Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[PowerflyLee formerly known as CheetahLee]

A nice Sunday ride enjoying the new Spring weather. Sounds like Stefan has a little bit more of Winter hanging around! Don't worry, the Sun will come out one day

New biking Jersey!

Not biking today, got some UPS and Fedex stuff coming, yippee

 

[RandallS]

Brisbane River …

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Brisbane River
from Burtons Bridge, Borallon​

The rain continues and I slip out for short rides, hoping for break long enough to complete the ride. Sometimes reward, sometimes not. At the end of the day Ride with GPS presents me with a confusion of brief excursions joined together like a spider's web.

Tomorrow looks to be so wet that I'm unlikely to escape at all. Hurry up winter!

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With all the rain you're describing, it's sure green there.

So much of the stuff about Australia that we get here, is that it's dry and brown.
Are your current seasonal conditions fairly normal for that part of Queensland?

 

[RandallS]

Yesterday's shorter hill ride - I continue to close in on 1K for 2021.

First order of business was to drop a "treat" off at mom's manor. It's on one of my normal routes to the hill.
Sunday visit's are still a no-no (COVID), but she met me at the main door for the exchange.

Just a few photos, and lessons learned from the last few days appear to have sunk in, as I stayed away from any gummy mud.

Entry onto the park was via my normal access on 64th Ave, then I veered southwards towards the southernmost parking lot and to see what the trails were like around there (and between it and the Winter Club).
I saw what looked like an interesting looking ravine at position "X", so I headed there.

When I got there, I found that there was still snow on the opposite (NE facing) trail, so I turned around and went an alternate route. I'll have to come back to that one in a few weeks.

Here's a shot of the same ravine from the east.

From there I headed down a fairly narrow, sidehill singletrack and then headed up top via a new route that I think I'll use more often.

Rode 95%+ singletrack from there, with an occasional requisite small detour, but no problems.

Tires stayed mainly mud-free and so did I.



No super long steep ascents, but max short incline was 24% with max decline being 17%.
Also no audiobook - that will change soon I think.

 

[reed scott]

Yesterday's shorter hill ride - I continue to close in on 1K for 2021.

First order of business was to drop a "treat" off at mom's manor. It's on one of my normal routes to the hill.
Sunday visit's are still a no-no (COVID), but she met me at the main door for the exchange.

View attachment 82414View attachment 82413

Just a few photos, and lessons learned from the last few days appear to have sunk in, as I stayed away from any gummy mud.

Entry onto the park was via my normal access on 64th Ave, then I veered southwards towards the southernmost parking lot and to see what the trails were like around there (and between it and the Winter Club).
I saw what looked like an interesting looking ravine at position "X", so I headed there.

View attachment 82416 View attachment 82415

When I got there, I found that there was still snow on the opposite (NE facing) trail, so I turned around and went an alternate route. I'll have to come back to that one in a few weeks.

View attachment 82417

Here's a shot of the same ravine from the east.

View attachment 82426


From there I headed down a fairly narrow, sidehill singletrack and then headed up top via a new route that I think I'll use more often.
View attachment 82427 View attachment 82419

Rode 95%+ singletrack from there, with an occasional requisite small detour, but no problems.

View attachment 82425

Tires stayed mainly mud-free and so did I.

View attachment 82424 View attachment 82422 View attachment 82421 View attachment 82419 View attachment 82418

No super long steep ascents, but max short incline was 24% with max decline being 17%.
Also no audiobook - that will change soon I think.

Just the thought of the cleanup job you had to do last ride made me cringe. I am SO lazy.

 

[RandallS]

That reminds me, it's amazing how much better a bike shifts when the drivetrain isn't caked with mud!

 

[Chargeride]

Went to pick up the wife in the van who had ridden solo to a nearby village called Parbold in Lancashire, its on the canal, we ride there a lot.
I get there and shes met a friend, so in the hour long chat they had I took the fatbike up the big hill and got a quite incredible 31mph on an 11% gradient.
Yes its totally illegal in the UK, but its very rare to find me on the road, so I'm not feeling guilty.
Found a little disused quarry and made and idiot of myself in front of a chinese family.
Did consider blaming the chinese motor for a laugh, but I dont think they would have got the joke considering they were already borderline concerned for my sanity.
Having one of those days were my feet kept slipping off the pedals, going to invest in some new shin scraping metal ones.
Made a quick vid with a soothing tune, I usually just send these over whatsapp to family, so they can reply.
'Oh look hes on his bike again.'
Put it on the channel, if youre interested in what Parbold looks like....dont get excited.
Its upper middle class northern, lots of big houses and 60yr old men with dyed hair and designer jeans.

