Tell us about your cycle Yesterday.

crosstownk

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

...and the sickening part is viewing Strava when you get home and seeing the times made by those near the top of the leaderboard including some of our own Boardsies such as buffalo, Raam etc. :eek::D

I'm getting used to that

I was more pissed off with writing off an almost brand new tyre. Another €65 gone on the bike........... The Mrs. is armed with a frying pan :eek:

gambeta_fc

103km with 1415m climbing at 26.6km/hour.

Letterkenny, Rathdonnell, Glenfin, Commeen, Glenties, Fintown, Letterkenny.

Nice route, enjoy the back road from Glenfin to Glenties over the mountain but one hell of a head wind today. Nice feeling making it to the "turn" all the same to get the wind at the back for the last 40km.

yayamark

Im new to all this so be gentle

Bought a Trek 1.5 last week my 1st ever good bike

I had never used the cleats before so took out the bike for its maiden spin ar a small 5k spin to get used to getting my feet in and out quickly. It went surprisingly well easy eough to handle no mishaps

Had the bike sized its the 64cm. not used to having a saddle so high but that's what the guy in the bike shop reckoned

Anyway onwards and upwards from here. hope to do lots of training for the ROK

Wishbone Ash

TripleMinor wrote: »

Thats an average for the time I was moving. Doesn't take into account stops at control points..

Of course, as an occasional Audax rider, I should have known that! (I usually don't have to worry too much about averaging over 30km/h - I'd be doing well with 25/26 on a 200k).

Wishbone Ash

yayamark wrote: »

...Had the bike sized its the 64cm....

Jesus, that very large! What height are you? Most of us would ride 54/56/58 frames. A friend of mine has a 62 and I thought that was big!

Welcome aboard by the way!

crosstownk

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

Not sure if this will help but after reading about them here and a LOT of research, these seem to be great tyres at a great price (compared to a lot B&M shops and websites, fairplay to Taxman for the heads up:) )

http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/vittoria-open-pave-cg-25x622-black-417473

They are about 60 each in CSC.

Give me a shout if you want to head out next Saturday for a group spin with the Laurels Charity crew? 90km and very friendly 9:30am start.

Thanks for the link. I haven't pulled the trigger on a pair of tyres yet. I'll do some research at lunch time in work tomorrow.

Saturday won't suit as I've to be back by 1230 as the Mrs is bringing her Mam out for mother's day but thanks for the invite.....another time hopefully. I think group spins would be of benefit to me. I'm looking at maybe joining a club towards the end of the year. I'll stay solo until after the WW200 and my intended climb of L'Alpe d'Huez in July.

Wishbone Ash

gambeta_fc wrote: »

103km with 1415m climbing at 26.6km/hour.

Letterkenny, Rathdonnell, Glenfin, Commeen, Glenties, Fintown, Letterkenny.

Nice route, enjoy the back road from Glenfin to Glenties over the mountain but one hell of a head wind today. Nice feeling making it to the "turn" all the same to get the wind at the back for the last 40km.

Just as an aside - I was driving in Co Donegal this morning (Letterkenny, Manor, Newton, Burt, Burnfoot, Fahan, Buncrana, Clonmany etc.) and couldn't get over the amount of cyclists out on the roads :cool: (...and from personal experience, it's not the most motorist friendly county to cycle in. Fair play).

I was a bit disappointed I didn't see any sacrificing themselves on that altar known as the Gap of Mamore! :eek:

Wishbone Ash

crosstownk wrote: »

....I was more pissed off with writing off an almost brand new tyre...

It always amazes me when other cyclists seem to be able to naturally wear out a tyre. With the exception of a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus's which have over 20,000kms on them and are on my fixie (they've never punctured), I've always seem to destroy tyres long before they wear out - usually a large slice through the sidewall giving a blowout and almost always at night (I do a lot of night riding).

ednwireland

ballyshannon kinlough garrison round the windmills and back via the rock to ballyshannon. brutal wind

crosstownk

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

It always amazes me when other cyclists seem to be able to naturally wear out a tyre. With the exception of a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus's which have over 20,000kms on them and are on my fixie (they've never punctured), I've always seem to destroy tyres long before they wear out - usually a large slice through the sidewall giving a blowout and almost always at night (I do a lot of night riding).

