Taylor57
Well-Known Member
Santa Cruz?
Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
very similar, theres also a huge funfair
Prairie Dog
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Red Deer
Takes me back to my childhood albeit on a much smaller scale and without the ocean or the pier or the gorgeous sunset…... How does anyone ever score a huge stuffy like that kid’s parents did? Never in my lifetime!
Twin Valley
Well-Known Member
I thought I should post something new to move from a lurker to a participant - so in the words of our thread's very own Emily Dickenson - "Ready to Ride" I was determined to head out in the never ending wind and flurries and find something "extraordinary in the ordinary" but alas in my neck of the woods at this time of the year it is mostly lunar landscape but at least my dog loves whatever outing as long as it is an outing . . . darkness caught us with the shades coming down close to 5:30 p.m. but that has it's own vibrancy with the wind calming down, the coyotes checking in with their clan and Missy sticking much closer to the bike than in the daylight - as I slipped and spun up some icy hills I thought that Prairie Dog's studded tires sure would come in handy - mind you hooking up the R.V. and heading south came to mind as well but for now when I got home I ordered some electric gloves on-line - just can't keep the
se aging fingers warm in regular mitts anymore . . . hmm, maybe boondocking in an Arizona desert does make sense
se aging fingers warm in regular mitts anymore . . . hmm, maybe boondocking in an Arizona desert does make sense
Prairie Dog
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Red Deer
Lovely images. There’s much to be said about a lunar landscape. Looks to be fair weather days ahead for most of us flatlanders, at least for the next week.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
The Polish Winter Has Started
Not Canada (fortunately) but this has been the first time since 2012 when a November day temperature dropped below the freezing point...
Well before the sunset.
Countermeasures applied. I only need to find and charge batteries and pair the remotes for my electrically heated socks and insoles!
The good news of the day was the last major bike path of the close neighbourhood has been put in use. Now, I can ride from home to the county capital town of Pruszków almost solely on good bike paths!
If I wanted, I could ride almost exclusively on bike paths! I often choose riding with traffic though (as long as I feel safe there) for more interesting routes.
Now I can see my new Wahoo Roam v2 kicked in with the ride start with a long delay! Over 1 km lost from my stats!
Not Canada (fortunately) but this has been the first time since 2012 when a November day temperature dropped below the freezing point...
Well before the sunset.
Countermeasures applied. I only need to find and charge batteries and pair the remotes for my electrically heated socks and insoles!
The good news of the day was the last major bike path of the close neighbourhood has been put in use. Now, I can ride from home to the county capital town of Pruszków almost solely on good bike paths!
If I wanted, I could ride almost exclusively on bike paths! I often choose riding with traffic though (as long as I feel safe there) for more interesting routes.
Now I can see my new Wahoo Roam v2 kicked in with the ride start with a long delay! Over 1 km lost from my stats!
Last edited:
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
It must have logged into glonoss.
BlackHand
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Western WA
Actually, vodka is a pretty good cleaner. Not sure about brake rotors, but it's a good deodorizer and disinfectant. My spouse works in theater and every theater costume shop keeps a jug of cheap rotgut on hand. They spritz costumes between performances to keep them fresh.Were I you, I would have cleaned the rotor with an automotive brake cleaner, and drunk the Vodka instead
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
190 Proof ethanol is better
BlackHand
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Western WA
Had a little bit of black ice yesterday morning to make the commute interesting. But it turned out to be a beautiful day, and I got to bike between work locations after lunch.
The trail along the Fremont Cut:
Yes, that is a dinosaur topiary on the right. Here's a better view
Got out of work after sunset, but still rode through Golden Gardens on the way home to check the last of the day's light fading behind the mountains.
The trail along the Fremont Cut:
Yes, that is a dinosaur topiary on the right. Here's a better view
Got out of work after sunset, but still rode through Golden Gardens on the way home to check the last of the day's light fading behind the mountains.
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
Well the dino steals the show.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
You got it right BlackHand! I would use denatured spirits for cleaning (the drinkable spirit is expensive!) and I honestly believe isopropanol is a way better!
