, does this ever hurt while doing the exercises (and trying to sleep at night)!
But then again, post surgery, I'd be doing most of the same ones anyways, so it's time to suck it up and get on with it.

Gives me more to do during the winter as well, as I think my winter riding limit is around that -10C mark, and right now it's -14C.
The weekend looks promising though!

Thanks for sharing that chilly ride journal. It's remarkable how positive an effect a rigorous outing on the bike can do for one’s state of mind. With any luck, your plan to cycle and golf won’t be hindered much upon hearing that promising prognosis from the surgeon.