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

Mercian Pro · 09-10-2020 04:34PM

A lot of our recent club spins from Swords have been skirting the Dublin-Meath border in various attempts to plot 80-100km routes that stay within the county boundary. Like most cyclists (and drivers), we are inclined to ignore the very short section of the R130 at the junction with the R125 despite the new signs indicating that we have briefly crossed into Meath. North of Garristown, you have to take the first right to avoid the border on the Delvin River if you are using the Garmin "HERE" map but are okay to continue to the next right at Bartramstown if you are relying on any other map. Happily the cafe in the Seamus Ennis Arts Centre at (the) Naul is within Dublin as The Delvin River marks the boundary all the way east to Gormanstown.

Despite thinking that we knew and had ridden every road and lane in NCD, hardly a ride goes by without some "new" backroad being explored for the first time. A lot of these aren't exactly billard-table smooth so the Winter bikes and wheels have made a slightly earlier appearance than normal this year. The density of the road network in the North County never ceases to amaze me and I wonder if any other part of the country has as many kms of paved road per hectare (or however else road density is measured).

magicbastarder · 09-10-2020 04:54PM

on some of the N2 and M2 you'd need to be awake to know which county you're in - 1km north of the pillo hotel, you pass from meath back into dublin - and back out again after 40m. and then back into dublin after 900m, and back out again after another 900m.
similar on the M2 near the ward, the border meanders back and forth along the road (not that you'd be on it on a bike)

Kevhog1988 · 09-10-2020 06:23PM

Had the day off for the dentist. Went out with the missus for a spin this afternoon. Lovely weather for cycling, except for a heavy shower on the last drag home

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/kLZTGDLVrab

MangleBadger · 09-10-2020 07:27PM

First time out in 2 weeks. Legs were definitely rusty. Decided to re attempt Glassnamucky anyway. Went better than last time but still needed to take a minute (or 3) halfway up.
47km and 850m of climbing.

https://strava.app.link/5gOS772Zrab

Seth Brundle · 09-10-2020 08:02PM

Went out around Kilteel earlier staying (within the Kildare border) and got in another 67km whilst pretending to work from home.
Cool but dry with what felt like a strong westerly wind. Planned my route with the wind in mind - wind on my back for the return journey.
Had an encounter with a BMW 7 series as I and it's driver approached the roundabout outside Intel (both coming from Leixlip).
I was heading straight ahead and he was hoping to take a left. However, his plan would have been fine had he stayed behind me approaching the roundabout. He tried to overtake me and then had a thought of turning left (into me) but couldn't because of the bloody cyclist beside him so he had to travel right around the roundabout before being in the correct lane to exit it. Gave me a nice warm smug feeling to stop and look back at him

Don't know am I run down or just overdoing it or what but feeling absolutely knackered this evening. Have a club spin tomorrow (somewhere between 80 &120km) and dont know if I'm up to it. The few beers currently in the fridge won't help me either!

https://strava.app.link/Xd0PtrG1rab

Large bottle small glass · 09-10-2020 08:30PM

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Despite thinking that we knew and had ridden every road and lane in NCD, hardly a ride goes by without some "new" backroad being explored for the first time. A lot of these aren't exactly billard-table smooth so the Winter bikes and wheels have made a slightly earlier appearance than normal this year. The density of the road network in the North County never ceases to amaze me and I wonder if any other part of the country has as many kms of paved road per hectare (or however else road density is measured).

I don't think there is anything unique about NCD.

Due to our agricultural history and settlement pattern we have an unrivalled road network.

I've had a lot of searching done in S.Tipp, Co Waterford, pockets of Cork and I don't see any great difference in density.

It's only when north of 250/300m or so they start to thin out.

It's our greatest asset as a cycling destination but grossly underused by locals not to mind visitors.

Nice to see it is being used by others in different pockets of the country.

The stats are staggering

Ireland has a far higher road density than most countries in Europe. There are 20.9km of road in Ireland for every 1000 people, more than twice the EU average of 9.6km and higher than significantly geographically larger countries like Germany which only has 2.8km.

