Tell us about your cycle today part III

Wildly Boaring

First proper spin after broken toe, sinus infection and new baby 6 weeks ago. 60k and 600m. Far enough. Went across the boyne at old bridge and climbed Grange church. Then back through Drogheda and away home.

Glad I wimped on yesterday. Bit blustery but sunny and no cars about.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119813828#Comment_119813828

Grange church??? The one in Grangegeeth maybe? Right turn at the crossroads after that = amazballs view about 1km up that road, always one I sit up on for a few minutes. Actually that's Bawn Hill isn't it.

Congrats on the new arrival!!!!

Wildly Boaring

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814041#Comment_119814041

Yep grangegeeth.

Yeah I came that way. So from old bridge up to tullyallen GAA and then head left. Lovely quiet roads all the way over.

Often I'd go straight through there and on to Rathbran, put in a sharp dart up the rock and then home via stackallen.

The rock....

https://maps.app.goo.gl/fmyHBgGQmdhWty3k9

But today grangegeeth was far enough, down past the church and back home by balrenny.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119813828#Comment_119813828

Congrats.

devonp

had to pop into work today ...so cycled rather than car or train. very mild on the way into town. returned using the summer route via PP and strawberry beds , about half way to Lucan the heavens open.. torrential downpour ..glad i brought the Idro rain jacket ! ended up cycling through mini rivers/floods.. last of the summer dry lubed well stripped off the chain for sure 😁

magicbastarder

i did a 45km spin, passed the airport heading north and the windsock was completely limp. at the point i turned around to head south, about 15km later, was precisely the moment the wind and rain arrived. so i had a headwind all the way home. couldn't have been more comically timed. though the rain eased off after about 10 or 15 mins.

magicbastarder

four buzzards spotted today - two in the space of a few hundred metres on the road up to oberstown.

Wildly Boaring

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838107#Comment_119838107

Oberstown skyrne?

magicbastarder

oberstown detention centre.

Wildly Boaring

Makes more sense

Seth Brundle

Had my rear derailleur cable snap last night at the shifter. I have the cable and bits in the shed but with work, I figured that I'd either get time for a spin today or I'd get to replace the cable but not both. In the end, I decided to drop the bike to my LBS and I'd head out on a different bike in the afternoon.

I'm glad that I made that choice. I had initially thought I'd head out on my good bike but with the forecast for wind but no rain, Met Eireann lived up to my expectations when it started raining fairly heavy this afternoon. So I decided I'd take the hybrid out instead.

Managed to get in 57km with a little bit of climbing around Maynooth, Straffan & Ardlcough. The rain held off but the wind was unreal. My Garmin was telling me it was 37km/h whilst Strava is saying it was 43km/h and most of the spin was into the wind. Still, I wasn't racing but just out to enjoy myself!

Got a few gate pics and at one point just south of Straffan where the wind felt its strongest, I noticed a Kestrel fly past. I must have spent four or five minutes just watching it. It would catch a gust and travel maybe 50m and then stop and despite the strong wind it would start hovering as it hunted. It was magnificent aerobatics.

Decided to treat myself to a coffee as I approached home and popped into Cliff at Lyons where I got my coffee & a scone. Due to the windy weather, nobody was sitting outside so I had the whole courtyard to myself. At one point a staff member approached me and said that I could go inside and bring my bike and there was a tv, etc. but I was quite content where I was - it's rare when you can sit outside in peace like that.

I'm glad I took the hybrid - I keep saying that I should use it more often. I guess as winter kicks in, I'll take her out more. Still 23.5km/h on flat pedals mainly into a bugger of a headwind isn't too bad!

https://www.strava.com/activities/8097589202

devonp

Fantastic weather today for cycling, SG and Kippure, absolutely no wind at the Gap and only a slight breeze at the top of Kippure, only put on the rain cape for the descent. very few cars and cyclists about, stopped at Lyons for a toastie on the way home to round off a great day out 😁

wheelo01

It certainly was a beautiful day for it, and so glad I got out early and home beffore the rain.

I had to leave the car in for a service, so took the opportunity to get out for a couple of hours instead of waiting around.

Started in Kilbarrack, onto the coast road, Portmarnock, Malahide, Swords, St. Margarets, Finglas, Ballymun, Santry lane all the way back added on another 6 odd km at the end just to get over the 50 km.

52 km at 27 kph, a little slower than of late, but was lovely to get out even if I could see feck all due to the low sun on damp ground plus the sweat running into my eyes and blinding me.

Plenty of other cyclists out with the same idea, plenty of nods and waves.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8126244626

My first spin in a while this morning. Made the stupid decision about six weeks ago to lower the front end of the bike by removing some spacers. Was fine initially but then did a big day of 130k with 1700m climbing and was very sore after. My lower back and neck were all sore, but my quads and hamstrings were also extremely tight.

Laid up for about a month and was starting to get cabin fever so put the spacers back in last night and did an easy spin this morning. Started out in heavy frost but could see a rain front approaching fast so kept it to 32k with 250m climbing at 26kph. Everything except my neck was fine and will ease my way back in over the next few weeks.

Felt good to get back on the bike after my longest break in two years.

magicbastarder

first spin in nine days. nine days ago; full summer gear, 16C, and sunny

today - winter gear, 5 or 6C, and rain.

so much for having time to acclimatise.

Seth Brundle

I've hit a slump.

Last week my daughter was doing TY work experience in my place so I was driving to and from work. By the time we got home, I either had more work or simply couldn't face getting changed and going out in the dark and wet evening.

This week, working from home and so far anyhow, work has dictated my schedule and whilst my plans are to head out, more and more work-related tasks crop up meaning that I don't get out.

