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

Boscoirl · 07-08-2018 10:12AM

magicbastarder wrote: »

you must have been putting some monster power down.

More like poor bike maintenance :P

magicbastarder · 07-08-2018 10:39AM

Currently on a slow meander on the deise greenway. It's great. Most relaxed cycle i've done in ages.

LollipopJimmy · 07-08-2018 10:49AM

magicbastarder wrote: »

Currently on a slow meander on the deise greenway. It's great. Most relaxed cycle i've done in ages.

Well jelly. Would love to be down there now. Be sure to stop and take it in, it's too easy to get caught up in the cycling while missing the scenery

Justwinginit · 07-08-2018 11:09AM

Up in Donegal for the long weekend. Didn't (not allowed) to bring the bike, but damn ye have some fine roads up there....will have to make a trip....by myself sometime lol

triggermortis · 07-08-2018 11:24AM

Out in Lanzarote for a few weeks. Got out today for 60km. Wind is almost constant so the first 2/3 was hard work but after I turned for home it was a joy. Quick omelette and a beer and a dunk in the pool and life is good

Boscoirl · 07-08-2018 11:26AM

magicbastarder wrote: »

Currently on a slow meander on the deise greenway. It's great. Most relaxed cycle i've done in ages.

Was working down that way last week. Threw the bike in the van. Weather was apocalyptic. Didn’t get to do it. Was sickened

pjmn · 07-08-2018 07:28PM

patrickc wrote: »

I did 50km on the new bike hadn't been out much in the last few weeks and averaged 27.7km/h

First time using clip in shoes, no disasters unlike falling off when practicing in the kitchen!

To be fair I find it very difficult to cycle around the kitchen too!

smacl · 08-08-2018 05:50PM

Up Kilmashogue and fire roads to Ticknock and the masts at Three rock at lunch on the old 15kg hybrid hack. First time back up there in a year. Jaysus. Also, wrong choice of bike. Had half thought of trying some of the trails but was knackered before I got there and found my tyre pressure way too high for the bumpy bits. Chickened out half way down the first run. Need to buy me an MTB and a decent set of lungs.

RacoonQueen · 08-08-2018 07:42PM

Got stuck behind a bin truck while descending cruagh road...

Got overtaken by a car with a NL reg. It was such a pleasant, polite, overtake. Such a smooth movement, no sudden slamming, gear grinding was they waited for space. They anticipated me before they reached me and moved out to overtake and back in with such ease. It was like they knew how to drive or something. A minute later a close pass from a 03-D :rolleyes: they were actually stopped then at Johnnie Foxes and was very tempted to stop and say it to them.

NUTLEY BOY · 09-08-2018 03:46PM

Intended to cycle from Sandymount to Anglesea Road via Simmonscourt Road yesterday.

It seems that there is a de facto road closure at the middle of Simminscourt Road in operation for the duration of the Horse Show. They would not let a few other cyclists and myself through.

Would there have to be a formal road closure notice in force to allow this ?
I cannot remember such a restriction in previous years during Horse Show week.

EDit · 09-08-2018 04:03PM

Weepsie wrote: »

Volunteered to help the fiance's family do some stuff around their house. They're from Wicklow so got the train to Rathdrum then cycled to Glenmalure, Macreddin and Aughrim.

Only 34 km but 600 metres up in that.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1760319758

Very similar to my cycle yesterday...Kinnitty to Killanure Church and back again (over one of the Slieve Bloom mountains both ways). 29km in total, with 650m elevation. My legs were feeling it last night!

Type 17 · 09-08-2018 09:00PM

NUTLEY BOY wrote: »

Intended to cycle from Sandymount to Anglesea Road via Simmonscourt Road yesterday.

It seems that there is a de facto road closure at the middle of Simminscourt Road in operation for the duration of the Horse Show. They would not let a few other cyclists and myself through.

Would there have to be a formal road closure notice in force to allow this ?
I cannot remember such a restriction in previous years during Horse Show week.

I grew up in Sandymount, and (since 1980 at least) the road was always closed during Horse Show week (and Spring Show week). They used to let us through on our bikes (Raleigh Burners), but they're probably right to be cagey these days, as we always used to slip off into the RDS while were were making our way to the other end of the closure - free entry was handy when you were a 13-year old without much cash, and we enjoyed seeing the horses and the general buzz - when I was a bit older, I worked there during the HS and SS, selling catalogues, etc.

