Tell us about your cycle Yesterday.

cdaly_

ford2600 wrote: »

Once you you can turn off the voice in your head in middle of event or 400km in which is screaming "what the fcuk are you doing" those long cycles aren't too bad!

I'm fairly hardened to the long distances at this point. I think what got me was that I couldn't stomach any of the food I was carrying for the night hours (nowhere to get food for about 250k after about 8pm) and I hadn't really been enjoying the food I had bought en route. I had perked up a bit by the time I got back to Bray but had lost so much time that I hadn't any real hope of making it back to Roundwood for an 11:36 cutoff time.

If scenery wasn't great, do the Inner Ring this weekend or the Priest's Leap 300 on 23rd August you won't be disappointed.

Be warned Priest's leap is a really tough climb. Scenery on route is best in country; Ballaghbeama, Dunloe, Borlin etc etc

That sounds like a plan...

ford2600

cdaly_ wrote: »

I'm fairly hardened to the long distances at this point. I think what got me was that I couldn't stomach any of the food I was carrying for the night hours (nowhere to get food for about 250k after about 8pm) and I hadn't really been enjoying the food I had bought en route. I had perked up a bit by the time I got back to Bray but had lost so much time that I hadn't any real hope of making it back to Roundwood for an 11:36 cutoff time.

That sounds like a plan...

Signed up for Priest's leap, not sure what numbers will be like.

The Kerry boys will keep you happy on grub front.

Kinet1c

Kinet1c wrote: »

201k Dublin to Galway, charity gig with work. Stuck together, few breakdowns along the way but everyone finished. https://www.strava.com/activities/171648690

I'll not be doing this again on a single speed, legs are proper shot today.

Inspector Coptoor

1st time cycling down home today.
31km around Roscommon as a recovery spin
1 hour 10 mins
Average of 26km/hr

NamelessPhil

Warning this is really long! TL:DR I rode a stupid amount of distance and got up and did it again the next day!

Watching dawn break for the second time over Bray Head in 24 hours is an experience to be savoured, especially when you have cycled 450km since the first time you saw the sun rise.

I probably didn't have the best preparation for this ride. On Wednesday I'd ridden a hilly 55km (1300m), on Thursday I did the Inter-Club League race in Brittas and was dropped after three laps. I hadn't rested enough in the lead up to the weekend and I definitely didn't sleep enough on Friday night.

The alarm woke me at 04:15. I dressed and packed the last items into my rack bag and back pack. I had to ride 20km to Bray before the start with a change of clothes, towel, toiletries and a sleeping bag for the overnight in Bray Wheelers club house. The ride to Bray should take a leisurely hour, but as usual I was late out the door and had to ride at a faster pace into the rising red sun to get there for 6:00am.

I arrived just as the pre-ride briefing was taking place. Noel and Paul told us about the information controls and wished us good luck. I didn't do a head count but I'd guess that there were about 20 riders. I was the only woman, I scuttled into the club house and dropped my bag and signed on.

The climbs started immediately, down into Enniskerry and up to Glencullen via Killegar Road. I met some familiar faces from previous rides and small groups of us would form and re-form over the course of the day. The sky had clouded over and although it was warm and humid the rain would threaten us eventually starting near Athy.

My house is about 5km from Cruagh Road and as we swept down the descent from Glencullen I was sorely tempted to go home and go back to bed, it was only 7:00am and I'd even get a lie-in! The nearly constant climbing over the hills of South Dublin and Kildare meant that we had climbed over 1000m by the time we reached 60km. It also meant that my average speed was only 20km an hour.

Near Kilcullen the route sheet sent us awry and we waited for a larger group who navigated the narrow country lanes with certainty and rode with them as far as Athy and the first control at 100km. The westerly headwind was a problem once we turned onto the N78 to Athy and our group turned it into a team time-trail with the strongest riders pushing into the wind. After Athy the group splintered and I paired up with one other rider who will henceforth be known as "The Windbreak" because he rode his socks off into that westerly wind all the way to Kinnity.

As I have noted before on audax rides, life is happening around you while you get on with the business of riding your bike. At Cadamstown there was a massive country funeral with a huge outpouring of people and cars on the way to Kinnity. We tried not to interfere with the cortege and remained a respectful distance from the front.

After Kinnity the road turned upwards once more over the Wolftrap climb and the Slieve Bloom mountains. That was the first time I've ridden the bike down there and I'll go again. The Wolftrap is a testing climb, the hardest part being the false flats on the way to the summit. When I'd ridden the last one I felt like Rocky Balboa running up the steps and I should've punched the air as I crested the summit.