You normally do not drink the 192 proof distilled spirits (those are used to make less potent alcoholic infusions, such as the Lithuanian Suktinis, the honey vodka). Once, my distant family members did a practical joke to an American. They offered a small glass of the ethanol (that you have shown) and told him to empty the glass in a single gulp. The man has almost suffocated! They gave him a glass of 80 proof vodka to water the spirits down; he thought he was drinking water!
Last edited:
Readytoride
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Virginia
End of Autumn
The entertaining colored leaves that paraded their delightful artistry on every tree in the area only a week or so ago are now just dried brown confetti littering the ground, blown in low heaps by the colder relentless winds of early winter. Those leaves brave enough to continue hanging onto their lofty perches are being battered by relentless winds whose sole purpose is to strip every tree bare, and whose battle strategy appears to be succeeding. The air temps have dropped as well, daring only the most stalwart of cyclists to venture out into the wind where the cold blasts think nothing of knocking you off your bicycle, or knocking some sense into you to rush back indoors declaring you will sensibly wait until next Spring before your bike's tires see any inch of travel on the roads.
I did the least sensible thing the other day, hopping on the Gazelle in the chill of late afternoon to enjoy some "me time" on the gravel roads for an hour or so. It was that time of day where the winds abated for Tea Time and left me alone with just a weary sun ready to slip behind the mountains for a nighttime rest, and the long shadows of the trees tracing languid etchings of morbid gray and black lines across the face of the aged roads.
Only the sky remained cheerful to brighten the mood of the sullen landscape, and with the pale shorn trees offering enough protection from the unseen coursing winds above the treetops I was encouraged to cruise quietly along the stony byway, taking my good old time to see farther into the naked woods that I'd been able to in the Summer when the trees had been heavily shielded in luscious greenery.
There was no compelling reason to hurry apart from the sun that seemed to be sliding ever quicker with each pedal stroke towards a twilight bed behind the mountains, so I stopped to check out a small creek threading it's way under the road to see if it had swelled to any great width by the recent rains.
The tangle of summer undergrowth, by virtue of its protected status near the ground and out of sight of the autumn winds, clung precipitously to a few bits of greenery gained this past summer, making it difficult to tell if the creek was any different than normal. I finally decided it was still, disappointingly, the same boring waterway with no extra water to create even a short lived temporary bubbling lively wet splash.
There was nothing else in the surrounding landscape to temp the lens of my camera aside from these three shots, so I simply rolled along the remainder of the 13 miles without stopping anymore, taking my time just to observe the trees.
The weather gods decided later that evening, when I was safely at home, sleep in a warm bed, that this day would be my final ride for at least the next several days while they dropped the temps even further and shook the trees with such winds as if they were wagging their finger at me forbidding any more excursions outside while they prepared the countryside for the incoming Winter frosts and freezing temperatures.
I am content to heed the warnings and wait until their attention is elsewhere before I sneak out again to enjoy the countryside views from the back of my bike. Until then I shall partake of afternoon tea with friends, walks with the dog, and languid days stretched out on the couch with a good novel while the wood stove crackles with a warm fire.
The entertaining colored leaves that paraded their delightful artistry on every tree in the area only a week or so ago are now just dried brown confetti littering the ground, blown in low heaps by the colder relentless winds of early winter. Those leaves brave enough to continue hanging onto their lofty perches are being battered by relentless winds whose sole purpose is to strip every tree bare, and whose battle strategy appears to be succeeding. The air temps have dropped as well, daring only the most stalwart of cyclists to venture out into the wind where the cold blasts think nothing of knocking you off your bicycle, or knocking some sense into you to rush back indoors declaring you will sensibly wait until next Spring before your bike's tires see any inch of travel on the roads.
I did the least sensible thing the other day, hopping on the Gazelle in the chill of late afternoon to enjoy some "me time" on the gravel roads for an hour or so. It was that time of day where the winds abated for Tea Time and left me alone with just a weary sun ready to slip behind the mountains for a nighttime rest, and the long shadows of the trees tracing languid etchings of morbid gray and black lines across the face of the aged roads.
Only the sky remained cheerful to brighten the mood of the sullen landscape, and with the pale shorn trees offering enough protection from the unseen coursing winds above the treetops I was encouraged to cruise quietly along the stony byway, taking my good old time to see farther into the naked woods that I'd been able to in the Summer when the trees had been heavily shielded in luscious greenery.
