Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[RabH]

@Prairie Dog Once again I didn't want your video to end, truly breathtaking scenery! That shoulder looked very rough at points but I'm sure you were more than happy to use it to avoid those crazy trucks! Were you taunting those rams at one point? It looked like you were steering towards them!

@Readytoride Been there and done that many times but never in shorts and a t shirt! If I saw a sky like that I would be looking for shelter sharpish! Being in Scotland I always wear a jacket (or carry it in my backpack), the weather can change in a heartbeat! I did get caught out once and learned a harsh lesson!

I'm really looking forward to Sunday now, I just hope the rain won't be heavy but even if it is I'm still going for a 70 miler! After a full week off the bike I will go out no matter what....

 

[kahn]

The Highwood Pass – Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

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There was nothing but clear, blue skies yesterday morning which set up another epic ride in the mountains as my brother-in-law and I set out to cycle up the Highwood Pass which maintains the reputation as being the highest paved road in Canada. Neither of us was familiar with this section of the Kananaskis Trail so we didn’t know what to expect other than it was a steady uphill climb to get to the top and a relatively smooth downhill descent on the return leg back to our starting point. I felt relieved that I made the decision to leave the WTB Riddlers on the wheels from the previous outing as some portions of the side shoulders were quite brutal heading back down from the pass. The pass itself is closed to traffic from December to June 15th to protect the native wildlife.

Our starting point would be the Ribbon Creek Day Use Area. Located near the Nakiska Ski Resort (which played host to the 1988 Winter Olympic downhill), Ribbon Creek is a popular jumping off point for many avid hikers. My wife, who normally rides with us, decided instead to hike up to Ribbon Falls. She still managed to cover the entire 22km round trip even with a sore back.

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Ribbon Creek. The trail to the falls is off in the distance.

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View of Mount Kidd from Hwy 40

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As usual, there was plenty of mountain scenery to admire along the way but not much else with the exception of the odd mountain ram or two blocking the middle of highway. The same two animals were quite content to stay put in their favorite spot upon our return back down from the pass.

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Something you don’t see too often. A Dodge Ram meets its match.

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My BIL stops for a moment to take in the view. There are times when the destination is the farthest thing from your mind and nothing else seems to matter but being in the present.

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This turnoff is near the Fortress Junction about 20km from the start of the ride.

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A winding section of the trail that was a sheer pleasure to ride.

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Made it!!

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I took the opportunity to snap a couple of more pics on our way back.

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A video tribute of our chug up to the Highwood Pass and Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

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Finally got around to the video. Wonderful. I should use my Action camera more. I know you said you use a chest harness. Curious, at times we see the handlebar and computer and at others you are shooting above it. Do you consciously make that decision or just periodically adjust. And actually, I find it visually interesting the way it is filmed. Also, it really shows the effective image stabilization as the handlebars appear to jiggle but the main scenery remains stable.

 

[Art Deco]

From the Oxford English Dictionary (Never leave home without it!):

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Also from the OED: 'Oxford English Dictionary Synonym': Children's Booster Seat .

 

[Prairie Dog]

@Prairie Dog Once again I didn't want your video to end, truly breathtaking scenery! That shoulder looked very rough at points but I'm sure you were more than happy to use it to avoid those crazy trucks! Were you taunting those rams at one point? It looked like you were steering towards them!

I understand why this section of the K-Trail is popular with cyclists early on in the season. Cars are not allowed access through it until June 15th leaving a window of opportunity for a vehicle free ride. The only caveat would be the possibility of snow pack at higher altitudes. There are moments when I find my gaze is transfixed on the scenery and occasionally lose focus and am forced to reel myself back towards the shoulder of the road. I feel naked leaving home without my Garmin Varia.

My BIL conducted a bit of recon from his vehicle to assess the conditions of the shoulders before we left. Although we could have gotten by riding on slicks, the gravel tires were unquestionably deemed to be an asset on some of the sketchier stretches of the descents. I may just keep them on indefinitely.

When we came upon the Bighorn sheep the second time around, a car that was held up waiting was honking its horn in a failed attempt to try and get them to move. At the time, I thought that perhaps if I closed the distance on my bike that they might miraculously move off. Stupid of me to think that. Fortunately, rutting season for these animals hadn’t begun yet.

