Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[PowerflyLee formerly known as CheetahLee]

This poor deer got stuck on the wrong side of the flooding creek. It was pacing back and forth at the bank when I first rode by and it was still there on my return trip a good 20 minutes later. There is a wide wooden bridge going to the forest side, hopefully it will get brave enough to trust it and go back to the main forest.

 

[Chargeride]

We need more emojis.
Not bad
Super Love it
Envious
Mad bastxrd.

Anyway did a quick ride from a little cute town called Dunsop Bridge in the Trough of Bowland, which is near Pendle hill famous for its witches and black cats.
Its a tiny village but has a huge Haibike ebike rental shop in the middle.
Also famous as Englands official geographical center, plus home to the 100,000ths phone box fittted.

I had a route, but that went out the window as it turned out the farmers have redesigned the tracks...as in made new ones and hidden access to the old ones.

The scenery is fantastic but also rather modern agricultural in parts which kind of spoilt the ambience.

I cycled past the farmers front room window, under his clothes line, past his quads and the path promptly vanished, unconcerned I soldiered on..knowing I had the full weight of the Queens ramblers and rights of way charter behind me...well possibly.
It was seriously steep, surely too steep for a horse rider, eventually rediscovered it half way up, but it had turned into a footpath, complete with a post that had practically the magna carta nailed to it for path restrictions.
Including paragraph 5 sub section 6..use of horse and carriage!
If you watched the video, its hilarious to think someone hiked up there with the sign.
Youd need a helicopter to bring anything bigger than a bike.

Kept going..fell off, then gave up
It beat me, Im not afraid to admit, but I broke the back of it and I'd rate it 9/10 for completely unsuitable for a pushbike.
Past farmers house again who I know was in their judging me.

Moved on to a purpose built track for shooting lodges, which was 4x4 suitable but still quite a challenge and gave a beautuful trip into the dramatic scenery.
Found some shooting lodges all boarded up, quite desolate and remote.
Had an incredible freeride back down and smoked front and rear pads...battery expired, coasted 2 miles back to the van at 5mph on the tiny incline.
Stopped for fish and chips on the way home.

Great day.
I'll.post some pics later.

Oh yeah, all my friends are up near Fort William in Scotland, doing those lovely mtb trails the EU graciously built to get the Sottish tourism going.....what??
Theyve just sent me this clip of halfway through the first track...ithe track crosses here.
I should have gone .

Streamable Video

Watch this video on Streamable.

streamable.com

 

[mschwett]

A beautiful early morning here today, and the evening winds have been annoyingly strong so i rescheduled a few zooms and jumped on it.

57.x miles
4,554 feet (15% disagreement on this from different apps lol)
average moving speed 14.72mph
used 1/3 of the creo’s 320 wH battery, average assistance 14%.

as with about 2/3 of my rides, a few minutes in we hit the bridge


and then after the string of mostly flat towns up the marin peninsula, we ride into the redwoods for around 2,000 feet of climbing.


a reservoir sits at about the halfway point of the climb, the ride goes over the dam


after the climb, the road emerges onto this ridge with the pacific on one side and the valleys/bay on the other. this is a stunning road, made more fantastic by the fact that i saw just one car over this entire section of the ride.


a brief stop to stretch at the top.


i really couldn’t capture the feeling while riding, but the drop to the pacific and a rolling fog bank is pretty surreal, a bit like riding at the edge of the world


after a long nearly continuous winding descent with a bit of traffic, almost home!




relive video for those who like such things: https://www.relive.cc/view/vdvmDzjn7Nq

 

[steve mercier]

A beautiful early morning here today, and the evening winds have been annoyingly strong so i rescheduled a few zooms and jumped on it.

57.x miles
4,554 feet (15% disagreement on this from different apps lol)
average moving speed 14.72mph
used 1/3 of the creo’s 320 wH battery, average assistance 14%.



