Israel Mountain Bike Club IsraelSpokes.com

RIDE REPORTS

Ride report 14th August by Max - Burma

SHE told me to plan a short ride.
SHE told me to take into account the HOT weather.
SHE said everyone would like an easier ride during the Summer months.
SHE, SHE .SHE.................

BUT I being the MAN planned the route MY way.
It just so happened to be a short ride
It just so happened to be an easier ride.

So we met 11 early risers, in Kfar Uriah at the top of a long hill into the Moshav. Bikes prepared we started even before 06.45 which is truly a miracle and began our "short easier' ride.
We climbed and climbed and here and there managed a short technical downhill and then climbed some more. All the climbs were short and there were plenty of them. We basically followed the Burma road but on the paths parellel to it. We went past Harel, and Taoz, we rode down the Serpentine which is always an adrenaline run, we rode uphill and looked down on Mesilat Zion and on Eshtaol and then following one bit of trail which was new to all, we climbed a wall which some of us managed to do and then hit a fast running trail straight into our previously prepared dining table.

After an energy break we joined the Sculptures route and rode some long fast downhills passing Mitzpe Tzara, Tel Tzara and into the forest of Yar Tzara, passed Har Tnufa and back to the cars.

We got to the cars at 10.15, and praised by all for a great "short smooth flowing" ride which I had decided on my own (with direct interference from SHE) we finished a really good ride.
The area is great to ride in, a lot of the paths are covered by the high trees and fortunately we also had good cloud cover.
All in all a great morning and thanks go to SHE for making the right decision again.

Ride report 5 Aug by Max - 100 kms from Hod Hasharon to Jerusalem

Cool.
That people, is the best way to describe our 100 km ride.........."coooooool". 22.00 Gidi, Jonathan and I met and began riding. We all expected temperatures about 26 deg C and high humidity. In fact we had a nice refreshing breeze just about all the way and we managed to remain cooooool nearly all the way up to the Golden City.

The way to Ramle past the airport city was fast paced and all the trails we used were easy to traverse.
Only one annoying item was the gates installed on Shvil Israel just past Einat which caused us to climb over barbed wire fences (see the pics) like thieves of the night.
To any farmer reading this missive......we did not steal any of your fruits !!!!
Lod is always an experience to go through and the sights and sweet!! smells coming out of various nooks and crannies were quite uplifting...!!!

Just before 24.00 we arrived at our designated meeting point....the Sonol petrol station..in Ramle and sat on the steps of "The Burning Meeting Place" (a very literal translation) . Orly was there to greet us and Stas arrives sometime later.

We started the 2nd part of the ride from Ramle to Bet Shemesh at about 00.45 through the fields running parallel to Highway 6 for some time until turning East towards Bet Shemesh.

We ride past the New Mekorot Pumping Station which is built next to the original one built in the 1940's (I think). Every time we ride past here, we stop and we look at the building.
The construction reminds me very much of the pictures and of the grim imagery of Auschwitz. I wonder if the construction Engineer was incarcerated there.
This is part of the 2nd water pipe system from Rosh HaAyin to the North Negev.

After this we rode along what was our sweet supply of oranges, but now just a memory as all has been torn down. Now only the fields remain ready to be replanted with some more financially profitable growth.
The trail runs adjacent to the railway lines and led us all the way to Bet Shemesh where our next break was in the all night kiosk on Road 38.... the time now was about 03.15.. The break was good, we topped up on energy supplements, water,coke and good hot black coffee, courtesy of the kiosk. Here Stas fixed the first of his 2 or three punctures and here Jonathan was met, on his visit to the OO, with the distressing sight of a young girl, zonked out of her brain after sniffing lighter gas.

At about 04.00 we set off again for the third and last part of our ride. From Bet Shemesh to Jerusalem. From now on it would be all uphill. Although it was still dark, we all managed to feel the hills around us, to see the night sky (when we turned off our P7's) and to hear the night sounds surrounding us. The water crossing proved a little slippery and we all walked through it holding very tightly onto our bikes as the flow was quite fast and wanted to pull us downstream.
Crossing the 386 road, we began the ride through Nahal HaRefaim, again aware of the beauty all around us. We raced through the forests and reached Gesher Kobi out of breath and ready for our next short break.
Unfortunately Stas had more problems with his bike and we ended up staying at least 30 minutes here. While we waited we were visited by various other mountain bikers, runners, illegal transport vans (we think), and managed to finish our plentiful supply of food.
Then the BBC which as we all now know is a phrase coined by Jonathan and refers to the "Big Bad Climb". Jonathan and Gidi raced up the 3 km climb and we all followed them from afar.
From the summit of the BBC it was a downhill free wheeling adrenaline shooting run to the fork in the trails.......we took the left and climbed higher onto the final part of the trail into Jerusalem.

As is our norm, we waited for all to gather and then triumphantly entered Jerusalem together, the five proud Spokes riders having been on the trail for a total of 10 hours with 6 and a half hours actual riding time. The total climb was 1100 meters which after barometric adjustment was reduced to a more accurate 850 meters.
A ride well ridden, in perfect conditions and with perfect company.

OOPS I forgot..............to my partner in life, in riding and in everything we do so well together, thank you for getting up at 04.00 in the morning. Thank you for being at the Gan Tanachi at 06.00 ( I had aspirations that we might get htere by then). Thank you for patiently waiting there till 08.00 and for welcoming us with cold refreshing choco and cake and your lovely smile and THANK you for coming to fetch us all.
By the way, you missed a great ride !!!!!

See you next time.............

Gidi added:

To Max,
It was a great experience! Thanks for your superb leadership!

To Nurit,
Thanks for the warm (and tasty) welcome and for the quick ride back.

Ride report 31 July by Max - Yagur Muchraka and singles

04.30 Alarm set....rings......we get up..........
05.30 Bikes packed on car.......New neighbour.....Eitan ready and waiting.........
06.25 Arrive Yagur...parking lot........
06.30 - 06.45 Dennis, Stas, Jonathan and Amos arrive........a party of 7.
Ride begins...along the Kishon...Tyelet.....warming up...waking up.......
Past the Turkish railway system and the mock up of the carriages.......
Riding South to get to the beginning of the long climb to the Muchraka.....(BBC)
Water crossing...see pictures........Tel Kashish..........
Jonathan takes the plunge.....we all follow....not his way!!!!!
Over the pipework area....under the bridge.....start the climb.
No one told us that all the paths had been dug up....we rode in stone dust.......10 cms deep.....
Onwards and Upwards!!!! we rode. ....impossible ascent .......we walked......
Eitan ........my foot..he cried....and turned back......
. We continued.........climbed.......had a break......climbed.....had a break....climbed........
The Muchraka to our left..........we said hallo in passing........and continued on the scenic route "Nof HaCarmel" .
The path ...less severe.....but still punishing........onwards we pushed......had a break....climbed... Reached the beginning of the final single........do it....or not????
Do it.....bad decision. What once might have been a rideable single is now a hikers joy...but not a rider's delight........we walked.........had a break.......walked......had a break.......and so it continued all the way down to Yagur....
Thanks to the good Lord....we made it..... Jonathan, Nurit and I and then Stas and Amos and then Dennis..........
16.00 we finished........dead......fried to a crisp.........bloated with 7 litres of water in our inners.....
17.00 after drinks...beers....water...we loaded the cars
18.00 Home...........

Sometimes plans do not work out as one wanted.........!!
Statistics: 750 meters ascent, 42 kms ridden. Not bad !!

Next week an easier ride..........110 kms to Jerusalem !!!!

and now from our resident poet........Jonathan.........

One oppressive, humid Saturday, with heat that was just searing
We climbed up to the Muhraka with some walking and some wheeling
We all worked up our sweat so much our fingers turned to wrinkles
Then rather than a paved descent, Max opted for the singles

We're all dead beat by then, legs shaking from the strain
With narrow paths and hairpin bends, sharp rocks - real treacherous terrain
Oh come on guys Max said to us, just give a little effort
We looked again and turned our eyes and answered him "Oh 'f' it"

The remaining miles back to our cars we walked in riding gear
With cleated shoes we'd slip and slide - most uncomfortable, my dear
And as I shed my clothes that night I found with great chagrin
A heart-shaped sore from padded shorts burned to my rear end

A deep night's sleep and thorough rest - I'll soon feel superior
I'll rest my legs and rub ointments to my posterior
Next ride I have it all worked out - for pedaling and for pushing
I shall be riding high and tall, upon a padded cushion

and now an ode to sun cream!!!

There was once a man from Tzofit
Who was not too bothered by the heat
His knee in pain, he sprayed in vain
Using Stas's sun cream treat.

It is truly amazing what sun cream will do against pain.

and now from Dennis.....in answer to "Can Peacocks fly"???????

Yes they can. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzMk_pErVzo

Ride report 24 July by Jonathan - Springs and Singles - Aminadav-Ein Karem

The ride was in familiar territory in the hills of Jerusalem - Ein Karem, Aminadav, Yad Kennedy, Sa'adim, Even Sapir and more. Always beautiful countryside and panoramic scenery. Also lots of shade, which at this time of the year is always a good thing.
It started off unusually humid (for Jerusalem) and it took a while until we'd climbed the first of our healthy climbs (up a road leading to Yad Kennedy) that we got to appreciate fresh high altitude air and a nice cooling breeze. We had a quick stop at Yad Kennedy (which is in a terrible state of repairs), munching a few carobs for refreshment and were treated to a short lesson in Arabic by Yoram who pointed out that "harufim" is lamb. Who would have guessed?
After sharing a few jokes, we headed off down the hill that we'd just climbed up - much quicker going down. We passed lots of fountains (ma'ayanot) - Uzi, Abuzi, Itamar - I don't remember all their names. Most were either empty or green, though the green water was reportedly clean all the same - just rather uninviting.
There were plenty of forest trails too, through the forests of Aminadav (which sounds like a place in Lord of the Rings) - no dwarfs, elves, or gnomes - and then to Ein Lavan for a dip. Not sure why it's called "lavan" - the water there was very green too, though very refreshing.
Dennis offered some material for a rhyme but (a) I don't do requests and (b) I don't remember what it was.

Then we began a long gradual climb taking us back in the general direction of Jerusalem. Along the way, Nurit managed to break her front "naba" and two spokes were freed. This resulted in some quick field surgery - initial diagnosis was that the bike was unfit for riding, but some determined work by the teacher of Bike Mechanics 1 got her going again - slowly and gingerly at first, but good enough to get back to Jerusalem.
Along the way, we did a touch of a technical downhill single (mostly on foot), a final, pretty trying climb, in to the city of Jerusalem where we headed back downhill to a pit stop and our cars.
We got back fairly tired, lots of scratches (some from falls - particularly by those who normally don't, some from riding next to prickly plants) but no real injuries.
All in all, about 3 hours of actual motion, spread over nearly six hours of the trip. Some good climbs, practice for technical bits, magnificent views and mostly shielded from the heat and a short swim. All in all, a highly enjoyable ride.

In response to the overwhelming demand for another rhyme (take care with the changing rhythm in each verse):

Nurit rides with us blokes
And suffers our bad jokes
This shabat she had bad luck
And broke two of her spokes

Max was delighted
Our bikes we alighted
To see what could be done
We improvised, a plan devised
While standing in the sun

We're back up and running
The results were quite stunning
Her bike was looking like new
What magic was done
Will be taught for your fun
In Max's Mechanics Course 2

Max added:
Just a thank you to KKL and to IMBA and others who work so hard to give us these very beautiful singles, parks and forest paths.
We all really appreciate the tremendous effort that goes into preparing a good single.
Ein HaLavan gets it's name from the white coloured rocks found in the ridges in the area.

Gidi sent me a news report of a fire which broke out in Yar Aminadav the day after we had left the area. Read it in the Hebrew page.

Ride report 17th July by Max - Nahal HaShnaim

In the beginning...........we (Nurit & I) used to pour over topographical maps, read 4 x 4 volumes, study reports from other riders, read books on trails in Israel and then map our route using Naviguide (an old topographical map version of Amud Anan) together with maps of the Israel trails. We would then set out during the week using an old hand held GPS with maps and spend hours working out where to go before doing the actual ride on each Saturday. We also had a distinct advantage that Nurit has a built in GPS somewhere in her brain and it never seems to need charging. Then we progressed. We bought a Garmin 305 Edge which turned out to be a wonderful mapping GPS instrument (with no maps). What this did give us, was the possibility to draw routes on both Amud Anan and Google Earth (both on line on the Internet). Having drawn these routes we could then upload them to the Garmin Edge and then go out into the countryside and "follow" a moving line on the screen of the GPS . While we could see on line, the elevation difference, it is impossible to know the gradient or the technical difficulties that comprise each path. Sometimes we did the route before the Saturday rides and sometimes not but mostly our previously planned route would work out fine. OK but what happens when you get to the "start off" point at 06.30 in the early early morning and turn on the GPS and oops by mistake you press the "DELETE" button instead of the "START" button. (stupid huh???). Well shit happens...... My "start off" chat was.......We remember the beginning and we remember the end but in between those two points may well be a lot of improvisations. So off we went........ .... and we could not remember the beginning........ After a bit of tooing and froing we started the ride and managed to find the whole route apart from missing the hardest climb........now where was that?? Nahal HaShofet is a very beautiful area, with clean, clear water running all the year round. A place to immerse our hot bodies........in the cold refreshing waters...... Nahal Gahar, equally beautiful and finally Nahal Hashnaim which was dry. The naturally planted "natural" forests are truly exotic and the myriad paths allowed us to complete a really great ride. We managed some good healthy climbs, some brilliant technical downhills and if you managed to cope with the heat which seemed to hit us here and there, it was a great ride with a great crowd. To finish....yes...we did find the way back.......then a cold sweet watermelon........courtesy of Nurit and yours truly. See you on the next ride.

Ride report 10 July by Jonathan - HH to Nachshonim

It was a "getting back in to riding" sort of ride.
There were just four of us (Max, Nurit, Yoram and Jonathan) and with recent marches for Gilad Shalit, trips to Hungary, a suspected slight cold - the ride was a local and not-too-hard one.
We did show our rust at times - Jonathan and Max nearly crashed into each other, Yoram and Max nearly crashed in to each other, mistaken turns and some quick thinking to overcome unexpected obstacles - especially getting through part of the Israel Trail that has been fenced off.

The ride was mostly pretty - trailing the Kane river through winding trails, which we crossed at our regular spot - then past Einat to Nachshonim where a nice and very stony climb waited us. We got through that, then down the hill to Einat and back. Nearly 50Kms in all - done in quite quick time (the coffee shop in Einat was virtually empty when we got there).
Good exercise and enjoyment all round.

We rode 'cross a river with stones
Then through places where Baptists still roam
Some fences were scaled
Great hills were assailed
And then we rode back to our homes

Walking with Aviva and Noam Shalit..for Gilad....more photos....by Max

We added more photos .....see the thousands of people who walked with Noam and Aviva. It is truly an amazing outpouring of people's support for the family.

Ride report 3 July by Max - Tzipori singles.

The idea was for a 55 km ride comprising singles and doubles (not tennis) but time lost in finding unridden trails and hidden singles and then some fierce heat caused a correct decision to be taken and we finished a good ride of 31 kms with some smooth flowing singles. The fact that we did most of the singles the wrong way round, according to riders we met on the ride did not cause us to do too much additional technical riding.

Tzipori is a great area to ride in and this time we covered the Northern side of the river. We ended our single trail in a bike shop/ ice cream parlour in the middle of no where and while we did not buy anything, the prices here were quite good and the shop was well plenished with many a good spare part. repairs and service are done on the spot and it seems this is a well frequented watering spot for lovers of non technical singles.

Next time we do this ride we will add on a few kms and attempt to do it the "correct" way round. The start of the ride is in Nofit and anyone who knows this idealistic spot, knows that the settlement sits on the top of a good "healthy" hill. So the start was all dowhill, but the end.........

Walking with Aviva and Noam Shalit..for Gilad....July....by Max

We walked with Aviva and Noam as parents of our Children, alive and well and with us at home. We understand very simply, that Aviva and Noam want Gilad, their son, home with them, healthy and able to enjoy his life as he should instead of being held captive, with no rights, for 4 years in terrible conditions somewhere in Gaza, by the Hamas. We know this has no easy solution. We know there is a high price to be paid, but he is our son, your son and we need him home. There is no price for this only the correct decision to be made. One that will bring Gilad home and quickly. See some of the pictures during the walks we were on. Join us and thousands of others as we give those in power, the power that they need to make some very difficult decisions.

Ride report 26 June by Nurit - Nahal Kziv ride for Gilad Shalit

Kziv-Gilad 26 june

This weeks ride was for Gilad Shalit

Max and I chose this route in Nahal Kziv since this was where Gilad was born and was his favorite playground. And now about the ride.

