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

Chuchote

Would be a lovely day for a cycle to the mountains; less so for the way back

http://ozonekites.com/info/windyty-wind-and-wave-forecasts/

wowy

terrydel wrote: »

Did the Gran Fondo up North, enjoyed some aspects of it, hated others.
Firstly having a shocking nights sleep the night before didnt help and I just didnt really enjoy the ride the way I should have that. Didnt feel I had much pep in me at all.
The start from Stormont was an amazing site, a really iconic place to see thousands of cyclists moving off from.
But the route just didnt suit the sheer numberof people and the first few proper climbs (dree hill + one other?) the bunching up was a complete joke, loads of people unclipping/stopping/falling off. Im pretty good at holding the bike at almost a complete stop so was able to progress better than most but it was still painful and cost a serious amount of time. At the first feed stop we arrived to no food! Ridiculous for an event such as this. As usual I wasnt aware of the cut off point just up the road at 10.15 and ended up missing it by 3 minutes. Was a bit annoyed but to be honest wasnt enjoying the ride so that annoyance soon turned to happiness! But a cut off 3.15hrs & 70km into an event that was slowed down so much by the number of riders was in my opinion very harsh. Im sure 2000+must have been effected by it.
Second food stop was not much better, one small table serving coffee on a 5000 participant event is hilarious. Very little food beyond the energy crap from one of the sponsors. No cake, sandwiches or any real food. The two small sportives (cliffs of moher and lap de gaps) Ive done this year where a milion miles better in this regard.
The free jersey is nice and the medal is good quality and a nice souvenir.
Cycled too and from the hotel (7.5km e/w) and was aboslutely soaked on the way back after more or less avoiding rain all day! Typical!
Its a nice route but I wasnt blown away by it, I find Wicklow and Kerry far more scenic and appealing, but thats just personal opinion.
Im not sure Id go back, its a lot of money for one sportive with all the cost that goes with it.
They probably need to plan the route/starts better to sort out the bunching early on, and really need to address the shocking level of food at the feed zones.
Interested in others opinions.

I've done it for the last 3 years. In 2015, they had the same issues with food as this year (as in, they had barely any). Last year they seemed to have upped their game, and they had plenty of food at the first stop (including sandwiches), and then at the 2nd stop they even had a van from one of the sponsors giving out small tubs of fresh mash potatoes. They also had an extra water stop at the top of Spelga dam (albeit it was a lot hotter last year). This year, though, was very poor, I'd say even worse than 2015. The food after was also pretty disappointing - thankfully there were food vans so I was able to buy a pizza. Little cutbacks were annoying - last year the food voucher entitled riders to food and 2 beers, this year was down to 1 beer. It's the same price as last year, but we got so much less for our money this year.

Stormont was a nice scenic spot to start from and finish into, but other than that I thought it was badly-managed - it was difficult to get in and out from for registration, and it was all much too spread out (having to walk through a water-logged forest trail from the finish line to the food etc was no help to the new cleats I put on last week). My GF and a friend came to meet me at the end, and it was a nightmare for them to even get out of the Estate afterwards.

Dree Hill was a pain in that crowd - people trying to clip back on in the centre of the narrow road. I was in a big batch that were forced to put a foot down and we all had to walk up the last 300m or so.

Agreed re. the cut-off, thought it was very harsh, especially considering how long it took to get out of the city and then delays up Dree Hill.

At £65 plus other costs, I think I've had my fill.

terrydel

wowy wrote: »

terrydel wrote: »

Did the Gran Fondo up North, enjoyed some aspects of it, hated others.
Firstly having a shocking nights sleep the night before didnt help and I just didnt really enjoy the ride the way I should have that. Didnt feel I had much pep in me at all.
The start from Stormont was an amazing site, a really iconic place to see thousands of cyclists moving off from.
But the route just didnt suit the sheer numberof people and the first few proper climbs (dree hill + one other?) the bunching up was a complete joke, loads of people unclipping/stopping/falling off. Im pretty good at holding the bike at almost a complete stop so was able to progress better than most but it was still painful and cost a serious amount of time. At the first feed stop we arrived to no food! Ridiculous for an event such as this. As usual I wasnt aware of the cut off point just up the road at 10.15 and ended up missing it by 3 minutes. Was a bit annoyed but to be honest wasnt enjoying the ride so that annoyance soon turned to happiness! But a cut off 3.15hrs & 70km into an event that was slowed down so much by the number of riders was in my opinion very harsh. Im sure 2000+must have been effected by it.
Second food stop was not much better, one small table serving coffee on a 5000 participant event is hilarious. Very little food beyond the energy crap from one of the sponsors. No cake, sandwiches or any real food. The two small sportives (cliffs of moher and lap de gaps) Ive done this year where a milion miles better in this regard.
The free jersey is nice and the medal is good quality and a nice souvenir.
Cycled too and from the hotel (7.5km e/w) and was aboslutely soaked on the way back after more or less avoiding rain all day! Typical!
Its a nice route but I wasnt blown away by it, I find Wicklow and Kerry far more scenic and appealing, but thats just personal opinion.
Im not sure Id go back, its a lot of money for one sportive with all the cost that goes with it.
They probably need to plan the route/starts better to sort out the bunching early on, and really need to address the shocking level of food at the feed zones.
Interested in others opinions.

