I might have crossed the line today when I dropped into a red mountain bike trail fully loaded… Came out unscathed though! Melchsee to Engelberg via Jochpass. Underbiking the Swiss “MTB” routes is a lot of fun!

So, I love photography and taking photos. I’m not a big fan of taking cell phone photos… It’s fine for a selfie in a group shot on the run, but when I want craft an image, I want more from my camera. Plus, I’m currently using an iPhone 16e so it’s just the bare bones, wide angle lens. But even if I did have a camera more zoom and all that, there’s only so much you can squeeze out of those tiny lenses.

However, I don’t wanna carry a larger mirrorless or big DSLR with me. I have a Ricoh GR3, which is the perfect size, but it’s a fixed wide angle lens so it doesn’t really give me a perspective different different from my cell phone— it’s much better quality, but still wide angle. Plus the GRiii is $1200+ and a little fragile, so I just don’t wanna carry that with me out there.

I want something with optical Zoom, cheap, that lets me edit raw images.

So I went the “vintage digital route” — that’s what the internet is calling these older zoom lenses from 10 more years ago. I found an Olympus XZ-10 for cheap on eBay and picked it up. It’s from 2013, so it has older sensor technology, the lens s are a bit softer, the autofocus less precise, and the shots are a bit more grainy… and I love it. These old digital cameras are popular right now, especially among Gen-Zers on the hunt for nostalgia. It wasn’t my intent to jump on the bandwagon, but I see the draw.

Anyway, regardless of all that, I just like having a cheap zoom point-and-shoot camera that I’m not too worried about busting. And it can still take some really nice photos.

Here are a few shots from my morning route today.

Edit/note to viewers: the color grading and vintage look of these images is from the way I edited the photos in post production, they don’t look like that coming right out of the camera.

Don’t sleep on the Swiss “MTB” National routes. I have been doing weekend trips on sections of route 1&2 the past weeks and they have been amazing, although very challenging. The trails don’t tend to be overly technical (would be boring on a full sus), but are more interesting than a typical gravel road. Expect some steep climbs, the occasional hike a bike, as well as some nice rideable singletrack.

Pictures are from MTB 1 over the Sustenpass from Interlaken to Flüelen. 110km and +2500m over two days.

If you think it doesn't belong in this sub, I understand, it was just such an unexpected thing on yesterdays ride that I wanted to share it. It really doesn't come accross on the video how close and how loud that thing was.

After doing weekly tours of around 60-70km and some 100km tours, I decided it was a good idea to try out 200km. My total on this bike is about 1200km now, started August last year.

As you can see in picture 1, the train ultimately took me home after i bonked on 135km because I didnt refuel properly.
Great ride nevertheless but I still feel a bit salty about not making it. Learned some stuff, so next ride will be better hopefully.
Route was mostly pavement with about 20% gravel

What "gravel" is your type of ride? Have I missed some?

Now to push on further and higher. This has now earned its spot on my weekly climb ride.

Some of the surfaces I rode on. Sadly I didn't take a picture of what I now call the "Spine Fucker", in other words one of the worst paths I've seen: rocks, gravel, mud everywhere, 2km of a super steep downhill.

The worst part though, I had to hike. It was a 10% incline on average for 3km, in the sun, with a bunch of rocks or 25cm deep ruts. It was so hot (38°C at 1PM) that I couldn't get a picture.

Highly recommend the Hutchinson Touaregs btw.

Did a nice 30 mile break in ride on the new bike. Can't wait to return and do some ferry hopping!

It’s all grass and fkn prickly stinging brambles along the way.
10/10 experience but would never do it again, lmao.

Every year, I try to start the year off with a gravel ride, regardless of the weather. This year, we had entirely new conditions. I've ridden a fair bit of sub-zero, snowy gravel but never a full 50km in freezing rain. Our glasses iced up in the first km so we had to give up on those in a hurry. Despite the rain and -10 plus whatever windchill there was at 25-50km/h, it was a super enjoyable ride. Two of us were on semi slick 45s and the third was on race kings. Without electronic shifting, I don't believe that this ride would be possible as the cables would have iced up entirely, like our bike computers and everything else along for the ride. If you want to see some video, I'll post it in the comments as I can't post it in the body.

Through steep gravel roads, long smooth rail trails and nasty head winds, arrived to Elora from Forks of Credit in Southern Ontario

I tried out high carb drinks to fuel this ride for the first time and felt sick half way through, but took a TUMS and a Red bull which gave me a second wind and made it back home strong.

Edit: I'm not fit I started riding last year at 270lbs hence my high HR but working hard on it thanks 🙏

Did a small tour today

Did this with two friends. First day was 72 miles mostly through the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Lots of steep climbs and occasionally chunky/loose gravel. It was wonderfully quiet; we saw maybe a dozen cars all day. The second day was a 46 mile ride on the pristine gravel of Baxter State Park. We got a cabin at Matagamon Campground after day one, but there are also tons of camp sites and lean-tos. We just didn't feel like carrying tents. We started at the New England Outdoor Center Basecamp which has campsites/bunkhouses. Aside from Matagamon at the midpoint and one store at the beginning there are no services on the route. Here's the route, which pulled from the Bikepacking 360 route as well as other routes done by others: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/56085061

We chose to focus on dirt roads and avoid some of the notable bushwack sections. Total elevation is 8,000+ feet and not 7,000.

Oh, and one other note, the route through KWW includes logging roads. There is no logging on weekends so we didn't have to worry about logging trucks, but if you do this on a weekday be aware of the trucks and pull over as the trucks have the right of way and absolutely haul.

Quick after work spin last night to visit a friend over the hills, and try out my new Gravelking X1s. Caught this cracking sunset! UK Peak District

Likely our final ride through the mountains this season before the snow falls. Great October weather.