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

magicbastarder

Isn't really that much? It's more than 10% of your life.

Alek

Isn't really that much? It's more than 10% of your life.

Is THIS much? I spend 25% completely unproductively, sleeping.

:pac:

wanderer 22

If I could divide my life completely between the bed and the bike I'd be delighted.

mjsc1970

Well an hour's jaunt around Donabate/Portrane was going nice there this evening until...........Yeah I can hear the exhaust from yer sheeyitebox car. I can see ye too coz your lights are so badly aligned they are pointing at me........No. Hold on.....The knuckledragger is pointing the car at me! Ya fuppincnut. That was intimidating and scary going by me on my side of the quiet country road.
Not funny at all. I'm sure it was gas craic for their pin-head.

dahat

Turbo again but passed 10,000km for the year after my original target was set at 5k.

Pity it wasn't passed on the road but so be it.

secman

From house headed for ballyedmund, across to boolavogue, The Harrow, to Ferns. On to the main road headed to Camolin, Clogh, Gorey. Down to courtown, along coast road to Ballygarrett, killenagh and home.
57 km Avg 25.kph . It was late afternoon, just got back before dusk.

triggermortis

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

A very understanding Mrs WA (who doesn't like me to be under her feet) and shift work helps too - when you do a 13/14 hour day the normal working week is done in 3 or 4 days.

(20,000kms year to date (50 weeks) only averages at 2.5 hours per day which isn't really that much).

How do you find long shifts and cycling? I do 12 hour shifts and my commute is around 50 mins by bike (21Km), which as my shift goes on, feels slower each day.
I had to take a break last night shift as I needed to use the car to transport stuff/people as well, but I feel a lot less fatigued after the break.
Also, my shift times are 6(am or pm) to 6 so I'm always commuting in darkness this time of year - not that that makes too much difference - just some of the days recently have been glorious but I've missed them by being in work!

ps - well done on the 20K!

secman

From Kilnamanagh out to blessington, left turn to valleymount, around the lakes, blessington and home. App on phone says 67.6 km Avg 25.5.km.
Speedo on bike chose not to work again after 9km. Seriously need to look at a garmin . Too late for Santa ?

Wishbone Ash

triggermortis wrote: »

How do you find long shifts and cycling? I do 12 hour shifts and my commute is around 50 mins by bike (21Km), which as my shift goes on, feels slower each day...

I work a rolling roster of 7 shifts over 2 weeks so I also have 7 days off (unless I do overtime). I don't find I gets slower each day as there is no start or end to the week as such (unlike Mon to Fri workers).

My commute is only 16k at it's shortest route so it usually about 35mins. I've been doing shift work since 1986 and would find it very difficult to do a Mon to Fri roster. I had to do it for a few weeks in 2015 and it nearly killed me. To my horror, my boss has floated the idea of me trying it again soon!

secman wrote: »

.... Seriously need to look at a garmin . Too late for Santa ?

There might be a few nice offers available in the Jan sales.

smacl

Very little decent cycling over the last couple of months, so I managed to sneak out for ~100k around the canals, Punchestown, Naas, Ballymore, Blessington and back via Ballinscorney. Garmin died, which was probably just as well as the pace was truly woeful, though did manage what felt like a pretty rapid descent down Glending and another down Ballinscorney. Perfect day for it, though fitness is pretty shocking at the mo. Route that I'd planned on being slightly over 4 hours ended up closer to 5.

Daroxtar

Haven't been out too much at all lately, 3 times in the last 6 weeks so when the in-laws arrived and offered to take the kids for the day there was only one thing for me.
It was lovely and bright but a bit chilly. I knew there was no point trying to break records so I took it easy enough with the intention of doing as much climbing as I could at a steady pace. Unfortunately I'm not very good at climbing at a pace below threshold and even if I could I've lost a good bit of condition so climbing slow was still close to the limit.
Went up Ballinascorney then down by Algour and up Cunard. It's never easy. Continued over the Featherbeds and then up Kippure. It was glorious up there. Then down to the Sally Gap crossroads and decided to head down to Laragh. The valley was shaded and cold so I was more than happy to sit inside the Café and have a nice warm coffee and a big lump of lemon drizzle cake. With cream. Feck it.
Then off up the Wicklow Gap and I was really beginning to feel the legs at that stage. At one point I was out of the saddle and whatever way I moved, when I sat back down I trapped a ball on the saddle. I wasn't long forgetting about the quads.
I abandoned the idea of going up Turlough Hill and continued on down the gap, into Valleymount, Blessington and struggled back to Tallaght.
Uploaded the ride to Strava and spotted some chap called Donal had a route of 220km with 4700m climbing mapped out. Ah ya, no bother....on yer own buddy!!!


