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

Failed to bunny-hop a pothole coming back from Roundwood yesterday. Cue loud hissing and a tenuous attempt to slow down on a rapidly deflating back tyre.
One fresh tube and a CO2 inflator later I'm back on the road.

Until coming downhill into Enniskerry my phone-holder decides to eject its contents.
U turned, propped the bike against the kerb and waited for a passing car.
The 'Staying Alive at 1.5' campaign really worked for this driver, even though I was standing on the footpad.

Nice wide overtaking manouvre, just enough to run right over the phone in the opposite lane...
Screen smashed to smithereens, but still working fine. HTC don't make flimsy crap.

Still, nice day for it...

First century of the year for me. Wasn't sure where to go so headed for Howth for a change. Got stopped at the level crossing and stayed in the queue of traffic (only 3rd in line). Another cyclist wheeled past to the front. When we got to the next traffic lights, he went straight on so I decided to go left and see who could get to the summit pub turning first. I was happy to see him still puffing up the hill as I rolled past the junction. I even managed a PR for the climb (almost 30 seconds better)!
Took a different route back after Baldoyle, but found it wasn't a road I'd like to go again - although the wind didn't really help. Ended up at Clare Hall so turned towards Swords at the hotel.
Airport Manor / Ballyboughall / Naul / Stamullen / Balbriggan / home.

101Km @ 27.8kmh in total

https://www.strava.com/activities/1633599395

https://www.strava.com/activities/1633440899

First time out solo in a while, I had been coaching the couch 2 50km for the last 8-10 weeks so enjoyed getting out on my own for a quick spin.

Had a few blasts on segments that suit and enjoyed that too, not that warm and the wind was starting to pick up again

magicbastarder wrote: »

we need a boards secret signal for identifying each other on the road. given my usual stomping ground for leisure spins is garristown/oldtown/naul/ballyboughal, it's pretty certain i've nodded hello to a few boardsies in my time.

I'd imagine that's why Boards cycling gear was invented all those years ago 😜

tdonegan1990 wrote: »

How can you purchase the gear?

You either volunteer to arrange a group order or you wait until someone else does.

See https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=102174235 for last year's summer order.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1640729047
47k from Athenry to Ballyvaughan, stiff enough headwind, beautiful scenery

https://www.strava.com/activities/1641131130
81k Tour de Burren Night into Day. Very damp! Horizontal rain at times and a blowing gale driving it straight into your eyes in Lahnich. Surprised myself at actually being the mountain goat of the bunch. Great craic with 84 other lunatics!

https://www.strava.com/activities/1641487820
50k from Ballyvaughan to Galway. Jaysis I've heard tales about the headwind approaching Galway from the East, but hooly schmokes!

Massive thanks to godtabh for sorting me out with a lend of a light for this! Doing near 200k on about 3 hours sleep is certainly an experience!

saccades wrote: »

Also organised his jersey way better.

Back-to-front, upside-down, inside-out??😉

71km around Münsterland, 28kph average speed. This was my longest single spin without a break.

I started at 0630 to take advantage of quiet roads/cycle paths. I did it without any breakfast and only took a banana and 500ml of water. This was stupid.

At the very beginning of the spin I knew I'd made a mistake because I couldn't accelerate up to 30kph without a lot of effort. I did a nasty little climb after 20km which got my heart rate up nicely and things improved a bit from there. After 65km, however, I thought I was going to keel over into the ditch. I had absolutely nothing left. No matter how many times I told myself "come on it's only 5km more" I just could not summon up anything. I arrived home and tried to eat my breakfast but struggled to put sugar in my tea because of how much my hands were shaking, I guess from a low blood sugar level.

Lesson learned: Don't be a goose, eat breakfast and bring more food, or at least money.

It was a nice spin though, and I exchanged a big friendly wave with another cyclist.

I never knew the midlands were so hilly!;)

The seeds of my downfall were sown when I rashly opted to go with the first (ie. fast) group on the club 150km 2 Counties Challenge. What could possibly go wrong? I knew the roads of NCD and South Meath well, there wasn't much climbing and I could always drop back to one of the other groups. Things went (too) well up to the break at Tayto Park with an average speed of 33.4kph. There may have been a tail wind and the route was pretty flat but, when you're flying along on quiet roads, you're not inclined to analyse things too much.

After the break we headed off towards Duleek before turning into the wind and hills near Ardcath. I quickly found myself on the wrong end of a break and dug deep to catch the front group. By Clonalvy I was really struggling and finally resigned myself to my solitary fate. It was as well there were no photographers as the sight of me struggling up the hill with a half used gel hanging from my mouth is not one I want immortalised. Snowtown and over to Balbriggan weren't too bad but the headwind on the leg to Skerries was a head-wrecker. At the climb up to Skerries Golf Club I finally gained some company but unfortunately it was of the type that seemed obsessed with the sight of my back wheel!

Somewhere between Man o' War and Ballyboughal I was rescued by the group who had been dropped at Ardcath earlier and even managed a few turns at the front on the run back to Swords. The average for the return leg of 24.7kph was a fair reflection of the toll taken by the earlier high-speed chase and of the disadvantages of riding solo in those conditions. The 13km struggle home afterwards is best forgotten with my average speed for the day seemingly dropping with every painful pedal stroke.

Lessons to be learned? Plenty, but it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks ��

https://www.strava.com/activities/1644605149/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-US&v=1529271723

magicbastarder wrote: »

windy out there this evening.

I concur.

magicbastarder wrote: »

it was 13 degrees at lunchtime and 24 degrees at 6:30. i can't recall the temperature changing so rapidly previously.

Was out for lunch and wondering if I should have brought a jumper, by 5 I walked outside and it felt like an oven. Couldn't believe the change. The wind was in my favour this evening, so I was happy out±

Very slow this morning , after yesterday’s Wind I had severe engine problems. Just no energy in the legs.

Might have to take a rest day tomorrow. Will see his the 30km spin Home goes.

We’ve time trails in the pool during lunch today. I’m not expecting great results.

Ticked over 100,000km on Strava this evening.