Traffic is always a major concern especially during the busy summer months. Once we get into the fall season, things improve drastically although some motorists will never give up an inch of road to you regardless of the circumstances.

I hope that the rains won’t be so much that it would deter you from riding but I also know that cycling is good for the soul irrespective of the conditions. Looking forward to more pics of those wonderful Scottish landscapes.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Finally got around to the video. Wonderful. I should use my Action camera more. I know you said you use a chest harness. Curious, at times we see the handlebar and computer and at others you are shooting above it. Do you consciously make that decision or just periodically adjust. And actually, I find it visually interesting the way it is filmed. Also, it really shows the effective image stabilization as the handlebars appear to jiggle but the main scenery remains stable.

I use the camera on virtually every ride whether it’s on the road or on the trail. The chest harness has become my go to mount for the GoPro and I rarely, if ever, do I use the adapter below the Garmin out front mount. The harness allows me to change batteries or make adjustments on the fly and a magnetic quick release makes for quick transitions if I want to shoot footage from a static position while dismounted. I’m either constantly adjusting my riding position (more upright) or changing the camera angle to accommodate different viewing scenarios. For safety reasons, I never ride with the camera in one hand while balancing with the other unless there is zero traffic around. Even then, I find the harness is adequate in most situations.

Here’s more single track footage from yesterday’s ride which exemplifies the quality of the boost stabilization on more undulating terrain.

Edited to add – At 1:29 into the video, if you look carefully a deer can be seen crossing the trail from the left. I never noticed it until I reviewed the footage.

 

[Art Deco]

I use the camera on virtually every ride whether it’s on the road or on the trail. The chest harness has become my go to mount for the GoPro and I rarely, if ever, do I use the adapter below the Garmin out front mount. The harness allows me to change batteries or make adjustments on the fly and a magnetic quick release makes for quick transitions if I want to shoot footage from a static position while dismounted. I’m either constantly adjusting my riding position (more upright) or changing the camera angle to accommodate different viewing scenarios. For safety reasons, I never ride with the camera in one hand while balancing with the other unless there is zero traffic around. Even then, I find the harness is adequate in most situations.

Here’s more single track footage from yesterday’s ride which exemplifies the quality of the boost stabilization on more undulating terrain.

Awesome.

 

[kahn]

I use the camera on virtually every ride whether it’s on the road or on the trail. The chest harness has become my go to mount for the GoPro and I rarely, if ever, do I use the adapter below the Garmin out front mount. The harness allows me to change batteries or make adjustments on the fly and a magnetic quick release makes for quick transitions if I want to shoot footage from a static position while dismounted. I’m either constantly adjusting my riding position (more upright) or changing the camera angle to accommodate different viewing scenarios. For safety reasons, I never ride with the camera in one hand while balancing with the other unless there is zero traffic around. Even then, I find the harness is adequate in most situations.

Here’s more single track footage from yesterday’s ride which exemplifies the quality of the boost stabilization on more undulating terrain.

Edited to add – At 1:29 into the video, if you look carefully a deer can be seen crossing the trail from the left. I never noticed it until I reviewed the footage.

Just one question: How do you keep your elbows intact?

The one real trail mt bike experience I had, I managed to fall and pin my thigh between the handlebar and bike frame and I was lying on the bike frame. TRAPPED! Also panicked since I was to leave on a two week backpack in the Sierra in a few days and I did not need a leg injury. I did survive.

 

[Art Deco]

Just one question: How do you keep your elbows intact?

The one real trail mt bike experience I had, I managed to fall and pin my thigh between the handlebar and bike frame and I was lying on the bike frame. TRAPPED! Also panicked since I was to leave on a two week backpack in the Sierra in a few days and I did not need a leg injury. I did survive.

Don't fall down ... if you must , think about getting trapped under 300 lbs of motorcycle instead ... ... Don't fall down...