A very different weather greeted us as we met, 22 of us, in Manot in the early morning. Residues of the early morning rain had left us with beautiful clear views and a very clean mountain air gave us a great feeling as we prepared our bikes for this special ride.
A brief explanation by Max about the route and then we started, or nearly started, as a call from Stas telling us he was repairing a puncture caused us a minor wait.
A quick downhill start led us to the beginning of our trail and no one thought that this was an indication of the final uphill we would be doing at the end of the ride.
The trail took us past Manot and soon turned into a long, long, long uphill climb but anyone who managed to see the surrounding scenery enjoyed brilliant landscapes very much reminiscent of Switzerland.
At this stage we said fond farewells to Hylton who needed to spend some quality time back in Manot together with Ingride. (Feel better my friend).

Continuing, we rode through Miilya and then turned North towards the beginning of the Nahal. Riding down the breathtaking trail to Nahal Koren and then to Nahal Kziv was amazing and the weather, perfect for a days riding.
In the beginning of the Nahal there is a 50 meter stretch of boulder, bike carrying and pushing but soon we were at the beginning of the second part of our ride along the Kziv river. To our surprise a flowing, clean rushing river greeted us and the sound of this gushing water would stay with us for the next couple of hours.
Our first stop was at Ein Tamir and after an energy break, some of us, led by the intrepid GPS otherwise known as Nurit, delved into a split in the rock face and stooped gingerly in the dark through the cold waters to search for the source of the waters.
Although the beauty of Ein Tamir causes you to want more, we did eventually get back on our bikes to continue our ride through the 100-200 meter high canyon, crossing the water filled Nahal many times, over boulders and river stones that caused us to put a foot down here and a fall there but finally we arrived at the gate and our ride along one of the most natural and beautiful rivers in Israel was over. We all hope that Shimon’s aches and pains will soon go and beware green cars in the future. The same for Uri who now needs a good manicure.

The final part of our ride led us up a technical steep climb and then a further short uphill brought us back to the cars.

Here we all got together again and with bikes back on the cars, we drove the long. long, long climb to the Montfort parking area (somehow it seems easier by car ???), and then a quick change of shirts, and flags tied securely onto our bikes we rode the last 2-3 kms to visit and show our support, to Noam and Aviva, whom we met on the back porch in their home.
We all stood here before this very strong woman, who has waited for 4 years while her son languishes somewhere in captivity and is fighting to bring her son home and I (Nurit) , with tears in my eyes, found it very difficult. We came to show them, Noam and my friend Aviva that we are with them and that in our own way and through our rides we will always remember Gilad and will continue until Gilad is released and returns home.

The amazing short downhill ride back to the car was full of thoughts and prayers, that Gilad would return very quickly to walk and ride, in the trails and paths that abound in this very special area of Israel.
Then from the depths of our blue car, Max pulls out the next surprise and we all savour the "Oh so sweet and cold" water mellon. A perfect way to stave off our hunger pains at the end of a great ride.

This time my thanks to all of you who rode with us, for your patience and support in what for me is a very personal issue.

And many many thanks to Max, first for the week that passed when you could hardly stand because of your back, for updating the site all the time about Gilad, for your organization in bring together all the riders, for the shirts you had printed and all this while receiving treatment for your back, all through the week. There is no doubt that your humour, your peace of mind and the scenery around us helped me on this very difficult day.

Ride report 19 June by - Max - Horshim and Einat

HH to Horshim, Einat and Back 19 June

Not too early, but wary of the heat, we left Hod Hasharon at 07.00 for a 40 Km ride round our local hunting ground. Along the Kane we rode, toward Kfar Saba, Neveh Yamin to our left and Sde Hemed, our right. Then parallel to Kvish 6 , Jaljouliya now on our right with Yarchiv on our left.
Previously we got in a warm up climb to the top of Matan but now, alas, we are closed out, made unwelcome by a yellow metallic guard. A detour is made amidst another pile of evil garbage.
Then continue under Kvish 6, through the fields and orchids, keep out shouted the barbed wire 10 meters high and electrified....where are we????.

Now into familiar ruts, stones and trails...alias Horshim and climbing time.
Up to Horshim, up to Oranit and then a cool free wheeling downhill to the rubbish of Kfar Kassem.
Where did all the cleaners go............Long time passing........
A climb up into our very own wide single, nearly all making the highest point. And now a welcome back to Irena (blond???) and Ofer who joined us on our local ride before going off the sunny (we hope) Austria for a long long ride along the Danube........Kol HaKavod and have fun.
Then Zvika shouting Genoug........enough.......bring me my wife. And she came and took him home........be well......my friend.
Through the quarry area, fields burnt on both sides (be careful our brothers....when you burn the plastic off the electrical cables) and through the Western borders of Park Rosh HaAyin, climbing up and then down to Migdal Tzedek.
Shall we climb up to the fort I cried???
NO NO No they cried back in unison.........so we did not climb!!!!
Down we rode to Einat, filled our bottles with water and rode on into the fields of Park Afek. Passed the fortress of Afek and through the myriad trails of the Yarkon.
Shall we cross the water ... i cried ????
No No NO in unison the cried.........so we crossed the waters........

Irena took the opportunity for a quick wash down (no soap available) and others washed their shoes.....
The way back was easy riding and then into the cars and speedily we drove to Jonathan's hut.
Happy birthday to you... happy Birthday to you.......etc etc.
Kol HaKavod to Joanne who prepared a spread worthy of Spokes Kings and we indulged in our favourite past time of beer, humous and swimming.... Thanks to you both Johno and Joanne.

And thus ended a splendid 40 km ride. Not too hot, with a breeze on our side all the time to cool us down.

See you next week in Kziv - the ride is dedicated to Gilad Shalit so join us.............

Ofer Comments:
Thank you Max for leading a great ride! We enjoyed the trip, the perfect selection of garbage, and especially the enjoyable company.
Special thanks to Joanne, Jonathan and the dogs for a great hospitality!

Ride report 12 June by Dennis - Nahal Itlah

The riders gathered together sipping cold fluids decided unanimously that today had been a hard ride. The mother of all hard rides by which all future hard rides shall be measured. 9.9 points on the hard-ride scale. That, strange though it may seem, is all that I can remember. The rest of the morning's activities are shrouded in swirls of metaphorical mist. Oy vay. Seven hours of one's life totally obliterated.

Fortunately, the wonders of modern technology come to the aid of post-traumatic mental-erasure syndrome sufferers. Through careful reconstruction from multiple GPS tracks, numerous photographic images of suffering (don't be misled by any smiles), and detailed graphs of local weather conditions (it did feel a little warm), the following tale of what befell us emerges.

Most prominent of the gradually appearing recollections are the hills. Hills going up, and hills coming down. Between these hills, rivers are supposed to flow. More precisely, streams. But at this time of year there are no streams. No bubbling brooks of cool water to quench the thirst of the weary traveller. Just stones. Rivers of rocks. There are small rocks, medium size rocks, and big rocks. The paths through the area cross these rocky beds many times. Mountain bike riders are told the best way to get through is to ignore the rocks, and indeed this method seems to work as long as the rocks are no larger than small animals or footballs (which reminds me, we had to hurry since there would soon be footy on the telly); when faced with a boulder the size of a large animal, or a small house, other techniques are suggested (see photos).

Shaar Hagai is where it began for the six happy riders. Beneath highway 1 we proceeded (few know of the many hidden passages beneath our highways) into the eastern part of Park Canada and up to Artillery Ridge with a great view over the area. Then a swift downhill to the foot of Mevo Horon. At this point we were at an altitude of 240 m; little did most of us know of the long ascent that awaited us.

Nahal Kefira provided the path for much of our climb. At Ein Nataf, with its deep well, we rested briefly and encountered some younger riders who were also braving the harsh terrain. After leaving them we continued upward, and shortly after, one of the young folk, breathless, caught up with us to ask about help for a broken chain. No problem for our technicians, who, when the broken chain arrived, swiftly effected the repairs with available tools and a replacement link. The youngsters were most impressed, and departed pleased at having learned an important lesson. Through Nataf, then up to Har Haruach. In 7 km we had climbed 420 m; that's an average 6% grade. On the mountain we rested and breathed the fresh air. Then more uphill and a Polish memorial forest to our peak of 750 m.

Time to descend, courtesy of Nahal Yitlah. And down we went. Almost 500 m down a steep stony slope, with numerous rocky stream crossings at the lower end. Plenty of work for the brakes. At some point (E204357 N637080, or thereabouts) we were forced to engage in bike portaging over very inhospitable ground (see photos). This is not a place for cycling; it is a place for scrambling on all fours or sliding on one's rear end. There was a cave in the cliff that we saw but were not inclined to explore. Getting through this mini-canyon took half an hour (think of all those km we could have ridden).

The rest was smooth sailing, relatively speaking. Another 100 m climb, back under the highway, and... The end. A total of 850 m climbed, 34 km travelled. The riders gathered together sipping cold fluids decided unanimously that today had been a hard ride.

ruminations from our resident rhymer of rural Tzofit

We'd done two climbs up trails and rocks Hearts pumping with great fury We passed Nataf atop a hill Then to a site for Polish Jewry

We looked ahead upon a road
That seemed a mile tall
"OK guys" reported Max
"We've come up to the Wall"

Nurit's lower lip was shaking
"I'll go the long way round.
I've done it once but that's enough
It will run me to the ground"

But Dennis resolutely pleaded
"We're united stand or fall"
So we all set off with great resolve
To scale the mighty Wall

Seventy meters up it goes
Just seven hundred in its length
It's pure brute force and stamina
And will sap up all your strength

We changed down gears, we took some air
Legs were pumping, backs were bent
We started riding side to side
To reduce the angle of ascent

We climbed the Wall and caught our breath Our pulses would still pound "We've done the Wall this time but next We'll go the long way round"

max added Little did we know what awaited us. Go into the Black canyon, my instincts told me.....but I expected a somewhat rideable single from Nahal Itlah through the valley to Mevo Horon.
An 8 meter canyon awaited us, no single, no paths no ............all we had to do was clamber down 2 meter tall rocks, find footholds where there were none and then pass the bikes down from one t'other.
Where were those ropes we lamented.?
Who the hell led us here, we cried?
But we laughed at the craziness. Never follow Max's instincts......always gets you into trouble.
Well we managed it and had fun doing it (see the pics) and I never heard one single complaint.....!!!!!!!
Who said anything about a hard ride?????????
see you next time......

Ride report 9 June by Max - Hod Hasharon - Basic Mechanics course - Our Home

Mech course1 9 Jun

What started as an idea some time ago, became fact last night.
A beer evening with the guys and Nurit of course was a must.
During the evening we also managed to discuss a couple of basic mechanical ideas concerning bikes and mountain bikes in particular.
The idea was to explain the best ways to do certain tasks on our bikes, like removing wheels, especially the back one, replacing inner tubes, repairing chains and derailleur ears (otherwise known as hangers) and other items that came up during the discussion.
The most talked about task was how to clean and oil the bike chain and generally how to clean the bike. (See my article about this.....in the archive section of the site).
At the same time we sold some of Joe's, in my opinion, very good bike degreasers, oils and inners. We sell these at very good prices.

True, the forum was a bit noisy at times and true I had to threaten to remove members from the plenum...including Nurit at one point, but generally everyone was well behaved and I hope we all learned something and at the same time had fun.
A certificate of excellence will be issued to :
Jonathan, Tzvika, Dennis, Stuart, Matti, Itzik, Nathan, Yuval and of course Nurit.

See you at the next session and comments and suggestions are welcome.

Ride report 5th June by Jonathan - Marathon Jerusalem 2010

Marathon Jerusalem

The route this time was the Jerusalem Marathon that was done about a month ago - a circular route of about 25Km starting at Hirbet Sa'adim that basically goes down, down, down and then up, up, up. The full marathon was 3 circles, the half-marathon was 2 times round and our route was one (with an option for a second). One could debate whether that counts as a third of the marathon or a quarter (half or the half).
In any case the ride was graded as medium technical and medium stamina (I believe that was for one circle, but given our calibration system, two times round would probably get the same rating).

With my mind spinning with these options, I set out and unfortunately forgot my backpack - complete with water and salted dates - at home.
Fortunately I didn't forget to pick up Tzvika along the way who most heroically volunteered to carry extra water for me. Thank you Tzvika!

We got going more or less on time, weather was perfect (fresh cool mountain air) and the scenery, as usually for that area, was really beautiful. Some punctures early on set us back but we were soon on track, descending down towards Nahal Sorek and eventually on to Gesher Kobi (where our ride to Jerusalem took us). Max fitted in a quick sales pitch along the way, showing off his Steppenwolf to two interested riders and then on to the last part which this was a rather tricky-in-places single where we sometimes walked/sometimes rode. Having been passed by three more adventurous riders that did it all without batting an eyelid, the three wise men all concurred that "we could have ridden all of it. Not this time - perhaps next".

We had a short break at Gesher Kobi where I nearly forgot my helmet and gloves (what was going on?) and started out on the BBC (the Big Bad Climb, for those that didn't read the Jerusalem ride report). We sweated and groaned and scaled the BBC and generally concurred - on top of the hill - that it wasn't really the worst climb we've done. The three wise men nodded in consent - "we could have done it faster. Not this time, probably next".

Some more climbing - including a very steep, though fairly short, part on bitumen took us back up to the cars where we did a small ride around the park to finish the ride. Lots of families picnicking, mangalim and walking tours. Another steep, but shorter climb to finish and we had reached our cars for the second and final time. All in all, a magnificent area - a ride that was quite challenging in parts, though overall not the hardest we've done. Medium/medium was a fair grading (for once). The three wise men, after solemn discussion all agreed: "we could do two laps. Not this time, definitely next".

A final passing thought on the way the rides are graded:

We gather up data on tracks
On distance, ascent and all facts
But when each of the days
Is given "medium" grades
What does it all mean? Go ask Max!

Ride report 1st June by Max - Tel Aviv

Gilad 1 june

Thanks to all of you who showed you cared. Cared about Gilad Shalit and his family. Cared about the fact that he is still held unlawfully by the Hamas in some hell hole in Gaza and cared enough to show Tel Aviv that we want Gilad Shalit released.
The feed back that we get from those we stopped and from those who stopped us to hand out and receive the stickers and ribbons was plenty to show that so many people care and nobody has forgotton.
We know that Gilad's parents appreciate what we are doing and as far as they are concerned, every action helps.
WE MUST NOT LET ANYONE FORGET THAT GILAD IS STILL ALIVE, IS STILL HELD IN CAPTIVITY AND MUST BE RELEASED SOON.
On a lighter note, the first and oldest railway station in Tel Aviv (nr Yafo) is now open...to be visited and a good place for coffee etc, etc....

Ride report 29th May by Max - Nahal Dalia & Har Horshan

Dalia & Horshan 29th May

A stony descent into Nahal Shalef and at our first stop in Ein Dmomit, we discovered Israel's main supply of water. As this is so secret we cannot begin to provide details but see the pictures for a better understanding.
Even now, the beginning of June, there is still water running through Nahal Shalef and the green foliage is truly beautiful.
Onwards we rode, warming up from an early morning chill....yes it was cold when we began.......under highway 6...a hideous cement monstrosity, (however, when I drive on it, I actually like it, as to get to the North of the country now is so much quicker), and then a hard climb up to Hill 186, known to the locals as Har Manara.
Here we met 2 great lads driving their Polaris Ranger buggy up the NE face of the this hill, overcoming steps of 40 cms and rocks and nonchalantly arriving at the top with comments like ..."that was an easy one compared to what we normally do". Well done to them and thanks for the great coffee they prepared for us.

We continued down to Ein Amikam an expanding community and began our climb to Har Horshan. Tzvika riding his new Stumpjumper comp felt the true advantages of a full suspension over a hard tail and rode up these climbs like a mountain lion......!! Nooo..Azoy !!!
A 100 meter climb brought us to the center of Har Horshan where we had our well deserved energy break. The discussions were very internal and we discussed the possibilities of motorized colonoscopy.
Then we continued through Har Horshan South and down to a bike park with berms and other jollies to wet our appetites. Then another short sharp climb and we began our downhill to the Western perimeter of Har Horshan.
Not being able to miss another good healthy climb, we came to a junction where we had two choices, one a smooth flat trail round Har Horshan or an abominable hard rocky climb to the summit of Har Horshan.....again. Well I democratically decided for all of us and up we climbed...and climbed...and climbed. Some rode, some pushed but eventually we made it to the summit. (In my opinion...a good "healthy" climb).
The summit achieved, we now pondered our next move, and so led by Stas (our own bulldozer), we entered a single which allegedly would take us down to the bottom of Har Horshan. the funny thing was that in the middle the single changed direction and climbed high. Stas and I climbed and the others sensibly took a white wide path to the bottom.
Eventually we all met again and rested awhile before the next stage of our ride.
Basically we were now pointing North and rode under Highway 6 again and parallel to it before turning East and back to Ein HaEmek.

A 33 km ride, but with all the additions (some unplanned) to the route we had done previously, I would say this was quite a hard ride.

Ride report 22 May by Max - HH, Einat, Nahal Shilo, Horshim and back.

