Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[Djangodog]

Mrs DG had the day off yesterday after swapping her shift with a colleague, so we decided to go out for the day again.

The picnic prepared for the trip to Stanwick Lakes in Northamptonshire.
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The picnic stop strategy was a two picnic stop, but more about this later.

We like this place for cycling, as it is a fairly large area with good variability and interest.
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The weather was very good again, with the temperature around 25oC, dry and a very gentle breeze. Just the right conditions for a nice bike ride.

This time, instead of taking photos of the varying infrastructure, decided to take photos of the local flora and fauna.
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Due to the recent hot weather, we get a thick green Algae in some slow moving water.
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Back to the picnic stop strategy; this became four stops in the end as Mrs DG advised that she wanted an ice-cream and then later some peanuts.
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We found some bridleways through the fields and the last hour or so we were picking Blackberries.View attachment 129928View attachment 129929

Those pictures could be mistaken for New England, USA. You even have Canadian Geese!

My joy of cycling was always going faster, riding further and climbing higher. Since we got the eBikes, the riding seems to be more about the scenery and being in the moment. I think that I missed out for a long time. I still like to take my “acoustic“ road bike out, but I still find that I spend the entire ride pushing myself, (same as always). I find that there is more satisfaction from the push, but more enjoyment when it is more of a relaxed ride.

It looks like you and Mrs. DG know how to do it right. Cycling doesn’t have to always be a race or a testament of endurance. It only took me 66 years to realize that. Life can be a picnic, but not if you don’t take the time to enjoy it. Thank you for sharing the picnic with us.

 

[DiggyGun]

Those pictures could be mistaken for New England, USA. You even have Canadian Geese!

My joy of cycling was always going faster, riding further and climbing higher. Since we got the eBikes, the riding seems to be more about the scenery and being in the moment. I think that I missed out for a long time. I still like to take my “acoustic“ road bike out, but I still find that I spend the entire ride pushing myself, (same as always). I find that there is more satisfaction from the push, but more enjoyment when it is more of a relaxed ride.

It looks like you and Mrs. DG know how to do it right. Cycling doesn’t have to always be a race or a testament of endurance. It only took me 66 years to realize that. Life can be a picnic, but not if you don’t take the time to enjoy it. Thank you for sharing the picnic with us.

@Djangodog

I take life a lot more gently now that I took early retirement in my late 50s. Had enough of the corporate world, working 60 hours plus each week and driving 35-40k miles per year.

Also in April 2020, I had a severe brush with the Maker due to COVID. Since then, we’ve decided to enjoy and make the most of everything that we do.

Since then, we took stock of my lifestyle and decided to get fitter. So lost over five stone and took up eBiking. Fortunately, Mrs DG thoroughly enjoys it as well. So much so, that decided to treat ourselves to a couple of Riese & Muller eBikes, which are fantastic to ride.

So now on our rides we enjoy all aspects of it and make a day of it. At Stanwick Lakes on Saturday, we were there for nearly seven hours. We find it quite relaxing just taking our time, enjoying the surroundings and of course, the picnics.

 

[Djangodog]

Breakfast…

View attachment 129940

10:55 am; 58 km
Deception Bay, SE Queensland​

I hope that’s not a jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag…. Sorry, I‘ll be quiet now.

 

[PatriciaK]

14.61 beautiful, sunny, mostly waterfront riding on the island this morning !

Mount Baker sitting placidly in the distance:



The most interesting photos were of a truck with boat on trailer that got stuck trying to get out at low tide ... real rookie mistake ! Fortunately, a good Samaritan stopped by for a rescue!



You can see it was stuck up to the axles!

Tomorrow my tour buddy is back in town, and we're planning to bump up to around 20 miles per ride .

