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

magicbastarder

there was a bit of a balancing act between braking too hard, and not hard enough.

wanted to have another go on the steel bike before trying it on the new one - the steel bike is heavier, and lowest gear is a shade higher than on the new bike (36x28, as opposed to 34x28 on the new one)

silverharp

saw my first road bike with a petrol engine this morning, it sounded awful , I wouldn't ride one if I was given it for free.

smacl

magicbastarder wrote: »

there was a bit of a balancing act between braking too hard, and not hard enough.

wanted to have another go on the steel bike before trying it on the new one - the steel bike is heavier, and lowest gear is a shade higher than on the new bike (36x28, as opposed to 34x28 on the new one)

Fair play, I struggle plenty going up to the top of the road in 34x32 on the CX bike. Hybrid is 15kg but with 24x30 is an altogether easier proposition.

alentejo

magicbastarder wrote: »

just back from my second pop at kilmashogue. it gets easier - this time i only had to stop once.

started raining just as i reached the top, which made the descent a bit more interesting.

I hate the decent of Kilmashogue - No fun at all. The climb is something else thought!!!

magicbastarder

one handy thing about it was that my brakes are now working better. it obviously burned off some crud.

LollipopJimmy

Started the new job yesterday, it's only a 12km round trip but mostly along the Grand Canal, Blackhorse to Leeson St Bridge, it's proper mental along there and there's no way I'll be using the good bike long term, there must be smashes along there daily. It's 2 years since I commuted along there and it's about 1000times busier now.

Also, motorbikes in the cyclelane crawling along at 10-15kph are a pain in the hole

mloc123

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

Started the new job yesterday, it's only a 12km round trip but mostly along the Grand Canal, Blackhorse to Leeson St Bridge, it's proper mental along there and there's no way I'll be using the good bike long term, there must be smashes along there daily. It's 2 years since I commuted along there and it's about 1000times busier now.

Also, motorbikes in the cyclelane crawling along at 10-15kph are a pain in the hole

Canal is crazy busy in the mornings... 20 bikes at each set of lights fighting for the cycle lane

Thinkingaboutit

silverharp wrote: »

saw my first road bike with a petrol engine this morning, it sounded awful , I wouldn't ride one if I was given it for free.

A while back in Mulranny, I often saw on old road bike with a 2t engine, which moved at a very fair clip (seemed to keep with cars on that national road). The bearded rider (he had been away for a while...) was asked once whether he should have a licence or safety gear, and his reply was 'would ye ever **** off?'

Thinkingaboutit

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

Started the new job yesterday, it's only a 12km round trip but mostly along the Grand Canal, Blackhorse to Leeson St Bridge, it's proper mental along there and there's no way I'll be using the good bike long term, there must be smashes along there daily. It's 2 years since I commuted along there and it's about 1000times busier now.

Also, motorbikes in the cyclelane crawling along at 10-15kph are a pain in the hole

Hopefully they're not a scooter that beeped me for slowing him/her down in the cycle while I waiting to proceed on to O'Connell St. There's most of the whole main road lane for motorised transport.

Along the canal never made sense. When I went that way on a motorbike, overtakes and filtering down the centre made for faster progress, anyhow the cycle lane is for cyclists only (maybe mobility scooters too, dunno), with the whole rest of the road for all things motorised.

Macy0161

Extended the commute a bit this morning. Lovely morning, and generally quite roads looping up Ballycorus Road, until the pinch point of Lambs Cross. After the brief gap from there to Dundrum, it was just dick head drivers deliberately blocking filtering - like stuck in a long line, seeing cyclists coming and pulling in towards the kerb (happened several times), people coming out of driveways and sideroads being stopped perpendicular, and frankly irritating (I assume students) people on bikes.

I think my next extended one might be a loop up around Enniskerry and back down to the N11, as bad an all as it is, it has far less car/ bike interactions. Anyone any ideas of quiter route Sandyford/ Dundrum to Clonskeagh? The estates are nearly worse, given they're rat runs and 30kmh signs might as well be invisible. I'm extending for training, but I'm happy to knock off the pace to by that stage, as it's not like I was able to push on in that traffic anyway.

Also, winter bike that is going to double up as commuter for these spins is getting SPD pedals. I'd forgotten what a ballache SPD-SL's were in traffic! And the pannier bags are a bit flappy with the new lightweight rack. Might finally be close to justifying the ortlieb (or a decent alternative). Waterproofing wasn't an issue on my aldi ones, but the ortliebs do seem to have the best system for fixing low down.

I used to turn off churchtown road and head down towards the dropping well pub then along the dodder to clonskeagh but I was coming from Nutgrove direction. Been a fair while so no idea what it's like that way these days. Going in reverse heading home I used to see the same **** between the luas station and lights at the churchtown road junction, with wheels angled in towards the kerb. No problem just mount the empty footpath to get around the fools and back on to the road.

I never liked the dundrum rd. and right turn to bird ave. to get to clonskeagh. Had a close pass nearly every day along there.

mloc123

Left home at 6am for a nice quiet commute into work. Felt like I had a tailwind all the way... and I fear I did.