There was no compelling reason to hurry apart from the sun that seemed to be sliding ever quicker with each pedal stroke towards a twilight bed behind the mountains, so I stopped to check out a small creek threading it's way under the road to see if it had swelled to any great width by the recent rains.
The tangle of summer undergrowth, by virtue of its protected status near the ground and out of sight of the autumn winds, clung precipitously to a few bits of greenery gained this past summer, making it difficult to tell if the creek was any different than normal. I finally decided it was still, disappointingly, the same boring waterway with no extra water to create even a short lived temporary bubbling lively wet splash.
There was nothing else in the surrounding landscape to temp the lens of my camera aside from these three shots, so I simply rolled along the remainder of the 13 miles without stopping anymore, taking my time just to observe the trees.
The weather gods decided later that evening, when I was safely at home, sleep in a warm bed, that this day would be my final ride for at least the next several days while they dropped the temps even further and shook the trees with such winds as if they were wagging their finger at me forbidding any more excursions outside while they prepared the countryside for the incoming Winter frosts and freezing temperatures.
I am content to heed the warnings and wait until their attention is elsewhere before I sneak out again to enjoy the countryside views from the back of my bike. Until then I shall partake of afternoon tea with friends, walks with the dog, and languid days stretched out on the couch with a good novel while the wood stove crackles with a warm fire.
Last edited:
RabH
Well-Known Member
I don't normally have spare time to ride on a Saturday but with perfect cycling weather I decided to make time today, it was split into 2 rides this time! 30 miles before lunch and 43.5 miles after lunch, the morning ride consisted of local roads I have neglected for a while! We got lucky in our neck of the woods as a lot of Scotland suffered horrendous flooding recently with roads closed mainly in the north east of the country! I passed a few minor floods today but considering the amount of rain that has fallen they were mere puddles! At times like this I'm glad I live at 550ft above sea level...
This road near Greengairs is known for flooding near the bottom of the valley but it was fine today!
I got a nice surprise when I reached Abronhill as the road from there towards Upperton had finally been resurfaced after being neglected for many years, today I was climbing it but I'm looking forward to descending it soon!
The road levels off further up and is also known for bad flooding but it was fine today, the lochs were even at normal levels!
I wasn't alone on the road today, this poor roadie picked up a puncture a mile or so up the road but he had it covered and didn't need any assistance!
At the top of the road looking back down, I'm looking forward to flying down this soon!
I was now heading for Upperton and this road is in such good condition having been resurfaced earlier this year! I just love the different colours of the trees at this time of year!
I reached Upperton and had a big climb now up to Longriggend, the Campsie Hills were looking nice in the morning sun! The camera sure flattens this climb out, it almost appears flat...
I reached Longriggend and found the road to the south closed so I had to continue east to Slamannan and double back towards Caldercruix! The Shetland pony wasn't for turning today, no matter how hard I tried to get it to turn round, I'm sure its camera shy!
In the afternoon it clouded over and the wind picked up from SSE, so I headed south east into the wind and knew I would have a lovely tailwind to enjoy when I reached Forth which was my turning point! The ride from Forth all the way home was just awesome, I have ridden this road a lot recently but its just so much fun and never gets boring! The road climbs a bit at first but then you get the amazing descent down towards Breich and another awesome descent towards Longridge and Whitburn! I had such a fun ride once again, I'm glad I made the decision to get out today as tomorrow is going to be much colder and pretty wet!
@Readytoride I hope you can catch a break with the weather, I just love reading your stories! I wish I could put my rides into words so succinctly as yourself!
Attachments
Readytoride
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Virginia
Thank you. We are coming into the Mid-Atlantic winter season now, so the cold weather will be hanging around for the next 3 months whether I like it or not. If we catch a break, this forum will be the first to know about it.
I wish I had your lovely long scenic roads to ride! Sadly, I'm caged in my exquisite gravel road paradise, of which I can wax poetic until the end of my days, by a framework of very high traffic, frightening paved roads that are not fun for the recreational rider. So you have my deepest gratitude at your willingness to share your poetic photography and miles of biking paradise here on this forum for us to enjoy.☺
Last edited:
BlackHand
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Western WA
Beautiful day yesterday, but didn't have much time for a ride so I just decided to cruise around the neighborhood and enjoy the nice fall day.
