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

LollipopJimmy

Out to Malahide from D8 via St.Stephens Green to meet the lads

Went across Portmarnock then to Howth, up the Graveyard side with that cheeky right around to Windgates and then back up to the summit. Nice coffee in the village and back up via Balkill Road and back into the City. Having a donut now, only 5k home from here.

All in it'll be 70kms.

dahat

Sluggish to get going this morning after yesterday's spin, legs & body feeling it. After some excellent stalling on my end I left the house for 4hrs on the road.

With no route chosen due to laziness I basically wandered around until I needed to do my intervals. The first two 10min reps went well then rep 3 was hell. The fourth one was 15mins but legs blew after 3 mins in a big way, rolled home after that.

The local shop was still open so a can of coke & a bounty helped me get the last 700 yards home!!! 🀣 In all seriousness I think the mind just had enough after rep 3/4.

110km at 31.7avg and just over 700m.

secman

Out on a club spin this morning with Gorey cc touring group, trying to dodge the heavy showers. Gorey to ballycanew to turn for Oulart and across to Enniscorthy, back to Ferns and Gorey.
65 km 450m avg 28.6 kph
Apart from the delayed start due to heavy rain just happened to dodge a lot of heavy showers.

smacl

First time back in the hills for a couple of weeks, Cruagh, Sallygap, Glenmacnass and back for 62k and 971m of up. Died going up Cruagh which was a stern reminder to keep on track with the diet but strangely ok for the climb up to the gap. One of those every weather kind of days where I actually appreciated the misty rain and breeze on the uphill bits and being rewarded with some sunshine up top. More hill work required.

coddlesangers

Really struggled to motivate myself yday to get out - tried to make myself do some uphill interval work to improve my absolutely dire climbing speeds.... got 582 metres of up into my 27k evening spin. Need to find time to get a long one in sometime this week though, I've been getting progressively less and less time out on the bike!

https://www.strava.com/activities/2455635658

Mercian Pro

Despite being dropped and struggling home solo on last year's Swords 2 County Sportif, I headed out with the lead group again this year. The 70k to Tayto Park was a blast on good flat roads and we averaged 32.7. A slightly depleted group left for the return leg and all went well until the drag up to Ardcath. Just like last year I couldn't stick the pace but, this time, I teamed up with a few other "rejects" and we worked well together all the back to Swords for an overall average of 30.8 over the 150k. Fairly wrecked at the end but a pint and sandwiches provided enough fuel to cover the 13k back home.
Comforting to know that I can sometimes still learn from past mistakes

Torres09

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Despite being dropped and struggling home solo on last year's Swords 2 County Sportif, I headed out with the lead group again this year. The 70k to Tayto Park was a blast on good flat roads and we averaged 32.7. A slightly depleted group left for the return leg and all went well until the drag up to Ardcath. Just like last year I couldn't stick the pace but, this time, I teamed up with a few other "rejects" and we worked well together all the back to Swords for an overall average of 30.8 over the 150k. Fairly wrecked at the end but a pint and sandwiches provided enough fuel to cover the 13k back home.
Comforting to know that I can sometimes still learn from past mistakes

Think I passed you's yesterday (heading opposite direction) about 09:00 on the roundabouts at Swords, looked like a good group heading out...

ED E

TFW you've done 120K, are 1K from home and your average ends in .8. Got it, now to call an ambo.

dahat

Absolutely glorious day down South though it looked offy setting out around 9am especially when all you have is arm warmers.!!!

On what is now a good training route for me the coast road holds some savage views if you have time between intervals too look!!!

An enjoyable day on the bike with suffering aplenty through the intervals.

135km @ 34.5 km/hr & around 1,000km of up.

Hard to believe the weather is to be awful tomorrw. A local Sportive is on the cards and I hate getting wet!

Weepsie

What a day out there. Have to go to a wedding later and had to try a suit for another wedding so limited time.

Cycled to try the suit, and came home a longer way. 52 km in just under 2 hrs, would've happily stayed out for another few hours meandering

pjmn

My longest solo spin of the year 166km out west, only averaged 25.2, had a tough headwind for the last 70km....

https://www.strava.com/activities/2471380325

Was meant to pick herself and the eldest up from swimming this morning and decided sure I can just load the bike on the back and let her drive home with the kids and I'll head off for a spin.

Parked up and changed shoes. The girls drove off after telling us about the swim and I was about 20km out and it occurred to me I left my ****ing runners in the car park and not put them in the boot :mad:

Whoever took the space next had handed them in when I stopped in on the way back to see if they'd be found, so I rode home with a pair of runners around my neck

LollipopJimmy

Did the ring of Kerry yesterday, averaged 26kph, reasonably pleased with that. However, not so pleased with the hangover

dahat

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

Did the ring of Kerry yesterday, averaged 26kph, reasonably pleased with that. However, not so pleased with the hangover

Would ya post the route? Staying in Killarney late July and plan on doing a decent spin on day, once I'm back by 12 she said!

Wishbone Ash

dahat wrote: »

Would ya post the route? Staying in Killarney late July and plan on doing a decent spin on day, once I'm back by 12 she said!

