Tell us about your cycle Yesterday.

Wishbone Ash

Gave El Teide another go today - last did it 2 years ago. This time I went all the way to the cable car station - almost a 50k climb. Again, I over-paced myself and had plenty left in the tank but I suppose it's better than blowing up! The descent required a lot of concentration and my whole body seemed stiff when I got to lower altitude.

https://www.strava.com/activities/529916828

Borderfox

Did two short spins one on Monday 28km @31kmph was seriously hungover. Got a set of Mavic Cosmic deep rims so got them tried out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/529188648


Today was all four seasons, starting in sunshine and wind going through to light rain and then hailstones. 32km @29kmph a bit hillier but felt a lot better

https://www.strava.com/activities/529869024

ezra_

Herself is heading out for a beginner's group ride next weekend so we went for a little spin.

Ended up introducing her to dragging and bumpy roads... she still seems to love it though!

15k, 20k avg. 230m of climb or so.

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Gave El Teide another go today - last did it 2 years ago. This time I went all the way to the cable car station - almost a 50k climb. Again, I over-paced myself and had plenty left in the tank but I suppose it's better than blowing up! The descent required a lot of concentration and my whole body seemed stiff when I got to lower altitude.

https://www.strava.com/activities/529916828

Meant to add that I rented a bike for the first time (well apart from a few city break rentals). Found it hard to get accustomed to having the brakes the opposite way round. Locked up the back wheel on a switchback on the descent and nearly crapped myself! :eek: The brakes being the wrong way around never occurred to me. I normally take my own bikes but if I'm renting again, I'll ask for them to be switched around if possible!

crosstownk

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Meant to add that I rented a bike for the first time (well apart from a few city break rentals). Found it hard to get accustomed to having the brakes the opposite way round. Locked up the back wheel on a switchback on the descent and nearly crapped myself! :eek: The brakes being the wrong way around never occurred to me. I normally take my own bikes but if I'm renting again, I'll ask for them to be switched around if possible!

I'd a similar experience on a rental. I rented the bike at the top of Alpe d'Huez and despite the fact that I checked the brakes before I took the bike and noticed that they were reversed, I had completely forgotten when I came to the first switchback on the way down. Thankfully I wasn't going to fast as I was still trying to get a feel for the bike.

Damn left hand drive bicycles.

PaulieC

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Meant to add that I rented a bike for the first time (well apart from a few city break rentals). Found it hard to get accustomed to having the brakes the opposite way round. Locked up the back wheel on a switchback on the descent and nearly crapped myself! :eek: The brakes being the wrong way around never occurred to me. I normally take my own bikes but if I'm renting again, I'll ask for them to be switched around if possible!

Where did you rent the bike ? I'll be staying very close to your start/finish point in the summer and was thinking of taking a spin while I am there.

RainyDay

Very pleasant spin yesterday - two hours, 35km (which I know is in the halpenny place for some of you, but it's the most I've done for a number of years now), up past the viewing point, and down to Bohernabreena Reservoir by Cunard Road, a route I hadn't taken before. I was tempted by the path that goes directly east of the reservoir, but wasn't sure that my skinny wheels would survive on that path surface - is it safe for a non-MTB bike?

I hit 72 kpmh coming back down into Tallaght, which was a new record for me also.

smacl

RainyDay wrote: »

I was tempted by the path that goes directly east of the reservoir, but wasn't sure that my skinny wheels would survive on that path surface - is it safe for a non-MTB bike?

The side by the main back gate to the reservoir is fine for any bike. Mostly finely crushed stone a quite flat, about 100m of rougher gravel further on. The other side is a bit more up and down but still quite doable on a road bike. Gets a bit muddy after heavy rain though. I'd often go in via the main gate and do a few laps of the back reservoir at lunch when I'm not in the humour for climbing.

Wishbone Ash

PaulieC wrote: »

Where did you rent the bike ? I'll be staying very close to your start/finish point in the summer and was thinking of taking a spin while I am there.

Bike Point http://www.bikepointtenerife.com/

Very busy shop with a large range of rentals - there was a queue of lads ahead of me picking up bikes. I brought my own helmet, saddlebag, mini pump etc. but they can supply those if you wish.

RainyDay

smacl wrote: »

The side by the main back gate to the reservoir is fine for any bike. Mostly finely crushed stone a quite flat, about 100m of rougher gravel further on. The other side is a bit more up and down but still quite doable on a road bike. Gets a bit muddy after heavy rain though. I'd often go in via the main gate and do a few laps of the back reservoir at lunch when I'm not in the humour for climbing.

THanks - must try that side by the main back gate next time I get down there.

stackerman

Beautiful day, so took a quick spin whilst I had 2 hrs to myself.
40 Km at 26 km average with 420 elevation gain. Happy enough, as decent head wind for a fair part.
Would have loved to stay out and do 70 or more. Where do you find the time
Especially as the weekend looks cat, and I've to attend an in laws wedding.
Would rather cycle on a day like today, beautiful.

moonshadow

Ok so I had a few pints on monday....got home and signed up and paid for a 180k charity cycle in June...��
Since then I'm trawling done deal for a new bike, looking seriously at brooks saddles , and garmin is now in my news feed !
Bit of history , turned my life around in January, I'm 45 this year and was a big fat heap,joined slimming world , started training on a six week trx kettlebell session..progressed well and now doing hot yoga also and have lost 2st11lb ...
now standing at 6ft and 14st and I feel great.
Went to the doc yesterday he didn't recognise me and gave the go ahead to hit the road,
Today I did first spin in an age...25 k @ 24km avg so happy out ,then went for an hour of hot yoga.
Happy out ��

diarmaidol

I actually biked to work on by Bike to work road bike purchase. 25km from Shannon to Castletroy in just over an hour. Can't wait for the return trip.

crosstownk

I had to travel due to work today. As the day progressed I was noting the weather. As I was on my own I decided to head for home early to get out on the bike as I was conscious of the poor weather forecast for the weekend so I left Cork for Dublin. Watching the day's 520km clock up on the dash made me think of watching the kms clock up on the Garmin.

