La Flamme Rouge **off topic discussion**

magicbastarder

CramCycle wrote: »

Can we sit in the middle?

as i learned in ceannt park, you can get trapped if you're in the middle.

Harrybelafonte

eeeee wrote: »

There are. Plans are being revised.

Apologies. Is it much. Considering how few come to spectate at Sundrive I didn't expect much in the changed plans. Something along the lines of Alkmaar I'm guessing?

eeeee

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What is that called???? In other sports it could be called "the in-field".

I'm not sure what i call it actually.
Track centre indoors or just centre. I think you can call it the infield too.
The indoor track centre will be badminton Ireland's domain outside the track bit. It's a shared facility.

eeeee

magicbastarder wrote: »

as i learned in ceannt park, you can get trapped if you're in the middle.

Ya can't walk across track when the racing's on :pac:
When were you there? The track international?

Harrybelafonte

eeeee wrote: »

I'm not sure what i call it actually.
Track centre indoors or just centre.

Infield or apron is technical term afaik.

buffalo

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Apologies. Is it much. Considering how few come to spectate at Sundrive I didn't expect much in the changed plans. Something along the lines of Alkmaar I'm guessing?

Is the velodrome still doubling as a badminton arena? Might get more spectators at that.

I would also expect more spectators at an indoor track, but we'll see.

magicbastarder

eeeee wrote: »

Ya can't walk across track when the racing's on :pac:
When were you there? The track international?

yep, about three years ago i think. beasty introduced me to you but you were a bit distracted by other people looking for you with more important issues.

Harrybelafonte

buffalo wrote: »

Is the velodrome still doubling as a badminton arena? Might get more spectators at that.

I would also expect more spectators at an indoor track, but we'll see.

Yes. eeee would know better than I re spectators at the moment. I haven’t attended a race or raced in quite a while, and am quite cynical about people showing up. I started back around 2011 and I think my shock at the lack of interest remains, rather than seeing the massive advancements made since.

At the same time, there were a few people sitting on the small hill by the finishing straight last night and a lot of other nights watching the training session as passing entertainment and there’s always someone stopping you to ask about getting involved so my cynicism is most likely misplaced. I think it stems a lot from seeing a very small group, like tiny, that work tirelessly to keep track cycling going and instead of getting support now, people tend to concentrate on wanting a “real” velodrome. I feel that if more general support had been shown over the years from the cycling fraternity, more people getting accredited, more showing up for training and raced, the impetus for CI and the government to sort it sooner would have been greater.

Right now most people cycling in Ireland will never be effected by a velodrome never being built, but for quite a few, it’s close to a life changer. That may seem dramatic but considering how much some of us have paid to train on indoor velodromes in the UK, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Poland, it’s going to be hugely important.

magicbastarder

that's an interesting point - out in abbotstown, only those who make the effort to get there will go, but at least in crumlin, it was much more visible to general park goers. not that i suspect that'd translate to too many bypassers actually thinking 'this is the sport for me' i would hazard.

but like you, i was surprised to see the spectators being easily outnumbered by the competitors at the UCI event i popped along to.

Harrybelafonte

magicbastarder wrote: »

that's an interesting point - out in abbotstown, only those who make the effort to get there will go, but at least in crumlin, it was much more visible to general park goers. not that i suspect that'd translate to too many bypassers actually thinking 'this is the sport for me' i would hazard.

but like you, i was surprised to see the spectators being easily outnumbered by the competitors at the UCI event i popped along to.

When I started, it was only the lower fence and numbers were lower and having stuff chucked at us was a bigger issue and no-one watched. It has improved in fairness. But again not as much as I’d like.

You’d be surprised re passers by. I had a long conversation with someone outside one Sat morning when I was training. Loads of questions etc. when I did my next coaching session he was there doing his first or second full training session. I’ve even managed to get people from my gym down to try it out. They’ll probably never come back but even their awareness of it helps.

eeeee

It's funny, the highest level of international cycling in Ireland is the Dublin Track International. It's a much much higher level event than either Rás for example. Every single year we're have multiple Olympic, World and European champions racing at it. Ant no OBE comes to see! Amongst the luminaries last year was Jason Kenny. Laura Trott's been there, Kirsten Wild, the Barker sisters, Theo Bos etc etc etc.
Maybe the promotion/ marketing isn't great, cos it's just off the centre of Dublin.

You get lots of people watching from the outside in Sundrive. Some good some bad (kids throwing stuff at you) but it's generally good.
Last week I had a dog running alongside me on the outside of the track kids on their bikes too.
I've chatted to people about coming along when they're outside the fence too, some do. It's so cheap to get accredited and do a session, including bike rental.
Accreditation has stopped now unfortunately cos of the pandemic, as we can't rent out bikes, shoes or helmets at the mo and numbers are restricted. The covid measures actually work quite well in practice in training.

Track is so much fun. Unlike the road the something happening constantly, and you're always in company. It's really social. Except right now cos of social distancing but usually. It's fast, furious, and you're constantly 'on', even in training, it's great.

