Tell us about your cycle Yesterday.

custom_build

Inspired by the masochism of the evil 200 lads I decided to head down to Laragh last thursday to have a go at the loop of triple evil.
I got around it and was happy out with my effort but between getting there and back I was a broken man for the rest of the day.
(don't know my limits!)

Having done that i decided today to try find some good local climbs and not have to track too far,
I started off with a spin up Ticknock at a slow pace which worked well, (fyi the top section is very slippy with wet pine needles)
then back down and over to Kilmashogue Lane.

I took it at an even pace as I knew there was plenty of climbing ahead and felt great for it, didn't really
struggle at any point which was novel.

Then went up and down Tibradden Lane for the first time which wasn't too bad after Kilmashogue.

From there it was up cruagh and on to Kipure which all went well until the wind really kick in at the top and i managed to piss a little in my own face.
The wind was behind me all the way home and having taken it handy all morning I decided to try a couple of sprints that have been evading me. Ended up with a 10th place and a KOM result!


https://www.strava.com/activities/360267814

Lesson of the day, don't piss in gusting winds.

73km 1,717m up

smacl

First time back on the bike yesterday after a hernia op a couple of weeks ago. Spin around Hook head and Tintern abbey for a measly 42k at a miserable speed, but it still felt great to be back in the bike. Blowy enough on the Hook but warm, and managed a swim in Dollar bay in heavy surf afterwards with the kids which was a blast. Two weeks of keeping things easy left, and will hopefully start to put some longer spins together then.

terrydel

Got 130k odd in today, average 22kmph, a lot of climbing!
Cycled to Laragh via Ballinascorney/Sally Gap, then carried on to do Shay Elliot up to summit of Glemmalure. Was knackered when I got there, think I was low on energy as I didn't eat much this morning. The mars bar I had at the top was fecking marvellous!
Gotta say, the flies going up SE and Glenmalure were cronic, horrible little ****s and hundreds of them. Piss off flies! Welcomed any wind as the little twats couldn't hang around in it.
Went back then and up the other side of Shay Elliot, and back to Laragh.
Had a tea, cracking sambo, cake and can of coke at Clodagh's café. And to the kid who knocked all the tea strainers and spoons onto the floor from the counter, mortifying her poor Mum, thanks for giving me a right good laugh!
Got talking to Paul, a boardsie who's poster name I didn't get, and we cycled back to the Gap via Glenmacnass, we made really good time and it was great to chat away and pass what is often a right old slog of a journey.
Very nice to meet you Paul.
I went down towards Manor Kilbride from the Gap, had a tailwind so was fecking flying! 13k from the Gap I took a right up that big steep hill (Im calling it that as I don't know its name!) and then over Ballinascorney and headed for home in Clondalkin. 5hrs59mins rolling time. Felt good most of the day apart from going up Glenmalure, were I reckon I bonked a little for want of food!
Great days cycling tho, these are the days that tell me why I do it.

Zyzz

Coming down Stocking Lane earlier, doing about 65/70km/h, this boy racer in a Renault Megane is 'drifting' between the cats eyes in the middle of the road...jammed on the anchors, put my hand up to suggest 'Are you serious?', and got a nice middle finger in return.

Be careful out there

oconnpad

terrydel wrote: »

Gotta say, the flies going up SE and Glenmalure were cronic, horrible little ****s and hundreds of them. Piss off flies! Welcomed any wind as the little twats couldn't hang around in it.

Did these climbs a couple of weeks ago and thought the same, and your going that slow you can't get away from them, they follow you all the way up to the top like some kind of insult to your speed.

terrydel

oconnpad wrote: »

Did these climbs a couple of weeks ago and thought the same, and your going that slow you can't get away from them, they follow you all the way up to the top like some kind of insult to your speed.

Hahaha, glad it wasn't just my snails pace then! They really are cronic. Ive used that insect spray hiking before, and it works. May have to get some for the next trip up there.

Wishbone Ash

terrydel wrote: »

....from the Gap I took a right up that big steep hill (Im calling it that as I don't know its name!) and then over Ballinascorney and headed for home in Clondalkin....

Mount Seskin?

terrydel

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Mount Seskin?

Not sure! Leads up to a bunch of houses, its about 500-600m to the top.

Crocked

Sounds like it might be Ballyfolan lane, nasty climb.

http://www.strava.com/segments/810105

terrydel

Crocked wrote: »

Sounds like it might be Ballyfolan lane, nasty climb.

http://www.strava.com/segments/810105

Think that's her alright. Cheers!

