Road bike super-leggera cycle-touring

Wishbone Ash

fat bloke wrote: »

Yeah if you're just replacing Jersey pockets storage, a 6 litre handlebar bag like I've ordered would be way oversized I'd have thought

Yes, I was thinking of a smaller version of the one you've ordered for stuff like spare tyre, heavier rain jacket, overshoes, spare gloves etc. - stuff that's bulky for pockets.

cletus

My impulse finger got the better of me, and I ordered one. Late August delivery

Planet X

Gone over Wicklow Gap both ways with the kitchen sink.
Grand

fat bloke

Ffwat cleass off a biysikil be's dat, biyeen?


Looks a right wheelie machine!

Wishbone Ash

Planet X wrote: »

Gone over Wicklow Gap both ways with the kitchen sink.
Grand

Nevermind the bike - I've never noticed the Hollywood sign before. Where is it?

Planet X

You're going too fast
On the way out of the village towards Wicklow Gap, first decent hill

Wishbone Ash

Planet X wrote: »

You're going too fast
On the way out of the village towards Wicklow Gap, first decent hill

Ah - I normally turn for the gap after Blessington. I've only ever descended towards Hollywood.

joey100

@Cletus, apologies about the delay in getting back to you! Don't have many pictures of it on the bike, hasn't been used a whole lot but you can get an idea in these two. I use 40cm bars too so may help get an idea of what it's like on the bike. Photos were taken during my solo mini evil spin



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fat bloke

Bloody hell. We thought we were being prudent and sensible, staying away from the W.A.W. holidaying hoardes, and mapping out a nice 140k to Mullingar, a jaunt over the Sliabh Blooms to somewhere Laois-ish and then back through Kildare. Local Covid lockdowns now are set to scupper all of that!

a148pro

I was actually thinking of you driving to tipp yesterday, looking over at the slieve blooms thinking I canvassed the midlands to your man hope he didn't go

Wexford, hook head, passage east, copper coast, Cork? That gran fondo route from the other thread over to Ballyhoura or silver mines or combined with / looped back over to the knockmealdowns or comeraghs?

a148pro

Ps in lough derg and it's very nice country, hillier than I thought with a good few "north tipperary" marked cycle routes once you're off the main routes would be great

fat bloke

Always associated Lough Derg with up North for some reason. Just looking at it there, yeah gosh a circuit of Lough Derg taking in east Clare -Feakle and Scarriff and down to Killaloe would be lovely indeed.

We've altered our plans a bit. Kinda got a bit squeamish about leaving the kids at home so long, so we're actually going to do a one-nighter. It'll test ourselves and our progress and our equipment and, hey - a night away is a night away! Perhaps then Kilkenny somewhere would be a good destination, or Wexford maybe - could do cross country hilly down and sort of coastal home.

We'll see sure.

Wishbone Ash

fat bloke wrote: »

Always associated Lough Derg with up North for some reason....

That's the other Lough Derg - the pilgrimage center in Co Donegal.

https://www.loughderg.org/

fat bloke

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

That's the other Lough Derg - the pilgrimage center in Co Donegal.

https://www.loughderg.org/

Black bread and water after 200k. Good way to get lean

Wishbone Ash

fat bloke wrote: »

Black bread and water after 200k. Good way to get lean

....and the fcuking midges. The toughest penance of all!

(My mother went annually for years but stopped after the Stardust as she felt the place was a fire trap.)

Fann Linn

fat bloke wrote: »

Always associated Lough Derg with up North for some reason. Just looking at it there, yeah gosh a circuit of Lough Derg taking in east Clare -Feakle and Scarriff and down to Killaloe would be lovely indeed.

We've altered our plans a bit. Kinda got a bit squeamish about leaving the kids at home so long, so we're actually going to do a one-nighter. It'll test ourselves and our progress and our equipment and, hey - a night away is a night away! Perhaps then Kilkenny somewhere would be a good destination, or Wexford maybe - could do cross country hilly down and sort of coastal home.

We'll see sure.

Just noticed this now. I've signed up for a 150k Lough Derg Challenge in Sept. Can be found online at Eventbrite or FB.

fat bloke

Bags arrived today so that's the first step. Bit of a miscalculation immediately. I didn't realise that frame bag dimensions were frame dependent! It doesn't specifically say anything about that on the merlin site, it just has litre capacities, and I didn't realise a bigger bag meant a longer bag and that those dimensions need to match the top tube. Saddle bags and handlebar bags are kinda universal.

Anyway, upshot is that the frame bags are too big. Not too bad on mine but way too long for herself's bike. -Might throw up a for sale ad here to see if anyone wants a bargain one and if not just return them to merlin cycles.

Other than that, I need to find some middle ground between meself and herself. She's looking at castles and spas and I'm looking at fleabag motel equivalents. I don't see the point in paying for posh when we're supposed to be the day on the bikes, won't have smart casual changes of clothes for fine dining, nor energy for use of leisure facilities. If we're staying in a destination hotel then I'd sooner drive down and have the day there! My priority is for: clean, quiet, shower, bed and a restaurant on site.

brownian

@fat bloke: a nice hotel can actually be great, after a long day on the rothar. Neat clothes don't take up any more space than scruffy ones - a pair of farah slacks (really) roll up very small, and a light merino jumper is quite respectable over a t-shirt - you don't have to go with combats and fleece gear.

