Tell us about your cycle today part III

magicbastarder

still working on 'completing' north county dublin, so my cycles look very stop starty.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6121630735

gn3dr

My first 100km in probably >15 years today. Into Killarney, Kilgarvan, Kenmare, Molls Gap, Killarney, home. Also hadn't climbed Molls from the Kenmare side in as many years. Love that climb and enjoying my slowly improving fitness level.

beggars_bush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118026444#Comment_118026444

Some serious climbs around there. The climb through forest up to the national outdoor training centre is as steep a road as you will find

NamelessPhil

I rode from Dublin to Sligo on some really nice roads with no close passes. I left my house at 9am and arrived in Sligo at 8pm. I had a tailwind for the majority of the ride and the rain only kicked in from Longford. The usual route out to Maynooth and on to Mullingar on the Royal Canal Greenway. Then the lovely surfaced, quiet R393 to Longford, very little traffic apart from cars towing animal trailers presumably from a mart. Not a pothole in sight.

After Longford I used some tiny, grass down the middle back roads to Leitrim village to avoid the N4. I still hate drumlins but they can't be avoided. The last 40km was very straightforward on the R284 to Sligo again a really good surface even in the gathering night. All in all one of the nicest cross country routes I've ever done.

My best WTF moment, on top of a drumlin, somewhere even the Back of Beyond would consider remote, somebody has attached a picture of Tommy Tiernan to a tree. Noone has used it for target practice yet...

https://strava.app.link/o5frBrAtpkb

magicbastarder

around north county dublin, someone has attached posters to trees of what i thought was ian bailey, but it turns out is jose mourinho, in the hope that the feeling of being watched will reduce fly tipping.

hesker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118030228#Comment_118030228

I think we turned left at that T junction where the right would take you up to the training centre. It did look steep alright.

The views were fab from where we were. Fog had settled on the lakes and we were up above it looking down on it all.

magicbastarder

..

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118029521#Comment_118029521

Were you not tempted to keep going straight on at Balleally, under the rail bridge and across the coastal road at the end of Rogerstown Lane and on to the south of Rush? (Assuming low tide of course!).

magicbastarder

i might have, had i known it was possible! it looked like a private road as i passed.

i was there very near low tide today.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118030748#Comment_118030748

If you zoom in on this ride you'll see what I mean. Not a private road. I've seen 4x4's and tractors doing it. It might involve a bit of walking.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4194748898

magicbastarder

i had been wondering why baleally lane had so many speed ramps on it. first assumption would have been a boy racer problem.

Had to shoo a chicken in off the road here this morning and had the rooster flap his wings at me, haven't been on this road for years even though it's within 5km of me never features on my spins even during lock down. Last time I was down it the magnificent house and out buildings at the T there was in ruin/fit to be bulldozed and the scene of regular fly tipping. Move the slider on the street view thingy on the top left if on PC to see the difference between 2009 and 2019. Think they air bnb'd the **** out of this place but great to see it in such condition compared to the husk it was last I passed it.

https://goo.gl/maps/4zkjmLuB4WFKFaj17

magicbastarder

i'd never realised that feature was available before.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118030994#Comment_118030994

Oh I love it, in some cases you can go back multiple years depending on how many times the google car has been down a road. Proper time machine stuff in some cases even over only the last 10 years.

Daroxtar

I got up nice and early and drove in to Tallaght this morning all set for a big day on the hills. Less than a kilometer done and I noticed the bike was bouncing peculiarly along the road. Pulled over and checked the front wheel. Rim was fine but the tire had a decent nick on the sidewall and the rubber was beginning to split alongside it. Don't know how much longer it would have lasted but I'm fairly sure knowing my luck it would be perfectly fine until I hit about 60 on a descent.

Turned around, got back in the car and drove home utterly disgusted.

3.5km with 14m climbing, average of 23.9kmh.

Roadtoad

Nice solo from Naas to Royal Canal at Enfield, then on to Longford. I was surprised that Longford had its own branch, avoiding the fork to Clondara.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118031045#Comment_118031045

eight times past my house - twice in the last five months.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118032531#Comment_118032531

Google are watching you!!!

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118030830#Comment_118030830

They were put in in the days when it had hundreds of trucks heading to the tiphead. As well as the normal bin trucks, lots of tipper trucks brought rubble etc. to layer the rubbish. Tipper truck drivers are typically paid per load so there is a natural temptation to hurry along to squeeze another load in.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118030994#Comment_118030994

Jesus that's hard to believe!! I use that feature all the time.

I've been in the shed a lot of late for a variety of reasons, but got out this morning at first light for just short of 100km.

It rained alot overnight and a lot of leaves fell so it really felt like my first proper winter spin, even if it was very mild and lovely and sunny.

The brother joined me for about 60k and the whole spin flew. Covered in muck from head to toe when I got home.

After two years of not looking after my bike properly and paying the price with lots of expensive repairs over the summer, I gave it a thorough clean afterwards and got rid of a layer of caked on mud and cow *****.

