Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[Stefan Mikes]

Aside from a fairly well developed bike lane system throughout our small city of Bellingham, we have one of the worlds best mountain biking on Galbreath Mountain that is just a mile or so outside the city limits. People come from all over the world to ride Galbreath. If you look on the map near the bay you will see Sehome hill. We live on the west side of that hill

Thank you, Richard! I cannot fail to notice how many bike manufacturers are located there...

 

[Deleted member 18083]

The forgotten bikeway …

Schulz Canal & Jim Soorley Bikeway
113 km; 2:00 pm​

It's been remiss of me to neglect this stretch of bikeway. I use it often and it's often busy, a favourite training route for the lycra lads before they have to go to work. Dare I add that recreation time before work is a major reason why so many Queenslanders are implacably opposed to so-called daylight saving. Anyway, at 2:00 pm I had the bikeway to myself! How different from when I had left at first light when the temperature was a shivery-cold 19º.

The Kedron Brook is a tame little stream for 364 days per year; and a raging torrent on the other day. For that reason, it has been tamed for the last ten kilometres of its journey to the bay and has had various channels added to drain floodwaters away from the airport. Our bonus is a waterside bikeway which, in places, is just a little too close. Notice how the section with fresh tar takes an ever-so-slightly safer route, with an orange hazard line stating the obvious (don't go where the bikeway used to be).

Bike Trivia : Am I imagining it, or is this one of those rare photographs in which the Homage's frame looks a tiny bit blue (it's supposed to), contrasting nicely with the velcro straps that are required to keep it from self-destructing on rough trails. Note, too, the Schwalbe Marathon MTB Plus tyres which are narrower, and more rigid, than its supplied flimsy Rock Razors.

 

[Alaskan]

Thank you, Richard! I cannot fail to notice how many bike manufacturers are located there...

Kona World Headquarters is in Ferndale 10 miles north of Bellingham as is Schwalbe's North American HQ and distribution facility. In the Mountain bike zone, Evil bikes is just two miles away from our house Fanatik bike is growing fast, selling custom builds, Ibis and Norco bikes.

Bikes

Kona specializes in mountain bikes, gravel bikes, commuter bikes, electric bikes and more.

konaworld.com

Rider Owned, Designed and Operated in Bellingham, WA

Evil Bikes is a Bellingham based bike company focused on producing high-quality mountain bikes, gravel bikes, dirt jumpers, and e-bikes that fuel personal expression.

www.evil-bikes.com

 

[Stefan Mikes]

PNW Components? Cirrus Cycles (Kinekt) are in Bellingham. Tenet Components are there, too.

 

[RandallS]

For a change, I thought I'd post something before my ride, in addition to afterwards.
In this case, just words - from the local weather forecast...
If I'm not home in 3 or 4 hours, send a search team please... perhaps in Saskatchewan...(just kidding )

10:22 AM MDT Sunday 28 March 2021
Wind warning in effect for:

• City of Calgary

Strong west winds gusting up to 100 km/h will continue this morning along the eastern slopes of the Rockies.

These strong westerly winds will move eastward this morning through the Calgary area as well as along the international border. Wind gusts will persist through the day before easing later this evening.

Overnight tonight strong northwesterly winds will redevelop with gusts between 90 and 100 km/h.

Damage to buildings, such as to roof shingles and windows, may occur. Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions due to high winds.

Wind warnings are issued when there is a significant risk of damaging winds.

The rest of the ride to follow, but here's a short video of the wind.

 

[Alaskan]

PNW Components? Cirrus Cycles (Kinekt) are in Bellingham. Tenet Components are there, too.

pnw is in Seattle I think, 85 miles away Another great Seattle bike company is Rodriguez bikes that has been doing custom made bikes for almost 50 years .

R+E Cycles - Home of Rodriguez and Erickson Custom Bicycles

Rodriguez Bicycles - Custom Bicycles. tandem bicycles hand made in Seattle, WA

www.rodbikes.com

 

[Mr. Coffee]

End of the road...

