Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[kahn]

Yesterday I rode in the Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park in Kitsap County, WA, putting up signs here and there for ourforestfund.org. My bike is a city bike, and boy, these roads corrugated from the logging trucks' tracks are the worst washboard you can ride on. Shook the bejesus out of my poor little ebike. The light got more and more orange as smoke drifted in from Canada. View attachment 96351
So park-like, don't you think? It was so windy that I could barely get this photo:
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Notice the bone-dry bonfire waiting to be lit. It could so easily just burn up in a trice.

At one point, after riding that road you see, my bike started emitting a tinny rattly sound from the front end. Couldnt find the source. Then, after stopping several times, I found that the knock-off lever on the axel was loose. . If my front wheel had come off, I would not have been a happy camper! But I tightened it down and that fixed the rattle. And now I know what that sound means.

I do like our northWET washington parks. They are an outstanding example of what has been done to most of the forests! For those not familiar with clear cuts, some go on for miles and miles. There are good ones down by Mt Rainier National Park. They have left a fringe/row of trees along the road so that it appears that there is forest but just past that remaining row of trees - NOTHING except stuff like pictured above.

Oh, well, at least you get to see the sky and not endless tree canopy.

Does your bike have the "new" through axle wheels rather than the quick release levers of old? I guess I should check on mine a bit more regularly. I did get some replacement axles that use an Allen (Alan/Allan) wrench and have a torque value. But have not installed them yet.

 

[Chargeride]

Along The River Metuje (Broumov Nature Protection Area CZ)

– "No sightseeing. Road only. Just cycling" – my brother declared. Well, you could travel to Anaheim CA and not see Disneyland; that's Jacek

We set off for a ride in beautiful green and mountainous area of Broumov Nature Protection Area on Thursday.
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To encounter that nice climb early on our ride Honestly, I'm so happy I own a Turbo e-bike, "mountainized" innit

So, we rode in Adršpach with its famous Rock City (a park of fantastically shaped rocks) and just passed it by. Like not seeing Disneyland in Anaheim CA

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Czech countryside is idyllic. By comparison, Poland villages are ugly (with the exception of ones found in Lower Silesia).

We had a fantastic ride between Meziměstí and Police nad Metují. There were two 11% grade inclines on the road, followed by a long, very fast and safe descent.

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My personal best downhill maximum speed.

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There was nothing for us in the resort town of Police nad Metují. We just left the city and found the next countryside inn (hospoda or hostinec) for the lunch.

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Bramboráky, or Czech potato pancakes (very nourishing). Czech Republic is very specific regarding the lunchtime. You cannot order your meal freely; you have to choose from the Menu of the Day. Lunch is a sacred thing for Czech people. As the things need to be kept simple and inexpensive, you just eat what you are offered on the given day. And beer is almost obligatory (you can ask for nealko – alcohol free beer - if you are a driver). A glass of 10 BLG (4% abv) beer is normal for a cyclist; also to the breakfast.

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Where has my brother gone? He forgot taking his backpack (with the car key!) in the village we were taking our rest... An extra hard climb for him!

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And we could meet in person Vlasta, my Facebook friend! Vlasta is riding a recumbent e-bike! She has become our host and guide for the coming Friday's ride. We intend to ride up near the Sněžka/Śnieżka peak and conquer the mountain by foot, with Vlasta keeping an eye on our e-bikes. Sněžka is the tallest mountain of the Czech Republic, and it is located on the Czech/Polish border. We're excited!

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Ride map and metrics.

Necessary to mention the Czech nation has embraced e-bikes totally. It is a mountainous country, and e-bikes make great sense here. Interestingly, everybody accepts the 25 km/h assistance speed limit in the Republic. You ride uphill rather slowly anyway, and gain speed downhill. Nobody buys S-Pedelecs here!

Every picture I see of Stefan , my mind flashes to the young man in uniform in black and white holding the pistol.
It seems to me the gap between the two is shrinking not growing thesedays.

 

[Chargeride]

Plus he’s always hanging out with a different girl in each post - I bet he files a notch in his handlebars to keep count !

They would have snapped long ago.

 

[Chargeride]

Yesterday I rode in the Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park in Kitsap County, WA, putting up signs here and there for ourforestfund.org. My bike is a city bike, and boy, these roads corrugated from the logging trucks' tracks are the worst washboard you can ride on. Shook the bejesus out of my poor little ebike. The light got more and more orange as smoke drifted in from Canada. View attachment 96351
So park-like, don't you think? It was so windy that I could barely get this photo:
View attachment 96352
Notice the bone-dry bonfire waiting to be lit. It could so easily just burn up in a trice.

At one point, after riding that road you see, my bike started emitting a tinny rattly sound from the front end. Couldnt find the source. Then, after stopping several times, I found that the knock-off lever on the axel was loose. . If my front wheel had come off, I would not have been a happy camper! But I tightened it down and that fixed the rattle. And now I know what that sound means.

