The wimp list ...

wheelo01

Two days of wimping it for me, got as far as getting dressed yesterday, went int the boxroom to get the bike and it started lashing with sleet, immediate change into lounging around clothes.

I only looked out the window this morning and thought, not a feckin chance am I going out in that freezing fog.

magicbastarder

met eireann seem to be forecasting snow for dublin tonight, but to have turned to sleet by about 8am.

Weepsie

Back in work tomorrow after pretty much 2 weeks of not even looking at the bike really, so this will be an interesting commute

Wildly Boaring

Just did 90 min intervals on turbo.

Ugh shouldn't have been such a wimp.
Paths were slippy when I was thinking of getting out the bike

a148pro

smacl wrote: »

Chucking the studded ice tyres on the cx bike this evening but even then will be picking my times to go out. Fair bit of ice up in Ticknock this afternoon, not a problem on the trails but the tarmac bits were sketchy. Low sunlight also didn't help matters.

Yeah I got out this afternoon and up and around Prince William's seat. The only ice I really encountered was in puddles up there and on the little road leading to the gate up to that portion of the Wicklow way. Its kind of in a little hollow and more or less remained frozen all day. Was absolutely lethal so had me well warned for the descent in the dark. Baltic then but no ice yet.

Cold though it is you have to love the bike in the mountains on a crisp winter evening. Clouds covering Dublin city again, amazing looking.

Alanstrainor

Skipped the bike on Friday, and I'm wondering about tomorrow too. I'm in Portmarnock, right beside the sea and heading to Howth, surely it'll be ok? Am I being too cautious??

Weepsie

smacl wrote: »

Chucking the studded ice tyres on the cx bike this evening but even then will be picking my times to go out. Fair bit of ice up in Ticknock this afternoon, not a problem on the trails but the tarmac bits were sketchy. Low sunlight also didn't help matters.

Have a studded tyre permamounted onto a spare front wheel for these situations

And now just realised it's a centrelock and all spare discs are 6 bolt so something to buy

Alanstrainor

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Skipped the bike on Friday, and I'm wondering about tomorrow too. I'm in Portmarnock, right beside the sea and heading to Howth, surely it'll be ok? Am I being too cautious??

A no from me this morning. Temperatures reached -4.4C at Dublin airport over night, no chance I was risking it. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

smacl

Weepsie wrote: »

Have a studded tyre permamounted onto a spare front wheel for these situations

And now just realised it's a centrelock and all spare discs are 6 bolt so something to buy

Makes sense, put mine on last night and they're a pain to get on. Plenty of ice around Ballyboden this morning but probably won't make it out until tomorrow.

Macy0161

Was never heading out yesterday, but a few spills on the club spins and/or sketchy moments going by reports. I normally head for gravel on such mornings, but you still have to get to and link the gravel, so would've been wary to be honest given the roads. Also, I did manage an off on fire road black (brown) ice last winter too where it was muddy with felling, so even that isn't without risks.

Walked the youngest to pre-school this morning in her buggy much to her disgust but I was glad of it for the stability. Paths and road were absolutely lethal in the estates with black ice. No way I was chancing putting her up on the bike.

Pinch Flat

Yeah I got up and our for a pre-work walk. Paths lethal. No way I would get up on a bike with those conditions.

AndrewJRenko

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Yeah I got up and our for a pre-work walk. Paths lethal. No way I would get up on a bike with those conditions.

Me too, picking up every possible grass verge or grassy section - lots of folks on paths were having wobbles, don't know how anyone could go out in 'work shoes' as about to something with a grippy heel.

Interestingly, Strava gave me a similar calorie count for my hour's careful walking as it would usually give me for an hour of strenuous cycling. Is this typical?

tomasrojo

Had to take it quite slow this morning, but no problems otherwise. More frost than ice on the Goatstown/Clonskeagh route.

magicbastarder

was just out for a walk; footpaths beginning to get slippy in places.

Oymyakon

Cycled very slowly to and from work last two days. Swords - Grand Canal Dock. Actually went on my arse coming out of the driveway yesterday but no harm done apart from a tiny rip in my brand new castelli overshoes. The roads in general are decent on my route but still nervous as f.ck

Paddigol

Have the bike with me in work for commute to Greystones via N11... had assumed that with +5 degrees and by the coast there shouldn't be a problem. Will see soon enough!

byrnem31

Broke my ribs last week trying to get a pedal off my bike. Old kickboxing injury. Used too much force and heard a pop in my ribs. Can't cycle for a while till they heal. I had only bought carbon wheels and was enjoying the cycle on them. Paths are too icy to cycle cause if I fall, I'll could do more damage.

Tombo2001

Oymyakon wrote: »

Cycled very slowly to and from work last two days. Swords - Grand Canal Dock. Actually went on my arse coming out of the driveway yesterday but no harm done apart from a tiny rip in my brand new castelli overshoes. The roads in general are decent on my route but still nervous as f.ck

What route do you take as a matter of interest.

Had to cycle from Glasnevin to Swords a while back; it was a bit of an eye opener for me in that I was there in 30 minutes. It really wouldnt have been much quicker in the car.