View attachment 90149

as with about 2/3 of my rides, a few minutes in we hit the bridge
View attachment 90150

and then after the string of mostly flat towns up the marin peninsula, we ride into the redwoods for around 2,000 feet of climbing.
View attachment 90151

a reservoir sits at about the halfway point of the climb, the ride goes over the dam
View attachment 90152

after the climb, the road emerges onto this ridge with the pacific on one side and the valleys/bay on the other. this is a stunning road, made more fantastic by the fact that i saw just one car over this entire section of the ride.
View attachment 90160

a brief stop to stretch at the top.
View attachment 90155 View attachment 90154 View attachment 90156

i really couldn’t capture the feeling while riding, but the drop to the pacific and a rolling fog bank is pretty surreal, a bit like riding at the edge of the world
View attachment 90157

after a long nearly continuous winding descent with a bit of traffic, almost home!

View attachment 90158
View attachment 90159

Gorgeous scenery.

 

[BarnBoy]

So on the other side of the SF Bay from @mschwett is my little area of riding. Yesterday after work, I got pictures from @pushkar for my new wheel set and got this little ride in on the >21 year old EVG….

I did a stop at the old farm house I photoed before. The area is still closed so will return yet again to get better photos and the history boards. Nice old farm house….


As I ride through the newly planted housing tracts on what were farms, occasionally you find a nice place to stop and rest. Is a popular place for photos. Will stop another day…


So after I got home, fired up the BBQ… (family was now happy!)

It is really great doing distances on the EVG that were impossible before and still have plenty of battery to spare….
-BB

 

[Chargeride]

That bike is so unique, and no thats not polite for weird.
I love its looks

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0 Demo Ride (The Starter)

I was just about to write a ride report and the e-bike review when – because of adverse weather conditions – our whole block of flats got a blackout. Just a couple seconds ago the electricity got restored. I could hear neighbours cheering. And we lost the power again

Meet the Specialized Turbo Vado SL, or the most incredible e-bike I have ever ridden! Await my ride report and review!

 

[Anna]

Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0 Demo Ride (The Starter)

I was just about to write a ride report and the e-bike review when – because of adverse weather conditions – our whole block of flats got a blackout. Just a couple seconds ago the electricity got restored. I could hear neighbours cheering. And we lost the power again

View attachment 90195
Meet the Specialized Turbo Vado SL, or the most incredible e-bike I have ever ridden! Await my ride report and review!

Stefan, I do get the sense that with that smile you will be getting another ebike and not a new car . Can’t wait to to read your review!

 

[PowerflyLee formerly known as CheetahLee]

Second Gran Fondo in 7 days! I am on Fire

No problem, just rolled over it

Creek is almost back to its normal depth.

Catalyzt, out and about in my riding, stopped in to say hello.

 

[BarnBoy]

Hello again folks!
I just woke from what appears to be a 4 hour nap. Todays ride was a culmination of many previous rides all linked together along with some inspiration of the Heat-maps feature. Parts of this ride have not been viewed by me since circa 2009; about the last time all of my bikes started to collect dust, and I got fat! The first photos below are of a RC airport in Livermore. Was amazing to see these folks do acrobatics with fly by sight. I did/do FPV drones from my house, but these folks blew me away…. (Zoom in on the spec!)



I stupidly forgot to turn on my battery pack power meter (and apply SPF!) but came back from this ride with 69% batteries (72% after some rest). Though I BONKED on personal energy, I am inspired as to how far the EVG girl went today. She brought me home….
-BB

 

[Chargeride]

This is the vid, its a nice place to visit but hasnt got that feel you are going anywhere that isnt well trodden by modern agriculture or swarms of tourists.
Theres no cycling signs everywhere which are a sharp contrast to a large bike hire shop in the village and I expect that conflict to increase as more people tread further with their electric helper.
Sometimes I feel we are living in the glory days of ebiking before it becomes mass transit and mass rules.

 

[Art Deco]

This is the vid, its a nice place to visit but hasnt got that feel you are going anywhere that isnt well trodden by modern agriculture or swarms of tourists.
Theres no cycling signs everywhere which are a sharp contrast to a large bike hire shop in the village and I expect that conflict to increase as more people tread further with their electric helper.
Sometimes I feel we are living in the glory days of ebiking before it becomes mass transit and mass rules.