 

[Cowlitz]

Today's Ruh Roh moment. I checked, and yup, freshly chip sealed with plenty of rocks to fly when cars go by--a good source of customers for windshield repair. I turned around.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I had made this route a year ago and never tried it till today. often if I make one to a trail I have no clue what the trails are like if we can even ride a tandem on them. I had to go slow as my wife gets freaked out about sudden ups and downs and it can hurt her shoulder and with the gravel you cant turn sharp on a tandem. a few switchbacks I had to get off to make the turn.

Newell Creek Canyon Nature Park​

 

[fooferdoggie]

here is a longer part with strava data. but it seems a little out of sync.

 

[Chargeride]

Mrs DG had the day off yesterday after swapping her shift with a colleague, so we decided to go out for the day again.

The picnic prepared for the trip to Stanwick Lakes in Northamptonshire.
View attachment 129905

The picnic stop strategy was a two picnic stop, but more about this later.

We like this place for cycling, as it is a fairly large area with good variability and interest.
View attachment 129931
View attachment 129932

The weather was very good again, with the temperature around 25oC, dry and a very gentle breeze. Just the right conditions for a nice bike ride.

This time, instead of taking photos of the varying infrastructure, decided to take photos of the local flora and fauna.
View attachment 129908View attachment 129909
View attachment 129910View attachment 129913View attachment 129916View attachment 129914View attachment 129912View attachment 129919View attachment 129920View attachment 129921View attachment 129922View attachment 129923View attachment 129925
View attachment 129933
View attachment 129915

Due to the recent hot weather, we get a thick green Algae in some slow moving water.
View attachment 129917

Back to the picnic stop strategy; this became four stops in the end as Mrs DG advised that she wanted an ice-cream and then later some peanuts.
View attachment 129906View attachment 129907
View attachment 129918
View attachment 129924

We found some bridleways through the fields and the last hour or so we were picking Blackberries.View attachment 129928

That picnic puts me to shame, Im more of a mars bar and a can of coke ...yes I need to lose some lbs.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Czerwińsk Gran Fondo (or, a Tribute to Brix)

My birthday (online) partying seems to have no end! On last Sunday morning, I recollected I (being rather tipsy) promised to Brix I would ride to Czerwińsk-upon-Vistula in her honour! (Like a medieval knight promising a deed to his dame) So, on that Sunday morning, I realised Czerwińsk was rather far from where I lived... Riding to Czerwińsk in my shape? No way! After having a breakfast, I realized that -- following Saturday's thunderstorm and raining, the temperature had become moderate. Such as 22-23 C. I collected myself, and as early as 11:45 a.m. I could ride my Vado in the north-western direction. Or, straight into the wind

I was riding a very similar route on July 3rd this year, so the first part of the ride was quite uneventful (albeit very nice). Here, I met something new: an anti-flood embankment. Why was it there?! I was sure I was very far from the Vistula at that moment! Much later, I realized it was an embankment for another major river here: Bzura.

Kamion. Odpust, or an annual parish festivity (on the day of the holy patron). Good for kids! Typical ware sold there are: very specific kind of pretzels; pinwheels, and plastic machine guns Barbecue is obligatory nowadays. When I was entering Kamion, the fire-alarm sounded. I could see a volunteer fireman actually sprinting towards the fire-station, followed by several private cars of other volunteers. Never block their way: They are deadly serious about their business!

Mighty Vistula at Wyszogród. Here, Bzura joins Vistula.

The only food (except kebab I do not eat), which can be bought in any Polish town also on Sundays Here, my lunch in Wyszogród. Then, I pedalled over rolling hills of an excellent highway 62 towards Czerwińsk-upon-Vistula, 9 km.

A Romanesque church of 1175 in Czerwińsk. The small town is quaint and... sleepy. It felt the most sleepy of places I have ever been to! (No pictures this time).

A historically important place.

