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

Kevhog1988

35k yesterday. Good to be getting back out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/3716048515/embed/a986c1fe6d02748db91a0ba4f938d239f7edf7ed'></iframe>

new2tri19

Usual commute to work in Dublin city centre , just a quick question do you guys commute on your good bikes? I ride my newest bike which is carbon to work to get some use out of it. But i'm starting to think getting out my old aluminium bike might be better as the roads are generally poorly surfaced and I don't know much about carbon wheels or bikes but can't imagine the pot holes been good for it.

wirelessdude01

new2tri19 wrote: »

Usual commute to work in Dublin city centre , just a quick question do you guys commute on your good bikes? I ride my newest bike which is carbon to work to get some use out of it. But i'm starting to think getting out my old aluminium bike might be better as the roads are generally poorly surfaced and I don't know much about carbon wheels or bikes but can't imagine the pot holes been good for it.

Anyone I know who commutes generally does so on theory winter hacker. Good bike is only used when they have racing that evening after work or they are heading to the hills after work for a long spin.

Kevhog1988

new2tri19 wrote: »

Usual commute to work in Dublin city centre , just a quick question do you guys commute on your good bikes? I ride my newest bike which is carbon to work to get some use out of it. But i'm starting to think getting out my old aluminium bike might be better as the roads are generally poorly surfaced and I don't know much about carbon wheels or bikes but can't imagine the pot holes been good for it.

Id be worried how secure it is where you park it in the day?

new2tri19

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

Id be worried how secure it is where you park it in the day?

It's more secure in work office than at home no problems there , I hear the talk of winter bikes so I assumed everyone used the good bike in the "summer" but with Irelands seasons its probably very hard on good bikes commuting even in summer.

MojoMaker

Regardless of the season you wouldn't normally commute on your good bike at all. Dig out the older bombproof alu for the commute and don't take the risk. Commuting is hard on wheels, tyres, and components, this is why we have 'good' bikes and 'winter' bikes :pac:

byrnem31

I use my good bike for everything. Just had it up the reservoir in tallaght there on the gravel trails. Tomorrow I'll cycle to work etc. Couldn't be arsed having two bikes. My good bike is the Swiss army knife of bikes for me.

Mercian Pro

beggars_bush wrote: »

They'll chip that soon too.
No grip for cars on the smooth stuff.
Even a .5m smooth strip on side of wider roads would be beautifulf or cycling

Generally I'd agree that they chip smooth tarmac but there's a smooth section a bit beyond Sally Gap that has been left as it is for a couple of years and it's great. Incidentally, the new section that has been laid is only 750m long so there are still plenty of rough parts between the Gap and Laragh.

I came across a few S/D markings on the Wicklow roads this morning and briefly thought they were aimed at groups cycling too close together Then I figured out that they were sections that are about to be surfaced dressed (chipped). One longish one is on my favourite way back from Roundwood on both sides of the Ballinastoe MB park.

Weepsie

Only bring the good bike to work if I'm planning on hitting Wicklow or Howth afterwards. Old job had very secure bike parking and I was able to bring bike up to be beside me a lot too.

New job. not remotely secure, other than its a "nice" area so to speak so would be reluctant to do so.


Anyway, staffing issue at work (we don;t have enough to stay open some days) was wrecking my head, so went out for a 2 hour meander to forget about it today.

Omega28

Strava is so unreliable on my phone. It keeps dropping signal.

I need a bike computer.

DelBoy Trotter

Omega28 wrote: »

Strava is so unreliable on my phone. It keeps dropping signal.

I need a bike computer.

Or a Garmin/smart watch

Omega28

DelBoy Trotter wrote: »

Or a Garmin/smart watch

I have the Fenix 5Plus but I'd still like a computer for the bike

Seth Brundle

I've a Garmin 520 Plus which I find does the job.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/s?q=garmin+edge+520+plus+gps+cycling+computer&cat=product

Plenty of bike computers on adverts: https://www.adverts.ie/for-sale/sports-fitness/bikes/209/q_garmin/

One advantage of the bike computer is that you can monitor speed and map without taking a hand off the bar for too long.

.red.

Headed out this evening for my toughest cycle yet. Decided on a new route and took a detour where I shouldn't have. I really struggled on the hills. I thought I'd have to pull in a few times but kept slogging along and got to the top, nice easy cycle downhill for a bit and another big hill before I got my breath back properly. Just about made it to the top again. Then got to a hill down that frightened me a little. Far from smooth road and had to go into the drops to pull the breaks tight enough to slow me down. A few people mentioned the stock breaks on my Trek 1.5 weren't the best and I didn't realise what they meant till tonight.
Anyways, made it home safe and sound, I'll be planning my next route more carefully.
29kms in 77mins. Averaging 22.5kph and 290m elevation that felt a lot more.
Not the easiest cycle for a fat 40+yo with little or no fitness.
https://strava.app.link/TXUBHdhxU7

positron

Omega28 wrote: »

I have the Fenix 5Plus but I'd still like a computer for the bike

Also considering a bike computer. I have a watch (FR245) which is perfect for running and good enough for recording rides, but I would like something with navigation. There's specific garmin mount to mount watch to the handlebar and use it as a bike computer - but tiny screen wouldn't be ideal.

