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

Sweet Science

For the 1st time in my life i pedalled forward and went backwords on the commute this morning.

Chuchote

Parchment wrote: »

Todays wind was really bad on the commute - i actually went onto an empty foot path for some of it as i was getting blown all over the place on the road.

I will have the body of a god soon from cycling against this wind!

This one?

Pigeon Reaper

Just remember as bad as a cycle in the wind is it's not this bad.

Man cycles 500km in the wrong direction

cjt156

I remember walking home from my teenage job as a lounge-boy in the Silver Tassie pub on the N11 (_might_ have been a lock-in type situation). A bloke doing his utmost to stay upright on an 80's 5 speed passes.

"Here, pal; how far to Milltown?

"About 5 miles" I reply, and then point back the way he came "THAT way"

"Ahhhh, bo11ocks..." and turns the bike around...

Mercian Pro

triggermortis wrote: »

Wasn't sure whether to head out today or not as the wind looks brutal, but I have the day off. Had a talk to myself and got dressed. Pumped tyres, and as I screwed the front valve back in, it came off in my hand!
Sod this. Tea and toast and tv today then!

Just in from a club spin from Swords to Maynooth and back. It wasn't too bad as it was a side wind most of the time and the hedgerows are still fairly intact. Having a few broad backs in the group helped too

Luxman

I managed to avg 16kph between malahide and portmarnock today. For 3k!! And I did have my head down and ar*e up for some aero advantage. Mental wind. Going up and down Howth was "interesting"

Luxman

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Just in from a club spin from Swords to Maynooth and back. It wasn't too bad as it was a side wind most of the time and the hedgerows are still fairly intact. Having a few broad backs in the group helped too

Broad backs is so much less offensive than "fat barsteward". Must remember that one

MB Lacey

triggermortis wrote: »

Wasn't sure whether to head out today or not as the wind looks brutal, but I have the day off. Had a talk to myself and got dressed. Pumped tyres, and as I screwed the front valve back in, it came off in my hand!
Sod this. Tea and toast and tv today then!

Fate definitely on your side there :P Felt like I'd been in a fight by the time I cycled into work, it was very gusty. Lots of cyclists getting off their bikes to walk.

timmy_mallet

15km commute took about 20% longer this morning with that wind. Peddled to a standstill in Sandyford Ind. Estate heading right into the wind, mother of jaysus, forced me to unclip.
Usually avoid the bike lane on Leopardstown Rd, as its like a fairground ride, but had to do it today for fear of that crosswind.
I suppose the upside is I can have a go at few Strava segments on the way home...:)

Wishbone Ash

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Just in from a club spin from Swords to Maynooth and back. It wasn't too bad as it was a side wind most of the time and the hedgerows are still fairly intact. Having a few broad backs in the group helped too

Pity the poor souls that had to tuck in behind you - not much shelter to be had there!

(I had to do the walk of shame for a bit crossing The Featherbeds and again at Lough Bray yesterday - worst crosswinds I've ever experienced on a bike. I just couldn't keep the bike on the road. Walking was even difficult - at one stage the bike was blown up to a horizontal position while I was still holding onto the bars).

magicbastarder

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Walking was even difficult - i've got a super, super light sexy bike

FYP

OleRodrigo

One of the toughest commutes in a while today. Straight into that southerly for 20km on the fixie.

Nice on the way home though

Inquitus

T'was a tad breezy out there this evening, Swords -> Malahide -> Howth was hard work into a Gale, on the flip side, barely had to touch the pedals on the way home!

smacl

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

(I had to do the walk of shame for a bit crossing The Featherbeds and again at Lough Bray yesterday - worst crosswinds I've ever experienced on a bike. I just couldn't keep the bike on the road. Walking was even difficult - at one stage the bike was blown up to a horizontal position while I was still holding onto the bars).

Brave man going up there in that. The featherbeds can be incredibly tough in heavy winds, I usually bail via Glencree or Glassamucky when conditions are severe. I've seen people ditch there in bad winds on two separate occasions.

wanderer 22

Early o'clock spin with Alek of this parish this morning. Highlights were the heart in mouth moment where I was daydreaming while descending on 3 rock and nearly came off at a bend and the saddle in crotch moment when I failed to clip in. https://www.strava.com/activities/845658423

Alanstrainor

Battered again by the wind on my commute this morning. From Portmarnock to Baldoyle I was crawling at 20km/h due to the head wind. Also riding a highly geared single speed isn't helping matters! When I got to the coast I decided to avoid the cycle track altogether which is exposed right by the sea. Stuck to the road without issue instead.

Only living in Portmarnock 2 weeks now, so I consider this my baptism of fire for my commute!

Parchment

No wind here today! i didnt know myself.

Considering transporting a large bag of bubble wrap home on the carrier today....could be interesting.

Bloggsie

not cycling yet(thats another story) on the 17.05 Dublin to Sligo yesterday saw a foldie with a brooks saddle, it looked so odd, a very contemporary looking bike with a saddle, to my mind that belongs on something more vintage.

what_traffic

Bloggsie wrote: »

not cycling yet(thats another story) on the 17.05 Dublin to Sligo yesterday saw a foldie with a brooks saddle, it looked so odd, a very contemporary looking bike with a saddle, to my mind that belongs on something more vintage.

