Tell us about your cycle Yesterday.

Dipsomaniac

Went on my longest ever solo spin last Saturday. Second longest spin to date with most climbing.
Did the Orwell Randonnee 2013 route. 140KM, 2293m climbing in 5hrs 45mins rolling.

Met Hmmzis and petethedrummer at the top of Shay Elliot as they were doing the Evil. Saw plenty of other boardies climbing Shay Elliot.

wanderer 22

Dipsomaniac wrote: »

Went on my longest ever solo spin last Saturday. Second longest spin to date with most climbing.
Did the Orwell Randonnee 2013 route. 140KM, 2293m climbing in 5hrs 45mins rolling.

Met Hmmzis and petethedrummer at the top of Shay Elliot as they were doing the Evil. Saw plenty of other boardies climbing Shay Elliot.

nice one, planning to do the same myself this Saturday.

Dipsomaniac

colm18 wrote: »

nice one, planning to do the same myself this Saturday.

Cheers. I got very lucky with the weather. Hopefully you get a good spell.

TonyStark

Had an interesting 20K jaunt on Sunday. Day before I had done a nice loop from Maynooth -> Kilcock -> Enfield -> Clane -> Maynooth by first 60km nestling in at a nice average of 26kmph, good for me. :-)

Sunday I decided to stretch the legs and make use of the fine evening for a short loop to Kilcock and back. Got to the junction at bridge street and pass through it, nothing coming down the road. So I cross the road. Nice busy evening in Kilcock traffic parked on the left hand side as I move down a one way section of street about 200ms in length before it joins with the main road again.

Traffic is parked on the left so I slip out a good car doors worth away from the traffic parked up on the left and next thing I realise that there is something big just arrived behind me. My choice is to continue on for a few seconds and clear the parked traffic or pull in and try to let him squeeze by me. So I hold the position knowing that in a few moments I will have passed the parked traffic and he can go his way rather than be squeezed up against some parked vehicles.

Next thing I hear him revving the engine behind me and I feel him right on my shoulder. Quickly look behind and see this 4x4 Jeep thingy. The traffic is parked for about 50-60m and it would have taken just a few seconds to clear it. He was pretty much on my wheel revving up his engine. Moments later I pass the parked traffic and filter to where the cars were. Overtakes me at speed with his passenger gesticulating. It was pretty close, wobbled a bit but was ok kinda shaken by the whole thing. If I had my hand out I would have easily touched the side of the vehicle. It was all over in a matter of seconds.

Anyway pedal on and he leaves me for dust got a glimpse at the reg but nothing more. Move further up to kilcock and I see him parked up at the garage. I move in and clock his number plate. I stop and make a note of it contemplating on reporting him a bit shaken from the whole thing. He comes of the shop then see's me.. and marches down telling me "I was in the middle of the road holding him up.. ". I told him then that he nearly knocked me off my bike when he passed close to me. He said that I had nothing better to do other than be out cycling. I said then I was thinking about reporting him and that revving of the engine was aggressive behaviour. He bullishly said go ahead and he'd go up to the Garda station around the corner to sort it out. So he marches with me around the corner to the station I pedalled a little bit ahead of him, he was hopping mad and I was a bit wary to be honest. We got to the station. No one was there there so pressed the button and the phone rang out.. he started to give it loads about how I was cycling in the middle of the road. I said to him I was doing that to keep myself safe because there wasn't enough room with the parked cars to the side, and that when he did overtake me he nearly knocked me off my bike. I asked him why he was revving his engine up behind me... and he said it was to warn me that he was behind me. I said to him I never read that bit in the rules of the road and thought that he was driving much to close. Conversation was getting a bit circular with him coming up with nothing more than me cycling in the middle of the road. As soon as he knew that there was nothing doing with the Gardai he turned on his heel marching away saying what a wimp I was... with nothing better to do than hold him up. :-(

quozl

I'd a very similar incident on the terenure road between terenure college and bushy park, TonyStark, last Thursday around half nine.

I was checking behind me every 20-30 seconds as it's a narrow road up that end and IMO not enough room to safely overtake without crossing the central line - so I want to encourage that.

Heard a loud beep behind me, turned around expecting to see a car a bit back and found him right behind me. I swerved (must have tensed right up or something stupid), we connected and my front wheel is a goner.

Quite annoying, why someone would tail gate a cyclist I don't know. His defence was that he'd been there for four or five seconds!

