Tell us about your new improved government regulations compliant cycle part II

magicbastarder

it's usually sunday mornings and tuesday evenings that i'm out that direction. bright yellow genesis bike, should you spot me.

Weepsie

magicbastarder wrote: »

we need a boards secret signal for identifying each other on the road. given my usual stomping ground for leisure spins is garristown/oldtown/naul/ballyboughal, it's pretty certain i've nodded hello to a few boardsies in my time.

Mine too. I only met a handful today, but races and sportives were on.

Stopped to adjust my brakes outside of Naul and 2 separate people stopped to offer help. Also stopped to help someone near Santry who'd had 5 punctures, but they were waiting for a lift home at that stage.

loyatemu

very slow spin around Wicklow with the club, made up for it by burning past a load of W200 participants on the way home to Greystones (granted they had all done at least 100KM more than me, and almost certainly at a much faster pace :pac:)

magicbastarder

i hope you were wheelieing and high fiving each other as you passed them.

loyatemu

magicbastarder wrote: »

i hope you were wheelieing and high fiving each other as you passed them.

no wheelies, but I was out of the saddle and singing "Never going to give you up" :cool:

Thargor

magicbastarder wrote: »

disk or caliper?

Caliper, Giant Defy.

Ray Bloody Purchase

pjmn wrote: »

Did the Croi cycle this morning - 114km - averaged 29kmph very happy with that...

https://www.strava.com/activities/1629175897

I did that cycle yesterday too! It was my first time cycling in a (small) group or ever doing a serious charity cycle.

It was class, i hit out around half seven with my auld lad and a few others. Average speed overall was 23.1kmph. It would have been a bit higher, but i ran out of steam from Oughterard to Galway. I was flying it between Maam Bridge and Oughterard, fcuking booting it. I thought i'd be in Galway in no time.

The arse literally fell out of me though. The longest cycle i'd done previously was 80k. The last section of this kicked me square in the goolies. Nothing in the tank, even though i was well hydrated and probably over fed.

Very well organised event. Three waterstops along the way with chocolate and bananas at them and a stop mid section for sambos and tea.

A great day out. Delighted i did it.

Miklos

I did a sort of make-it-up-as-you-go-along spin through the mountains yesterday. Ballinascorney, Sally Gap, Luggala, down through the Vartry into Newtown Mount Kennedy, Greystones over Windgates, Enniskerry and then home. Lovely morning for it, I had forgotten about the Wicklow 100, plenty of people streaming back through Greystones.

Justwinginit

Another Croí initiate here, longest spin yet. Started off slow as didn't want to burn out in the latter stages. Plenty of stops, weather was ok, nice cooling breeze. A couple of toughish climbs, but manageable all the same, avg speed 25.4kph. Max speed 60.2kph! Probably could have gone faster (average) in hindsight, but didn't know the hills situation and the goal was to finish and still be able to walk to the van and drive back home:-) I kinda know how much food and drink I need now to keep me going which is also a help. Arse was a bit sore last 5/10k. Also picked up a nice Jersey for €15 as well as the long sleeved one I got for the sponsorship monies:-) Just a group of three of us and we kept each other going...Great day all round...

Ray Bloody Purchase

Justwinginit wrote: »

Another Croí initiate here, longest spin yet. Started off slow as didn't want to burn out in the latter stages. Plenty of stops, weather was ok, nice cooling breeze. A couple of toughish climbs, but manageable all the same, avg speed 25.4kph. Max speed 60.2kph! Probably could have gone faster (average) in hindsight, but didn't know the hills situation and the goal was to finish and still be able to walk to the van and drive back home:-) I kinda know how much food and drink I need now to keep me going which is also a help. Arse was a bit sore last 5/10k. Also picked up a nice Jersey for €15 as well as the long sleeved one I got for the sponsorship monies:-) Just a group of three of us and we kept each other going...Great day all round...

There was a savage hill between Cong and Maam Bridge. It sort of wound around a bit.

Very hard gauge pace with that distance.

They'd a serious selection of food along the way. Delicious desserts back at the finish line too.

Justwinginit

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

There was a savage hill between Cong and Maam Bridge. It sort of wound around a bit.

