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

secman wrote: »

Headed from house to Killenagh, ballycanew, Gorey, out old n11 to inch, Arklow and on up to Woodenbridge and out the Aughrim road for a bit. Stopped to have my home made banana jacks . Headed back to Woodenbridge, Arklow but took the left turn out to rock of Arklow, and back the coast road to Castletown, Tara hill, Ballymoney, courtown and back to Ballygarrett, Killenagh and home. 86 km Avg was 25.5 kph.
Never knew that a Jack Russell whose arse was barely 2 inches from the road surface could get up to 35 kph... I had to get nearer 40 kph to drop the bastard

yeah, they are persistent little backstards alright:)

Bloggsie wrote: »

no spin this weekend but a huge number out on Saturday and Sunday around Maynooth. Good to see.

I was one of the Sunday riders out of Maynooth, as there was a training spin for the Galway Cycle in April. There were enough of us in attendance to get three groups out on the road.

There were a few other groups out and about too. Always good to see.

MrMorooka wrote: »

Something I'm a bit unsure of in my commute, how should I negotiate this turn?

I want to go from Heytesbury Street/New Bride St onto Kevin St and head towards SSG. Red is what I usually do- move to the right-turning lane, get in the bike box, then when the light turns green, dash across the junction before cars heading southbound start coming. It always feels a bit dodgy, what would you do to make this turn instead? It's the only part of my commute where I have to cross across incoming traffic so it makes me a bit nervous.

Hi MrMorooka, in my opinion you're better off carrying out a 'Hook Turn' to get onto Kevin Street. First stage is the green line, then wait for the light to turn green for the Kevin Street traffic, then proceed along the yellow line. Some more info on Hook Turns here: https://cyclingtips.com/2009/05/the-hook-turn/

The scariest experience I have ever had today on my way home from work.

I live quite close to where I work, less than 2.5km but it's quite a steep climb and a very fast descent as well en route home. Coming home and at the fastest part of it with speed at 45-50km a car roars past and takes a sharp left not 9 feet in front of me...Nearly shat myself n hammered on the brakes coming extremely close to hitting the car. Scary few seconds that seemed to go forever.

I'm convinced that being a regular club cyclist aided my reactions at that speed n not head into mass panic mode. At least I know the brakes on my 7yr old Giant Roam 2 are working A1.

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Was with one of two McNally Swords groups that passed through Maynooth on the way to and from Celbridge. We had over 30 out and were not overly impressed with our regular coffee stop in Celbridge even though we staggered the timing. Anyone try the cafe in the Orchard Garden Centre? It's about a kilometre out the Dublin Road but I don't know what it's like for coffee, scones and bike parking. Any other recommendations in the area?

Not a practical place to be honest as you have to meander through a very expensive shop to get to cafe/ coffee shop. Don't think the management would like a sweaty bunch with bikes meandering through the expensive shop . It's a pity as food etc is grand and there is an outdoor seating area beside the garden centre that would do fine for cyclists and bikes, if they had a separate entrance into garden centre. But it is designed for footfall to go through the expensive shop..... Did I mention expensive

Mercian Pro wrote: »

I think it's called Athgoe Hill on Strava but it's probably been a while since you were there ...

As a super domestique, I have to stay with my captain.

Thanks for the video Unknown Soldiee. Great picture and the editing is slicker than that Gatorskin tyre that would not come off yesterday...:)

As soon as the video played I was wondering if I could recognise the road (I have a good memory for places)...Follows by WOW, that's beside where I grew up, literally just a few houses from the roundabout heading toward the other roundabout you mentioned yesterday. Uncanny.

Terrible driving by the motorist...it's common at that junction. No reason for it but sums up the disconnect between some drivers and other road users. It's a long road back to getting motorists to think outside the steel shell they feel so safe in.

Dying to get to work...that was never me...Work to live a nice life surrounded by nice shiny bikes (maybe even a Canyon or two)

Glad you were not left holding the wrong end of the stick after our chance meeting....it was a great day to be out! Need to clear the Genesis, your uber lite weight Canyon was spotless.

ladies & gentlemen, to the natural born genius who jumped the redlight on Burgh Quay @ the Rosie Hackett yesterday just after 17.30, thank you for "courteous response" to my pointing at the redlight.
I truly wish that you dont end up as a bonnet ornament but from our albeit brief interaction, I feel it is an inevitable fact that we will be reading about you, thinking that how sad is that, another cyclist has been hurt/killed by a motorist when you are cycling in an irresponsible manner that probably lead to the incident.

Rant over.

cython wrote: »

The Mill, per chance? Noticed when I was in there at the weekend that they have a sign up for being McNSCC coffee stop of the year for 2016, so suspect Mercian Pro is very familiar with it In fact I think there's a picture of him outside it somewhere on this forum! ..

Yup - The Coffee Mill - voted no. 1 coffee stop by McNSCC members (in a poll organised by Mercian Pro.)

Mercian Pro doing the honours on their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeMillBistro/

Imnotthehulk wrote: »

Just after seeing Unknown Soldier's video there and it reminded me of my cycle home yesterday evening and into work this morning. Both at Wellington Roundabout in D6W. Cars speeding straight through the roundabout, no slow down at all (speeding up if anything when they were approaching). Both were lucky not to hit other cars that had right of way, but the one last night was particularly close.

Starting to think I should get a camera myself.

Also on the way in this morning saw a chap with two kids on his bike, one on a back seat, one on the crossbar seat. I find kids being carried on bikes scary at the best of times, but two on one bike in morning traffic, terrifying!

Worst I've seen was a guy on a Dublin bike cycling across a pedestrian crossing in College Green (the one just after you turn left towards Grafton Street) a few weeks ago with a child held in his arm, so nothing approximating a seat!

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

You're grand! 'Twas nice to meet you. Glad you managed to finish your whole spin. Mine wasn't inconvenienced, I was just tootling around local hills.
When I am doing that, I am close enough to home to not need a pump or tube tbh.
'Tis a light Canyon for Aluminum to, your new bike! You know you want it

As for the cameras, I made a little video for you this evening, from my commute this morning.

They are worth the money, my death will be in full HD.

The editing isn't great, don't want to give a lot away, and I'm not a great film maker by any means! (the slow mo stuff was quite cool though)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP0cY-Jo6_A

Pure scumbaggary! Hope you submitted this to the police. You can't leave these things go unpunished otherwise they'll end up killing someone.

That roundabout has had its fair share of fender benders! Nobody wants to yield. Traffic lights would do a better job there than a roundabout.