A page featuring galleries and links for cycle tours undertaken during November 2023.

I ride regularly, and I do not necessarily post a web page for each tour I do.

I do post to Facebook, Garmin Connect, Strava and occasionally to Komoot and Instagram.

Monthly Tours

Shiver Me Timbers in Gö – November 26 2023

As a fictional pirate might say when faced with a turn of events – we exclaimed ´Shiver Me Timbers´ as the ´wet´ snow fell and the cold worked itself into our bones.

A short ride close to home at Kerstlingeröder Feld, an old Panzer base and now looking wintery.

Despite the shortness of the ride, it was challenging 13km in the conditions.

Links

Kerstlingeröder Feld
Lost Village 
Peace Ride

On Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/10284873792

Scouting Logistiks in Gö – November 22 2023

After breaking the ice on the bird bath, I ventured out to do a wee bit of scouting (this time last year it snowed).

This ride sought a different way out from Göttingen velodrome via the Leine River and past the massive logistic centres built on the west-side of the city (we are in the centre of Germany).

This is also where much work has been done to bolster Göttingen´s water management by creating a nature area to contain swollen rivers.

In addition, a brick chimney marks Gö´s industrial heritage near the Kiessee (lake). On route we saw the imposing walls of Gö prison a new addition to the city and it houses some of Germany´s most dangerous prisoners.

Looking for trails is time consuming, and I began to get cold after two hours. I also back tracked a lot to test options.

On Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/10262755960

Sans Mud Ride of the Falling Leaves in Gö – November 18 2023

Sans mud? Of course, not…

Despite the recent constant rainfall, it was rather nice to ride a route without getting wet and to get home only moderately filthy.

The temperature was 0.

This route is a variation of the 54km Feldweg Omloop and the Kopfsteinpflaster Carousel tours featuring just a few sectors of very mild gravel or dirt with no deep ruts.

Andrea baked cakes!!!!!!!

Danke for the company – Andrea, Chris, and Konstantin.

On Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/10240532354

Dirty Asphalt in Gö – November 16 2023

I rode two glorious hours on mostly asphalt Feldweg which is now filthy with detritus caused by recent heavy leaf, rain fall and farming activities.

Riding on 30mm slick tyres on the often-slippery surface requires concentration, I looked for newly ploughed fields or long mounds of Sugar Beet for instance to give me a heads up. Then there is heavy farm machinery such as the massive yellow Tigers that roam the landscape and spread huge clods of earth.

Although muddy in places I didn´t require the use of a snorkel as I avoided the deep muddy water filled farm tracks.

There were also signs of flood control being put into force on the Leine River with one bridge having catched bundles of foliage swept along by swollen waters.

On Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/10228513100

Gö Gravel Ride of the Falling Leaves – November 12 2023

The latest Gö Gravel informal social ride number 44 celebrated Herbst and the annual fall of rust-coloured leaves, with the sun shining we got a little crackle as we rode over the leaf carpet.

Our plan to avoid the worst of the flooded trails was partially successful after all cycling is not a wassersport!

Danke for the company: Alex, Andrea, Andreas, Claudius, Craig, Diana, Ekki, Isa, Josh, Julia, Konstantin, Lydia, Margot, Max, Rostyslav, Sandra M, Sebastian B, Sebastian S, Sergiy, Tim, and Victoria.

I was upset to lose five riders who broke off from the ride – the cold wind was strong and mean.

On Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/10206214159

Festival of Lights – Three Chairs Gö Gravel Social Ride – November 9 2023

Before the magic of electric light became the normal or for that matter the coming of powerful bike lamps, people would take advantage of a full moon or might light a flaming torch to help guide themselves during darkness.

In previous evening ride reports I have quoted Dylan Thomas´s evocative description of the darkness of night as “Bible Black”, and “Crow Black”. It´s only natural to be afraid in the dark. Within it our senses are diminished allowing our imagination to run wild and the mildest rustle in the blackened undergrowth can put us on edge.

Societies have left the warm glow of a fire (or in modern times, a lightbulb?) with trepidation and people have sought many ways to enlighten the dark. As we rode into the night on the latest Gö Gravel informal social ride I thought of Dewali, the Hindu (plus other faiths) Festival of light held at this time of the year.

Diwali symbolises the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance”. Lorenz Franz Kielhorn an Indologist professor in Gö (1882) translated a 12^th century script found in a temple – “the auspicious festival of lights which disperses the most profound darkness”, as did our bike lamps.

Josh had titled the ride as ´Three Chairs´, a reference to three white chairs once located outside of Sieboldhausen which have offered us a resting place on many a ride. Sadly, a bench replaced the chairs and only one remains now being discarded into the bushes.

Danke for the company: Josh, Max, Sergiy, Chris, Finn, Konstantin, and Claudius.

Special thanks to Finn for the entertaining acrobatic moment when he almost lost control on a section of mud!! It was epic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/10190350622

Graveling for Cat Food in Gö – November 6 2023

The prosaic act of buying cat food can be enlivened on a gravel bike.

On Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/10170502966

Scouting Gö Gravel Ride of the Falling Leaves 2 – November 3 2023

This ride has a page of its own.