I got out on the bike just before 5pm and headed for Manor Kilbride and back home via Ballinascorney.

What a great evening. Spectacular sunshine. Today's spin felt particularly invigorating thanks to the sunshine and warmer temperature.
Hopefully it's a taster of better weather to come.

41km, 325m @ 24.5km/h.

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Gave El Teide another go today - last did it 2 years ago. This time I went all the way to the cable car station - almost a 50k climb. Again, I over-paced myself and had plenty left in the tank but I suppose it's better than blowing up! The descent required a lot of concentration and my whole body seemed stiff when I got to lower altitude.

https://www.strava.com/activities/529916828

Had another stab at it today and pushed myself more than previously. It's unrelenting all the same (50k at 5%) and, in the last few kms to the cablecar station, the urge to stop and rest/eat was overwhelming but I stuck at it and ended up taking 40mins off my previous PR.

https://www.strava.com/activities/532668406

Daroxtar

Absolutely manky out there today. Left the house in good shape but the dull day got damp then drizzly and shortly afterwards it just started to piss on me. I have no idea which direction the breeze was coming from but it didn't help me much today.
When you're out, you're out though so I tipped along steady enough. Had to stop to de-fog the windscreen once or twice and then took a coffee break around the 60km mark. I was dripping all over the shop but tbh I didn't really care, I just needed to hold something warm to get a bit of feeling back in the fingers. Did the rest of the spin home in even heavier rain and I was fairly glad to get into the warm shower afterwards.

Longwood -Kinnegad -Killucan -Raharney -Ballivor -Trim -Batterstown -Trim -Longwood
102.4 km in 3:33:31 @ 28.8 kmh

https://www.strava.com/activities/533570139

And a sneaky KOM at the start, nice bonus

Andalucia

a bit damp but not too bad I thought as I headed out the door this am.

Damp turned out to be an understatement - it simply began to lash and kept up the whole way -glad to see the back door after 90k, even though I was shivering when I was trying to get out of the wet gear on my return, you just can't beat being out on the bike, however bad the weather

Wishbone Ash

I did this Strava segment on today's ride. I'd say it's the most switchbacks I've done in one go. Great surface for a relatively isolated rural road. (3 Boardsies have done it!)

https://www.strava.com/segments/1989661

EDIT: and thanks to nilhg for making me aware of it.

stampydmonkey

Did bout 85k from irishtown out to howth, malahide, swords around the airport and back the same way. Weather was nice to start but from howth on was mank. Upgraded from stock wheels last week so first ride out and they were lovely. Nice purr from the hub while freewheeling too : ). Even nicer cup of coffee once back.

P_1

A damp 35km out to the airport and back

https://www.strava.com/activities/534249013#kudos

saccades

A very damp 70km from Arklow out past Gorey and back along the coast, enjoyable in that sado-masochistic way. The leg pain must be doing good, right?

ezra_

Very damp and cold spin over the wicklow and sally gaps. Really wasn't in the mood for it but the descent down in Laragh made me happy and set me up for the drag back to the Sally gap.

Very foggy too, which meant that there was no view but it did keep the traffic down.

22k avg or so.

moonshadow

First time out in a group and what a pleasure it was despite the rain, 60 km done around south Louth with an avg of 21kmph , really happy with the new to me bike and with how I felt during it.

drogdub

Have found the turbo trainer great motivation the last three days. The thought of spending an hour or more on it has sent me out the door the last three manky mornings.

Hide behind the post

80km Cycle4CF Sportive down in waterford .... including Seskin "Jaysus" Hill.

Well run event .... rain notwithstanding.... "Blaas" at the end made Seskin Hill well worth it!!!!

dahat

Vee Valley Challenge 2016
[url] https://www.strava.com/activities/534700777[/url]

Miserable sort of a day starting out and a puncture after 20km ensured me and my two buddies were dropped and left to go solo for most of the trip.

Shanrahans Hill is everybit the nightmare i expected it to be but got there in the end. Long old slog from there with some relief in places.

Trekker09

40km relatively flat as I've been lazy since last October. Glad I bought the winter gear as it lashed rain about 5km in. Will start the 60km round trip to work next week

crosstownk

The damp and (light) rain didn't help my spirits this morning. I delayed my departure by two hours. All the while my motivation waned. The good weather spin earlier in the week made today somewhat more depressing.

Eventually, I had to grab the bull by the horns and get dressed and just get out on the bike. The thing that got me out was knowing how I'd feel come six o'clock and no spin.

So I went for a 'bread and butter' route. Out from home to Blessington and back.

53km, 336m @ 24.4km/h.

Still, 205km and 1,600m for the week.

terrydel

Got soaked, the end!

Alanstrainor

Had my first morning commute from my new house (renting!). Glenageary to Fairview, 15.2km. It took me 40 minutes this morning, which was pretty decent going, but I'm dreading the cycle home. I had been covering 11.4km each way before now, but the hill all the way back isn't looking too fun now!