2023 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

[DaveMatthews]

Well, after a week without a ride to account for due to a stomach virus, I was finally myself again and feeling quite anxious to be able to head out and get some much-needed time in the saddle.

My timing couldn’t have been any better as this bad boy really helps level the playing field. I lost track of the days this past winter where I couldn’t ride due to copious snow and narrow tires that were holding me back. This will no longer be the case.

View attachment 149375
View attachment 149376

Don't think I've seen that one before. Is it a Bigfoot?

 

[Prairie Dog]

Don't think I've seen that one before. Is it a Bigfoot?

Yep, that obvious, eh? It’s a VLT 1 with the 900 Wh battery option shod with 37.5 x 4.5” 45Nrth studded Wrathchilds. I took off from the LBS for a shakedown run and headed to the nearest trailhead. Temp was -11C under foggy conditions which created a lovely coating of frost on the trees.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It’s a VLT 1 with the 900 Wh battery option

A real monster! How easy it must be to ride in the deep snow with that beast!
-11 C! (You know my opinion of Canada, eh?)

 

[DaveMatthews]

Yep, that obvious, eh? It’s a VLT 1 with the 900 Wh battery option shod with 37.5 x 4.5” 45Nrth studded Wrathchilds. I took off from the LBS for a shakedown run and headed to the nearest trailhead. Temp was -11C under foggy conditions which created a lovely coating of frost on the trees.

View attachment 149383

Certainly lives up to its name!

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Holy smokes, Art, I haven’t been paying attention! 800 and 900 wh batteries now? My 2018 Toughroad has 500 and my Creo‘s is a lot smaller than that. I had no idea batteries had gotten this big. The Specialized Tero is what, 720 or something like that? More to think about,

Very nice looking rig, that Norco. You were a Powerfly guy along with your Creo, is that correct? I might have your mountain bike mixed up with Randall’s, though.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Yep, that obvious, eh? It’s a VLT 1 with the 900 Wh battery option shod with 37.5 x 4.5” 45Nrth studded Wrathchilds. I took off from the LBS for a shakedown run and headed to the nearest trailhead. Temp was -11C under foggy conditions which created a lovely coating of frost on the trees.

View attachment 149383

How do you like the Shimano motor?

 

[Prairie Dog]

A real monster! How easy it must be to ride in the deep snow with that beast!
-11 C! (You know my opinion of Canada, eh?)

Aside from the battery, you’re dead right about the Norco being a beast as it rolls over just about everything in its path. Despite its largish Bigfoot print, it’s super nimble, quick and agile rolling along on those 37s. It will be a while yet before we can even think about any decent road rides but thankfully there is a warming trend on the way. In the meanwhile, I’ll continue to eke out the few remaining weeks on the snow covered singles.

Certainly lives up to its name!

By sheer coincidence, I came across this poster nailed to a tree along the Heritage single today.

How do you like the Shimano motor?

The EP8 is super quiet and powerful for its compact size (85Nm). I was a bit concerned about issues surrounding motor rattles after reading reviews on a couple of other emtbs but I found it to be exceptionally silent.

Holy smokes, Art, I haven’t been paying attention! 800 and 900 wh batteries now? My 2018 Toughroad has 500 and my Creo‘s is a lot smaller than that. I had no idea batteries had gotten this big. The Specialized Tero is what, 720 or something like that? More to think about,

Very nice looking rig, that Norco. You were a Powerfly guy along with your Creo, is that correct? I might have your mountain bike mixed up with Randall’s, though.

Norco provides three battery capacities to choose from (540/720/900Wh) and are sold separately. I’m looking at expanding backcountry range up in the mountains at some point so I didn’t want to compromise on that aspect of the bike.

Dave, the Turbo Levo is my trail ready ride and I’ll continue riding it all summer long and well into the shoulder seasons so I won’t be hard pressed to log time on it even when the road bikes come out of hibernation. Randall rides a LIV Intrigue 29er emtb and I hope to catch up to him sometime soon.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Norco

The Bigfoot makes me think of a tank used to plough a field instead of a tractor

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

The Bigfoot makes me think of a tank used to plough a field instead of a tractor

My Leopard 2 with plow attachment. Does a great job.