I've done it for the last 3 years. In 2015, they had the same issues with food as this year (as in, they had barely any). Last year they seemed to have upped their game, and they had plenty of food at the first stop (including sandwiches), and then at the 2nd stop they even had a van from one of the sponsors giving out small tubs of fresh mash potatoes. They also had an extra water stop at the top of Spelga dam (albeit it was a lot hotter last year). This year, though, was very poor, I'd say even worse than 2015. The food after was also pretty disappointing - thankfully there were food vans so I was able to buy a pizza. Little cutbacks were annoying - last year the food voucher entitled riders to food and 2 beers, this year was down to 1 beer. It's the same price as last year, but we got so much less for our money this year.

Stormont was a nice scenic spot to start from and finish into, but other than that I thought it was badly-managed - it was difficult to get in and out from for registration, and it was all much too spread out (having to walk through a water-logged forest trail from the finish line to the food etc was no help to the new cleats I put on last week). My GF and a friend came to meet me at the end, and it was a nightmare for them to even get out of the Estate afterwards.

Dree Hill was a pain in that crowd - people trying to clip back on in the centre of the narrow road. I was in a big batch that were forced to put a foot down and we all had to walk up the last 300m or so.

Agreed re. the cut-off, thought it was very harsh, especially considering how long it took to get out of the city and then delays up Dree Hill.

At £65 plus other costs, I think I've had my fill.

Food afterwards wasnt great but at least there was some, at that stage Im just happy to eat. 1 beer plenty for me, dont really drink to be honest and its a gesture more than anything so no complaints there. but yeah, youre right if the price has stayed the same and what you get goes down, thats not ideal.
The cutoff for me was the worst thing, incredibly tight I felt especially given the crowds up those hills. I know its agreed with authorities beforehand, but anyone who has cycled a sportive surely could have foreseen that bunching up given the numbers and the narrowness of those hill roads. I'd love to see the numbers who missed it, id guess it was considerable, maybe 2000 or so?
I finished 154km in under 6 hours so I aint slow, so if it caught me out it deffo caught out loads of people who under normal circumstances would easily have made it.
Agree, I dont think Id go again, whole thing cost me a bomb (lots of it not the fault of organisers in fairness), parking, hotel etc.
Enjoyed the occasion and the spirit and volunteerism but not keen to go back.

Annie get your Run

Got soaked to the skin yesterday evening on the bike home, opened the curtains this morning to see nothing had changed, had a fleeting 2 second thought about getting the bus and then threw on the gear and headed off on the bike. Even in the pouring rain it's still far nicer option (for me) than public transport. Only spotted a few other hardy's though! Here's hoping the runners dry before I leave for another soaking this evening!!

Rogue-Trooper

Annie get your Run wrote: »

Even in the pouring rain it's still far nicer option (for me) than public transport.

It's better than ALL other options! :P

Annie get your Run wrote: »

Here's hoping the runners dry before I leave for another soaking this evening!!

Stuff them with crumpled up newspaper - it will soak up the moisture. You may need to change the newspaper a couple of times during the day (I really miss the free Metro newspaper for this purpose!). You could also look into a pair of overshoes for the wet days.

Another top tip is keep a spare pair of socks in work as pulling on cold wet socks is nasty when it's home time!

cdaly_

Sandals in wet weather dry out in no time. No soggy socks either...

P_1

An enjoyable enough 35k out to register for the Wicklow. Did have some trepidation about the N11 after reading the close pass thread but ironically the only grief I got was from two lovely gents deciding to buzz by me on their carbon monstrosities and full kit and roar at me as I was slowing down trying to filter to turn right up Belgard road.

Maybe it's because I wasn't wearing lycra? :rolleyes:

https://www.relive.cc/view/1029490405

grouchyman

Did the tour de south Roscommon today 120kms. Very well organised and great credit to the South Roscommon cycling club for organising the event. Two good food stops in Fuerty and Dysart. The whole route was Very well marshalled.