The descent is great, nice roads and not too many blind bends. By now it was mid-afternoon and the rain remained on the north side of the mountains. We encountered a wedding party with bridesmaids in coral dresses outside a church near Coolrain, again we tried not to get in the way of the bridal procession.

The rolling hills of Kilkenny took their toll and we were flagging by the time we reached the next control at Callan (254km). We stopped for food, reckoning that as it was 6:00pm it would be worthwhile stocking up before nightfall. Having cleared out the remaindered stock from the deli-counter we set off into the evening, only realising that we'd gone the wrong way for 5km and had to double back.

Re-finding the route we pressed on through Kells and another outdoor mass near a round tower and church with a large crowd standing outside listening to the priest give the blessing. Again my companion acted as a fine domestique and pulled me along at a great pace through Gowran and Paulstown. We saw some other audaxers that we'd passed earlier near Bagnelstown and we stopped soon after to add lights and night time clothing.

On through Rathoe(Rathtoe?) into the dusk plagued by insects and moths fluttering past our lights. We skirted Tullow and at 11:00pm encountered an open chipper in Rathvilly. The counter staff were really helpful, re-filling our water bottles and even going back to their own house for milk when they ran out! Some other audaxers caught up with us and we persuaded them to join us for chips. The next control was only 10km away at Hacketstown and it was good to have a bigger group.

At Hacketstown the cards were signed off and one of our companions was found ensconsed in the pub getting on grand with the locals. By now it was midnight and I was very tired. I was finding it hard to concentrate on following wheels and let the group slip away from me on the cool night-time roads on the way to Laragh. It was easier to ride on my own. At one point I stopped to change batteries in my light and looked up at the Milky Way and caught the brief streak of a shooting star.

The whirr of my wheels was my only companion on the road to Laragh when I met another participant and rode behind him on the way back to Roundwood. I could see his light in the distance every now and then. By now the sky was beginning to lighten in the north-east and the Sugar Loaf was silhouetted against the brightening horizon.

The last 10km into Bray involves the descent of Red Lane, not easy in the dark and then a convoluted climb around the back of Bray Head to the last information control 4km from the finish.

I rode back into the clubhouse at 4:10am to be met by sleeping bodies and the prospect of spaghetti carbonara and a shower. I slept on the floor of the women's toilets, setting my alarm for 7:50am but I woke up to the sound of voices at 7:30am.

Left the house at half six to cycle to work (45km). Felt that recognisable wobble / bounce on the back wheel when the pressure is low. Was just 10km in so took the easy option to pump up the tyre and fly home, shower, and then drive to work.

Still, 21kms done this morning, not terrible for a Tuesday before 8am I suppose.

magicbastarder

NamelessPhil wrote: »

Warning this is really long! TL:DR I rode a stupid amount of distance and got up and did it again the next day!

so what's next? are you going to everest howth hill?

Koobcam

Dónal wrote: »

Left the house at half six to cycle to work (45km). Felt that recognisable wobble / bounce on the back wheel when the pressure is low. Was just 10km in so took the easy option to pump up the tyre and fly home, shower, and then drive to work.

Still, 21kms done this morning, not terrible for a Tuesday before 8am I suppose.

I got a puncture after about 6km (of 50), was very tempted to head back and jump in the car but decided to keep going, though it took me ages to pump the tyre back up-those micro-pumps are really handy except for when you have to use them to actually pump air into your tyres.

simonrooneyzaga

A mate of mine got me in to the Trinity lab yesterday to do a lactate tolerance test. Set a cadence of 80 for the whole thing, started at 120kw and every 3 minutes it went up 30kw. They take a blood sample towards the end of each block too. I finished the 330kw and did about 30 seconds of the 360 before blowing up.

They now graph my lactate results v heart rate / vo2 max and it will be plain to see where I blew up, my lactate rose sharply to over 14 on the last reading. They can then set me various training zones to try and expand my lactate tolerance. Looking forward to learning more about it once the results come in.

Pretty cool set up in the lab, will be interesting to see the difference in 8 weeks or so given that I've only really been out training for cycling since April.

quozl

I did something like that 15 years ago with Shane Stokes for his MSc. I couldn't even ride a bicycle back then but he got me on an exercise bike in their lab, put a mask on to measure CO2 output (I think) and kept stabbing me in the finger with a fecking pin every couple of minutes while gently encouraging me not to give up

Then I had to do it all again about a month later!