 

[ActionJackson]

I use the camera on virtually every ride whether it’s on the road or on the trail. The chest harness has become my go to mount for the GoPro and I rarely, if ever, do I use the adapter below the Garmin out front mount. The harness allows me to change batteries or make adjustments on the fly and a magnetic quick release makes for quick transitions if I want to shoot footage from a static position while dismounted. I’m either constantly adjusting my riding position (more upright) or changing the camera angle to accommodate different viewing scenarios. For safety reasons, I never ride with the camera in one hand while balancing with the other unless there is zero traffic around. Even then, I find the harness is adequate in most situations.

Here’s more single track footage from yesterday’s ride which exemplifies the quality of the boost stabilization on more undulating terrain.

Edited to add – At 1:29 into the video, if you look carefully a deer can be seen crossing the trail from the left. I never noticed it until I reviewed the footage.

What type of harness and how much ? Amazon link ? Thanks!

 

[Prairie Dog]

The horses in the fields seemed quite nonchalant about their wet coats as they continued to graze under the arc a beautiful double rainbow. Somewhere beyond those trees was a pot of gold. Maybe two.

Here’s hoping that happiness and good fortune follow you throughout your rides!

 

[Prairie Dog]

Just one question: How do you keep your elbows intact?

Fortunately, I wear elbow pads but they don’t help much when it comes to my shoulders. In most scenarios, the trees are farther apart than what appears in the footage. I think action cameras in general give you a skewed sense of the terrain or what the actual distance between objects is really like. However, there is no doubt that I’ve cut it too close on approaches and, as a result, have received my share of bumps and bruises as well as losing or breaking off bar ends. I don’t ride much DH these days (mostly XC/All Mtn type riding) so I’ve taken the liberty of trimming down my bars 40mm per side to help negotiate really tight technical sections.

It’s no secret that riding single track with someone with equal or significantly superior skills can make you a better and more mindful rider. For this reason, we tend to ride the trails with a bit more vigor when being pushed or chased.

 

[Prairie Dog]

What type of harness and how much ? Amazon link ? Thanks!

The chest harness that I’ve been using is this one although I don’t know how it compares with the GoPro branded version. Nothing fancy about it and it meets all of my requirements. I did, however, break the clip off during a fall but thankfully the camera remained intact. Amazon replaced the harness gratis.

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics...rds=gopro+chest+harness&qid=1631316477&sr=8-5

 

[mschwett]

today i tried something different.... my longest eBike ride with the bike turned off.

typically i only do this on local (within city limits) rides up to 20 or maybe 30 miles, and no sustained climbs, and nothing over 6% or so.

but i set off today on a 46 miler and around 20 miles in i thought, i feel pretty good today, and the climbing is pretty spread out on this ride, why not give it a go. the only sustained climb was towards the end, around 350 feet at a reasonable grade, and by then i was on a mission!

total distance, 46.12mi/74km, average speed 15.38mph/24.75kph, 2,078 feet/633 meters of climb. vicious crosswinds for a significant part of the return trip, which is par for the course around here. luckily no directly frontal headwinds.

only one pic, since this is mostly ground i've already covered. but it was a beautiful day

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Switchback Ride …

It was up and down almost all the way on this morning's ride: genuine Homage territory with no going easy on the power assist, except for the long downhill sections which were a blast.

Pine Mountain Bush Reserve
1 km​

Brisbane River, Kholo
12 km​

Lake Manchester Road
24 km​

Brisbane River : Colleges Crossing
35 km​

And sharing the quiet place (above; X on the lower map) where I chose to take a break…

Comb-crested Jacana​

Australian Pelicans
​

 

[Stefan Mikes]

my longest eBike ride with the bike turned off.

total distance, 46.12mi/74km, average speed 15.38mph/24.75kph, 2,078 feet/633 meters of climb.

One might wonder why you bought an e-bike in the first place

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Remote Office Ride

I wanted to give the title of "Boring Mazovia Ride" to this ride report My direct neighbourhood is not exactly inspiring. Flat, agricultural, industrial, residential. Swampy fallow lands make the number of roads limited here. We are now enjoying the last days of Summer, and it's such a waste to sit in your home office with such gorgeous weather outdoor! So I tucked my "business" smartphone into the back pocket of my jersey, and set off for a leisurely (& fitness) ride on Friday's morning.