Yeah, that was a tough one, I dropped into the lowest gear, stuck the head down and ploughed away, out of the saddle for the last 20metres or so. Had to stop at the top and wait for the other two:-) The far side of that is where I hit my top speed on the way down. Some lovely scenery:D

cjt156

Failed to bunny-hop a pothole coming back from Roundwood yesterday. Cue loud hissing and a tenuous attempt to slow down on a rapidly deflating back tyre.
One fresh tube and a CO2 inflator later I'm back on the road.

Until coming downhill into Enniskerry my phone-holder decides to eject its contents.
U turned, propped the bike against the kerb and waited for a passing car.
The 'Staying Alive at 1.5' campaign really worked for this driver, even though I was standing on the footpad.

Nice wide overtaking manouvre, just enough to run right over the phone in the opposite lane...
Screen smashed to smithereens, but still working fine. HTC don't make flimsy crap.

Still, nice day for it...

triggermortis

magicbastarder wrote: »

we need a boards secret signal for identifying each other on the road. given my usual stomping ground for leisure spins is garristown/oldtown/naul/ballyboughal, it's pretty certain i've nodded hello to a few boardsies in my time.

I'd often head around there too..

triggermortis

First century of the year for me. Wasn't sure where to go so headed for Howth for a change. Got stopped at the level crossing and stayed in the queue of traffic (only 3rd in line). Another cyclist wheeled past to the front. When we got to the next traffic lights, he went straight on so I decided to go left and see who could get to the summit pub turning first. I was happy to see him still puffing up the hill as I rolled past the junction. I even managed a PR for the climb (almost 30 seconds better)!
Took a different route back after Baldoyle, but found it wasn't a road I'd like to go again - although the wind didn't really help. Ended up at Clare Hall so turned towards Swords at the hotel.
Airport Manor / Ballyboughall / Naul / Stamullen / Balbriggan / home.

101Km @ 27.8kmh in total

https://www.strava.com/activities/1633599395

RobertFoster

triggermortis wrote: »

Took a different route back after Baldoyle, but found it wasn't a road I'd like to go again - although the wind didn't really help.

I prefer to take a right from Station Rd. in Portmarnock, then left on to Chapel Rd. > Baskin Ln. > Stockhole Ln. There's less traffic than the R139, though getting across the Malahide Rd. can be a little tricky at rush hour.

The only time I like using the R139 is if I'm heading W > E and there's a good tailwind.

Borderfox

https://www.strava.com/activities/1633440899

First time out solo in a while, I had been coaching the couch 2 50km for the last 8-10 weeks so enjoyed getting out on my own for a quick spin.

Had a few blasts on segments that suit and enjoyed that too, not that warm and the wind was starting to pick up again

triggermortis

Just done my 19.3km commute at 34.4kmh!!! That made the slog into work against that headwind earlier well worth it!
Off to bed now, might get up for a spin later..

Mercian Pro

magicbastarder wrote: »

we need a boards secret signal for identifying each other on the road. given my usual stomping ground for leisure spins is garristown/oldtown/naul/ballyboughal, it's pretty certain i've nodded hello to a few boardsies in my time.

I'd imagine that's why Boards cycling gear was invented all those years ago 😜

tdonegan1990

Mercian Pro wrote: »

I'd imagine that's why Boards cycling gear was invented all those years ago 😜

How can you purchase the gear?

Mercian Pro

tdonegan1990 wrote: »

How can you purchase the gear?

You either volunteer to arrange a group order or you wait until someone else does.

See https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=102174235 for last year's summer order.

magicbastarder

it's no use unless you've got your username emblazoned across it.

P_1

https://www.strava.com/activities/1640729047
47k from Athenry to Ballyvaughan, stiff enough headwind, beautiful scenery

https://www.strava.com/activities/1641131130
81k Tour de Burren Night into Day. Very damp! Horizontal rain at times and a blowing gale driving it straight into your eyes in Lahnich. Surprised myself at actually being the mountain goat of the bunch. Great craic with 84 other lunatics!

https://www.strava.com/activities/1641487820
50k from Ballyvaughan to Galway. Jaysis I've heard tales about the headwind approaching Galway from the East, but hooly schmokes!

