Tell us about your new improved government regulations compliant cycle part II

triggermortis · 22-09-2016 12:06AM

First commute to work tonight in the new job. Heavens opened after 10 minutes so I arrived soaked to the skin.
My last job had showers and lots of locker space but this one is lacking so a quick wipe down with baby wipes and paper towels and I'm good (enough) to go.

Miklos · 22-09-2016 07:16AM

Did a flat 140km out around Meath/Kildare, highlight of the spin being a 50c can of Coke from An Siopa Caislean in Trim! 50c!

oconnpad · 22-09-2016 08:59AM

Miklos wrote: »

Did a flat 140km out around Meath/Kildare, highlight of the spin being a 50c can of Coke from An Siopa Caislean in Trim! 50c!

You've posted this in the wrong thread mate, it should be in the bargains one

retalivity · 24-09-2016 12:28PM

https://www.strava.com/activities/722992524

First spin in 2 week, a 50k loop in 2 hrs from dublin to maynooth and back via celbridge and lucan. Weather wasnt as bad as forecast - it rained, but not that windy. Forgot how much i enjoy cycling in the rain when its not cold.

Chuchote · 24-09-2016 05:20PM

Cycled in to the Repeal the 8th march. Watched the march pass at Parnell Square from the first to the last - 55 minutes altogether. Wheeled the bike with the march at the end. At Merrion Square, crossed through the square, cycled on, a bit cold and very wet, but happy.

zl1whqvjs75cdy · 25-09-2016 10:44AM

First spin back in 18 months today. Just the 23 km from dundrum to enniskerry and back. 240 m up. Was pretty happy with the pace etc and managed the hills well once I realised that I (still) ain't Sean Kelly. Probably will only manage to get out at the weekends but I really enjoyed it today. Weather is also fabulous so that helped.

magicbastarder · 25-09-2016 11:05AM

That's a fun wind out there. The spin from the naul back down past roganstown was a messy one.

LollipopJimmy · 25-09-2016 11:06AM

Having a lazy day yesterday I totally misjudged what time it was when I left. I thought it was about 5, turns out it was closer to 7.
I left Dublin and headed for Naas, going into Sallins, Clane then back in through Celbridge and Lucian. By the time I got to Clane it had gotten dark.

Nice cycle though, 65kms with a couple of hundred metres of climbing

secman · 25-09-2016 03:54PM

Headed to killenagh, ballycanew,Gorey, inch, Arklow, back on the coast road to Castletown, Tara hill, Ballymoney, courtown. Up to Ballygarrett as far as kilmuckridge and back to the house 71 km Avg 26.1 kph. Had a nice tail wind for first 3o km down the old n11 to Arklow, Avg was 28.9 kph but the next 40 km was on the heavier coast road and into a head wind so Avg dropped to 26.1 kph. Lovely morning in the sunny southeast except for the wind. Still dry up to now.
Looks like I was lucky enough with the weather today, shortslieves and bib shorts in 16 degrees sunshine , a bit windy though.

magicbastarder · 25-09-2016 06:40PM

well, i'm glad i went out this morning in NCD and not this afternoon.

P_1 · 25-09-2016 06:45PM

Did the Pieta100 in Dublin today, including getting to Swords and back I got 125km in @25kph. The headwind was a bit savage and had some scary moments with crosswinds in the rain going home by the airport. Hello to the Boardsie I was chatting to briefly between the Naul and Balbriggan.

https://www.strava.com/activities/724468123

dahat · 25-09-2016 07:35PM

Time tissues again this Sunday so no club spin again, feels like ages since i went with the boys.

Off out at Sunrise which was in around 07.10, bloody nippy out as well. All this meant i got to wear my Galibier Minstral jacket i got ages ago, just a SS Jersey with it and i was toasty as hell all spin long. Well impressed tbh. Add in my shorts, leg warmers and skull cap from Galibier as well, great gear.

Spin itself was tough as i was carrying a chest infection albiet minor all week. Had planned to go The Vee and onto Mt Mellary but after getting to The Vee and feeling my dodgy hamstring once more, tight and crampy, i decided that Mellary was a step too far.

92kms with 880 of elevation and avg of 29.1km.

crosstownk · 25-09-2016 08:41PM

Crap day on the bike today.

I'm usually anal about paying attention to the weather forecast but I slipped up today. I'd been watching the forecast up to yesterday but this morning I brought my son to his rugby training and forgot my phone so didn't get to check the forecast.

After the training I'd arranged to meet a buddy at 1200 for a spin. We were planning to go out the N81 and up to Sally Gap and take things from there.

It was a balmy 17C when we left and I was dressed in a pair of bib shorts and my trusty Boards.ie jersey with a pair of arm warmers in my pocket in case it got chilly up at Sally Gap.