We're not used to private roads in Poland. Here, some greedy owner denied our Borough paving a 235 m long road segment, leaving a nasty gravel gap in the middle of otherwise perfect new asphalt road. (I can guess the owner demanded compensation for paving their road!) Anyway, I was very glad to have had Redshift ShockStop suspension installed on my Vado SL on that ride!

There's ongoing construction of new bike paths in Poland nowadays. Here, at picturesque winding new bike path connecting west Brwinów with Milanówek; it runs in the middle of fallow land. Here, I stopped for a while, to find out a message from a customer in Russia. My working day at the remote office had started.

Not exactly Holland or Denmark, but Poland is a truly cycling country anyway. The distances are bigger here than they are in the notorious "cycling countries". Many people ride their bikes to the nearest train stop or station, and switch to commuter trains. There is no bike theft in the suburbs such as Milanówek: nobody would leave an expensive bike at the train station. Necessary to mention, bicycles are main transportation means in the countryside as well as for senior/poor people.

I'm not saying the pandemic is over here but kids can attend the school at last! I haven't seen anything like that for the past 17 months!

If you set Mapy.cz to "MTB mode" with route planning for inhabited areas, you are guaranteed the "Czech Koko" (the optional female Czech voice) will direct you onto a little detour like this one A truly quaint countryside road just 100 m away from heavy traffic highway!

Here, with chicory flowers, I could set up my remote office for a longer while...

Here, while sitting on the grass and working, I could meet this crippled gentleman riding a hand-trike. I liked the sight of his orange umbrella tucked at the back of his wheelchair-bike. We had a long and interesting talk. (He rode to see if there were any apples in this orchard yard).

I could not understand why Czech Koko was so reluctant to let me ride to Chlebnia directly. And then I knew it. The new beltway for Grodzisk Mazowiecki was under construction! "No ban is pertaining to us Poles!" as we proudly say (Literally "Nie na nas Polaków zakazy!") So I ignored the "No entry" signs as any other cyclist around would have done

A manor house in Chlebnia (privately owned). The beltway construction made any traffic in the area scarce. On the other way, Koko was so shocked with my insolence that she went completely crazy and punished me with many more kilometres to ride than it was necessary (Good I discovered the navigation error before it was too late!)

Many train stops on the railroad are... just train stops. Small Jaktorów is proud of its Railway Station, one of the smallest I could ever see! Interestingly, the infrastructure in Poland has greatly improved. Nowadays, you can expect either a bike-tunnel (with ramps) or a bike-capable lift on many of the train stops of that railroad.

I made a funny goal for some of my rides: Go to Jaktorów Bakery and see if pączki would be available I can ride to any bakery or store for pączki. My point is to ride to Jaktorów to get a reward for my effort! [I intentionally rode for 30 km to deserve some pączki on Friday] I could not believe my eyes! Pączki were actually on sale!

Man, Vado SL in a fitness e-bike indeed! I was so hungry I could not resist to buy a mini-pizza. It was not that mini...

I took this picture especially for @Chargeride: "Oh-pie-pie"? I don't think so! Haha!

I was riding my Vado SL with the 35/100% assistance for the whole way. The e-bike behaved as a traditional bike, were I a healthy person. Upwind, uphill? Slower. Average speed? Slow. Yet riding an SL e-bike is so close to riding a traditional bike that my trip was a pure pleasure! The range on the main 320 Wh battery would be approximately 90 km, or 56 miles. It is very, very low battery consumption compared to full power e-bikes (but the latter ride faster; not everybody can match @mschwett!)

 

[Chargeride]

I took this picture especially for @Chargeride: "Oh-pie-pie"? I don't think so! Haha!

My English brain would say op-yip-pye.
Simply because we just add letters in to get the result we want.

 

[Chargeride]

Theyve painted the old beachside disused hotel overnight it seems, I dropped my phone in water some time ago and this is what you get.
I bought a new one yesterday on the basis of this blurred mess.
The painting is actually photo realistic from 20ft away, I stopped for a chat and discovered his wife paints the general backwash and he finishes it off with detail, very nice chap , earphones in and singing along to dire straits as I approached.

