Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[Stefan Mikes]

What kind of terrain are you riding?

Depending on the day: either roads or reasonable off-road. Great Owl is steep on downhill but the decline is straight and brakes can be used

 

[Dallant]

Depending on the day: either roads or reasonable off-road. Great Owl is steep on downhill but the decline is straight and brakes can be used

Just curious how rough a terrain you were going to subject your non-EMTB to.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Just curious how rough a terrain you were going to subject your non-EMTB to.

The most dangerous part would be a pretty wide, steep and rocky fire-road. I rode it on my FS e-MTB last year. There are no sudden turns or whatever. You just fly downhill. The vibration there were so strong my Ortlieb pannier detached (it was a part of the unsprung mass), flew in the air, and damaged my expensive camera kept inside (the camera was wrapped in clothes; it didn't help). Now, if I deflate wheels in Vado, drop the seat, and use the brakes with modulating them, I'll probably survive the ride

 

[BlackHand]

Hope there are no Harleys heading up to Lopez on Thursday!

I hope so too!

I once got stuck on Lopez watching a clean and sober motorcycle group entirely fill up 2 consecutive ferries (that's about a 5 hour wait to those not familiar with the ferries) before any car traffic could board.

 

[Dallant]

The most dangerous part would be a pretty wide, steep and rocky fire-road. I rode it on my FS e-MTB last year. There are no sudden turns or whatever. You just fly downhill. The vibration there were so strong my Ortlieb pannier detached (it was a part of the unsprung mass), flew in the air, and damaged my expensive camera kept inside (the camera was wrapped in clothes; it didn't help). Now, if I deflate wheels in Vado, drop the seat, and use the brakes with modulating them, I'll probably survive the ride

Best of luck! Don’t want to see you damage your “Precious” or yourself!

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Time to take a break …

Deception Bay seen from Scarborough
10:00 am; 48 km​

Sometimes taking a break on the Moreton Bay Cycleway – not too wide here! – is as good as riding it. I stopped by this little grove of pandanus palms and watched the world go by. Nothing much happened on the bay but that did not stop the boys in their yellow muscle boat being excessively alert…

 

[PatriciaK]

I hope so too!

I once got stuck on Lopez watching a clean and sober motorcycle group entirely fill up 2 consecutive ferries (that's about a 5 hour wait to those not familiar with the ferries) before any car traffic could board.

We're walking on with the bikes in Anacortes, so hope that solves the problem!

 

[PowerflyLee formerly known as CheetahLee]

You'd need that lasagna to survive first contact. And where did you get the TWO POUND monster? I need it.

Frozen section in Giant Foods, Stouffers meat lovers family size, it was delicious, ate it all plus two ice cream bars

 

[PowerflyLee formerly known as CheetahLee]

Good luck on your expedition Stefan!

new bowling lanes, complete with bar and munchies

hmmm, getting a little scruffy

until tomorrow...

 

[kahn]

Frozen section in Giant Foods, Stouffers meat lovers family size, it was delicious, ate it all plus two ice cream bars

I will never increase my battery range if I eat too many of those! Thanks for the info.

 

[kahn]

Good luck on your expedition Stefan!
View attachment 94739
View attachment 94741

View attachment 94740
new bowling lanes, complete with bar and munchies
View attachment 94742
hmmm, getting a little scruffy

until tomorrow...

Is that a python on your right shoulder?

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Is that a python on your right shoulder?

Actually, a python wrapped around one's torso is a necessary appurtenance of every 'Local Legend'!

Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi share a bottle of 'something refreshing' on the Col du Galibier during the 1952 Tour de France.

This is from the days before there were team cars aplenty, each festooned with spare bikes and wheels. Racers carried their own spares!

The beads of their tyres were sewn together to form a tube (hence 'tubular tyres' or 'tubs'; they're still used) with an ultra-thin inner tube. This is about the only time that referring to an 'inner' tube makes sense. (Perhaps, Tannus Armours could be called 'inner tyres'!)

Punctured tyres could be ripped off – they were glued to the rim with contact cement – and replaced (by swapping the 'pythons'). The remnants of the previous tyre's contact cement, with a bit of luck and some help from high inflation pressure, usually kept the replacement on.

