Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[Art Deco]

I was only about a dozen years after him. BS Biology.

Wonder ... Did you work as a biologist? ... Nevermind, don't answer that on an open forum .

 

[Catalyzt]

Thank you for the information!

Yes, what's remarkable about Central Park is its location, but also the landscaping, the fact that it features dedicated jogging trails (around the reservoir) a bridle path for horses (also around the reservoir, larger diameter) and then the "Park Drives" which stretch the entire length of the park. There are also many ponds and lakes that are well known, but the archways, streams and waterfalls in the north end? You could be utterly alone there for five or ten minutes, there is very little foot traffic. This trip, I discovered some kind of old fort in the north end-- ah, there it is! Of course someone has documented it-- a Civil War relic known as The Block House, built by butchers, firemen, and freemasons! I circled it briefly, but there was a young woman sitting on the steps smoking a blunt, and I didn't want to make her paranoid. Lived in New York almost 35 years, and knew nothing about that spot until two weeks ago!

Blockhouse of Central Park: A Military Ruin Predating the Park - Untapped New York

Uncover the history of the mysterious blockhouse in Central Park, an abandoned fortification in the park's seldom travelled north woods!

untappedcities.com

I enjoy the wandering paths a great deal, and completely ignore the stern "dismount" signs when I see them (I do dismount or slow to walking speed for pedestrians) because the paths are so beautiful, though you often have to carry your bike up or down (usually short) flights of stairs.

The two areas with winding paths you could almost get lost on are the North Woods and The Rambles... though you're more likely to get actually lost in The Rambles, which used to be very dangerous in the '60s and '70s. A 1st grade classmate's father was murdered there, and even in the late '70s, when we would go almost anywhere at any hour of the day or night, we only entered the Rambles with great caution at night, and never on bikes-- too easy for someone to set up an ambush at stairs where you couldn't turn around in time. We'd be utterly silent, listening carefully, and the goal was to hear our potential assailants before they could hear us. We were lucky.

The Park Drives were closed to traffic on Saturdays and Sundays only starting sometime in the '60s or '70s, when biking became popular for the first time. It was funny riding the "hills" that used to seem so extreme to me-- there are really only two significant ones-- and I had to laugh... they are nothing, really, only seemed strenuous because we'd circle the park several times (and I had the connective tissue disorder back then, too, never had much stamina.)

 

[kahn]

Wonder ... Did you work as a biologist? ... Nevermind, don't answer that on an open forum .

Diagnostic Bacteriologist!! Only one year. Changed careers and focus and then once again....

 

[Chargeride]

Ultra lights have come along way. In the early 80s I went hang gliding with a traditional Delta wing at Torrey Pines in S. Cal. It was a blast! Powered is actually safer. I’ve test flown a Kitfox with a Rotax and it was pretty impressive, but I didn’t go forward with that. Sticking with a C-172 until I die I think.

I love seeing hang gliders..they are so retro now.

 

[ActionJackson]

I love seeing hang gliders..they are so retro now.

The classic Rogallo design dates many years back and is still very safe if you remain in the performance envelope. I’ve seen them as high as 12,000 feet around Mt. Fuji. They’re still quite popular actually.

 

[Catalyzt]

And Vacation Ride #2: Catalyzt Discovers the Rossignol E-Trak 27 and the E8000!

One of my buddies who lives in Vermont had been raving about these two Rossy e-Bikes he'd gotten in 2018 or so from some other friend who was liquidating a resort or something-- sold them to my friend at wholesale cost. He didn't know the model number, I couldn't figure out what they were, and I figured they were some kind of touring bikes, never even occurred to me they could be eMTBs.

Anyway, after my gigs in CT, and rides in NYC, a few of my closest high school friends finally get up to his place in Vermont for a few days of R&R, and I got a chance to check them out. Turns out the Rossies are-- to me, anyway-- mid-drive light(er) weight hard-tail hot rods. Always wanted to check out the E8000, but I had no idea I'd get a chance to try it on a bike that weighed almost exactly what mine did stock! (49 pounds)

Hey, I'm still crazy about Seeker (my Motobecane). It's the right bike for me-- I really do need full suspension, both for comfort and for the roads here, and I couldn't get a good workout in 45 minutes even in eco on the Rossies, even here with all the hills. (My Moto is faster downhill, too, and more stable over 35 MPH.) But OMG, the power to weight on the Rossies... to me, those things just haul ass. They are such a blast... but it's almost an entirely different sport with so much more power.