Its all part of the Green Sefton initiative, the building in the background on the left is PONTINS, which is a rather down market holiday resort thats barely changed from the 50s, but I'm feeling a bit of a general upgrade is on the cards as more people staycation after the pandemic and brexit.
The resort has a terrible reputation for dirty sheets, paper thin walls and drunken behaviour, but it also has wonderful amenities for the kids, go kart track, swimming pool with great slides.
more importantly I think, is its sat in the middle of the most glorious pine forest and large sand dunes.
A lot of posh people around the area turn their noses up at it and the typical clientele, but its very cheap and I love to go down and see the large inner city families turn up and the kids faces as they see the huge beach and this amazing mural will be the icing on the cake.

 

[Readytoride]

Only a short ride today, again around the block but more towards the east this time, since the rest of the day's hours were booked with other than bike riding. 12.2 miles - 2 miles of pavement while the rest were very quiet gravel roads.

At one point I stopped at the entryway to an 250+ year old estate, Welbourne, featuring a beautiful manor house and an extensive front yard that was once an encampment for a tired but determined army of Confederate soldiers 150 years ago. Photo of then owner Col. Richard Delaney (Confederate States of America) circa 1890 with his 4-in-hand in front of the manor house. He had lost the use of his right arm in the later part of the Civil War, but that didn't slow him down or impede his ability to drive. (He died in 1906 at Welbourne)

Photo below of yours truly (taken Summer 2000) with my pair in front of the manor house a century later. Notice the elk antlers are still in residence over the front door.

This sign, along with two others, stands on a "pull off" alongside the shoulder of the main N-S highway intersecting the western end of our county. This "pull off" allows visitors to the area to stop and read about the history of notable places hereabouts.

Instead of war weary soldiers taking up the front lawns, or, more recently reenactors playing at being Civil War soldiers, there was instead a battalion of white chairs, arrayed in rows of perfect formation, with a flotilla of colorful balloons above, each balloon tied to the back of each chair. A few people in summer evening dress were hanging around the manor house's sweeping porch, talking and apparently setting up tables and tents.

A nice lady with a very expensive digital camera, and a nice man in a dotted shirt and creased pants, stood at the driveway entrance, apparently for the express purpose of directing cars full of well dressed people into the driveway and to a roped off section of the expansive front lawn designated for parking. I was curious if it was a wedding or some such celebration. No, it was a jazz concert, set to begin in 2 1/2 hours. The gentleman, who introduced himself as being from New Jersey, was a trumpet player. A jazz trumpet. The lady was a pro photographer who surprisingly recognized my bike as an electric bike. She had just won an ebike in a raffle recently and had yet "to open the box" to put her new ebike together. The bike had an odd name that I did not recognize, something like EZbike? She was curious about mine and so we stood there for a while and talked about ebikes and photography and music and the history of the estate that was hosting the jazz concert. It was a nice little pause in my ride to meet two very nice people who were just in love with the local countryside. It wasn't until a few cars came slowly crunching up the gravel road with full intention upon turning into the driveway that I finally said goodbye and that I hoped that they enjoyed the evening. Because it was a private, Invitation only concert, there was no way that I'd be able to come back and sit in one of the chairs to tap my toes and listen to jazz. I could have come back to sit on the stone walls bordering the gravel road and listen from a distance, but that's not really my style.

I would have taken a photograph but all of the action was so far away that the photograph would have been basically just lawn with dots of color in the distance.

So I said my goodbyes, rode a little further on up the road, stopped for this photograph at the entrance to an estate that was only one property removed from the estate hosting the party, and continued on my merry way the final miles back home.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

To See My Daughter Magda (And Other Adventures)

I had an appointment to see my daughter Magda at her Social Care Home at 14:00. Three minutes before 11:00 I left on my Vado SL, set to 60/100% assistance and with the Range Extender battery. Having plenty of time, I made a little detour to get more workout...

There are numerous long bike paths (or MUPs) in my neighbourhood. The rules of placing road-signs are silly a little bit. How many "MUP" road-signs can you spot here?

