Tell us about your cycle today part III

Got knocked off the bike last year and the Garmin parted from the mount. The lanyard kept it hanging from the bars. Well worth using one and only takes seconds longer to attach / detach.

My Ravemen light doesn't have an attachment point unfortunately, but I might try and bodge one with an o-ring.

Last night's cycle, fell of the bike, and got a KOM (not at the same time)

Just back from a Lisbon to Malaga trip. Left Patricks day and back last night. Stopover points were Setubal, Vila nova de Milfontes, Lagos, Olhao, Mogeur, Los Palacios y Villafranca, Medina Sidonia (Los Badajelos), Tarifa, San Pedro de Alcantra and a short spin into Torremolinos last day. Travelled with a 24 litre saddle bag and 7 litre bar bag on a steel framed bike with 28c tyres..Got a box from a local shop and a €20 taxi straight to the airport Wednesday morning. 950km over 9 and a bit days. Included 4 short ferry hops. Lucky with the weather. 14 degrees up to 28 but mostly dry apart from a few light showers one morning.

Spanish drivers and roads are much superior to Portuguese ones. No issues really although this will probably be the last time we cycle the A7 from Estepona to Fuengirola. Fast moving dual carriageway with not much in the way of a hard shoulder although there are various service roads to provide a bit of relief but not terribly pleasant. Only other route if coming from the west towards Malaga is into the hills.

Great value still to be had. Accommodation from 23 to 34 euro per night each. 330ml bottles of Sagres and Super Bock from as little as 1.20 in rural Portugal. Food also very cheap although you would need to like bread. One thing we discovered is by and large the Portuguese like pastries for breakfast while the Spaniards still tend towards the tostada with tomatoes and/or ham..

So a successful trip. We had covered most of the route before except for the bit from Lisbon down to the Algarve. Although by staying in different towns and villages each time you get a slightly different experience.

And a big shout out to Ryanair as usual. You can walk into Malaga airport and it looks like chaos but invariably the Ryanair desks are calm and mostly empty. They have also installed a few self service check in stations there now which are new since our last trip.

And for the first time ever I was charged for the bike on the air coach when I arrived back. €7 although it should have been €5 according to the FAQs. Not by the driver but by someone in a happy to help you Aircoach bib who was taking the money..

Ventured out today , still a bit of Kathleen about. Tough headwind and squally rain on the way out. Started off with 8 bodies and ended up with 5 sticking it out. Took to the back and by- roads on way out to try and get a bit of shelter. Came back on coastroad to avail of a nice tailwind coming in off the sea. Gorey to Blackwater and back on a scenic twist and turn route.

70kms avg 27.7 kph almost 700m up

Serious spin fair play,

Heard a woodpecker (Mórchnagaire breac) banging away between Laragh and Drumgoff, Wicklow. OK, it might have been a different variation, but on the balance of probability….

New in these parts since 2005, new to me since May 2024.

Glen Bride, Wicklow Gap, Glenmalure etc.

Came in from wales , due to low level of forestry they are causing a lot of damage to ESB poles on the east coast.

Did 42.2 km myself. Had planned more , i’m jacked up on medication for joint issues. Only just back in the bike having done. Very little since Covid.

Did 86km to Brittas and back last Friday , and 60km round trip to office on Tuesday.

Legs are feeling the pain. , planing on doing East Kilkenny on Monday as my daughter is doing a 7s tournament down there

Did a 78km spin around south KK with a bit of climby stuff out of Portlaw on Sunday myself, but more notable was taking the young lad into Waterford yesterday as he wanted to buy some Lego so decided to make him work for it :-). 22km round trip which wasn't a bother to him, but between impatient numpty drivers squeezing past (seriously - there's a 9 year old on a bike 🤬) and bits of infrastructure hostile to anyone lacking in confidence/ability it was a bit unencouraging

Liffey Descent, on a bike!

Probably about 40 years since I did it in a kayak, and it was a good day out. From the top bridge up the Kippure road I descended crossing to the 'other' side at each public bridge. Around Sallins the route planning got messy, as the bridges cannot sensibly be taken in sequence. The trip through Castletown and St. Catherine's Park has to be done before the gates are closed (currently 17.30). I enjoyed mixing it with the diverse selection of 2-wheeled transport I met with and chased at rushhour from Hueston Station along the quays to the sea bridge and then back west. Of course the hard part was getting to the start point, but I had the hand of god on my back climbing up the Sally Gap.

The descent is about 150k and my day was 240k, 2k ascent.

Interested in seeing this route, if its available