A swim or a sauna is also pretty nice, after a bike day, especially if it's been raining.

And nice hotels often give you two towels each - one for your gear-squeezing, and one for yourself!

Dunno about you and your missis, of course. But in my house, if she's done 100+ on the bike, fair dues to her, and she deserves a bit of comfort. On my own, of course, it's a swim in the sea and a bivvy bag under a hedge...but that's a different product.

fat bloke

brownian wrote: »

@fat bloke: a nice hotel can actually be great, after a long day on the rothar. Neat clothes don't take up any more space than scruffy ones - a pair of farah slacks (really) roll up very small, and a light merino jumper is quite respectable over a t-shirt - you don't have to go with combats and fleece gear.

A swim or a sauna is also pretty nice, after a bike day, especially if it's been raining.

And nice hotels often give you two towels each - one for your gear-squeezing, and one for yourself!

Dunno about you and your missis, of course. But in my house, if she's done 100+ on the bike, fair dues to her, and she deserves a bit of comfort. On my own, of course, it's a swim in the sea and a bivvy bag under a hedge...but that's a different product.

Ha ha. Fair enough. Somewhere in the middle I think is what we need to settle on. Last place she was looking at had deer hunting and falconry in the castle grounds... :rolleyes:

comete

fat bloke wrote: »

Ha ha. Fair enough. Somewhere in the middle I think is what we need to settle on. Last place she was looking at had deer hunting and falconry in the castle grounds... :rolleyes:

Deer hunting doesn’t go well with veganism :pac:

eeeee

If I had to spin with a load of extra kilos on my bike the least I'd expect is a castle at the end of the day. I mean where else can I rest my falcon?!
:pac:

cletus

Go with the comfort option. Why wouldn't you? Especially considering the wife has agreed to the trip in the first place.

You can always go away for a weekend yourself and sleep in a ditch

a148pro

It's credit card touring ffs! Lap it up!

Fwiw I agree with the importance of a good meal, good lodgings and leisure facilities (if they're actually open, not sure how many Jacuzzis or saunas have survived covid). But I am very much at the treat myself / get the **** away from the kids end of the market.

Bnb acceptable in lieu if decent food nearby. If you're doing a long day a bath would certainly be nice. Sea swim could be as nice, but if you're tired and get cold it can be shivery for a long time later. Togs are relatively little extra weight. Better still, go native.

Ideal would be a nice place with a bit of a culture of adventure tourism that would tolerate you going for food without stiff upper lip clothing policy. Few nice craft beers, a good spread of a breakfast. But this year accommodation is scarce so if weather was good I'd also be happy with bnb and chipper, supermarket beer, making love on the beach, sure it sounds like a bord failte ad, is that catherine thomas winking at me....?

fat bloke

I'm going to get Joe Barr to have a chat her. 1 hour sleep for every 48 hours cycling. Sounds reasonable to me.

NamelessPhil

Ah now, you don't want to join us in the Audax tent just yet! When I'm doing long distance rides I'll fork out for the best hotel I can afford. I've done enough kipping in ditches to allow it.

Never pack more than 10% of your body weight to bring with you. The other suggestions by PP of bringing one set of civvies works just fine.

Don't discount the idea of getting an early morning bus (between 6am and 8am) and cycling back up to Dublin. A two hour bus journey easily gets you 200km from Dublin, 90 minutes about 150km. This year I've had no problems getting the bike onto a bus and the tickets are cheap enough. You could be on an 8am bus and be back on the bike and heading home by 10:30 with loads of time to explore the countryside on the way.

fat bloke

Hit the road today. 160km to Enniscorthy, staying off the n81 to Donard and then the Bearna (gap), Tinahely, Shillelagh, Bunclody, Mt Leinster, Kiltealy, Enniscorthy. Perfect weather and lovely quiet well surfaced roads for the most part.

Bags are great. I hugely underestimated the effect they'd have on bike handling though. I'd use the frame bags next time and have less weight in the tailpack. I can't climb outta the saddle really cos of the tailpack waggle.
Would be great to be going on now on a multi day tour but we're heading back home tomorrow. Have learned a lot though and definitely enjoying it. Tomorrow is looking to be wet, wetter and wettest though .
As a first test though, a successful day.

Wishbone Ash

Jesus, would you not tackle that 'lawn' first? My eyes are hurting looking at it.

Plastik

The pendulum weight of the rear bag definitely takes some getting used to. Wait until you jump on the bike without it again, it's equally as bizarre!

fat bloke

That's not ours. Tis commonage. I haven't been responsible for growing or mowing for 15 blessed years!

fat bloke

Plastik wrote: »

The pendulum weight of the rear bag definitely takes some getting used to. Wait until you jump on the bike without it again, it's equally as bizarre!

Yeah! Kept thinking that! Looking forward to my first bagless spin. Skipping up the yard like a fresh bullock!