On the other hand an Edge 130 is only around €100. Apart from usual bike computer speed / distance stuff, it allows navigation with preset courses downloaded from Garmin Connect.

Personally I am not massively bothered about speed or distance, but navigation is what I am really looking for - And because I would always have my phone with me - so I am now experimenting with Komoot and voice navigation. Worked well for a while last night, overlays instructions over podcast/music etc nicely, but the phone keeps killing it and I have to figure out why.

JMcL

Omega28 wrote: »

I have the Fenix 5Plus but I'd still like a computer for the bike

Barmount kit for the Fenix? Only disadvantage to that would be you wouldn't get the HR monitoring

brownian

Yesterday evening was ok, so headed out to the Beehive, down the coast to Brittas Bay, turned right just before Arklow, over the Beech Road (traffic!) to Avoca. Watched red kites wheeling over the village - often visible there. Up Avoca Valley to Rathdrum, and up the stump. Pleasant 57k with 500 or so m of climbing. There are nicer ways to get home (e.g. via Conary, or via Kingston) but the main road wasn't bad.
Great to have killed the squeaks in my bike (no doubt will start again now!)

smacl

35k at 6:30 this am, Bohernabreena, Featherbeds and back by Foxes. Constant rain but not much wind so handy enough and for once made the climbs more pleasant than the descents. Arrived in looking like a drowned rat though.

Seth Brundle

Had to pick something up for my daughter in Drumcondra so planned a bit of a jaunt on my way home and managed to get in 60km in absoluely horrible weather.
I put the mudguards back on the bike for the trip which was a good move but I got drowned nonetheless.
Brakes were absolutely brutal (which nearly got me at one stage: https://streamable.com/xnuypr)
Travelled from Leixlip to Drumcondra and on out to the back of the airport and over to Kilbride via St Margarets before heading back towards Leixlip via Dunboyne.
https://www.strava.com/activities/3727051091

Omega28

A hideous 90km cycle today. I got absolutely drenched and I had no wallet or food on me.

Pros: My avg. time has slightly increased

Cons : Not fuelling during my rides leading to a complete loss of power

ED E

Main bike had a flat this morning (thanks bottle throwers) so off on the good bike I went. The good bike had no mudguards on dear reader....not pretty.

magicbastarder

howth was mobbed with thiin young whippersnappers passing me on the climbs this evening.
also passed some poor sod whose 90s S class had caught fire between howth and sutton. car was destroyed.

and i'll have to send an email to a certain cycling club about a bunch of their riders taking up the full width of the cycling path near st annes, forcing other cyclists into the pedestrian side.

Wishbone Ash

magicbastarder wrote: »

...and i'll have to send an email to a certain cycling club about a bunch of their riders taking up the full width of the cycling path near st annes, forcing other cyclists into the pedestrian side.

I've experienced that a few times. Why on earth a club would wish to train on a busy track is beyond me. The last time I encountered them, I raised my arm as if to say WTF lads and one of them pointed to the grass verge to indicate that there was plenty of room there.

Weepsie

If it's not clontarf I would be shocked!

magicbastarder

it was not clontarf CC.

Tell me how

Posting this here as can't find a more appropriate location. Feel free to move mod. It's an interesting video, but for a good cause which I thought many here would be interested in.

Some commitment by Hank, you could see how tired he was from the outset.

@28

50 tough, windy and very hilly ks @28.5kph. My brother bailed at the last minute on a planned 80k spin so had to make do. Tried out my new Mavic wheels for the first time and it felt like a new bike. The control, speed and general feel I was getting from the bike was on another level.

Type 17

Quick 40km but with 450m of up, so only at 25km/h av.

Made a point of keeping my cadence above 75rpm on the steeper bits (and in the 80's on the slopes), and beat my PRs for 10 of the Cruagh segments, and 4 others elsewhere.

Luxman

Wandering over to Tara to drop a few quid into a bucket for Graham who is doing a double evereating now. Started at 430am this morning. Pacing it well he was. I did 3 with him. You know to help him out😂. 250 ascents needed in total. He should have been doing RAM around now but it was cancelled.

magicbastarder

Luxman wrote: »

who is doing a double evereating now

binge and purge!

a double everesting, though? madman. in a good way.