Tell us about your cycle Yesterday.

alexanderomahon

I do a loop of just over 20k and delighted to say beat my best time by a good 30 seconds. Third time out on my new bike and it felt really good. First two times out felt really strange and was pissed off I was slower than my old bike, but today I could feel the difference and felt I was getting used to the set up of the bike. Even managed to accelerate at the top of a climb i struggle on. I feel great, now time for a few beers to celebrate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXXLXm9jEYM

maloner

Mapped out a time trial loop around the phoenix park this evening. Almost 13km with mostly left hand turns (to avoid being slowed by traffic as much as possible).

One lap warm up and one at close to full tilt. Pleased with 32.7km average. Made a strava segment to keep track of my progress.

http://app.strava.com/segments/740574

Saw a few folks out, but mostly deer and runners (and one guy who's dog had a funky high-viz jacket).

JimSmash

Have been cycling around Kerry for the last 5 days, decided for the last day I would go from Waterville to Killarney along the Ring of Kerry. Unbelievable scenery and the weather was beautiful. Did it in 3hrs and 45mins so was happy enough considering I only got into training properly in mid-July. Easily the most enjoyable cycle I've done to date and can't wait to get back down to Kerry for more spins. Might even attempt the Ring of Kerry next summer if I'm brave enough!

Khannie

Hermy wrote: »

Stretching can help.

Foam rolling is worth a look too. Worked a treat for me.

Lemag

Man, attending the Electric Picnic does not make good celebration preparation for cycling. Defeated today by Temple Hill (Angler's Rest, Cork) today having conquered it with relative ease only last week. Hope the engine isn't still suffering for the Rebel Tour this Saturday.

b.harte

I was out yesterday around Kilcorney, North Cork (again). I stopped at a nice scenic area to take a snap for the pictures thread. A really nice spot peaceful and relaxing.
When I had finished with the picture I went on my merry way again.
Rather than have to do a full hill start from the gate of the park I coasted down the hill a bit to clip in and turned around.
Because I wasn't really paying attention and was going super slow I couldn't recover from the front wheel sliding on loose gravel.
Honestly, it has the most pathetic spill ever, the bike just sort of went from under me / I lost my balance slow-motion thing, I managed to un-clip on the drive side but what ever way I tipped over I ended up with a sheared dérailleur hanger. It wasn't even a proper off FFS!
Anyway, as I was cycling no further I used a rubber band from a spare tube to hold the dérailleur onto the stay and went back up to the main road and coasted back down the hill to meet a pick up / rescue I had arranged.
I past a bunch of council workers who had a laugh at my expense, passed about everyone who lives in that area out walking their dogs, who all had a good laugh and finally got soaked in a heavy shower of what felt like hail.
When I was back at the prearranged meeting place their was no sign of my rescue. I rang Mrs. b.harte to see what was up and was told a change of plan meant my Father-in-Law would now be collecting me.
Great, he'd have a laugh as well.
While waiting a car passed by me, did a u-turn and pulled up next to me. A old farmer and a dog stuck their heads out of the window to ask what I was up to, well only the farmer asked, the dog just looked happy.
After getting the full neighbourhood watch interrogation he was satisfied that I wasn't some sort of miscreant and went on his way.
Then a few moments later a man just appeared around the corner and stopped for a chat, I told him about the bike being broken down and he just said "F**K That Sh*T, **** that Sh*t!" and walked away laughing to himself.
After what felt like an age my rescuers eventually got to me, Both of my in-laws decide on the trip up to get me. Happy days, couldn't have been more embarrassed to be in my cycling gear, and looking like a drowned rat as well.
But at that point and given the locals that had come out to interact with me I was glad to be getting away, I could hear the banjos being tuned.
So any way that was my cycle yesterday.
North Cork...Weird.

mr.wiggle

b.harte wrote: »

I was out yesterday around Kilcorney, North Cork (again). I stopped at a nice scenic area to take a snap for the pictures thread. A really nice spot peaceful and relaxing.
When I had finished with the picture I went on my merry way again.
Rather than have to do a full hill start from the gate of the park I coasted down the hill a bit to clip in and turned around.
Because I wasn't really paying attention and was going super slow I couldn't recover from the front wheel sliding on loose gravel.
Honestly, it has the most pathetic spill ever, the bike just sort of went from under me / I lost my balance slow-motion thing, I managed to un-clip on the drive side but what ever way I tipped over I ended up with a sheared dérailleur hanger. It wasn't even a proper off FFS!
Anyway, as I was cycling no further I used a rubber band from a spare tube to hold the dérailleur onto the stay and went back up to the main road and coasted back down the hill to meet a pick up / rescue I had arranged.
I past a bunch of council workers who had a laugh at my expense, passed about everyone who lives in that area out walking their dogs, who all had a good laugh and finally got soaked in a heavy shower of what felt like hail.
When I was back at the prearranged meeting place their was no sign of my rescue. I rang Mrs. b.harte to see what was up and was told a change of plan meant my Father-in-Law would now be collecting me.
Great, he'd have a laugh as well.
While waiting a car passed by me, did a u-turn and pulled up next to me. A old farmer and a dog stuck their heads out of the window to ask what I was up to, well only the farmer asked, the dog just looked happy.
After getting the full neighbourhood watch interrogation he was satisfied that I wasn't some sort of miscreant and went on his way.
Then a few moments later a man just appeared around the corner and stopped for a chat, I told him about the bike being broken down and he just said "F**K That Sh*T, **** that Sh*t!" and walked away laughing to himself.
After what felt like an age my rescuers eventually got to me, Both of my in-laws decide on the trip up to get me. Happy days, couldn't have been more embarrassed to be in my cycling gear, and looking like a drowned rat as well.
But at that point and given the locals that had come out to interact with me I was glad to be getting away, I could hear the banjos being tuned.
So any way that was my cycle yesterday.
North Cork...Weird.