The wind though was a killer especially between Four Roads and Ballinasloe. I felt the bike wobble once or twice and was nearly blown to a stop on a few occasions. The wind Though it made the spin from Ballinasloe to Clann an Gael at the end very easy indeed. Feeling the full 120 in the knees at the moment.

Anyway sitting here with a great sense of achievement. And thanks again to SRCC for a very enjoyable event.

positron

Trying to up the time on the saddle I did 4 hours this morning (but just 77k): Drogheda-Naul-Ballybofey-Airport-Swords-Lusk-Skerries-Balbriggan-Julianstown-Drogheda.

My plan was to head north towards Dundalk, then I saw how windy it was and was afraid of getting caught on the way back like it did on BH Monday (nearly killed me). So I headed into the wind this morning, and four Category 4 hills around Naul had my arse kicked all over the place. Got as far as Swords and said right, now the wind is going to help me get home. Errr.. no. It had died down / changed direction and also got soaked to the core somewhere along the country lanes between Skerries and Balbriggan. Got home just in time to collapse and cry. I am working towards 100k but it looks like it will take me at least two more weeks to get there.

kirk buttercup

So lads did the ww100 in 4 hrs 35 mins I'm chuffed it has been my goal for a while now. It was tough on parts but I loved it

triggermortis

The wind was brutal going into work yesterday morning, but it helped me get home at 32.5 km/h 12 hours later!!

https://www.strava.com/activities/1032041030

My Garmin had a wobble in the morning and wouldn't go out of auto-pause, so I turned that off and it's still off now. I was going to try it again today, but got out of bed too late to cycle so took the car (boo!)

Chuchote

Set out the other day for the Irish Cycle/Dublin Growers cycle tour of food gardens. I'd been unable to get to sleep till 03:00 so was a bit dawny, and missed the cycle at the first garden I landed at. But the proprietor gave me a tour of the garden, and a chance to drink tea, chat, admire the adorable silkie and araucana and maran hens, and play with the baby magpie… never did get back on my bike for the rest of the gardens!

Annie get your Run

I wasn't prepared for that torrential downpour this morning so wasn't dressed properly. It started 1/2 mile in so 11.5 miles of it! Definitely time to buy overshoes!

Boscoirl

75km club Spin yesterday. Cut short as one of the lads took a spill on a steep technical decent,
Luckily he was ok, and the bike had minimal damage. Limped to the next town where we got him a lift home. It put a dampener on it for the rest of us. So we headed for home. Then with less then a km from home the heavens opened and got soaked.

moonshadow

Well not quite today but Saturday last.
200.5 km from Louth to Ballinasloe via Maynooth , this was a fund raising event for Imnda and I spoke about it before here and run in conjunction with a cycling club in Louth.
5 groups including complete newbies who 13 weeks ago had no cycling experience whatsoever and completed it at avg 20 kmph , the other 4 groups had and travelled at 22.5/25/27.5 /30 kmph average respectively 156 people in total..plus support.
Every group arrived within 25 minutes of each other due to meticulous planning and were welcomed into Ballinasloe en masse by Ballinasloe cycle club junior members and Garda escort to a great reception , best gig ever !

Chuchote

Posting this here because most of the people likely to ride the route in question would be posting and reading here - mods, move if you feel this is inapposite.

Garda? are looking for webcam footage of the area they're searching for the scattered body of a woman who died a week before being cut up and dumped:

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/man-arrested-as-female-body-parts-found-in-wicklow-1.3118141

Body parts have now been discovered in at least five locations over a 20km range in Co Wicklow, with the head and hands found in a bag on Tuesday afternoon.
The first two finds were made by members of the public late last week.
Search teams made up of members of the Garda, Defence Forces and Civil Defence are now searching a 30km stretch of the Military Road from the Featherbeds to near Laragh.

Supt Ward [no first name or further information given about the superintendent] appealed for any information about any woman who has not been since between June 2nd and June 10th to contact them.
“We would also like to hear from people who were working or around the Military Road area - anywhere from Glencree down to Glenlara and along that 30km of Military Road in Bray,” he said.
“If anyone has any CCTV or webcams or Go Pro footage or video footage from that area and in that time period between June 2nd to 10th, we would be happy to hear from them.”
Earlier, Supt Ward told a separate media briefing at the edge of the cordoned-off scene on Military Road that it appeared body parts had been thrown out of a moving vehicle. No efforts had been made to conceal the remains.

