Sunday spin 3rd Aug

emty

Looking to pick up Blorg after his duatlon and head out somewhere flat.Maybe meet at the popes cross at around 11.30?

blorg

I think the earliest I can get my bike out of the transition area in Grand Canal Dock is 11:30 so might be a bit early for me- 7km then to the Papal Cross. Let me know what suits though- if people want to get out earlier that's OK! (Emty- you could text/ring tomorrow if it isn't decided tonight?) Might be able to leave my runners etc. with Mrs Tiny to pick up later- haven't asked yet though!

emty

Was thinking of cominng down to meet you at the event -but tbh am not thinking too clearly at the moment:)

blorg

That would obviously be ideal Reckon 11:30 from there might be possible. There is a BBQ starting at that time also if anyone wanted some food before the cycle (think it is €8 for non-competitors.) Happy to head on out and get grub somewhere else either though!

Caroline_ie

I am in wait for me at the cross!!!

Chips Lovell

What time for the Phoenix Park then in that case?

emty

I'd say 11.15 should get us down to grand canel docks for 11.30

unionman

I've missed ye (mrs unionman needed a well deserved lie in while I looked after the chisslurs). Heading out on my own, might give Howth a shot. I'll keep an eye out for one tomorrow.

Chips Lovell

Sorry I missed it. Cleanup operation from last night's party was only just getting underway come 11:30 this morning.

emty

Good spin,just Caroline,Blorg and me.Nice flat route out to Donedea forest and back for a couple of loops in the park.96.62k for me.Good fun too,twice Caroline left me for dead in a sprint and had Blorg struggling to hang onto her wheel.Got her back in the park by pointing out a herd of deer to distract her while I snuck up on the outside to win the sprint to the top of a (very) small hill.:)Oldest trick in the book!

blorg

Nice spin today to a very pleasant (if constantly receeding!) destination: Donadea Forest Park in Kildare.

Caroline_ie, Emty and myself. 109km on the dot for me.

Thanks to both of you for the support during the first half, I was feeling a little weak after the tri/duathlon!

My total for Saturday and Sunday: 304.5km, including the 20km sprint in the duathlon.

Reckon I am going to have a rest day tomorrow!

ROK ON

Wnet out to Sally Gap again. Around 8.30 this morning. Took same route up as last Sunday (via Enniskerry and Powerscourt Waterfall). Got up a lot easier (for me) compared with last week. Still was passed by a lot of people In Dundrum tops. Heading home was poor. Decided to head back down some of the way that I cam up, but instead of turning for Powerscourt choose to go straight on to Stocking Lane. Didnt realise that that involved a climb. COuldnt build up any speed on the descent. Last Sunday descending at a max speed of 63kmph, today could get upabove 54. Really hit my AvS. Last week did 21kmph, same today. Anyway, good to get back to Sally Gap for 2nd time. But need to keep it up.
Anyway, look forward to a spin in a few weeks. Hoping to cycle to Kenmare next week over 2 days via Limerick.

blorg

ROK_ON, very well done. I told you it gets easier! The descent down Stocking Lane can really be excellent although it is not as open visibility-wise as the Blessington Road down from Sally Gap as well as being quite bendy, you really need to take it carefully until you know the corners well.

Caroline_ie

:pac: I took advantage of Blog being tired to try and beat him up a hill ... hehehe it felt so good! I BEAT BLORG!!!

.
Here are a few pictures of today's spin

Great spin, nice and easy, bang on 100k for me.

blorg

Nice and easy!? I found the first half of that spin to be one of the hardest spins of my life, no joke! I suspect it was me more than the spin. Thanks again for the support, the pulls and the go slow! Recovered somewhat after lunch.

Chapeau Caroline for indeed beating me up that hill (and both of us in some of those sprints too, that is some turn of speed you have there!)

@ROK_ON- bear in mind too that it only gets easier, your third time will be easier still, your fourth, fifth, until it really is no bother to you at all. Then the trick is to see how fast you can up them, that's when it starts to get harder again

Explosive_Cornflake

What kind of speeds were ye averaging over the 100k?

blorg

This one, 23.4km/h, but I was slowing everyone down

ollietrex

Got back on my road bike for the first time in a while (Mountain bike seems to be winning at the mo) and went and did sally gap, glenmacnass water fall, wicklow gap and then home on the N81 as the heavens opened. Met a nice guy who stopped to help me fix my punture and chatted about old school road biking...

105km @ 24.9kmph a nice day until the heavans opened...

Caroline_ie

blorg wrote: »

This one, 23.4km/h, but I was slowing everyone down

#
In fairness, we wheeled our bikes to the coffee shop, I am sure that lowered our average speed!:pac:

unionman

Love the pics Caroline.

I went out to Howth on my lonesome yesterday. Had a hairy moment when my tyre caught the seam of one of those patch-ups on the Howth road. Wobbled but stayed on the bike:) Pulled a sharp stone out of the tyre.

Decided to work on my climbing skills. Got to the summit without the near coronary I experienced on the sally gap. Spinning low and slowing down really helped.

Curiosity got the better of me when I saw people climbing the north side of the head. When I got down to the village I decided to turn around and go back up again. Steeper, sharper, but technique that got me up south side served me well again. Slow but I got there, all I was aiming for.

Sally gap, here we go!