North of 32 · 11-08-2018 08:29AM

Rented a bike to cycle around the hills of Crete while on holiday. Ultegra R800, a nice step up from my Tiagra back home. Lovely views to take in.

Came around a corner for the last 100m of climbing and I was salivating at the thought of the descent full of tasty hairpins. I was just spinning away when suddenly - bang - the rear derailleur hanger snapped.

There followed a 10km downhill hike in my cycling shoes, weeping while I walked through the hairpins.

c.p.w.g.w · 11-08-2018 11:34AM

82km spin this morning @ 30.8km/h.

That Ennis to Quin road is awful, so bumpy and uncomfortable, my arse and wrists are killing me, although I imagine it's as similarly soul destroying as riding cobbles

NUTLEY BOY · 11-08-2018 11:37AM

Type 17 wrote: »

I grew up in Sandymount, and (since 1980 at least) the road was always closed during Horse Show week (and Spring Show week). They used to let us through on our bikes (Raleigh Burners), but they're probably right to be cagey these days, as we always used to slip off into the RDS while were were making our way to the other end of the closure - free entry was handy when you were a 13-year old without much cash, and we enjoyed seeing the horses and the general buzz - when I was a bit older, I worked there during the HS and SS, selling catalogues, etc.

That was very naughty.

Funnily enough someone did say that the reason for firmer control this year was that some people were actually bunking in :eek:

magicbastarder · 11-08-2018 11:38AM

a massive five and a half kilometres; just a shakedown ride for the new bike. only issue was needing to tighten one of the shifters.

Mercian Pro · 11-08-2018 04:35PM

Down to Laragh via Sally Gap to meet up with some friends for coffee, a spin and lunch before heading back to town. Not bad as far as the Gap but then the cloud turned into mist, into drizzle and finally into rain on the decent to Laragh. The stiff SE wind didn't help and the Garmin was showing 9 degrees up top.

Never quite managed to get to the spin stage but the coffee, lunch and company in Ann's Coffee Shop helped me dry out and warm up. Wimped out and accepted the offer of a lift back home.

Lots of notices up advising of road closures on Sunday 19th for the Dun Laoghaire Ironman cycle. Looks like it will affect Stepaside to Enniskerry to Roundwood (via the Old Long Hill) to Sally Gap to the Viewing Point and back to DL via Stepaside. More details at http://m.eu.ironman.com/~/media/f0f3aa8192e040618222bee4b01588dc/ironman%20703%20dun%20laoghaire%20bike%20updated.pdf

Wishbone Ash · 11-08-2018 04:55PM

Mercian Pro wrote: »

The stiff SE wind didn't help and the Garmin was showing 9 degrees up top....

I was shocked at how cold it was this morning when going to work around 6am. Garmin was showing 3 degrees around Blake's Cross area. Hands were frozen - no gloves.

secman · 11-08-2018 07:00PM

From CSS back roads to rathcoole , Kill and on to Naas. Across to Blessington and around back of lake towards Manor Kilbride , a right turn for ballysmutten up to road down from gap and back by Lisheen and n81 and home. Just over 70 km avg 27.7 kph. 600m. + climbing. Lovely morning, and warmed up nicely to 22° and dry if windy. Headed down to Wexford and just at end of M50 drove into very misty rain 16 °and .ow st 8 bells it's still misty rain ... Sunny southeast !

Internet Friend · 12-08-2018 03:50PM

76Km with the brothers today, did Slieve Mann and Shay Elliot, 1342m gained average speed was 22.9km/h but we took it handy enough at times!

pjmn · 12-08-2018 03:58PM

63km out west this morning - encountered heavy rain for 20 mins or so

avg 29.5kmph 523 climbing

https://www.strava.com/activities/1766632575

Miklos · 12-08-2018 06:05PM

Collins Christle Memorial A1/2/3. Super quick!

magicbastarder · 12-08-2018 07:08PM

50km around a damper than expected NCD this morning. 28.6km/h average, disappointing cos that's slower than i've been managing of late, plus i was on the new bike which is a few kilos lighter than my other bike.
still, i managed to knock 20s off my personal best up snowtown from the northside, and still had some fuel in the tank by the time i got to the top too.

12-08-2018 09:07PM

Free of the kids for the weekend , we did what most couples do I'm sure and had herself remove my latest batch of stitches which have healed nicely.

First spin in a few weeks for me and first with my partner in a long time due to her having a baby bump in recent times.