As we passed Jobstown a small shower passed which reminded me that I'd forgotten my rain jacket - BIG mistake. The rain stopped after a few minutes and we carried on.

At Brittas we turned left to head to the Firing Range. As we climbed at Talbotstown the heavens opened but it was a short deluge. Closer to the Firing Range the heavens opened properly and we started to get a bit cold so we turned left for Ballinascorney abandoning the Sally Gap plan.

Fcuk me the rain got heavier as we climbed. When we got to the summit the rain was still pelting and the Garmin indicated that the temperature was now 5.5C :eek: and me like a fool dressed for summer :eek: :eek:

So the descent began and all I was thinking was 'get me down off this mountain' hoping that the temperature would increase as we dropped lower. After a brief spell at 60km/h I really started to get cold. Passing by Ballinascorney Golf Club, I started to shiver which wobbled the steering so I had to slow down considerably. All the time the rain kept coming down in sheets. When we got to the Firhouse crossroads I was still shivering and the damn red lights just wouldn't change quick enough. I carried on shivering the last few kms home.

Then as Murphy's Law would have it, 200m from the house the rain stopped and I could feel the heat from the sun but I didn't care - I just wanted a hot shower. I couldn't feel my fingers anymore but I felt the pain in the shower as they warmed up.

Thanks be to jaysus I didn't go with the original plan to go up to Sally Gap.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that damn wind.

37.6km / 522m

whacker00 · 25-09-2016 11:44PM

P_1 wrote: »

Did the Pieta100 in Dublin today, including getting to Swords and back I got 125km in @25kph. The headwind was a bit savage and had some scary moments with crosswinds in the rain going home by the airport. Hello to the Boardsie I was chatting to briefly between the Naul and Balbriggan.

https://www.strava.com/activities/724468123

I think that was myself, we were chatting after the first water stop on the road back to Balbriggan, pleasure to meet you. Wind was bad at times alright but a good spin all in all

Crocked · 26-09-2016 07:54AM

Out for a spin yesterday morning for a loop around Glencree, luckily before the heavens opened as I hadn't spotted that in the weather forecast. The crosswinds on the Featherbeds were still hairy enough though.

I was going down towards Powerscourt and I was wondering who was the FKW coming up towards me in the fake Irish national champion jersey. As they got closer I realised it was the man himself, Nico. Gave him a good morning as he passed.

He was then going down from Glencree towards Enniskerry as I was going back up.

He looked to be going decidedly easy but no doubt still going way faster then a mere mortal like myself.

Also saw two lads coming back across the featherbeds both in Saxo jerseys but didn't cop if they were in full kit, any of those lads in town as well or likely to be just two mates who didn't call each other first to make sure they didn't go out wearing the same jersey!!

ShaunieVW · 26-09-2016 09:31AM

Much more settled weather today so hoping to get out in the afternoon. I was all ready to rock yesterday after a long week at work. Finally off, I head out for a bit I thought. There I was dressed in all my cycling gear. Backpack, banana and water at the ready heading out the door when I see it's raining fecking sideways. Gutted, I've no waterproofs, new enough to cycle so decided not to risk it. But today is a new day and I'm aiming for 45k.

Also Ive been cycling since June, I bought a mtb as I love the forest trails. However, I'm also now doing road mileage which I didn't expect to do. So I now want a road bike. I can still avail of my btw scheme as I didn't use it for the mtb. I'm looking at the Boardman team carbon any users on here? It seems to get great reviews.

alexinkildare · 26-09-2016 12:46PM

Done the 100 km spin yesterday. Very well organised and great guys to cycle with.

LollipopJimmy · 26-09-2016 05:42PM

Headed from home to Maynooth, Clane, Sallins, Naas, Johnstown, Kill and back in to Dublin. 70kms on the nose, 27kph avg anf 326metres up

Whatever is going on with me I always seem to really struggle for the first 15kms and then I get a rhythm

secman · 26-09-2016 06:27PM

secman wrote: »

Headed to killenagh, ballycanew,Gorey, inch, Arklow, back on the coast road to Castletown, Tara hill, Ballymoney, courtown. Up to Ballygarrett as far as kilmuckridge and back to the house 71 km Avg 26.1 kph. Had a nice tail wind for first 3o km down the old n11 to Arklow, Avg was 28.9 kph but the next 40 km was on the heavier coast road and into a head wind so Avg dropped to 26.1 kph. Lovely morning in the sunny southeast except for the wind. Still dry up to now.
Looks like I was lucky enough with the weather today, shortslieves and bib shorts in 16 degrees sunshine , a bit windy though.