This decade does seem to be the 'Glory Days of eBikes' , moving from the early adopters to the mass market. The tech is still new and exciting, but well tested and mostly working.

 

[Dallant]

This decade does seem to be the 'Glory Days of eBikes' , moving from the early adopters to the mass market. The tech is still new and exciting, but well tested and mostly working.

I waited several years to buy until I finally felt the design, construction and support were mature for my needs.

 

[RabH]

After 8 days off the bike it was so good to get out again and it was such a beautiful (but windy) day! I have been waiting for the right day to do this route again and today was that day, it was such a glorious ride in the sun! Of course there's always something that spoils your day, when I reached my destination I was looking forward to one of my favourite roads only to find it was closed for resurfacing! At least I know the road will be even better when the chance comes along again!

I stopped at the side of the road to take a photo of this lovely view!

Seconds later!

Soon after I stopped to catch this view!

Next thing I heard lots of voices asking if I was okay! A peleton was passing! Nice of them to check on me!

The day was just filled with amazing views like this!

Here is a hill for @Chargeride to tackle some day! I might have been tempted if I had the right equipment! Its called Tinto Hill and reaches just over 2,300ft at the summit!

My diversion took me down this amazing descent where I hit just over 40mph!

What a fantastic day that was, cycling at its wonderful best! It was nice to see so many cyclists out today, can't beat it when the weather is this nice! When I set off at 8am it was already 16C, thankfully the strong wind kept the temp down and it only reached 21C so it was very pleasant indeed! I will probably need 2 posts to attach all of my photos!

 

[RabH]

The remainder of my photos!

 

[Art Deco]

The remainder of my photos!

I already love your photos. You can stop at any time.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0 Demo Ride (you'll find the e-bike review under the link)

It was @jodi2 who had inspired me (in our private talk) to finally try an SL e-bike out! Thank you, friend!

10:00 at Specialized Warsaw Brand Store. Bad news at the start: The only demo Vado SL would be the 4.0 non-EQ size L! As Vado SL is a tall bike, I was afraid I might not be able to ride it. In fact, my private parts were touching the top tube when straddling the frame. And (surprise!) it didn't prevent me from renting the e-bike for a day ride (the cost of daily rental is symbolic for a person who can afford an SL). Not sure what e-bike rental rules are being applied in your country. In Poland, you need to present two photo IDs, and sign a contract, in which you take full financial responsibility for any damage or loss, up to the full e-bike price in case it is stolen or totalled.

Next bad surprise! The e-bike battery only charged to three bars out of ten. OK. The salesman Mateusz (whom I already personally know and like now) connects the charger without even asking. I give @Jerzy Bańkowski a phone call: "Jerzy, as you are already on a ride, would you please ride up the Specialized store in Powsin?" -- "Riding! I'm not in hurry!" and the battery got charged to 7/10 bars meanwhile. And Jerzy took me for a ride on that sunny and warm Saturday.

Vado SL. An e-bike that looks and feels like a traditional bike. Beautiful! (This one was in wrong colour and beaten-up a little but that's just a demo e-bike).

Ah! That Konstancin -> Gassy long and perfect asphalt road stretch! We got taken over by three beautiful female roadies. Almost automatically, I switched to Turbo and hurried to catch up with them! No way! The 25 km/h motor cut-off is one thing but past that speed you are pedalling on your own. I reached 38 km/h on my own leg power but that was not good enough! I could only cheer and praise the girls before I gave up! (Now I can tell you I would never be able to get at 38 km/h on unassisted "full" Vado...)

Crossing Vistula River, or the southernmost of Warsaw river crossings. The ticket costs US$1.40 per person/bike.

The light weight of Vado SL is the greatest sales point for that e-bike. Low battery usage comes next.

I need to say something about the motor noise (the thing I forgot in my SL review). The SL 1.1 motor is audible especially in higher assistance modes. Yet... Come on! It is very soft chirping, far less audible than, say, the Giant SyncDrive Pro motor! No complaints from my side at all!

