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

Seth Brundle · 06-09-2019 09:03AM

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Felt pretty cold. Time for the base layers I reckon

magicbastarder wrote: »

i was sweltering on the trip home at about half four.

I was sweating alright but nonetheless found my feet, fingers and shoulders were freezing.
Maybe I'm just getting old!

Nika Bolokov · 06-09-2019 12:35PM

Commute down the Grand Canal.

A great shame this off road path is rarely used by many , beautiful wildlife on the cycle in.

Shame about some of the other wildlife that cause problems on it....

smacl · 06-09-2019 04:20PM

Nika Bolokov wrote: »

Commute down the Grand Canal.

A great shame this off road path is rarely used by many , beautiful wildlife on the cycle in.

Shame about some of the other wildlife that cause problems on it....

Used to cycle it quite regularly but have been put off by the reports here.

Kevhog1988 · 06-09-2019 09:51PM

Knocked 6 minutes off my usual route this evening on the new bike

Seth Brundle · 06-09-2019 11:59PM

theemigrant wrote: »

Knocked 6 minutes off my usual route this evening on the new bike

More info needed (old bike, new bike, distance, etc)

North of 32 · 07-09-2019 06:19PM

I have a 106km ''race'' in the first week of October and wanted to do some endurance rides and practice eating/drinking while I still have the chance. It'll be my 2nd time participating in one.

Wednesday 97.2km at 31.2kph. Some short hill repeats that kicks from 7/8 to 12% for the last 100m. An elderly couple sat on a bench and watched me go up and down.
Thursday 98.5km at 31.3kph. Very windy. Got home minutes before it rained. Deeeelighted.
Friday 122.8km at 31.2kph. I did the full race route and the first half at ''race pace''. Huge headwind for the last 25km or so, quite miserable. But I was happy that I still had some juice in the legs once I got out of the wind. Wore winter tights and jacket.
Today 0km at -20kph. Bolloxed.

My findings:
Gels work for me and deliver a boost quickly but my god do they tear my stomach to shreds. I'm still emitting the fumes. I'll probably make some rice cakes for the day as well.
Two 750ml bottles will be enough. I was panicking about this because I was drinking non-stop during summer but the cooler temperatures will solve the problem
No matter what, nothing will be as hard as the days I went full gas in Gran Canaria back in July. I've always got that for perspective.

My fears:
It rains and I crash (crap bike handler and I still haven't recovered confidence from when I fell on ice twice earlier this year)
I **** up while riding in a group (never got round to joining a club and doing group rides)

Goals:
Just empty the tank

pjmn · 07-09-2019 06:53PM

Did the Tour de Bens cycle today 103km - 857m - @ 26.6 avg - lovely day...

https://www.strava.com/activities/2687425374

thelawman · 08-09-2019 08:01PM

Naas to Oldcastle to visit the in-laws, a small bit of a headwind the whole way which became very annoying after a couple of hours, 97kms in the end, went on the CX bike for a change, a good day on the bike,

godtabh · 08-09-2019 08:03PM

Did the Stars Cycle today. 102km, 1360m of climbing with an average of 23km/h which is fantastic for me

Boscoirl · 08-09-2019 08:07PM

A whopping 32km for me today. First spin in the road in almost 5months due to sheer laziness

In that time I have put on almost 7kg. And I felt every bit of it.

Type 17 · 08-09-2019 08:18PM

Had the week off work, went out every day but Wed - managed 317km in 12hrs 20m with 2,370 ascent.

Could have done more km each day, but I usually only go out two days a week, so I wanted to pace myself across the break.

Seth Brundle · 08-09-2019 08:29PM

Was going to do a trial if the GDBR today but in the end decided to take a shorter spin as I was needed back home. Went out to Howth summit from Leixlip and back again.
72km @ 29.0
Lovely day, slight headwind but nothing off putting. Plenty of cyclists out along S2S and Howth

magicbastarder · 08-09-2019 08:36PM

out to bellewstown and back. there were some amount of cyclists out; and tractors too. between oldtown and the naul, i saw a tractor overtake two cyclists over a solid white line, up a hill, and around a blind bend which also turned out to be a blind crest on the hill.

08-09-2019 10:18PM

magicbastarder wrote: »

out to bellewstown and back. there were some amount of cyclists out; and tractors too. between oldtown and the naul, i saw a tractor overtake two cyclists over a solid white line, up a hill, and around a blind bend which also turned out to be a blind crest on the hill.

Yeah busy out that way this time of year. Some of them are just about old enough to be driving one. Had some words for one such lad and and his female companion out near Donore the other evening, towing a bloody trailer too ffs which I don't they they can do at that age on a W licence?

bilbot79 · 08-09-2019 10:22PM

Took it real easy from d7 to greystones. Nothing beats freewheeling at the end.

Need to get a new Garmin for strava. Miss going over it after

magicbastarder · 08-09-2019 10:30PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah busy out that way this time of year. Some of them are just about old enough to be driving one. Had some words for one such lad and and his female companion out near Donore the other evening, towing a bloody trailer too ffs which I don't they they can do at that age on a W licence?

on at least two other occasions, i had to avoid tractors driving at speed (what i assume is close to full speed for a tractor) along narrow country lanes which were barely wide enough for them. at one point, not far from cromwell's bush cross roads, i ended up on the grass trying to avoid one.

strmin · 09-09-2019 10:02AM

Slieve Bloom Extreme Challenge on Saturday. 172km, 2717m of elevation gain, 27.3km/h average. Class sportive.
Dropped my saddle bag on one of descents. If 7 climbs wasn't enough, had to climb another 1-2km to look for it, so lost contact with the front group. Last 60km on my own.

