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

magicbastarder · 06-07-2018 06:38PM

that road is one of the main reasons i'm getting another bike. i ran out of gears on it when i tried it a month or two back.

Alanstrainor · 06-07-2018 06:46PM

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Have you tried Balkill/Balglass road (turn right at the church)?

.......just saying, if you think the main road is steep!

Not yet! I'll need to find a bigger cog I think!

magicbastarder · 06-07-2018 06:52PM

if (rather crude) strava data is to be believed, the steepest section staying left at the church is about 14 or 15%, but going right, it hits 19%.

Wishbone Ash · 06-07-2018 09:50PM

magicbastarder wrote: »

if (rather crude) strava data is to be believed, the steepest section staying left at the church is about 14 or 15%, but going right, it hits 19%.

My Garmin usually shows 20/21% near the bend. The rest of it is fine - you just do most of the climbing in about 50 metres. (Avoid on a wet day - rear tyre slips when out of the saddle).

Felexicon · 07-07-2018 07:57AM

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Nice. I did the opposite direction this morning and went up through the village. I always try to keep pace up through the village, but it's just ridiculously steep.

Checked my Strava to see if I could figure out who you were.

I did and yes, you were considerably faster than me

pjmn · 07-07-2018 08:51PM

Quick spin from Galway to Moycullen to Spiddal and back in early this morning...

https://www.strava.com/activities/1685916006

magicbastarder · 08-07-2018 06:37PM

got a lovely drenching this morning, on the road heading eastbound out of ballyboughal - there's a massive sprinkler set up in a field along that road, which was overspraying onto the road. i waited till it had swung back over the road befor heading through it.

i'm hoping it's not fed from the same tank the farmer had previously been using for slurry or anything.

John Hutton · 09-07-2018 08:08AM

Did the Howth TT climb bit yesterday for the second time, didn't have to stop this time and got up in 13:54. Sounded like a steam train the whole way ðŸ€£ Never really climbed anything before so I was quite chuffed.

It was tough, how people climb the other side I have no idea.

coddlesangers · 09-07-2018 08:15AM

A fabulous 95(ish)kms on Saturday morning all along the lake Geneva shoreline....broken arm recovery well underway now, and building nicely to longer distances every week. I'm still shockingly slow on anything uphill, but whats the rush..:D

https://www.strava.com/activities/1686050993/overview

c.p.w.g.w · 09-07-2018 12:06PM

Easy old 30 km before work...Well supposed to be easy but the legs hadn't recovered after yesterday evenings spin...Quads on fire...Still averaged 29.5km...But I fear for body this evening ha ha so much for easing myself back onto the bike, with no more than 90km a week to start...Last two weeks averages have been 150km, 139km...

Borderfox · 09-07-2018 02:59PM

123km for the Meath - Kildare sportive from Summerhill cycling to and from Dunshaughlin.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1688838482

Type 17 · 09-07-2018 03:27PM

Went for a climb - 1hr55 for a 42km return trip from Dublin city centre up Stocking Lane to the junction of SallyGap/Enniskerry Roads at Glencree (road to SG is still closed, so I had to turn back). Only a 22km/h average, but a 635m ascent.

Sweaty...

retalivity · 09-07-2018 07:40PM

Kilmashogue - still a thunderbastard

mi16 · 09-07-2018 08:48PM

Type 17 wrote: »

Went for a climb - 1hr55 for a 42km return trip from Dublin city centre up Stocking Lane to the junction of SallyGap/Enniskerry Roads at Glencree (road to SG is still closed, so I had to turn back). Only a 22km/h average, but a 635m ascent.

Sweaty...

Still closed? I wonder how bad it is up there..

On the plus side, the new stretch of tarmac on the road back down to Enniskerry is a treat. Makes up for the terrible surface in other places.

Type 17 · 09-07-2018 09:01PM

mi16 wrote: »

Still closed? I wonder how bad it is up there..

There was no smoke visible from the direction that I arrived from, but I didn’t go past the closure in case it was tricky further up over the crest.

Earlier on, I had passed large burnt areas on the left of the road above the trees beyond Kilakee, with some bits still smouldering.

mi16 · 09-07-2018 09:18PM

Type 17 wrote: »

There was no smoke visible from the direction that I arrived from, but I didn’t go past the closure in case it was tricky further up over the crest.