Note also, in addition to the pythons around their torsos, how springy metal toeclips and leather straps kept shoes in place on the pedals. These are the clips that are 'less' in so-called clipless pedals.

A few last pieces of trivia: gear shifters on the downtubes. And what else? Oh, yes: long cranks, big front chainrings and definitely no large granny gear sprockets at the back.

Ah, those were the good old days (when sunscreen was for wimps)!

 

[Dallant]

Actually, a python wrapped around one's torso is a necessary appurtenance of every 'Local Legend'!

View attachment 94753

Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi share a bottle of 'something refreshing' on the Col du Galibier during the 1952 Tour de France.

This is from the days before there were team cars aplenty, each festooned with spare bikes and wheels. Racers carried their own spares!

The beads of their tyres were sewn together to form a tube (hence 'tubular tyres' or 'tubs'; they're still used) with an ultra-thin inner tube. This is about the only time that referring to an 'inner' tube makes sense. (Perhaps, Tannus Armours could be called 'inner tyres'!)

Punctured tyres could be ripped off – they were glued to the rim with contact cement – and replaced (by swapping the 'pythons'). The remnants of the previous tyre's contact cement, with a bit of luck and some help from high inflation pressure, usually kept the replacement on.

Note also, in addition to the pythons around their torsos, how springy metal toeclips and leather straps kept shoes in place on the pedals. These are the clips that are 'less' in so-called clipless pedals.

A few last pieces of trivia: gear shifters on the downtubes. And what else? Oh, yes: long cranks, big front chainrings and definitely no large granny gear sprockets at the back.

Ah, those were the good old days (when sunscreen was for wimps)!

I still have a pair of old school glue-ons (Mavic rims with Huret hubs) that I once rode in a criterium sitting in my garage. Extremely light for their day.

 

[RabH]

@David Berry 2 proper legends right there, just a little before my time but their legends will live on forever!

I caught a break in the weather today, we never got the thunderstorms they predicted but we did get our first rain this month! It was actually raining when I woke this morning and the forecast wasn't looking great, but I had a look out the window and thought I would chance it, its only rain after all! I couldn't believe my luck as it stayed dry for my whole ride and what a ride it was, it sure beats sitting at home! I picked a road I haven't ridden since January and the conditions were a little better today!

Today!

Mid January this year!

This is the same road about a mile further on, its very smooth and today I had the wind behind me so I was flying along!

Today I passed 16,000 miles on my amazing e bike which is now 3 years and 4 months old, it really has been a life changer for me and I hope to cover many more miles for many more years! This has been my best month this year with 637 miles covered, I might add another 30 miles or so tomorrow with a bit of luck!

 

[PatriciaK]

In the bike line for the ferry to Lopez !

 

[Stefan Mikes]

As I have replaced the drivetrain in my "big" Vado recently (to make it mountain-worthy), I could notice irregularities with shifting (some gear indexing issues; and that was not a new thing). The night before, I studied the Park Tool instructional video...

Pure gold!

I brought my Vado into the living room of my Old Home and carefully performed the derailleur adjustment (I own a Park Tool work-stand, so the things were easy). Meanwhile, I shortened the chain to 124 links, and maintained the chain. Then I went on a ride to Warsaw to see if everything was done properly (it was!)

I have never expected adjusting the derailleur could be that easy!

I met Jacek, who is currently fascinated with his new toy: Garmin Edge 530 cycling computer.

The infamous Giant RideControl EVO display on his e-bike was damaged by water ingress, and my brother was left without vital ride information. Giant RideControl app is a disgrace, and Giant has still not been able to release a better display that could be bought. Luckily enough, the 2020 Trance E+ came with RideControl ONE remote, which is ANT+ compatible. Following the advice from @DaveMatthews and @conix67, Jacek bought the Garmin and learned how to install e-bike specific Data Fields to the device. He has all the information at a glance now plus GPS navigation! Hurrah!

Following the replacement of chainring with a 38T one, and installing the 11-46t cassette, my Vado became a very interesting e-bike. Yes, the speed dropped down to the Class 1 range but the bike:

• Can be pedalled uphill at low assistance level (and I know it will handle dramatic climbs with more assistance like a dream)
• Pedalling with low assistance is easy and can be done at high cadence (good for me)
• The battery range increased to enormous figure of well over 100 km!

And I am not in hurry It has been a new sensation for me. Albeit far heavier than Vado SL, now my full power Vado feels more a bicycle than it has ever been!

After our return from the mountains, I plan to swap the 38T chainring for just a 42T (instead of 48T). I really do not need to ride as fast as I was doing it in my first phase of e-bike fascination. (My Vado SL taught me a thing or two on what "cycling" was really about).

 

[kahn]

@David Berry 2 proper legends right there, just a little before my time but their legends will live on forever!

View attachment 94765

I caught a break in the weather today, we never got the thunderstorms they predicted but we did get our first rain this month! It was actually raining when I woke this morning and the forecast wasn't looking great, but I had a look out the window and thought I would chance it, its only rain after all! I couldn't believe my luck as it stayed dry for my whole ride and what a ride it was, it sure beats sitting at home! I picked a road I haven't ridden since January and the conditions were a little better today!

Today!
View attachment 94769

Mid January this year!
View attachment 94770

This is the same road about a mile further on, its very smooth and today I had the wind behind me so I was flying along!
View attachment 94771

Today I passed 16,000 miles on my amazing e bike which is now 3 years and 4 months old, it really has been a life changer for me and I hope to cover many more miles for many more years! This has been my best month this year with 637 miles covered, I might add another 30 miles or so tomorrow with a bit of luck!

SIXTEEN THOUSAND MILES. ASTOUNDING. TRULY.

 

[kahn]

Proving not only the wheels but the biker is well-rounded. I opted to hike rather than bike. Little Si along I-90 in Washington Cascades.

 

[PowerflyLee formerly known as CheetahLee]

Is that a python on your right shoulder?

You wouldn't believe how many people asked that as I rode home! No, it's a new front tire.

 

[PowerflyLee formerly known as CheetahLee]

View attachment 94803

As I have replaced the drivetrain in my "big" Vado recently (to make it mountain-worthy), I could notice irregularities with shifting (some gear indexing issues; and that was not a new thing). The night before, I studied the Park Tool instructional video...

Pure gold!

I brought my Vado into the living room of my Old Home and carefully performed the derailleur adjustment (I own a Park Tool work-stand, so the things were easy). Meanwhile, I shortened the chain to 124 links, and maintained the chain. Then I went on a ride to Warsaw to see if everything was done properly (it was!)

View attachment 94804
I have never expected adjusting the derailleur could be that easy!

I met Jacek, who is currently fascinated with his new toy: Garmin Edge 530 cycling computer.

View attachment 94805

The infamous Giant RideControl EVO display on his e-bike was damaged by water ingress, and my brother was left without vital ride information. Giant RideControl app is a disgrace, and Giant has still not been able to release a better display that could be bought. Luckily enough, the 2020 Trance E+ came with RideControl ONE remote, which is ANT+ compatible. Following the advice from @DaveMatthews and @conix67, Jacek bought the Garmin and learned how to install e-bike specific Data Fields to the device. He has all the information at a glance now plus GPS navigation! Hurrah!

Following the replacement of chainring with a 38T one, and installing the 11-46t cassette, my Vado became a very interesting e-bike. Yes, the speed dropped down to the Class 1 range but the bike:

• Can be pedalled uphill at low assistance level (and I know it will handle dramatic climbs with more assistance like a dream)
• Pedalling with low assistance is easy and can be done at high cadence (good for me)
• The battery range increased to enormous figure of well over 100 km!

And I am not in hurry It has been a new sensation for me. Albeit far heavier than Vado SL, now my full power Vado feels more a bicycle than it has ever been!

After our return from the mountains, I plan to swap the 38T chainring for just a 42T (instead of 48T). I really do not need to ride as fast as I was doing it in my first phase of e-bike fascination. (My Vado SL taught me a thing or two on what "cycling" was really about).

How about your pedals? Are the studs long enough?