Four or five seconds? He must have been heading somewhere pretty important!

inc21

3.87km + 27.83km + rain + beginner without no rain gear = cold and knackered
but it was worth it.
Interestingly I saw more fellow cyclist today (3) in the rain than the other day (0) when the weather was nice.

Anybody else using any sort of GPS?
Here is mine http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/202051196/10607425

MrJetlag

Mixed 2 day of cycling.
Haven't been cycling long and got my bike on bike to work scheme last October. Have had it parked up for the winter and started cycling again last week.
Yesterday on my commute from Swords into IFSC I hit a load of refuse and broken glass on Seville Place and ended up with a rear puncture. I reckon I wasn't the only one as the road was filthy.
Contacted Dublin City Council and in fairness they cleaned the road later that day.
Today was my first time cycling in rain ever and it felt as if the back of the bike wanted to slide on me.
Got into Swords Village and had I brake at Traffic lights at the castle.
Was braking from about 24 kmh and the bike did a little slide as I came to a stop, back wheel went up on the air and I ended up going over the handlebars and on the ground in front of a car at the red light.
In fairness a guy waiting on the bus flew over to me to make sure I was okay.
Got home in one piece but ribs are a little sore now and trying to figure out should I cycle again tomorrow or leave the bike home and bus it.

BofaDeezNuhtz

Went out at 8.
Got pissed on until I returned around 10.
Balls like prunes.
That is all...

geros29

Short spin 45km with my enthusiast but rather slow mom this morning.average about 25kph so not too bad for late 50s! !
Her not me! Forgot my cycling shoes so trainers had to suffice.mite head out with club for spin this evening.maybe...

wuzziwig

Wow it's great reading all the distances you do. I'm a total newbie (only had my second spin on my new bike last night). I only went 14.71km in 46 mins with an average speed of 19kph (exact same speed as my first spin). I'm still getting used to the bike so after a few more runs I'll start looking at upping my speed.

I'm extremely nervous of traffic coming up behind me. I cycle on mainly country roads (some have hard shoulders but not many) and I'm finding it really scary. Especially when cars pass you as if you aren't even there. Some have come so close that I've wobbled in fright. I'm afraid that I'm going to go under a wheel before too long. Any tips on calming my nerves?

Zyzz

Suzuki_TL1000R wrote: »

Went out at 8.
Got pissed on until I returned around 10.
Balls like prunes.
That is all...

We still talking about cycling here? :pac:

TonyStark

wuzziwig wrote: »

Wow it's great reading all the distances you do. I'm a total newbie (only had my second spin on my new bike last night). I only went 14.71km in 46 mins with an average speed of 19kph (exact same speed as my first spin). I'm still getting used to the bike so after a few more runs I'll start looking at upping my speed.

I'm extremely nervous of traffic coming up behind me. I cycle on mainly country roads (some have hard shoulders but not many) and I'm finding it really scary. Especially when cars pass you as if you aren't even there. Some have come so close that I've wobbled in fright. I'm afraid that I'm going to go under a wheel before too long. Any tips on calming my nerves?

Started out about 2 years ago on a hybrid and started doing distances from 6-10kms. We've all been there at some point.

The best tip is to cycle as if they weren't there. Most if not all of them will see you before you even become aware of them. 99.999% don't want the complicated paperwork of killing a cyclist... My advice is to maintain your line and keep out a reasonable distance from the side of the road. 3ft seems like the norm (open to correction). Just means you have somewhere to go if you do wobble a bit. It'll give you a bit of reassurance that there is a place to go. It's really a matter of getting used to other vehicles and trying not to think too much about them.

If your moving about the road: look, signal and maneuver and be assertive as you can. :-)

Don't be a "wimp" like me :-/

wuzziwig

Thanks TonyStark. I suppose the more I got out the faster I'll get used to it. I find it a bit intimidating at the moment. I'm a total wimp too. I was sweating coming up to a big roundabout on my first cycle but the road was quite so I managed it ok. I'm not sure how I'll do when it's busy. I think I need to get into a mindset that says "I have as much right to this patch of road as anyone else".

inc21

did 51k in 2h 10m. Bit too much for a newbie. 3rd day on back the bike. Seemed like world was against me, wind, rain and few steady climbs felt powerless at times. My trainers got soaking wet pretty early and feet were freezing. Have to invest (more) in proper shoes I think.