I started on track and I find road cycling interminably boring. I'll never forget my first road race. I turned up on my own, not knowing anyone. It was EXTREMELY unfriendly. I was used to track where everyone talks to everyone regardless of what club you're in or how fast or slow you are. Then I got shocked at the standard of bike handling. That shock remains! And then after an hour we were STILL doing the same thing. It was so boring. And slow. And it was only short by road race standards, like an hour and a half or 2 hours or so. I was in the top 6 with 250m to go, but someone crashed into the woman beside me and she bounced into me and that was it. I didn't crash luckily but sat up.
Fcuking road cycling! It's a necessary evil for track fitness otherwise I wouldn't really do it tbh. And I have to do so much of it

We should build velodromes everywhere! Even outdoor ones!

daragh_

When I worked nearby I used to cycle by the odd evening to watch people training and racing. Never ventured too close in case someone stripped the brakes off my bike and made me go around in circles.

eeeee

daragh_ wrote: »

When I worked nearby I used to cycle by the odd evening to watch people training and racing. Never ventured too close in case someone stripped the brakes off my bike and made me go around in circles.

*hides in bush with allen keys*

daragh_

eeeee wrote: »

It was EXTREMELY unfriendly. I was used to track where everyone talks to everyone regardless of what club you're in or how fast or slow you are.

The Vets is the exact opposite. Hard to get away sometimes with all the chats, cups of tea and picnic hampers!

eeeee

daragh_ wrote: »

The Vets is the exact opposite. Hard to get away sometimes with all the chats, cups of tea and picnic hampers!

I can't wait!

magicbastarder

daragh_ wrote: »

Hard to get away sometimes with all the chats, cups of tea and picnic hampers!

huh. you fell for their ruse, that's just an attempt to fatten up the opposition in order to slow you down.

Eamonnator

I was only at the track once, about 20 years ago. Peter Purfield had organised a track day for mountain bikers. I brought a few downhillers to it.
The highlight of my day was when Robin Seymour arrived and drove around the track in his Mini Metro.

Got new watch today, Casio F-91w. Can't believe they still make these. It was the first watch I had a kid. Followed by a G Shock 5700 which I still have and is my every day watch and has been for 3 decades but it needs looking at now.

Does anyone remember the ones you could use as a TV remote??? I remember at college someone had one and used to wait until the last minute to change the channel in the pub when the horse racing was on

RobFowl

Anyone seen Beasty about ???

#YNWA

#Backonourperch

Eamonnator

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Got new watch today, Casio F-91w. Can't believe they still make these. It was the first watch I had a kid. Followed by a G Shock 5700 which I still have and is my every day watch and has been for 3 decades but it needs looking at now.

Does anyone remember the ones you could use as a TV remote??? I remember at college someone had one and used to wait until the last minute to change the channel in the pub when the horse racing was on

That's mad. I got an F-91w as a present last Christmas.

Eamonnator

Eamonnator wrote: »

That's mad, I got a present of an F-91W last Christmas.

The F-91W has a bit of sullied reputation. I believe as it was the watch of choice for Al Qaeda for timing purposes. Might not be good to fly the US with one on

Eamonnator

[Deleted User] wrote: »

The F-91W has a bit of sullied reputation. I believe as it was the watch of choice for Al Qaeda for timing purposes. Might not be good to fly the US with one on

I did not know that

Eamonnator

Eamonnator wrote: »

I did not know that

Watch perfection!!!!!!!

Mefistofelino

Deleted User wrote: »

Got new watch today, Casio F-91w. Can't believe they still make these. It was the first watch I had a kid. Followed by a G Shock 5700 which I still have and is my every day watch and has been for 3 decades but it needs looking at now.

Does anyone remember the ones you could use as a TV remote??? I remember at college someone had one and used to wait until the last minute to change the channel in the pub when the horse racing was on

I remember seeing a lad outside one of the electronics / home appliance shops in The Square using one to keep changing the channels on the display TVs. Shop assistants couldn't figure out what was going on.

LollipopJimmy

Mefistofelino wrote: »

I remember seeing a lad outside one of the electronics / home appliance shops in The Square using one to keep changing the channels on the display TVs. Shop assistants couldn't figure out what was going on.

We did it at the Phillips store that was on the corner of Georges St and Dame St, we went to do it one week and all of the TV's had a small bit of black tape over the remote sensors

MojoMaker

I have an F-91W. Although it doesn't say it in the material I can confirm it is fully waterproof and suitable as a watch for open water swimming.

Garmin Fenix 5 @ €500 or an F-91W for €10 :pac:

eeeee

Was back up the mountains for the first time today since lockdown, and my it's beautiful up there.
But, there's a load of new (to me) chippings on the way down from glencree, a k or 2 of it. It's at the loose gravel stage of its bedding in, be careful out there!
There's also LOADS of gravel at the mtb place a bit further on, with new double yellows on each side. I hope to fcuk they're not chipping more
Hopefully it's all for trails...

Wishbone Ash

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

We did it at the Phillips store that was on the corner of Georges St and Dame St, we went to do it one week and all of the TV's had a small bit of black tape over the remote sensors

It was a pain in the arse in the pub especially watching something dramatic like the last few minutes of an all Ireland final. If it was a busy pub, it was nearly impossible to identify the culprit.

magicbastarder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFz1mDtfM5Q

quite a nice, good humoured video, a GCN 'meet the presenters' one about conor dunne.

Seems a genuine AAA guy. Shame he couldn't get a contract to keep racing but I've a feeling he's enjoying his new 'work' and having more time with family than he would have otherwise.

EDIT: Did he give the game away there when he mentioned the maker of the custom bikes? If I recall there was some mystery when they weren't using the 1x bikes while Aquablue were in their last days.