Tell us about your cycle Yesterday.

dunworth1

Do people prefer to cycle by themselves or with others/group?

Luxman

dunworth1 wrote: »

Do people prefer to cycle by themselves or with others/group?

I like both solitary spins during the week and a group spin at the weekend. They are a good compass to your progress

OldBean

Left at 7.30, got around 50km in on the coast road out to Malahide-ish, and back in with a mate. Beautiful morning out there.

Made myself a 700ml bottle of cold press coffee overnight to have along the way, probably one of the best decisions I've made. Not a fan of the sugary flavours in High5's etc, so I reckon I'll be brewing this from now on.

Alek

Not a bad idea with coffee! I'll try this tomorrow.

OldBean

It's pretty great.

Coarsely ground coffee, 45 grams to 700ml water, put into a cafetiere last night with the filter just below the water level, and then popped in the fridge for the night. Press and pour in the morning.

Alek

Hot water? Overnight brew? Doesn't it taste overcooked?

I'd rather fire up my espresso machine before the ride. Double shot, top up with water and off I go

45 grams to 700ml water

God, thats SIX single espresso shots. You'll be flying

OldBean

Nope, sorry, should have said - cold water, straight from the tap. Hot water gives a fast extraction, hence espresso and filters taking relatively short amounts of time, but a cold press can be done happily overnight. The coarse grind also limits the amount of coffee extracting too quickly too. 8 - 10 hours is usually perfect!

Yeah, and I'd a mug of filter coffee before heading out too. There's arguments for and against filtered coffee having less caffeine than shots of espresso, some reading here: http://coffeechemistry.com/caffeine/caffeine-content-in-espresso-vs-drip-coffee1.html - But I'd say it rounds down to using a single origin arabica bean so you're not getting any/as many of the nasty effects you'll get from drinking ANYthing with robusto in it.

Bring another bottle of plain water to make sure you're keeping hydrated. If you feel over caffeinated, sparkling water and chewing slowly on white bread helps.

/coffee nerd

Alek

Cold water - hmm, never tried this! Will do tonight

There's arguments for and against filtered coffee having less caffeine than shots of espresso

Although we can conclude that drip coffee contains much more caffeine than espresso - this is all due to its much larger serving size - that is 8oz vs 1oz.

It means that you are consuming more caffeine with drip coffee than espresso. Weight-by-weight, 45g of coffee and long extraction will actually give more caffeine to the solution than 45g and superfast/hot extraction. This is because caffeine does not need heat to dissolve in water.

chewing slowly on white bread helps

Do you know why exactly?

nasty effects you'll get from drinking ANYthing with robusto in it.

Manu espresso blends, especially Italian ones, contain robusta for better crema and to balance the taste with some rustic notes. I never felt any side effects of drinking Lavazza Top Class vs. single origin arabica - i.e. Ethiopian Djimmah (my two favorites)

/not so nerdy but still quite... ;-)

OldBean

Alek wrote: »

It means that you are consuming more caffeine with drip coffee than espresso. Weight-by-weight, 45g of coffee and long extraction will actually give more caffeine to the solution than 45g and superfast/hot extraction. This is because caffeine does not need heat to dissolve in water.

But isn't the actual caffeine extracting from the bean, rather than dissolving? I'm not saying filter has less caffeine at all, for the record (especially with a brewing method with such coarse filtering as cafetiere, leaving fines through) - but there's definitely arguments for and against.

Do you know why exactly?

Not exactly, but I assume it's something to do with sugar being released to help the comedown. Or complete placebo, but I've always felt it helps, and it definitely seems the norm at various competitions where people drink silly amounts of caffeine, though that's as much about not upsetting ones palate.

Manu espresso blends, especially Italian ones, contain robusta for better crema and to balance the taste with some rustic notes. I never felt any side effects of drinking Lavazza Top Class vs. single origin arabica - i.e. Ethiopian Djimmah (my two favorites)

/not so nerdy but still quite... ;-)

There's generally twice the caffeine in a single robusta bean to an arabica bean, and up to twice the acids. I don't like anything with robusta in it as I can taste it straight off, and find it harder to stomach - Not something I'd like out on a ride!

Alek

But isn't the actual caffeine extracting from the bean, rather than dissolving?

Extraction of soluble substances = dissolving

Not exactly, but I assume it's something to do with sugar being released to help the comedown. Or complete placebo, but I've always felt it helps, and it definitely seems the norm at various competitions where people drink silly amounts of caffeine, though that's as much about not upsetting ones palate.

Thanks! I'll keep an emergency loaf next to my Rancillio from now on!

There's generally twice the caffeine in a single robusta bean to an arabica bean, and up to twice the acids.

I get it. I still find it a valuable ingredient in a good blend, as long as it is composed well.

Bloggsie

dunworth1 wrote: »

Do people prefer to cycle by themselves or with others/group?

solitary for me, gives me great head space also your not waiting on someone or on the other hand, you dont feel like your holding them back and have to up your game just to keep up with them.

blobbie

OldBean wrote: »

Left at 7.30, got around 50km in on the coast road out to Malahide-ish, and back in with a mate. Beautiful morning out there.

Made myself a 700ml bottle of cold press coffee overnight to have along the way, probably one of the best decisions I've made. Not a fan of the sugary flavours in High5's etc, so I reckon I'll be brewing this from now on.

Sounds like a great idea - basically this method http://tinyurl.com/nhlqaba tweaked for personal preference.

We need a Sally Gap coffee cupping :-)

OldBean

I've a coffee kit that fits into one of my panniers.