Nahal Shilo Stones 22 May

The combination of the Yarkon trails, Nahal Shilo and park Rosh HaAyin in one ride of 45 kms is hard. Add that to high temperatures and it becomes very hard. Put all that in the pot with 5 hours and you get an equation which looks like this:
(((yt+ns+ra)*45)*t)*hr=a killer. Factor into this, the number of punctures, breaks and swear words used during the ride and we begin to get the beginning of an equation which will solve the ancient question of "What constitutes a hard ride?"
More on these definitions can be found in the "Interesting Topics" section.
I will be pleased to hear from the Engineers in the group, a proposed mathematical solution for an equation which will give us the ultimate answer.

Ah yes, the ride.
Well we started off nice and sedately, being joined by Matti, a neighbour of Zvika's. Through the rideable, mud free trails of the Yarkon and to Einat. At Einat and very sensibly too, Matti decided to return and we set off on our trip around Nahal Shilo.
The area in Winter is a delight to the eyes, Green, flowery and generally very pretty. Now towards the high Summer, the area becomes very brown and barren, devoid of any trees and a magnet for high temperatures. However, the trails are tremendously exciting, combining good climbs and good adrenaline pumping stony downhills and they seem to go on for ever.
Trying to find a tree, under which we could all squeeze, for an energy break, was difficult, both as a result of the thorns and the fact that during the whole ride until Horshim we only met one tree. Maybe a letter to the right people in KKL.
So coming back was a bit easier and 5 hours later we finished at Gershwin's with a feeling of pure.........tiredness.
So......stretch those muscles and don't let them cramp up....and see you all on Thursday night for a moonlight, NON technical ride.

Statistics:

Ride (R)=45 km
Total Riding Time (TRT)=3hrs and 45 mins
Average speed (AS) = 13 Km/hr
Total Ascent (TA) = 450 meters
Total Descent (TD) = TA

Get the Engineers to factor these stats into the equation. .... Professor...where are you ????

By the way, we did actually see the camal on this ride....!!!!

Ride report 19th May by David - The Gaaton

Gaaton 19th May

The last time I reported for the Ladies and Gentlemen of Spoke was on 08.08.2009 (Narbata) when I wrote: "....it is important to bear in mind that his [Max's] definition of the term 'medium' is somewhat subjective and may not necessarily bear any resemblance whatsoever to other definitions of that term....".

Against such a background, and on the basis of the advertised level of difficulty, for sure it was a "medium" ride: the uphills were medium (compared to riding in the foothills of the Himalayas); the stony terrain were medium, compared to riding on the Moon (any plans for a ride there Max?); and stamina was medium, compared to any 25 year old Iron Man contender. And lest one should ever dare to question the accuracy of Max's words one need look no further than his riding time estimate of 5 hours. Actual riding time was 4 hours, 58 minutes and 51 seconds (but don't be discouraged Max - an error of 1 minute 9 seconds is acceptable).

And so to the tachlis:
1. Eleven starters from the car park at Shayeret Yechiam (happily, with the same number of finishers).
2. Essentially one long uphill up to the Crusader Fortress at Yechiam, a few ups and downs at the top, then another long downhill of more or less equal length to the finish (see the elevation graph in the web link at the end of this report).
3. The uphills - a test not only of one's riding skills, but also of one's walking-a-bike-uphill skills, but more than compensated for by the magnificent views, especially from the Fortress area where "you can see forever".
4. The downhills - ranging from adrenalin-hairy, through exciting, bumpy, exhilarating, to just plain luxuriating, all amid a backdrop of the beauty of the surrounding countryside, and especially the verdant glory in the Nahal Gaaton area.
5. Navigation - as usual the Max/Nurit team did a great job, when all they asked was "a tall ship[enwolf] and a [GPS or 2] to steer her by"!
6. Great weather, great company.
7. BTW - the route almost throughout was a minefield of thorns of all shapes and sizes. Fortunately we only had two "flats" which didn't even require a tube replacement, and reminded me just how significant sealant technology has become in the enjoyment of our rides.

Thanks Max and Nurit, and all regular Spokers, for another great ride with Spokes
For my GPS details of the ride go to: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/33877807
[Note - the heart rate data is not that of a 25 year old Iron-Man Contender]

and now for some rhyme. Jonathan (our regular Yeats)
added his own tales, and waits
for recognition from his many fans
of his skills both bike and literans

Jonathan added:

Yehiam
Gaaton
Lots of stones and rocks
Hills galore
Our legs are sore
And Nurit scratched a kotz

We'd walked up hills
And take some spills
Without making too much fuss
And then descend
Until the end
Being lead by Max and Stas

Ted and Dina
Dave and Ingride
Yoram, Tzika, Dennis
And Yonatan
We all had fun -
Though much more work than tennis!

Editors note:
We cannot accept any responsibility for the written act.
We are doing our best to have certain members certified.

Ride report 15 May by Dennis - HH via Horshim, Park Rosh HaAyin, Einat and back

HH Horeshim Einat 15 May

It was supposed to be a hot day, so the ride down south was replaced by some meanderings to the east of Route 6. From Hod Hasharon via Elishema, Sde Chemed, and north-east over to the bridge over Route 6, all went according to plan. But then, while proceeding south to Matan we encountered the Locked Gate. It was so well locked that all our entreaties to the Powers Above failed to open it, so we backtracked reluctantly, back over Route 6, south where we were overtaken by a charging donkey cart, and then under Route 6, and onto Yarhiv. While this was a newly learned remedy for closed gates, it did deprive us of our traditional warmup climb through Matan.

All was not lost from a climbing point of view, because we immediately set off on a road climb past Nirit to Mitzpe Hezi. We know this road well, having whizzed down it many times in the dark. The only difference today was that we were whizzing up, and the sun was also starting to make its presence felt. From the road we turned onto a track, interviewed a King Charles spaniel, discussed purple flowers (a variety of hollyhock we were informed by a passing member of the Nature Protection Society who clearly had a doctorate in botany), and presumably did other things including listening to poetry of indeterminate quality and some meanderings through the forests and single-tracks of Horshim, before proceeding onward to check out the garbage at Kfar Kassem (gone, but starting to rebuild).

Onward, south and west into the hills behind Migdal Tsedek, up some rocky slopes not really designed for wheeled motion as the temperature rose, and then down from the fortress to Rosh Haayin where there was a break for puncture fixing. Finally, in violation of all that is holy to the off-road rider, a quick sprint along the road to bring us to the back routes leading to where we started five hours previously.

The finale was wine and cheese on a shady patio by a cool pool with a breeze and a view, chez Jonno and Joanne. What with the cold watermelon, not to mention big fluffy sheepdogs licking ones' salty limbs, could one have asked for more? Greatly appreciated by one and all.

Since this is a ride report, for the record, we did 41 km, with over 300 m ascended.

Max added:
Some of this ride became very technically challenging. The rocky incline is a great place to practice our techical riding skills, in jumping our bikes over small steps and in choosing the best path to take over rocks.
Take 2 spare inners from now on, as we are in the "thorn" period.

Next week on Tuesday evening 19.30 we will have our first "Basic Mechanics" course to be at our home. In this course we will cover, removal of front and back wheels, repairing punctures, repairing a broken chain, replacing a derailleur hanger and other questions which may arise.
The price is 20 shekels (for beers and cakes etc) for our regular riders.
We will have some of Joe's inners (spare tubes with sealer) for those who want.
Please make sure you register for this course as we are limited by space.

Ride report 1 May by Jonathan - Hod Hasharon Marathon to Jerusalem

HH to Jslem 1 May

I'll start at the end: a fantastic day (my most rewarding ride so far) -
hard work for sure, but terrific. If you are contemplating suicide, there can be fewer more enjoyable options.

Six of us met at 6am at Gershwins to celebrate 1st May by riding what turned out to be 11 hours to Jerusalem: Max and Nurit, Shimon, Amos, Natan and Jonathan.
After completing our preparations we set at and set a steady, though not too fast pace through the Yarkon trails up to Einat, where our path turned south-east on past Airport City, Lod and Ramle.
Along the way, Nurit picked up a mega-puncture after riding over a nail that was longer than a derailleur hanger. A patch was tried (didn't stick), the inner was sand-papered and another patch applied - it seemed to work and enabled us to get back on our way.
We zipped through Lod and stopped in Ramle for a short pit stop. Since we were riding through Israel's glorious natural countryside, it was only fitting that we stopped in a Ramle pertol station.
We got going again - to Moshav Rintia where Nurit's patch finally gave way and the inner was replaced.
Natan was dressed resplendently for May 1 - with a bright red shirt and a glowing red helmet. He was soon puffing and his face turned so red, it was hard to know where his anatomy stopped and his gear started.
After Rintia, things started to get a little complicated - a very stony path, railway lines, sandy trials (and a fall!) - but nothing would deter our loyal comrades. We passed a field of sunflowers (females, according to Nurit) with some unmissable photo ops. Then during a long trail along the Fields of Barley (that were still a lot more than a Stone's Throw from Jerusalem), things started getting tough. The sun was beating down, Max started bleating out old English songs in what appeared to be in a state of delirium (judging by his tunes anyway) and Natan's legs started cramping.
We eventually made it to the outskirts of Bet Shemesh where Max called in the cavalry (his wife) - though fortunately Itzik was close by with his car ready to help him over the last few kilometers to the Bet Shemesh kiosk.

From there, the climbs started. Max set a cracking pace for a furious 14 Km climb ("It's great it wasn't too steep - you can really go fast!". Wow!!) and eventually was called by Nurit to halt the punishment and we stopped to gather our breath next to Nahal Sorek. Everyone was complaining - Shimon's shoulder's hurt, Nurit's leg muscles were aching, Jonathan's back was bothering him and Amos was suffering in a place where "the sun don't shine". Max seemed to think it was humorous.
A little later and we arrived at Gesher Kobi (alongside Nahal Refaim) , where the ominous Big Bad Climb was to start. After the beating we had been served out after Bet Shemesh, no-one seemed to think it was THAT bad - though everyone was definitely aching and throbbing by now. We eventually finished the BBC, still in one piece and headed downhill towards our goal. A few minor climbs (short but very steep and rather punishing in our state of exhaustion) followed and soon enough, we could see the giraffe's neck protruding above the bushes in the Biblical Zoo of Jerusalem.
We rode the last hundred yards in unison (nearly toppling each other along the way) and were heralded in to the car park of the zoo with great fanfare.

Nurit and Max had organized some food and beer - we ate, drank, congratulated ourselves on reaching our goal and with the groans and moans, set off home. 11 hours, 100Kms almost to the dot and an accumulative ascent of somewhere around 1,300-1,500 meters (my GPS died before the end) - though that is without deducting the data with the highest standard deviation.

****

It was a very special day - there was real comradery between the (first) 6 then (later) 5 of us and despite the physical effort a day thoroughly enjoyed by all. Many thanks go to Max and Nurit for organizing not only the ride, but the surrounding logistics, to their friend Amos who drove up to Jerusalem, just to drive half of us back (and he said we were crazy!) and our Amos's son/daughter for getting his car there for the other half's return ride. Yeshar Koah to all!!

Max added:
just a couple of statistics:
1. Total ride: 100 kms
2. Total trip time: 10 hrs and 35 mins
3. Total riding time (estimated): 8 hrs
4. Average speed (estimated); 12.5 km/hr
5. Total Ascent: 1151 meters
6. Total descent: 538 meters

Ride report 28th April by Max - Ramat HaHayal to Yaffo for Gilad Shalit

Gilad 28 Apr

380,000 people wore white today, for Gilad Shalit. That in itself is amazing and well done to Ilan Spector, a 21 year old, for organising such an event.
Anything done to continue to bring the Gilad Shalit story to the fore of the Israeli news is worth doing. Our decision makers need to know that we want Gilad home and soon.
We the SPOKES, rode through Tel Aviv, our flags flowing behind us in the cool evening breeze, shouting to all....."Remember Gilad Shalit".....
It was great to see you all cared and it was also great to see the reactions of the Tel Avivians as we rode past them.
As we promised, we will hold this ride at the end of every month until Gilad is released.

Ride report 24 Apr by Max - HaSharon

Herzlia twilight 24 Apr

Sand gliding on Mountain Bikes.
Learn how to ride your mountain bike through granulated sand.

We started out at about 17.50 through all the Moshavim and Moshavot that we know and ended up next to Arsuf, the closed down, non existant coffee shop. Then instead of riding South we rode West to the sunset and the sea.
Yes, there is sand but with the right technique and good leg power, the whole area is good riding practice.
But more important.....the sand is alive with many colourful flowers and plants....a sight to behold and enjoy.
Add to that the Israeli sunset over the Med and you probably have another one of my "most" wonderful places in Israel. Go there, ride there and do it before everything turns brown.

Ride report 17 Apr by Max - Har Heret

Har Heret 17 Apr

Walk, Walk,and walk. Who advertised this walk as a ride?
OK, so the first part from Motza along the Bet Zait reservoir was great but then we had to go down a totally non rideable single to cross behind the dam over to the far side of the Wadi.
And then the uphills began. Hard stony uphills and steep. And then Benny's chain snapped. Brilliant. Ok so out come the tools and lo and behold a SRAM power link appears and in 7 minutes Benny was back on his bike for a long haul uphill.
We climbed, we cursed and we all said what great exercise this was.
Who the hell wanted this........we could have stayed in bed and read the bloody newspaper.
Anyway we puffed our way up to the dizzy heights of Har Heret and then continued to Sataf. Here we began the long route round Har Eiten but backwards. Some said it was easier than last time. In fact most said that.
Here we climbed to about 800 meters above sea level, our highest point and on a plateau leading to nowhere we gazed out on a 360 degree panoramic view of the area.

Just before we reached this pinnacle of success, our dear Leader (me) allowed us a 15 minute break under a very welcome tree.
To be honest, the conditions for the break were disgusting. No tables and no chairs and to cap that no toilets.
I mean. if you're going to organise something, then for goodness sake ,do it properly.

Now the weather. it was great. A slight breeze all the time and temperatures in their 25's all the way. Hamsin ??? Nada.

So who were the stars of today's ride??

1. Yoram......who stayed upright while riding his bike down the most slippery of stony descents.
2. Stas......when he fell, we called the Dr. Stas................................!!!
3. Dennis...........What is the diffence between Shabbat and to sit (in Hebrew of course)...
4. Max....who managed to jump off his bike while falling on a sony descent...and still stay upright. (the bike fell).
5. Nurit.......who forced us to climb right to the top of Har Eitan!!!!!! Bless her......
6. Yuval who walked 22 kms of a 25 km ride...........only joking.........
7. The list is endless.......but I think great fun was had by all and the ride was good fun as well.
See you next week in Yodfat.

Ride report 10 Apr by Max - Yodefat - Lower Galillee

Yodefat Apr 10

The bad news:10 km and 450 meters of continuous ascent. The good news: all on asphalt.
That was the end of the ride and although it was hard work, it was great exercise.
In the beginning we rode from Moshav Yodefat to the top of Mount haAtzmon, a very stony technical ride but certainly rideable ..........for some!!!
Then walked a bit to the highest point of the mount for a 360 deg panoramic lookout point all over the Bet Natufa valley, Haifa and then all points North to Rosh haNikra.
On a clear day you can see for ever.........(who said that?).
From here the rest was downhill ....about 10 kms into the valley but so stony.......enough to turn any good milk into cheese.
However, the views were stupendous and with all the colours of the farming communities laid below us, we enjoyed every line, mathematically drawn, through the fields in the Bet Netufa valley.
The amazing colours of the flowers that held their heads up high for our perusal were enough to make the ride worth while.

Added to this, we stopped at Roma El Hiv, which is a Tel under which the Maccabees built a whole set of caves with hidden (and small) entrances etc. A must for those intrepid explorers who like crawling on all fours.(we do!!)
Then a long ride nearly parallel to the National Water carrier and into Kfar Mislach and the start of the the long haul back to Yodefat.
All in all a great ride and one we shall do again very soon.

A Poem by Jonathan 4 April

In Park Eshkol we gathered
On an early Saturday
We unpacked our bikes and riding kits
And set out on our way

We climbed a mound
That Nurit found
And had a look around
And then went down
To join the trail
With daisies all abound

Some singles and some wider roads
We passed a four-by-four
Then we crossed the spansion bridge
That spans the mighty Nahal B'sor

We had our break
Where we could take
Our breath and rest a bit
We rode through gushing fords and then
A spate of punctures cruelly hit

From that point on
It all went wrong
We stopped and stopped again
With punctured tires and burning heat
And Tzika looking beat
Yuval made some silly jokes
That I shudder to repeat

We made it back
Alive and well
In to our cars we fell
And met at Tzomet Ben Kama
For ice-creams and a spell

Another week, another ride
Despite the toil and the strain
We had our fun and exercise
And look forward to going again

No need to fret about the heat
Or kasamim from Hamas
If we survive a ride of Max's then
Nothing can hurt us!

