Tell us about your cycle today part III

Seth Brundle · 15-06-2022 09:11AM

Met Eireann and Garmin both were telling me that it was a SW breeze but it did feel behind me on my way towards Trim and like I was pedalling into it on my way home. Go figure!

magicbastarder · 15-06-2022 09:41AM

strava said SSE, and it was definitely an easterly when i passed the airport on the way to the start of the cycle. probably just unusually swirly wind.

JMcL · 15-06-2022 10:16AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119201914#Comment_119201914

I've currently got an Edge 530, my 520 having mysteriously vanished into thin air a few months ago. I think the 5x0 series have always used barometric pressure, but even so I've always sound accuracy all over the place. Looking at the elevation profiles of older rides could have the unit reckoning you had a min elevation of 150m below sea level. As to Strava's corrections, I'd imagine they must use map elevation date at a minimum, though if I were tackling it, I'd be leveraging data collected from users and averaging it out as well (chuck out a certain percentile at either end that's going to be bonkers)

smacl · 15-06-2022 10:34AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119205322#Comment_119205322

Some good discussion on Strava on this here. Strava doesn't actually say where it gets its elevation base map from specifically, just that it is 'from the community' Given Ordnance Survey elevation data is not as yet open in this country as are any of the other decent mapping databases, I'm guessing we're looking at the SRTM dataset as worst case fall back, which is not particularly accurate.

magicbastarder · 15-06-2022 10:43AM

they use openstreetmap for the map displays, and that has elevation data, so would be the obvious first guess?

secman · 15-06-2022 11:03AM

Yesterday: Left office in Inchicore, traffic heavy enough up Naas road, Walkinstown ave and up Greenhills Road onto Tallaght bypass. Headed over the road towards Lucan but turned off and headed by Peamount for Newcastle . Hazelhatch, and turned on Lords road to Ardclough, up Boston hill and on towards Kilteel crossroad, left down to Rathcoole, Saggart , back on to n81, Tallaght bypass and home. 55km ,423m up and avg 28kph. Lovely evening and a very moderate wind for a change.

smacl · 15-06-2022 11:06AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119205472#Comment_119205472

Openstreetmap doesn't have it's own elevation dataset, AFAIK in Ireland it is based on SRTM, see https://help.openstreetmap.org/questions/3069/elevation-maps

magicbastarder · 15-06-2022 08:37PM

glorious evening for it, but FWIW i finished with 698m elevation according to my garmin and strava corrected that to 834m; which is nearly 20% higher.

magicbastarder · 15-06-2022 10:07PM

also, i managed to stop the garmin at 66.66km but strava corrected that to 66.65. the bounder.

byrnem31 · 18-06-2022 10:02PM

25k on the hills today. Only getting used to the hills as I was more endurance/flat road cycling before. 1 and a half hours from tallaght up through viewpoint and beyond and back. The sun went in up in the mountains and I froze my balls off in a skimpy cycling t shirt.

IMG_20220618_102618.jpg

secman · 18-06-2022 11:29PM

Gorey to Arklow, Woodenbridge, up the New Line and right for Ballycoog , just short of Aughrim back out on to the road back to Woodenbridge; Arklow and back to Gorey. 71km 550 meters up, avg 30kph

CptMonkey · 19-06-2022 09:27AM

First time on the bike in 5 years. Managed 10k before the legs gave out and the lungs were burning. But it’s a start.

Wishbone Ash · 19-06-2022 09:33AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119208654#Comment_119208654

About 10 years ago I was passing Beasty's Lair when I happened to look at my Garmin and it was displaying a very apt 6.66kms.

magicbastarder · 19-06-2022 09:36AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119222281#Comment_119222281

you could try dropping a gear (i.e. move to an easier gear); especially if your legs are getting used to the bike again, before the muscles have built up. it varies from person to person, but usually a cadence of 80-90RPM is advised for efficiency.

asdfg87 · 19-06-2022 09:38AM

I have noticed recently that temporary signs advising "cycle in progress" are being left up indefinately. How are motorists supposed to know when the event is on?