However, the eye opener being that the biggest impediment is the road you are cycling on, not the distance. I didnt enjoy it. If there was a decent cycle path from swords to the liffey - its a cycle that most people that are any way fit could do in under 40 minutes. This is quicker than commute time in rush hour.

magicbastarder

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Had to cycle from Glasnevin to Swords a while back; it was a bit of an eye opener for me in that I was there in 30 minutes. It really wouldnt have been much quicker in the car.

However, the eye opener being that the biggest impediment is the road you are cycling on, not the distance.

did you go via ballymun or santry?

Paddigol

Paddigol wrote: »

Have the bike with me in work for commute to Greystones via N11... had assumed that with +5 degrees and by the coast there shouldn't be a problem. Will see soon enough!

No issues on my route last night anyway...

Tombo2001

magicbastarder wrote: »

did you go via ballymun or santry?

Santry - there are stretches on that Swords Road that I think are ropey. Am not sure what the speed limit is, doesnt really matter, there are lots of HGVs going past that are too close, too loud, too fast for my liking. Thats not to say they are braking the speed limit, just that I amnt comfortable with it.

Tombo2001

magicbastarder wrote: »

did you go via ballymun or santry?

BTW - a propos conversation last week, there was another kid knocked off a bike in Glasnevin on Saturday, second in the space of 5 days & brought to hospital.

Oymyakon

Tombo2001 wrote: »

What route do you take as a matter of interest.

Had to cycle from Glasnevin to Swords a while back; it was a bit of an eye opener for me in that I was there in 30 minutes. It really wouldnt have been much quicker in the car.

However, the eye opener being that the biggest impediment is the road you are cycling on, not the distance. I didnt enjoy it. If there was a decent cycle path from swords to the liffey - its a cycle that most people that are any way fit could do in under 40 minutes. This is quicker than commute time in rush hour.

I go directly down the airport road similar to the 41 busses. Airside direct as far as Dorset street via Santry. The paths/roads are inconsistent, particularly once you reach Santry. I guess experience now has made me ok with the commute, but there are some sketchy parts I guess. Lots of mingling with huge queues of traffic and I encounter very few other cyclists en route. My commute is 15km and I think as you pointed out, with a bit more consistent infrastructure and maybe slightly less traffic I'd be doing it in 35-40 mins, a far better option than driving or spending 1500€/year on the Swords Express.

Mercian Pro

Oymyakon wrote: »

I go directly down the airport road similar to the 41 busses. Airside direct as far as Dorset street via Santry. The paths/roads are inconsistent, particularly once you reach Santry. I guess experience now has made me ok with the commute, but there are some sketchy parts I guess. Lots of mingling with huge queues of traffic and I encounter very few other cyclists en route. My commute is 15km and I think as you pointed out, with a bit more consistent infrastructure and maybe slightly less traffic I'd be doing it in 35-40 mins, a far better option than driving or spending 1500€/year on the Swords Express.

Check out BusConnect.ie. Corridor 2 will run from Swords to the City Centre and should result in real improvements for cyclists. I say "should" as I haven't looked at the cycling proposals as I'm more concerned with Corridor 3. Mind you, I do cycle out to Swords from Drumcondra twice a week for club spins so I should have a look. The current consultation period ends on 16 December.

Wishbone Ash

Tombo2001 wrote: »

... there are lots of HGVs going past that are too close, too loud....

Whatever about being too close but too loud?? Hardly the fault of the driver. I always appreciate the beautiful tune of a Scania V8 engine - can be clearly identified way before passing by.

Oymyakon wrote: »

... and I encounter very few other cyclists en route....

I find that difficult to believe (unless you're commuting at 3am), It has to be one of the most popular cycling routes in the country in my experience,

Tombo2001

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Whatever about being too close but too loud?? Hardly the fault of the driver. I always appreciate the beautiful tune of a Scania V8 engine - can be clearly identified way before passing by.

I find that difficult to believe (unless you're commuting at 3am), It has to be one of the most popular cycling routes in the country in my experience,

Understand your point - loud in itself is c'est la vie, but when the traffic is close then 'loud' adds to the anxiety it causes.

Not obviously in everyone, obviously the uber experienced and relaxed cyclist will take these things in their stride and even begin to find pleasure in different engine tones the way a marine biologist might enjoy the differing sonar emitted by dolphins.

The few times I've been out that way, Ive seen one or two other cyclists. Maybe its very popular on a Sunday morning, but day time there are hardly any cyclists.

Oymyakon

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I find that difficult to believe (unless you're commuting at 3am), It has to be one of the most popular cycling routes in the country in my experience,

From my experience of cycling this route every morning for the last 7 years or so, I rarely see another cyclist between Swords and Drumcondra between 6:30-7:30 am.

In the evening time, maybe a few more once I pass Santry, but not many.

crosstownk

Having commuted on the R132 for years, I regularly saw many cyclists both northbound (~0830) and southbound (~1815). I met a few Boardsies on those commutes too.

It's been almost two years since I've commuted on that route as work has (unfortunately) moved southside and closer to home :mad:

bazermc

Bloody country. Was like the North Pole last Sunday and now it’s like a monsoon country