Max Added: We will be holding another collection and this time hope to be able to send Jonathan on a rhyming and stanza building course.

There was a young man named Jonathan
Who fancied himself a letter's man
When told his rhymes were bad
And his stanzas equally mad
Got fedup and turned into a spokes man

Send donations to account number 127-434356 at Bank Hospice de Brainpan.

Ride report April 3 by Max - Nahal HaBsor

Nahal HaBsor 3 Apr

The end of the ride was in 37 deg oppressive heat and it was not nice. As long as we kept a momentum we had a very slight breeze but the minute we stopped it was hot...........
And we stopped. We stopped for punctures....one after the other and all after the energy break.
Why we couldn't have had the punctures in the early morning when the the temperature was still reasonable was anyone's guess.
But now from the beginning.
We met at 08.00 at the entrance to the park and there waited for Yuval to put his make up on, eventually starting at 08.20.
In the Park entrance we nearly had to pay....20 shekels per person but Nurit persuaded the park keeper that we were just passing through and would not be partaking of any of the park's activities.
So having saved 20 shekels each we were now at the beginning of our new start up.
the ride South was an easy 17 kms through a plethora of flowers and plants of all kinds and all colours. The rain that fell here last week allowed us to enjoy greenery that one does not normally find here in April.
So we arrived at the "Bridge Over the River HaBsor" and after being told that we were in danger of being thrown into prison for many a long year, were we to RIDE over the bridge, some walked and others, taking their lives into their own hands actually had the audacity to ride over.

The other side should have been a fun ride with a couple of good singles, but the heat took its toll as did Zvika's medication and as did Merrill's puncture, Amos's double puncture, Zvika's puncture and Yuval's general lack of air. So we stayed on the wide paths and gradually rode the meandering paths back to the cars.
Now Itzik is another story. I am taking a collection to buy Itzik a compass as his North seems to be confused with his South. I am taking a second collection to buy Itzik a course on how to read the aforesaid compass.
All in all 36 kms of heat. See you next ride...........Midbar Yehuda... a riding, walking experience through the most beautiful vistas.

Ride report 30 Mar by Max - Tel Aviv for Gilad

Gilad Shalit 30 Mar

Thanks everyone who rode with us through Tel Aviv. The idea was to remind everyone that Gilad Shalit is alive, still in captivity and must be released immediately. Pessach is the festival of freedom and Gilad has been in captivity since June 2006. That is 1, 376 days of not being free. We ask whoever it is out there, responsible for bring our boys back home, to make sure that this will happen very soon to Gilad. We in our own very small way will dedicate the last night ride on the last Tuesday of every month to Gilad Shalit until he is brought home. We will ride through Tel Aviv with flags and stickers and will make people aware that Gilad has still not been returned. Make sure to join us and make your voice heard.

Ride report 20 Mar by Max - Horshim and Einat

Horshim&Einat

Ok, so when I write 07.00 I expect riders to be at the meeting point on time. But what happens when i don't arrive. Now that's another story.
This morning the ride was advertised to start at 07.00 but for some reason I had in my mind 07.30. At 07.15 Jonathan phones and says "well....where are you??"
"Oops" I said as I realised my mistake and we rode heler skelter to reach the meeting point ....only 25 minutes late.
So apologies to all.
The ride today took us up to Matan and further up to Oranit, then down to the end of Kfar Kasem where unfortunately the garbage is beginning to pile up again. By the way, the garbage at the back of Eli Shema along Nahal Kane is also disgusting. It seems that we in Israel still have a long way to go before we reach standards commomplace in other parts of the World.
How can we cause those irresposible citizens to understand the damage they are causing.
Anyway from Kfar Kasem we rode the single parellel to the road conneting Oranit to Highway 5. From there into the fields next to Rosh HaAyin and then through some new tracks into Park Shilo and around to the back of the quarries, around Migdal Afek and thence to Einat for coffee.
Here we had the pleasure of bumping into the Cyclenix crowd and it was a pleasant surprise to see all the old/young faces.
So, we ended the ride after 45 kms of good x country riding including my muscles seizing up and one puncture. Otherwise just plain good fun was had by all.
Next week we ride in the South part of Nahal NaBsor.
See you there.

Ride report 21 Feb by Max - Antofagasta Chile

Antofagasta Sights and sounds

Just a few pics to show what Antofagasta is all about. Certainly not a tourist attraction but is has its charm.
A town of 200,000 made up of a large percentage of transient workers who stay the week here and then return to their wives, husbands and whatever for the week ends, to Santiago and other places.

Apparantly this town is one of the most expensive areas of Chile because of the high salaries paid to the engineers working for the mining and mineral Companies.
You can see a very big difference between the closed areas where the engineers live and to the very poor areas of the normal Antofagastan dwellers.

Having said that, it seems that there is plenty to do here with big European style malls, the normal fast food outlets and various activities like Tennis, bowling and football being the ones I saw.

there are a number of good and expensive fresh fish and sea food restuarants and many Hotels ranging upto a 4 star experience (well perhaps 3).

The ride I did was long but great, mostly on a bike path from one end of the long town to the other. Once outside the town the OFF road is very sandy (desert) so difficult to ride in.
Most of my riding was therefore road.

See the pics and enjoy......

Ride report 13 Feb by Max - Hod Hasharon to Einat via Matan and Horshim

HH to Einat 13 Feb

7.00 we began and all because I had to fly off to Chile in the afternoon. Jonathan, Yuval, Nurit and I decided to make short work of a 40km ride climbing to Matan, climbing further to Oranit and then climbing again to the outskirts of Rosh HaAyin.
This ride has become my weekly staple and is really great for building stamina and muscle.
It takes between 2-3 hours depending on the stops and at this time of the year when the flowering is so rich it is well worth the ride just for the thousands of red and white Calaniot and the lovely clusters of Racafot.
From January when the first real rains begin, this normally barren area is turned into a million shades of green and add that to the flowering, then this becomes a not to be missed area, especially so as the riding here, including the many singles is really a cross country dream.
Anyway it was a great ride to do early morning before I left and apart from the many 4 x 4's that used our paths to get to an improvised organised race track in the back of the Rosh HaAyin Railway station, we were not bothered by anything.
Just a quick word to Jonathan's wife......Jonathan is not a member of an S & M club. All his blue marks, cuts and bruises are really the result of trying to keep aboard a bicycle !!!! Another quick word, this time to Itzik. Bikes sometimes need repairing......and I will repair with pleasure.

And finally on a more sombre note.....We wish Amos and all his family, a long life. We were very sorry to hear that his brother, after a long illness has passed away.

See you in 2 weeks.

Ride report 6th Feb by Max - Tel Aviv and back

HH to TA and back

Saturday morning loomed, The Sugar road ride was cancelled again and we'd arranged at the last moment to ride with friends down to Tel Aviv.
Got up at 07.00, not 06.00, not 05.00 but 07.00......Amechaya!!!!
At 08.00 met at Gershwins in -20 deg C (or at least that's how it felt), with Tatiana, Jonathan.......good luck with the cleats, Zvika on a different bike....stummmmmm and Benny who brought us coffee and cake for his birthday treat.
Off we rode into the wilds of Raanana, meeting Itzik on the way with a partially crippled bike, who took us through a "I hope its not too muddy" back path from Tzomet Raanana down to Givat Chen.
from Givat Chen we rode through all the back streets of Raanana, Herzlia and via the Taas base through every back street in Ramat Hasharon, riding through the only single that it can offer and eventually coming out on the bridge to the Ramat Hasharon Tennis courts.
Then crossing the bridge we went behind the Tennis courts and into the Mashtala and from there down to the Yarkon.
Break time was outside Max Brenner and there we were joined by Harriet and Baruch, on their Tandem "made for 2" and a bit later by Rafi on his carbon Santa Cruz lite.
After the break we rode to the Marina Herzlia for coffee, whereupon we were abandoned by Jonathan, Itzik and Benny, but joined with Dennis to finish our 45 km ride.
All in all a great morning out with no mud and in fact we actually rode 60 kms and from freezing cold we became comfortaby warm.

Ride report by Dennis - Little Switzerland 30 Jan 2010

Little Switzerland

This is the third annual ride through what is surely one of the most beautiful areas in all of Israel.

Our start was a little discouraging as we were met with a howling gale at 7.30 in the morning when we got to the parking lot opposite Haifa University.
Off we headed north to the beginning of the promenade parallel to the university road. This was just the warm up, nice slopes and some uphills all on asphalt which were made very difficult by strong head and cross winds. Then through the first short single across to the fire track where we made a left turn uphill to a long and difficult stony ride to the top. Most of us ended up pushing and pulling bikes.

From here a very nice scenic forest single adjacent to road 672, all the way down to Tsomet Damon. Then west into Shmurat Har HaCarmel on the ridges of Har Alon and down some really adrenaline-pumping stony rocky tracks with an elevation drop of nearly 200 metres.
It was uphill on quite a hard climb and through another single to Bet Oren where lots of frisky horses, some even younger than us (in horse years), were on display. Then a great downhill ride towards Nahal Kelach, a bit rocky but fun (everyone has his/her own definition of "fun").
The ascent is tough and a lot is unrideable, so we walked, while enjoying some unbelievable scenery and eventually got to the last stage of the journey. This was a series of singles, again all good fun, and the finale was a fast ride back to the parking lot on asphalt. Then across the road to the wonderful lookout where, on a clear day, which today was not, you can see forever.
All in all 20 kms of good strenuous riding under cloudy skies. If an earlier report sounds familiar (especially the fun bits) it is because a little plagiarism goes a long way.

Ride report by - Max - In and Around Jerusalem - 23rd Jan

Jerusalem In and around

From past experience, we know that Motza in the early morning is cold.
BUT 5 deg C......that's really overdoing it.
My hands were ice blocks, my eyes were streaming, my toes died a sudden death.......and all to go and ride uphill to Jerusalem.
And uphill we did.
But first we went past the Bet Zait Reservoir and what a picture it was. Tranquility, clarity and water. The reservoir was a mirror (see the pics), it was impossible to know where the mirror ended and where the land began. .... beautiful.
Then we carried on to the Ein Karem road. The climb to Ein Karem was long and arduous and our quick break there was very welcome. Too early for coffee but good spirits we had. Then onwards and upwards and we pushed ourselves all the way up to mount Herzl past Yad Vashem and into sleepy and quiet Jerusalem.
All of us climbed this hill amazingly well, a tribute to the standard of fitness we have all attained.

Now we rode down the Herzl Boulevard all the way to the Chords Bridge and with fanfare and pomp we first of all photo'ed ourselves and second of all we rode across it.
The other side led us past the central bus station and into Nachlaot and then down to Yemin Moshe for more photo ops and a welcome break.
The view was stupendous, overlooking the Old city of David and the Hinon valley. We were even able to see the Dead Sea in the far distance. After the break, into the old city we rode, along with 14,567 tourists of all sizes and colours. The ride through the old city was filled with plenty of colour, smells and sounds, enough to arouse all our senses and although the riding was very slow, it was an opportunity to practice our balancing act at 2 kph.
Well eventually the Lions gate loomed and then it was down to the bottom of the Kidron valley and past the Churches, All nations, Gethsemane's and the Russian Orthodox, and then up the serpentine to the top of the Mount of Olives where we continued uphill to the Midbar Yehuda look out overlooking Maale Adumim.
Then a great fast downhill canter to Sderot Bar lev and search for an unknown, yet to be found, path. Well we found it and with a couple of fro'ings and to'ings in Nahal Tzofim and then Shmurat Lifta, eventually found the way back to Motza nearly all OFF road.
To conclude.

Today we had it all, good healthy climbs, OFF road and Urban, downhills, and of course a ride around and through the most interesting city in Israel.........Jerusalem.
And now a wee word to the wee lass amongst us. Well done Nurit who took the plunge and went clipless. (I had nothing to do with this).
Tatiana....we missed you (and love you). Don't give up......next time we'll chain you to Nurit's back wheel.

Tatiana added:
Sorry, sorry, sorry!!!
אני מתנצלת לפני כל החברה עבור בריחתי!
תאמינו לי-זה היה לטובת כולנו.
"סליחה על ההמתנה, תודה על הסבלנות"...
אני אוהבת את כולם ביחד ואת כל אחד ואחת בניפרד!
Maaaaaax!
אל תכעס עלי. בבקשה!

Ride report by - Jonathan - Einat & Nahal Shilo - 16th Jan

Einat & Shilo

We met at Kibbutz Einat in the morning - rather cold on the morning of a day that was forecast to be unseasonably hot.
Max had promised two "healthy" hills - which was enough to persuade Shimon's son to stay in bed, but otherwise turnout was good.
Riding started - we passed through the Nahshonim forest via some short singles and some fairly mild climbing with occasional short, very steep and stony ascents. Along the way we passed a Roman (Yoram pondered whether it was Romanian) ruin near El'Ad, calaniot (anemone) and rakefot (cyclamens).
As we arrived at the first of the healthy climbs, Nurit's "ozen" got bent (could you say it was a cauliflower ozen?) which was quickly and efficiently remedied by Max accompanied by at least six onlookers.
(Max added: The Ozen stayed well and healthy, ….it was the chain itself that managed to get twisted and required a replacement link)…
The others of us that had already scaled most of the climb sat back and relaxed, took in the beautiful scenery along with the dubious sight of Stas covering every inch of his upper torso with sunburn spray.
We made it to the top and started a long downhill single into Nahal Shilo. A few stones and small drops, but overall very enjoyable. Then came the second climb. Long and fairly steep but apart from the initial part that was very rocky, most made it up in reasonable time.

We stopped to break and noticed that Itzik was missing. Just as Moni and Shimon were about to set off in search, he appeared over the crest of the hill and arrived, as always, full of smiles, jokes and explanations. He gave us a full encounter of his sartorial changes, Barcelona's loss and his biological rhythms, explaining his tardiness.
After a short break, we rode a second downhill single and then on to the car park for the end of our ride. A good 30Km workout, beautiful scenery and although it eventually did heat up, perfect weather.
Very enjoyable.

Mazaltov to Dennis on the birth of his grandaughter!

Max added: For all those who made “pishen” into a profession………. We are selling a new line of disposable catheters……… order yours now !!!!!

Ride report by - Max - Bet Kama, Ruhama to Bror Hayil

Ruhama to Bror hayil

41 kms from car to car.
Got up at 05.00. Darkness prevailed. Quick tea (English ...of course). Coffee for Nurit. Food, energy bars, water bottles, shoes (next time bring the right ones...AMOS), gloves, helmets.........YES HELMETS...don't forget (Tatiana)......Bikes......have we forgotten anything........GPS, cameras.....sun glasses.....the list is endless.......spare shirt to change after the ride......sun lotion....tools ......first aid....oils......Its easier to fly a Jumbo !!!!!!
Arrived Bet Kama at 07.00........Zvika and Jonathan already consuming a European breakfast.
Dennis arrives listening to Ave Maria.....or something......
Amos arrives with his communa........
3 cars ride off in the sunrise to Bror Hayil.......we wait for all to come.....
Anyone seen Benny....???
Yuval nonchalantly arrives.
My early morning briefing is about ears.....(derailleur hangers)......fast chain connectors and oils...... Remember...... support us and buy your oils and tubes from us....((thanks to Joe).
The Ride.......30 kms of meandering smooth singles in one of the more beautiful areas of Israel and then another 10 on wider paths.
Through the badlands of Ruhama past Dorot and on to Bror Hayil.
The scent of a good steak at the end of the ride.
A Company of Deer standing and then running up the hill.
Itzik asked ....did you see the fox.......?? What fox..........
Yuval on his new bike.....Enjoy !!
Dennis muddies his nearly new bike.......Mazal Tov..
Nurit..... flying up sand hills on her Nobby nic tyres..............what a difference and then she fell.......13 guys.....are u Ok.... rest.... don't get up......Talk about mother hens.........
lastly........thanks to all those guys who built and mapped the singles... a great ride.
Home

Ride report by - Dennis - Park Canada - 2 Jan 2010

Park Canada

There is an old Spokes tradition that the first hilly ride of the year takes place along and near the K21 route in Park Ayalon (the fact that serious wetness further south forced a change of plans is irrelevant). We were welcomed by a blindingly bright sun, blue skies, and clear views in all directions - a typical summer day in other parts of the world. And, as the photos show, green was the dominant color - so refreshing.

We followed a similar route to last year. There were a couple of new singles added, and a tough little rocky climb (somebody remembers) was omitted. There were also plenty of moist, freshly dropped cow patties to make the paths more organic. A few steep climbs (this is very subjective and controversial since Spokes' policy excludes steep climbs) could not be avoided, but these were gateways to some fast long descents; it is unclear why ascending still occupies more of the time than descending. And for those hoping to see the goldfish again - disappointment - the fish were gone and their little pool empty.

Finally, even though we saw no sunflowers, we must remember van Gogh. He had problems keeping his ears intact. In Hebrew, derailleur hanger and mammalian ear both translate to 'ozen', with bikes having one and mammals two. One of our leading riders managed to break hers (the hanger), luckily in the last km of the ride, and not a rock in sight when it happened.
Light refreshment at Latrun brought a magnificent and not too strenuous morning to a close.