20,000km out of pair of tyres is impressive.

All the chippings on the road from hedge cutting ahead of the March deadline is responsible for a lot of binned tyres. Mine had a gash that had the tube visible and I wouldn't be happy riding with the possibility of the tube getting pinched.

devonp

Sunday spin..
went down to Portlaoise this am for the Laois classic sportive
everything went well..except the lack of showers at the end
with the wind and sun got some sunburn only on my face as i had on the bibtights
https://www.strava.com/activities/264989800/overview

not yet

yayamark wrote: »

Im new to all this so be gentle

Bought a Trek 1.5 last week my 1st ever good bike

I had never used the cleats before so took out the bike for its maiden spin ar a small 5k spin to get used to getting my feet in and out quickly. It went surprisingly well easy eough to handle no mishaps

Had the bike sized its the 64cm. not used to having a saddle so high but that's what the guy in the bike shop reckoned

Anyway onwards and upwards from here. hope to do lots of training for the ROK

You must be 11ft 3...:eek:

gambeta_fc

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Just as an aside - I was driving in Co Donegal this morning (Letterkenny, Manor, Newton, Burt, Burnfoot, Fahan, Buncrana, Clonmany etc.) and couldn't get over the amount of cyclists out on the roads :cool: (...and from personal experience, it's not the most motorist friendly county to cycle in. Fair play).

I was a bit disappointed I didn't see any sacrificing themselves on that altar known as the Gap of Mamore! :eek:

Didn't meet too many on my route but did get a full on fist pump salute from a fellow cyclist on the road out of Glenties which brightened up my spin.

There was a duathlon leaving Letterkenny this morning, no idea what route so don't know if that was why you seen plenty on the road.

There's the odd motorist for sure who overtakes quite close but I haven't done enough cycling outside the county to say for sure how different it is, I thought it was fairly normal. Problem with a big county is that by the time I reach the border I normally need to turn and head for home

Wishbone Ash

gambeta_fc wrote: »

..There was a duathlon leaving Letterkenny this morning, no idea what route so don't know if that was why you seen plenty on the road...

Don't think it was anything organised that I saw - just lots of sporadic cyclists of all abilities spread over a large area in different directions but never more that two or three together and mainly in the Innisowen peninsula. Even Mrs WA remarked that Donegal must have gone exercise mad!

gambeta_fc wrote:

..There's the odd motorist for sure who overtakes quite close...

That's what I found any time I've cycled there - much worse than any other county. The boy racers seem to take pleasure at passing a cyclist as close as possible at 100km/h.

shaka

Handy bonk ride today , only 40km but pushed hard for last 10km into the wind.

PaddyFagan

crosstownk wrote: »

Thanks for the link. I haven't pulled the trigger on a pair of tyres yet. I'll do some research at lunch time in work tomorrow.

Just saw these on hduk yesterday, reluctant to post them in bargains thread after the riot over the giant gear

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYVIOPCOEVKX/vittoria-open-corsa-evo-kx-folding-tyre

Paddy

yayamark

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Jesus, that very large! What height are you? Most of us would ride 54/56/58 frames. A friend of mine has a 62 and I thought that was big!

