Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

Well Maderia update, havent hired a bike yet because all the good trails are too far away, so hired a car and going to jam the bike in it for transport.
Should get one in with the front wheel off.
Ive driven in a lot of hilly destinations..alps, rockies etc.. ,but Id call this one borderline terrifying.
They just build a road and see who's got the bottle to make it up in 1st gear.

So all Ive got is Europes 2nd highest, glass walkway, I had to drive past fallen trees on a multiple switchback roads, with hail and wind to get to this spot.
1900ft, straight down
Back to rides soon.
 
Well Maderia update, havent hired a bike yet because all the good trails are too far away, so hired a car and going to jam the bike in it for transport.
Should get one in with the front wheel off.
Ive driven in a lot of hilly destinations..alps, rockies etc.. ,but Id call this one borderline terrifying.
They just build a road and see who's got the bottle to make it up in 1st gear.

So all Ive got is Europes 2nd highest, glass walkway, I had to drive past fallen trees on a multiple switchback roads, with hail and wind to get to this spot.
1900ft, straight down
Back to rides soon.
That helped my fear of heights:eek: you couldn't pay me to walk on that! ;)
 
Todays ride was to Salcey Forest in Northamptonshire. This is a Forestry Commission site with extremely good facilities, but expensive parking.

The trail was fairly flat and dry, apart from where some logging was going on. However, there was only one cycling trail, which was only 4.5 miles, so a bit short. We did it three times, but after that it was getting a bit boring, being mostly the same.

On a good note, the weather was very nice today being around 10oC with the wind being only 5 mph. Made a nice change from the recent windy weather.

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Today’s stats.

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Well Maderia update, havent hired a bike yet because all the good trails are too far away, so hired a car and going to jam the bike in it for transport.
Should get one in with the front wheel off.
Ive driven in a lot of hilly destinations..alps, rockies etc.. ,but Id call this one borderline terrifying.
They just build a road and see who's got the bottle to make it up in 1st gear.

So all Ive got is Europes 2nd highest, glass walkway, I had to drive past fallen trees on a multiple switchback roads, with hail and wind to get to this spot.
1900ft, straight down
Back to rides soon.
Oh, we walked there, too. I am an acrophobe. Saying to self "breathe!"

But that was not as terrifying or tedious as walking two tunnels along a levada on an irregular path about 1-2 feet wide about three feet above the flowing channel using a headlamp. Half a mile long. Scuffing your shoulder and arm and occasionally your head on the ceiling. I could never be talking into doing it again - NEVER, EVER. Somehow I was talked into the lead position: "duck, watch your footing, watch you shoulder!!!!!" Light bobbing! Gives me the willies just writing about it again. Claustrophobia, acrophobia, hydrophobia, dark-a-phobia.

Not my photo
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Well Maderia update, havent hired a bike yet because all the good trails are too far away, so hired a car and going to jam the bike in it for transport.
Should get one in with the front wheel off.
Ive driven in a lot of hilly destinations..alps, rockies etc.. ,but Id call this one borderline terrifying.
They just build a road and see who's got the bottle to make it up in 1st gear.

So all Ive got is Europes 2nd highest, glass walkway, I had to drive past fallen trees on a multiple switchback roads, with hail and wind to get to this spot.
1900ft, straight down
Back to rides soon.
Have you been out to the peninsula at the east end of the island. A really neat hike. Ponta do Castelo, I think.
 
@kahn - What drone?

Compared to your second question, this one wasn’t too hard to figure out.

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Where the heck is the camera mounted? I know you mentioned something in an earlier video about a new setup?

You must be referring to my invisible selfie stick. More in the link below or just google it.

 
@kahn - What drone?

Compared to your second question, this one wasn’t too hard to figure out.

View attachment 116739

Where the heck is the camera mounted? I know you mentioned something in an earlier video about a new setup?

You must be referring to my invisible selfie stick. More in the link below or just google it.

I meant, what BRAND drone? Or else a very very LONG invisible self-stick!!
 
I meant, what BRAND drone? Or else a very very LONG invisible self-stick!!
Sorry, should have picked up on that. It’s a DJI mini 2 - fits in the palm of your hand when folded and weighs under 250g but shoots 4k. Pretty impressive little drone but can be difficult to spot high up with my sorry eyes. Thank goodness for the return to home feature.
 
Oh, we walked there, too. I am an acrophobe. Saying to self "breathe!"

But that was not as terrifying or tedious as walking two tunnels along a levada on an irregular path about 1-2 feet wide about three feet above the flowing channel using a headlamp. Half a mile long. Scuffing your shoulder and arm and occasionally your head on the ceiling. I could never be talking into doing it again - NEVER, EVER. Somehow I was talked into the lead position: "duck, watch your footing, watch you shoulder!!!!!" Light bobbing! Gives me the willies just writing about it again. Claustrophobia, acrophobia, hydrophobia, dark-a-phobia.

Not my photoView attachment 116725
Thats advertised in my hotel, big nope from me.
 
There seems to be very few local cyclists and hardly any tourists on a manual bike, obviously the hills are a clear reason, but the electric hire bike is taking over and you can see they are changing the roads to suit.
Every 10 minutes a train of tourists on ebikes passes by, all ridden by people, who to put it politely wouldnt last two minutes on the gradients.
I would call it game changing here and I fully expect it to continue rising, walking can be very tiring even around the town, bicycle theft is also low for obvious small Island reasons , I would say thats the biggest issue for ebikes, leaving it outside to go shopping is very risky indeed, they need to address that if they want more take up.
 
I only suffer acrophobia but can master the fear in need.

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The sight of Wrocław Main Square from the Penitent's Bridge, 45 metres above the ground, March 2017.

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252 steps to get there. I climbed them on my bad legs! And was counting the steps!

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Three penitents :D

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Can you see fear in my eyes? Oh yes.
 
Share the trail?
No way!

Long-necked Freshwater Turtle

Long-necked Freshwater Turtle
BVRT, SE Queensland
I was brought to a sudden stop by this little soup bowl-size fellow clawing, not paddling, its way along the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail. (Yes, that really is the full width of the rail trail: it's better elsewhere.)

What I know about turtles and tortoises – none of the latter in Australia – is negligible, so I had best not comment. Are they everyone's favourite reptiles?

Glad to have met you!
 
Sandy reminder of the flood…

Brisbane River, Lowood

Brisbane River
Lowood, Queensland

The Brisbane River at Lowood (about an hour's ride from home) is back to its normal level, but the floodplain bears the marks of the recent rains. I think what happened was that the floodgates of the Wivenhoe Dam were opened and a vast quantity of mud and sand and gravel from the bed of the lake was released. I doubt that the farmers will be pleased to have had their green pastures beside the river buried beneath twenty or thirty centimetres of river gravel! Such is life.

Brisbane River, Lowood
 
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