Just took a series of little rides-- my friends were pretty out of shape, one guy was totally intimidated by the weight of the bike, and the focus of the weekend was hanging out and catching up. I will say that once I got out there, it was pretty hard to turn around, and if these hadn't been, like, my best friends in the whole world, I probably would have disappeared for hours! This is the 7 mile loop I liked best-- stopped at the beach, changed into my swim suit, jumped into the crystal-clear lake and swam a quick quarter mile or so-- I thought it would be freezing, but the water was in the low 70s, just right! After spending so much time in Cali, I'm not used to all that green! And I love seeing the first colors of fall just beginning to make their appearance......

Here I am, awed by the raw power of the E8000!

After all that rock and roll, good friends, fresh air and water, and exercise... well, I'm sorry if I seem so... morose and woebegone in these photos.

 

[kahn]

Looks like a fun time. Maybe next time you won't be so morose. I've got Rossignol cross-country skis. I did not know they made bikes or, at least, have some branded by them.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Hey, I'm still crazy about Seeker (my Motobecane).

What model do you actually ride?

 

[Prairie Dog]

And Vacation Ride #2: Catalyzt Discovers the Rossignol E-Trak 27 and the E8000!

One of my buddies who lives in Vermont had been raving about these two Rossy e-Bikes he'd gotten in 2018 or so from some other friend who was liquidating a resort or something-- sold them to my friend at wholesale cost. He didn't know the model number, I couldn't figure out what they were, and I figured they were some kind of touring bikes, never even occurred to me they could be eMTBs.

Anyway, after my gigs in CT, and rides in NYC, a few of my closest high school friends finally get up to his place in Vermont for a few days of R&R, and I got a chance to check them out. Turns out the Rossies are-- to me, anyway-- mid-drive light(er) weight hard-tail hot rods. Always wanted to check out the E8000, but I had no idea I'd get a chance to try it on a bike that weighed almost exactly what mine did stock! (49 pounds)

Hey, I'm still crazy about Seeker (my Motobecane). It's the right bike for me-- I really do need full suspension, both for comfort and for the roads here, and I couldn't get a good workout in 45 minutes even in eco on the Rossies, even here with all the hills. (My Moto is faster downhill, too, and more stable over 35 MPH.) But OMG, the power to weight on the Rossies... to me, those things just haul ass. They are such a blast... but it's almost an entirely different sport with so much more power.

Just took a series of little rides-- my friends were pretty out of shape, one guy was totally intimidated by the weight of the bike, and the focus of the weekend was hanging out and catching up. I will say that once I got out there, it was pretty hard to turn around, and if these hadn't been, like, my best friends in the whole world, I probably would have disappeared for hours! This is the 7 mile loop I liked best-- stopped at the beach, changed into my swim suit, jumped into the crystal-clear lake and swam a quick quarter mile or so-- I thought it would be freezing, but the water was in the low 70s, just right! After spending so much time in Cali, I'm not used to all that green! And I love seeing the first colors of fall just beginning to make their appearance......

View attachment 99941Here I am, awed by the raw power of the E8000!

After all that rock and roll, good friends, fresh air and water, and exercise... well, I'm sorry if I seem so... morose and woebegone in these photos.

View attachment 99937View attachment 99938View attachment 99939View attachment 99940

Sounds like a great trip. Thanks for sharing, though it would have been nice to test that Rossi on a downhill run at a local ski hill.

Here’s a little known fact, Rossignol known more for winter sports also owns Felt Bikes so one might presume that the E-Track Trail is a re-branded Redemption E as I believe that they share the same frame.

https://feltbicycles.com/products/redemption-e-50-electric-mountain-e-bike

 

[Twin Valley]

A bunch of us visited in 97.
We went to Harrison Springs for the hot pools.
There was a casual sign on the boardwalk.
A visiter had been killed by a bear.
The day before!!!!
His friend who who was merely mauled was on the news that night.
A helpful American ran to his car , got his gun and shot it.

Finally home from a month of mostly vacation in central BC "bear" country that was pretty isolated. I guess one should listen to that internal voice as the following picture I took with my 11 inch bike shoe beside a grizzly track (when Stefan saw the post on Strava I don't think he picked up on the track and was wondering if I was running away on foot, not on your life Stefan with a bike that has the Turbo button handy), it was an uneasy ride but until I saw the tracks I couldn't really say why - - - we put up a trail camera that night and caught the bear's picture - the white shoulder strip indicates a younger grizzly (but no less dangerous) - this was blueberry season in the area and I saw many black bears munching their fill before their winter's nap but they were not interested in me - but the grizzly was another story as the neighbor reported two of his sheep taken down by a grizzly the next day so obviously he was more interested in meat than berries - finally a picture of a sign I took near Kikomun Creek that drains into a large reservoir shared with southern BC and our Montana neighbors north of Kalispel - this sign was a good reminder that as humans we are visting nature's home turf.

