What was you're best moment on a bike?

niceonetom

irish-stew wrote: »

going off topic ever so slightly if i may, in relation to the alpe d'huez stories. interesting article in this months 'red bullletin' with todays 'indo' on an annual mountain biking event, where they desend from the very top of the alpe d'huez (pic blanc) at 3,550m, through the town/resort of alpe d'huez at 1,800m with the finish in allemond at 625m.

now thats one i'd like to add to the list

avalanchecup.com

That was just getting set up as we were leaving after the Marmotte and l'Alpe was making the (huge) cultural shift from euro, lycraclad, roadie-centric mode to pseudoamerican, antilycra DH-centric mode.

We all know that MTBers (VTTers over there) and roadies must pretend to be blind to each other, hence the strange awkwardness when the two meet and pointedly fail to acknowledge each other -but the chasm between the two camps in l'Alpe was nearly creepy.

We didn't try any of the trails around Alpe d'Huez but if you're into luh-day-'ash (as they call downhilling over there) you should check out les Deux Alpes - absolutely LOADS of trails and bike rental places and ski lifts etc. We did some of the green runs there and they were, to this delicate roadie, bloody terrifying.

blorg

Some pics of that



It wasn't that technical but the trail was continually bumpy in a way you couldn't really make out from the ski lifts. I was on a full-sus but XC rather than DH MTB and it was harder going than Ballinastoe on my hardtail. It was also horrendously steep (over 30%) in places and there were places you could sort of go careering off a cliff. And these were the green trails... if you looked at the map you could see green twisted down with a series of hairpins while they had a "double black" that just went straight down the mountain

I was talking to a bar owner last year after the Marmotte asking if it brought in a lot of business; she said, no it didn't, as roadies didn't drink... Megavalanche however they had plenty of business.

fenris

My first night ride down the Minaun in Waterford, back in the early 90's after a long night in Geoffs (pub) a suggestion was made that we give the Minaun a go, as we went looking for a shop that was still open that sold batteries (for the lights) we literally stumbled across another very merry victim who was in the process of falling out of abbrakebra and in this manner we eventually gathered up about 6 geniuses who thought that this was a fantastic idea (including two who were going to borrow their sisters bikes) Eventually the motley crew got under way, on mostly borrowed bikes only 3 of which were actually mountain bikes, 2 were girley bikes and 1 was a BMX with borrowed ever ready lights, the legendary black water bottle was filled with tequila and off we went, our BMX riding friend displaying amazing dexterity by constructing "rollies" on the move. Back then there was a farmer known as "Paddy the Bush" who lived half way up the Minaun as was of the opinion that geese were much more effective than dogs for protecting his property so we had to battle our way through the evil birds to get to the top - amazing motivation to pedal harder when you hit a steep bit, but evil bastard birds none the less!

When we go to the top things went well initially until we went into the first proper corner where the disadvantage of the girley bikes became apparent - Dynamos, they stop working when you slow down for corners then the light goes out, then the corner disappears!

We got sorted (black water bottle = magic) told the lads with the dynamos to stick close and let rip, it was something else, trees jumping out everywhere, trying to figure out if the black bit was a shadow or a hole, missing corners completely, smacking off of trees, trying to find your bike, smacking the lights off of the ground to see if it would get them working again, listening to the screams of the dynamo boys as they varied between taking corners way to fast to try and keep the dynamos working and going blind into the scary bits because the pulled the brakes, the sound of manic laughter echoing across the hill whenever someone manager to survive a corner only to get plastered on the next on due to excessive laughing, the vague feeling that I was going to die balanced by the adrenaline fueled giddiness that makes you think "what harm if I do, what better way to go than this", and I have been chasing that feeling ever since!

Mint Sauce

niceonetom wrote: »

That was just getting set up as we were leaving after the Marmotte and l'Alpe was making the (huge) cultural shift from euro, lycraclad, roadie-centric mode to pseudoamerican, antilycra DH-centric mode.

We all know that MTBers (VTTers over there) and roadies must pretend to be blind to each other, hence the strange awkwardness when the two meet and pointedly fail to acknowledge each other -but the chasm between the two camps in l'Alpe was nearly creepy.