Welcome aboard by the way!

im only 6'6

Cheers

nilhg

My first open race today the A4 race at the Newbridge Grand Prix, hadn't really intended doing an open race but the legs had been feeling good recently and with the route passing my house I said I'd have a go while I could get a one day licence. Two climbs on the course Boston and Dunmurry, I thought it'd be Boston that'd do the harm but it was Dunmurry where things blew apart, in club league races my greatest weakness has been holding a position in a group and it was the same again today, I was too far back and even though I had felt comfortable on Boston and Dunmurry first time round the group split in front of me near the top of Dunmurry and I had to work really hard to get back on. I did recover and was making reasonable progress up the inside on Boston second time round when someone's legs blew suddenly in front of me near the top and again I was at the back and hanging on. The pace up Dunmurry second time was higher, I felt OK for most of it but towards the top people started coming off the back and I was having to work hard to bridge across to the next wheel up. Over the top I was about 15 metres off the back of the group, at the bottom of the descent I was about 40 off but when I turned into the wind I couldn't close the gap and then my legs just blew, a clubmate of mine and a couple of other lads came up from behind and we made the best of our way home after that.

Happy enough with the experience, it was a proper selective A4 race, probably not the ideal one to pick for your first if you're hoping to finish in the group but I think I learned a lot today.

https://www.strava.com/activities/264949508

Wishbone Ash

PaddyFagan wrote: »

Just saw these on hduk yesterday, reluctant to post them in bargains thread after the riot over the giant gear

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYVIOPCOEVKX/vittoria-open-corsa-evo-kx-folding-tyre

Paddy

:eek: €9.79 (was €76.99) - what's the catch?

astraj

I'm getting used to that 

I was more pissed off with writing off an almost brand new tyre. Another €65 gone on the bike........... The Mrs. is armed with a frying pan 

It's nice that your wife has the pan ready every time you come in from a spin

ItsLikeThis

gambeta_fc wrote: »

103km with 1415m climbing at 26.6km/hour.

Letterkenny, Rathdonnell, Glenfin, Commeen, Glenties, Fintown, Letterkenny.

Nice route, enjoy the back road from Glenfin to Glenties over the mountain but one hell of a head wind today. Nice feeling making it to the "turn" all the same to get the wind at the back for the last 40km.

Lime/black bike by any chance?

gambeta_fc

ItsLikeThis wrote: »

Lime/black bike by any chance?

Yip, that was me.

ItsLikeThis

gambeta_fc wrote: »

Yip, that was me.

Met you between fintown and lk, before meenaroy on that bridge on the bad corner, you were fairly moving

crosstownk

astraj wrote: »

It's nice that your wife has the pan ready every time you come in from a spin

That's why I wear a helmet.

secman

Got a 42km spin in on sat, horrible grey day with gale force winds. Did a 55 km spin this morning in lovely spring weather. House, Killenagh , Gorey, Inch, Castletown, courtown, ballygarret home. Delighted after being off the bike for 8 weeks.

gambeta_fc

ItsLikeThis wrote: »

Met you between fintown and lk, before meenaroy on that bridge on the bad corner, you were fairly moving

Ah, easier to get moving on the way down with the wind behind me.

Uphill for dough, downhill for show

custom_build

Wishbone Ash wrote:

 €9.79 (was €76.99) - what's the catch? 

They're 20mm!

Alek

These are 24mm:

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYVIDMIIIPR/vittoria-diamante-pro-iii-folding-radiale

No idea if they're good or bad though.

RainyDay

yayamark wrote: »

Im new to all this so be gentle

Bought a Trek 1.5 last week my 1st ever good bike

I had never used the cleats before so took out the bike for its maiden spin ar a small 5k spin to get used to getting my feet in and out quickly. It went surprisingly well easy eough to handle no mishaps

Had the bike sized its the 64cm. not used to having a saddle so high but that's what the guy in the bike shop reckoned

Anyway onwards and upwards from here. hope to do lots of training for the ROK

Would you mind telling me more about sizing? I'm tall, though not quite as tall as you. I'm finding it a bit of a pain in the ass to find a new bike, as few shops have the XL or equivalent sizes in stock to try out.

Where did you get the sizing done, and did you get to try out the bike for size before you committed?

mad dave

A windy one today. 1 hr 34 from Kells to Delvin via Athboy against the wind and only 45 mins back through Clonmellon withe wind behind us.