Thud

Was up the featherbeds yesterday evening getting blown around in the crosswind, two foreign/tourist looking lads up there on Dublin bikes, anyone else see them?

longfellow deeds

The weather was seriously windy yesterday but i felt a bit guilty as I hadn't been out for a week so I cycled out the Dunlicky road from Kilkee, I managed a 16.5 km/h average for the 13k to Cross village, into what I reckon was the strongest wind and most cutting driving rain I've ever cycled in. I would've turned back but I didn't want to tackle the cliff road because I could feel the wheels moving under me in the gusts, and I wasn't sure of any shortcuts.
I turned back to Kilkee at cross village and hit speeds of 65kph with the gales at my back.
I won't be going out in conditions like that for a while.

Inspector Coptoor

Just completed Malin to Mizen over 5 days.

Day 1 - Malin to Bundoran
Day 2 - Bundoran to Roscommon
Day 3 - Roscommon to Ennis
Day 4 - Ennis to Killarney
Day 5 - Killarney to Mizen Head via Molls Gap and Caha Gap.

The weather over the 5 days was nothing short of shocking

35km/hr head winds, hailstones and monsoon style rain, in August!

Ah sure, it wasn't meant to be easy.

663.4km covered
29 hours 56 mins moving time over 5 days.
Avg speed of 22.1km/hr into a 30km/hr headwind for most of the 5 days.
Max speed of 65.8km/hr
5135m climbed
15,775 calories burned.

Daroxtar

Huge spin Inspector. Chapeau

Went out this evening for a quick spin just to complete my Giro climbing challenge on Strava. Rained all the way and quite breezy too but not cold, quite bearable in fairness.
17 km, 59 m climbed.... 10,000 for the month. My first big strava climbing challenge I went out of stubbornness, I'd done the same spin the other day and my garmin only recorded 3km so I couldn't let it go when I was so close.
Sad, I know. Nearly 40 years old and out in the pissing rain just to get a virtual medal on a glorified video game and the chance to buy a helmet that I probably can't afford.
But I did it and I'm happy
https://www.strava.com/activities/362082490

smacl

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

Just completed Malin to Mizen over 5 days. Avg speed of 22.1km/hr into a 30km/hr headwind for most of the 5 days.

Congrats on a major spin. Thinking if that's the prevailing wind, I'd go Mizen - Malin

Did a short Cruagh - Foxes spin last night which was wet, windy and warm with lousy visibilty. Can't beat the Irish summer.

Bloggsie

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

Just completed Malin to Mizen over 5 days.

Day 1 - Malin to Bundoran
Day 2 - Bundoran to Roscommon
Day 3 - Roscommon to Ennis
Day 4 - Ennis to Killarney
Day 5 - Killarney to Mizen Head via Molls Gap and Caha Gap.

The weather over the 5 days was nothing short of shocking

35km/hr head winds, hailstones and monsoon style rain, in August!

Ah sure, it wasn't meant to be easy.

663.4km covered
29 hours 56 mins moving time over 5 days.
Avg speed of 22.1km/hr into a 30km/hr headwind for most of the 5 days.
Max speed of 65.8km/hr
5135m climbed
15,775 calories burned.

so you couldnt find something harder to to do then? Well done, i bet you decided on August as the weather would be "okay" when you did the planning.

Bloggsie

smacl wrote: »

First time back on the bike yesterday after a hernia op a couple of weeks ago. Spin around Hook head and Tintern abbey for a measly 42k at a miserable speed, but it still felt great to be back in the bike. Blowy enough on the Hook but warm, and managed a swim in Dollar bay in heavy surf afterwards with the kids which was a blast. Two weeks of keeping things easy left, and will hopefully start to put some longer spins together then.

fair play, i bet it felt good to be back out on the bike.

devonp

Hill of Tara (up the easy side)
kept route to the L roads where possible

https://www.strava.com/activities/362522700

ford2600

Solo credit card tour from Santiago de Compestella to Elgoibar in Basque Country.

Intention had been San Sebastian but accommodation troubles on 4th & 5th (Camino walkers take up accommodation ) caused me to lose a few hrs. 55km short not too bad.

690km or so (gamin died yesterday) and circa 10000m climbing. Galica, Asturias etc are lumpy as fcuk. 60 hrs or so all told, plenty good grub off the bike in evening and a little beer.

It is stunning cycling country with only 40 or so km I didn't enjoy.

Pyrenees awaits after a rest day.

Basque grub time!!

BTW Don't ever walk the Camino del norte unless you like walking on hard shoulder a lot.

Hostels are very friendly though and Santiago is great, full of happy people;whether they found Jesus or made a few friends who knows.

