Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

@DiggyGun:
Taken into account you live in a temperate climate and basically do not need to replace tyres between summer and winter; and because of your IGH, it is strongly advisable that you go tubeless. (It wouldn't work for me).
Yes, thinking about that when I need to change tyres. Unfortunately, the Johnny Watts are not suitable for tubeless.
 
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Messing about in the water…

Scenes from Saturday's ride along Brisbane's Moreton Bay Cycleway. All photos taken without moving away from the bike. What a place!

Black Swans : Kedron Brook Wetlands

Black Swans
Kedron Brook Wetlands
6:05 am; 4 km

Checking the Crab Pots : Deception Bay

Checking the Crab Pots
Deception Bay
9:10 am; 64 km

Juvenile Pied Stilt : Nudgee Wetlands

Juvenile Pied Stilt
Nudgee Wetlands
12:50 am; 109 km

Stats for the week…

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I rode the Rad to Safeway. Two bad things about the Radmini. The throttle control is where the shifter is on the Gazelle and since I'm used to the Gazelle, well.... The Rad sticks out and attracts attention. I didn't feel like conversing much this morning.
 
The black swans photo, clearly you reproduced the famous Loc Ness Monster photo…. 🤡

Nice job old man!!!
-BB
We can do white (and very noisy) as well!

These rascals flew in for Sunday breakfast a few minutes ago, perched right outside where I am now, and then screamed and screeched to be fed! As usual, I obliged. (Don't even think of hand-feeding them!)

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos
6:15 am Sunday (That's not fair!)

 
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I rode the Rad to Safeway. Two bad things about the Radmini. The throttle control is where the shifter is on the Gazelle and since I'm used to the Gazelle, well.... The Rad sticks out and attracts attention. I didn't feel like conversing much this morning.
How the heck can they make these bikes for $1500???? How is it hefting 65-70 pounds?
 
We can do white (and very noisy) as well!

These rascals flew in for Sunday breakfast a few minutes ago, perched right outside where I am now, and then screamed and screeched to be fed! As usual, I obliged. (Don't even think of hand-feeding them!)

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Sulphur-crested Cockatoos
6:15 am Sunday (That's not fair!)

Great photo of an incredible photogenic critter! WOW.
 
KPN Small Loop (with Jacek)

I transported my Vado to the easternmost parking lot of the Kampinos National Park (KPN) this Saturday's morning. Lubed the chain, re-inflated the tyres, and after 5 km ridden I encountered my brother. Those HiVis clothes! How they stand out! I could see Jacek from 300 metres! And we rode straight into a strong WNW headwind. Well. What is the headwind for full power e-bikes? Nothing!

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I demanded a stop at a small store in Stara Dąbrowa, one of popular cyclist stops. That store only accepts cash payments. I think they are missing the network coverage there!

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Wilków Connecting Road. It was a tragedy! Deep frozen ruts made the ride very dangerous! Jacek actually thought I would collapse at some point!

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Yours truly, after we left the Wilków Connector.

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In Kampinos, the village that gave its name to the National Park. It was up to +2°C and sunny for the whole trip. We continued our ride through popular road-cycling side roads.


At some point -- when we were riding downwind -- we spotted two roadies. Jacek is a "single battery ride" believer so he had to economize on the assistance, still, we caught up with those guys. (When approaching them, I warned Jacek: 'DON'T OVERTAKE THEM" :D) While riding, I engaged one of them in a friendly talk, just to see my brother could not control himself, and spurted to the front of the group!

-- Oh well -- I said to the roadie -- It looks my brother cannot wait for dem cookiez at the Klimatyczna! -- and I followed Jacek :D

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At the Klimatyczna Cafe in Leszno. We learned that a popular road-cycling club (going by a self-ironic name of Grupetto) had just left the cafe!

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And we made friends with the owner, Ms. Ewa. Ewa has some family ties with road-cycling, so she decided to make her cafe specifically cycling-friendly!

