Tell us about your new improved government regulations compliant cycle part II

smacl

ED E wrote: »

If you're recording with a GPS then Strava accepts its value and doesnt calculate its own.

Fair enough. Should probably think about wearing the HRM so.

ED E

Wahoo have a bug where if your zones are wrong it can upload negative calories. That rolls strava over and shows 65,000 kcal for the activity :pac:

Weepsie

In Girona for a day and a half. Did the Sant Hilari 125 loop I found on ourgirona site. First 80kms were a blast, next 20 where a slog but the run home was great. Never seen so many cyclists outside of a sportive, though I was pretty much the only solo one. I'm nearly sure there was a professional women's team at one of my coffee stops.

My route took me to a natural spring that gave sparkling water (around the 85km mark)

Scenery was incredible, drivers were brilliant and it was just a great if long day. Cannondale Synapse disc is super too.

Don't think I'll have the legs for the Rocacorba tomorrow so might just go and have a look.

www.strava.com/activities/2299589500

Plastik

It was time to bring press the steel back into action today for the commute. It's been a long winter without it. Bit of a re-familiarisation process this morning again with the non-indexed RD, but for the spin home I was completely immersed in the full analog glory of it. Not a pic from today!

North of 32

52km at 32.7kph yesterday. I pumped up my 25mm tires to just under 120psi to see what it feels like. Some of the bike paths in the area are cobblestones. A lot of unusual noises came from myself and my bike. I think I will reduce the pressure.

At one point I was doing a wind-assisted 40kph. A guy joined the bike path ahead of me on what looked like an ordinary hybrid with a mirror, panniers and the rider wearing jeans. He clocked me in his mirror and moved to the side of the path to accommodate my overtake. He need not have bothered. Despite my speed the guy was easing away from me, pedaling gently and my ego was taking some bruising. A short time later he took the scenic route, I guess because it was such a nice evening. He breezed by me when he rejoined the main route and I realised it was an 'S-Pedelec' (at least that's what they're called in Germany) with a number plate and 45-50mm tires. First time seeing one in real life. It was some machine - looked like great fun. I'd say he was doing close to 45 kph.

Chartsengrafs

Weepsie wrote: »

In Girona for a day and a half. Did the Sant Hilari 125 loop I found on ourgirona site.

www.strava.com/activities/2299589500

Snap! Here for three days, and on the same spec rental bike. Agree it’s very nice. Just grabbing a coffee on day 2. Plan is 105km with approx 1600 climbing. Solo today but did 75km on a bike shop spin yesterday, 36 in the group! Turned off at 55km to take in a few extra little hills solo. Some place in general.

brownian

Chartsengrafs wrote: »

Snap! Here for three days, and on the same spec rental bike. Agree it’s very nice. Just grabbing a coffee on day 2. Plan is 105km with approx 1600 climbing. Solo today but did 75km on a bike shop spin yesterday, 36 in the group! Turned off at 55km to take in a few extra little hills solo. Some place in general.

Just back from a winter there. While Sant Hilari and Rocacorba are both pretty nice, I think the real jewels are Mare del deu del Mont (18 km climb to a monastery on top of a hill, 120k round trip) and the 'Hincapie Loop' a 75k fun-day that takes in Els Angels (the local 3-rock), Santa Pellaia (the way back over the Els Angels hills), the lovely coffee village of Monells, and as much 'extra km' goodies as you want, by going East in search of more lovely old villages (La Pera, Peracallada, Ullastret, Pubol, Rupia...).

The 'big day' option is Rocacorba + Mare del deu del Mont (130k, 2400m); masochists can also tag on Els Angels to push towards 200k and 3000).

The shop ride with Bike Breaks (Thursdays) is to be recommended, as are their rental bikes and those of the bike hire place beside the railway station.

positron

RobertFoster wrote: »

When did you see them? The Coombes Connor Memorial race was there on Sunday, and the Swords CC club league was there last night.

It was around 7:20 in the evening. Perhaps it was Swords CC club league - plenty of support cars & an ambulance, if that's normal for club league race(?)/sportive(?)

Weepsie

Girona day 2. Just el angels and a loop back. Had I left earlier and known my train was later than I thought I'd have pushed for the 100.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2301653402

Was passed by an Israel Academy? Pro being motor paced.

I'll be coming back for a week some time.

RobertFoster

positron wrote: »

It was around 7:20 in the evening. Perhaps it was Swords CC club league - plenty of support cars & an ambulance, if that's normal for club league race(?)/sportive(?)

Yeah 7:20 pm on Wednesday was a club league race. The marshals, lead cars, and ambulance are fairly normal.

NamelessPhil

Currently sitting in Sean Kelly Square in Carrick-on-Suir. 177km of a 400 done. I left the Stephen Roche monument in Dundrum at 6am, cycled down here via the Shay Elliott, Carnew, New Ross and Mullinavat. I still hate Kilkenny hills...

It's a fabulous day on the bike, no wind and eternal sunshine.

Now I've just got to get back to Dublin via Thomastown, Kiltealy, Enniscorthy and back up the Coast Road through Arklow. It'll be sometime tomorrow morning by the time I see my bed.

ED E

Phil, you're insane


The Green Team will understand. No shortcuts.

NamelessPhil

Any excuse to eat ice-cream! The first 99 of the year has been consumed in Thomastown!

positron

Fare play NamelessPhil, sounds like another epic ride in the making. Much respect!

Got out for a spin for the first time in a long time, and what a beautiful day it was!! Headed north from Drogheda without any route in mind and happy to get lost in the countryside, which I did - and to top that up, a van pulled over and asked me for directions!! Luckily I was able to help as I had past that village 30 mins ago. Felt like the good old days of before GPS and robotic voice prompts. Drogheda-Baltray-Termonfekkin-Clogherhead-Anagassan-Castlebellingham-Strabannan-towards Tinnure but somehow ended up back on R132-Oldbridge-back. Also had the first tumble ever - forgot to unclip the pedals while marveling the curious looking "fairy mounds" at Baltray. Luckily only minor scrapes and there were no onlookers, so ego intact as well.. well, almost.