That picture could be front page of Time magazine.

 

[kahn]

That picture could be front page of Time magazine.

If not for the Spotted Owl, there'd be a lot more of that!

 

[BlackHand]

@ChezCheese:) Thanks for the reminder, I forgot to donate after my ride there last month.

I found it interesting to ride through the many stages of recovery/regrowth through the park. I wonder if you had signage in the different sections indicating 'last harvested in xxx' or 'next scheduled harvest in xxxx' it would help folks see how long it takes to recover and that even on a 40 year cycle it's is still a young developing forest.

 

[reed scott]

Yesterday I rode in the Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park in Kitsap County, WA, putting up signs here and there for ourforestfund.org. My bike is a city bike, and boy, these roads corrugated from the logging trucks' tracks are the worst washboard you can ride on. Shook the bejesus out of my poor little ebike. The light got more and more orange as smoke drifted in from Canada. View attachment 96351
So park-like, don't you think? It was so windy that I could barely get this photo:
View attachment 96352
Notice the bone-dry bonfire waiting to be lit. It could so easily just burn up in a trice.

At one point, after riding that road you see, my bike started emitting a tinny rattly sound from the front end. Couldnt find the source. Then, after stopping several times, I found that the knock-off lever on the axel was loose. . If my front wheel had come off, I would not have been a happy camper! But I tightened it down and that fixed the rattle. And now I know what that sound means.

Why did the local powers that be decide to log this section of forest and what is the replanting plan?

 

[reed scott]

From the suburbs to the sea …

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Brisbane River, Indooroopilly​

My ride didn't go to plan, which was to ride up the Moreton Bay Cycleway starting at Kalinga Park (KP on the map). Things didn't work out that way. I left home at a few minutes past six, expecting to 'enjoy' an uneventful drive down the motorway to Brisbane where I dip below ground for a while before being deposited at Kalinga Park.

A gantry sign announced "Expect Delays". When? Now because of a crash, or the wee hours of Sunday morning (best, perhaps only time for maintenance work)? It was 'now'.

Ride plan amended: instead of riding up the bayside cycleway, I'd ride to the bay – quite far enough. Being of a pessimistic disposition, I left the car at the rail station – 24/7 monitoring and an easy return by rail if needed.

I took a meandering route through Brisbane's western suburbs and along the river (first photo) on the outward leg; had a break for lunch at Nudgee Wetlands (below) and, after a token stop at the beach, headed back through the city.

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Nudgee Beach Wetlands
Brisbane
​

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On the way back through the city, I spied a forlorn juvenile darter next to the bikeway below Brisbane's spaghetti junction. At last an opportunity to try out Steve's Merlin bird identification app. It works! (Brilliantly.) Any photo taken on my iPhone during a ride is automatically added to the Ride with GPS record, hence the bird's appearance in the screenshot above. Merlin's wizardry below:

On the 'Satellite View' image you can see where I turned around on realising that the young darter was the perfect subject to be identified by Merlin:

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y

Darter. hmmmmm , Looks like a Cormorant to me. Gotta be cousins.

 

[reed scott]

This is the Helvellyn vid if you have 8 mins to spare.

Caught it on you tube the day you put it up. It made me tired.

 

[BlackHand]

Why did the local powers that be decide to log this section of forest and what is the replanting plan?

They saved it from development at the cost of allowing another round of timber harvesting on much of the land.

The Shoreline block is a gorgeous forest with a mix of conifers and rich understory. It came at a cost of $4.5 million for 500 acres. At this first acquisition, the community and the county realized that their dollars were not going to stretch very far.

A tough trade-off was made for the remaining 3,000 acres. The choice was made to buy more land while the opportunity was available (saving the land from development), but leave the timber rights with the seller (now Rayonier) for 25-year harvest period until 2038. This has allowed the community more time to raise the funds to buy the trees. For this, we need your help.

I'm also curious if Rayonair has any forest management obligations thru 2038, or if the county is on the hook once Rayonair harvests a section.

 

[Art Deco]

Every picture I see of Stefan , my mind flashes to the young man in uniform in black and white holding the pistol.
It seems to me the gap between the two is shrinking not growing thesedays.

Yeah. He seems to getting younger, but I bet there is a really ugly painting of him somewhere in the old house, just like Dorian Grey.

 

[Dallant]

27 miles of Root River riding on the Rail 5! Beautiful weather returns to the great Midwest and we found fantastic homemade ice cream, home brewed root beer, craft brewed beer in SE Minnesota and NE Iowa! More tomorrow on MTB trails!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Yeah. He seems to getting younger, but I bet there is a really ugly painting of him somewhere in the old house, just like Dorian Grey.

I have become grey recently Sun-burnt face and grey hair!
Waiting with my ride report until I'm at home. I just want to say I've discovered Czech Republic to be an e-bike country, unlike Poland.
We've finished our short vacation. 462 km of driving ahead!