No thanks at all !...... just cos I was in sunshine!

secman · 27-09-2016 06:29AM

Ah thanks ..:)

alexinkildare · 27-09-2016 07:01AM

Tipped down to Kinnegad for a lovely night spin with the lads there.

DominoDub · 27-09-2016 11:00AM

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

Headed from home to Maynooth, Clane, Sallins, Naas, Johnstown, Kill and back in to Dublin. 70kms on the nose, 27kph avg anf 326metres up

Whatever is going on with me I always seem to really struggle for the first 15kms and then I get a rhythm

Same myself if off the bike for a week it takes 10km for full body services to function in sync

magicbastarder · 27-09-2016 06:57PM

flat 45k this evening - glasnevin, out the old N2 to the nine mile, and swung for kilbride just before ratoath, and home. lots of relatively rash overtakign manouevres from 7 series beemers for some reason.
the wind had dropped off a bit, from what i could see. 27.2km/h.

secman · 28-09-2016 11:49AM

Managed a short 30km last night, with the light fading these days. Got as far as turn for Manor Kilbride and back to Kilnamanagh. Avg 25.8 kph. Lovely evening too, nice to get it in and still managed to get to TPS camera club for 8 bells.

jalock20 · 28-09-2016 12:30PM

Bought a proper Scott racing bike second hand two weeks ago. Over the past few months I've been bitten by the bug and have swallowed some amount of cycling books, docs etc so bit the bullet and bought a bike. Only got time for my first proper spin this morning and it was the business! I can well and truly say I'm smitten haha. Took it from Swords, through Man-O-War, into Skerries and back home to Swords through Lusk.

Was going grand until I got to the hill with the GAA pitch at the top in Man-O-War. Serious gear issues....in that I hadn't a clue whether or not I was in the right one. Had to dismount half way up and take the walk of shame to the top. This was a bit of an issue throughout the spin. I'm a complete novice when it comes to bike gears etc and found myself struggling a bit even up the smallest of bumps at times. I don't think it's a fitness issue as I play a high level of Gaelic football and train 4 times a week for that. Basically, which gear should I be using going up hills and down hills?? The gears with the highest cadence or the lowest ones? Forgive me, I know it's the most stupid of questions but I'd apreciate all the help.

Outside of the gear trouble, everything else went grand. Had a lovely tailwind coming into Skerries, which manifested itself into a monster of a headwind of course, all the way home.

Happy enough overall for a very first spin though. Strava (it's a great yoke!) tells me I did 38.9km at an average speed of 22.3km/h. Took me 1hour 44mins, including the 3/4 stops for a minute due to water breaks (still getting used to taking the bottle out, in motion) and traffic issues. I'm also a complete newb at cycling on main roads so I played it safe.

robyntmorton · 28-09-2016 12:41PM

Higher cadence is your friend. You will find it so much easier to spin a lower gear at 90-100, than grind a bigger gear at 60.

As for which gear is which: At the back, the bigger cogs are lower gears, while at the front, the smaller chainring is lower. It is all down to the ratio of front to back.

oconnpad · 28-09-2016 12:46PM

jalock20 wrote: »

Basically, which gear should I be using going up hills and down hills?? The gears with the highest cadence or the lowest ones? Forgive me, I know it's the most stupid of questions but I'd apreciate all the help.

Up Hill
Smallest cog on the front chainrings and biggest cog on the back cassette.
SPIN SPIN SPIN

Down hill
Biggest cog on the front chainrings and smallest cog on the back cassette.
SPEED SPEED SPEED

shootermacg · 28-09-2016 01:06PM

I'm still getting to grips with the really long, steep hills myself, but going on my limited experience, I've found, if I spin a cadence beyond 90 I get seriously out of breath, whereas if I'm trying to spin at under 80, then I'm killing my legs. My lungs will recover, but gassed out legs means game over.

A cadence sensor would be handy and cheap. Find out what cadence you usually spin along at, but aim to get it up past 80 at least, that way you're not gassing the legs but instead you're working the heart / lungs.

There's a sweetspot there somewhere, which I'm still trying to find myself.

I use Wahoo sensors, really cheap cadence / speed sensors they work with your phone, computer etc. I'm sure there are cheaper ones that can recommended here, but that's what I currently use.

alexinkildare · 28-09-2016 04:49PM

I got a cadence sensor in Lidl for 30 quid. Was ideal for getting my cadence right.

magicbastarder · 28-09-2016 05:44PM

i didn't use a sensor, i just realised that i was knackering myself too soon, so would deliberately pick one gear lower than normal and found i didn't fatigue as quickly.
i'd kinda settled into a 'this gear for easy flats, that gear for reasonable headwinds or slight uphills' so worked off those as a reference. saw an immediate 5%+ increase in my average speed over about 40k spins.

Tell us about your new improved government regulations compliant cycle part II

Comments