Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

Stefan Mikes said:
I simply drink too much coffee to afford the originals :)
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Then get something like this...

20211230_100059.jpg

Insert water and beans of choice...mmmmm
 
Stefan Mikes said:
Sorry Randall. I now live in a tiny social flat and experience trouble to even fit all my cycling clothes there! :)
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Yeah - it's massive and overkill, but it was a floor demo and we got a sweet deal on it 7 years ago.
It's a semi-pro model but we found their small consumer ones too small as we were always filling the water tank and emptying grounds.
But once you find the right beans, it's pretty magic.

Until Covid, we'd always be having friends over for coffee visits.
I do miss that - but one day we'll be back to that.
 
David Berry said:
Original x 2

Note: Intensity rating of 11 (very high), despite being decaf. This is just as well, Diggy and Stefan, because I had already downed two pre-evening meal Nespressos before being forced to make another for the photo. I tried to be artsy by making it (the third this evening; forget morning and noon) in a glass tumbler. Wrong choice! The glass tumbler reflected the carton, ruining the photo and necessitating 'brew' number four. Understand the importance of decaf, now? o_O

View attachment 110542
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Okay, I did a quick search and don't find those DECAF capsules. I did find a variety pack of Starbucks (all CAFE) and only am interested in DECAF. Did not find on Starbucks site and was shunted to Macy's (they do sell capsules about ten miles away but did not see Starbucks decaf)

(this from the home of Starbucks)
 
David Berry said:
Original x 2

Note: Intensity rating of 11 (very high), despite being decaf. This is just as well, Diggy and Stefan, because I had already downed two pre-evening meal Nespressos before being forced to make another for the photo. I tried to be artsy by making it (the third this evening; forget morning and noon) in a glass tumbler. Wrong choice! The glass tumbler reflected the carton, ruining the photo and necessitating 'brew' number four. Understand the importance of decaf, now? o_O

View attachment 110542
Click to expand...
As previously mentioned, we only use the original Nespresso capsules now. I drink my coffee Black and standard coffee. Strength wise I drink the Stockholm Fortissio Lungo, which has a rating of 8. We also have some 11 and 12 rated coffees that Mrs DG uses when she has a Latte.

image.jpg

I’m quite fortunate in that I drink a lot of standard coffee, even before bed, with no ill effects.
 
Stefan Mikes said:
@Prairie Dog: A friend of mine, an experienced travelling journalist asked me to show you this video: "Norilsk, the Hell of the North". -------snip--------

Compared to that, Canada is a paradise...
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Stefan, according to one source, although our weather can sometimes be bad, but Canada has a few things going for it. This ranking (#1) is fairly consistent from year to year, but can certainly be argued as to it's value as a measure. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/overall-rankings

But it ain't perfect...I used to do a fair amount of travelling, both domestically and Internationally, and one thing ALWAYS comes to mind, wherever I go - "Why do people live here?"

Now back to the topic: still no pics as it's still too cold for my taste. But i do have a word: SOON!
 
I didn't want to make that sound so serious, Randall! I've been to Canada once, and that's a beautiful country. Yes, the winters may be harsh there but we happen to experience cold winters in Poland, too. Take no offence! Same about Australia: My dad spent some seven years post-war there, and he came back to Poland for his parents, and to find a wife. He made use of his Australian experiences and our household was very modern as for those times.

If I say anything against Canada or Australia, I'm just teasing you people! Nothing serious!
 
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Stefan Mikes said:
I didn't want to make that sound so serious, Randall! I've been to Canada once, and that's a beautiful country. Yes, the winters may be harsh there but we happen to experience cold winters in Poland, too. Take no offence! Same about Australia: My dad spent some seven years post-war there, and he came back to Poland for his parents, and to find a wife. He mmade use of his Australian experiences and our household was very modern as for those times.

If I say anything against Canada or Australia, I'm just teasing you people! Nothing serious!
Click to expand...
I didn't take it that way either. But i saw that study today and it made me think of your post and the word "paradise". It's all relative of course. Personally, in regards to Paradise - i love Barbados, but my favorite beach bar there burnt to the ground on Christmas day. Juju's beach bar was world famous as an iconic place as rated by Fodor. Man i will miss that place, as they are never the same aftef someting like that.
 
Like @RandallS, we also enjoy a nice cup of Joe dispensed, ‘automaticamente’. However, my wife and I usually limit our intake only to a large latte each in the am unless we decide to indulge in affogatos for dessert. 😋

IMG_20211230_1829408.jpg


Affogato -

  • 2 scoops vanilla ice cream (high quality)
  • 1 Shot Espresso
  • 1 tbsp nut or coffee liqueur (optional)
  • Dark chocolate (for grating on top)
Buon Appetito!
 