I got the club spin on Saturday but mentally I don't know whether I can go out or whether I can be arsed going out.

smacl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119906804#Comment_119906804

Tis the time of year for it, I'm also finding staying motivated very tough. First lunch spin for me in three weeks with a chest infection that also seemed to involve eating and drinking way too much. Died dragging my sorry ass up Cruagh to Foxes for one of my worst ever times for the route. The trick to getting out I'm using is to neatly lay out all the cycling gear the night before so that it is waiting me you when I get to the house. Not really loving the cycling at the moment but know its good for the head and the heart. Turbo just isn't the same.

Paddigol

Today on my cycle... I marvelled at how I haven't had a puncture on my commute for about 6 years. And promptly got one about 10 minutes later.

Also today on my cycle, I lost the rag for the first time in months. At a fat f**k of a taxi driver who gave a blast of the horn as he passed me in the (nice and wide) bus lane just past the Stillorgan crossroads on the N11. I caught him about 15 seconds later at the lights and let him know what I thought of him. The coward pretended not to see me. He passed me again just past Teresians Donnybrook, and again I rolled past him a few seconds later as he was stuck at lights at Donnybrook Bus Depot. Again, the coward sat staring blankly out his door window pretending not to see me. Presume he was sat in traffic then all the way into town.

Not that I need to justify my actions, but it was rush hour and I'd no intention of negotiating that off-road bike lane that detours around the back of a bus shelter and has pedestrians crossing all the time. I just have no time for cowards who wait til they're almost past you to blast the horn.

Other than that, a very pleasant commute!

magicbastarder

i got shouted at today by a lad who i suspect was a drug dealer. in his 20s, big expensive merc. he undertook me down a left turn only lane (even though he was going straight on) and got a bit shirty with me because i got away from the lights quicker so obviously humiliated him slightly.

wheelo01

I went for a shortish spin before work, so decided to add alittle hill work, just to make it interesting.

While I was out, I remembered two of the reasons why I don't go up the hills so much during winter.

1. all the crud, leaf mould, etc. on the roads makes for a very feckin slidy road on the downhill, not my thing at all.
2. still a lot of hedge trimmings on the road, and I managed to get my first puncture in about three years, from a thorn.

That said, I really enjoyed getting out today, it was verry chilly though, especially after stopping for 20 minutes or more fixing the puncture. I even had a guest watching me for the repair, a robin came down and just hopped all around where I was, onto the bench where I was working, around my feet, beautiful little creature.

Just under 35 KM (would have been more, but I had to get to work) with 450 M of climb, and an average of 22.2 KPH(not great)

https://www.relive.cc/view/vLqeJ2pW5dv

secman

The slump thing...this time of year, weather turns quickly to cold, damp, roads full of crud, hassle of washing bike after every spin..you've probably hit your annual target already... Had a mini slump over the last week as I hit 10k km but now I'm aiming for 11k km as targets seem to help 😃.

I too lost the head with a fckwit who was irate because I wasn't using a bike lane on Tallaght bypass, he turned right about 30 meters pass where he blew his horn 🤔

Gerry

Yeah in a bit of a slump myself. Bout an hour a week is what I'm managing currently. Pinning hopes on a big spin this weekend. Anyway got out for a quick 20k at lunchtime. Down towards donadea and then back via rathcoffey, tailwind home. Had a fairly heavy gym session last night and the legs gave out when i tried a sprint on the homewards leg. So had to dial it back.

Paddigol

My nomination for winner of the Langer of the Day Award goes to... the silly bint who couldn't be bothered indicating on approach to/ on a roundabout, who reacted to being admonished for nearly causing a collision, by giving a blast of the horn.

Seth Brundle

Just back from a blustery but mild club spin. Managed just over 100km. The head and side winds were tough going and the route we followed didn't lend itself to us catching much of a tailwind.

On my way to meet the group, I managed 62.3km/h on the flat (with a little bit of help from the breeze). Still, it was dry and warm which you dont expect at the end of November.

Gerry

Yeah I try to cycle to do stuff, probably adds up to 15-20km a week. better than nothing. And typically on the school run I'll get to do some intervals into the wind.

One commute a week to the office till proper winter and darkness arrived. And try for some sort of sunday spin. usually hour of mtb.

So my fitness and power haven't suffered but as much as anything I miss the headspace that a good long spin gives.

beggars_bush

75km today. Around 27kph

Somehow got out and home with no rain.

cletus

3 swans at flight passed me this morning, I was doing about 27kph, and they easily outstripped me.

Buzzard kept pace with me for 60 or 70 yards, and then wheeled away, only to pass me a few moments later, low to the ground, in what I can only assume was the last moments of some small mammal.

Small bit of hike-a-bike, including crossing a lock gate with bike on shoulder, and a headwind all the way home.

gn3dr

Got absolutely soaked today - probably the wettest I've ever been on a bike. And to top it all off I was just drying out a bit when I got a puncture about 3 km from home. And when changing the tube it pissed down so got re-soaked. Hands were so cold after refitting the wheel that I could hardly get my gloves back on.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119928627#Comment_119928627

Been there, done that which is why I always carry latex gloves to help keep my hands dry when working on a puncture in that kind of weather.

magicbastarder

was about to head out but noticed a shower on the way on the rainfall radar, so held off for an hour. breezy out, and had heavy legs, but the feed of pints might have been something to do with that. first time cycling in the near dark in a couple of years, because i managed to remember to recharge the batteries for my lights yesterday. had to shout at a cyclist today (well, maybe not 'had to') who merged onto the road from the left on me without even looking sideways. i yelled at him, and frightened him, he genuinely had no idea i was there.