Ride report by - Max - Happy New Year

New years eve

5 friends, we rode from RAmat Gan to Tel Aviv and continued along the Bat Yam Tayelet to the border with Rishon.
Our aim was to get to Rothschild by 23.55
We totally missed our target and arrived at 23.55.
10 minutes remained to have a hot chocolate, to prepare for the New Year and to try and finish everything we had not managed to do during the whole year. Moni decided that we should stop outside the PAULAN? restaurant on Bench no. 45 and I don't know how but his decision was amazing.
Exactly at 23.59.59 we were treated to a massive firework display......see the pics.

All that is left is to wish you all a Happy New Year and many more interesting and fun rides.....

Just to show you the riding conditions in Tocopilla Chile !!!

Chile Tocopilla Dec

Ride report by - Max - Adolam - 26th Dec

Adolam Dec

Thanks go to KKL and various mountain bike riders who were involved in the project of building a great set of singles in park Adolam. It is now possible to ride on singles from The "HaEla" petrol station all the way pass "Etri" and "Bourgin" and down to road 35 near Bet Guvrin.
We added another part to this great ride and went further East towards Aderet along some great wide paths and in some beautiful scenic up hills and ....downhills.
Altogether 35 kms of concentrated, tiring and adrenaline pumping riding which we ended with a fast 10 km asphalt ride along Road 38 and back to the cars.
The morning started freezing cold and all of us dressed with 3 layers to keep warm. We began with a good warm up climb to the "Zuk farm" to get to the beginning of our first single followed by a break to remove layers 3 and 2, and here we all enjoyed the green green grass of Israel. Its amazing what a few days of good rain does to the Israeli landscape.
We stopped a couple of times for a breather and for photos and at some point we left the single and rode uphill and down dale in the direction of Aderet.
Here we placed our order for 10 houses and all enjoyed the wonderful clean air feeling that this area gives you.
We went passed a drilling rig, and Zvika (I think established the point, that they seemed to be injecting diesel fuel into the ground in order to find Neft.) Maybe it was just a water drilling site. Then back to the singles and on to Hirbat Bourgin for an energy break.
During the break Shimon read some of the explanatory stuff i had prepared and in so doing, managed to put Gidi to sleep, Zvika to close his eyes and generally to put us all in an interesting state of relaxation...........
The break over we rejoined the single and bombed all the way down to the Bet Guvrin junction. Now what......
Ok so asphalt it was and 10K later we were back at the cars, tired, but satisfied.
See you next ride............

Ride report by - Max - sea2 - 19 Dec

sea2

No ride, yes ride, phone max, phone Zvika, Zvika phone max....by mistake. Rain yes, rain no... phone max.....OK decision.
We ride but not Switzerland the small........so where ??? OK lets play it safe... The sea route with a dip in, by Tatiana (of course) and this time by Jonatan as well.
OK guys.......dont get too fit. I am not doing too much riding, But this week I found a neighbour with an old/new mtb bike that he was not riding, an old Cannondale with all different body parts and I found a 15 km hill (belongs to Tocopilla) that knackered me and have now done this hill 3 times with........the wrong shoes, a pair of cut down trousers which I am using as shorts.......altogether great.
So keep riding and Dennis, Mazal tov on your super new Trek....looks really cool from the pics.
See you soon
Max

Ride report by - A Chilean Engineer - 12 Dec

Moshavim & sea

This is a translation of the Hebrew.
They started off ....DRY.
They got to Kfar Saba.....DRY
They passed some statues......DRY
They got to the sea...DRY.....well that is until Tatiana showed us what a real girl does........
Then to Arcafe...DRY
Back to base and still ......DRY.
45 kms of DRY riding.
No more mud.......No more wetness.
The next ride will be in Switzerland....see you then.

Ride report by - Max - Ben Shemen 60th - 5 Dec

Ben Shemen 60th

Nurit spent the last week whispering, holding private conversations, covert meetings and altogether being totally undercover. From time to time she actually found time to talk to me as well.
Am I going to Chile, when am I going, is is postponed again?? These were all questions that drove her nuts. Funnily enough she never asked when am I returning...or indeed if I am returning?????
But all her plans came to fruition in 2 gatherings, one of our familly and non bike friends and today the biking crazies.
Ben Shemen was the chosen spot, one of our favorites, and I was told to lead a not too difficult ride for reasons I would understand. I never did understand that one, coz all who joined us were good strong riders.
22 riders took their bikes off their cars and got prepared for the trails and singles of Ben Shemen where the meanderings never dissapoint.
Baruch and Harriot joined the SPOKES for the first time on their tandem and Yasmin lowered the age average a good few notches.
The ride was on white paths, singles and of course we managed to do a couple of good uphills. Just a wee word to David .......BUY A NEW BIKE ........and maybe I should add that, I , completely by chance, will be importing the Steppenwolf range of mountain bikes...........say no more.
Today was divided into two parts. Before and after.
Before the feast and after the ride.
So now the feast....and feast it was. Nurit excelled herself again !! , with her thoughtfullness, her kindness and her love, she brought us all a spread fit for Kings and made us all feel like Kings (and Queens).
AND now to you, the riders of Spokes. To all of you , a very special thank you. The present was (is) amazing. I was totally amazed when Nurit told me what I was getting. Again I thank you.
AND to Zvika who decided (with others) to make this 60th a very special thing and for the moving words you wrote at 05.00 o'clock in the morning.
To Tatiana who helped Nurit and also prepared a great cake.
And to all of you who came along and gave me such a great birthday gift.
Thank you

And to Itzik who was not well........Get well soon from all the Spokes..........

Ride report by - Max - Kerem Mahral - 28th November

Kerem Mahral

We started from the same point, outside the Meir Shfaya Village but then an early morning climb seemed to be calling, so up we climbed onto the heights over looking the plains of Kvish 70. Great views and a glorious morning.
We came to a fork, decision time, either left or straight on. The consensus suggested straight on so when the path finished another 30 meters along, it was obvious that left had been the better option.
So a quick "parsa" and down the slopes we rode until we reached our familiar safe white path again. From here up to the quarries but now decisions were in the hands of others, KKL had been busy (or someone had) and had changed the topography, so be flexible and climb, and we did.
We found ourselves above the quarry but way off course. Still not to worry. We let the directional senses have their way and so did we as we rode through forests in the general direction as planned. Again we managed to return to our route riding sweet uphills and even sweeter downhills and eventually reached the Offer lookout for a welcome break.

Nourished and raring to go, we rode the singles (as many as could find) in the wrong direction but Oh what fun.......
Then a climb to crest the hill above Bat Shlomo and down along an Oh so good descent into Bat Shlomo itself. That was cool.
Through Bat Shlomo, over Highway 6 and into the old part, then along the lowest ridges of Har Horshan and back to the last climb of the day......up to the Meir Shfaya village.
A great ride, great scenery, great weather and some tough climbs. What more could a guy want? (or a doll want??)

My Steppenwolf Tundra 100 is proving to be a great ride, taking me up hills at speeds I never thought possible and down hills full of gravel and stones with stability and ease.
We will soon be receiving the first batch of the 2010 models so be prepared.

Birthday greetings from Jonathan

We set out bright and early as the sun began to rise
We yawned and stretched and packed our bikes then washed our weary eyes
Then to deserted highways we turned our fateful gaze
And wondered if our ride today would be like other days
For our small and dedicated bunch of friends the feeling was all shared
Is it really worth the sweat and toil to leave a nice warm bed?
But push aside those thoughts I say as we turn to Esthaol
For we are Max's special band of riders young and old

We unpack our gear and gather thoughts as all the troops arrive
We pray that all can make it through these next six hours alive
Our gear is ready, all is working, the pedals wait their cleats
And we begin to ponder 'bout our upcoming wondrous feats
The ride begins, the pace is slow but we know what waits in store
For up ahead we see the hill, climbing climbing evermore
Again I think about the bed I left not long behind
Just to join Max up here on trails that rise and wind

The gradient increases as the climb begins to soar
We puff and pant and look ahead – but only can see more
A distant curve – is that the end of this tortuous ascent?
Or does it simply mean there's more of uphill effort and lament?
With bursting lungs and legs afire we continue our ordeal
And soon begin to fantasize of our Energy-bar meal
It can't go on we tell ourselves, the worst must be behind us
For we're the most optimistic group of Max's courageous climbers

I raise my eyes and look again – perhaps I'm nearing the plateau
As Nurit smoothly sails by, saying “Not much more to go”
For up ahead atop the hill, our leader's now in sight
With his faithful, weightless Steppenwolf leaning on his side
Just one more push I tell myself in my fitful, dreamy state
And then I'll watch the others climb and I can smile and wait
And gradually they scale the peak, arriving bit by bit
Each proud to be considered one of Max's bike elite

We made it home and all was well – despite the bruise and scratches
We turned our thoughts to eating lunch and watching soccer matches
But for Max and Nurit getting home is just another start
More rides to plan, more hills to scale, more lungs to tear apart.
Perhaps it's all the crumpets, kippers, scones and cream and tea
But Max seems ever-full of youthful energy
So let us take a moment now while he's lapping up our praise
And wish him Happy Birthday on his most sixtieth of days

And one last word I'd like to add from all us riders-daring
To thank you for your effort, thought and paternal caring
Thank you for the countless days of trails and of tracks
Wishing lots and lots of more – Happy Birthday Max

Ride report by - Max - Horshim & Einat - 21 Nov

Horshim & Einat

We decided on a local ride coz i was supposed to be going to Chile on the afternoon flight, but in the end the job was postponed so i had all the time in the world.
Moni was sick so called off at the last minute, Yuval had family obligations, Amos.......well whtever happened to Amos..he just never showed up.
So off we went along the Cane, filled with water, water that i am told is reasonable clean, and over the fields past Neve Yamin, in the direction of Yarchiv.
We tried a different path in order not to catch the mud under the bridge there and found a good route taking us to the bridge over Kvish 6. From there plain sailing through Yarchiv, up to Matan and there doing stupid things I came flying off my bike. Luckily both rider and steed were OK and we continued.
In Horshim we did a cool single and were treated to Narcisim and the beginning of Racafot. Then up to Oranit and down the keffy trail to the outskirts of Kfar Kasem. (Cleaner but still not clean).
Then over Kvish 5 and along the Southern boundaries of Rosh HaAyin, round the Eastern side of Migdal Tzedek and through trails, paths and non paths, until we met road 444. We found a trail/path alongside it until we rode in a water channel (empty), and along to Einat for coffee.

Martin (of the dislocated elbow fame) and Michelle (of the " I look after Martin" fame) were there to greet us and a very pleasant morning coffee was had by all.
The way back was along the railway lines to Elishema and the fond farewells over with we rode home.
See you on Wednesday... we ride toYafo.

Ride report by - Jonathan - Lehavim - 14th Nov

Lahavim

We met bright and early (and uncharacteristically punctually) at Lehavim. That was one of the few things today that worked out as planned.
After initial preparations, we set out towards the Lehavim forest on a beautiful, bright Negev morning. In the car park, while reviewing Martin's plight after his recent fall, Mony took pains to give all of us invaluable lessons in how to fall safely (little did he realize how prophetic his works were to be). As we got going, Yuval displayed nimbleness and speed belying his age and turned back to the car for a quick mechanical fix without being noticed by any of the group. After a short chase, phone calls and search expeditions, we set off once again.

Most found the riding harder than expected - the ground was soft and wet in places, stones were everywhere. Climbs were mostly short, but rather steep and very slippery (i.e. hard). Max managed to fall and sustained some grazes on his knee as we approached the first historical site: the only columbarium in Israel (pigeon breeding place) not in a cave.
More riding - first flat through a quagmire/field and then a treacherous uphill path that most (wisely) avoided - and plenty more stones. We eventually found our way to a site of an ancient synagogue (Rimon, I think) where we noted several rosetta symbols on the floor. A heated rabbinical debate followed about whether or not one was actually a Menorah or not (well, maybe in Golder's Green they are round).
Plenty of complaining atop the hill (Tzika's legs weren't working, Benny hadn't slept, Itzik only wanted more climbs) and then after a short break, off we set again.

The scenery and the weather were quite magnificent. Some debates about which way the path should take us - we eventually found ourselves crossing fields and climbing more hills (Tzika's complaining became more frequent and louder). Max then warned us all that a steep and dangerous descent was approaching. Having fallen the previous week, I was keen to put in to practice the words of wisdom imparted to me by Max. I can confirm that he is right - I fell again by making the same mistakes (sore shoulder but nothing broken). I did, though, manage to practice Mony's technique - I can't say I really recommend it highly.
More minor mishaps - Amos broke his chain, causing some delicate but lengthy field-surgery on his bike. Tzvika's complaints continued but he battled on courageously. Amos was now effectively in single-speed mode.

Eventually, several hours later than expected (despite skipping some of the planned route) we hobbled, battered and bruised, back to the car park.
We had a short coffee break on the way back and Tzvika finally perked up with an unrepeatable comment about what can or cannot be done with a bionic arm and then we headed back home. Overall, we survived - though despite the great route, many of us were the worse for wear. Not all news was bad, though - Max is off to Chile again soon, so we will have a few weeks to lick our wounds. If you are interested in donating to a fund aimed at prolonging his stay, you can mail me checks made out to my wife, Joanne.

Ride report by - Max - Night ride to Einat 11 Nov

Cycling

What a ride.............................
Me.......and Zvika............and Martin.
So far nothing special........................
Riding along the railway tracks from Elishema.......trying to avoid all the puddles...some big, wet and muddy.
So far so good...........
Antipatrous looming up ahead of us..........Martin says "we don't seem to be getting any closer".......
so far no incidents............
Now we get to that tricky very short, but steep downhill just before we ride through the bridge under the railway lines.
I walk/slide down.......
All OK until now....................
Zvika walks down............................
No problem.............................................
Martin, now good ole Martin, well he decided to ride it down..................
Ouch.........
The next thing we know is Martin over the top of the bike, slow motion........pushes his hands out to stop the fall.............Ouch.........
Fuck!!! he says.........I think I've broken my arm...........
I take a look............ Fuck I say..........YES you have......
OK don't panic.......We made sure that Martin was otherwise OK and I called my sons, both medics and both not available..... Then I phoned one of my closest friends Amos and he came to take Martin to Meir Hospital.
To cut the rest of this sad tale short.......Martin has a dislocated elbow...now back in place and a fracture somewhere..........(his brain ?????).
Seriously we all wish you a speedy recovery and get back on your bike soon.
By the way the only thing that happened to Martin's bike was that his seat rails got a bit bent........(I think that has to do with Martin's weight and nothing to do with the accident !!!!!!!).
Who needs friends when I'm around???????
Get well soon Martin...........

Ride report by - Max - Yar Kedoshim Nov 2009

Yar Kedoshim Nov 2009

Last year at this time I was a year younger, with a birthday party in the forests coming down from Carmila.
This year no luck....but still we did the same route but with an additional trail to add to the fun. The way up, a long 12 km stretch from Eshtaol up to the top above Ein Rafa was a good warm up to the winter season. The weather was perfect (who said 31 degrees????), and we had a good breeze to help us climb. We were 6 good riders and the breaks were well stretched and the timing was very good.
Ein Rafa was a sweet technical downhill requiring good control and a good eye to find the best way down.
Ein limon offered us a break for energy sources and a time to learn from Jonathan what a weasel, badger, otter, mongoose were in Hebrew.

From Ein limon we crested down and then up towards Har Carmila and Stas said he'd never been up there. I had anyway planned a little diversion and this took us along a new trail, including a very technical uphill with big boulders and a short distance which required us to walk our bikes.
We tried to persuade Itzik that we were in Har Carmillia but he went and found a sign showing Har Carmila........... The same trail gave us a technical downhill, again requiring good balancing skills and confidence in the bike's abilities to overcome most obstacles. (Jonathan proved us wrong!!).
From here on it was all downhill and too quickly we got back to the cars and finished a great quality ride with good riders and as usual great fun was had by all.
We rode about 30 kms, climbing about 650 meters, with a total ride time of about 2.5 hours
Not bad.............
Your comments are all welcome and are good fun for all to read.
Hebrew or English ........all are good.

Ride report by - Max - Moshavim & Moshavot - 31 Oct

No camera no pics..........
6.00am alarm ringing, should I get up, no it's raining and thunder in the distant wake up zone. Surely no one will want to ride. back to sleep.
Phone rings......Itzik MaYenim.........no I don't think we ride........
Yoram...SMS riding......No I say.
07.15 Jonathan..... NOOO where are you ???
I sleepily say ...wait 15 minutes and I will be there........
07.30 I meet jonathan, Amos and Zvika and off we go.
Yoram meets us at packer Plada Kfar Saba.
Itzik meets us at Sde Warburg,
Moni meets us also in Sde Warburg.
Great................welcome back........
A dry ride through to R Cafe.
We sit swap stories and then the rain....BOOM. then the Hail...double boom. Thunder Booooom Booom.
We wait a bit and then decide to ride.
10 minutes later rain stops and we carry on home.
Satisfied and well ridden.