 

[reed scott]

Went to pick up the wife in the van who had ridden solo to a nearby village called Parbold in Lancashire, its on the canal, we ride there a lot.
I get there and shes met a friend, so in the hour long chat they had I took the fatbike up the big hill and got a quite incredible 31mph on an 11% gradient.
Yes its totally illegal in the UK, but its very rare to find me on the road, so I'm not feeling guilty.
Found a little disused quarry and made and idiot of myself in front of a chinese family.
Did consider blaming the chinese motor for a laugh, but I dont think they would have got the joke considering they were already borderline concerned for my sanity.
Having one of those days were my feet kept slipping off the pedals, going to invest in some new shin scraping metal ones.
Made a quick vid with a soothing tune, I usually just send these over whatsapp to family, so they can reply.
'Oh look hes on his bike again.'
Put it on the channel, if youre interested in what Parbold looks like....dont get excited.
Its upper middle class northern, lots of big houses and 60yr old men with dyed hair and designer jeans.

When you go back we need some shots of those rock ledges. Looked interesting. Maybe take us to the High Manor restaurant. Surreptitiously of course. Don't want to freak out the local denizens.

 

[steve mercier]

Went to pick up the wife in the van who had ridden solo to a nearby village called Parbold in Lancashire, its on the canal, we ride there a lot.
I get there and shes met a friend, so in the hour long chat they had I took the fatbike up the big hill and got a quite incredible 31mph on an 11% gradient.
Yes its totally illegal in the UK, but its very rare to find me on the road, so I'm not feeling guilty.
Found a little disused quarry and made and idiot of myself in front of a chinese family.
Did consider blaming the chinese motor for a laugh, but I dont think they would have got the joke considering they were already borderline concerned for my sanity.
Having one of those days were my feet kept slipping off the pedals, going to invest in some new shin scraping metal ones.
Made a quick vid with a soothing tune, I usually just send these over whatsapp to family, so they can reply.
'Oh look hes on his bike again.'
Put it on the channel, if youre interested in what Parbold looks like....dont get excited.
Its upper middle class northern, lots of big houses and 60yr old men with dyed hair and designer jeans.

Great vid !

 

[steve mercier]

You don't use Tannus on TLE tyres

Wrong . (-: https://tannusamerica.com/products/tannus-armour-tubeless?utm_campaign=privy_2269745&utm_medium=email&utm_source=privy&utm_email=@@@@9E0CqYfaRq9IZvQC5ZOljdNgw9OLUjACtZwvWNbXFcfg3g8gIjZnS+n1YDHNhaISM9cT5/WEmzYF1mSBaQtHTaRk3Ts7sDOcl3v2Tp6a8194z7ZX5s/A2a7+HQOscF8/HQRt65hTsAply6Rl5y8/+UF06PKnIKetwi7Rkloq1DzibCg=

 

[Akrotiri]

Bolimoza, or "First Day of Spring"

Still sounding like a name of unpleasant illness, that "Bolimoza"? Right. The ride was not pleasant.
My intention had been to circumnavigate the Bolimowski Landscape Park, riding paved roads only, hence my Vado chosen for the ride.

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(A perceptive eye will notice a long Presta valve on the front wheel; see Presta vs. Schrader thread) 10 km from Żyrardów, it was only strong cold wind indicating the matters might not go as well as I had thought. Minus one to zero degrees Celsius was not that scary (see good gloves).

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In Starowiskitki, or, jokingly "Old Wisconsin" First day of Spring, aye?

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A sanctuary in Miedniewice, Mazovia. Who can spot it's snowing?

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As much as I praise our "European" roads in Mazovia, that one (at least 6 km long segment) was a disgrace!

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No pictures from the large (and nice) village of Bolimów because cold drizzle, sleet and snowfall made me unwilling to take any pictures there. The road 705 was good. And the long bike path was so much attractive I preferred riding it in solitude than share the road with cars. More snow! And it was the upwind ride leg.

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Budy Grabskie. Even more snow! (I was there a week ago but the Graveloza ride led through forest on the opposite bank of River Rawka).