We didn't try any of the trails around Alpe d'Huez but if you're into luh-day-'ash (as they call downhilling over there) you should check out les Deux Alpes - absolutely LOADS of trails and bike rental places and ski lifts etc. We did some of the green runs there and they were, to this delicate roadie, bloody terrifying.

blorg wrote: »

Some pics of that



It wasn't that technical but the trail was continually bumpy in a way you couldn't really make out from the ski lifts. I was on a full-sus but XC rather than DH MTB and it was harder going than Ballinastoe on my hardtail. It was also horrendously steep (over 30%) in places and there were places you could sort of go careering off a cliff. And these were the green trails... if you looked at the map you could see green twisted down with a series of hairpins while they had a "double black" that just went straight down the mountain

I was talking to a bar owner last year after the Marmotte asking if it brought in a lot of business; she said, no it didn't, as roadies didn't drink... Megavalanche however they had plenty of business.

never thought there would be that relationship between roadies and MTBers, and i've gone from MTB to road, although still miss my hardtail and is currently in my parents garage wait on the day that i will evetually over haul it (have been saying that along time). as for the alpe d'heuz being scary on a bike, you should try it on a snow board

:eek:

sorry for taking off topic

Columbia

Probably the first few kilometers of my first ever race (good while ago now!). I was nervous as hell beforehand, most of all because my father was there and he was a very good amateur cyclist in his own day. It was an under 16 race and a lot of the top U16s from around the country were at it. I was hoping for a gentle start, but no such luck. The bunch (maybe about 25-30 in it) was lined out straight from the start. Lacking confidence, I was about 2/3rds of the way back the group. Very soon I noticed 7 or 8 riders had split off the front, only about 1-2 kilometers into the race. I moved up and somehow decided to clip off the front of the 2nd group, and after maybe 45 seconds of pure adrenaline I had closed the gap ahead. That was an immense feeling as I realised I could "do it" like the old man.

The group stayed away, and as the race progressed guys slipped off the rear one by one, while I never felt troubled. I came last in the gallop for the line but it was still good enough for third place.

The tax man

Similar to Columbia's story. U16, winning a club league race and then two days later winning a race at Sundrive Park.
I think my cycling career peaked too early.

Caroline_ie

blorg wrote: »

Hey that's me!!

Also wanted to clarify that blorg wimped out after 1 run :P

Beasty

I'm one of those hoping my best moment is still to come. Plenty of candidates for my worst cycling moment, but I'll await someone starting a separate thread for those;)

Mint Sauce

Beasty wrote: »

I'm one of those hoping my best moment is still to come. Plenty of candidates for my worst cycling moment, but I'll await someone starting a separate thread for those;)

face plants, not getting out of pedals in time, landing on the top tube....

yeah, think i'll wait for the seperate thread as well.

Junior

Two moments stand out for me... both way back in the early 90's

Riding the old Comeragh League race circuit out of Waterford, U-16, 2nd last week of it and I had to finish 2nd or better to secure 2nd place overall to Ciaran Power, we were riding up Chapel Hill in Portlaw for the second time (it was getting near all ireland time so we were doing 2 laps) and was with a bunch of Seniors after getting caught, two u-16s including Ciaran and a couple of Seniors were up the road, and just at the chapel, the mid point in the climb, I gave it all the legs I had. Had Senior's screaming blue murder at me, rode past the remenants of the group to find only Ciaran and Declan Long up the road, I missed seeing the other U-16 back the road, so I attacked the two lads as well, they pulled me back and we rode absolutely flat balls out into town. I blew up just coming in by the Holy Cross, sitting spinning a 52*17 the whole way in the N25 from Carrolls Cross had me done. Rolled in to find I'd finish 3rd in the Senior Race and 2nd overall in U-16.

Was delighted with that, got stripped and noticed my ingrown toenail had started bleeding again so I called my dad over, I was meant to get it removed but was waiting till after the all irelands, so I just ripped it off there and then and got someone to bandage it. Youth stupidity and pain all wrapped up there and then.

2nd one was again U-16, we'd been caught by the Juniors, and I had a cousin racing as a Junior, They'd caught us a couple of miles out, I knew I wasn't going to win the U-16 but I said I'd bury myself as a lead out man for my cousin, restricted gears were a bollix for a sprint. However I managed to get on the outside of the group and give it everything really early no one followed until it was too late, I think I finished 5th in the Junior race .

cdaly_

Junior wrote: »

Two moments ... both way back...

2nd last week ... 2nd or better... 2nd place ... for the second time ... doing 2 laps... two u-16s... a couple of Seniors ... two lads ... 2nd overall...


2nd one ... a couple of miles

Today's post is brought to you by the number two...

robs1

a few years ago i got injured playing football and had to give up.wondering what to do to keep me fit my father who raced for years got me a bike.i had not been on a bike since i was fifteen or so.so anyway i started cycling and loved it plus i ended up going out every weekend with my father who is now in his sixties.both of us done our first wicklow 100 last year and finishing it togeather was easily my best moment on the bike.

RobBaxter

Cycled Galway to Dublin - 180km last Saturday. Great feeling as I have only just taken up cycling. Did it in 7 hours with a few short breaks.

Cycling coast to coast (Dublin-Galway) this Saturday. Can't wait