Every time I see an article by him in the media I remember what an evil fecker he is

simonrooneyzaga

quozl wrote: »

I did something like that 15 years ago with Shane Stokes for his MSc. I couldn't even ride a bicycle back then but he got me on an exercise bike in their lab, put a mask on to measure CO2 output (I think) and kept stabbing me in the finger with a fecking pin every couple of minutes while gently encouraging me not to give up

Then I had to do it all again about a month later!

Every time I see an article by him in the media I remember what an evil fecker he is

Yeh the pricks are sore, although I only needed two as she could just squeeze out more blood from the initial ones!

NamelessPhil

TL:DR Woman completes long ride and has a moan about it in the middle.

I woke at 7:30am to the sound of voices discussing yesterday's triumphs and trials. As I lay on the bathroom floor (for the first time since my student days) I willed my eyes to open. Two and half hours sleep is all I'd got since I last climbed off the bike.

I rolled out of the sleeping bag and took stock, my legs felt fine, my sunburn was matching the red sleeves of my club jersey and there was no mirror to see my face which was probably a good thing. Washed and dressed I went into the main room for breakfast of tea and toast, stepping carefully around sleeping bodies on the floor.

If you ever want to replicate the feeling of a hangover without drinking, I can recommend riding a multi-day audax event. I couldn't stomach much food for breakfast so I repacked my rack bag and checked my bike. Not everyone had arrived back in the control and some were already packing it in, either through tiredness or mechanical issues. I watched a rider try and fit another's saddle to his bike with no success which meant a DNF for him.

Restocked with food I headed out at 9:10am to complete the 180km of the 600km. The first climb of the day was the Red Lane that I had descended some five hours previously. I met some other riders walking up it but I managed to get to the top without my legs screaming at me to stop.

The first control was at Roundwood after some narrow, rutted country lanes. I made it with an hour to spare, something that would happen for the rest of the day, leaving me with little extra time if I got a puncture or mechanical. In Roundwood the man behind the counter where I bought a tea and some cake looked at me quizzically and I explained that I was completing a 600km ride, yes I needed a receipt and no I wasn't doing it for charity, just for fun!

The descent to Ashford was a relief but the drag out of Wicklow town on the way to Brittas took its toll. By now it was hot and the shorts I was wearing were chafing, despite copious amounts of chamois cream. I changed them because feeling like a half-shaved badger is not conducive to doing a long ride. This is why audaxers look like snails with their homes on their backs because we bring spares of everything.

My navigational skills failed me on the way to Arklow and I had to re-climb a hill I had descended to rejoin the route. Arklow was at 60km and I reached it at 1:00pm. At my present rate of progress I had nine hours to complete 120km and it was looking tight as fatigue bore down on me.

The rolling, steep, potholed hills on the way to Hollyfort via Coolgreany are the closest I've found to the Belgian Ardennes. I was nearly crying as I inched my way up the final climb to the control at the crossroads in Hollyfort. The sound of GAA commentary at full volume greeted me from the open door of the shop/pub. Wexford were playing Limerick and a partisan crowd were roaring their team on.

I entered the shop and the publican dashed out to serve me and check I wasn't robbing the place, I selected an icecream (loop-the-loop) and he rushed back to the telly to see the next point scored. He scuttled back out to take my money and returned to the darkened interior of the bar to watch the game.

I sat outside in the sunshine and collected myself and phoned my ever supportive husband who was back in Dublin supervising the buying of Lego with our daughter. I had a good whinge about how hard the ride was and that it was taking me ages to get round. I still had 100km to go and it was 2:00pm. I struggled back onto the bike and rode on to the next control at Carnew where I had another icecream, a Feast, the poor man's Magnum.

After Carnew the road seemed strangely familiar, I eventually realised that I'd ridden it in the opposite direction and I was now descending what I would usually climb on the Ardattin 200. The day was still hot but clouding over and I could see rain over the Wicklow Gap. The route circumnavigates Croghan mountain and you know that you will be climbing again soon.

The final information control was in Ballycoog where another audaxer caught up with me and I had company for the first time that day. We descended at speed into Arklow and I finally began to think that I might get back earlier to the finish, this thought spurred me on and I finally found some speed in my legs.

The thought that I only had 40km to go pushed me up the coast road through Newcastle and Greystones. Even the Windgates climb out of Greystones couldn't stop me now. Descending Bray Head was a relief and I rolled into the club house at 8:10pm to be met by the organiser with a camera! I had completed the longest ride ever in my life and I actually felt ok.