First time in that part of Ireland. Good variety of climbs. Some steady, some with steep ramps. Apparently narrowly missed on polka dot jersey. Will be back next year.

KathleenF · 09-09-2019 05:51PM

First time commuting by bike this morning. Absolutely loved it and my fear of helmet hair was ill founded! Uphill on the way home but still only took 30 mins. Already looking forward to tomorrow. If any (in particular female!) commuters have any tips for creaseproof office wear or any other tips I’d love to hear them!

pjmn · 09-09-2019 08:18PM

Did almost 56km @ 28km avg this evening after work - the evenings are bunched, quite dark by the time I got back...

https://www.strava.com/activities/2694345501

Wishbone Ash · 10-09-2019 07:18AM

First time up the Col du Galibier yesterday (from the Telegraphe side). What a climb - majestic in every way. The descent to the Col du Lautaret was something to behold.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2694099908

Mickiemcfist · 10-09-2019 08:51AM

KathleenF wrote: »

First time commuting by bike this morning. Absolutely loved it and my fear of helmet hair was ill founded! Uphill on the way home but still only took 30 mins. Already looking forward to tomorrow. If any (in particular female!) commuters have any tips for creaseproof office wear or any other tips I’d love to hear them!

The trick from about 2:30 on here works well for me (however I'm male & it's just a trick to fold normal creasing clothes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldFwLc88jrY

nilhg · 10-09-2019 02:23PM

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

First time up the Col du Galibier yesterday (from the Telegraphe side). What a climb - majestic in every way. The descent to the Col du Lautaret was something to behold.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2694099908

I only saw late yesterday that you were in Bourg De Oiseans, wes keeping an eye out this morning for you to say hello but I think ye were heading home.

We are hoping to head to the Galibier tomorrow from the Lauteret side, whether my legs will hold out to make it up remains to be seen, our first 2 days have been harder than I expected.

Wishbone Ash · 10-09-2019 06:47PM

nilhg wrote: »

I only saw late yesterday that you were in Bourg De Oiseans, wes keeping an eye out this morning for you to say hello but I think ye were heading home.

Small world! We were there until about 11am before getting a taxi back to Lyon.

nilhg wrote:

...We are hoping to head to the Galibier tomorrow from the Lauteret side, whether my legs will hold out to make it up remains to be seen, our first 2 days have been harder than I expected.

Ah the easy side (so they say!). Fantastic climb - no bother to you.

(By the way, there's a great cyclist friendly restaurant at the junction on the summit of the Lauteret. Great food with generous portions and two lovely Dublin girls waitressing. It's a fantastic vantage point to see vehicles like ants crawling up the last few kms to the Galibier summit.)

Seth Brundle · 10-09-2019 06:47PM

Made a detour on my way hone from work to call somewhere in Finglas so travelled from Grange Castle via canal > Nth Circular Rd > North Rd and back home to Leixlip via Ballycoolin & Clonee.
Lovely evening, cool and dry.
At one point as I was going around a roundabout along the Ballycoolin Rd I heard a screech of tyres not braking but very hard cornering. A 1995 Saab raced passed me quite close and undertook two other cars on the roundabout exit. I was in the process of (pointlessly) raising an arm when a squad car passed me with the blues on (no sound though). Felt very vulnerable - could I have been an easy solution to get the gardai to stop? Thankfully not today!

Borderfox · 10-09-2019 08:16PM

44km done just under 28kmph average, cold one out so plenty of layers
https://www.strava.com/activities/2696374129

TK Lemon · 14-09-2019 01:42PM

Just finished cycling the entire perimeter of Inis Mór with Mr Lemon.

Now sitting down to some well deserved pints.

pjmn · 14-09-2019 05:15PM

70km this morning out west - very breezy...

https://www.strava.com/activities/2707238178

Eamonnator · 14-09-2019 05:30PM

I did the Tony Golden memorial cycle today.
Blackrock, Castlebellinham, Knockbridge, Hackballcross, Dundalk, Carlingford, Omeath, Long way up to Long Woman's Grave, Bush, Dundalk, Blackrock.
115kms at average speed of 36KPH.(we were told beforehand, that it wasn't a race. I was delighted to hear that.)
Really well organised. Well marshalled. Lots of Gardai at junctions. Good food and great goodie bag.

magicbastarder · 14-09-2019 05:38PM

36km/h. That's some pace.

smacl · 14-09-2019 05:48PM

Missing the Reservoir Dog tomorrow due to work so snuck out today. Ballyboden, Enniskerry, Old long Hill, back roads to Rathdrum direction and home via Laragh and the Sally gap, 101k with 1.5k of up but struggled to keep any pace. Glorious sunshine on tiny l-roads from Red Lane to Ballymoney though sore after some unpaved bits with straggly briars and nettles. Heavy enough cross winds by L.Brae made for an unnerving descent but still pretty close to a perfect day to be in the hills on a bike.

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

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