Nice one, must remember to bring my mobile with me next time.
Usually leave it at home so the missus cant locate me !

ccull123

First time writing on this thread!

Cycling for the last two years and a week ago converted to cycling shoes and cleats... Let's just say I was getting a little too cocky on them:) yesterday whilst coasting up to a red light on amien st I couldn't get my shoe out of the pedal.... Result: Fell flat on my knee to all of the Saturday shoppers delight(well a minority of them). Swollen knee when I got home but the bruised ego was worse!

Then today decided to cycle from east wall to lucan in the worst headwind I can remember in a long while!!!!

Taking all that into consideration, I dont regret a second of it!!!!

smacl

Short spin up to the gym 6:30 this morning, wind behind me, big ring up the hill on Taylors land to Marley park, big smile on my face. Not so happy coming back the other direction, knackered, having to push hard coming down same hill in the middle ring. Glad for once for the few pounds I've put on over the summer and the heavy bike. Back out again this evening, hoping it's died down a bit out there.

seamus

smacl wrote: »

Back out again this evening, hoping it's died down a bit out there.

It's going to be worse, apparently.
Give it a miss, or go for a run or something instead

Jawgap

yeah........, not sure cycling in this morning was the brightest thing I've done on a bike - may opt for the bus home.

Beasty

Jawgap wrote: »

yeah........, not sure cycling in this morning was the brightest thing I've done on a bike - may opt for the bus home.

Nowhere near as bad as I was expecting this morning, and we'll be getting a tailwind later on;)

Accuweather is forecasting pretty similar conditions for Dublin as this morning around the evening rush-hour (although winds are expected to get up a bit more in the meantime, they should be easing off a little by this evening)

Dermot Illogical

Beasty wrote: »

Nowhere near as bad as I was expecting this morning, and we'll be getting a tailwind later on;)

I'll be hoping for a PB out the Clontarf cycle track this evening. It was quite tough into the wind there this morning.

Dermot Illogical

Quite windy again this morning, and I got passed at Clontarf! Oh noes! :eek:
First time in about a month to suffer an overtake.
I think it was Raam, the strava-hogging fast person..

superbad50

have been cycling to blanch from crumlin and back all week against those strong winds. feeling abit worse for wear , may try do every second day

ccull123

superbad50 wrote: »

have been cycling to blanch from crumlin and back all week against those strong winds. feeling abit worse for wear , may try do every second day

Fair play!!
What way do u go?

superbad50

ccull123 wrote: »

Fair play!!
What way do u go?

hi , i head down the crumlin road , through rialto then through the phoenix park , through castlenock and blanch village up to DIT.

feeling tired especially on way home. both times this week i had to stop off for some chocolate and a banana as my nrg levels dropped right down.

on the upside -- feeling alot fitter

Surveyor11

Carpenterstown to Stoneybatter daily, nice on the way in with those winds, but a killer on the way back!

maloner

Was in Vienna last week and myself and da wife rented bikes and did a trip down the river and planned to go into Vienna woods.

The hill we tried to get up was insane. We did have heavy rentals with spongy suspension (thats my excuse), but in places according to strava, it hit 35%, and I'd well believe it.

We had granny gears with a triple at the front that would spin out almost straight away on the flat but I was still giving it everything to just move at all. Other folks on proper mountain bikes were heading up and still having to get out of the saddle and slalom across the road to get up it. Decent paved surface too, so you could try in on a road bike I guess.

I got past the 35% bit but didn't know where the top was and didn't have the heart to keep going.

Mad little hill and worth a trip if you happen to be in the area.