Massive thanks to godtabh for sorting me out with a lend of a light for this! Doing near 200k on about 3 hours sleep is certainly an experience!

saccades

Training a newbie mate up to do the ROK, did 80km to the top of the Wicklow gap.

Was really handy to glendalough so gave it tap to the top of the gap to compare to last week on the w200.


Strava gave me a straight line, curses.

Mate was knackered as we were getting home so he knows to pace himself more. Also organised his jersey way better and he's getting comfortable riding with other people so job done.

Mercian Pro

saccades wrote: »

Also organised his jersey way better.

Back-to-front, upside-down, inside-out??😉

LollipopJimmy

130kms down to Baltinglas and back. That wind was a pox the while way up and down

North of 32

71km around Münsterland, 28kph average speed. This was my longest single spin without a break.

I started at 0630 to take advantage of quiet roads/cycle paths. I did it without any breakfast and only took a banana and 500ml of water. This was stupid.

At the very beginning of the spin I knew I'd made a mistake because I couldn't accelerate up to 30kph without a lot of effort. I did a nasty little climb after 20km which got my heart rate up nicely and things improved a bit from there. After 65km, however, I thought I was going to keel over into the ditch. I had absolutely nothing left. No matter how many times I told myself "come on it's only 5km more" I just could not summon up anything. I arrived home and tried to eat my breakfast but struggled to put sugar in my tea because of how much my hands were shaking, I guess from a low blood sugar level.

Lesson learned: Don't be a goose, eat breakfast and bring more food, or at least money.

It was a nice spin though, and I exchanged a big friendly wave with another cyclist.

magicbastarder

misread the rainfall radar this morning, went out without mudguards or overshoes. got a decent soaking. still, nice spin around NCD, 52k at 29km/h average.

velo.2010

I never knew the midlands were so hilly!;)

terrydel

Saturday, but hey ho! Went from Valleymount over Wicklow Gap and onto Roundwood, then took the road to Enniskerry instead of left up Luggala. Stopped there for a coffee and then back the same way, turning up towards Glencree for the first time ever (I've come down that climb once before). Jesus it goes on all day! Turned left at the top then back up to the Gap past Lough Bray, turned left again and over Lugalla into Roundwood, grabbed a can of orange at the top of Lug!
Stopped in Laragh for another coffee then home over the Gap.
117km, 24.9kmph, 1800-odd m of climbing. Wasnt pushing hard so pleased with the speed.

Mercian Pro

The seeds of my downfall were sown when I rashly opted to go with the first (ie. fast) group on the club 150km 2 Counties Challenge. What could possibly go wrong? I knew the roads of NCD and South Meath well, there wasn't much climbing and I could always drop back to one of the other groups. Things went (too) well up to the break at Tayto Park with an average speed of 33.4kph. There may have been a tail wind and the route was pretty flat but, when you're flying along on quiet roads, you're not inclined to analyse things too much.

After the break we headed off towards Duleek before turning into the wind and hills near Ardcath. I quickly found myself on the wrong end of a break and dug deep to catch the front group. By Clonalvy I was really struggling and finally resigned myself to my solitary fate. It was as well there were no photographers as the sight of me struggling up the hill with a half used gel hanging from my mouth is not one I want immortalised. Snowtown and over to Balbriggan weren't too bad but the headwind on the leg to Skerries was a head-wrecker. At the climb up to Skerries Golf Club I finally gained some company but unfortunately it was of the type that seemed obsessed with the sight of my back wheel!

Somewhere between Man o' War and Ballyboughal I was rescued by the group who had been dropped at Ardcath earlier and even managed a few turns at the front on the run back to Swords. The average for the return leg of 24.7kph was a fair reflection of the toll taken by the earlier high-speed chase and of the disadvantages of riding solo in those conditions. The 13km struggle home afterwards is best forgotten with my average speed for the day seemingly dropping with every painful pedal stroke.

Lessons to be learned? Plenty, but it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks ��

https://www.strava.com/activities/1644605149/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-US&v=1529271723