 

[GJACK]

Yesterday was the first really nice day we have had this year. The area is Fall Creek which is outside of Springfield, Oregon and a really nice place to bike ride as there are miles and miles of unused logging roads and hiking trails. The map area is due north of West Fir/Oakridge which is known for MTBing trails but they are not dry enough to ride. I have lousy mapping software compared to what I see others using but I have too many maps and history already with ONX so that is what I use. The outside of the perimeter is a logging road route that I took on my bike. The short out at backs on the same map represent roughly an equivalent amount of time but on earlier trips when I was hiking with my dogs on on trails up to 3000 ft. On this ride, there was quite a bit of snow on the north face of the FS roads at the peak of the climb. I was hoping to stay out of the snow but it didn't work out that way and fortunately only trudged (off and on) about 1.5 miles through snow. This is when the magic of "walk mode" really paid off. I almost forgot I had it. No pushing other than down on the seat to maintain traction when going uphill - what a smart feature on a bike. I'm still learning what these bikes can do and am beginning to get a feel for battery usage (37% left), so I am searching longer routes. P.S. - Wish I could take my dogs with me on all my bike rides - maybe a dog cart hmmmmm

 

[reed scott]

View attachment 83192View attachment 83193View attachment 83194
Yesterday was the first really nice day we have had this year. The area is Fall Creek which is outside of Springfield, Oregon and a really nice place to bike ride as there are miles and miles of unused logging roads and hiking trails. The map area is due north of West Fir/Oakridge which is known for MTBing trails but they are not dry enough to ride. I have lousy mapping software compared to what I see others using but I have too many maps and history already with ONX so that is what I use. The outside of the perimeter is a logging road route that I took on my bike. The short out at backs on the same map represent roughly an equivalent amount of time but on earlier trips when I was hiking with my dogs on on trails up to 3000 ft. On this ride, there was quite a bit of snow on the north face of the FS roads at the peak of the climb. I was hoping to stay out of the snow but it didn't work out that way and fortunately only trudged (off and on) about 1.5 miles through snow. This is when the magic of "walk mode" really paid off. I almost forgot I had it. No pushing other than down on the seat to maintain traction when going uphill - what a smart feature on a bike. I'm still learning what these bikes can do and am beginning to get a feel for battery usage (37% left), so I am searching longer routes. P.S. - Wish I could take my dogs with me on all my bike rides - maybe a dog cart hmmmmm

I bought my 'doggy' trailer a couple months before I even had my bike. And I got a bike that is powerful enough to pull it ... and him. But he hates it. I figure it will take many trials and tribulations to convince him to ride and not run. He's not old but he ain't young any more either. Plus I want to go faster and it's getting warmer. You really can't expect a dog to run more than a few miles and that's with me going like 8 or 10 miles and hour. Which gets boring pretty fast. The trailer is a 'Bob' type single wheel affair and open. He puts up with it for about 30 ft and then he jumps out. Eventually he'll get it. I just have to be patient and not force it. The dog loves to ride ... anything. Can't keep him off the tractor, jeep, truck, whatever. Eventually he'll come around. Or I'll have to build a screened enclosure to keep him in but that's a last resort.

 

[RabH]

The forgotten bikeway …
View attachment 83066

Schulz Canal & Jim Soorley Bikeway
113 km; 2:00 pm​

It's been remiss of me to neglect this stretch of bikeway. I use it often and it's often busy, a favourite training route for the lycra lads before they have to go to work. Dare I add that recreation time before work is a major reason why so many Queenslanders are implacably opposed to so-called daylight saving. Anyway, at 2:00 pm I had the bikeway to myself! How different from when I had left at first light when the temperature was a shivery-cold 19º.

The Kedron Brook is a tame little stream for 364 days per year; and a raging torrent on the other day. For that reason, it has been tamed for the last ten kilometres of its journey to the bay and has had various channels added to drain floodwaters away from the airport. Our bonus is a waterside bikeway which, in places, is just a little too close. Notice how the section with fresh tar takes an ever-so-slightly safer route, with an orange hazard line stating the obvious (don't go where the bikeway used to be).

Bike Trivia : Am I imagining it, or is this one of those rare photographs in which the Homage's frame looks a tiny bit blue (it's supposed to), contrasting nicely with the velcro straps that are required to keep it from self-destructing on rough trails. Note, too, the Schwalbe Marathon MTB Plus tyres which are narrower, and more rigid, than its supplied flimsy Rock Razors.

View attachment 83074

19° is considered a heatwave here Today we have 50mph winds and rain, thankfully the winds will subside tonight! Its 14° at the moment but its going to turn cold again but at least we are going to have a dry spell after Wednesday!

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Paddleboarders …

Looking across Deception Bay to Glass House Mountains​

251 years ago James Cook, the first person to chart the eastern coast of Australia, spied these plugs of long-extinct volcanoes and named them the Glass House Mountains because they reminded him of Yorkshire glass furnaces (not greenhouses).