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I hated riding upwind, in drizzle, sleet and snow, and suffering my bad leg ache I did same as my riding mate Cezar did a week ago: Shortened the ride via Hwy 719 (a.k.a. "my home road"). Downwind and in full Turbo mode. I have had enough.

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Ride Map with POI. Interestingly, there are two villages of Miedniewice. The other is in the Land of Łódź. Rode through both of them on the same ride and was really surprised!

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Terrible weather. Members of FB cycling fan-page who decided to ride out today all say: "That was not a cycling day".

Very nice photos Stefan, those forests look quite nice to ride along.
Is it the Masurian forest? I hear there is a very surprising remnant of WW2 hidden in that forest...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Is it the Masurian forest?

No no. It is in Mazovia (more or less central Poland) while Masuria is located north (former southern East Prussia). Mazovia is missing lakes and is far more flat than Masuria.

I hear there is a very surprising remnant of WW2 hidden in that forest...

Many of them, if we talk about physical objects. For instance, Wolfschanze, Hitler's HQ. Bear in mind, it was Germany pre-WW2.

 

[Akrotiri]

No no. It is in Mazovia (more or less central Poland) while Masuria is located north (former southern East Prussia). Mazovia is missing lakes and is far more flat than Masuria.

Many of them, if we talk about physical objects. For instance, Wolfschanze, Hitler's HQ. Bear in mind, it was Germany pre-WW2.

Ah ok masovia, very relaxing atmosphere to go riding in. All those trees and the clean air.

A buddy of mine told me there’s still remnants of a physical German u-boat base hidden in the forest that leads to a lake into the sea at the Masuria region.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

A buddy of mine told me there’s still remnants of a physical German u-boat base hidden in the forest that leads to a lake into the sea at the Masuria region.

It's quite possible although the size of the Masurian Canal wouldn't let U-Boots pass. At least this article says so (use Google Translate):

Kanał Mazurski - Mamerki - Mazury - MAZURY INFO PL

Masuria (and Warmia) are fantastic lands for (e-)bike trips. I had a day trip there last year and liked that. Masurian roads are not the best for cars but are adequate for e-bikes. Still, the best way to spend time in Masuria is sailing (but I'm not into that).

 

[JeffC57]

Out for a ride on a rail trail yesterday. Still getting used to riding on a gravel surface. Not many riders on the trail yesterday. I saw more turkeys than bikes.

 

[Prairie Dog]

We hit the trails once again on Monday morning. After completing typical routes through Kin Canyon and the Pines, we decided to give the Heritage Ranch Outer Loop a whirl. With many trails dotting the confines of the Ranch, the outer loop is likely to be the most popular as it affords good views of the local tributary. We suspected that sections of the trail, which at times run parallel to the river, might be potentially compromised due to the ongoing freeze and thaw cycles. It was 0 C as we started out but would eventually warm up later on in the ride. It became obviously clear that we misjudged the forecast.


Studded tires still appear to be the only sensible option for riding the trails to maintain any means of traction on the numerous icy patches that remain behind and it appears that the spikes will stay on for a little while longer. Kelvin meanwhile was tearing up the single track in his usual manner which is what I prefer since taking the lead would only hamper his progress.

A brief stop was required for a jolt of caffeine to jump start our ride at the Heritage Loop. Note how clean the bikes are at this point even after almost an hour of riding.

The first section of the loop involves a fun, twisty, tight trail strewn with dead fall and tree roots under a canopy of spruce. As we continue on, it opens up revealing more deciduous growth where the rays of the sun have melted most of the ice enabling us to pick up a bit more speed. Then it was back into the forest where more ice lay in wait for us as is evident by the scraping heard as we skid around corners. The trail eventually opens up once again to a narrow, rutted track laden with mud-and ice-covered pools. Riding around the ruts rather than through the mud only stands to further deteriorate the surrounding ground potentially turning the trail into an even larger mud pit.

Once we arrived at the segment of trail alongside the river it narrowed into slightly deeper ruts and it became apparent that a thorough cleaning of the bikes was inevitable at the conclusion of the ride. The rear Mud Huggers did a decent job of keeping us relatively free of muck. However, the front fenders were another matter and I’ll likely add an extension piece to help limit the amount of muck spattering my legs and the bike’s downtube.