105km with 1581m climbed https://www.strava.com/activities/805611091

P_1

Busy enough weekend.

An even hundred out to the folks place the long way yesterday via Oldtown, Garristown, Duleek, Newgrange, Drogheda, Laytown and Gormanstown. Cracking weather for it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/806486670

Borrowed the brother's hybrid to do the Christmas shopping. Usually wouldn't brag about a 10km spin but considering I did half of it with a bag full of large bottles on the back I'll indulge myself this once. Awful shame to see a bad spot of fly tipping on the back lane into Balbriggan.

https://www.strava.com/activities/806486626

Couldn't not go for a NCD spin this evening as the weather was so nice. A quick 30km through Cortlaugh, Skerries and Balbriggan. I forgot about the traveler site and the chance of loose, loud dogs on the Ardla Road which made for possibly the fastest I've ever scooted up a hill!

https://www.strava.com/activities/806486644

NamelessPhil

200km around East Wicklow to bring my audax rides to 36 in 36 months. That's three years of at least one ride of 200 km a month or longer. I've only covered 4,388km this year but in only 38 rides with 42,000m of climbing. I'm slow and steady!

Yesterday's route was a spin over Sally Gap from Dundrum, down to a freezing Laragh, Rathdrum, Aughrim, Carnew, across to Gorey and up the coast road through Arklow, Wicklow, Bray and then back to Dundrum. The weather was fantastic, no wind or ice at Sally Gap, frost in the fields from Laragh to Rathdrum and then dry and sunny until sunset. I rode the last three hours with stars for company.

https://www.strava.com/activities/806592897

Planet X

Chapeau.....

smacl

Congrats, was just looking at that route on the Audax Ireland site as a nice 200k with a local start.

Unknown Soldier

Baltic into work this morning but I had the crimbo lights on the bike to amuse me. The Garmin went as low a -4 degrees, but hung around -3.5 for most of the journey.

To heat myself up at the start I went up Stocking Avenue/Lane.

Quite the scary place with a weak front light.

There are various monsters in the hedges making noises

24km or so done, but the journey home was a different story...

Wet, cold, seriously windy. It's never the cycle home that's hard, it's getting your head around it about half an hour before quitting time when the weather is brutal! grand when you get going. I had planned to do a bit extra over the 11km home but the weather was not playing game!

Well done to anyone out commuting/spinning today!

dahat

Much much shorter commute for me but even with 2km journey each way I felt every bit of the weather that was offered up... Nasty in many ways.

Whyner

Daroxtar wrote: »

Haven't been out too much at all lately, 3 times in the last 6 weeks so when the in-laws arrived and offered to take the kids for the day there was only one thing for me.
It was lovely and bright but a bit chilly. I knew there was no point trying to break records so I took it easy enough with the intention of doing as much climbing as I could at a steady pace. Unfortunately I'm not very good at climbing at a pace below threshold and even if I could I've lost a good bit of condition so climbing slow was still close to the limit.
Went up Ballinascorney then down by Algour and up Cunard. It's never easy. Continued over the Featherbeds and then up Kippure. It was glorious up there. Then down to the Sally Gap crossroads and decided to head down to Laragh. The valley was shaded and cold so I was more than happy to sit inside the Café and have a nice warm coffee and a big lump of lemon drizzle cake. With cream. Feck it.
Then off up the Wicklow Gap and I was really beginning to feel the legs at that stage. At one point I was out of the saddle and whatever way I moved, when I sat back down I trapped a ball on the saddle. I wasn't long forgetting about the quads.
I abandoned the idea of going up Turlough Hill and continued on down the gap, into Valleymount, Blessington and struggled back to Tallaght.
Uploaded the ride to Strava and spotted some chap called Donal had a route of 220km with 4700m climbing mapped out. Ah ya, no bother....on yer own buddy!!!