It was tough, hot, plenty of climbing and I rode most of the second day solo. I have often thought that after a big ride that if I had to go out the next day and ride again I could and now I know I can.

carleigh

Morning all. I'm new to all this cycling business, just bought a bike yesterday, my first since my beloved Raleigh Camero that I got for my 13th Birthday. It's a Butler Explorer 200, and I did my first cycle last night, just over 8km in 34 mins, and this morning I went a little further, 10km in 44 mins including a quick water break. Its just for a hobby that I got the bike, I do alot of walking so its to do something different. I wont be doing any mad distances! But I have decided I will have to buy some padded shorts! The route I cycle/walk is part of the Wild Atlantic Way in West Clare.

G1032

Was staying out in my home (parents) house last night. Went for a 50km spin after work. The roads were an absolute total and utter disgrace. Bone shaking for the most part. Never again am I going to complain about some of the roads I have to cycle on in Mayo (well maybe I'll have just a little moan the odd time!)

magicbastarder

NamelessPhil wrote: »

I watched a rider try and fit another's saddle to his bike with no success which meant a DNF for him.

how many took part? was there any grouping, or was it everyone for him/herself?

smacl

NamelessPhil wrote: »

It was tough, hot, plenty of climbing and I rode most of the second day solo. I have often thought that after a big ride that if I had to go out the next day and ride again I could and now I know I can.

Major kudos for completing a hilly 600, I'd struggle to do that in a week!

Rew

Wasn't quite today but...

Left the house to go to work 30 seconds in I was looking at my front wheel and thinking it wasn't perpendicular to the handle bars after it was serviced and I clipped the kerb...

10 stitches in my right hand, sprained left hand, my iphone is now curved and my pride is severely dented

Bloggsie

Rew wrote: »

Wasn't quite today but...

Left the house to go to work 30 seconds in I was looking at my front wheel and thinking it wasn't perpendicular to the handle bars after it was serviced and I clipped the kerb...

10 stitches in my right hand, sprained left hand, my iphone is now curved and my pride is severely dented

ouch.

Bloggsie

Mine today, 28.1kms from maynooth to dublin city centre. 1hr14. (no strava details something amiss with syncing it) chased again by that hoor of a collie just after the wrens nest pub in the strawberry beds, a mate who knows the route from frequent weekend spins told me this morning " oh yeah he's been chasing me & every cyclist for years!" I just powered on & he gave up after 3-4 seconds knowledge is power, wasnt expecting it on Monday.
B******d dog scared the sh1te out of me.

cdaly_

NamelessPhil wrote: »

*epic 600k audax*

Chapeau missus. Only a 300 to go now...

magicbastarder wrote: »

how many took part? was there any grouping, or was it everyone for him/herself?

17 riders started out, 11 finished.

As an endurance event, ultimately it's every rider for her/himself. Groups will form and will split depending on fractional differences in pace (0.1 kph difference over 40 hours adds up to 4km) or on how long an individual dawdles at a stop. I frequently end up riding half or more of an audax solo.

Audax is all about self-reliance. There is no broomwagon, no feed stops (mostly), nobody to sort you out if you have a breakdown (of either kind). You bring what you need (spare parts, food, clothing) or shop en-route. You navigate from a turn-by-turn routesheet and you get very fond of your own company.

Alek

Audax is all about self-reliance. There is no broomwagon, no feed stops (mostly), nobody to sort you out if you have a breakdown (of either kind). You bring what you need (spare parts, food, clothing) or shop en-route. You navigate from a turn-by-turn routesheet and you get very fond of your own company.

Can I consider myself a randonneur if I do Audax events with my cycling buddy, only one of us carry spares and we both use GPS nav?

Well, we haven't tried anything longer than 200 km yet, maybe after a 600km we'll be cycling buddies no more ;-)

NamelessPhil

Some people do it with nothing more than a small saddle bag with a spare tube and pump and that is pretty much all I'll use for a 200. For a 400 or 600 you'll be riding through the night so spare clothes to allow for temperature changes and lights and reflective clothing are all necessary.

The ability to carry food is also important because if you are a slow rider nothing will be open and you might have to do 100 -150km before you find an open shop.

I use a Garmin 500 and it doesn't follow a course very well over long distances, so I use it as a speedo and to upload to Strava afterwards. I bring a physical copy of a map and the routesheet. If you keep an eye on your distance you can follow the instructions perfectly. Also the GPS files sometimes have glitches.

magicbastarder

so, did you get any earworms that proved impossible to shift?

The green and red

First time poster here in cycling.

Trying to get into a bit more cycling here in Mayo for the remainder of the summer and then the South Dublin area come September.
Im on a fairly old Peugot Road bike which is a step up from my old mountain bike. Id use it to cycle into GAA training and the like so nothing over 10k really.