 

[JGcycle]

My Leopard 2 with plow attachment. Does a great job.

Now that's some heavy duty farm equipment.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My Leopard 2 with plow attachment. Does a great job.

That's the reason some people would ride the Bigfoot

The Clash - "Smart Control"

The English band The Clash once sang "Remote Control" and "Complete Control". If their frontman Joe Strummer lived up today, perhaps he would write yet another song called "Smart Control"?

I need to ride my Roadrunner from time to time! Tyre replacement from winter to summer tyres is planned for this Saturday, a gravel group ride for Sunday yet given nice weather of today, I decided to pull my Vado 6.0 from the storage, maintain the chain, re-inflate tyres (no need!) and give that e-bike a leisure ride on this Thursday. A fast ride, as it will turn out!

One of my batteries has gone down to the actual capacity of 501 Wh. Whenever I go on a single battery ride, I better be sure I would still return with the assistance. The unique Specialized feature called "Smart Control" allows you get rid of the range anxiety. The only issue is the assistance is automatic & variable, so would I have too much or too little of assistance today?

I was heading towards Leszno (Mazovia) without a plan, and was exploring side roads. That's how I found myself in the front of the Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute, National Research Centre, Radzików. An interesting village. The Institute gives employment to many people, so there are many pretty nice blocks of flats in that very small village, making an impression of a small town.

A substantial lunch at Klimatyczna Cafe

I've always wondered what this tank think tank thinks or? The armoured vehicles or storage vessels? (I will disappoint you: they make plastic storage vessels, not battle tanks!)

These vertical bars denote a Vado is controlled by a smartphone app.

One of very rare gravel roads in Central Mazovia. (That's why my Cycling Club mostly rides in forests!)

Smart Control provided too high assistance this time! While that was OK upwind, I was gaining too much on the return trip. Suffice to say I hit the assistance limit of 45 km/h (28 mph) while riding with tailwind!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

That's the reason some people would ride the Bigfoot

The Clash - "Smart Control"

The English band The Clash once sang "Remote Control" and "Complete Control". If their frontman Joe Strummer lived up today, perhaps he would write yet another song called "Smart Control"?

I need to ride my Roadrunner from time to time! Tyre replacement from winter to summer tyres is planned for this Saturday, a gravel group ride for Sunday yet given nice weather of today, I decided to pull my Vado 6.0 from the storage, maintain the chain, re-inflate tyres (no need!) and give that e-bike a leisure ride on this Thursday. A fast ride, as it will turn out!

One of my batteries has gone down to the actual capacity of 501 Wh. Whenever I go on a single return battery ride, I better be sure I would still return with the assistance. The unique Specialized feature called "Smart Control" allows you get rid of the range anxiety. The only issue is the assistance is automatic & variable, so would I have too much or too little of assistance today?

View attachment 149412
I was heading towards Leszno (Mazovia) without a plan, and was exploring side roads. That's how I found myself in the front of the Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute, National Research Centre, Radzików. An interesting village. The Institute gives employment to many people, so there are many pretty nice blocks of flats in that very small village, making an impression of a small town.

View attachment 149413
A substantial lunch at Klimatyczna Cafe

View attachment 149414
I've always wondered what this tank think thank thinks or? The armoured vehicles or storage vessels? (I will disappoint you: they make plastic storage vessels, not battle tanks!)

View attachment 149416
These vertical bars denote a Vado is controlled by a smartphone app.

View attachment 149417
One of very rare gravel roads in Central Mazovia. (That's why my Cycling Club mostly rides in forests!)

View attachment 149418
Smart Control provided too high assistance this time! While that was OK upwind, I was gaining too much on the return trip. Suffice to say I hit the assistance limit of 45 km/h (28 mph) while riding with tailwind!

Q1: Is that the astonished smokestack near your home?

Q2: I generally solve cadence and foot force problems with gears first, and then PAS levels. Does SmartControl take more the opposite approach?

Q3: Does your doctor know about your diet?

