Rides 2016 — add yours here

[Andre Jute]

Share your rides for 2016 here.

Adjust your cycling glasses and every cloud will have a silver lining!

[John Saxby]

Now that's a grand photo of The Holy Ground, Andre, and a pretty slick optical trick too.

Oddly enough, it didn't work when I tried it in my backyard earlier today. A few days after my subtropical ride on Christmas Eve afternoon, we had our first winter storm, with 25-30 cms of snow and a driving wind. This pretty much banished all bikes from our streets -- mine are now warm and dry in my basement workshop, awaiting spring about three months hence.  Even if I'd wanted to ride out of my driveway, it would've been difficult, as the snowplough deposited a berm of compacted snow & ice about a metre high, and a metre wide at the base. Took me the better part of two hours to clear it 

Nevertheless, I did a few tricks with my clip-on sunglasses, but to no avail. The snow just sat there, completely unresponsive. (See below -- and these are colour photographs, BTW.)  The good news is that 80% of the trails in the Gatineau Park are open for X-country skiing, so that's where I'm going on Monday, when the forecast is for sunshine, a high of -14, and not much wind.  I'll retrace some of the trails I cycled across a few months ago, amidst the greenery & the bugs.

[Danneaux]

The bikes are smart, wheeled, and saved. 

The poor canoe was on dry land, unable to save itself. 

Here's hoping your weather will soon be better for both, John.

All the best,

Dan.

[jags]

that shed you have there john is bigger than me house..
man that's some snow fall you had hope to god we get nothing like it.

stay safe and warm.

anto.

[Andre Jute]

Now that's a grand photo of The Holy Ground, Andre, and a pretty slick optical trick too.

Generally I'd have my designer arrange something like that in Photoshop with an orange filter on one side and the blend graduated in Illustrator to fake up a bit of camera shake. But Ireland really is that green year round (it's still+10C here), and that's a photo taken though my cycling glasses, so it's a "natural" illusion.

Breitfeld & Schliekert 8918 Rx system lenses: clear nightime windbreaks, orange (good for dusk and dawn cycling), yellow shooter's (good at night); I also have grey, brown and polarized (rarely necessary in Ireland).

Reminds me of Dustin Hoffman coming in all sweaty from running to meet Laurence Olivier for the first time, and telling Olivier it was "method acting". Olivier, baffled (or pretending to be) said, "Why not just act it?" Yeah, right, why not just take the photo through the coloured lens? (Answer: Because there's a bloody 50mph freezing gale on the road leading there, as I discovered when I went to take the photo...)

Oddly enough, it didn't work when I tried it in my backyard earlier today.

The only way to deal with weather like that is to move somewhere else.

I enjoyed your photos though: "There but for the grace of God..."

[RonS]

John, I suspect the weather gods were welcoming my daughter to Ottawa, as she arrived from Vancouver in the wee hours of Thursday, for a four month University co-op posting with the Federal government. Luckily her flight was not the day of the storm, as many were cancelled.

Here in my neck of the woods I must put off a New Year's ride for a few days, as two days of freezing fog have left everything, including lesser used roads, with a fine coating of ice. I don't think the Marathon Supremes would be up to the task. Has anyone tried the Continental Winter Contacts?





A couple of pics taken in the back yard.

Time for our Southern Hemisphere friends to post some pics of "real" January cycling weather.

[John Saxby]

Fine fotos, Ron, and I feel marginally better to see that there are no daffodils in sight just yet.  Hope your daughter's brought her woollies -- high today is -20, windchill right now just below -30, so I'm catching up on correspondence, planning a tour through the Rockies & Cascadia in June/July, etc.  I'll wait 'til Tues or Wed to go skiing, as my no-go point is -15.

[jags]

2 things one dont go out on ice you will fall and more than likely break a bone.

2 level that saddle 

anto.

[RonS]

Looks like I get the honour of the first ride posting of the year.

I took advantage of the last day of wonderful weather for a week to head out with my pal for a 40km ride along the waterfront. I think our effort was about 60km worth though, as the dike surface was quite soft.

Here are a few photos from the ride.

Mt Baker in Washington State USA from Centennial Beach, Tsawwassen BC Canada


 The area is home to hundreds of bald eagles. These guys were less interested in the cyclists and walkers and concentrating on the farmer's field for a tasty morsel.

[Danneaux]

Lovely photos, Ron! I am familiar with the view, having vacationed many years as a kid on Vancouver Island and I remember leaving sometimes from the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and spending time at Point Roberts, an odd little part of the States, as I recall...just below the border at the 49th parallel. I remember talking to a schoolkid who said he had to be bused back into mainland Washington for classes.

Brings back some very nice memories of a wonderful place in my childhood.

Simply terrific! Glad you were able to get out for a ride amidst such spectacular scenery. 

All the best,

Dan.

[jags]

CLASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[Andre Jute]

Super photographs, Ron.

Of course, Jags and I live in one of the most beautiful countries on earth, but so many photographs on this forum make one wonder if the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence... Oh, fickle cyclist!

[jags]

i love eagles  wicket bird 

[David Simpson]

Ron --

That 's a great picture of Mt Baker. I haven't been on my bike yet this year. It's been too frosty (slippery) on days when I can ride to work, and I've been too busy on the warmer days. Hopefully I can ride tomorrow.

Andre, there is a lot of the "grass is greener" feeling. Ron and I live a very beautiful part of the world, yet when I see pictures of your country, Scotland (where my grandfather grew up), or New Zealand, I am drawn to those faraway places. Perhaps we need some exchange program, where we swap countries for our rides.

Not to offend anyone, I should point out that there are beautiful places elsewhere -- it's just that I'm personally drawn to those places.

- Dave

[Andre Jute]

Zen. I accept there's not enough time to see everything but the photographs here are vicarious rides to all those beautiful places.