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

Out to howth today. The rain was so heavy it hurt my eyeballs coming down from the summit to Sutton cross. Passed a ninja or two coming down in the dark . Hopefully they made it home in one piece ...

It’s really frustrating trying to pick a time to head out on the bike, especially as I’m beginning to enjoy being out and about on the bike.

However I had noticed over the last few days that the early mornings were generally better weather wise that the rest of the days so with that thought in my mind and after checking the local weather on the phone, yesterday I booked a half-days holidays for this morning.

So this morning when I got up, I stuck my head out the door to find the weather was dull and overcast with a bit of a wind though I couldn't tell what way the wind was blowing.

I set off at 8.30 and all went well for about an hour, the wind wasn't bothering me and I was even able to get the chain back on again when it came off. All-in-all things were going grand, then after about an hour the weather changed and it started to rain, which was ok until I reached my turning point at which time the wind hit me full in the face. So between the rain which had continued falling solidly for the whole time and the wind which kind of came and went I ended up absolutely drenched and frozen by the time I got home.

As I clocked 67kms in three hours fifty mins, which is the most I've ever done, I'm delighted with myself. Mind you, I felt a bit put out about having to go to work after all that as I figured that I deserved the rest of the day off as a reward to mark the achievement.

All in All though A good day!

clickerquicklic wrote: »

I commute in from Swords daily , twice this week I have had trouble on the commute home. Coming from the city centre to Swords on the stretch of road after Dardistown cemetery going alongside the runway , there is a big cycle path which I think frustrates Taxi drivers as I don't use it , i don't use it because it sweeps around to the airport and would leave me a few sets of pedestrian lights waiting to cross the junction. Anyway I stay as close to the side of road as possible but tonight two Taxi drivers came within inches of me and blew the horn which can shock you at speed when your not expecting it. This evening I followed this taxi driver right into the airport , I asked him what his problem he gave me the "use the f******* bike lane " I told him the bike lane will bring me off in a direction I don't want to go and I am heading straight towards swords but he was having none of shouting more verbal abuse , I said I was in as close as I could there was loads of room to pass and I could of been an a**hole and cycled in middle or road , he said if I was in middle of road he would have ran me over on purpose as all cyclists are c***s. I've been commuting a while and use bike lanes where possible but feel like packing it in now its just too dangerous there is a lot of drivers that just have no respect for cyclists its scary.

I generally use the cycle track until about 100m before the airport turnoff where there is a ramp off the cycle track back onto the bus lane.

I've had a few 'punishment passes' from bus drivers when not using the cycle track but I can't recall any from taxi drivers.

BTW - don't cycle close to the kerb. It only encourages close passes. Stay out and stay assertive. Taxi drivers prey on those who appear weak.

Not much free time today so a quick run from dublin 8 up stocking lane and past to the wicklow border and back. Not that cold and the rain only started 2 mins before i landed back.

Not many about, and strava stopped around mt venus on the way up, so no idea how i was doing bar being passed by 4 separate lads. Took an hr to get to the border, 35 mins back home.

I've been out on worse days than today but for some reason found it hard to motivate myself today, went out with two others for a 2 hour spin with the option to add a bit at the end solo if I wanted but coming down the hill by my house I'd had enough and peeled off in.
It's a long time since I've seen as much standing water on the roads, the rain wasn't too bad while we were out but the spray from traffic was horrible.

63km loop around mid Kildare.


Don't envy the lads who'll be racing around here tomorrow, whoever wins it'll be well earned

Dub city centre > stocking lane > wicklow border again, weather is bloody awful up there though, worse than the forecast. Had planned to go onwards but turned and went home as i was soaken and frozen.

Strava failed at the exact same point as yesterday too, at woodtown/mt venus. Weird signal issues there!!

Awful weather this morning but still went out with 3 club mates. I actually enjoy spinning in **** weather as I seem to focus more in it.

Still getting used to the semi compact and while my cadence has dropped slightly I'm expecting it to increase again. I'm feeling really.good ahead of my first race next week. All systems go now.

80km at 28.8 AVG and a few efforts to liven it up.

One word for it today....cold.

secman wrote: »

Forgot to check the Avg, Garmin had me chasing and being chased by a virtual partner, hence I wasn't seeing the stats. A bit of a pain to be honest, have to check it later, it became a bit monotonous.

Thanks to Google , found how to disable the virtual partner, don't remember enabling him though.

I've put 35c slicks, mudguards, pannier rack and a bag on my Cross Bike. It now weighs a tonne.

I've been having my slowest ever commutes over the last few days and I'm really enjoying the enforced change of pace. This is going to sound very sad but I've been putting extra stuff in the bag just to see how much I can carry :-)

Zen0 wrote: »

I've been doing something similarly sad, until last weekend, when I got my first broken spoke in years. I guess my wheels weren't designed to hit a big hole doing 50kmph down the Goatstown Road with a ton of weight right over the back wheel.

Good point. Maybe I'll take out some of the extra bricks :-)

magicbastarder wrote: »

first time cycling into work in about 12 years this morning. completely uneventful.

got beeped at twice cycling (on the road) up the leopardstown road. the cycle lane there is particularly laughable, it's insanely deeply dished at the driveways (the houses are below the level of the road so the driveways slope up to it).

19.7km, from beside DCU to leopardstown. newtownpark avenue was a little longer than i'd remembered.

out on the N11 proper the cycle lane used to be like that between Whites Cross and Foxrock church but they levelled it a few years ago so its now easy to cycle on.

Might be worth sending off a mail to DLR to see if they have any plans to do the same. I have always had responses when I emailed them about various cycle issues in DLR

you could try gosullivanatDLRCOCO.IE (change the at)

magicbastarder wrote: »

got beeped at twice cycling (on the road) up the leopardstown road. the cycle lane there is particularly laughable, it's insanely deeply dished at the driveways (the houses are below the level of the road so the driveways slope up to it).

It's a complete joke, both ways. I always use the road instead, have never been beeped though.

magicbastarder wrote: »

19.7km, from beside DCU to leopardstown. newtownpark avenue was a little longer than i'd remembered.

A decent alternative (if you're looking for similar climb) is to go up Mount Merrion Avenue -> N11 -> Brewery Road. The cycles lanes that way are a lot better. It's maybe 2k shorter.