Local Roads are broken into three classes,

Local Primary (LP) 23,789 km (14782 miles), Local Secondary (LS) 33,366 km (20733 miles) and Local Tertiary LT 23,789 km (14782 miles)

For a combined public road network length of 99,830 km (62,030 miles) in 2018

secman · 09-10-2020 08:40PM

Go and do it, i put my back out again on Monday no spins all week and debatable whether I'll manage one over the weekend

bilbot79 · 10-10-2020 12:14AM

Mercian Pro wrote: »

+1 on that. Even though the Phoenix Park is within my 5k, it won't be as safe or enjoyable thanks to the increased traffic on the perimeter roads.

I agree and I think people might be less inclined to visit family with their kids etc if they could instead bring them cycling etc.

raven136 · 10-10-2020 10:40AM

The past few mornings have been particularly chilly but at least its dry for the work commute.

Type 17 · 10-10-2020 01:16PM

Probably the last day for short sleeves and shorts - went out late so it was warm enough.

88km @ 27.7av in 3:10 around NCD.

magicbastarder · 10-10-2020 04:13PM

overdressed, thought it was going to be colder and more showery and didn't get rained on at all.
managed to get 12th fastest on a popular descent (nag's head eastbound) which was pleasantly surprising. it was the day for it though, i had a good tailwind.

velo.2010 · 10-10-2020 06:15PM

Weepsie wrote: »

Lovely walk around st anne's park instead which as ever had a load of golden retrievers for me to wish I owned

That reminds me... a Golden Retriever or Labrador took out a cyclist on the Royal Canal Greenway, near Enfield, earlier today!

The dog was off the lead and loose when the incident occured. I happened upon it moments after, so I didn't witness how the guy fell, but he was badly shook and the bike may have been damaged. I informed the dog owner of the by-laws only to be met by laughter at the situation and when giving other examples of dogs biting cyclists etc. There was no talking to him because he had no grasp of the logic that it doesn't matter how well he thinks his dog will behave, any passing cyclist has no knowledge of how that dog will act. According to him, it was a freak accident and he will continue to let the dog off the lead.

I couldn't do or say anymore as I wasn't a witness, so I wished the cyclist the best. If I'd hung around any longer I might have lost the head with the dog owner. I hope the cyclist got the dog owner's details as he wasn't sure if he damaged his arm or not. That's at least one doctor's bill that guy is liable for.

There are some ignorant assholes dog owners out there.

Gallant_JJ · 10-10-2020 06:17PM

Mixed day, rain, sunny, rain, sunny. Must have put on and taken off the rain cape 10times. 165k with 2000m of climbing within the confines of west Cavan @30kph. Absolutely shagged now.

CramCycle · 10-10-2020 06:22PM

Went off road and up Bray Head from the golf club side. Decided I'd take a short cut across to the cliff road which turns out to be CX / MTB territory. Got across eventually and then with my new found love of off road I called into Belmont Demense and rode round their bike loop before a coffee at Half Bakd.

10-10-2020 06:43PM

^ Not a place I'd heard of before (Belmont). One to check out in less restricted times for me maybe.

Kevhog1988 · 10-10-2020 06:56PM

Out with the 17yo cousin this morning. Flying for 20k and then he bonked badly. Hadnt eaten and completely ran out of energy. i had to nurse him home.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4175427923

dinneenp · 10-10-2020 08:04PM

Annoyed- pushed for entire cycle (42km) only to find when finished that the recording was off....says I did 40kmph average and max speed 160km!

Think I put on bluetooth instead of GPS.....

https://www.strava.com/activities/4177297656

Turloughmore to Athenry back road and then nice hill and downhill on the return part with a short straight to home. Nice loop and having a segment towards the end helps me to push. Lashed rain 3/4 way through but didn't mind as I haven't been caught in the rain much so enjoyed the novelty.

hesker · 10-10-2020 08:38PM

Cork city to west Cork via Bandon and Enniskeane on a route I know well. Didn’t bring any grub as I know I don’t need it for a 70k spin. Took a slight detour to avoid the worst road in Ireland. Couldn’t find my way back onto my route and ended up backtracking up and down hills for a half hour. Bonked from lack of food and limped to my destination. Still glad I got out. Grand day and lots of people out cycling.

magicbastarder · 10-10-2020 08:45PM

hesker wrote: »

Didn’t bring any grub as I know I don’t need it for a 70k spin.

do you have any other fuel with you? if i'm doing over 40km i'll usually bring a banana at least.

