Tell us about your cycle today part III

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120759671#Comment_120759671

I had planned Kippure today, but once I got up above Lough Bray and the full headwind hit me, i decided 'fcuk that!' Turned left at SG towards roundwood and ambled back to Dublin through NMK, Greytones and Bray. It was bloody warm though,was 21 when I left just after 8am and 26 when I got back but felt a lot hotter that that out of the shade. Also, I have never seen so many convertibles in Ireland as I did this morning, counted at least 40. I guess the owners only get 3-4 days a year that they can actually use them, so make the most of it!

96k, 1530m up, 4h6m

https://www.strava.com/activities/9324843458

Seth Brundle

I did my third cycle here in the Dordogne today. My plans to get out more during the trip were quickly scuppered by other activities so was glad to get out.

The plan for today was for over 100km with about 1900m but I reconsidered my route not long into it as the dead heat was exhausting.

In the end, I did just shy of 90km with about 1200m and was completely wrecked (just had a lovely nap there).

Again, no close passes (funny the closest thing to a close pass was with a UK reg car). Loads of green woodpeckers today (including two that I startled when on the ground at the edge of a field), wheatears and ravens. I also saw what I think were a few vultures (there's been a reintroduction programme in France for a number if years) but they were probably from a breeding place in Rocamodour.

The two photos below are from the lovely village of Domme...

https://strava.app.link/jggSu8vzTAb

phatkev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120759633#Comment_120759633

We stayed in Argeles-Gazost, seemed a great spot to be based in.

Wildly Boaring

Yeah if you're doing 100k with nearly 1000m climbing at almost 30kph, the ROK with groups everywhere and great bid snack stops, will be a breeze.

Think it's more like 1300m climbing. And only 2 real hills

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120759686#Comment_120759686

Great progress. Well done.

The ROK is not hard at all. Just make sure to remember to eat and drink, and the climbs are not hard or the masses would not do it. You'll fly it if you can do the above comfortably.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120632989#Comment_120632989

Presumably named due to it running beneath the other two roads which go into a point like a KKK hood. (According to Strava, I've done it 75 times).

nilhg

https://www.strava.com/activities/9331621570

Mondello24 Saturday/Sunday

Didn't go to expectations, I was suffering as early as 6 hours in but not in the way you'd expect, I think it was the heat but I couldn't hold any sort of power and my heart rate was unusually low. Struggled through till about 11.30 when I had to take to the van for an hours kip, felt better after that but still couldn't push, my legs felt fine, I had no aches or pains but no power at all.

Strangely the rain helped me, I had no issues once it arrived, felt a bit better actually and just slogged my way through the last 4 or 5 hours.

Too much time off the bike, but when plan A went out the window, just finishing was plan B

A fantastic event, some absolute monsters out there on the track, the top of the solo leader board and the podium in the 2 person teams who had a great battle all through and put up a very similar distance to the 4 and 8 man teams.

https://www.popupraces.ie/race/mondello-24-2023/

Seth Brundle

Took a short spin this evening and agreed not to stray far from base. Managed to follow a route done in part on previous days here (on hols in France) and manage to follow roads with plenty of climbing.

At one point, I saw a combine harvester at work and (as ive seen before here) some buzzards swooping in behind the combine hoping for easy prey.

Again, i managed to travel down roads plotted on Google maps but which turned out to be stony lanes or dead ends but sure isn't it all about the ride!

41km with 775m

https://strava.app.link/RcTlhbz0WAb

smacl

Headed up Cruagh after work on my usual route in glorious sunshine. Torrential rain from the top on towards Johnnie Foxes followed by more sun and lots of wind on the way home. Came in looking spruce and fluffy after a full wash and blow dry. Gotta love the Irish Summer!

magicbastarder

nearly ran over a collie (a rough collie, i have learned - the 'lassie' breed) today which ran out from someone's garden to chase me off. swung back to tell the chap in the garden to keep his dog under control and he denied it was his. i'm 50/50 on whether he was telling me the truth.

then, 2km later, had a close pass from a monaghan reg audi where the driver and the passenger both gave me a one fingered wave as they passed, for daring to be on the road. apart from that a nice (and breezy) cycle.

saccades

Windy today but felt properly strong for the first time this year.

Arklow to near Wells house along the coast(ISH), via castle town, court town & kilmuckridge.

We then motored to Gorey doing the opposite to up&overs (the lead rider was dropping off and rejoining at the back), nearly as fast but a lot more controlled.

And again after Gorey. 80km, 700m at just over 30kmph, really happy with that. Coming good after the W200 🤣.

Will be firing on all cylinders for the ring of Clare I guess.

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120795281#Comment_120795281

Monaghan reg. Must be near N2.

I cycled a new to me bike up my garden.

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120797001#Comment_120797001

Photos?

(Of the bike, not the N2)

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120797001#Comment_120797001

fairyhouse road.

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120797048#Comment_120797048

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/reviews/road-bikes/viking-road-master

picked up one of these in my size on adverts. Was on my watchlist for ages and ages, and came back up.

I wanted a 10 speed bike so I could use my dynamo wheelset on, so this'll be my winter steed. Not far off an equilibrium.

My tour de fer has just got an overhaul, but maybe for another thread

secman

Into Gorey for club spin, out to Arklow, Woodenbridge, Aughrim, , Tinahely, Shillelagh, Carnew and back to Gorey. Group split between Tinahely and Shillelagh, we motored from there back to Gorey doing similar single file and leader dropping to back .