I try to make sure I ride somewhere 'new' every ride even if its just a couple blocks. Made a point this ride of going down cul-de-sacs instead of just skipping them.
Down at the end of one dead end, I spotted these nurse stumps(second growth cedar?) up the private drive past 2 beautiful maples. Not sure about the symmetrical holes.
Up another dead end, past the friendly goats, I paused to admire the light filtering through the trees and noticed this creature silently standing guard.
I try to make sure I ride somewhere 'new' every ride even if its just a couple blocks. Made a point this ride of going down cul-de-sacs instead of just skipping them.
Down at the end of one dead end, I spotted these nurse stumps(second growth cedar?) up the private drive past 2 beautiful maples. Not sure about the symmetrical holes.
Up another dead end, past the friendly goats, I paused to admire the light filtering through the trees and noticed this creature silently standing guard.
Attachments
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
As The Temperature Here Permanenly Stays Below The Freezing Point...
...I swapped the Pathfinders Pro for Marathon Winter Plus on my Vado SL on last Saturday and had a local ride that included some patches of snow and ice. All good!
The tyre swap was the fastest, easiest and most safe in my cycling history thanks to the Kool Stop Tire Bead Jack (as recommended by @Prairie Dog and other users). The tool is pure gold!
...I swapped the Pathfinders Pro for Marathon Winter Plus on my Vado SL on last Saturday and had a local ride that included some patches of snow and ice. All good!
The tyre swap was the fastest, easiest and most safe in my cycling history thanks to the Kool Stop Tire Bead Jack (as recommended by @Prairie Dog and other users). The tool is pure gold!
Last edited:
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
Very snazzy, the great thing about fat tyres is they just fall off when you let the air out.
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
I've done this a few times,, but the wife had booked herself into a 60 mile ride around the area, but then we found out it was going to monsoon in the afternoon, so we just rode from Grasmere to Ambleside along the lake side path.
View attachment 140805
For some reason my brakes were working perfectly and the wifes uber maintained bike was squealing so loud that she was apologising to everyone, it was truly horrific.
If you'd have designed something to squeal form scratch it wouldn't be any better.
I love a bridge I do.
You just come across random houses along the path, miles of windy, muddy track to get a car to these.
I'm not saying I was hoping she would fall in, but I'm not denying it either.
Another bridge shot, it did say cyclists dismount, but I risked the wrath of the walkers to take a cheeky pic.
The rain came down just as we were leaving the cafe, two cheese and onion cornish pasties.
We got soaked to the skin, it stopped rain for a bit and we made a break for it, unfortunately thats the first time I've ridden the bike in such heavy rain, instead of cutting out like it does in river crossings, it decided to randomly go to full throttle.
Made for some panic situations while filming, riding with one hand over wet leaves around a corner.
The view from our room in Grasmere, rather inventive blinds to cover all the angles, there were seven separate ones , all slightly different, above the roof line was another two huge angled windows.
View attachment 140805
For some reason my brakes were working perfectly and the wifes uber maintained bike was squealing so loud that she was apologising to everyone, it was truly horrific.
If you'd have designed something to squeal form scratch it wouldn't be any better.
I love a bridge I do.
You just come across random houses along the path, miles of windy, muddy track to get a car to these.
I'm not saying I was hoping she would fall in, but I'm not denying it either.
Another bridge shot, it did say cyclists dismount, but I risked the wrath of the walkers to take a cheeky pic.
The rain came down just as we were leaving the cafe, two cheese and onion cornish pasties.
We got soaked to the skin, it stopped rain for a bit and we made a break for it, unfortunately thats the first time I've ridden the bike in such heavy rain, instead of cutting out like it does in river crossings, it decided to randomly go to full throttle.
Made for some panic situations while filming, riding with one hand over wet leaves around a corner.
The view from our room in Grasmere, rather inventive blinds to cover all the angles, there were seven separate ones , all slightly different, above the roof line was another two huge angled windows.
Last edited:
Similar threads
- Deleted member 18083
- General Ebike Discussion