Earlier on, I had passed large burnt areas on the left of the road above the trees beyond Kilakee, with some bits still smouldering.

Similar situation to last Friday then. I came up the same route and saw all the aftermath and smouldering through the Featherbeds. Hopefully it'll reopen soon as thats my usual entry into the Wicklow mountains!

plodder · 11-07-2018 08:24AM

Wasn't on the bike, but have to mention this as it was on my usual commuter route. Slowing down to approach the junction of R130/R125 in North Dublin yesterday evening, I saw this huge bird circling, which then swooped down in front of us to pick up a piece of road-kill. And it wasn't just a dead bird it picked up, but an entire four legged animal like a rabbit or fox. Grasped the whole thing up and took off. Must have been a Red Kite. They are absolutely magnificent creatures.

magicbastarder · 11-07-2018 08:40AM

they're fantastic. usually the easiest way to distinguish them if they're overhead is the forked tail.

11-07-2018 08:45AM

Wasn't there a breeding program in place in the Fingal area for Red Kites a few years back?

magicbastarder · 11-07-2018 08:46AM

yes, i think newbridge house was one of the release sites?

plodder · 11-07-2018 08:59AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Wasn't there a breeding program in place in the Fingal area for Red Kites a few years back?

Yes, Fingal and Meath I believe. I've seen one out on the bike before in the Bellewstown area as there is a wooded area there that is quite isolated where I suspect a pair lives. I could see it just standing in a field. It always made sure to keep at least a couple of hundred metres away from me though. But, that one last night was right in front of us in full flight, no more than 15 metres away. The wing span is the most amazing part. Must have been close to 2 metres. If I had a dash cam it would have been some video. <don't know where that angry face icon came from >

11-07-2018 09:06AM

Must keep an eye out in Bellewstown. I head that way on the bike a few times a month.

magicbastarder · 11-07-2018 09:10AM

my parents in law are not far from ashbourne, they used to have barn owls in a field near them. haven't seen them in a few years.

gmacww · 11-07-2018 09:47AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Wasn't there a breeding program in place in the Fingal area for Red Kites a few years back?

There was a good breeding program in a few places over the past few years. 30 of them were released into the wild in Wicklow about 10 years ago. There are a few that live in the woods just beside our GAA club (Blessington). Standing up there and watching them fly is just spectacular.

magicbastarder · 11-07-2018 10:08AM

i've seen a photo taken in wicklow, with 28 of them in the frame; they can be quite gregarious. most i've seen in the sky at one time is four.

Wishbone Ash · 11-07-2018 10:26AM

plodder wrote: »

.. I've seen one out on the bike before in the Bellewstown area...

I saw one in the Julianstown area last week while on the group ride - could be the same one.

magicbastarder · 11-07-2018 01:43PM

"Do Kilmashogue", they said.
"It'll be fun", they said.

youse bastards.

magicbastarder · 11-07-2018 03:11PM

i had to stop twice to catch my breath - legs were a little tired today, so i decided 'i'll take it easy'. kilmashogue responded with 'that ain't for you to decide'.

cjt156 · 11-07-2018 04:11PM

Sally Gap; a tale of two roadsides.

West.

North towards Kippure.

East.

The road was still closed yesterday from the crossroads to the Glencree turnoff.
Passable, though, and the fires were out.

saccades · 11-07-2018 05:38PM

plodder wrote: »

Wasn't on the bike, but have to mention this as it was on my usual commuter route. Slowing down to approach the junction of R130/R125 in North Dublin yesterday evening, I saw this huge bird circling, which then swooped down in front of us to pick up a piece of road-kill. And it wasn't just a dead bird it picked up, but an entire four legged animal like a rabbit or fox. Grasped the whole thing up and took off. Must have been a Red Kite. They are absolutely magnificent creatures.

Red kites flock together in winter, loads in the avoca valley, however I suspect the bird seen would be a buzzard.

A red kite is really obvious and doesn't have the lifting power for a decent (for Ireland/UK) mammal, whereas buzzards are regularly misidentified as other birds of prey, are massive and would be able to lift even the biggest rabbit/hare (no idea on a fox tbh).

@cjt156. - great photos, thanks!

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

Comments