83 km 535 m up and avg 31.5 kph

loyatemu

Went over Sally Gap from Laragh direction yesterday. Lovely sunny day going up Glenmacnass, got to the Gap and there was horizontal freezing rain. Going into Glencree I couldn't feel my fingers and could barely keep the bike on the road it was so windy. Lovely again in Enniskerry. Ireland, eh?

Also I don't think I've seen as many cyclists on the road in a long time as I saw yesterday.

cletus

13km today for me, at an average speed of 11kph. Got out after the rain for spin with my two boys. Out and back along the canal, with a detour to Londis on the way home to pick up some sausages and rashers for a well deserved brunch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120798825#Comment_120798825

Best kind of spin. I'll be doing plenty of them this summer.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120798825#Comment_120798825

have you taught them how to wheelie yet?

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120801626#Comment_120801626

There are two great disappointments in my life. My inability to sing, and my inability to wheelie.

secman

Eh three.... do a wheelie and sing at same time 😉

cletus

I went out for a quick mid morning spin, and took a (wind assisted) KOM. Only my second ever, so I'll take it 😀

retalivity

In france to do l'etape du tour on sunday. Have a bike rented for a few days so decided to do a long one today, from outside Geneva over to Grand Colombier and back. Weather was ok on the way over, not too warm and a few hills, but by the time I got to Culoz, i was 65k in an it was getting hot. Refilled there and started on, thinking ~17k at 7% will take me 90mins or maybe less.

Nope.

Died on my arse from about the 5k mark onwards, and stopped 4 times before finally making it to the top in 110mins. The views up there are something else, could see snowy Mont Blanc in the distance. But i felt absolutely awful for the whole hour before that and even at the top. Drank plenty of water, had my gels, other food, but the body just said 'not a chance'.

The descent was hairy as my body was aching and the return to Geneva was not as 'easy' as it was going out. Small 1k 4% climbs turned into Angliru's, and i stopped a few more times. To top it off i then got a puncture 14k from home that i couldnt replace. Half fixed it, limped into Geneva and got the train the rest of the way.

144k, 6h54m in the saddle, 2566 vertical.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9406509834

Haven't had much to report so haven't posted on here in a while.

That changed today when I was first on the scene of an accident just before Coppeen in rural Cork. About 1k from the village I noticed what I thought was some farm machinery in a field. It looked a bit odd so I glanced back and saw an indicator flashing. I knew something was wrong and realised it was an upturned car.

I hopped the ditch and saw somebody in the driver seat. The driver was conscious and was able to tell me what had happened and that there were four people in total in the car. All American tourists in a hire car, which had automatically called the emergency services.

The doors were locked and I couldn't get to them. I called the emergency services and they asked me a number of questions and gave me some great advice. I flagged down some help on the road and remarkably the first car just drove past me but then a guy in a van stopped and he was great.

We got the boot open and were able to talk to the people involved. They were all conscious and they all seemed to be ok, but were completely stuck upside down and tangled in their seat belts. All we could do was talk to them and reassure them help was on the way.

The first paramedic on the scene was amazing and cut them free and was able to get them out one by one. Remarkably, they all seemed unscathed and, despite being in complete shock, were ok.

The rest of the emergency services started showing up then and took over. Once all four were out and happy I had to go as I had to collect kids from a summer camp. I was over 45 minutes at the scene when I look back but felt like it all happened in a flash.

Anyway, flew home as quick as I could (was late but they were understanding) and covered 87.5kms in total with 690m of climbing in 34.3 kph.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9430597909

JMcL

In holiday Inn the Vendée at the minute, and to call it pan flat is an understatement.

That said, there's lovely quiet roads to be had, and decent amounts of gravel.

Took a short 45km spin yesterday to stretch the legs, and did a 100km round trip to the end of Noirmoutier via the Passage Du Gois which is a causeway passable for 60-90 minutes either side of low tide. Low tide was 8:15 this morning so I got there for 7:30 and had a lovely quiet crossing (it apparently gets busy) the surface is a mixture of concrete and teeth rattling pavé. There's about an 8km section of gravel through a nature reserve after this, followed by a section on good quality cycle track alongside the main road. After that, quiet minor roads up to the end, and back to the main bridge onto the island with about 20km of EV1 on forest track to get home. All told, probably about 25-30% of the distance was gravel/trail of varying standard with the only issue being about 1km of deep sand which turned into hike-a-bike.

100km in 5:13 @19.2km/h - 253m climbing (told you it was flat!)

MangleBadger

Took the long route home yesterday up Stocking Lane and along Military Road. The forest at Glencree used to be my guide that the sharp right hand turn was coming. Since they've cut it it kind of sneaks up on you. I was ready for it this time but ended up surprised again as what I thought was the road continuing on was just the fire road(marked by a lovely arrow) behind the now missing forest.

mr spuckler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120838534#Comment_120838534

Fair play to you on this. Really scary though that the doors couldn't be unlocked from the sound of things.

cletus

First spin with new wheels. Bike felt lighter, I felt faster, climbs were easier, handling was crisper.

Was all of that in my head? Almost definitely, but at the very minimum, it's always great to cycle with new gear or kit 😀

magicbastarder

heh. i found when i got my first carbon bike i was disappointed with it. i think i wanted it so much to be faster that i was going out on it and going too fast and draining the tank too quickly.