Ride report by - Max - Saadim 2009 - 26 September

Saadim 2009

Bloody freezing. 06.30 Saturday morning and coooold. Icycles (!!) hanging down from bicycles.
Took the next 2 hours to get warmed up, passing on the way via the Bet Zait reservoir, devoid of water but full of trails to ride and have fun.
Then down to Ein Hendek where we met 4 intrepid hikers doing the Israel paths route (Kol Hakavod). Tried to persuade myself and the others to go in the water but didn't succeed. Nurit showed us all how to get our feet wet.
From here the hills began. Up to Even Sapir and down to see Jonathan's (of the Midbar of course) monastery. Then back up and through Even Sapir and a short break to bring down the heart beat to 150 !!!!
From Even Sapir a short (but sweet ) climb up towards Hadassah.......get the machines ready...... and then into the paths of Aminadav and continue climbimg towards Saadim.
Well we got to Saadim and expected Sharona to be there with a great breafast spread.......but to no avail....just sweet dreams. BUT she did send us a cake which we all devoured and thanks to Sharona. By the way just make sure you kick Shimon out of bed on time....today he actually was not the last one to arrive.

After the break we rode up dale and down dale parallel to the railway lines and Emek Rafaim and eventually arrived at Ein Levan.
Only a couple of others there (I hope we didn't disturb them too much), and OH so gooood refreshing cold water.
I managed to persuade Shimon G to come into the pool but I think he may not be talking to me any more. Well done Amos who took the plunge and to Jonathan who showed us what Aussies are all about.
No bar b que here so we got dried and returned to our route....up to Moshav Ora with a single just before the road and I took a tumble trying to ride a 45 degree slope with a step at the end. Even Steppenwolf didn't make this one.

By the way just a wee word about my amazing weightless Steppenwolf bike. it is a dream. It climbs hills on it's own and I found myself running after it. Sweet !!

From Ora we slithered, slid, walked, climbed, and partly rode down a very aggressive technical trail down to Moscova and then onward to Ein Kerem for ice cream. The place is always full so no sit down today.
A 20 minute break and then along some easy trails next to the reservoir and back to the cars. 34 kms of an invigorating ride and well done all those who made it !!!!.

Hatima Tova and well over the fast and see you soon.

Ride report by - Max - Erev Rosh Hashana - 18 September

Erev Rosh Hashana

To all you great spokers, 19 in total, that turned out for this ride. We promised you a LeHaim, you got it ...all laid out on a park bench near the Dolphinarium....courtesy of my daughter Maya and her boyfriend Kfir.
Didn't they do well!!!!

Then we arranged a fireworks display...well not really......but it just so happened and about the right time as well.
Then down to Yaffo and around the Shuk HaPishPishim and back up to Rothchild and to Kikar Rabin where a one dunam carpet of all different coloured flowers...this time courtesy of Belgium, (Maya had nothing to do with this one) awaited us.
This was very special and on behalf of spokes I wish to thank the Government of Belgium.

After the flowers we managed to squeeze into Aroma for a light refreshment and then a fast ride back to the cars.
The evening was great, the age span from 13 to 68 and a very warm welcome to all the newcomers, the not so new comers and the old...comers.

Hag Sameach to all and to all your famillies and keep on riding in good health. See you on Sunday.

Ride report by - Dennis - Elishema +51 kms.

Elishema toTA

Really, there is nothing to report.
There were no hills, no bunnyhopping, no riding by moonlight, no mechanical catastrophes, and nobody went astray.
Ten set out from Elishema along Nahal Cana (where's the water?), then along the winding, sometimes sandy path by the Yarqon where there is water (even if some of it is bright green!), down to the sea, up to Herzliya, inland to Raanana for some refreshment, and then back to the beginning.

That's the whole story; perhaps next time it will be longer. Good healthy exercise and 51 km.

Ride report by - Max - Sea to Sea - 27 Aug 2009

Sea to Sea 2009

I went out last night with a couple of the guys. Got a bus and ended up in Haifa. In Kiriat Yam. The med sea looked very inviting, salty but still.........
Oh yeh, took our bikes with us, 15 of us, 2 women 13 guys.
Did a bit of town riding till Afek, then off road. GPS showed us the way. Mechanical and human.

Took a coupla falls, some of us,.... none too serious. Amos scraped a leg.....his. Shimon scraped another leg....his. Moni caught in a rut.....scraped hands.....his. Benny....... sand got in the way.......
Zero mechanical faults, one cemetary....no punctures.
Timing...impeccable.

Itzik turn left............the others....right!!
Dina..........she came, she rode, she conquered..........
Ted.......I'll be behind Dina.........and was always in front of her.

Met the bus in Iblin......food, sandwiches...refreshments galore.............
Met the bus in Eliabun...well done Chen...our driver....
Benny.......the only rider in israel with 4 center chain rings......................
Itay ........my tyres never swell up.........
Ah yes....the kinneret............Oh so cool and refreshing.........had to walk 2 miles to find the "cool and refeshing"......but once in .........amechaya!!!!!!!!

And breakfast..........fit for Kings... and princes.........and SPOKERS.
60 or so Kms...who's counting......uphils...not toooooo many.........,
downhills........wonderful, just wonderful........Amechaya!!!!!
23.30 - 07.30 - timing impeccable.

A truly wonderfull night with a bunch of really cool riders.
When a plan works out like this,..........it's worth all the effort.
thanks for a great night guys........and Dina and GPS (Nurit).

Ride report by - Dennis - Gezer & Carme Yosef - 22 August

Summer is still here, so we wisely hit the trail early. Apart from some chain suck, the odd puncture (only one this time), an interesting case of a tire deciding to develop a bulge, and various detours due to a bunch of fast moving road bikers doing laps (rather dangerous as one young lady discovered after a blowout required her removal by ambulance, hopefully with only surface damage), the morning was replete with familiar pleasurable masochism.
Climbing (300m), descending, scrambling, jumping, winding along singles, dropping in on sun drenched archaeological sites, great views of the coastal plane from on high (but only at the end of the ascent), all contributed to 23 km of fun.

Where did we go today? Starting from Mishmar Ayalon, we followed an easy route around the fields in the direction of Nachshon, then it was up, up, to Mitspeh Bekoa.
This seems to be a popular area for downhillers, on their massive steeds with full-body armor. Then, after a little jumping practice, it was time for the singles, some smoothly flowing, others rocky, some up, others down, and as the temperature rose the shady paths were welcome.
Up to Karmei Yosef, where every house seems to have several dogs, and they were all out barking in our honor. Then down, and up again to Tel Gezer, which must have been an exciting place way back in the mists of history; the mighty megaliths provided background for some group photos.
Down again, past the well at Ein Vered, and back to be refreshed with a surprise of chilled watermelon. By this time it was undeniably hot, so we brunched in airconditioned comfort at Latrun.

Thanks once again to N&M for planning another fun outing.

Ride report by - Frances - Round Gush Dan - 15 August

Gush Dan

And then there were eight...
12 of us gathered at the Ramat Gan stadium to pedal in a circle – a wide one – that took us along the Yarkon, past Reading, along the Tayelet to Jaffa, along the Ayalon River to Park Hasharon, past the airport and Moshav Atarot, through Einat and back to Ramat Gan.
Simple, you think. Well, if all went according to plan, life would be dull indeed. It all started off well, with clouds in the sky keeping the sun away, us cyclists dodging the early walkers on the Taylet and a few uphills thrown in to keep our muscles in trim (and to spur a few complaints from the resident Complaints Department ). And then … the first of four punctures. With the puncture fixed and a pit stop, we set off again with vigour. Uh-oh! Another mishap! A backpack left at the puncture site. So, back to the Tayelet we went – admiring Tel Aviv architecture along the way. We were just in time – a trusty fisherman had already alerted the police and we managed to prevent the area being cordoned off.

Decision time: to continue or go back to Ramat Gan. The majority decided to continue and 2 left for home. So back we went, enjoying the sights of Newe Tzeddek and eventually going off-road along the Ayalon River. The sun kept behind the clouds and we pedaled along a flat route, enjoying a relatively easy ride. A few more punctures halted us, and showed us the pleasant side of strangers. Near to Einat, we fixed the puncture next to one of the houses and we were brought ice-cold water and made to feel most welcome. After that, refueling at Einat, where we lost 2 more to a short route home, and then the slog back to Ramat Gan. Only mad dogs and Englishman apparently go out in the midday sun. With only one Englishman, I suppose the rest of us were mad dogs...

A great ride with an unexpected length of 71 km!!!!! Bravo to us all!!

Ride report by - Max - Jerusalem by night - 13 Aug

Jerusalem by night

Where did we go ?? Ah ....Yes...Now let me see.... Jerusalem ...of....Gold.
A wonderful city.
Well we met between 19.45 and 20.30 after long traffic delays, at Binyane HaUma and started the ride by riding through the myriad alleyways of Nachlaot.
Nachlaot is referred to by some as Jerusalem's Soho area, having a diverse population ranging from the followers of the late Shlomo Carlebach, members of the National Religious community and many new non Shabbas observant residents.

The area is filled with different types of synogogues with some using the tunes that Shlomo Carlebach loved to sing and once this area was home to the Great Tzadiik of Jerusalem, Rabbi Aryeh Levine. However seeing passers-by carrying a Talmud is as commonplace as those carrying a laptop while tuning into an iPod or indeed seeing a crowd of 12 Spokers riding their bikes and soaking up the special aroma of the Nachlaot.

From the Nachlaot we moved over to the more conservative Haredi area on both sides of Hanaviim Street and passed the Davidka square (the first morter ..used in the 1948 war), passed the Bikur Holim Hospital, passed the Sergei building and the Elizavetinskaya compound and then around the Russian compound with its very impressive and imposing Russian Church. Then passed the Law Courts and the Russian Hospital and into Safra square.

And now....... the Old City. We entered via the New Gate and through the alleyways and passed the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem compound and into the Jaffa gate area. A search for the loo ensued but to no avail.
Then through the Christian quarter and basically followed the Via Dolorosa passed the Antonia Fortress, passed the House of Joachim and Anne, parents of Mary and her birthplace into the Muslim quarter and out via the Lion's gate.

From here we crossed over to the Mount of Olives (Har Zeitim) and begin the Serpentine surprise which brought us up to a breathtaking view over the whole of Jerusalem. truly spectacular.
With Mount Scopus beckoning, we caried on passed Kfar Al Sowaneh, then passed the Agusta Victoria Hospital and to the lookout point over Judah and Samaria and now the Mount Scopus tunnel to Maale Adumim. And now a break for energy, gossip, stories and wonderful black coffee brought all this way by Danny. Well done and thank you Danny.
And now for the downhill. At last a free wheeling descent to the beginning of the Sheik Jarra neighbourhood and through down to the American colony with the American Colony hotel, the YMCA and the American Consulate (East Jerusalem of course). Then a slight detour to visit the St George's Cathederal (in my opinion a very beautiful English church).
And now for coffee, in Yafo street and a chance to chat and relax till after midnight.
Back to the cars and a chance to say thanks to Ray who led us part of the way, to Eitan who again showed us his wealth of knowledge, to Danny (and Shimon) for the good black coffee and to all of us for being such a great crowd of fun loving spokers.

Pictures are not so great this time but dark is dark...................

Ride report by - David - Narbata - 8 Aug

Narbata

The following is a link to some data on our Ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/10721415 and tells us:
1. That we climbed from a low of 31 metres to a high of 391 metres and that the accumulated gain (that is, total metres climbed) was 701.
2. Where we went (to see our route on Google Earth, go to the above link and below the "Summary" section click on "Export>Google Earth>Open").
However the data does not tell us:
3. That 16 enthusiastic Spokesmen and Spokeswomen arrived at the Tzomet Narbata parking lot at more or less 06:15 hours.
4. That "Honest Max" was not exaggerating when he wrote: "the ride has some healthy uphills, technically not too demanding and we will carry our bikes through the Lion's Canyon" although it is important to bear in mind that his definition of the term "medium" is somewhat subjective and may not necessarily bear any resemblance whatsoever to other definitions of that term (including IMBA and other internationally recognised biking bodies) and should be applied with equal circumspection to other such well-known phrases like "no more uphills", "from now on its all downhill", and his difficulty in being able to differentiate between "stones" and "boulders" in the context of the phrase "a bit stony". As long as you understand Max's terminology you are assured of a great ride, with no illusions!
5. What a treat it was for us to ride through such unspoiled and rugged countryside, with the landscape gradually unfolding below us as we climbed higher and higher, until we reached the top, when the world seemed spread out at our feet.
6. That the Barta'a storekeeper had some interesting things to say about his divided town and Israeli/Palestinian co-existence within it.
But what modern satellite technology didn't need to tell me was:
7. No human breakdowns on the ride says much for the level of fitness and biking skill of all regular Spokers to handle the often difficult (sorry, "medium"!) riding conditions. Equally no mechanical failures says it all about bike-preparedness.
8. That is was a great route, in great company, and as usual great leadership from the Max/Nurit team, not only navigation-wise, but also their humour, enthusiasm and caring.

Thanks Max and Nurit from Ingride and myself for another challenging ride with Spokes.

Ride report by - Max - Haifa - 1 August

Haifa

Urban rides are always different.
11 riders and 2 rideresses. 3 cameras 1 navigator, 2 GPS's, 2 eggs, 1 puncture, 1 snapped off valve, 5 graveyards, views to remember, one hell of a long climb ..... we all managed it on the bikes, 3 bodies in same shirt, max gradient 11%, 10 bronze statues and 1 fall.
Statistically that sums up the ride.

The way up to the Horev Center looks long and looks hard and indeed it is...long and hard.. but the spokes riders braved the morning blues and we climbed, some faster, some slower but all went up and all in one go.
From there on the ride was mostly flat and had some great downhills on the North side of the Carmel.
We visited the Panaramic balconies behind the Hotels and the Louis Promenade and enjoyed some great if hazy views of the Haifa Bay. Further on we were treated to the Bahai gardens and for an early morning breakfast break we stopped in an enchanting garden called the Ursula Malbin sculpture garden and also known as MIzpor Shalom, filled with the most delicate of bronze statuettes. A must to see and the pictures show a part.
Then down towards "Downtown", through the beginning of Wadi Nisnas and down again through the German Colony. A Templar residential area of old, now completely refurbished and filled with great resturants and coffee shops.
We carried on past the Templar cemetary and the adjacent British one both looked after very well , went past the Church of St. John and carried on to Bat Galim promenade where we made our way along the sea with a delightful breeze cooling us down.
We rode until we arrived at the Maxim resturant where Dennis felt a bit flat. Having pumped him up a bit we carried on over Highway 2 and then South along the Haifa Cemetary where again Dennis complained of an empty feeling. 2 inners later we set off again to a small bike park where we rode around (not too interesting) and then back to the cars.
Next time we'll find a longer climb!!!!!!

Ride report by - Yar Kola 25 july

Yar Kola

Well, we started off at a little before 6:30 AM from Elishema. Itai was the leader (or so he thought). Luckily, Nurit waqs there to set him straight every time he took a wrong turn (only about 5-6 times). This was a real chance to see all the wonderful capabilities of our own Nurit, who is usually drowned out by Max. All of a sudden, Nurit was the outspoken leader and we all got great enjoyment out of seeing this other side of the usually quiet cyclist.
We set off at a nice pace, nine of us in total, and tried to ride fast enough to beat the heat, for which we were partially successful. We rode past the Rosh Ha’Ayin train station, past Kibbutz Einat and carefully skirted the entrance to El-Ad. From there, we rode up the rocky trail of Ya’ar Kulah and then back down again. Frances took a little spill in order to avoid hitting a rock and taking a BIG spill, so we will say, “good show” for knowing when to bail!
We visited a mausoleum and 2 other “old” structures. Don’t remember the names or in what order – that’s what happens when you write the report 5 days later!

There were 2 more serious climbs all totaled and the rest of the way was not too bad, but I managed to do my share of complaining – in fact, I managed to complain enough for everyone.
Zvika kept reaching behind his back for the 2 water bottles that were no longer there, but in the end, managed to remember to drink out of the hose attachment.
Itzik, as usual appeared and disappeared and I am sure he rode about 30% more than the rest of us.
We stopped at Einat for cool drinks and the ice coffee really hit the spot. We then continued on to the source of the Yarkon where some of us got our feet (and more) wet. We then rode along, and through, the Yarkon back to Elishema.
A nice 42 km ride at a good pace.

