cycle touring

TinyExplosions

feck sake lads wrote: »

hilleberg nallo 2 probable the best tent in the world;)

With a price tag to match!

petethedrummer

I have a Robens Small Dreamer I got in a sale in thregreatoutdoors. It has handled a night in my back garden in Artane and 2 nights in Killarney with the utmost aplomb. I don't know enough about tents to tell you if its good or not. It says its 2.2kg on the bag it comes in.

feck sake lads

TinyExplosions wrote: »

With a price tag to match!

:D yip your sure correct in that , but still it's a brilliant tent .i have the hilleberg akto excellent tent but if i had seen the nallo first i would have gone with it .

Canis Lupus

So set out from London, fully loaded on Thursday and am now in Penarth outside Cardiff. Hope to make Swansea tomorrow to ferry it to Cork (I don't think I'll do Fishguard as it's just more cost when I want to keep the money for the main trip). Hills outside Chepstow almost broke me today. Guy cycles past me with a grin on his face "only 5 miles uphill to go!". I should have known that starting out on Steep St and Mountain Road were bad signs.

Anyway, I've got the worlds stupidest looking sunburn/tan lines, my legs are tired, I'm learning which biscuits are nicest to eat on a bike, I'm bitten all over by insects and importantly I suppose I am having a ball.

Here's my my big yellow tent stealth camp!

thebouldwhacker

Sounds like a great trip, bring water on the ferry with you as they only sell small bottles at about €4 a pop, other than that its a great service. I have attached RWGPS maps as a suggestion for a nice route into Cork with a lovely waterfront cafe a mate of mine has, best sambo's and cake in the world...... ever (their quite proud of their coffee too) The route includes the old railway track which is smooth tarmac without any cars so best look at the map in satellite hybrid mode rather than map.

Route 1 straight into Cork
Route 2 around the head and past Rochestown castle to cafe.

Have a great trip!

event

lads, tips on equipment and gear to bring?

heading to denmark for 2 weeks, but its only about 320km that im doing, ill be doing a lot of sightseeing.

this is the list of stuff that i reckon ill be bringing:

Cycle shorts (3), cycle tops (3), cycle underwear (3), cycle jacket, rain jacket, under-armour, socks, gloves, tent, sleeping bag, liner, toiletries. i have a bike with two rear panniers plus bar bag, all the usual on the bike (pumps, bottles, saddle bag, spare tubes, levers, multitool, oil, lock.
also have a pair of jeans and 2 shirts/tshirts for nightwear in the cities.

anything else i should be looking at?

Vélo

event wrote: »

lads, tips on equipment and gear to bring?

heading to denmark for 2 weeks, but its only about 320km that im doing, ill be doing a lot of sightseeing.

this is the list of stuff that i reckon ill be bringing:

Cycle shorts (3), cycle tops (3), cycle underwear (3), cycle jacket, rain jacket, under-armour, socks, gloves, tent, sleeping bag, liner, toiletries. i have a bike with two rear panniers plus bar bag, all the usual on the bike (pumps, bottles, saddle bag, spare tubes, levers, multitool, oil, lock.
also have a pair of jeans and 2 shirts/tshirts for nightwear in the cities.

anything else i should be looking at?

This may be of help

or this

petethedrummer

event wrote: »

cycle underwear (3)

what ya mean by cycling underwear?

Vélo

petethedrummer wrote: »

what ya mean by cycling underwear?

Something like this

dewindygap

Blorg, Vélo, fecks sake lads, petethedrummer, TinyExplosions, my apologies for the delay in posting thanks for your advice on tents. My wife went ballistic when she saw some of the prices and suggested just bringing a black refuse sack (for the gear). I agreed but mentioned (under my breath) that I hope she sleeps comfortably in it.

Vélo

dewindygap wrote: »

Blorg, Vélo, fecks sake lads, petethedrummer, TinyExplosions, my apologies for the delay in posting thanks for your advice on tents. My wife went ballistic when she saw some of the prices and suggested just bringing a black refuse sack (for the gear). I agreed but mentioned (under my breath) that I hope she sleeps comfortably in it.

Are you INSANE?

Never and I mean NEVER let the wife see the price of anything. I suggest you buy a really cheap one and have it sent to where you live.....then buy the really expensive one and have it sent somewhere else. She'll never know.

I actually have a new bike in work that I must introduce to my wife soon.:D

dewindygap

Ha, a brilliant piece of advice. You'd imagine a man of my vintage would have learnt that one by now. Got a good laugh out of that. Thnx

thebouldwhacker

I got the 'dont you have enough bikes already' last week off my gf. The fact that she is right is completely beside the point. After many years of not hearing it I was stunned tbh. But lesson learned, I'm gonna be renting a separate apt for my bikes and gear, some do it for affairs, some for drug addictions, I could do it for bikes.
Years to come she will find out and we will have to go to counseling to get over the betrayal but I'm ok with that....

Vélo

dewindygap wrote: »

Ha, a brilliant piece of advice. You'd imagine a man of my vintage would have learnt that one by now. Got a good laugh out of that. Thnx

When your good wife comes home from shopping, do you really believe those shoes or handbag only cost what she said?

Not a hope!


You can't beat a bit of trust in a marriage.