Cycling Stories

I was not in hurry at all. Leisurely peddling pedalling, I was overtaken by a roadie. As you know, I cannot stand such an insult! Having had big battery resources, and the bike derestricted by a button push, I pushed on pedals hard to chase the man. To discover he was riding very slowly as for a roadie! (28 km/h? A joke?!) In a very short time, I got bored with following him. I pushed the "lightning" button on my remote... "HI!" I shouted merrily at the guy, and then my Vado SL accelerated as it were a rocket! I reached 41 km/h (more than 25 mph) instantly! A look in the mirror: The guy tried to fight. Wrong person. He was slowly disappearing in my rear-view mirror. And I suddenly recollected that I was missing an important capability: endurance I could not keep the cadence of 120 bpm forever! Yet, slowing down now would be a shame, so I decided to sprint as far as Pilaszków.

With the guy long gone from my sight, I approached a bus stop in Pilaszków; another guy with a Cube hardtail bike was repairing something there. A good excuse to stop! "Need help?" -- "No, thank you. Something's squealing at my seatpost. Got some grease?" After many minutes, the roadie approached us. "Good race!" I smiled at the roadie -- "What a bike you've got!" he exclaimed in awe

I and the newly met MTB-er Robert talked for several minutes, then we rode together. To my biggest surprise, I was unable to catch up with Robert! What gets?! Sport mode -- too slow! -- Turbo mode -- my SL was behaving like a cow. WHAT GETS? Oh. The speed limiter on Now, I normally don't say very much on the 25 km/h e-bike speed limit in the EU but come on! Not being able to ride just at 28 km/h as any moderately fit traditional cyclist?!

At some point (familiar to me), Robert looked at his GPS navigation in a sports-watch, slowed down, and announced: "I should have turned right at the junction" -- "Go on there!" -- I replied -- "Your bike is adequate for that road, mine's not! Bye!" and we parted. The point is, his GPS navigation directed him into some "wilderness", and I knew it better. But Robert might have had his own training plan...

I knew it better. Fast ride on asphalt. I reached an intersection I knew Robert would eventually reach, and waited for him with my smartphone camera there He was actually very irritated with the GPS navigation... "Sorry mate, I thought you chose that route intentionally" -- I smiled at him. And he continued riding for next 70 km to join his family somewhere in the Land of Łódź.

I forgave "Klimatyczna Cafe" their taking double holidays last Summer. The attitude of the female owner (she did recognize me!) and their plum ice-cream won my heart! But now I was in hurry. Peddl... Pedalling furiously, I was at the Social Care Home ten minutes in advance!

Magda got her "Cat Ears" Bluetooth headphones, and was very happy!

Magda with her best friend Honorata. Exploring the secrets of modern technology

We had a long walk with Magda in beautiful gardens of the Home, and I used my MTB mini-pump to reinflate her wheelchair's tyres. (No one thinks of reinflating wheelchair wheels there!)

The area sees a lot of road improvement works. I was positively shocked how fast the most terrible road in Boża Wola was brought to perfect shape. (Roadworks? "No Entry" signs do not pertain to me!)

I fancied some sushi at a restaurant in Brwinów. Approaching the town, I caught up with yet another roadie. That time, I wanted some fun to both of us
-- Let's race! -- I merrily shouted at the roadie -- he laughed, smiled at me, and we were racing! I was winning first, and encouraging the guy to draft me. When I rode onto an overpass, I gave way, and shouted at the man -- "Show me roadies are faster downhill than the electricians are!" -- he laughed again and we raced until we reached the Brwinów centre. On parting our ways, I thanked him for the workout!

The sushi restaurant... Well, Americans are used to getting big portions; it is not the same for Europe. Therefore, I was shocked to see the pile of food I got at the restaurant! (Actually, half of the portion was packed for me as leftovers). Then I checked Strava. My friend @Jerzy Bańkowski made 75.26 km on that day, while I would only make 70. No way!

At some place, I could see a powered hang glider (is it the right word?) starting. (Of course, I had my camera at ready too late). I continued my ride as far as I trumped the Jerzy's distance

60/100 assistance of Vado SL + Range Extender (in my case) would be some 85 km. I need to take down the figure for future rides!