 

[Chargeride]

Nope

 

[Catalyzt]

What model do you actually ride?

Motobecane Ultra E-Adventure, pictured in my avatar. I got it down to 46 pounds, not bad for full suspension, but the E5000 only has a max of 40 nm of torque as compared with the E5000s 80 nm.

If I had to invent a class for my bike, I would call it an "ML" -- Medium Lightweight -- as opposed to Lightweight or Super Lightweight.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Motobecane Ultra E-Adventure, pictured in my avatar. I got it down to 46 pounds, not bad for full suspension, but the E5000 only has a max of 40 nm of torque as compared with the E5000s 80 nm.

If I had to invent a class for my bike, I would call it an "ML" -- Medium Lightweight -- as opposed to Lightweight or Super Lightweight.

It looks to be a good ebike and I'm glad you're so happy with it!

 

[Catalyzt]

Sounds like a great trip. Thanks for sharing, though it would have been nice to test that Rossi on a downhill run at a local ski hill.

Here’s a little known fact, Rossignol known more for winter sports also owns Felt Bikes so one might presume that the E-Track Trail is a re-branded Redemption E as I believe that they share the same frame.

https://feltbicycles.com/products/redemption-e-50-electric-mountain-e-bike

I heard about the Rossignol-Felt connection... but the bike I was riding was a hardtail, not the same frame. There is another Rossignol full-suspension bike that does very much like that one, but I that one is the eTrack Trail-- there's a link to a video here:

eMTB Options For 2024

Yeah, I might leave it setup for awhile, try it with the road tires. It really runs the motor up too, so it is a bit worrisome, a potential for stress and heat. I think the hack works much better on the Explore cuz it has a larger front chain ring, so you can get nearly all the way to 30mph with...

electricbikereview.com

BTW, I love Rossignol skis. I had a pair of late '80s or early '90s straight Rossignols which I bought barely used in about 2003, put modern bindings on them and skied the crap out of them for 16 years-- Whistler, Park City, Snowbird, Mammoth and a half dozen smaller resorts in Cali, skiing single blacks on the big mountains and double blacks on the little ones. Not ideal for powder, but usable, great for hard-pack, and outstanding for places like Baldy, where the conditions alternate between corn, slush, ice, rocks and dirt-- that's spring skiing here! I'd get the gouges filled every few years and just go back out.

The bindings were condemned in 2016, so at that point, I could only rationalize another two years of lighter use. They started delaminating in 2017, just a little split at the tips above where they hit the snow... and that split never got any bigger. And they still had camber, which was important to me because I skied like it was 1978.

In 2019, they looked beat to hell, but didn't really ski that much worse than they did 15 years earlier. But by then, it was getting really hard on my back, and I decided not to push my luck. And the bindings were an issue-- even with light use, you can't go two years with only a release check, that's too crazy even for me.

I still haven't thrown them out, though I definitely should!

 

[Twin Valley]

I heard about the Rossignol-Felt connection... but the bike I was riding was a hardtail, not the same frame. There is another Rossignol full-suspension bike that does very much like that one, but I that one is the eTrack Trail-- there's a link to a video here:

eMTB Options For 2024

Yeah, I might leave it setup for awhile, try it with the road tires. It really runs the motor up too, so it is a bit worrisome, a potential for stress and heat. I think the hack works much better on the Explore cuz it has a larger front chain ring, so you can get nearly all the way to 30mph with...

electricbikereview.com

BTW, I love Rossignol skis. I had a pair of late '80s or early '90s straight Rossignols which I bought barely used in about 2003, put modern bindings on them and skied the crap out of them for 16 years-- Whistler, Park City, Snowbird, Mammoth and a half dozen smaller resorts in Cali, skiing single blacks on the big mountains and double blacks on the little ones. Not ideal for powder, but usable, great for hard-pack, and outstanding for places like Baldy, where the conditions alternate between corn, slush, ice, rocks and dirt-- that's spring skiing here! I'd get the gouges filled every few years and just go back out.

The bindings were condemned in 2016, so at that point, I could only rationalize another two years of lighter use. They started delaminating in 2017, just a little split at the tips above where they hit the snow... and that split never got any bigger. And they still had camber, which was important to me because I skied like it was 1978.