Prairie Dog said:
Like @RandallS, we also enjoy a nice cup of Joe dispensed, ‘automaticamente’. However, my wife and I usually limit our intake only to a large latte each in the am unless we decide to indulge in affogatos for dessert. 😋

View attachment 110577

Affogato -

  • 2 scoops vanilla ice cream (high quality)
  • 1 Shot Espresso
  • 1 tbsp nut or coffee liqueur (optional)
  • Dark chocolate (for grating on top)
Buon Appetito!
Click to expand...
I just never think vanilla ice cream is worth the calories. CHOCOLATE.
 
Craft Beer Ride (The Last Ride of 2021)

Sylwester is the name of the New Year's Eve in Poland (from St. Silvester Day). This year's Sylwester has surprised me with high temperature of +11 C, raining, and strong but warm wind. Find me a pretext for a ride, and I'll ride :) Oh. Perhaps I should buy a lot of good craft ale for my evening online date with @Brix? Or, wait... So I pulled "early Spring cycling apparel" on (my FiveTen shoes on again!), the full rainproof set, and I went on a ride. To discover it stopped raining, perhaps with a little of drizzle :D What a pleasure was to ride in more lightweight clothes! And Vado SL seemed to be riding faster! So I arrived in the tiny and quaint town of Podkowa Leśna.

1640964517585.png

Front: "Pork in jelly", one of the season's favourite food in Poland. You eat it with vinegar or lemon juice (the best to be followed by a small glass of vodka). Back: A collection of Polish craft ales. I prefer Double IPA, or ale of more than 7% abv. The centre is occupied by a bottle of "Wanna Cookie?" which is raspberry infused Imperial Stout from Artezan Brewery, which is located in my neighbourhood.

While in Podkowa, I got a text message the parcel with Nespresso re-usable capsules was waiting for me at a petrol station in Pruszków. What a joy! A reason to make my journey even longer! And so I cycled until the bike computer informed me I completed the last 20 km of e-biking in 2021 :)

1640964967628.png

My final yearly e-biking stats.

1640965500770.png

The ride temperature was mostly +10 C (50 F), unusual for the season!

Who's going on a ride on January 1st, 2022? :)
 
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Stefan Mikes said:
Craft Beer Ride (The Last Ride of 2021)

Sylwester is the name of the New Year's Eve in Poland (from St. Silvester Day). This year's Sylwester has surprised me with high temperature of +11 C, raining, and strong but warm wind. Find me a pretext for a ride, and I'll ride :) Oh. Perhaps I should buy a lot of good craft ale for my evening online date with @Brix? Or, wait... So I pulled "early Spring cycling apparel" on (my FiveTen shoes on again!), the full rainproof set, and I went on a ride. To discover it stopped raining, perhaps with a little of drizzle :D What a pleasure is to ride in more lightweight clothes! And Vado SL seems to be riding faster! So I arrived in the tiny and quaint town of Podkowa Leśna.

View attachment 110628
Front: "Pork in jelly", one of the season's favourite food in Poland. You eat it with vinegar or lemon juice (the best to be followed by a small glass of vodka). Back: A collection of Polish craft ales. I prefer Double IPA, or ale of more than 7% abv. The centre is occupied by a bottle of "Wanna Cookie?" which is raspberry infused Imperial Stout from Artezan Brewery, which is located in my neighbourhood.

While in Podkowa, I got a text message the parcel with Nespresso re-usable capsules was waiting for me at a petrol station in Pruszków. What a joy! A reason to make my journey even longer! And so I cycled until the bike computer informed me I completed the last 20 km of e-biking in 2021 :)

View attachment 110629
My final yearly e-biking stats.

View attachment 110630
The ride temperature was mostly +10 C (50 F), unusual as for the season!

Who's going on a ride on January 1st, 2022? :)
Click to expand...

I'm a bit envious. Not only for the great looking beverages and their pretty labels but also the mild temps you are experiencing. Our high for the next couple days is -5 F (-26 C), not to mention a nasty wind chill. Fireplace time!!
 
Let's recall our favourite (or most interesting) rides of 2021 …

Thank you everyone for sharing your adventures during what was a most difficult year. As we wait for suitable weather/lockdown opportunities to allow us to 'go ride', let's replay some of our adventures… new or worth-repeating photos and videos, please.

There must be some interesting statistics to share, too. Anyone into 'heat maps' of where they've ridden?

Here's a summary of my rides: not quite what I had expected. Every ride was either from home or started no more than an hour's drive away.
  • ~6000 km : 2019 R&M Homage Rohloff
  • ~8000 km : 2021 Homage Touring (It had a troubled start in life, quite literally letting me down with a dud rear shock!)
  • negligible : 2018 Trek Powerfly hardtail
Ride with GPS


And here's a photo from my first ride with my TOP Cycling friends, an over-fifties group that welcomed me into their fold. On most rides there are between five and fifteen of us, with almost everyone on ebikes. No one cajoles the unconverted, but they soon realise that a little power assist 'goes a long way' and pay a visit to an ebike shop!

The scene below is typical of countryside that we ride through, and of the gravel roads that will be on my New Year's Day ride.

BVRT : Harlin, Queensland

Brisbane Valley Rail Trail
SE Queensland
​
 
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