Just sayin'

G rock

A nice, sunny, fairly flat (900m) 108km on the fixed gear, marred only by being forced into a big pile of coarse gravel by a lorry which didn't do any favours to my tyre.

Cue a return trip home carried out in a fairly gingerly manner praying that the replaced tube that was protruding through a cut in the front tyre wouldn't blow as well!

Tempted to stick the carradice barley back on to have room for a spare Tyre (other than the one i'm sporting on my midriff these days)

route66

G rock wrote: »

A nice, sunny, fairly flat (900m) 108km on the fixed gear, marred only by being forced into a big pile of coarse gravel by a lorry which didn't do any favours to my tyre.

Cue a return trip home carried out in a fairly gingerly manner praying that the replaced tube that was protruding through a cut in the front tyre wouldn't blow as well!

Tempted to stick the carradice barley back on to have room for a spare Tyre (other than the one i'm sporting on my midriff these days)

A foot of duct tape - tightly wound into a tight cylinder for ease of storage - would have sorted you out.

Something to add to your saddlebag/back pocket?

padjo5

Commuted from Dublin to Drogheda after work. Headed via Oldtown/Naul/snowton. Expected rain, there wasnt a drop. Expected to fly home, felt like it took forever on those climbs bits. Fitness a thing of the past!! Nice to be able to do it though...

Red Belly

Quick 29k around Forth Mountain with 400m climbing just before dusk. Scored a couple of unexpected pbs on climbs.

Beautiful evening for it.

FaulknersFav

Daily commute, normally a high point of work. Bike just serviced and all. Cycling along in the bike lane when some legend swerves right across it to enter an underground car-park. Jammed on the brakes and went for a quick flight. Nasty cuts on face and hands. Knee took brunt of fall. Bike's ok though

rushfan

67km around the general Swords area this morning. Not many cyclists out today. Great weather for it too.

Mercian Pro

FaulknersFav wrote: »

Daily commute, normally a high point of work. Bike just serviced and all. Cycling along in the bike lane when some legend swerves right across it to enter an underground car-park. Jammed on the brakes and went for a quick flight. Nasty cuts on face and hands. Knee took brunt of fall. Bike's ok though

Assuming you were fully in the right, please tell us you called the Gardai, got the legend's registration and insurance details and found a sympathetic witness. Two out of three might do!

happyhappy

saw the forecast for tomorrow so headed out today instead.

greystones to rathnew, then rathdrum and on to glenmalure (for the smallest coffee i've ever seen in rural Ireland, please ditch the fancy cups and give bigger coffees!) then up the shay elliot, laragh to kilmac via roundwood and down N11 home, tired but happy. it was a beautiful day for a spin.

90.1k 1174 gain and 26.1 avg.

2 weeks to the three peaks challenge and I'm looking forward to it after today.

I also came across the most bizarre thing i've seen in a while - half way down the long hill i was braking behind 5 or 6 cars that were slowing me up at 50-55kph. At the bottom I got to pass all the traffic and get to the car at the front, a person on a mobile phone with no idea what was going on around them! I was so shocked (and tired to be honest) I missed the bloody reg! we live and learn!

zl1whqvjs75cdy

200 km, maynooth to Galway. Fairly shattered now. Sunday for the return leg is looking a bit grim, don't know if I'll make it the whole way back but I'll do my best.

Wishbone Ash

donkeyoaty0099 wrote: »

.. Sunday for the return leg is looking a bit grim, don't know if I'll make it the whole way back but I'll do my best.

There's a westerly gale forecast - you'll probably average 35km/h!

Schecter01

Got destroyed coming back through a head wind, wasnt a huge distance but boy it killed me, perhaps I wasn't mentally relaxed enough as I was on my break from work and had a deadline to be back at, still, if say I burned a few more calories than strava would suggest!

golfhead

Well done Donkey - great achievement for you and all the GC gang. Really enjoyed the cycle down. Great craic. The GC crew are amazing.

Reckon you will be fine on Sunday - you won't have to pedal that much with the gale behind us.

See you in Shop St later.

neris

nice pleasent 60k spin up to ballyboughal and then back over to howth for a lap of the hill and home. some breeze on the way back through portmarnock and howth. pedals were spinning but the bike was practically stopped. Good few out this morning.

Should have gone to the gym. The headwind followed me around all the way and I had yet another puncture.:mad:

neris

ronoc wrote: »

Should have gone to the gym. The headwind followed me around all the way and I had yet another puncture.:mad:

Rule 5

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

Red Belly

153.3k, Wexford-Enniscorthy-Gorey-Carnew-Bunclody-Mt. Leinster-Kiltealy-Adamstown-Wexford. 1620m climbing, avg 22.4kmsph. Bloody headwinds were a killer. No stops apart from nature breaks and Karate Kid style "leg warmers on, leg warmers off" stuff as the weather kept threatening to pick up but turned back to ****e within minutes.

Good confidence builder for the Marmotte, and I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that on July 4 this distance gets me nearly to the bottom of Alpe D'Huez with more than twice today's climbing in my legs and the Alpe to come! 😰 <gulp>

crosstownk

I was under a bit of time pressure today so I only had time for a 50km spin to Blessington and back. The headwinds out the Tallaght Bypass were fierce. I was struggling into the wind and I was down to 15km/h at times.

The wind didn't seem as strong once I got to Crooksling. Then I had the usual welcome wind assistance on the way home from Tallaght.

50km, 340m @ 23.4km/h. Nothing special but better than sitting on my hole all afternoon!