The Polish Crown Army Crossing The Vistula near Czerwińsk in 1410
In the beginning of the 15th c., the wild river Vistula was possibly the narrowest near to Czerwińsk. A great war of Poland-Lithuania against the Teutonic Order was to begin after June 24th, 1410 (according to a papal ceasefire between the belligerents). Polish King Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila, a Lithuanian) gathered 51 banners of heavy cavalry from the entire Crown and decided to attack Teutons in their own land, Prussia. Crossing the Vistula was an issue. The King devised a plan, unusual for those times: using a pontoon bridge. The parts of the bridge were built in Kozienice, and delivered to Czerwińsk-upon-Vistula via the river. It took a short time to assemble the bridge; and it took three days for the whole army to cross the river including all the materiel. Soon, Poland and Lithuania brough fire & sword into Prussia, and the Teutonic Order was defeated beyond the repair at Grunwald/Tannenberg on July 15th, 1410.

Gorgeous River Bzura is to join Vistula in very few kilometres here.

At the junction of roads 575 and 705 on the left side of the Vistula. Czerwińsk is behind my back and behind the river, only there is no easy access to see the river from this bank, as dangerous meadows and bushes block the way. King Jagiełło's men must have had a lot of good axes with them!

I was gradually decreasing the assistance levels in my Vado as I could see the range going down. Here, at the junction, I re-planned my return, actually making it longer than the outbound trip. Here, I discovered I had still as many as 51 km to go... It was the tailwind that helped me to complete the trip still on the battery power!

I didn't expect making a Gran Fondo distance (130 km) on that day!

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Lazy morning…

Shorncliffe Pier, Brisbane
​

This morning I was in no rush to get anywhere, so I sat down on the beach with a snack as the winter sun warmed the South Pacific. Judging by the number people on the pier and the footprints on the beach—some distinctly canine—I was not alone in my daydreams.

 

[Chargeride]

Czerwińsk Gran Fondo (or, a Tribute to Brix)

My birthday (online) partying seems to have no end! On last Sunday morning, I recollected I (being rather tipsy) promised to Brix I would ride to Czerwińsk-upon-Vistula in her honour! (Like a medieval knight promising a deed to his dame) So, on that Sunday morning, I realised Czerwińsk was rather far from where I lived... Riding to Czerwińsk in my shape? No way! After having a breakfast, I realized that -- following Saturday's thunderstorm and raining, the temperature had become moderate. Such as 22-23 C. I collected myself, and as early as 11:45 a.m. I could ride my Vado in the north-western direction. Or, straight into the wind

View attachment 130061
I was riding a very similar route on July 3rd this year, so the first part of the ride was quite uneventful (albeit very nice). Here, I met something new: an anti-flood embankment. Why was it there?! I was sure I was very far from the Vistula at that moment! Much later, I realized it was an embankment for another major river here: Bzura.

View attachment 130062
Kamion. Odpust, or an annual parish festivity (on the day of the holy patron). Good for kids! Typical ware sold there are: very specific kind of pretzels; pinwheels, and plastic machine guns Barbecue is obligatory nowadays. When I was entering Kamion, the fire-alarm sounded. I could see a volunteer fireman actually sprinting towards the fire-station, followed by several private cars of other volunteers. Never block their way: They are deadly serious about their business!

View attachment 130063
Mighty Vistula at Wyszogród. Here, Bzura joins Vistula.

View attachment 130064
The only food (except kebab I do not eat), which can be bought in any Polish town also on Sundays Here, my lunch in Wyszogród. Then, I pedalled over rolling hills of an excellent highway 62 towards Czerwińsk-upon-Vistula, 9 km.

View attachment 130065
A Romanesque church of 1175 in Czerwińsk. The small town is quaint and... sleepy. It felt the most sleepy of places I have ever been to! (No pictures this time).

View attachment 130066
A historically important place.