After we ate a little with Jerzy, I was expected to ride back to the LBS to return the rental e-bike. And at that moment, the weather broke. Total downpour, extremely strong and dangerous head/side-wind, hail, and even small sharp "needles" of ice hitting my face! I put the Turbo mode on. I was back at Specialized store well before closing and faster I could expect! Viva SL!

What a fascinating day...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

That Woman Is Beating Me! (80 mi Group Ride with Jacek and Justyna)

A typical Warsaw cyclist would open their eye on Sunday morning, look through the window, browse the weather forecast, and fall asleep again The weather was grim. It was cold. Very strong WNW wind was promised. And it could be raining. For those reasons, nobody met me and Jacek in Zaborów at 10 am. on Sunday. Disgusted, we almost got onto the main road at 10:02 when I almost crashed into a petite female riding a traditional Haibike. I'm dumb but Jacek is bright and he asked the girl "Are you expected to ride with us?" -- "Indeed!". It was Justyna, a Polish teacher of English, and an American wife. We rode out together. Since we hadn't ridden together before, I suggested we matched our speed. I'm in the lead. 23 km/h. "Could you ride faster please?" -- I can hear from behind. And so on, until I was riding 30 km/h upwind. That girl made me shocked from the very start.

Just after the first turn, I asked Jacek and Justyna to continue their ride while I stopped, started BLEvo and adjusted the Sport mode to 60/60%... (it is a lot of assistance, I'm ashamed!) Then I turned Turbo on, caught up with the other riders, took them over at speed, and eventually could lead the pack, as I was the only person who:

• Knew the route
• Was riding a lot in that area (they didn't; it was something very new for Justyna).

And she was riding fast all the time, a little hill or not! Upwind! On an old acoustic Haibike! Kudos!

I made this vid to tell you basically the whole story in two minutes

That Woman Is Beating Me! (80 mi bike group ride with Justyna & Jacek)

Watch "That Woman Is Beating Me! (80 mi bike group ride with Justyna & Jacek)" on Streamable.

streamable.com

It turned out Justyna was living in my neighbourhood; and she rode up to Zaborów from home in the morning. If I and Jacek made 100 km on our own, what would her daily distance ridden be then? Brother offered Justyna he would accompany her home (and then return to Zaborów) to show his gallantry to her. I agreed to join because I wanted any of us cover the same trip distance for the day And... we were caught by rain! So what?

The total usable charge left in my both batteries was 15% at the end of the ride, even if I economized at 45 and 35% assistance levels on the way back. Jacek rode on a single battery, and he had to pedal a 26 kg e-bike unassisted for 30 km!

P.S. We met literally as many as five roadies on the whole ride. Three of them went in Climatic Cafe, and one of the five visited Marta's for a cookie...

 

[PowerflyLee formerly known as CheetahLee]

View attachment 90250

After 8 days off the bike it was so good to get out again and it was such a beautiful (but windy) day! I have been waiting for the right day to do this route again and today was that day, it was such a glorious ride in the sun! Of course there's always something that spoils your day, when I reached my destination I was looking forward to one of my favourite roads only to find it was closed for resurfacing! At least I know the road will be even better when the chance comes along again!

I stopped at the side of the road to take a photo of this lovely view!

View attachment 90259

Seconds later!

View attachment 90260

Soon after I stopped to catch this view!

View attachment 90261

Next thing I heard lots of voices asking if I was okay! A peleton was passing! Nice of them to check on me!

View attachment 90263

The day was just filled with amazing views like this!

View attachment 90264
View attachment 90265

Here is a hill for @Chargeride to tackle some day! I might have been tempted if I had the right equipment! Its called Tinto Hill and reaches just over 2,300ft at the summit!

View attachment 90266

My diversion took me down this amazing descent where I hit just over 40mph!

View attachment 90267

What a fantastic day that was, cycling at its wonderful best! It was nice to see so many cyclists out today, can't beat it when the weather is this nice! When I set off at 8am it was already 16C, thankfully the strong wind kept the temp down and it only reached 21C so it was very pleasant indeed! I will probably need 2 posts to attach all of my photos!

That photo of the cows checking out your ride cracked me up! Thanks for hitting my funny bone. Ride On!!!

 

[PowerflyLee formerly known as CheetahLee]