I presume it the same as a few years ago. You'd want to be on the road early to be back by 12.

https://www.strava.com/activities/162019314

smacl

dahat wrote: »

Would ya post the route? Staying in Killarney late July and plan on doing a decent spin on day, once I'm back by 12 she said!

For my money the inner ring roads are far more rewarding. Killarney, Black Valley, Molls Gap, Ballaghbeama, Glencar, Lough Carragh, Glenbeigh,back roads around Caherciveen, Balligisheen, Glencar and back to Killarney via Kate Kearneys cottage. Road surfaces aren't as good in parts but way less traffic, some lovely climbs and fantastic scenery. Been a few years since I've done them but the descents of Ballaghbeama to Glencar and Ballighisheen to Glencar have a decent surface and great visibility which make for a real treat. (Note IMHO, both are way less fun in the other direction, hence Glencar twice)

dahat

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I presume it the same as a few years ago. You'd want to be on the road early to be back by 12.

https://www.strava.com/activities/162019314

Leaving early not an issue but may modify that for a slightly shorter spin, 5hrs with coffee probably an ideal compromise all round.

magicbastarder

got roped in to help with some sheep herding on my spin this morning. much nicer morning than expected.

Wishbone Ash

magicbastarder wrote: »

got roped in to help with some sheep herding on my spin this morning. much nicer morning than expected

Interesting word 'herding'.

While we have a flock of sheep and a herd of cattle, 'flocking' sheep just doesn't sound right.

Eamonnator

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Interesting word 'herding'.

While we have a flock of sheep and a herd of cattle, 'flocking' sheep just doesn't sound right.

What else would a shepherd do only herd?

magicbastarder

'a herd of sheep' is also acceptable though.

magicbastarder

i am bemused by the use of the phrase 'the national herd' when referring to the cattle in ireland, in news pieces about agriculture.
i just have an image of a select team of cattle in green jerseys who are sent abroad to represent the country in sporting affairs.

rushfan

magicbastarder wrote:

i am bemused by the use of the phrase 'the national herd' when referring to the cattle in ireland, in news pieces about agriculture. i just have an image of a select team of cattle in green jerseys who are sent abroad to represent the country in sporting affairs.

You're really milking it now , in fairness.

John Hutton

Took a spill off the Brompton this morning on the way to work. Had just put new tires on it last week so may have been a bit overconfident.

Was taking a shortcut which involves going down a very short, steep gravel hill at the bottom of which it joins onto a footpath with a sharp right turn.

Foolishly tried to kinda brake and turn at the same time when turning into the footpath, after going at a fair clip, bike just slid out from under me. It's a short fall from the Brompton and the path was slick enough so my hands just got dirty and not cut so the only thing wounded is my pride, and a badly scratched pedal.

Be careful folks, it's slippy out there after all that rain.

secman

magicbastarder wrote: »

got roped in to help with some sheep herding on my spin this morning. much nicer morning than expected.

The other evening heading down three castles i saw in the distance what appeared to be about 30 or so sheep being driven towards me, thought immediately about the dog or dogs, as we got closer to each other, to my horror they were not sheep but a big group (pack) of those dogs that run with a hunt, they were being driven by a man and a young lad on bikes with whips , in fairness they hardly gave me a glance.

ED E

ED E wrote: »

Anyone know when Manor Kilbride back towards Brittas got the new surface? It was very overdue. Lovin it.

WTAF? They ruined it? Whats the logic behind applying a rolled tar surface then coming back and shredding it?

magicbastarder

exact same thing happened outside my inlaws house (on a small back road). the road was resurfaced about two weeks ago with a nice smooth tarmac surface, and they came along a few days ago, and did the tar and chip job on it. i guess the previous surface was a subsurface, but if they're in the mood to do a rolled tarmac job, i don't understand why they didn't continue and do the top layer in tarmac too.

smacl

magicbastarder wrote: »

exact same thing happened outside my inlaws house (on a small back road). the road was resurfaced about two weeks ago with a nice smooth tarmac surface, and they came along a few days ago, and did the tar and chip job on it. i guess the previous surface was a subsurface, but if they're in the mood to do a rolled tarmac job, i don't understand why they didn't continue and do the top layer in tarmac too.

Just a guess, but probably harder wearing over time and hence cheaper to maintain. They left a section of the Military road above Laragh in rolled tarmac and its gas when you hit it as everything suddenly goes smooth and quiet doe few hundred metres.

ED E

That piece before Glenmacnass is effin divine. Add a couple hairpins and you could be in Italy.

EDIT:

Maybe this is what they're at. Too quiet to grit it so have to make it rough as can be?

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

Also councils will not put SMA on a road they don't have on a salting (gritting) route.

LollipopJimmy

dahat wrote: »

Would ya post the route? Staying in Killarney late July and plan on doing a decent spin on day, once I'm back by 12 she said!

The route posted by WA is the exact I did.

You don't hang about so very possible you'd get back by 12 and surely the wife knows that 12 really means 1.30?