The Polish Crown Army Crossing The Vistula near Czerwińsk in 1410
In the beginning of the 15th c., the wild river Vistula was possibly the narrowest near to Czerwińsk. A great war of Poland-Lithuania against the Teutonic Order was to begin after June 24th, 1410 (according to a papal ceasefire between the belligerents). Polish King Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila, a Lithuanian) gathered 51 banners of heavy cavalry from the entire Crown and decided to attack Teutons in their own land, Prussia. Crossing the Vistula was an issue. The King devised a plan, unusual for those times: using a pontoon bridge. The parts of the bridge were built in Kozienice, and delivered to Czerwińsk-upon-Vistula via the river. It took a short time to assemble the bridge; and it took three days for the whole army to cross the river including all the materiel. Soon, Poland and Lithuania brough fire & sword into Prussia, and the Teutonic Order was defeated beyond the repair at Grunwald/Tannenberg on July 15th, 1410.

View attachment 130067
Gorgeous River Bzura is to join Vistula in very few kilometres here.

View attachment 130068
At the junction of roads 575 and 705 on the left side of the Vistula. Czerwińsk is behind my back and behind the river, only there is no easy access to see the river from this bank, as dangerous meadows and bushes block the way. King Jagiełło's men must have had a lot of good axes with them!

I was gradually decreasing the assistance levels in my Vado as I could see the range going down. Here, at the junction, I re-planned my return, actually making it longer than the outbound trip. Here, I discovered I had still as many as 51 km to go... It was the tailwind that helped me to complete the trip still on the battery power!

View attachment 130069
I didn't expect making a Gran Fondo distance (130 km) on that day!

Nice battle story, I do hope theyve kept the instructions.
Was your maiden satisfied with your quest?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Was your maiden satisfied with your quest?

It has even exceeded her expectations!

 

[Chargeride]

I found out some sad news, something I missed that happened last year.
One of my favourite youtubers bikewanderer, Iohan Gueorguiev.
A Bulgarian man who produced some of the most incredible biking videos across the Andes and Canada, he was just an extraordinary character who never knew when to stop and rode solo through the most unbelievable scenery and weather, documenting it and bringing footage and stories that once brought me to tears.
He had health problems and sadly took his own life last year, he could face anything except having the wilderness taken from him.
A true adventurer.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Was your maiden satisfied with your quest?

Now, I have recollected something

There is a national Polish play by Aleksander Fredro called "Zemsta" (The Revenge), a comedy. The movie version includes Roman Polanski as Papkin, a walking failure of a knight and a big boaster. He tries to propose to a beautiful maiden, Klara. Klara is absolutely aware she's talking with a failure, so she sets several (improbable) conditions to Papkin that he could marry her. She demands getting... a crocodile! You should have seen Roman Polanski exclaiming in private: "A CROCODILE!" I think a Gran Fondo is easier than catching and delivering a crocodile

P.S. Another great scene. Wacław, Klara's lover from a hostile family managed to get into her lover's part of the castle in disguise. Papkin is aware who Wacław is. On his leave, Wacław throws a purse full of gold to Papkin/Polanski:

Wacław: Be silent! Or, you know!
Papkin: I do know!
Papkin (in private): Do I know? I know nothing!

 

[dodgeman]

Barn pic of the day. Plus a crop duster and an abandoned house. Did about 17 miles today. The barn has what is most likely it’s original wood siding. It looks good in the pic but is a little rough. I waited about 20 minutes for the crop duster to get done, I didn’t want to ride where he was spraying. It’s my understanding they are doing corn with a fungicide. The house looks like it was sided with vinyl at some point in the past but it hasn’t been lived in for several years.

 

[kahn]

Barn pic of the day. Plus a crop duster and an abandoned house. Did about 17 miles today. The barn has what is most likely it’s original wood siding. It looks good in the pic but is a little rough. I waited about 20 minutes for the crop duster to get done, I didn’t want to ride where he was spraying. It’s my understanding they are doing corn with a fungicide. The house looks like it was sided with vinyl at some point in the past but it hasn’t been lived in for several years.
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Ohhhhhhhh. A scene from out of "North by Northwest" - I like it.

edited to add: I just got lost in the Wiki on "North by Northwest!"