I typically don’t go out of my way to seek out muddy trails. This time of year, however, when freeze and thaw cycles are so prevalent encountering mud on the trails is sometimes unavoidable. Liquid mud in particular finds its way into every nook and cranny.

 

[RandallS]

No trails (and no pic's) today - mainly just paved pathways and side streets (with a small exception of packed gravel on Nose Hill).
I was tied up most of the day with financial/taxation stuff, and so didn't leave the house until mid-afternoon.

It had snowed a bit overnight and the pathways had the occasional snowy bits, but were mostly bare and dry.
But although I've cycled in much colder weather, the +4C with wind felt rather cold today - much colder than normal.

I'm afraid I didn't stop for any photos today, but here's a satellite view of the ride.

Johnny Watts were very quiet and sure footed, and I took some downhill turns much faster than I have ever done before.
At least the ones that I could verify were not iced up - and my caution on some descents was sometimes warranted.

Audiobook:
I started the 6 book series about a Scottish/Italian forensic scientist named Enzo MacLeod - who lives and works in France.
Peter May is the author and "Extraordinary People" is book 1.
So far, so good..

 

[RandallS]

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It's that time of the year - you are going to get muddy at times! I'm surprised by how much ice you still have in the trees, but it shouldn't be too much longer.
Looks like double digits this weekend for you up there - here too.
Once you've gotten snow free and have switched to knobbies you'll have to hit the QE2 south and we'll go get filthy on the hill!

 

[Kodak]

This was a mid March ride just after the snow melted in New York City. The ride starts in the Bronx at the Van Cortland Park Lake and continues up into Westchester, a suburb of New York City. Made a quick stop at the Sprain Brook Park Lake for a photo opportunity. I Was surprised to see another Himiway bike, its the only other one I have seen.

 

[Prairie Dog]

It's that time of the year - you are going to get muddy at times! I'm surprised by how much ice you still have in the trees, but it shouldn't be too much longer.
Looks like double digits this weekend for you up there - here too.
Once you've gotten snow free and have switched to knobbies you'll have to hit the QE2 south and we'll go get filthy on the hill!

Some mud is okay but it's mainly the task of cleaning the bike on a continual basis that I'm not too fond of.

There’s currently ice on virtually all of the trails. I thought that it would have all been gone by now but as long as the overnight lows remain consistently below freezing, it’s not going anywhere soon. The studs are not coming off at least not this week.

 

[Catalyzt]

This is just an astounding thread, I feel like I'm e-biking all over the world! (And welcome Kodak, I do know Westchester a bit, native New Yorker transplanted to LA.)

Guys, I can't begin to match some of your photos and distances-- yet, anyway-- due to my microscopic 5.4 wA battery and junk phone pics. (And I also haven't gotten to Bosch's house yet, though I may try to find it!) This will be the last time I do this with the mobile, and when I tease out any definition at all with shareware photo editors, the images start looking like a low-dose acid trip.

What I was trying to capture-- not very successfully, I might add-- are two things about the back side of Griffith Park (this is Vista del Valle.)

First, how bad, and erratic, the road surface is, but it doesn't really translate. Kind of makes sense, because it's hard to judge the quality of the pavement with the naked eye even as you're riding over it at 17-25 MPH. Those piles of sandy dirt? They move every week... a LOT, particularly now when the wind is high. None of it is that hard to ride, it's just hard to read. It's like one of those irritating black diamond ski slopes late in the season that constantly changes from powder to corn to slush to ice to shadows to dirt, gravel, and worse.

Second, how deserted these roads are... in the middle of Los Angeles... on a Sunday evening. The park closes at dusk, which, for a cyclist or hiker, means "You cannot enter after dusk." I've run into rangers out here, and as long as you're headed towards the exit, they don't really care if it's basically full dark. Last Sunday, I rode for ten minutes without seeing a soul.

This is my usual Crap-it's-Sunday-and-I-haven't-left-the-house-yet ride. I don't plan to be out so late, but by the time I get my gear ready, it's well after 6:00 PM. About a 12-13 mile loop, and the last three miles through Los Feliz Hills outside the park are very nice, too... pavement's good enough to manage up to 32 MPH with a decent light in nearly full dark.

Can't wait until the new bike is ready! Onward to the hills of Burbank, Eagle Rock, the Western Hollywood Hills, and further, depending on range!