Vélo

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

some do it for affairs

And yours will be just for ridin.

kcphoto

Planning another short tour in Ireland next week - 5 days from Cork city , West Cork , Sheeps Head, Beara , and into Kerry (only commitment is to be in Sneem for Friday to meet herself).
Did 5 days last year on a road bike with small backpack but using a Ridgeback Velocity this time , with rack, panniers, mudgaurds etc.
Some concerns about the weather at the moment , especially the wind (oh and the torrential showers). I think I used up all my good weather luck last year but will see how it goes anyway. Better than sitting in the office for the week !

The only thing I don't have is some kind of rain jacket. Considering buying a very expensive one because then I probably won't need it...

blorg

I suggest eVent for the jacket- Wiggle do a good dhb one.

kcphoto

Thanks for the suggestion Blorg - don't think I'd have that by Friday though.
Went out and picked up a Polaris one at lunch time just to have something with me.

thebouldwhacker

You going credit card or camping?

Any idea of a specif route?

feck sake lads

couple years back in France we cycled 70 miles none stop in monsoon rain i never seen the like of it:mad: it was no problem riding in the rain the problem was when we stopped the cold set in and i honestly taught i was going to die:eek:
so if you do get wet change into dry warm cloths as soon as you can
but besides all that have a great tour post a few pics if you get a chance.;)

kcphoto

I'll be doing it the easy way - credit card , b&b's , eating out . It is a holiday after all.

I'm leaving the route very flexible but the rough plan is :
Day1 Cork - Schull ,
Day2 Schull to Glengarriffe , (along the peninsula)
Day 3 Glengarrife to Kenmare (along the peninsula)
Day 4 Kenmare to Dingle (via Killarney)
Day 5 Dingle - Sneem
Travelling on my own but have a hotel booked in Sneem for the weekend with the OH.

Had no problem covering 100km + per day on last years trip (Cork ,Killarney, Kilkee, Ballyvaughen, Clifden, Achill) but on a lighter bike and carried very little .
Trying to relax and enjoy the journey a bit more this year so don't mind carrying more and going slower.
I found myself getting to some of my destinations by 3/4pm last year and having very little to do for the evening (i.e. trying not to spend the rest of the day in a pub).
Must also remember to stop and take some more photos this year too!
Will find some from last year and post later.

kcphoto

found some pics from last year - fantastic weather.

feck sake lads

lads if you could drop everything in the morn and jump on your bike to tour anywhere in ireland for a week where would you tour.
would you normally start your tour from your front door or get public transport to the start.
when touring ireland what do you look for that's going to make the tour work for you.
good campsites and plenty of them en route.
interesting places to visit,
quiet out of the way stop overs.
good pubs trad music or folk.;)

thebouldwhacker

If I could in the morning, straight to Lahinch, follow the coast all the way to the giants causeway....................

Thanks, I think I have just planned my next Irish tour in one line. If only they were all that easy:rolleyes:

lennymc

id probably head for wicklow and meander down towards wexford, with a small fishing rod taking it easy and doing a spot of fishing whenever the mood took me.

feck sake lads

lennymc wrote: »

id probably head for wicklow and meander down towards wexford, with a small fishing rod taking it easy and doing a spot of fishing whenever the mood took me.

sounds fantastic i used to fish when i was much younger but i was a crap fisherman:D never caught much ,but a nice way to spend the evening around camp .

ROK ON

@KCPhoto
Day1 Cork - Schull ,

Day2 Schull to Glengarriffe , (along the peninsula)
The Sheeps Head Pub in Durrus does really great grub.
Food in Glengariff is very very poor IMHO. Eat in Sheeps Head or Bantry.

Day 3 Glengarrife to Kenmare (along the peninsula)
Via the Healy Pass? If so, then about 7km out of Glengariff there is a brutal but thankfully short climb (0.75km at 10% exactly) - tough on a touring bike I imagine. Take your time, but great route.

In Kenmare can I recommend the following for food:
Salvados for Tapas,
Purple Heather for best seafood soup in Ireland. Great omlettes and choccie cake.
Truffle Pig - great sandwiches.
Kenmare Ice Cream - fantatsic home made ice cream (over 30 flavours). Made by a fellow club member on the local tri club.
Florry Batts or Crwoleys for pints.

Also if you want a B&B, try the Rose Garden. A small B&B run by two French pastry chefs. This couple make the best Croissants and Pain au Chocolat anywhere. It is fantastic.

Day 4 Kenmare to Dingle (via Killarney)
A lot of roadworks going on between Ladies View and Muckross House.
In Killarney try Miss Courtneys tearooms.
Kenmare to Dingle is only 90km. Once in Dingle frop the bags and take a trip around Slea Head and up Conor Pass.

In Dingle try
Out of the Blue for seafood.
Ashes and Doyles . . . for seafood
There is also a place on the pier - very reasonable and pretty good. Dingle is great.
B&B _ Heatons: Phenomenal breakfasts.

Day 5 Dingle - Sneem
I would head to Beaufort and either
(1) Over Gap of Dunloe, down to Black Valley and up Molls Gap or
(2) Head to Glencar and up over Ballaghbeama (Very steep climb, but stunning).
If you head via Molls Gap, then 3km from Molls Gap on the road to Sneem is a place called the Pancake Cottage at Strwberry Fields. Great pancake, soup and coffee.

Hope this helps with you spare time once you get into each town.

feck sake lads

MAGIC never been to any of those places my god i'm missing so much and have to say the only way to enjoy these places is by cycle touring.;)

kcphoto

Thanks ROK ON - might make use of some of those suggestions!

Planet X

Ortlieb Panniers bought.
Just waiting for some decent weather.................could be a wait.