Dr Ferrari's Camper Van (off-topic discussion)

This is class, watched the full thing on itunes last night, MAD to get out on the bike now!

Popped down to the shops yesterday evening, tried to avoid the main roads and rush hour traffic on the way back, so took some back roads. I turn a corner, and end up going this bloody ramp of a road. "Not good training for the hill climb tomorrow", I think. The name of the street? Glendalough Road!

...I'm taking it as a good omen.

Drove down to the national hill climb today with my daughter but got there late due to delays at home (I thought that choosing appropriate cycling kit for a spin on the bike was tricky, I now realize that 3yr olds are the true masters of the art of dithering. Respect!). We parked at the bottom of Turlough Hill anyway and walked (and ran - daughter power napped in the car on the way, any energy expended on earlier dithering was completely replenished) most of the way up it. I was well impressed, maybe my daughter will be a climber. The way down was more of a workout for me though, involving lots of carrying. 3yr olds are heavier than they look.

We went for lunch in Laragh, at a place labelled "Coffee Shop" aimed at bikers judging by the signs. I should have gone to the place usually favored by cyclists, maybe we are a more discerning lot. The food selection was poor to say the least. My already sugar-filled daughter opted for sausage roll, I added a fruit scone as the most "sensible" option available, but my daughter's focus was primarily on the lemon meringue pie she'd initially spotted from metres away and that I planned for us to share. We added cream to the pie. At least we'd covered four of the main food groups - fats, fats, sugar, and fats. I ended up with almost all of the fatty sausage roll (ick!), and all of the fruit scone (it had candied fruit in it - quite the culinary adventure, but not in a good way!), and of the lemon meringue pie plus cream I ended up with the lemon. Brief food place review: they'll be a while waiting for a Michelin star there, stick to the usual cycling haunt.

My daughter was delighted to add sugar and fat to her diet of sugar up to that point, I could do no wrong. Outside our window, crusty bikers gathered in one area and smoking teenagers gathered in another area, watched by the best daughter in the world (as voted for in a straw poll of 2) and the best dad in the world (as voted for in a straw poll of 1 taken at that moment) eating fatty sugary crap. Welcome to Laragh, the health capital of Wicklow.

On the drive home, it was very quiet from the back. That quiet was broken by some of the most worrying words that someone sitting on an absorbent seat directly in front of a crap-filled child can hear - "I feel sick…". In the tiny space of time it took me to swing the car off the road and hurl myself out to extricate the bubbling volcano my mind rattled through the list of inappropriate "food" that I'd allowed my daughter to consume. The worst dad in the world (straw poll of 2 taken there and then) sat her on his knee just outside the car and waited for the projectile penance. Thankfully the threat subsided and we made it home without incident. Next year, for everyone's sake, I should probably go and do the hill climb rather than "look after" my daughter!

doozerie wrote: »

Oh and thanks to those who wrote stuff in chalk on Turlough Hill. That and the copious sheep poo kept my daughter entertained on the way up. She asked me to tell her what the writing said each time we encountered some. Which eventually led to an exchange which anyone following interclub race results would sympathise with:

Her: "What does that say?"
Me: "Orwell"
Her: "Orwell? AGAIN?"

:pac:

You should be glad she wasn't asking about Minty Balls! :pac:

buffalo wrote: »

You should be glad she wasn't asking about Minty Balls! :pac:

She did. Well, she simply asked me what it said. To a 3yr old, hesitation betrays weakness and if I'd been slow to say what it said I'd have been toast. So I told her. Thankfully the words "minty" and "balls" are innocent enough in themselves and combining the two just strikes her as strange, but she didn't ask further about it. If she utters the phrase in Montessori in the next few days though, there might be some odd looks when my wife is collecting her.

Trying to explain to her what "53x11" meant was actually more tricky, 'cos she questioned it.

Beasty wrote: »

Just tell her 583...

This is the cycling forum, we'll have no numerical literacy here. If you don't relent I'll be forced to wave the "40km = 25m" banner at you!

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2012/1008/1224325013758.html

When I tax my car I am paying for road to be maintained in a safe manner and that includes street lighting and pothole fixing.

I am now being told that it is the household tax that is to maintain our roads in a safe manner not car tax, so why pay car tax?

I'm not arsed penning a reply, anyone else want to take it?

Jawgap wrote: »

So, there I was cycling into work this morning when I arrived at Airside Park to find the road well and truly sealed off by the Guards. I free-wheeled over to one of them and asked if I could go up on the bike and she said no, all traffic was being stopped because of a fire.

Fair enough.

I think for a second what might be the best detour and then - assuming the Guard knows the area a lot better than I do - asked her what would be the best way to go. She answers "We're directing everyone towards the motorway."

"But I'm on a bike" I answer.

"You'll be fine," her colleague helpfully interjected "It's mad down there and the traffic is slow. Just stick to the hard shoulder."

"OK, grand." says I before turning about.

As I started to get ready to head off, Garda Two then adds, "You should really have a hi-viz jacket on. You'll be more visible." - I was wearing a black jersey and black bibs, but the bike had over 1000 lumens of flashing lights on the front!

........and it's only day one of road safety week!

Headed in via Kinsealy and the Malahide Road.

id have reported the garda who advised you to cycle on a motorway, really depends on the area doesnt it, had a garda in manor hamilton give out to us for cycling two a brest and then go single file to let him pass, stating "we are breaking the law".

Do they give out free lights? I've only heard of them giving out those feckin' stupid ugly hi-vis vests.

manafana wrote: »

id have reported the garda who advised you to cycle on a motorway

Almost all road traffic prohibitions are followed by "unless directed to do so by a Garda".