Tell me how · 10-10-2020 09:10PM

hesker wrote: »

Cork city to west Cork via Bandon and Enniskeane on a route I know well. Didn’t bring any grub as I know I don’t need it for a 70k spin. Took a slight detour to avoid the worst road in Ireland. Couldn’t find my way back onto my route and ended up backtracking up and down hills for a half hour. Bonked from lack of food and limped to my destination. Still glad I got out. Grand day and lots of people out cycling.

I always have an energy bar in my saddle bag for unexpected situations.
I would definitely plan for eating on anything above 50Km though but that's just what I've gotten used to.

Wishbone Ash · 10-10-2020 09:11PM

Mercian Pro wrote: »

A lot of our recent club spins from Swords have been skirting the Dublin-Meath border in various attempts to plot 80-100km routes that stay within the county boundary....

Those living in large counties have a great advantage - looking at you Co Cork. I was messing around with Strava routes today and plotted a fairly straight route west from Youghal to the Dursey cable car - 200km in a fairly straight line without leaving your county! (or a 400k round trip).

Wishbone Ash · 10-10-2020 09:50PM

magicbastarder wrote: »

...managed to get 12th fastest on a popular descent (nag's head eastbound) which was pleasantly surprising....

It's very easy to overcook that left turning bend at the farmyard near the end. And the road there seems to be covered with slurry any time I do it. (Excuses excuses!!)

positron · 10-10-2020 09:59PM

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Those living in large counties have a great advantage - looking at you Co Cork. I was messing around with Strava routes today and plotted a fairly straight route west from Youghal to the Dursey cable car - 200km in a fairly straight line without leaving your county! (or a 400k round trip).

It's time for everyone to come up with their own "lap of the county" routes.

Lap of the smallest county in the country, Co. Louth, worked out around 215 kms.

magicbastarder · 10-10-2020 10:00PM

yeah, i was motoring down it and that was the bend i was reminding myself to prepare for, for probably a kilometre beforehand.
that shallow S bend much nearer the top is good fun at speed though.

Wishbone Ash · 10-10-2020 10:15PM

positron wrote: »

It's time for everyone to come up with their own "lap of the county" routes...

I was more thinking of the longest distance in a straightish direction within a county as opposed to a circuit.

hesker · 11-10-2020 07:42AM

magicbastarder wrote: »

do you have any other fuel with you? if i'm doing over 40km i'll usually bring a banana at least.

Over 70k I’ll definitely bring food. Less than that I might depending on how well I know the route. On new routes of any length I would bring food alright.

11-10-2020 12:13PM

80k with 1000 climbing @ 29kph. Forgot to bring a mask so couldn't stop for a coffee and some grub. Felt the tummy rumbling on the way home and the power dropping. Would normally have snacks in the pocket but didn't today. Beautiful morning for it.

magicbastarder · 11-10-2020 01:56PM

Weepsie wrote: »

1 when I heard what sounded like a quick and brutal hissing and I thought I'd badly punctured, twas but a leaf caught somewhere.

i had a 'what the hell is that noise' moment today when about an hour into my spin, i hit some rough tarmac and all of a sudden could hear an escaping gas type noise. took me about 30s to realise that the vibrations from the road must have stirred up some of the fizz in the isotonic tablet i'd put in the water in the bottle and it had built up pressure and was escaping through the nozzle.

Luxman · 11-10-2020 02:02PM

Had a bidon make a break from its bottle cage today over a rough piece of road. Smashed the nozzle on the lid. Watching too much Giro!!

a148pro · 11-10-2020 02:41PM

Depressing to see the traffic in dublin mountain areas today. Lots of cyclists on both sides of the road, literally more than I have ever seen. Loads of club spins. Cars parked or driving everywhere. Stretch beside cruagh looked like electric picnic. People trying to get kids out safely on a dark road with way too much traffic. And all because of an idiotic restriction. I'm sure this was repeated at amenity sites throughout dublin. It's actually creating a public health risk and I would also be concerned for the safety of cyclists in general up there.

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

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