Mercian Pro

Intended taking the train to Mullingar and cycling back to Dublin on the canal (well the towpath to be pedantic). Irish Rail forced a change of plan as all the bike places were booked out. Cycled down instead into a lightish headwind. Every possible surface encountered ranging from smooth tarmac to long wet grass. On 28mm road tyres and had to slow to about 15kph in places particularly at the Deep Sinking and somewhere beyond Maynooth that had lots of projecting tree roots. The grassy sections weren't too bad as it cushioned the bumps underneath but it took ages to clear the grass out of the gears and cassette later. Nice lunch in Fury's pub near Moyvally and mainly surfaced roads and paths from there on. Just made it to Mullingar station in time for the train back and wasn't charged for the bike which was nice. It probably would have been more comfortable on a MTB but was an enjoyable spin anyway.

85k in 4:10' which works out at 20.3kph average. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/856904033

Ryder

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

Just completed Malin to Mizen over 5 days.

Day 1 - Malin to Bundoran
Day 2 - Bundoran to Roscommon
Day 3 - Roscommon to Ennis
Day 4 - Ennis to Killarney
Day 5 - Killarney to Mizen Head via Molls Gap and Caha Gap.

The weather over the 5 days was nothing short of shocking

35km/hr head winds, hailstones and monsoon style rain, in August!

Ah sure, it wasn't meant to be easy.

663.4km covered
29 hours 56 mins moving time over 5 days.
Avg speed of 22.1km/hr into a 30km/hr headwind for most of the 5 days.
Max speed of 65.8km/hr
5135m climbed
15,775 calories burned.

Was this a credit card tour or supported? Well done either way

crosstownk

Thankfully I got out today. I'm a fair bit limited at the moment due to a medical condition that has my right leg only slightly better than useless.

The major positive is that the consultant more or less prescribed lots of cycling and walking to help improve things. Happy days.

While it was a short spin today, I pushed as hard as I could and managed 21km at just under 24km/h which is, by far, the best average I've managed since I got back on the bike just over a week ago after 2 months off. It was also the first day I didn't have to stop to rest the leg (except when traffic lights forced me).

Probably the best encouragement is seeing improvement. Roll on the weekend and hopefully some favourable weather.

Inspector Coptoor

Ryder wrote: »

Was this a credit card tour or supported? Well done either way

Two of us cycled it.
We had a support car with us for the whole journey.
Stayed in B&Bs along the way.
Great experience.
Raised over €8k for charity so far

Want to do something bigger and better next summer

Doc07

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

Two of us cycled it.
We had a support car with us for the whole journey.
Stayed in B&Bs along the way.
Great experience.
Raised over €8k for charity so far

Want to do something bigger and better next summer

Fair play to you. I think I spotted you at Tour of Meath with Malin-Mizen jerseys. Blue/purple ones? Well done. Would love to do something like that next summer.

Ryder

Very rare early finish from work so 70 out to manor Hamilton, over the gap to rathfarnam and home. Nice evening for it....first time on the Sally gap in 5 years

Wishbone Ash

Ryder wrote: »

.... out to manor Hamilton, over the gap to rathfarnam and home. Nice evening for it....

Fair play to you - over to Leitrim and back by the Gap after a days work!

Ryder

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Fair play to you - over to Leitrim and back by the Gap after a days work!

Well, I did stop for a Mars bar on the main street

Inspector Coptoor

Doc07 wrote: »

Fair play to you. I think I spotted you at Tour of Meath with Malin-Mizen jerseys. Blue/purple ones? Well done. Would love to do something like that next summer.

Yeah, that was us alright.

The Meath 160 was our last raining spin.

Don't Chute!

44kms yesterday evening from Greystones out the n11 to Enniskerry then up Monastery rd. then up Barnaslingan lane to the Scalp. Then I decided to go up a very narrow lane called Murphys Lane and I couldn't believe the amount of rubbish left up there. I must have seen 4/5 buggies just left on the side of the road, a computer and countless other ****e. People obviously think they can get away with it there because it's so off the beaten track. It's actually a really nice little lane with a lovely view of the Sugarloaf that I don't see very often but it was totally ruined by the state of the place. I just don't understand the mentality of the people who do that.

Anyway, went back to the Scalp and down to Kiltiernan and down Ballychorus rd to Bray and home.

Bloggsie

changed my home commute spin last nite, turned off porterstown road & down rugged lane(what a state that is in, pot holes & cracks every where) then along the lower road & up mount joseph towards fort lucan, suprised by my speed up it (15.1 kph) 30.04 kms in 1hr 18. a strong head wing home has my legs feeling tender today.