 

[BlackHand]

This was last week: I was planning to use the 90 minute window during my kids' practice to ride around Mukilteo where their practice was, but my wife took the car with bike rack. So Plan B became get some really good Peruvian food and hang out at the park watching people have fun in the sun. Or maybe they played in the shade...

Either way it was probably better than my ride would have been and definitely a lot better than wasting gas to go home and get something 'done'.

 

[Chargeride]

Now, I have recollected something

There is a national Polish play by Aleksander Fredro called "Zemsta" (The Revenge), a comedy. The movie version includes Roman Polanski as Papkin, a walking failure of a knight and a big boaster. He tries to propose to a beautiful maiden, Klara. Klara is absolutely aware she's talking with a failure, so she sets several (improbable) conditions to Papkin that he could marry her. She demands getting... a crocodile! You should have seen Roman Polanski exclaiming in private: "A CROCODILE!" I think a Gran Fondo is easier than catching and delivering a crocodile

P.S. Another great scene. Wacław, Klara's lover from a hostile family managed to get into her lover's part of the castle in disguise. Papkin is aware who Wacław is. On his leave, Wacław throws a purse full of gold to Papkin/Polanski:

Wacław: Be silent! Or, you know!
Papkin: I do know!
Papkin (in private): Do I know? I know nothing!

Dont be giving Dave any ideas

 

[Deleted member 18083]

The tree that cannot stand upright…

Cottonwood Tree
Moreton Bay Cycleway​

For cottonwood trees, especially those beside the Moreton Bay Cyelway, only one thing in life is certain: they're going to fall over.

Kids love them: who needs a playground with a safety 'lawn' of recycled shredded rubber and plastic 'equipment', when there are toppled-over cottonwood trees aplenty beside a beach lapped by the gentlest of waves? Just climb!

Dare one add that they make passable picnic tables, too?

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Stealth bombers…

Whack! A magpie attack during July: wait until spring, Maggie! No more of this nonsense before September.

It's tempting—but I won't fall for it—to blame this out-of-season behaviour on climate change. Juvenile delinquency, that's all.

About ten minutes later there was a low rumble from the sky, definitely not from a magpie dive-bombing a cyclist.

Ipswich is an air force town, so we locals tend to disregard the traffic in and out of RAAF Base Amberley; but this sound was somehow different so I looked up. Good grief! Two of the world's most elusive but, when spotted, most unmistakable aircraft: B–2 Spirit stealth bombers. Just calling in for joint exercises, nothing more. Here today; gone tomorrow. (China, please take note.)

No photos of Maggie or the Spirits, but in the same park I did spot our local attack bird, the Noisy Miner. With a name like that, these honeyeaters could hardly be expected to be 'stealthy'. The bird in the photo broke off visiting a holly grevillea and flew down to where I was taking a mid-ride break. Any crumbs for me? Cute… but, oh, so vicious towards any bird who dares to visit its territory.

Strange 'fact': magpies who attack humans, especially cyclists, are everyone's favourite garden bird; miners who do us no harm are disliked by many people.

Noisy Miner joining me in the park.
Holly Grevillea (Grevillea wickhamii)​

Anecdotes:

• This shrub's spiked leaves ought to offer refuge for small birds: no hope with Noisy Miners around! Horticulturalists who attempt to lure little birds into public parks are often thwarted by these aggressive birds.
• Miners (Australian honeyeaters) are not closely related to mynas (Asian starlings).
• The shrub 'owned' by this miner, Grevillea wickhamii, was named in honour of John Wickham, second-in-command of HMS Beagle on Charles Darwin's voyage.
• John Wickham, in command of the Beagle on a later survey voyage, named a natural harbour in northern Australia 'Port Darwin' (now the city of Darwin) after his former shipmate.