 

[PedalUma]

I did a ride today stopping for macaroni.

 

[kahn]

I did a ride today stopping for macaroni.

I want duck confit. The last time I was in Paris and France, I made it my job to compare between various places. But I will say one of the best meals was a Streak Tartar seared on one side - divine.

 

[PedalUma]

I want duck confit. The last time I was in Paris and France, I made it my job to compare between various places. But I will say one of the best meals was a Streak Tartar seared on one side - divine.

That is called "salad."

 

[Dallant]

Got up early and spotted some deer at a gorgeous local barn.
Went to the local mtb area and had a blast exploring the Rail’s (and my) capabilities! Everything went really well right up until I realized I was lost and had gone onto a trail that was well above my limited abilities.
I learned a couple of major lessons about Momentum (too much and too little) and that I prefer rocks over roots! I also learned I need to study the local maps and find some local folks to ride with. I did fall a couple of times but no damage done to me or the Rail. I’ll have more pics or a video of the actual ride next week.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Return to the Bay …

9:20 am; 27 km
Brighton Beach, Moreton Bay​

Fetch! (Golden Retriever?) The tide was out: an ideal time to walk the dogs on the mudflats of Moreton Bay. The rough texture of the tidal flats is the handiwork of millions of sand bubblers, small crabs that live in the warm waters of the Indo-Pacific region. They feed by filtering sand through their mouthparts, leaving behind balls of sand that are disintegrated by the incoming high tide.

More wildlife: you don't need to go on an African safari to see giraffes when there's a herd of them in the Port of Brisbane! The port, almost 20 km distant, is considerably further away than it appears in the image. The two weird silhouettes are container vessels (bearing the necessities of our consumer lifestyle from China?).

10:05 am; 44 km
Tingira Park
Scarborough on Redcliffe Peninsula​

The second stop of the ride came only an hour after the fist coffee break. Leisurely pace! (But who cares?)

2:15 pm; 115 km
Schulz Canal from Jim Soorley Bikeway​

I know my ride up the bay is almost over when the flight path to Brisbane Airport, the mangrove-lined Schulz Canal and the Jim Soorley Bikeway run parallel to one another. In fifteen or twenty minutes another ebike adventure will be over. Well, there is 'tomorrow and tomorrow'.

I went home, hoping that there had been some rain to cheer up the garden: forlorn hope. I think that silly cloud and its friends dumped all their water into the Pacific Ocean. Ridiculous!

 

[RabH]

I decided to give the motor racing a miss today (at least its live on tv so I won't miss anything) as they were expecting a huge crowd, I would rather stay safe from Covid so I went for a "little" ride instead! I set off at 4.45am and it was still dark, 30 minutes later and the daylight appeared from the mist! I last attempted a ride to the border town of Peebles just under 3 years ago with a single battery and managed 95.7 miles, ran out of steam and battery that day! With 2 batteries it was a little easier, the first made it to 55 miles with just over 3000 ft of climbing! The best part of leaving so early, apart from very quiet roads was views like this!

When I reached my destination the normally busy town was very quiet, it was just after 8am so maybe that was the reason!

Some amazing roads today, like this one which snakes for a few miles!

This one is just sublime with lots of ups and downs!

It really was an epic ride, well worth the early start! I used a lot of main roads today but they were pretty quiet due to the time of day, roads that I would avoid any other day! I will have a couple of rest days now, it was quite a workout even with 2 batteries, I'm sure I will feel it in my legs tomorrow! Now I can watch the car racing and relax, I can see what I missed but I have no regrets whatsoever!

 

[kahn]

View attachment 96477

I decided to give the motor racing a miss today (at least its live on tv so I won't miss anything) as they were expecting a huge crowd, I would rather stay safe from Covid so I went for a "little" ride instead! I set off at 4.45am and it was still dark, 30 minutes later and the daylight appeared from the mist! I last attempted a ride to the border town of Peebles just under 3 years ago with a single battery and managed 95.7 miles, ran out of steam and battery that day! With 2 batteries it was a little easier, the first made it to 55 miles with just over 3000 ft of climbing! The best part of leaving so early, apart from very quiet roads was views like this!

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When I reached my destination the normally busy town was very quiet, it was just after 8am so maybe that was the reason!
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Some amazing roads today, like this one which snakes for a few miles!
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This one is just sublime with lots of ups and downs!
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It really was an epic ride, well worth the early start! I used a lot of main roads today but they were pretty quiet due to the time of day, roads that I would avoid any other day! I will have a couple of rest days now, it was quite a workout even with 2 batteries, I'm sure I will feel it in my legs tomorrow! Now I can watch the car racing and relax, I can see what I missed but I have no regrets whatsoever!

Wonderful. I really like early morning, riding, hiking or just awake and UP.