Alanstrainor

mloc123 wrote: »

Left home at 6am for a nice quiet commute into work. Felt like I had a tailwind all the way... and I fear I did.

You did. As I felt the opposite! There was a head wind all the way into work, I was fighting it.

Has anyone any clue what the council is at in Clontarf at the beginning of the cycleway? They look like they are re-routing it a small bit for some reason.

Tell me how

54km in mid-clare this morning. Felt sluggish the entire way. Like a brake was stuck. Exactly 1 kph below average for same route when cycled it in July and felt I was going at similar effort.

Had to knock politely on a car driving along in slow moving traffic with its left wheels 2 ft in to cycle lane.

Vel

First commute this morning since a massive session at a 40th at the weekend was......interesting.....#knackered!

plodder

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Has anyone any clue what the council is at in Clontarf at the beginning of the cycleway? They look like they are re-routing it a small bit for some reason.

That does seem to be what they are doing. Why I don't know... extend the carpark maybe?

saganfan

It's a serious mess in Clontarf now with that road works, then they reroute cyclists on to the pedestrian path which is dangerous enough. Then this morning they had a construction vehicle driving down that stretch! A bit mad. I presume they're building a walkway so that people won't walk up the cycle path to get to their cars in the car park, always see it happen and a bit dodgy.

Why is there always a morning headwind on that Clontarf stretch usually fine for the cycle home though.

Hoping to take a spin out to Howth later, had a nice one yesterday although the wind was a bit fierce and it was dull. Should be nicer today with less wind and a bit of sun.

cdaly_

saganfan wrote: »

Why is there always a morning headwind on that Clontarf stretch usually fine for the cycle home though.

Prevailing wind is southwesterly and there's nothing sheltering you as it blows across the bay.

In fine, sunny weather, you often get an easterly sea breeze slowing you down on the commute home...

Alanstrainor

cdaly_ wrote: »

Prevailing wind is southwesterly and there's nothing sheltering you as it blows across the bay.

In fine, sunny weather, you often get an easterly sea breeze slowing you down on the commute home...

Ah yes. The old, wind in your face on the way in, and wind in your face on the way home...

Macy0161

Speaking of roadworks, I nearly forgot about the very helpful "Cyclists Dismount" sign here with both the cycle land and footpath closed/ coned off on the left. Dismount in the middle of the traffic lane I assume...

magicbastarder

cdaly_ wrote: »

Prevailing wind is southwesterly and there's nothing sheltering you as it blows across the bay.

In fine, sunny weather, you often get an easterly sea breeze slowing you down on the commute home...

why don't they sell bikes with sails?

Tell me how

magicbastarder wrote: »

why don't they sell bikes with sails?

Whike.com

Website currently unavailable....

saganfan

cdaly_ wrote: »

Prevailing wind is southwesterly and there's nothing sheltering you as it blows across the bay.

In fine, sunny weather, you often get an easterly sea breeze slowing you down on the commute home...

After checking the forecast every day since I moved to Clontarf I sadly came to that conclusion It was fun during the summer having the psychologically crippling "wind in face going out, wind in face coming home". Nothing worse than doing 50km into a headwind, preparing for 50km with a tailwind but instead getting a headwind. Then coming to that stretch which can be very breezy.

Good training though!

plodder

saganfan wrote: »

It's a serious mess in Clontarf now with that road works, then they reroute cyclists on to the pedestrian path which is dangerous enough. Then this morning they had a construction vehicle driving down that stretch! A bit mad. I presume they're building a walkway so that people won't walk up the cycle path to get to their cars in the car park, always see it happen and a bit dodgy.

I was out there for a run at lunchtime and took a closer look. The old section of the cycle path is permanently closed and partly dug up now. The new bit is being linked into the existing cycle-way at both ends but there is a diversion around it for now. The only reason for doing it I can think of is to expand the adjoining car park.

cdaly_

Could be to avoid the issue of people getting out of cars and directly onto the 'footpath' and getting mowed down by passing cyclists?

Alanstrainor

cdaly_ wrote: »

Could be to avoid the issue of people getting out of cars and directly onto the 'footpath' and getting mowed down by passing cyclists?

Yeah that would be my guess. Pretty reasonable tbh, the cycle lane is poorly designed in that regard.

magicbastarder

decided to give cardiff lane/beckett bridge/guild street a second chance on the commute home today, in case the first time was a fluke.
fool me once, shame on you, etc.

dahat

Quick spin after work on a glorious day so did 2 x 10 efforts on Mt Rd and hit an all time 10min power number on Interval 1, on a crap year so far I'll take that as a win of sorts....

Not looking forward to easing off for a few weeks but it's what racing type folk do apparently...

mloc123

dahat wrote: »

Quick spin after work on a glorious day so did 2 x 10 efforts on Mt Rd and hit an all time 10min power number on Interval 1, on a crap year so far I'll take that as a win of sorts....

Not looking forward to easing off for a few weeks but it's what racing type folk do apparently...

Really? I always see winter as the time to build. Good solid months with no interruptions for races.

rushfan

Woke up later than intended after a night shift, felt I was chasing the day a bit. 51km, delighted to be out & in less Autumnal gear than last week.