In 2019, they looked beat to hell, but didn't really ski that much worse than they did 15 years earlier. But by then, it was getting really hard on my back, and I decided not to push my luck. And the bindings were an issue-- even with light use, you can't go two years with only a release check, that's too crazy even for me.

I still haven't thrown them out, though I definitely should!

oh crap, after reading your post I had to go out to the garage and snap a shot of the olin mark 3's, some of the hills you listed above and a lot of others, not as great on hard pack but a soft ski and a dream on powder, just 10 years earlier than yours bought them in 78, once saw them on a movie above a fire place, then I realized I truly was aging - I guess I've been saving them to post on our bike thread, mind you I do have thoughts about e-biking down some of those trails - o.k. that's pushing it ...

 

[kahn]

oh crap, after reading your post I had to go out to the garage and snap a shot of the olin mark 3's, some of the hills you listed above and a lot of others, not as great on hard pack but a soft ski and a dream on powder, just 10 years earlier than yours bought them in 78View attachment 100011, once saw them on a movie above a fire place, then I realized I truly was aging - I guess I've been saving them to post on our bike thread, mind you I do have thoughts about e-biking down some of those trails - o.k. that's pushing it ...

I have the wood-wax, pine tar prep skis I got Eastern Mountain Sports in 1974. As well as more than a dozen other cross-country and telemark skis. And my most recent additions were two pairs of Rossignol - one with and one without steel edges. Both pretty narrow. Both been to The Dolomites skiing.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I heard about the Rossignol-Felt connection... but the bike I was riding was a hardtail, not the same frame. There is another Rossignol full-suspension bike that does very much like that one, but I that one is the eTrack Trail-- there's a link to a video here:

eMTB Options For 2024

Yeah, I might leave it setup for awhile, try it with the road tires. It really runs the motor up too, so it is a bit worrisome, a potential for stress and heat. I think the hack works much better on the Explore cuz it has a larger front chain ring, so you can get nearly all the way to 30mph with...

electricbikereview.com

Perhaps it was the Felt Surplus.

SURPLUS-E 50 | 2019

Fun, thy name is Surplus-e! This is the ticket to hitting the trail if you haven't been on the bike for awhile, if you want to keep up with your fitter friends, if you want to increase your range, if you want to test the bounds of e-bike riding...Basically, this is an awesome e-MTB rig that...

feltbicycles.com

 

[Chargeride]

oh crap, after reading your post I had to go out to the garage and snap a shot of the olin mark 3's, some of the hills you listed above and a lot of others, not as great on hard pack but a soft ski and a dream on powder, just 10 years earlier than yours bought them in 78View attachment 100011, once saw them on a movie above a fire place, then I realized I truly was aging - I guess I've been saving them to post on our bike thread, mind you I do have thoughts about e-biking down some of those trails - o.k. that's pushing it ...

Above a fireplace..thats hilarious.
I tried to sell my burton clip in snowboard boots..they ended up in the vintage section.

 

[BlackHand]

Perhaps it was the Felt Surplus.

SURPLUS-E 50 | 2019

Fun, thy name is Surplus-e! This is the ticket to hitting the trail if you haven't been on the bike for awhile, if you want to keep up with your fitter friends, if you want to increase your range, if you want to test the bounds of e-bike riding...Basically, this is an awesome e-MTB rig that...

feltbicycles.com

Makes sense, especially if Felt felt they had a surplus of the Surplus.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Exploring the mangroves…

Jim Soorley Bikeway (Moreton Bay Cycleway)
Schulz Canal (Kedron Brook)​

At least once per week I try to ride the northern section of Brisbane's Moreton Bay Cycleway.

The first photo is about four kilometres into the ride – certainly not the time to take a break, but I did because there was a colony of rainbow bee-eaters flitting around, and I naïvely imagined that I'd be able to photograph them. Leave that to David Attenborough's camera crew! Here's the spot, minus bee-eaters.

Flitting around as frenetically as the bee-eaters are our politicians who insist on renaming sections of bikeways and creeks after themselves; hence, the alternative names below the photo. So be it!

The ride held no surprises; more of the same:

Nundah Creek Boardwalk
Boondall Wetlands Bikeway
13 km; 6:50 am
​

​

Somewhat later I reached the northern tip of the Redcliffe Peninsula where mangroves were growing in the bay rather than along a creek. The bright green plants growing beside the walking/cycling track are ruby saltbush (Enchylaena tomentose).

Scarborough, Redcliffe Peninsula
44 km; 9:15 am​

Very few mangroves remain (the usual suspects, too many people!):