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I would have rather expected sudden death than meeting That Woman Who Beats Me and her mentor en route! I was just changing our route plan in Zaborów when the Hawkeye Jacek exclaimed: "It is Justyna riding there, isn't she?!" And yes, it was Justyna and Michał :) What a coincidence! I and Jacek first met Justyna at that very place!

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Truskaw Connecting Road was almost as bad as the Wilków Connector... Yet, the forest paths turned out to be fantastic! It was dry inside the forest, and the sand was frozen. No issue to ride there, only I'd welcome some suspension... :D
 
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So I did my normal 6:30 am Saturday ride to the bakery to stand in line with the other diehards for baked treats. While in line I hear there is a tsunami warning. 7 ft swell with 1-2 foot waves on top of that. And its supposed to hit within a few minutes. AND we're right at a very high tide right now. So usually I go down to the water and munch a fresh croissant or berry danish at the water, but *clearly* the water was quite high (that 7 ft surge was in progress). Rather than being out on the point I picked a more sheltered spot, but dang... even with about a 15-foot embankment down to the water I still got splashed. Unusual to say the least. After I finished my snack I rode to the point - the place where Monterey Bay ends on this side and its just the Pacific from there - and the cops had already closed off all the beach parking and were kicking people out in prep for closing the road. Big waves were rolling in.

Worst case some people got a little wet. I had to forego my remote beach run I was planning later today as I am certain there wouldn't be a beach today... Nothing close to the difficulties the people of Tonga faced today, I am sure.


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Heard the entire West coast was under that tsunami warning. Satellite video of the underwater volcano explosion was amazing.

Glad you heeded the warning.
There were even warning for Puget Sound which is generally removed from the ocean other than the "entrance" between the US and Canada. I did not watch the news so I don't know if Puget Sound actually was affected.
 
a chilly ride today, temperatures around 0C. the roads have been clear of snow for a while, but unfortunately the shoulders and bike lanes were frequently wet and icy, plus lots of traffic. the conditions plus hardly any sleep the night before and a few cocktails 🍸 made this not the most enjoyable ride, but nice to have a change of scenery!




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Tsunami Warning


It turned out to be a non-event for us (diagonal green stripes)

Note how most of the Queensland coast was never threatened (horizontal green stripes) because it is protected by the Great Barrier Reef.
 
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It was a FABulous day 😊!
I'm glad so many fellow Washingtonians were able to get out and ride in the nice weather break we had.

Planned to ride today after a few hours at work, probably doing the BGT along the lake. Had the battery all set to charge, clothes set out, etc - then about 10:30 last night my son noticed a smell downstairs and I go down to find raw sewage erupting out of our downstairs toilet. Had a tsunami warning of our own and spent several hours keeping it mostly contained to the bathroom.

Spent all of today dealing with that and trying NOT to think about just how much e-bike one could buy with what it costs to fix 45ft of old root-infested sewer lines.

On the bright side I can always ride, and flush, another day and it's just money. Plenty of folks in our country have lost a lot more in recent weeks.
 
I'm glad so many fellow Washingtonians were able to get out and ride in the nice weather break we had.

Planned to ride today after a few hours at work, probably doing the BGT along the lake. Had the battery all set to charge, clothes set out, etc - then about 10:30 last night my son noticed a smell downstairs and I go down to find raw sewage erupting out of our downstairs toilet. Had a tsunami warning of our own and spent several hours keeping it mostly contained to the bathroom.

Spent all of today dealing with that and trying NOT to think about just how much e-bike one could buy with what it costs to fix 45ft of old root-infested sewer lines.

On the bright side I can always ride, and flush, another day and it's just money. Plenty of folks in our country have lost a lot more in recent weeks.
I just had my sewer clean-out moved from the basement (a periodic mess) to the outside and also had the line lined with some type of plastic sleeve (that hardens after insertion). And, yes, there were a couple of e-bikes in there!!!! Oak tree roots in my case. Good luck.
 
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