CptMonkey · 19-06-2022 09:39AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119222303#Comment_119222303

Ya. I’m crazy unfit too tho 😂

cletus · 19-06-2022 11:10AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119208654#Comment_119208654

Being a contrarian, I measure my running and cycling distances in miles. When I do a 3.1 mile run (5k), Strava routinely adjusts down to 3.09. very frustrating

20-06-2022 06:54AM

Came off last night for the first time since I was a total newcomer and every stop while clipped in was panic inducing.

Only doing about 5kph as was coming to a stop and dropped to the small ring when chain came off. All 6' 4" of me went down like a big log. As usual, a line of traffic there to look at me. Few deserved laughs when they realised I was ok. Bit of a bruised ego but no damage to me or the bike.

I had set out with a brand new kit I got for Father's Day and a sparkling bike after a good wash so that brought me back to earth with quite a bump.

Anyway, I was late getting out but still got in 62km with 600m up at 30.4kph. Did 6 x 5 minute intervals in the middle with an unusual and strong northerly wind for company.

retalivity · 20-06-2022 09:05PM

Out bohernabreena and the line, left up and over to kilbride camp, left to sally gap and back to dublin via featherbeds. Nothing too crazy but this evening was the first time in a long time that i felt 'overheated' on a bike - coming up sally gap from kippure estate, what little wind was behind me and the sun was beating down on my back, it was sweltering. Turning left and the descent down to glencree cooled me down.

57k, 2h 20m, 963up.

To continue the strava elevation conversation, I have a suunto watch i use, it measured today at 840m, its always 10-15% less than strava. The suunto app is a bit weird i can see from it that the elevations in it are not fully correct.

https://www.strava.com/activities/7340923767

JMcL · 21-06-2022 03:29PM

Had to go into the office today, and being the glorious day that is is decided to take an extended lunch break and that the scenic route home via the Waterford greenway and Copper Coast. I stopped for a coffee at Mount Congreve on the greenway, and was just getting set ready to head off again when the bike toppled over, gently enough, leaving me with a badly bent derailleur hanger. Cue limping home missing most of the gear range for 21km rather than the scenic 40 odd km I'd envisaged 😩

24-06-2022 06:48AM

Two rules I try to follow: always salute a fellow cyclist and never pass one in trouble.

Last night I met 12 cyclists on the road and got two salutes. Miserable return. Passed a couple coming against me on tiny roads and could have reached out and high fived them and nothing back from my raised hand and big 'hello'.

Second rule tested to the limit as a I met a Brazilian Deliveroo guy looking forlornly at his e-bike/big heap of metal at the end of my estate just as I was setting out. Went past him, but my conscience got the better of me and I looped back.

His front disc rotor was dangerously loose and causing an awful sound. I fixed it for him and got him up and running again. He had a very little English but was thrilled.

His bike was a mess and I think I explained that he needed to get it serviced and he told me that last week the front brake failed and he crashed into a wall, proudly showing me a load of cuts on his arms. Anyway, I hope my neighbour's takeaway managed to stay warm.

After that, I got in 50km @ 30.1kph with 550m climbing, with the acrid smell of bonfires and the impending threat of rain hanging in the air. Place is like a dustbowl so the rain is badly needed.

I would defy anyone who claims they know of a better way to spend your time on a balmy evening in high summer than to be pootling around on a bike in short sleeves. Never gets old.

smacl · 24-06-2022 07:49AM

Two rules I try to follow: always salute a fellow cyclist and never pass one in trouble.

I do the first on quieter roads and always do the second. Gets a bit thronged by times up my way by Cruagh road, descenders focussed on their line, middle aged climbers like myself juggling telling the legs to shut up, trying not to barf and attempting to hold a nonchalant smile pretending its all a piece of piss.

I would defy anyone who claims they know of a better way to spend your time on a balmy evening in high summer than to be pootling around on a bike in short sleeves. Never gets old.

