[Daroxtar]

I had to do a job in Dundalk this morning so I brought the bike and took a spin out along the coast to Carlingford with the intention of climbing Long Woman's Grave and up to the TV mast. Got a puncture just as I came into Carlingford and noticed that my gears weren't shifting to the 3 smallest cogs. That was odd as the bike was shifting beautifully beforehand.

I fixed the puncture but couldn't get the gears right so I said Fk it, I wasn't needing them anyway. Continued on to the start of the climb, made it to the first flat section and as I shifted to accelerate the RD cable snapped and lo and behold I was now in the 11 cog permanently. Boll0x.

My bike is internally routed so I couldn't do a whole lot except turn around and head back the flattest way I could.
40km back to the car into a headwind stuck in the 11 cog at about 60rpm.
I wanted hill training and I bloody well got it just without the hills. The amount of cross chaining that went on would make you cry. My legs and lower back are in bits.
90km in 3:05@29.1kmh
I think I'm going to skip my Tempo sessions for a few days
https://www.strava.com/activities/636170320

[man_no_plan]

So, I was reading the WW200 thread last week and it was all Shay Elliot this and Slieve Mann that. So I gave it a bash this morning.

Into Baltinglass, Rathdangan and on and up and down and up into Laragh, back by the gap to Hollywood and out home. Weather was mixed. Wind was a bitch, changed direction every 5 mins.

Half dead.

102km
20.6km/h
1620m of murder
4h 50 moving time

Now I know what the fuss was all about.

[Bloggsie]

normal spin to work this morning 28.8 kms in 69 mins 25kmph average & found €50.00 just sitting on the side of the road!

[magicbastarder]

that's mine. i can even tell you what it looks like, as proof - large brownish note, bridges on one side and a couple of arches on the other?

[Bloggsie]

Originally Posted by magicbastarder

that's mine. i can even tell you what it looks like, as proof - large brownish note, bridges on one side and a couple of arches on the other?

no bother I'll post it to you!

[LollipopJimmy]

Originally Posted by magicbastarder

that's mine. i can even tell you what it looks like, as proof - large brownish note, bridges on one side and a couple of arches on the other?

Been so long since I had 50's in my wallet I wouldn't be able to describe one!

[Pepe LeFrits]

I cycled down to Ballymahon for a family gathering on Sunday and came back yesterday. The most I'd cycled before was 65km the previous weekend. 240km spread over two days was a bit of a step up!

The first leg was a bit of a slog, weather conditions were pretty miserable. I found myself feeling low on energy in the middle third and the final third included the R392 which was relentlessly up-down, which was tough on the quads. Was pretty tired when I arrived in Ballymahon but delighted with the achievement.

On the second leg I cheated a bit and got a lift to Athlone... meant I could avoid the R392 and take the Athlone-Mullingar cycleway instead. This added an extra 20km or so to the journey but I'd take nice and flat over burning quads and being overtaken on narrow roads by SUVs doing 100km/h over the crest of hills. The sun was out and it was a really enjoyable ride, and quite easy too.

I reckon the difficulty I felt in the first leg must have been psychological, because I wasn't /that/ tired after it, whereas as soon as I sat down on the couch after the 'easier' second leg, I couldn't stand up again

Already thinking about my next trip. South next time I reckon!

[Pepe LeFrits]

Oh, and how uncomfortable was sitting on that saddle by the end... still a bit 'raw' today...

[triggermortis]

I work away from home and cycle to and from work. Forgot to bring my Garmin with me this week and have lost count of the times I've looked at where it usually wouls be sitting.. Didn't realise I was this dependant on it!

[R1_Pete]

Didn't get out over the weekend with one thing and another, head was mush as a result. Took a half day today as it wasn't raining, headed off and towards Naul with no plan in mind as such. Ended up doing just over 100k, but the route was real scrappy, doubled back on myself etc.

Hadn't planned a long one, but you know how it goes.. "Ah sure 10k more and it'll be 70" "ah sure it's so close to 100 now"

Anyway nice enough for a random Tuesday afternoon

[yop]

Finally of the 40km Connacht TTs. Broke the hour last week by 4 seconds, so this week I wanted 59.50.
Felt good, nice evening, slight wind on back on the way out, got there in 29.37 @ just over 40km average and 305 watts, so I then knew I had a good chance of breaking it.
Hit another gel at 30 mins and a quick drink, I decided to try hit 300w again on the way home, 2 long inclines and I needed to make sure I didn't burn, looked down on the 1st of them and I had 440 watt average so quickly turned that down to 320. I had changed the garmin to lap only, so that meant when I hit lap at 1/2 way I cud only see the figures for the out leg. I pushed hard on the last 10km and drove it over the line.
Checked my finishing time and got 59.41, so delighted to take 15 seconds off and that was a total of 55 seconds over the 3 races.
Averaged 299 watts and just over 40kmph. Have to say I am still happy.

[Bloggsie]

Originally Posted by yop

Finally of the 40km Connacht TTs. Broke the hour last week by 4 seconds, so this week I wanted 59.50.
Felt good, nice evening, slight wind on back on the way out, got there in 29.37 @ just over 40km average and 305 watts, so I then knew I had a good chance of breaking it.
Hit another gel at 30 mins and a quick drink, I decided to try hit 300w again on the way home, 2 long inclines and I needed to make sure I didn't burn, looked down on the 1st of them and I had 440 watt average so quickly turned that down to 320. I had changed the garmin to lap only, so that meant when I hit lap at 1/2 way I cud only see the figures for the out leg. I pushed hard on the last 10km and drove it over the line.
Checked my finishing time and got 59.41, so delighted to take 15 seconds off and that was a total of 55 seconds over the 3 races.
Averaged 299 watts and just over 40kmph. Have to say I am still happy.

are you also known as Bradley Wiggins?

cracking effort by the way!

[monkeysnapper]

As a keen cyclist but only having cheap bikes as some might remember I splashed cash a month ago and bought new bike .

Today I finally changed to cycling shoes for 1st time . for first time ever I won't stick out like sore thumb doing events .

Did 5 miles . pretty pathetic really .

Ring of the reeks here I come fully kitted out .

[Kaisr Sose]

Originally Posted by monkeysnapper

Today I finally changed to cycling shoes for 1st time . for first time ever I won't stick out like sore thumb doing events .

Did 5 miles . pretty pathetic really .

Well done. Out of small acorns grow big trees...so onwards and upwards!

[triggermortis]

Finished night shift ( 5 of 5 ) this morning and as my flight home isn't until tonight I thought I'd get a spin in before bed. The plan was to take a steady spin for 2 -3 hours to tire myself out and then get a decent sleep when I got back.
Traffic was chaos in a few spots - I was the fastest thing on the road in places until I hit the slightest incline, then I just felt drained. As I've no Garmin with me, I decided to turn on data roaming and use Strava on my phone for a change (first time ever). Shouldn't have bothered as I was so slow. Monday it was 35 degrees here. Today was 12! I had winter tights, top and gloves on. This still didn't really help much.
I took a wrong turn at a roundabout and realised I was heading towards the airport (and home) but as it had started raining and I wasn't feeling like doing my planned route, I didn't bother turning back and headed for home. 39.5 Km in 90 minutes isn't great but it was all I could muster.
Time for a (crappy Swiss) beer and bed for a few hours now!

https://www.strava.com/activities/640344197