105km with 1581m climbed https://www.strava.com/activities/805611091

Thanks for sharing, as a result I discovered the beautiful section from when you turn off Ballinascorney road until you pop your head out on Military road, really nice, and steep ......was up there yesterday

I'm new to cycling so the descent from there was pretty hairy as it was very blustery

smacl

Whyner wrote: »

Thanks for sharing, as a result I discovered the beautiful section from when you turn off Ballinascorney road until you pop your head out on Military road, really nice, and steep ......was up there yesterday

I'm new to cycling so the descent from there was pretty hairy as it was very blustery

Was down that way today myself. Had planned a few lazy laps of the reservoirs but too many walkers about, so after a couple of laps headed up Glassamucky brakes to the Military road and back via the viewing point. Lovely climb up, but the crosswinds on the Featherbeds were horrendous and was quite pleased when I reached the turn off for Cruagh to get back into some shelter. Stunning day out though.



And if you're out on those steep bits, don't forget to check the brakes (I'll get my coat...)

ednwireland

club 2 up turkey trot time trial great fun !
hiowlin gale out tailwind back !

terrydel

Nice St Stephens Day spin with the brother. 52km out and back from Clondalkin, up Ballinascorney and over Butter Mountain, out onto the N81 and up to Blessington, stopping for a nip of whiskey!
Was cold but a lovely day, only issue was getting stuck in the big ring on a bad gear on the bastard ramp on Ballinascorney, it was a fecking hoor trying to find a gear for that hill, I'd not recommend it in the biggest gear you have thats for sure!
The lad we met on the way up must have thought we were a right load of ****e!!
Bike needs a really good service now as the gears are becoming unsuable, switching front rings up or down is nigh on impossible at times.
Would it be front derailleur or just a cable or indexinf issue does anyone reckon?

smacl

terrydel wrote: »

Bike needs a really good service now as the gears are becoming unsuable, switching front rings up or down is nigh on impossible at times.
Would it be front derailleur or just a cable or indexinf issue does anyone reckon?

Front mech is pretty simple, in that you've got the spring in the mech acting against the tension of the cable. If the issue is dropping into the small ring, this means the spring isn't able to do its job. Could be due to minor obstruction such as gunk between cable inner and outer causing drag, or a tiny kink in the cable. Reducing the cable tension might fix this, but if you have a bit of time I'd replace the cable inners and outers. Can happen with an old chain too, in that lateral movement on the chain allows it to get pushed without shifting.

magicbastarder

another simple thing to check is whether the cable as ir runs under the bottom bracket is corroded; theyd have been salting the roads in the last month or two, accelerating that corrosion, which means it mught be stuck in the cradle which directs it under the BB.

1bryan

or check the derailleur itself. It happened on one of my older bikes and I found it was due to the pivots seizing. If it's that, clean it, apply a bit of grease and loosen it out by hand to restore the range of movement to it.

magicbastarder

just under 50k out around malahide, portmarnock and howth. there's clearly an issue with glare or something on the hill past the cemetery on the way down into sutton, as two motorists within the space of about 200m decided the road was obviously empty as i was coming downhill.

oh, and brownie points to the chap sweeping the footpath outside his house clear (on the sutton to howth village stretch), sweeping the pesky glass into the cycle lane.

RobFowl

Off road fun around Ardgillan with VCB, found Stano's achilles heel too...


Cough cough drops offs

Beasty

RobFowl wrote: »

found Stano's achilles heel too...

Stan Ogden's?

He's not needed that for quite a number of years now....

secman

56 km today Avg 24.75 kmph according to old computer on bike. Used my garmin 520 for the first time today. Missed approx 2 km.... Thought it was turned on..... the Avg on garmin was a good bit lower, seemed to include stops, met a few people twice on spin and stopped to natter. Think I have the trip loaded on to strava, must check it later.... don't know how to load it here .
House to killenagh, ballycanew Gorey, inch, Castletown, Ballymoney, courtown and back to killenagh...home. first spin since Sunday week... got that coughing chesty bug that's doing the rounds.

Ryder

Yesterday, city out to crosshaven and the beaches. 46.9km at 23.6 average. Gorgeous day but relatively lumpy spin.

Today, 50km, Cork to Donaghmore. 26.4kmhr average. Nice spin, relatively flat. Never been out that way before.

Overall very happy. This is my version of the Rapha 500. First time on a non commuting cycle in about 4 months. Need to get a turbo and get back into training.

Wishbone Ash

secman wrote: »

.... the Avg on garmin was a good bit lower, seemed to include stops

You can set the Garmin to auto pause when you stop at junctions, lights, heavy traffic etc.

secman wrote:

....Think I have the trip loaded on to strava, must check it later.... don't know how to load it here ...

Open the specific activity on Strava and copy the URL at the top and then paste it at the end of your post.