Absolutely, only had an hour last night but the run up Cruagh and over to Foxes was glorious. Actually had someone hang on my tail for most of Pine Forest road too, quite chuffed as most usually just whizz past. 22k @21kph with 403m of up and touched on 65kph coming down. Loving it.

JMcL · 24-06-2022 09:42AM

Two rules I try to follow: always salute a fellow cyclist and never pass one in trouble.

I'd always be the same, even if descending I'll usually try to give a least a nod of the head, or manage some sort of a wave. Return rate these days I find much lower than it used to be say 20 years ago, and at that stage I'd have been living in Dublin (obviously didn't wave at everybody in the street - that's Bang Bang territory)

I would defy anyone who claims they know of a better way to spend your time on a balmy evening in high summer than to be pootling around on a bike in short sleeves. Never gets old.

Got to love your description of covering 50km with a respectable amount of climbing at over 30km/h as "pootling", but absolutely 🙂

loyatemu · 24-06-2022 10:59AM

I'd say 75% of people I pass on the open road give the nod or the raised fingers; I don't really expect cyclists descending fast to do so though.

Marshalling a club race last night so cycled there and back (a 40km TT I was not sorry to be missing) - lovely evening for a spin despite the persistent headwind on the way there. 60km @ 26km/h.

Dcully · 24-06-2022 03:42PM

First time on the Mullingar - Athlone Greenway yesterday and really enjoyed it.

Drove over parked in the free car park right at the start of the Greenway,the car park itself was easy to get to.

I was on the gravel bike so the surface felt super smooth compared to the usual gravel canal paths im on.

Stopped off in Moate on the way back to grab a cold drink as it was very warm on the return leg, lovely town it has to be said.

Certainly recommended but dont expect lovely scenery, its you the pathway and trees either side apart from two sections of about 500m where i could see fields :)

Other than that its a great place to cycle, too flat though even for someone like me whos not a fan of climbing anymore :P

McGrath5 · 25-06-2022 11:40AM

50k up and back to the Formentor lighthouse in Mallorca yesterday, stunning scenery. I see the council have mercifully closed part of the road to cars so only cyclists and the odd bus allowed up.

https://strava.app.link/ZW8KQlJ48qb

blob:https://www.boards.ie/82e1a2c6-ac84-47dd-abc2-2aefb2af4ed6

Seth Brundle · 25-06-2022 03:40PM

Went out for a solo spin this morning. Whilst the forecast was for dry and getting progressively warm, it was to be windy with Southerly winds of about 35km/h.

Not really sure where I'd head, I just headed into the wind thinking id have a tail wind home.

Headed down to Sally taking in Ballinascorney, Dowry and Slade hills.

Very few out on bikes at the start but as the morning progressed I passed more and more.

Stopped for a coffee and bun in the new cafe in Ardclough which I can see myself going back to.

Just over 100km with over 1400m* @ 24.8km/h: https://strava.app.link/GGY9ZPjj9qb

* 1245m in Garmin Vs 1459m in Strava!

secman · 25-06-2022 06:11PM

Gorey to Ferns, right turn heading towards nine stones but took left turn up a long drag, not familiar with that side of Ferns, through a few small villages , checked Strava...Ballycarney, Ballindaggan...and eventually into Enniscorthy, up the long drag ofa road to Oulart, out on to main road back through Ballyedmund, Ballycanew and back to Gorey.

86km 750ish metres and avg 29.60 kmh

Managed to avoid heavy showers, came across wet roads. Luckily enough

Wildly Boaring · 25-06-2022 06:32PM

I stupidly and knowingly went out with a tailwind for 35k and back into that 35kph headwind for 35k.

Was a bit of a struggle at times tbh. Amazing with the right attitude does though, was out to enjoy it and take it handy into the wind. Even when pedalling to go downhill at 30kph I was happy out.

Up the coast as far as Annagassan from Bettystown and back across country

25-06-2022 11:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119249086#Comment_119249086

It's only a 60km odd loop for me, which way did you opt for on the way back? Togher/Sandpit or Grangebellew/Ballymakenny Rd? I know which one I favour

Sandpit

Tell us about your cycle today part III

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