You got to ride a fold up bike to understand this. It is for comfort. I swopped standard Brompton saddle for a B17 Brooks. Have rough roads in IRE even in the urban areas.

smacl

what_traffic wrote: »

You got to ride a fold up bike to understand this. It is for comfort. I swopped standard Brompton saddle for a B17 Brooks. Have rough roads in IRE even in the urban areas.

You don't need the fold up, I have a B17 on my main bike and a Brooks Flyer on my hybrid. Might go for a C17 next time out, but definitely a fan of Brooks' saddles.

kirk buttercup

Over the 60 Mark now. 61.3 ( the .3 is massively important ) my aim is to be at 70 by the end of Feb. So going according to plan so far for the Wicklow 100

Weepsie

kirk buttercup wrote: »

Over the 60 Mark now. 61.3 ( the .3 is massively important ) my aim is to be at 70 by the end of Feb. So going according to plan so far for the Wicklow 100

You'll be grand if you're already doing 60. Get the odd hill in though, even if it's a shorter distance

cython

82km today, from Blanch over to Maynooth, ~40km slow club spin around Newtown and Enfield, and then home again. Makes up for some of the commute miles missed over the last week with jury duty crap.

kirk buttercup

Weepsie wrote:

You'll be grand if you're already doing 60. Get the odd hill in though, even if it's a shorter distance

Thanks mate for the advice I live in Wicklow so there is nothing but hills ( the hill I liveon is hard to walk up never mind cycle😂). But I do need to go for bigger climbs I think

Paul_Mc1988

kirk buttercup wrote: »

Over the 60 Mark now. 61.3 ( the .3 is massively important ) my aim is to be at 70 by the end of Feb. So going according to plan so far for the Wicklow 100

Over 60 now myself with a similar aim. Had originally thought i would be up for the 200 when i got on the saddle in November but two trips to sallys gap have made me assess my abilities. Hills just knock it out of me where as on the flat i can go all day long. Also became an accidental bike ninja yesterday as i didn't foresee fog on the horizon

https://www.strava.com/activities/845888660

http://imgur.com/gallery/IbVDY

secman

Headed to killenagh, ballycanew, left turn on main road to ballyedmund, castlebridge, and towards wexford town, took coast road to curracloe, Blackwater, kilmuckridge and home.
65 km Avg just under 26 kph ( rounded up from 25.80 )

Lovely spring like afternoon.

crosstownk

it was a nice bright day for a spin and not too cold. I headed out the Tallaght Bypass, into Saggart, Rathcoole and the draggy climb to Kilteel. Kilteel is a nice little village and I like the look of the Kilteel Inn - I made a mental note to head up there some night for a few pints.

Anyway, on I went into Kill and then Naas where I took the left for Blessington. About 2 or 3km outside Naas I needed a....er..... comfort break. I was wearing a pair of Rivelo shorts that I bought last year but haven't used much and today I discovered that they made for a very uncomfortable comfort break - I was almost bent over double!

I stopped in Blessington for a cuppa, had a nice slice of lemon meringue and set off again. As I made my way to Manor Kilbride the sky darkened, rain started falling and the temperature fell to -1C (according to Garmin). It felt very cold and my feet went numb. As I passed Jobstown the temperature finally went above zero but my feet didn't hear that news and remained numb.

The cold feet were cured by a warm shower and the thoughts of many pints of Guinness later this evening.

I'm happy with the 75km and 600m today and even happier with 1,000km covered in the month of January.

Kaisr Sose

Nice 69km out to Blessington. Caught a few hailstones but ok otherwise. Felt good. Only downers were a car passing me and then pulling across me in the cycle lane and parking, like I was not not there and a pointless overtake by a car heading up to Lamb Doyle's , close and at speed, with an oncoming car in the mix. Why can't people wait a few seconds anymore? The inconsideration of some people is incomprehensible.

Anyway, that brought up 800km in 3wks. Should put another 60-80km on that tomorrow and then it's off skiing for 12 days. I will get in some ski touring and telemark which will keep the fitness. Alpine skiing is no use for aerobic fitness but helps with building power.

Mind the roads while I am gone

devonp

bit of an adventure today
had intended on a long flatish spin but had 2 punctures before 40Km, so headed for Blessington to get sorted with more tubes, Co2 etc, at Toms Bike shop(cheers for the fast change) saw i had a serious bulge on my well worn original conti 4000 gps II(9k km on it at least), so got a 4 seasons fitted while i had a coffee next door.
so amended my route and took a left at Hollywood for a shorter route but more UP, as i would have had to be cycling on the return of the original route in the dark on unfamiliar roads.
cold enough out there, got hit by a few of Evelyn's wintery showers, 0.8C with sleet/hail at SG, and a few more short showers before back to home and into the shower for a good 15mins to warm up, nice sunshine when it appeared
145Km with about 1700m of Up
https://www.strava.com/activities/847222405

Planet X

"Temporary Fever Hospital" Audax. 212k.
https://www.strava.com/activities/847322293

....complete with wrong elevation

First ride since Christmas so quiet ....ed.
Lovely dry day, great scenery as usual, Fore Abbey and Bective Abbey stand out.

Alot of backlaneing on heavy roads but hey.....worth it.