I have always known that you don't have to go to Spain, France or Switzerland for amazing scenery (although it does help), as we have plenty of that here in the west, up north, or south of Dublin etc. But I was wrong. You don't even have to go that far for beautiful scenic rides - Co Louth & Meath has plenty of it. Rolling hills, beautiful ocean views, nice-ish roads, enough places to get a bite or coffee. Okay, it might only last a few Tuesdays a year - but on the other hand you can get out and ride without any pre-panning what so ever and still have a great couple of hours on the bike. Also, so many beautiful houses and well manicured gardens... slightly jealous coming back to my house in an estate full of similar houses..!

Approx 77k, glacial avg speed of 23kmph etc
https://www.strava.com/activities/2302533314

We were out that way ourselves early this morning , didn't go as far as you though, swung left after Clogherhead and left again and back in via Togher and Sandpit.

Definitely a few options for routes out that way.

LRNM

Bee's. Lots and lots of bee's swarming across the road as I cycled. Thousands of them.

Shat my pants.

Wishbone Ash

positron wrote: »

..Baltray-Termonfekkin-Clogherhead-Anagassan-Castlebellingham-Strabannan...

In my experiences, cycling in those areas is always spoiled by aggressive dogs.

Rural Co Louth has the be the most difficult place to cycle in if, like me, you're terrified of dogs.

magicbastarder

i had a dog scare the bejesus out of me just beside balrath house the other day. no warning, just appeared from behind a hedge and was only a few feet away when he popped out.

Our fella is getting on in years so is barely able to chase his ball these days, so thats one less dog in Louth yee need worry about

Seriously though I hate to see loose dogs, says more about the owner. Not fair on you and not fair on the dog either.

magicbastarder

there's a spot - just north of ardcath - i now avoid unless i'm going downhill on it. uphill, i don't have enough speed to shake off a dog which regularly comes out and has a go at me as i cycle past.

Justwinginit

Nice warm spin yesterday afternoon, met fellow cyclist on a spin, he asked how lfar I was going, I replied just 30k,he said he was on a 200....i felt very unfit...

NamelessPhil

Justwinginit wrote: »

Nice warm spin yesterday afternoon, met fellow cyclist on a spin, he asked how lfar I was going, I replied just 30k,he said he was on a 200....i felt very unfit...

Ah now, I've done 30km and been at my limit. I've done 1,000km and could have done another 1,000.

As long as you're out on your bike, it doesn't matter how far or how fast you go. I re-found my inner 9 year-old yesterday, I had a huge grin on my face as I descended off various hills. If you listened carefully you might even have heard me going "Wheeeeeee!!!!"

If you are ever interested in longer distances, come and talk to us in Audax Ireland. www.audaxireland.org

NamelessPhil

Anyway, I finished the 400 just after 7:20 am this morning. 25 hours 20 minutes real time, slower than the last time but it was a route check and I took enough photos.

The night was tough going. I changed my kit outside Enniscorthy and rocked on to Blackwater. The night was cool enough even with the kit. The climbing didn't let up either, the coast road is surprisingly lumpy. I finished with just shy of 5,000m for the day.

After Arklow the tiredness kicked in. I was on familiar roads so I persuaded myself to keep going but I was getting slower and my eyes were closing on descents. After Roundwood I pulled over on a small road, sat down on a comfy stone wall and set the alarm for 10 minutes. Closed my eyes and drifted. I didn't sleep but it was enough to get me down Calary Hill and up the Poggio and back to the start.

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/nYWleJKh2V

saccades

Holy moly - always in awe of audax riders, I ramp up to 24 hour racing as a target and you do stuff like that most weekends!

Chuffed with myself yesterday, just over 100km, 1100m of climbing up to the Sally gap and pushed myself and managed just under 27kmph.

Had a lump of bland rhubarb and ginger cake at glendalough green to watch the world go by for 10-15 minutes too.

Well worth killing myself on weds and Thurs so the boss would let me have Friday off at short notice.

ted1

Took to the hills this morning. My hill game has gone to the dogs. I was off the bike for 2 months with a trapped nerve in my shoulder blades. Need to build the legs and lungs back up.

About 30km and 470m climbing from killiney, Enniskerry, devils elbow, glen Cullen and home.

magicbastarder

Glorious out there today. Did a flat 70km out to kilmessan and back.

Cionn

Best day today out there in a long time. Temperature perfect, wind negligible. Coffee good and cake sweet. North county Dublin was fantastic. The season has started now. Really nice did 50 and could have stayed out for another hundred only for family committments. If in doubt get out there

enda1

An exhausting 61km around the Ardèche hills. Nothing a fine bitta lunch (and an hour and a half's nap) can't cure!

https://strava.app.link/R1MS7JRG2V

Eamonnator

magicbastarder wrote: »

i had a dog scare the bejesus out of me just beside balrath house the other day. no warning, just appeared from behind a hedge and was only a few feet away when he popped out.

That lad is going to get get his comeuppance very shortly.
He's come come after me a couple of times lately.

smacl

60k in the hills for me over the gap towards Laragh and then off road for a short bit. Delighted to get out a bit early and have the bulk of the climbing done in the early morning cool. Lots of cyclists going over the Military road, and if I'm honest, I couldn't think of a nicer place to be this morning. Been doing very little road cycling over the last year, so really pleased to get back to it.

Anyone out there looking for a new motor, I can get you a good deal on this one. One careful previous owner, some light servicing may be required :pac: