Wisetrips Travel Blog

I hoped to wing foil at Coyote Point (one final time this season), but the wind didn't cooperate. Although the forecast called for 20 knots, I waited until 13:00, but the wind didn't reach the forecast speed. I decided to unload my 2008 Toyota Sienna minivan and go mountain biking at Almaden Quicksilver instead.  I parked at the Hacienda entrance nd unloaded my 2011 Specialized FSR Stumpjumper.  I started the ride a…

I had decided to try using my iGPSPORT BiNavi GPS Bike compute r to mountain bike from my house to Lexington Reservoir and back. This is a popular, highly rated trail also available on Komoot . My GPX directions can be downloaded here . It was a very difficult, 20-mile climb with 2,835 feet of elevation gain. It has some spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. It took me 3 hours to complete the ride, and I had to walk my bike…

After trying various bike computers, including the Garmin 1040, Wahoo Roam 3, and Wahoo Bolt, and being somewhat dissatisfied with the value for the price, I decided to mount my iPhone 14 Pro Max on my 2011 Specialized FRS S-Works mountain bike. However, all the extended front bike computer mounts were either too short or too flimsy to accommodate my heavy iPhone. I realized that I had to use a smaller bike navigation computer ins…

After many years of mountain biking, I realized that GPS directions would really help me discover new trails (without the fear of getting lost). I initially considered mounting my iPhone 14 Pro Max on the handlebars. Still, I learned that the mountain bike's jerky motion could damage the phone's sensitive camera system. I did some research (with the help of ChatGPT and Gemini) and identified a couple of suitable …

Saturday, August 9, 2025 Start : #351, Cameron House , A82, Loch Lomond, Alexandria G83 8QZ, Scotland  End : #351, Cameron House, A82, Loch Lomond, Alexandria G83 8QZ, Scotland Highlights : Cameron Spa , Bike Ride to Luss,  La Vista  Restaurant After waking up around 08:30, I showered, shaved, and dressed. When Inna was ready, we walked downstairs, into the long corridor leading to our breakfast buffet. At aroun…

With a free day at work (and no wind in the forecast), I decided to return to mountain biking at Almaden Quicksilver County Park . After I pumped up the tires and lubricated the chain, I loaded the bike into the Toyota Sienna minivan and drove for about 20 minutes to reach the Hacienda Entrance of Quicksilver County Park. As it was around 10:00, there weren't many cars parked there (the parking lot was mostly emp…

I was offered a chance to ride from Palo Alto to Filoli Gardens, and I decided to give it a shot. Initially, I was looking for a gravel bike for the long ride, but I did not want to pay $150/day to rent a bike at Summit Bicycles. My Specialized FSRS-Works is not the ideal bicycle, but I made it work. When I arrived at 11:30 in Palo Alto and parked at the Car Garage on 350 Sherman Ave, I realized my bike's brakes were not worki…

Earlier this year, the Almaden Quicksilver Trail was closed due to heavy rain that washed it away. Trail repair took many months, and I was finally able to return to the trail today. Though I struggled during ascents, I had an excellent ride on my Specialized S-Works FSR mountain bike. The weather was perfect - 50 Fahrenheit - with no wind and few people on the trail. I only encountered a few other mountain bikers and h…

Saturday, July 31, 2021 In the morning, Inna and I woke up around 08:00. I installed the Via Velo Bike U Lock on Inna's Specialized hybrid bike, cleaned up my windsurfing gear, started the washing machine, and loaded the dishwasher.   Alex had severe allergies to ragweed pollen, so we walked to  Arsicault Bakery  (on Arguello) to bring him some of San Francisco's best croissants and pastries.     We…