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

^^^ On a spin last week I passed a hedgehog in the middle of the road. I decided to turn around and shoo him off the road. I nudged him very gently but he wouldn't move, ignored me, sniffing away at something on the road. Wasn't the safest place for me to be standing so I left - passed the same spot Monday evening and was kinda happy there was no evidence of squashed hedgehog.

P_1 wrote: »

Decided to try the climb from the reservoir to Glassamucky. Going around the reservoir on a road bike was, ahem, interesting. 52km in 2 and a half hours. I think I've earned some chipper...

https://www.strava.com/activities/665664635

Yeah that dirt track the far side of the lake isn't really great on a road bike. Had you stayed straight where you u-turned the trail there is a bit better. Best way though if on a road bike is to not go along the lake at all. Continue up the road where you turned into the reservoir and turn left after the golf course. nice quiet country road will take you all the way around. Granted you miss cycling along beside the river/reservoir though

Headed for ballygarret , kilmuckridge, Blackwater, curracloe and as far as main road into Wexford town. Came back the coast road too, nice meandering rolling road along the coast. Lovely morning too, 65km Avg 25.6kph.
Can really notice difference in average kph on the old steel frame bike , always lower than the alloy frame.

Crocked wrote: »

Yeah that dirt track the far side of the lake isn't really great on a road bike. Had you stayed straight where you u-turned the trail there is a bit better. Best way though if on a road bike is to not go along the lake at all. Continue up the road where you turned into the reservoir and turn left after the golf course. nice quiet country road will take you all the way around. Granted you miss cycling along beside the river/reservoir though

Yeah I should have established if the surface around it was tarmac before tackling it alright. Thank feck for Gatorskins is all I have to say!

Standard enough 70km until about 500m from home when something large and buzzy flew into my helmet and stung me on the forehead. 24hrs later and I look, according to me wife, like a cross between the elephant man and a Klingon.

griffin100 wrote: »

something large and buzzy flew into my helmet and stung me on the forehead.

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Ouch.. Similar happened me today but managed to whip off the helmet before it got comfy

A huge bumbler smacked into the lens on my glasses this morning and I was just thinking a couple of inches higher it would have been in my helmet!

God, that wind was a real leg-sapper earlier. No matter which direction I went it seemed to be head-on or side-on. The few tail-winds I got didn't seem to balance out the average speed either.

In work today but extended my commute to take in Howth (clockwise), Portmarnock, Malahide, Swords, 2 laps of the airport (anti-clockwise) and on into town via Drumcondra. Had to go around the block to get over the 70k mark 'cos that would have just annoyed the bejasus out of me. Total distance 70.4km and a moving time of 2hrs 50mins at a rather pedestrian 24.8km/h average.

crazy wind out there today in NCD
Town - Howth: tailwind, Howth - Malahaide: Crosswind, Malahide - Swords - Ashbourne - Rathoath: Headwind, Ratoath - Kilbride - Blanch - home : All-over-the-shop wind.

86.6km in 3h21m, avg speed of 25.8kph

On course to the Great Dublin bike ride in under 4 hours, which is my aim, so happy with that.

https://www.strava.com/activities/667713543/overview

https://www.relive.cc/view/667713543

PukkaStukka wrote: »

Went out over the Hill of Tara from Swords this morning. The headwind was phenomenal going out and we averaged a very sluggish 22k. With the wind behind us on the return leg, the averages were just insane and coming in at a fast (for us) 33kmh. One of the lads quipped that it would've been a brilliant winter run except for the temperature!

Sounds like a Swords CC spin. If so, the Tara Specials in Maguires are always good for a few extra kph on the home leg

Mercian Pro wrote: »

There used to be a Wimp List thread for posts like this rather than discouraging enthusiastic Boardsies. Can't find it though as the Search function seems banjaxed.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056763568

When you've been cycling for four hours - half that into a gale - a can of Coke is yer only man to get you home!

The Tour of Kildare passes my front gate so it probably would have been logical to go and do it today, but I've had a few very busy weeks and the thought of bouncing around in a big peloton for 3 and a half or four hours seemed like more of the same so this morning I threw the bike in the van and headed over to Rosenallis which for me is the gateway to the Slieve Blooms.

Normally I'd park up there and ride down to Clonaslee, up over the Cut and Wolftrap have a coffee in Kinnitty and retrace my tracks back but this morning I decided to take the road less travelled so went to the coffee via the Ridge of Capard and the Glendine, the flat bit between the two was a bit longer than I expected and into the wind so my pace was a bit slower than target but I wasn't worried, they were lovely quiet roads ( I think I saw 3 cars and 2 tractors in the first 47km) with plenty of interest to keep me occupied. The two climbs are steep, Capard 22% max and Glendine 17% but not too long and as long as you don't go mad at the start just a matter of grinding it out, a big bonus was finding that most of the Offaly side of the Glendine has been resurfaced, and a good job done to, made for a nice drop down to Kinnity.

After the coffee the wind was more tail and side so I had a nice spin back to the van over the Wolftrap and the Cut, met a few Trim lads on the Cut, had a bit of a chat on the top.

All in all a very relaxing 84km with 1480m of climbing.

https://www.strava.com/activities/667683096

magicbastarder wrote: »

i stayed in this morning because of that wind.

I rode 225 km in that wind all day on a route I usually do in February. The only difference was the temperature otherwise it was grey and windy. Eating a 99 in Kells made a nice change from the usual hot cup of tea.

Thanks to the lads from Clontarf CC who let me take a tow for 20km. Watching the Strava fly-by is depressing but funny, they're all home and I'm still slogging away in the depths of Meath.

https://www.strava.com/activities/668355149

One of my last commutes in Zurich (bringing the bike home on Friday) and took a longer route around the airport. Nearly got creamed by a Polizei car unexpectedly appearing on the cycle track in front of me!

godtabh wrote: »

Was out this morning and got stopped by some randomer asking for a backer. I politely declined.

A backer ?
Ah just Googled it ...jsysus


Hey bud gis a backer I'm bleedin knackered

I decided to head for viewpoint, just in the foothills I realised I put my big ring back on the bike the wrong way round and couldn't shift to the lower ring with out making a balls of my bike. Ended up turning around before I reached the Hellfire Club. Probably a blessing in disguise given I'm still recovering from last weeks back injury

Anyway 25kms done and 230m of climbing, that's the pack of Toffypops worked off anyway

Last of the Tipp League series for me last night, short race of 23km but a little lumpy whuch doesn't really play to my strengths.

Looking back our group could have gotten to the line before getting caught by the scratch group, just wasnt enough guys helping out at the front to keep the pace high.

As usual i did way too much early on and suffered late on when we got caught by a very talented scratch group with 3km left.

23km at 38. 9km/h average speed with 200m elevation but it was an uphill finish over the last 5km or so.

It was my first series of club races and i loved the varied races and TT over the 8 weeks, credit to all involved.