97.31km in total with 847m climbing at 30.1kph

https://www.strava.com/activities/6125335967

Seaswimmer

Just back from 8 days in Spain. Flew to Valencia and travelled home from Malaga. Glorious weather, 23 to 28 degrees, no rain and light breezes. 832kms over 7.5 days so average 110km a day approx. Overnight stops were, Puerto De Sagunto, Gandia, Alicante, Cartagena, Garrucha, Roquetas de Mar, Salobrena and Malaga. First 4 days flat but second 4 days a bit hilly but no real mountains.

found a bike shop in Malaga to pack our bikes and drop us to the airport so made that part of the trip very easy. Flew both directions with Ryanair. simple, quick check in both ends and no issue with the bikes. We packed them in cardboard boxes from LBS.

Stayed in cheap hotels (2*) Average cost about 26 to 30 per night per person. Breakfast included in some. Stayed mostly on N roads (N332/N340) which are extremely quiet mostly as they are usually paralled by motorways.

Usual bit of getting lost especially in the last 3 or 4k when trying to find hotel but a quick look at the phone sorts it out. Had a saddle bag (24 litres) and bar bag (7 litres) which comfortably held everything we needed

so a successful trip and a fairly easy one for anyone maybe starting off a bit of light cycle touring.

Seth Brundle

Headed out for a longer commute to work this morning and took in a few hills along the way (Newcastle & Slade hills). It was the first cold morning this side of summer and it really made you know that winter is coming. Heading up "Turf Bog Lane" near Kilteel, I could see what I thought was frost on the roof of a parked car but a minute later I passed a car sitting in a gateway waiting to pull out onto the road and I could hear their wipers rubbing against frost. However, despite the cold, it was lovely and fresh. I was more conscious of the low sun ahead of me for a good distance.

40km @ 25.5km/h with 375m: https://www.strava.com/activities/6144504614

retalivity

It was apparently 2 degrees when I left at 7am, don't mind the the cold much when I'm going up but it was freezing when descending. Need stronger gloves next time. Sunrise from the viewpoint was worth it though.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6144354288

magicbastarder

TFW you find out that if you'd only tried a tiny bit harder, you'd have gotten a PR on a well known climb; i missed my PR on the climb from howth village by 4 seconds. i didn't think i'd gone nearly fast enough to grab it so didn't push. looks like the wind was stronger than i anticipated.

speaking of which, i must petition fintan's high school to put a flag back on their flagpole so you get a last minute check on wind direction and speed before deciding which approach to take.

rushfan

Yesterday evening, left work at 7pm heading to Fairview to collect tickets from my daughter. It was an interesting spin.

Going through Finglas, three tracksuited heads upturned a shopping trolley about 30m in front of me, I was able to avoid thankfully.

The protected cycle lane on Griffith Ave is covered in leaves, quite dark too, and requires some concentration.

Cycling up past the Bonnington hotel, motorist parps the horn, motions towards the crappy cycle lane, caught up with him at the lights, asked him if I was visible enough ( 2 rear lights ), he replied that Iwas but should be in the cycle lane etc, informed him that I was under no legal obligation to use same, and that in case he was wondering why other motorists were flashing their lights at him, it was because his rear lights were out, therefore his car was not roadworthy as such. He simply raised his window!

Moments later 2 halfwits on a moped pulled across me when I was abput 10m from them.

Sounds like I stumbled across the film set from "Kin", I was glad to get home!

New bike spin on Saturday morning!

Picked it up after work on Friday and got out at first light yesterday ahead of the rain. Strong crosswinds most of the way but great to get the feel of a new bike under me. Roads were dry and very little muck for the time of year.

One horrible close pass from a pickup truck near the end of the spin when the driver felt the need to nearly knock me off the bike with oncoming traffic only to join a line of traffic at a junction a few hundred yards up the road.

Anyway, 67km with 600m climbing at 32kph.

Alanbt

Brief spin yesterday along south Dublin coast, nice apart from a wasp flying into vents in helmet, getting caught and stinging me.

Not the most pleasant experience

magicbastarder

got out for three loops of howth this afternoon. on the way up for the last time, a chap came downhill in the opposite direction in full chris froome tuck, wearing a large backpack. was a little surreal looking.

Daroxtar

90km with just over 1000m climbing on mostly little bohreens up in Sligo today. Left the in laws shortly after 9am. Got the usual weird looks when I said I'd be doing about 80 or 90km. The weather was quite chilly for the first 20km or so with a bit of fog hanging around but once I got past that it was quite nice.

I did a good stretch along a blue signposted cycling route. Joined it at the Ladies Brae and followed it along the shoulder of the Ox mountains past the wind farm on Kings Mountain then out past Lough Easky, Masshill and on to Lough Talt. Some of the surfaces were in rough enough condition with plenty of sheep sh!t, grass down the middle and moss and algae in shaded spots making for a couple of ropey descents and wheelspin on climbs. I can honestly say there was barely a flat inch along there and the headwind added to making it a tough enough spin on that part of the route but it was great to be out just rambling on completely deserted roads

Dropped in to the mother for a cuppa and a chat and then had a lovely tailwind pretty much all the way through Cloonacool, Coolaney, Colooney and back to base. Even picked up a highly wind assisted KOM along the way.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6164379465