• Pink X near start/finish of ride = Forgotten Bikeway (post #962 above).
• Harlin (underlined in pink) = Greenspeed etrike (post #981 on next page).

 

[RandallS]

Sundays windy ride:
It was howling out there, with big gusts but I decided to go out and ride some trails anyway. It was comfortably warm at the start with +8C and I finished at +14C. Strava, as usual, doesn't agree...

I call the ride "3 Corners" as when I ride up on Nose Hill Park, there's some routes I take that bring me to the 4 corners of the park. In this case, I didn't venture to the SE corner but did the other 3. One could argue that the easternmost "bulge" is a 5th corner, and as that's my usual entry point, I don't typically count it.

The clouds to the west were heralding more fun weather approaching, and we woke up this morning to more frozen rain and snow. It will be gone sometime tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest.
All it provided for this ride was the strong winds. I was parked on level ground grabbing some water, and when I let go of the brakes, the wind pushed me backwards...

I posted a short "windy" video here:

As it was so windy, I did try to ride valleys/ravines, as well as stay in the trees where I could. We're getting snow off and on, interspersed with warmer weather, so the net result is some standing water in areas where it's usually bone dry.




Rode some old favorite trails, as well finding some new favorites. Did find, as expected, some icy packed snow in the trees.
What surprised me a bit, was how capable the Johnny Watts tires were. I wouldn't say that they were anywhere near as good as the Ice Spikers, but for springtime conditions where the odd patch of ice is in your way, they worked pretty well - but one still needs to be cautious..



Exiting Nose Hill Park from the NE corner, I rode some residential pathways and side streets heading for a route that would have me downwind for a bit, before the eventual slog home into the headwind.
Once through the community of Sandstone, I followed my normal route along the Nose Creek but did drop down to the trails that are adjacent to the creek, rather than up on the bluffs.



More mud to clean up of course...



All in all, a really fun day or riding, even the 1.5KM dead into the wind. I don't use Turbo much, but I did for that and it the extra boost was welcomed!
Along that bit, I ran into a couple of roadies fixing a flat. Stopped briefly and made sure they had what they needed for their repairs - and they assured me they did.

No audiobook yesterday as I wouldn't have been able to hear it with all the wind noise.

I hope the weather clears soon (ugly out there right now), as I am really close to a milestone for 2021 and would like to achieve it.
Considering some of the conditions of the first 3 months of the year (and of my body since the crash in late November), I'd like to hit the 1000kms by Thursday.
Just one ride away as I'm at 965. Not nearly as impressive as certain other members here, but considering I mainly do trails on my MTB, I'm feeling pretty good about it.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Friends,
Fire has destroyed half of my house. Tygra the cat died in flames. All my e-bikes and anything related to them have been rescued. Almost no harm to me except slightly burned palms.
Staying with a friend. Soon, getting a social flat from the Council for several months. My home will be renovated.
Don't worry, I'll be back soon!

P.S. It's so good to have good neighbours and trusted friends...

 

[reed scott]

Friends,
Fire has destroyed half of my house. Tygra the cat died in flames. All my e-bikes and anything related to them have been rescued. Almost no harm to me except slightly burned palms.
Staying with a friend. Soon, getting a social flat from the Council for several months. My home will be renovated.
Don't worry, I'll be back soon!

P.S. It's so good to have good neighbours and trusted friends...

Prayers up for you Stefan. Sorry about your kitty. Tough to lose our animal buddies. Hopefully you have insurance.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Hopefully you have insurance

The insurance doesn't cover setting your home on fire... Fortunately, I'm not that poor.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Jesus, Stefan, you are way too exciting! So sorry about your cat, glad about the rest of it. Be well.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

There are losses. Lost my work PC, retained a laptop. All basses and guitars have burnt, amps saved. Two compacts cameras and several lenses lost. My DSLR camera with two good lenses rescued. The first floor and cellar survived. When my neighbours rushed to help, I handed my e-bikes, then batteries, then chargers to them in the first place. They removed anything valuable from the first floor before the fire brigade came. I took the car key and wallet with me. Smartphone burned. Writing from a new one. I do hate Samsung...

 

[RandallS]

So sad about your loss. Don't have the words but the loss of loved ones, including pets, is difficult.
Warmest condolences.

 

[PatriciaK]

Oh, Stefan, I'm so sorry for you! Sad that you lost so much, but relieved you are safe. Please stay in touch and let us know how you're doing...

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Stefan
What a terrible loss. We are all so sorry. Be brave.
David