MB Lacey

inc21 wrote: »

My trainers got soaking wet pretty early and feet were freezing. Have to invest (more) in proper shoes I think.

When it's raining, I put these BBB Waterflex over my shoes, for the most part they keep my feet dry and toasty, sometimes wet does get in but they still help.
Like this morning I wore them through the rain and arrived at work with dry feet - makes a big difference.

chainsawman

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

118km with Swords CC this morning out around Meath.
25km commute to work, 25km commute home.

Great !!! Did you lose any weight with your cycling ?

MB Lacey

I had to cycle to Terenure from UCD last night, didn't know exactly where I was going so looked it up on google map.
Clicked on the Cycle Route option and it actually came up with a route for my bike.
The route was so perfect - it took me through Dodder Park, following the Dodder river as far as the Dropping Well, out onto Milltown Rd, left down a hill, back through another park, saw a lovely waterfall, then through Orwell park and out again on a cycle path on Lower Dodder Rd, again following the river - all very countrylike and a welcome avoidance of traffic.

inc21

MB Lacey wrote: »

When it's raining, I put these BBB Waterflex over my shoes, for the most part they keep my feet dry and toasty, sometimes wet does get in but they still help.
Like this morning I wore them through the rain and arrived at work with dry feet - makes a big difference.

Thanks for that, will look into those.
If anything else you want to have proper rain gear in this country.

Amprodude

inc21 wrote: »

Thanks for that, will look into those.
If anything else you want to have proper rain gear in this country.

50km today. I got soaked.

TiBoy

Amprodude wrote: »

50km today. I got soaked.

Ditto

Seweryn

Amprodude wrote: »

I got soaked.

Me too, but I didn't care much. Everyday life .

TiBoy

Seweryn wrote: »

Me too, but I didn't care much. Everyday life .

the soaking does'nt bother me:D

but the 70 kmph wind gusts....not so much:(

Amprodude

Seweryn wrote: »

Me too, but I didn't care much. Everyday life .

The cold wind with it, is what bothered me.

Felloffmebike

76k starting in Navan and around by Kilmessan, Dunsany, Dunshaughlin, Ratoath, Ashbourne and home by back roads through Curragha, past Tayto Park and on to Rathfeigh and the Hill of Skryne and back by Johnstown. 8 lads in the group. For some reason my GPS told me I had been playing baseball, not cycling for the 2 and a half hours. Don't think so..

McGrath5

Went for a spin up Cruagh road, then on up Military road.

The weather started of nice and sunny with a light breeze, then on Military road it started to lash, got soaked, the rain stopped, then the hail stones started to pelt down, by the time I got back to Cruagh road the sun was shining again.

Pretty much sums up the Irish summer.

Thinkingaboutit

Just an effort to follow the Dodder from Rathfarnham to Templeogue Village to Balrothery Weir and then up to Tallaght Village with my Dad. It was a tiny bit annoying to keep having to lift bike over those gates in the Dodder Valley Park. Pretty good, otherwise. Cycle Inn replaced the left gear selector and cable for little enough (15 Euro). Then returned via path beside N81, all good. Little or no rain.

geros29

70km loop around dunmanway/bantry.picked up few top 10s on strava including 7th from kealkil to cousane gap.happy enough.knees were killing me since spinning Thurs.spin softened em out.club spin in morning.

MrJetlag

Great Cycle on Friday Morning, broke 50 mins for the first time on the commute from Swords to IFSC. Had the bike serviced yesterday and its running like a dream.
One concern was that the guy told me that my brakes were down to 15% but I'd only rode it 400km or approx 20 rides.
Finally got the balls to cycle on to the Airport Roundabout and didnt die.
Normally I dismount at the coachmans, cross and take the cycle lane to Kealys before crossing back again.
One scary moment was a girl on bike in front of me coming within an inch of been taken out by a Passat making a right turn into a side road on the downhill just before Cat and Cage.

120km done yesterday - Rathfarnham to Sally Gap to Kilbride to Ballyknockan to Wicklow Gap to Laragh to Sally Gap and home. Sunny most of the day but was hailstoning down on the return at Sally Gap.

Had forgotten how much fun the Wicklow Gap descent was!

allez

longest cycle today ever! well forgot to put my strava on but popped it on for one segment i keep playing with got the 3rd best time so was happy with that.

http://app.strava.com/activities/60656112#kudos