Ride report by - Max - Zvika's 60th Nahal Zippori - 18th July

On the 13th July Tzvika joined the elite 60's brigade.
Happy Birthday Zvika from all your riding friends........
Today we decided would be his day and so we surprised him after a great 35 km ride around Zippori with a Hufla (feast) in a great picnik area by the Kibbutz Yagur swimming pool.
Razia (his wife) and his sister together with Zeevik arranged a sumptuous table and after speeches and present giving we sat down to a great after ride meal.
The ride was great with 17 SPOKERS going through Kfar Hasidim, through the back of Shaar Emekim then up to Tivon and Bosmat Tivon. Then through Alone Abba for a fast downhill and along to Bet Lechem HaGlilit for a break by the Bet HaAm.
Here we had a chance to chat with our newest members so welcome to Francis, Jules and Amos and we hope to see you on more of our rides.

Having partaken of a light snack we set off again towards Nahal Zippori and followed its winding route, sometimes crossing from side to side and sometimes just following the banks of one of the more picturesque streams in Israel.
How to cross water ??
Well, see the pictures.........backstroke was one of the chosen options......perhaps not the best.
Then the swimming pool and I couldn't resist so off with the shoes and shirt and in we go.
Brilliant....the water (maybe not the cleanest) but cool and refreshing.
From here it was a nice comfortable ride to the end of the Nahal and then back along to the cars.
The ride was great, the riders brilliant and the weather while sometimes hot, was quite bearable.
So Happy Birthday Zvika, may you ride with us for many years to come (and us with you).

Ride report by - Max - 110 kms to Jerusalem - 9 July

110 KMS elishema to Jerusalem at night

All along the ride I had a feeling of being under a Giraffe. When we reached the Gan HaHayot Tanachim, the first thing we saw was the long neck of a Giraffe.
The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant. It is covered in large, irregular patches of yellow to black fur separated by white, off-white, or dark yellowish brown background. The average mass for an adult male giraffe is 1,191 kilograms while the average mass for an adult female is 828 kilograms.
It is approximately 4.3 metres to 5.2 metres tall, although the tallest male recorded stood almost 6 metres . This is definitely significant.

Ah the ride.
Navigating a night ride is always more challenging than a day ride. The concentration level is much higher, ensuring that no one gets lost and making sure that everyone manages the more difficult parts. While these rides require greater stamina than others, they are all possible and it all depends on the pace and on the breaks. Getting there at the end is a wonderful feeling of personal achievement and of group friendship and this is what our rides are all about.

Now about the riders.
Yoram….Never complains, always a ready smile, and always runs home to mummy.
Stas….head up, powerful legs and our resident Doctor.
Nurit….my personal GPS, long uphills her speciality, always caring, always telling me where to go.
Itai….muscles pumping away, always prepared to tell the same story, again and again and again and again, a great support. Loves candles.
Zvika….stubborness and tremendous will power, always 100%, always gets there………in the end. Always teaching me correct Hebrew.
Itzik….The fittest of them all, always in front and that is why the Giraffe came along for the ride.

Max….With the Giraffe I could see over Itzik to navigate the way.

Ride report by - Max - Nahal Gahar and Nahal HaShofet - 4th July

Nahal Gahar & Nahal HaShofet

Nahal Gahar and then Nahal HaShofet, two of the most beautiful Nahals in Israel.
The forest is just like any other tropical forest in the World but just happens to be in Israel.
The ride had all the usuals, uphills, downhills, technical riding trails and the best weather we could ever have asked for.

2 things stand out for me on this trip.
The first was Eli with his very quiet brilliant humour….welcome to our group and we all hope you will become a regular. He is the one with the blue crocks by the way.
The second thing is my GPS. I have a Mobile Microsoft program on my GPS poz called Naviguide. I have a Garmin 305 Edge. I have maps….and I have a compass.....BUT…..my secret weapon, my very own personal GPS rides with us every ride. Her navigational skills are remarkable and I want to thank her… Nurit…. for being my best companion.
And now a comment, spoken well by Amit, to the biker we met on the trail, whose chain slipped between the spokes and the big sprocket.
"We are the SPOKES"

Ride report by - Merrill - Migdal Tzedek - 27th June

Elishema to Migdal Tzedek

We began the ride today at 6:15AM, from Elishema in high spirits. Ten willing explorers, ready to conquer any hill or dale put to us by our brave leader, Max the Mountain Man!
Nurit and I were the only members of the superior sex to be on the ride, so you can imagine that it was difficult, yes near to impossible, to keep the rowdiness in reign.
We were challenged by the first ascent (no aluyot, according to Max) at Matan and then continued to climb in the Horshim Forest. The steep rocky path was not easy, but a majority of us puffed our way to the top without stopping. We continued on to Oranit and Max then pulled a skillful maneuver in a small round-about to make sure we would follow him anywhere. Since most of us know him tooooooooooooooooooo well - it was not a complete success, but Max was stubborn and did not give up until he had all of us in line behind him.
We continued onward and made another ascent near Rosh Ha-ayin and followed some sheep, as they seemed to know the way just as well as our leader. There were a few "chain" reactions along the way and I am sure Nurit will have her bike looked at by some knowledgeable person, if she can find one. We made the climb to Migdal Tzedek from the back (Hell of a lot easier than the front). The view from there is spectacular and it gave us a few minutes to horse around a bit and have a few well earned laughs. Itai had his eyes on the clock to make sure we were not too late for our 9:00 AM reservation at Einat ?????.

There was a lovely breeze outside and we all partook (if that is a word) of some cool refreshment, joined by Dudi's lovely wife, who stays with him for some reason beyond comprehension.
Now for the difficult part, as I am TERRIBLE with names. I think we were: Max, Nurit, Itai, Itzik, Tzvika, Me (Merrill), Eli from Rishon (welcome to the group), Naftali, Yoram and Dudi. If I screwed up your name, my sincere apologies.
There was one "puncture" by a very considerate rider, who managed to have the flat tire at the coffee shop and not in the blazing sun. We returned to Elishema along the Yarkon, wetting our feet and bikes by riding through the "wadis" 2 or 3 times, which is a must on a hot day like today!
Nobody got to go home before being forced to eat my banana, chocolate chip, nut muffins and there were even one brave soul who took some home for his kids. Great fun was had by one and all and I am sure everyone had a nice nap afterwards.

RIDE REPORT -by - Nurit - Supporting Gilad - 25 June

Supporting Gilad

Supporting Gilad Shalit.......3 years in captivity.
We were 20 riders as we set off to ride to the Sarona park opposite the Kiria where the rally indicating Gilad's 3 years in captivity was to take place.
We rode along the Yarkon river with Gilad's face imprinted on a flag attached to Max's bike, flowing in the wind. We were a small group, riding along the pastoral paths of the Yarkon but you could not ignore us. It was with great difficulty that I stopped myself from crying every time I looked up and saw Gilad's eyes looking down on us.

Our ride took us through the busy streets of Tel Aviv where life continues as usual but we saw the support and felt the feelings of the people as we passed. People remember and care. We arrived at Sarona and joined the thousands of others already there showing their support for Gilad.
We heard the speeches and the most important one telling the Government....... ENOUGH.........of sitting around quietly..........from now on the Government will hear our shouts every day until Gilad is released.

As friends of Aviva and Noam, Gilad's parents, even though thanks are not really necessary , we would like to thank you, the riders, who made the effort and joined us on this ride in support of Gilad and the Shalit family.
I also want to personaly thank my partner, Max, for organising this very special ride.
I hope that this will be the last ride we have to organise in support of Gilad and pray that we will see him home and together with his family, in the very near future.

RIDE REPORT -by - Gidi - 20th June - Zanuach and Ein Panas

Zanuach Lo Zaniach

Early in the morning we met near the place called Zanoach not far from Beit Shemesh. I wonder what they were thinking when they gave it its name.
The eight of us came well on time (!) and prepared our bikes for what was to come. We could smell the snow (?) at the top when we began our first great ascent. Slowly but surely we plowed our way up. Sometimes on the bike... Then came the sun...
As the ascent grew long we began hopping from the shade of one lonely tree to the other. At one point, Avraham, on foot, tried to dive under a tree smashing into a rock. We were all very relieved to see that except for terminal damage to his helmet not a scratch of harm was done. At the top, we refilled our water supplies and began the next phase of our trip. Right around Bar Giyora we entered the picturesque hills decorated with endless high voltage power lines and a beautiful view down on Mata. We visited no less than three different springs. The first, well hidden in a bush is known as Ein Azan. After discovering it by chance we found a small sign next to it with the words from a song by Yoram Teharlev:
מַעְיָן יָדַעְתִּי בֵּין עִשְּׂבֵי
הַבָּר בְּתוֹךְ הַשֶּׁקֶט הַכָּחֹל
לוּ יָדַעְתִּי כָּכָה לִחְיוֹת
לִנְבֹּעַ וְלָעַד לֹא לַחְדֹּל

The next spring was Ein Tanur (also known as "Ein Panas"). Next time, we should bring flashlights with us. Nevertheless, it was a good spot for our refreshment stop. The third spring, just a short trip up the road was Ein Mata (also known as "Ein Shachachti"), where a large group of people were bathing happily in the seemingly clear water.
From Ein Tanur we enjoyed another ascent in the sun towards the entrance to the cesarean single at Hirbet Hanut. This is where we went to practice our ability to jump up and down stone stairs (with our bikes). So, that is what we did. Were we supposed to be riding?
The hot and dry air stopped us from completing the single and we chose to shorten our ride a bit and get back to the cars before we ran out of water. One punctured tire was fixed in the shade before the trip was completed.
We arrived exhausted and overheated at the cars extremely happy to discover cool watermelon and melon awaited us there as the ultimate trophy!
Max - thanks for introducing us to yet another beautiful part of our country!
Also, personally I ran through no less that five and a half liters of water. Worth a second thought before our next six hour trip in the blazing sun... --

RIDE REPORT -by - Max - 19th June - Ladies Course 2nd session

Course Ladies Beginners 2

07.00 and Good morning to one and all. Today we will learn.........and so it went for the next 4 hours. Uphills, Downhills, put your weight back, look foreward, relax.......do this do that and we had a slight breeze.
Amazing the improvement with just a little bit of technique. Understanding what the bike can do gives us more confidence and allows us to do more. Riding becomes more enjoyable and confidence in our own abilities adds another concept to our general well being.

So practice, practice and practice and see you in two weeks. Next session we will travel to Ben Shemen and conquer the basic art of "single riding".

RIDE REPORT -by - Dennis - Har Heret, Sataf and Har Eitan

Har Heret, Sataf and Har Eitan

Our ride in the Jerusalem hills, under blue skies and slowly increasing temperature, would have been perfect had it not been for a couple of unexpected ups and downs. Having come to believe that Spokes rides are carefully designed to be as horizontal as possible, the fact that much of the ride rose steeply towards the heavens or precipitously down to the other place came as quite a surprise. But such surprises have happened before...
So, starting from the Motza junction with the air still pleasantly cool, the route took us down to the Sorek dam for a view of the tranquil waters, then around the base of the eroding dam wall and a steep climb part of the way up the south side of Har Heret. Having Hadassah hospital in sight for much of the time was encouraging. Eventually we arrived at the Sataf cafe to mingle with the walkers, bikers, dogs, and a little rest. Then uphill again to the top of Har Eitan, with panoramic views of nearby hills and settlements all the way along and a very gentle breeze. Downhill and uphill again to Tzoba, where there were underground water works to be explored after some explanations from the local custodian.
Uphill yet again to Maoz Zion, then a long and partly technical downhill on the north side of Har Heret almost back to Motza, where it was time to celebrate. Shimon (who did not ride today after being attacked by his new bike) was having a surprise birthday party (the young man has racked up a whole half-century) organized by his better half Sharona. So, somewhere in the forest, the wilting SpokesFolk were greeted by cold beer, cold melon, nourishing foods, and lots of good cheer; everyone was very happy and the grateful SpokesFolk hope that there will be many more such events.
Suitably refreshed, it was just a short climb back to where we begun, with 23km traveled, and 350m climbed. And perhaps all those thigh-burning uphills and gut-wrenching downhills weren't so bad after all.

RIDE REPORT -by - Max - 6 June - Technical course 2 Horshim

Course 2 Horshim

Well today we held the second Technical Riding course with Tom and we all agreed that we are learning a great deal from him.
We practiced climbing rocks, going round rocks, going down rocks, moving rocks, lifting rocks, swearing at rocks, falling on rocks and basically rocking.
One thing we established is that we have a star and his name is Eitan.
Itzik showed us his skill in moving his bike sideways and here and there we all practised different ways of falling.
Today we welcomed Shai (jet lagged but still awake) and Hezi. Join us again.
To complete the course we did a quick uphill to the Lookout point and then another long winding nearly downhill single back down and then back to Elishema.

RIDE REPORT -by - Max - Ladies Beginners Course

Ladies Beginners Course

Several months ago some of our lady riders and others who were not yet riding asked me if we would do a beginners trails course. I prepared the groundwork for the first course and today we met with our first group of "beginners" and went out on a very pleasant 4 hour ride/course.
We have built the course based on 4 sessions of 4 hours each, and our motto is "to walk less and ride more...".
Each session is based on the previous one and will enable us to learn the basics of trail riding. This will include fitting the bike to the rider, correct weight distribution on the bike, correct use of brakes and gears, cornering techniques, uphill and downhill skills.
We will learn the procedures for removing both front and rear wheels on our bikes and replacing an inner tube.
We will learn how to fit a bike stand to our car and how to place the bike correctly and firmly on the stand.
We will learn how to ride through sand, mud and water. We will do singles and learn the basic front jump to overcome rocks,roots and other obstacles.
At the end of 4 sessions we hope to have achieved a higher technical level of riding, enabling us to ride more, with more confidence and with more bike skills.
For your own well being, please come to the course with proper shoes with good gripping undersoles, padded gloves and sun glasses. Add on 2-3 liters of water and an energy snack and we should be able to keep going all through the Summer with no problems.
See you next session.

RIDE REPORT -by - Max - Italy & Austria - (24th -30th May)

Italy & Austria

It's amazing how much you can get into 7 days. 2 flights, 1200 km's of driving, about 180 km's of mountain bike riding and scenery………just amazing.

We started in lake Garda in Italy where we met the guides for an introduction to the area and in particular to the biking trails around the lake and in the surrounding mountains. Hundreds of bikers everywhere you look but also many trails of all sizes. Steep uphills, reasonably flat trails, singles and of course downhills for the full armor type of kamikaze bikers.
Here we had 2, 45 km rides on good challenging mountain tracks and a sweet beer to refresh us at the end

From Garda we drove through the Brenner pass into Austria and came to Mayrhofen where a different type of scenery awaited. Different houses and different mountains.
Again we met with the local guides and were taken up to 1700 meters by cable car, rode a further 400 meter up to the top of the mountain and then nearly free wheeled all the way down to 600 meters. Amazing. The mountains greeted us with snow on their caps, the green colour of the hills and the valleys is enough to take your breath away (if you still have any left after reaching the summit !!). Wonderfull, refreshing and totally beautiful.
Mayrhofen the town in the valley has enough restaurants to please all and shops aplenty to buy presents for those at home. The Hotel was a delight with all the biking facilities we need. A locked storeroom, great breakfast before the rides, energy supplements for the rides, sauna…….what more !!

Having said fond farewells to Mayrhofen we continued to Zell Am See and to Maishofen. One of the most beautiful areas in Austria and a bikers dream. The trails are endless and full of gorges, singles uphills and of course downhills.
Again the meetings and the rides with the local guides showed us that the area around Kaprun (6 Km's from Zell Am See) is paradise and just made us want to stay for more.
Certainly one of the best trips I have ever been on……..
Enjoy the photos, they tell the story much better, and we are preparing three trips during the Summer which will be advertised this week. See you there…………..

RIDE REPORT -by - Max - Elishema to Yar Nachshonim - 16 May

Elishema to Yar Nachshonim

Well we all needed a rest. Actually the plan was to ride the Meggido Volve challenge but that turned out to be very overgrown with weeds etc. We will do it soon.
22 riders and we managed 47 kms. Uphills were missing but a couple of technical challenges were available to test our skills.
The route took us along the Kane (nearly empty) and we joined the Yarkon to ride through the myriad paths of Suf. The source of all water is always a welcome break. (its amazing what a 2 inch pipe can do!!!!).
Antipatrous is still standing and from there to Yar Nachshonim, a short and fast ride.
We all climbed the Yar as mountain goats do and with a couple of red faces at the top looked forward to the downhill.
As if that was not enough I decided at the request of all the riders (well actually Itai asked) to do the Migdal Zedek as well.
Now fast forward to Einat and a welcome break for coffee.

After refreshments we continued the Yarkon way and arrived back at the cars with only a couple of mishaps on the way.
I have to say that Ada has a great way of massaging (not me) and Meir looked very happy all the way home.
Welcome to Douglas and Roman on their first time out with the SPOKES.
Please tell us before each ride if you intend to join us, and make sure you are ready to ride 10 minutes after the meeting time.
Happy riding.