This morning I did a local 20k loop, a small bit of climbing and the roads were poor enough so I had to take it easy in spots. I came in at 45 minutes but would like to cut that by five or ten minutes by the end of August.

hueylewis

Went out to enniskerry today via kilternan, and back by the devil's elbow for the first time. Usually do it the other way round. I was a bit too cautious in conserving energy for some reason and ended up taking that part of the route a lot slower than I would have liked. I knew two descents on my usual route would be two tough ascents this time round, but they turned out to be easier (relatively) than I was expecting, and my caution wasn't really justified.

Prior to that I was trying to improve on my time through the glencullen area, and I'm starting to regret my impatient purchase of a bike with a less than ideal crankset (48-34). The bike's great, but a 50-34 would be far preferable, and now I'm considering ditching the compact entirely and switching to a 53-39.

magicbastarder

The green and red wrote: »

This morning I did a local 20k loop, a small bit of climbing and the roads were poor enough so I had to take it easy in spots. I came in at 45 minutes but would like to cut that by five or ten minutes by the end of August.

not bad going for a hilly road, i'm struggling to break 45mins on a fairly flat 21km loop i do, and i'm just back on the bike in the last month.

G1032

hueylewis wrote: »

Went out to enniskerry today via kilternan, and back by the devil's elbow for the first time. Usually do it the other way round. I was a bit too cautious in conserving energy for some reason and ended up taking that part of the route a lot slower than I would have liked. I knew two descents on my usual route would be two tough ascents this time round, but they turned out to be easier (relatively) than I was expecting, and my caution wasn't really justified.

Prior to that I was trying to improve on my time through the glencullen area, and I'm starting to regret my impatient purchase of a bike with a less than ideal crankset (48-34). The bike's great, but a 50-34 would be far preferable, and now I'm considering ditching the compact entirely and switching to a 53-39.

Ya. I've a 52-39. I can't see me switching to a compact any time soon. Stick a 12-30 on the back and you'll climb anything. I also have a 12-25 which is fine 99% of the time.

Boscoirl

First proper ride this evening, only got the bike 1.5 weeks ago(firest road bike), but due to work and social commitments, have not got out on it as much as I wanted( only did about 80km in total' all shot runs 10-15km).

Was it itching to get out as I drove home from work this evening.

Managed 33km, with a 24kph avg from Nenagh in the old limerick road as far as the ballina turn(into a head wind), and back again, was starting to struggle by the time I turned back. That's when I found out I was gradually climbing the whole way out, flew back to nenagh(by my standards) at a leisurely 35-40kph. At first I was a bit disappointed in myself for turning back too early, but now I am glad I had more in the tank when I got home, looking forward to going out again tomorrow. I have definately come a long way from 4weeks ago, when I got my hybrid out and did 10k around the nenagh bypass and was completely cream crackered.

Will do the same route tomorrow evening and will aim for birdhill and back.

Peterx

I'm struggling with the today part...
Lovely Spin down through Blessington and over the Wicklow Gap into Glendo last evening.
After the sharp shock of Ballinascorney driving the heartrate through the roof the relative flatness along the N81 into Blessington made up for the many many cars and then once off the N81 it was blissfulness and mainly a car free zone until the end. Saw a man exercising a wee flock of homing pigeons and it was still warm enough to descend the Wicklow Gap without needing a gilet after busting a gut trying to get up there in a decent time for the oul strava stats.
And then a lift home with the chat after the solitude spin. All good.

fillup

Being on a Nord Cider cyclist, Howth is the spuds in my meat and two veg of a cycling diet. It’s the staple in most of my midweek spins.
Usually I ascend over the Sutton side then descend into the village, turn around in the car park across from Il Panorama (mmm mm espressos) and climb back up to the Summit keeping the church on my right hand side as I exit the village (Thormanby Road?)
I had heard that the climb to the right of the church (Balglass Road?) up to Balkill road was tougher and I had reccied it in the car last week just to see what it was like, there’s nowt worse than climbing a hill and not knowing what’s around the next corner. There are few things in life more soul destroying than slogging up a hill, rounding a corner and seeing the road continue to rise into the distance.
Anyways I digress… I gave it a shot yest morn and I can happily report that it is indeed a ball and lung buster. There’s a bend on it with a very steep incline that had me standing full weight on the pedals in the lowest gear just to keep the buggers turning.
No land speed records were broken and it’s not quite Ventoux but I’m quite chuffed that I managed it in one piece.
I noticed a road off it, Windgate Road that keep climbing higher up the hill so I guess I’ll have the haul ass up that next time I’m out there