If no to Q3, it's not too late to carry blank NDAs — especially for all those pastry shops.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Q1: Is that the astonished smokestack near your home?

A1: I actually live in a block of flats very near to that smoke-stack (the building was built as a hotel for the heat plant workers; the plant itself has never been finished). The small smokestack (defunct) is located at the stead of a craft brewery (that has never started brewing because of economic issues).

Q2: I generally solve cadence and foot force problems with gears first, and then PAS levels. Does SmartControl take more the opposite approach?

A2: Smart Control has nothing to do with the cadence or torque. It is only for battery range control:

• "Given the distance to be ridden d and planned elevation gain h, ensure I will get at my destination with x % of the battery left", or
• "Let me ride for y hours and z minutes with planned elevation gain of h, make me sure I will be left with x % of the battery when I'm finished", or
• "Adjust the assistance so my heart rate will never exceed r BPM".

The assistance will increase or decrease as needed. You must operate the derailleur normally to keep at your desired cadence.

Q3: Does your doctor know about your diet?

A3: No I think I burned enough calories on the ride to treat the cake as a regular lunch!
(Besides, I take Metformin).

 

[Prairie Dog]

Here’s a hastily edited video of my first ride on the Bigfoot as it took to the Heritage single track yesterday which was the closest trail head from the LBS. The name belies the true nature of this bike as it surprised me to be one fast and maneuverable ride. It certainly doesn’t lumber around like a tank out there.

Ride conditions today were nowhere as optimal as warmer temps softened the snow along the trails. More bad news as I just discovered that my Garmin 520 + is not compatible with this bike. I rode a 30km loop from the Pines single to Heritage Ranch.

Back home at the lair.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Here’s a hastily edited video of my first ride on the Bigfoot as it took to the Heritage single track yesterday which was the closest trail head from the LBS. The name belies the true nature of this bike as it surprised me to be one fast and maneuverable ride. It certainly doesn’t lumber around like a tank out there.

View attachment 149428

Ride conditions today were nowhere as optimal as warmer temps softened the snow along the trails. More bad news as I just discovered that my Garmin 520 + is not compatible with this bike. I rode a 30km loop from the Pines single to Heritage Ranch.

View attachment 149429

View attachment 149430

Back home at the lair.

View attachment 149431

Beautiful! And quite a bike.

Now I know where you are. Mentioned a geology field trip I took in the Alberta Rockies many posts ago in this thread. Went through Red Deer on the way back to Calgary.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Here’s a hastily edited video of my first ride on the Bigfoot as it took to the Heritage single track yesterday which was the closest trail head from the LBS. The name belies the true nature of this bike as it surprised me to be one fast and maneuverable ride. It certainly doesn’t lumber around like a tank out there.

View attachment 149428

Ride conditions today were nowhere as optimal as warmer temps softened the snow along the trails. More bad news as I just discovered that my Garmin 520 + is not compatible with this bike. I rode a 30km loop from the Pines single to Heritage Ranch.

View attachment 149429

View attachment 149430

Back home at the lair.

View attachment 149431

Epic! That Bigfoot rocks! Tires aren't studded are they?
I think you need a Garmin 530 or later to do Steps?

 

[fooferdoggie]

This guy visits often to my local hardware store store.

 

[DaveMatthews]

This guy visits often to my local hardware store store.
View attachment 149434

Red Green, is that you?

 

[Prairie Dog]

Beautiful! And quite a bike.

Now I know where you are. Mentioned a geology field trip I took in the Alberta Rockies many posts ago in this thread. Went through Red Deer on the way back to Calgary.

Living in a smaller center in the Parkland does have its benefits and Calgary and our fair capital are only an hour or so drive away.

Epic! That Bigfoot rocks! Tires aren't studded are they?
I think you need a Garmin 530 or later to do Steps?

Tires are studded, Dave. 252 XL carbide concave/tire. Not as spikey as the ISPs but they certainly hold they’re own. Thanks for the heads up on the Garmin, How are you liking your 830?

 

[Rome]

You guys got me to Google Norco Bigfoot. I'm entice, I want to add fat tires emtb in my collection for sand riding.