RIDE REPORT -by - Max - Kochav Yair Challenge - 9 May

Kochav Yair May

17 riders met for early morning tea in Zur Yigal. The ride was by courtesy of Itai and Eitan and they led us on a well chosen route combining singles, downhills, pebbly dried out river streams, asphalt and of course several breath removing uphills.
We rode in beautiful wild scenery which unfortunately is marred by fencing of all shapes and sizing. The camels (see the pics if you don't believe me), added to the exotic nature of the ride. Welcome to Stas on his amazing new Cube and to Ariel and Ofrah who braved the uphills for a first time out with the SPOKES.

A special thanks to Tatiana who provided the best chocolate at the break (I love chocolate) and a get better soon to Gidi who managed to scrape off a lot of his surface skin in a private meeting with some asphalt. (superfuous ...maybe??).
25 km's of an invigorating ride and we'll see you next week for the SPOKES Meggido challenge.
Please come on time to our rides and we will start 15 minutes after the meeting time.

RIDE REPORT -by - Max - Full moon 55 KM ride - 7 May

Went out for coffee last night, with a couple of the guys.
Dennis ordered cappucino, (not choco), Dov took his coffee in a one time cup (stays hotter longer....he says !!) Nurit and I, well salmon sandwich just happens to be on the menu so why not. Itai drove the waiter nuts (poor guy.....the waiter I mean). Dudi.....too cold to sit outside..???? Itzik contemplated a Barcelona salad....... Will someone tell Eitan not to fill up his Havit before a ride !!!!

Oh the ride.!! Martin needs night goggles.....once he came perilously close to the water's edge, another time missed the bend totally and found himself up in the brambles, then he got lost !!!!
Dennis was found to be playing golf in a sand hole.. (in the middle of a ride ???).
Then a private performance by a Thespian bunch of weird goings on above a high Tell.
A great ride .......One against 10 Yallllllllla.........................

RIDE REPORT -by - Shimon G - 2 May - Latrun to Bet Meir

Latrun to Bet Meir

On a pleasant Saturday morning we embarked on an "effortless" ride only 30 km. Even though the forecast called for warm weather in the mountains, apparently not in our mountain, it was nice and cool. 11 riders set off from Latrun.
About 300 m' down the road some of us were already dragging our bikes up a steep hill. That was the beginning of a ride which as Max always says has "only one uphill", all the way up the Burma Road. After a few kms ,a couple who had had enough, decided to abandon us. As we crossed Rout 38 and the going got tough, Zeev decided to quit. The climb up Burma Road was long and steep with plenty of gravel to slick and slide on.. At the end of the hill, as we tried to catch our breath, we said goodbye to another rider leaving only seven riders in the group.

After breakfast we started the climb up (דרך המשלטים) and from there we rolled down the same path we climbed up. The way down was "Fast and Furious" the gravel made the way down a bit tricky, one of the riders performed a maneuver that almost took him straight to the bottom of the hill (not via the path) and of course no major down hill can be concluded without a flat tire. We crossed Rout 38 and headed back to Latrun.
I don't know about everybody else but I really pushed it to the limit.
Overall it was a beautiful ride entwined with history from the days of the War of Independence.

RIDE REPORT -by - Max - Course Horshim - 25th April

Course Horshim

Spokes held their first technical riding course today, in Yar Horshim. Our instructor was Tom who comes from the world of trials riding.
The idea behind the course was to enable us to ride more and walk less.

Tom showed us many concepts such as correct weight distribution, correct brake habits, how to ride up slabs of rocks and down them, how to decide on the correct path etc. We managed to practice a lot and also to ride several sweet singles. Now it is up to us to go out there and practice what we have learnt. Thanks Tom.

I gained a lot from todays experience and want to continue with this type of hands on learning.
We will hold a second session on the 6th of June. All those interested should confirm their participation as soon as possible. The next session will be limited to 10 riders only and will cost 75 shekels per rider.

RIDE REPORT -by - Dennis - 18th April - Arad to the Dead Sea

Arad to Dead Sea

Where shall I begin? Perhaps at the top. Arad, at about 600m above sea level.
Then where shall I end? At the bottom. As far down upon the earth that nature allows. The Dead Sea. Some 390m below sea level. Twixt beginning and end there is a path. A very long path. A rocky, gravelly, sandy, twisting path. Close to 60km long. A path that descends 990m. So, even if the going is hard, surely that should be one heck of a downhill. Like skiing on wheels perhaps?

Oops! The path to the bottom of the earth is not a downhill cruise, because, for some perverse reason, it goes uphill. A long way uphill. With ascents that force one to use the brakes for traction while dragging one's steed up. This is not riding, this is masochism of the most cruel kind. But who said masochists don't have fun? Bottom line, the path climbs some 340m, some bits easier than others.
But on the plus side, there is all that extra downhill (you do the sums).

So, to make a long story short, here is what the eight merry Spokesniks (6 oldtimers, 2 guests) did over almost 8 hours on a beautiful, sunny, but not too hot day. They set out from Arad early (having left their soft beds while all was still dark), from the industrial area of Arad, south past the landing strip, and up to Mt. Yahel, en route reaching the highest altitude of the day, 630m. There was then a long 500m descent, via Mt. Kipon, to one of the many panoramic viewpoints that line the route.

What goes down, goes up. And so did our magnificent eight. Up, up, up. After crossing a main road, there was one long climb to a nameless place, a little peak to cross using one's best scrambling technique, followed by, guess what, yet another climb, where even the most hardy grovelled. Between these two periods of pain we had our picnic. On Mt. Komot (one now realizes the reason for the name) we spread our tent. Literally. A magnificent folding contraption that our ancestors would have envied, with fresh air from all directions.
And where did this tent suddenly appear from? Well, now is the time to reveal a little secret. The supreme Spokesniks had company. A 4x4. A royal blue one. One for which nature could construct no barrier. It can go anywhere, carry anything.
Where humans scramble and slide, it cruises. That's how the tent, our replacement fluids, and our breakfast comestibles arrived.

So after four hours of sun and air the riders were almost halfway along, but back at 350m above sea level. Surely it was time for some serious downhill. Having traveled mainly south, the route turned east, and down. Down, down, down. To sea level. And then the path started to twist. And the riders, twisting, sped down another 250m to the Plane of Amiaz. This plane is flat and dead. At the eastern end is Mt. Sedom. Ah Sedom, how I long for thee. The unstoppable eight now turned north for yet another of the journey's highlights. Nachal Sedom. No water, but a long, narrow, sinuously twisting canyon with high walls and overhanging cliffs. Almost a course in geology for dummies, with layer upon layer of sedimentary deposits. Chavar lashon - look it up - there was once a very big lake in these parts. Erosion by periodic floods has done its work, and what remains is this magnificent downhill slalom run, with each turn bringing new feasts for the eyes. Gotta go back.
Then it was into Nachal Pratzim, where the wadi walls are much farther apart, but the landscape still mindblowing. All the earthen colors imaginable, white to yellow to brown, layer upon layer. And then there was the lake at the end of the valley. In Emek Zohar. With trees, and birds, and real water. A little oasis at 390m below, with the water level falling fast and the drying mud weaving intricate patterns.
Enough, cried the assembled multitudes, dusty and weary. So it was across the highway and through garbage strewn territory (up till then absolutely no manmade detritus apart from an old pipeline, in fact few signs of life except for a slow moving jeep convoy heading downhill, a small group of hikers heading uphill, a large flock of sheep all neatly lined up in rows) and on to the parking area by the sea at Hamei Zohar. There a small feast awaited, and a closeup view of the Dead Sea which took so long to reach. 7 hours and 40 minutes in fact, with 4 hours in motion. 60km. Only when driving along the highway back to Arad to collect the cars did it occur that while there is a much quicker way to the Dead Sea, it is one far less enjoyable. Homeward bound, finally, as the sun set.
Must thank the support staff, Ahouvi and Lidor for the driving (and occasional uphill bike dragging), Max and Nurit for the organization and vehicular aid, Itai for his aromatic coffee, tent and irrepressible humor. And if you thought that M was unstoppable on 2 wheels, you should have seen him on 4, when the road is practically impassable to man or beast. See youse all next time.

Max adds...... We were glad to welcome Ofer S. back again with Yariv and thank him for his work as a Me'aseff (sweeper). The fact that he did it from the front did not bother anyone......
Also thanks to Shimon's wife who was there at the END to clap us on our amazing endevours, and as Dennis already mentioned a great many thanks to Ahouvi and Lidor for agreeing to drive the 4 x 4 along with us as our support vehicle.
All in all, a brilliant ride.

RIDE REPORT -by - Gidi - 16 April Elishema-Horshim-Einat

Elishema Horshim & Einat

Six went on a biking tour
led by Nurith and Max.
The wind was blowing, that's for sure,
when we began to lay our tracks.

As usual there were no uphills planned,
when we crossed the Kaneh creek,
but sure enough that didn't stand
as we reached the Horshim peak...

We passed Kfar Qasem and all its litter
and observed a curious field,
for instead of seeing flowers glitter
plastic bags appealed.

Down the windy slope we went
to the Rosh Haain quarry,
where we were surpassed by a running gent who appeared on his way to glory.

By the time we yearned for a coffee break Einat Segfredo appeared.
We got another's order by mistake
but eventually got that cleared.

Our master changed on the final part
as Nurith took the lead.
We reached the Elishema point of start
very pleased indeed!

RIDE REPORT -by - Max - Li On and Tel Azaka - 11 April

Park Britania & Tel Azaka

It is amazing how tangled a chain can get but the first 40 minutes were spent trying to untangle one of our rider's chain so we started a bit late. We rode to the entrance to Park Britannia and immediately went into our first smooth flowing single.
The early morning tranquility was sweet music to our ears and the only real noise was the tyres going over the pebbles on the route. The scenery is wonderful and the colours at this time of the year as we have said a thousand times are just unbelievable. The pictures show only a small detail of the overwhelming beauty of the area.
The end of the single led us to our first climb and this was a really steep path back to road 353 to cross over to the other side of the park and into the second climbing single.
This one was a bit more technical and needed some skill to climb the slabs of stone and keep on the bikes. Some of us walked but we all enjoyed the tremendous lush vegetation.
From here it was up and down until the trail to Tel Azaka. The climb up was just about rideable and we all made it to the top.

Here a 360 degree panoramic vista awaited us and the views of the HaEla valley are wonderful. Someone a long time ago had the foresight to plant a tree and to cement benches into the not so natural Tel and so we had our break here and were regaled with stories of David and Goliath who fought their epic battle down in the Ella plains many a long year ago.
After the break we began our decent from the Tel, through some hair raising steep descents and into the last very technical downhill single.
Down at last and we all breathed a bit easier and then off to the XC riding that we all love, through the glorious fields of Agur, past Luzit, over road 353 again and into the forests of Yar Masua and back to Li-On.
Just before we crossed road 353 we came upon an oasis of red amongst a carpet of yellow, truly a wonderful sight. See the pics.

The last few kms were all uphill but we managed to finish the ride of 20 or so kms with a feeling that maybe another 10 would have been better.
I promised the group to make up the difference on the way down to the Dead sea.
By the way, welcome to all the new faces and we hope to see you with us again.
See you next week and don't forget Wednesday morning we ride to Migdal Tzedek.

RIDE REPORT by Max - The Volvo Challenge - 4th April

Volvo Challenge

Itai laid down the challenge a couple of weeks ago and here we are at 7.00 am parking the car somewhere in Yar Megiddo along with another 1000 or so riders. First things first and we had to get our number (588) and the electronic chip which we fixed to our bikes to record the time and to make make sure that we started and finished together with our partners within 30 seconds of each other. The start was full of drama as the professionals jostled with each other to be at the front and the more relaxed ones stayed in the middle of the pack and waited patiently for the start. Well off we rode into well marked trails, climbs, singles and great downhills. At the beginning the singles were a problem as there was a lot of bunching up but gradually as the field spread out the trails became easy to ride and at same point during the second round we found ourselves nearly alone on the trails and were convinced that we were so far ahead of the rest of the riders that we had time to stop eat and pee. Alas this was not the case and at the finish we were surprised (not really) to see that about 65 pairs of riders had already passed the finishing line before us. The ride was great, some of it hard climbs, a couple of uphill singles requiring great effort not to walk up and some really good flowing trails. The organisation was very good and our congratulations go to all the winners, the organisers and to a great day out.

Israel MTB - Mountain Biking at its best

We have returned from Tusheti in Georgia. An amazing trip, with amazing people, amazing views, amazing hospitality and perfect organisation. I will be posting my blog of this trip over the next few days click here for Bog Tusheti Enjoy the views and join us for the next trip.

Thursday 2nd September - Sea to Sea

Tues 7 Sept - Night Ride - Shana Tova

Steppenwolf 2010

Timber

Taiga

Tundra

Taiga FS 120

Tundra FS 100

Tundra FS 120

Tycoon 150

TundraFS100

TundraFS100

TundraFS100

TundraFS100

What do we do when we see that big stony climb ahead of us?

Ride report 14th August by Max - Burma

Ride report 5 Aug by Max - 100 kms from Hod Hasharon to Jerusalem

Ride report 31 July by Max - Yagur Muchraka and singles

Ride report 24 July by Jonathan - Springs and Singles - Aminadav-Ein Karem

Ride report 17th July by Max - Nahal HaShnaim

Ride report 10 July by Jonathan - HH to Nachshonim

Walking with Aviva and Noam Shalit..for Gilad....more photos....by Max

Ride report 3 July by Max - Tzipori singles.

Walking with Aviva and Noam Shalit..for Gilad....July....by Max

Ride report 26 June by Nurit - Nahal Kziv ride for Gilad Shalit

Ride report 19 June by - Max - Horshim and Einat

Ride report 12 June by Dennis - Nahal Itlah

Ride report 9 June by Max - Hod Hasharon - Basic Mechanics course - Our Home

Ride report 5th June by Jonathan - Marathon Jerusalem 2010

Ride report 1st June by Max - Tel Aviv

Ride report 29th May by Max - Nahal Dalia & Har Horshan

Ride report 22 May by Max - HH, Einat, Nahal Shilo, Horshim and back.

Ride report 19th May by David - The Gaaton

Ride report 15 May by Dennis - HH via Horshim, Park Rosh HaAyin, Einat and back

Ride report 1 May by Jonathan - Hod Hasharon Marathon to Jerusalem

Ride report 28th April by Max - Ramat HaHayal to Yaffo for Gilad Shalit

Ride report 24 Apr by Max - HaSharon

Ride report 17 Apr by Max - Har Heret

Ride report 10 Apr by Max - Yodefat - Lower Galillee

A Poem by Jonathan 4 April

Ride report April 3 by Max - Nahal HaBsor

Ride report 30 Mar by Max - Tel Aviv for Gilad

Ride report 20 Mar by Max - Horshim and Einat

Ride report 21 Feb by Max - Antofagasta Chile

Ride report 13 Feb by Max - Hod Hasharon to Einat via Matan and Horshim

Ride report 6th Feb by Max - Tel Aviv and back

Ride report by Dennis - Little Switzerland 30 Jan 2010

Ride report by - Max - In and Around Jerusalem - 23rd Jan

Ride report by - Jonathan - Einat & Nahal Shilo - 16th Jan

Ride report by - Max - Bet Kama, Ruhama to Bror Hayil

Ride report by - Dennis - Park Canada - 2 Jan 2010

Ride report by - Max - Happy New Year

Just to show you the riding conditions in Tocopilla Chile !!!

Ride report by - Max - Adolam - 26th Dec

Ride report by - Max - sea2 - 19 Dec

Ride report by - A Chilean Engineer - 12 Dec

Ride report by - Max - Ben Shemen 60th - 5 Dec

Ride report by - Max - Kerem Mahral - 28th November

Birthday greetings from Jonathan

Ride report by - Max - Horshim & Einat - 21 Nov

Ride report by - Jonathan - Lehavim - 14th Nov

Ride report by - Max - Night ride to Einat 11 Nov

Ride report by - Max - Yar Kedoshim Nov 2009

Ride report by - Max - Moshavim & Moshavot - 31 Oct

Ride report by - Max - Saadim 2009 - 26 September

Ride report by - Max - Erev Rosh Hashana - 18 September

Ride report by - Dennis - Elishema +51 kms.

Ride report by - Max - Sea to Sea - 27 Aug 2009

Ride report by - Dennis - Gezer & Carme Yosef - 22 August

Ride report by - Frances - Round Gush Dan - 15 August

Ride report by - Max - Jerusalem by night - 13 Aug

Ride report by - David - Narbata - 8 Aug

Ride report by - Max - Haifa - 1 August

Ride report by - Yar Kola 25 july

Ride report by - Max - Zvika's 60th Nahal Zippori - 18th July

Ride report by - Max - 110 kms to Jerusalem - 9 July

Ride report by - Max - Nahal Gahar and Nahal HaShofet - 4th July

Ride report by - Merrill - Migdal Tzedek - 27th June

We have returned from Tusheti in Georgia.
An amazing trip, with amazing people, amazing views, amazing hospitality and perfect organisation.
I will be posting my blog of this trip over the next few days click here for Bog Tusheti Enjoy the views and join us for the next trip.