Video by QULBIX Performance Electric Bikes via YouTube
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Mrs. Electric Moto:
FROM THE CITY OF DRAGONS TO THE EAGLE’S NEST
My first ride with the Q140MD Core electric bike took me from the Marshes of Ljubljana, to the Slovenian capital’s city centre, over Mount Krim and back to the marshes, where I started.
Taking the day off, with my bike fully charged, I started in Podpeč, a small village surrounded by marshland in the middle of Ljubljana basin. Without much ado, I drove straight to the outskirts of Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital and on to the heart of the old city centre, ready to do some sightseeing.
I strolled over the Congress Square, on to the Prešern Square, up the Čop Street and back down again, over the famous Triple Bridge towering over river Ljubljanica that connects the modern part of city to the historic old town, dating back to Roman era. With the air smelling sweet of flowers and morning coffee, I couldn’t help but stop at the Central Market to get myself a bouquet of daffodils and some fresh strawberries for the road.
I pushed my bike through the streets of Mestni trg (no, Mr. Policeman, I did not drive through the city centre; or if I did, I did so at a walking pace and oh, so quietly nobody even noticed my motorbike!) and then on to Stari trg.
The steep streets of Castle Hill were no match for my bike, it ate up the road at the same pace as if we were riding through the level marshlands, and I was up the Hill in no time at all.
There I parked my bike and walked through the gates of the beautiful Ljubljana castle, a medieval fortress, which dates from the 12th century. Up, up, up I went, all the way to the top of the Viewing tower to take a better look at the ‘White’ Ljubljana, as Slovenians call it. If you’ve never seen it, you’re missing out. Lubiana (in Italian), Laibach (in German) or Emona (called by Ancient Romans) has a rich recorded history, starting in mid-1st century BCE with Roman legionnaires, then the Veneti, the Illyrians, the Celts and the Slovene Slavic tribes, then ruled by the Habsburgs, later to became a part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, after that a part of Yugoslavia and finally, in 1991 becoming the capital of its own country, the Republic of Slovenia. So much big history, for such a small city.
On my way down the tower, I took a peek of the castle’s jails and decided I needed some fresh air, instead. I took a breather on the bench in the midst of the castle’s avenue of wild chestnut trees (planted in 1905 by the then city gardener Vaclav Hejnic) that connects the Ljubljana Castle with the Orel peak.
On my way out of the city I stopped at the ominous Dragon bridge to pay homage to the mystical beast that Jason, the hero of Greek mythology, has slain according to legend of the city’s origins. Paying the Dragon its due, it was time for a nice, long coffee at Hribar Embankment to soak up the Spring sun and charge my bike if needed. The bike was fine, not yet half empty, but I was famished.
Coffee and brownie finished; I headed out of the city due South. Again, crossing the vast Ljubljana Marshes, the country roads turned to gravel, as I turned uphill towards the peak of Mount Krim. The late afternoon sun and the empty road suggested it was later than planned and that I should hurry, if not to be caught by nightfall. My bike’s energy was still good (at approx. 71V), but I was getting tired and getting lost twice in the woods on the off-road, did not help.
Finally, I was back on track and soon reached the peak of Mount Krim a 1,107-meter-high mountain on the southern edge of Ljubljana Marsh. In the 1970s, the Yugoslav People’s Army closed the summit to the public and built a radio centre at the top. Since 1991, the summit has been open again to visitors, and there’s a small mountain lodge called Dom na Krimu where you can get drinks and food.
Tired, but happy, I took a seat besides my bike and enjoyed a cup of hot tea soaking up the magnificent view. What a day … Now, as the dusk crept closer, me and my bike took the long road down. Using mostly regen brake upped my bike’s voltage by about 2V, so I reached my goal on point – with 2.121 Wh used of 2.160 Wh starting battery capacity (plus 7,5 % regenerated during my way down from Mount Krim).
I was done for the day and my bike was getting hungry as well. Time to get recharged!
Till the next adventure …
My ride: Qulbix Q140MD Core F1 electric bike
Music by: four_track / Pond5
Read more about the beautiful places I visited:
Ljubljana Castle: https://www.ljubljanskigrad.si/en/
Ljubljana Castle Hill: https://www.ljubljanskigrad.si/en/why-to-the-castle/castle-hill-en-us/
The Legend of the City Dragon: https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/visitors/explore/things-to-do/sightseeing/article/ljubljana-city-of-dragons/
Ljubljana Marshes: https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/visitors/explore/things-to-do/active-holidays/article/ljubljana-marshes/
Krim’s mountain lodge Dom na Krimu: http://domkrim.si/