Strava segment

Rew

Gave out to a guy on the quays for cycling the wrong way in the cycle lane :-D

Surveyor11

Well Sunday was the best day for cycling in a long time - no wind, set off in balmy 1 degrees for the Sally Gap and it warmed up nicely on the way. Was delighted to shave 15 minutes off my time, doing the 29.2km from door (D15) to the Door (sign post at the top of the Sally Gap) in 2:13:00, despite some minor technical difficulties en route (bike will only go as low as 4th gear so fiddled about with the RD a few times at the side of the road). Persevered anyway, and for extra penance I headed on up to Kippure mast - delighted I did, the view there on a clear day is amazing. Had a banana and a sneaky slash, then enjoyed the down hill thrills on the way home.

allez

Did my first moderate cycle of the summer so far from killiney to enniskerry to powerscourt and up to the top of the old long hill where i descended back into enniskerry for tea. then went to glencullen and onto to glencree and looped back to glencullen to stepaside and finally to home to home. was absolutely chuffed wasnt entirely interested in having a planned route but wanted to tackle some nice climbs. forgot how scary descending can be! had a bad crash coming down off a hill last year that left with some serious scaring road rash! took nearly six weeks to heal consider myself very lucky to be alive considering how fast i was pelting. all it took was one stray bit of grit to kick the rear wheel out.

think the best part of the day would have to have been the scone and coffee in enniskerry village

any one know a nice route say 100km or so from the south dublin area to the wicklow area?

Konkers

Allez, nice route that is 100 km on the nose.
Dundrum town centre to enniskerry, head to powerscourt waterfall but take a left to go to djouce/sugar Loaf and then on to laragh via roundwood. Then follow sign for Sally gap (immediate right at coffee shop in laragh). When u get to sally gap head crossroads go left down to manor Kilbride then brittas, take a right in Brittas off n81 to head to balinteer and home. Took me 4hrs on yesterday.

doozerie

I broke out my 3/4 length shorts for a 4hr spin yesterday. Was fully expecting to get rained on at some stage, particularly heading up Wicklow Gap and seeing dark clouds looming on the horizon. But other than a few drops at one stage it remained dry throughout. Maybe it was my expectation of rain that kept me from even thinking of suncream before I headed out. Cue some of the most ridiculous sunburn I've had in a while, stretching from above ankle to below knee on both legs, but only on the outsides of the legs. And, of course, my shorts rode up a bit on one leg mid-ride so the sunburn is not even uniformly ridiculous across both legs. *sigh* Lovely weather though, great day to be out on a bike.

On my way down Ballinascorney hill on the way home, while chewing on the last few tasty oats of my energy bar, a fly bounced off my lip. But bounced where? Did it simply bounce off and away, or did it bounce into my mouth? I couldn't tell. Was I chewing on 2 oats before this or 3, 'cos there were certainly 3 oat-sized objects in my mouth now? I didn't know. Should I just spit the entire contents of my mouth out just to be safe? Probably. But it was a tasty bar. I opted to continue chewing and not dwell too much on it. Nothing went pop in my mouth though, which I'm taking to be a positive sign. Hmm, less dwelling, more denial.

It wouldn't have been my first fly of the season either, that was several weeks ago as I strode from my kitchen table to my fridge. The bastard intercepted me mid stride and adhered itself to my tongue. In my kitchen, for feck sake, and on foot! I'm not fond of flies.

Today I went for a 4.5km cycle without the bike.

Mycroft H

Dónal wrote: »

Today I went for a 4.5km cycle without the bike.

Unicycle?

Gavb

allez wrote: »

Did my first moderate cycle of the summer so far from killiney to enniskerry to powerscourt and up to the top of the old long hill where i descended back into enniskerry for tea. then went to glencullen and onto to glencree and looped back to glencullen to stepaside and finally to home to home. was absolutely chuffed wasnt entirely interested in having a planned route but wanted to tackle some nice climbs. forgot how scary descending can be! had a bad crash coming down off a hill last year that left with some serious scaring road rash! took nearly six weeks to heal consider myself very lucky to be alive considering how fast i was pelting. all it took was one stray bit of grit to kick the rear wheel out.

think the best part of the day would have to have been the scone and coffee in enniskerry village

any one know a nice route say 100km or so from the south dublin area to the wicklow area?

Great Pic!

allez

cheers guys looking forward to next weeks cycle!

smacl

allez wrote: »

any one know a nice route say 100km or so from the south dublin area to the wicklow area?

A regular favourite which I did on saturday is Rathfarnham - Cruagh road - Sally gap - Glendalough - Roundwood - Old long hill - Enniskerry - Home, about 80k. A bit longer is same up to sally gap but take a right down to Manor Kilbride - Blessington lakes - Wicklow gap - Glendalough and back about 120k from memory. Both great spins on a nice day, though can be much colder and blowier than the likes of the old long hill in poor weather.

allez

grueling today but was mighty fun. what started off as a supposed spin to Glen Cullen and Enniskerry got a tad longer when i took the wrong turn and ended up on the Sally Gap. was pretty comfy on the climbs though to my surprise and even managed a pit stop in Enniskerry on the way home for a fine raspberry scone and coffee and got home a minute over the 3 hour mark. Is this a good time? I will say this Banana power bars are absolutely disgusting!

heres the mapped route
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/94326237

Cant wait to upgrade the little allez to ultegra this week. next up is a carbon frame Thinking Dolan Hercules.

Heres a little shot of the scenic surroundings.