Nice spin out the coast to clogherhead and beyond swung left toward togher and back in. Thought even with my few kg of daddy weight I'm working on shifting I'd have a go on the hills and best herself at least once today but no she still had her goats legs

I don't think we've ever seen quite so many traffic cones in once place before there was a near 1km stretch of them on the way into Drogheda to stop parking during the fleadh. We hopped off the bike when we got back to town and the place was buzzing so weird walking the bikes in the middle of the road the wrong way down what would normally be a one way system and are no closed roads swarming with families. Got some chips in Dominic's and a couple of cans to wash them them down in the offy. F'd if I was paying €5 for a plastic cup of beer out a pub window to drink it on the street.

Unreal talent in some of the kids playing music on the street, couple of girls we sat and watched playing a mean fiddle and squeezebox. I'd say they were about 11-12.

Lovely day back in the saddle for us.

LollipopJimmy · 12-08-2018 11:28PM

Did Galway to Dublin with my mate yesterday, 212kms at 28km/h so really happy with the pace and happier with how I was feeling today

positron · 13-08-2018 08:24AM

I tried Inishowen i60 yesterday. I have been considering joining Inishowen i100 sportive next Sunday, but knowing that it takes on the likes of Mamore Gap and Kinnego Bay, I was not sure if I would be up for it. I got in touch with Folye CC who organises Inishowen 100, and they too warned me that average speed is going to be around 25kmph (15-16 mph), which is like my avg speed in regular not-so-hilly roads.

So yeah I wanted to test myself to see if I can do it on the day, but like always life got in the way and when I was ready to leave at 9am, I was on strict orders to be back by 2pm. So I decided to try the Inishowen i60 route instead - it avoid the two main climbs mentioned above. I didn't know the exact route entirely, and I don't have a Garmin GPS cycle computer. So I tried a free app called "dwMap" on my Garmin Forerunner 230 running watch. Install the app, copied Folye CC's strava route, and synced the app, strap the watch to handlebar, and job done. It's a really cool app - shows the entire route, and 7 zoom levels etc. Works brilliantly.

Leaving Buncrana, the misty rain turned heavy and I was soaked right up to Cardonnagh. However it got better and manageable. Beyond Malin, I got the taste of things to come when I took a left on a very regular looking country road. Black mountain I think the climb is called. Phew. It goes on and on on. Nearly collapsed 50 meters from the finish, walk of shame followed. Then it's all downhill to the sea level, and up hill again 150 meters. Road surface deteriorates from here on as well for rest of Malin head. It turned my CX bike into a rattly mess - spokes? headset? everything possibly. Had to stop couple of minutes to let a family walk their two cows into a field bit further up the road, and little bit ahead got stuck behind a herd of sheep - I really enjoyed these mini breaks more than riding those darn hills

It's a spectacularly beautiful part of the world - really desolate when you pause for a moment and listen to the nothingness.. except the wind.. something magical about it.

Back to Malin, Cardonnagh and then the steady looong ascend and fast descend to Quigley's Point. Drag to Moville, back to Derry & then back to Buncrana against the wind. Just in time to shower and dash to the Buncrana movie hall for 'matinee' show. Yeah, wife remembers seeing E.T. there 30+ years ago. And yesterday our daughters watched Hotel Transylvania 3!

Findings from this ride is - yeah, NOT up for Inishowen 100 yet. May in a year or two.. hopefully.
Another curiosity is that I saw at least a dozen cyclists at various stages of the route, but no Strava flybys! Hmm..!!

https://www.strava.com/activities/1767506674
106.31km, 4:51:55, 1,088m

magicbastarder · 13-08-2018 08:29AM

i see you took in the knockamany bens too (which i thought was the knockamany bends when i was a kid) - some fantastic views from up there.

Justwinginit · 13-08-2018 12:13PM

Ballydangan, Athlone, Dysart, Ballinasloe and back to ballydangan. Lovely warm breeze. Just shy of 60k.avg 26.8kph.could have pushed a lot harder, but I was enjoying the cycle too much...
Also made a new friend on the way

coddlesangers · 13-08-2018 12:58PM

Did my first annual flagellation up a local HC climb in the Jura mountains. Proved that it is possible to cycle slower than I'd walk, a good shout out to the 50-34 compact :D.. Strava of shame is I'm sooo slow

Type 17 · 13-08-2018 01:40PM

Longest spin on my new bike today - 87.5km @ 27.3av: South Dublin City > coastal path > Malahide > Roganstown > Howth Hill > coastal path > home.

Daytime running lights seemed to make people more patient on the narrow bits, but I still got one close pass (on the Portmarnock>Baldoyle section, of course).

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

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