As far as I can see, there's no number given for contacting the Garda? about this, and no contact person. But the article mentions a briefing in Bray garda station.

The Indo, though, identifies the superintendent as Pat Ward, and continues

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/crime/man-30s-arrested-in-wexford-in-connection-with-discovery-of-female-remains-35823154.html

Gardai are appealing for anyone who might have been in the general area of Military Road / Laragh Co Wicklow in the recent past and who may have seen anything suspicious or unusual to contact the incident room at Bray Garda Station on 01-666 5300, the Garda Confidential Line 1-800-666-111 or any Garda Station.

If anyone has webcam footage in the last two or three weeks, "probably in a period of 2-10 June", it would be a gift to the grieving friends and family of the deceased to hand a copy to the Garda?.

AndrewJRenko

Chuchote wrote: »

Posting this here because most of the people likely to ride the route in question would be posting and reading here - mods, move if you feel this is inapposite.

Garda? are looking for webcam footage of the area they're searching for the scattered body of a woman who died a week before being cut up and dumped:

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/man-arrested-as-female-body-parts-found-in-wicklow-1.3118141



As far as I can see, there's no number given for contacting the Garda? about this, and no contact person. But the article mentions a briefing in Bray garda station.

The Indo, though, identifies the superintendent as Pat Ward, and continues

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/crime/man-30s-arrested-in-wexford-in-connection-with-discovery-of-female-remains-35823154.html



If anyone has webcam footage in the last two or three weeks, "probably in a period of 2-10 June", it would be a gift to the grieving friends and family of the deceased to hand a copy to the Garda?.

Strava would give them a fair bit of information about who was out there over that period;
https://www.strava.com/segments/1153722

smacl

Been four weeks off the bike with a chest infection and still coughing and phlegmy but missing the bike too much so headed out this morning regardless. Out the door for 5am and a couple of quiet streets and fresh air had me feeling quite good. Then made the mistake of taking a certain turn off at the back of Marlay park and found myself plodding up Kilmashogue. Bad idea, got to the car park and nearly barfed, and turned back a bit before making it to Ticknock feeling gassed and weak as a kitten. On the way back, as a change from the deer I usually see up there I saw something that looked seriously like a direwolf in the distance. Turned out to be a couple walking an Irish wolfhound and a Great Dane. Not really a dog lover, but these were magnificent beasts and brought a smile to my face. In two minds whether to get out again until properly recovered, probably make a call tomorrow to either go to the doc for an antibiotic or just slog my way through.

kirk buttercup

Completed the WW100 on sunday which is what I have been working towards. I loved the day even though in parts I found it pretty tough (old hill and the hill at meeting of the waters) did it in 4 hours 20 mins which I was happy enough with . might get another sportive or two in before the end of the summer, but maybe a few with slightly flatter routes than Wicklow .

Chuchote

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Strava would give them a fair bit of information about who was out there over that period;
https://www.strava.com/segments/1153722

I certainly don't want Strava handing my records to the Gardaí - not that I go anywhere particularly sinister, but I don't want it. I'd be quite ok with Strava sending out a notice to all who'd cycled the route saying "If you have footage between these dates it would be good if you could give a copy to the Gardaí at Bray".

velo.2010

Tough wind out there today.

secman

The usual midweek jaunt to Blessington and back, first spin in almost 10 days due to work, tiredness from work and mental grief of work:(........

Nice to get out this evening 47.5 km and avg 28.48 kph, a tad windy too.

AndrewJRenko

Chuchote wrote: »

I certainly don't want Strava handing my records to the Gardaí - not that I go anywhere particularly sinister, but I don't want it. I'd be quite ok with Strava sending out a notice to all who'd cycled the route saying "If you have footage between these dates it would be good if you could give a copy to the Gardaí at Bray".

THat's fair enough, though a lot of people have their trips set public by default, so that information is in the public domain anyway. I'm not sure if they could contact them through Strava anyway?

I doubt if anyone would have kept helmetcam footage after this time, but there might be someone there who remembers something.

We're more leisurely than many here in our cycling these days usually we go on a Wednesday evening for a 10-15km stretch but I had some stuff to do this evening so herself didn't want to lose the km's and decided she'd just take the long way home from work and up the distance from 4km to 12km , about half way got a puncture, pain in the arse but no big deal has a pump in her bag and a kit and tools duct tapped under the seat..... which wasn't there

So I got a call to send the team car out , was just about to leave having strapped the wee on into the car and got another call to say she's grand. Couple of fella's and a woman out on a spin of their own had come across her and were sorting the puncture for her.

In case yee post here thanks for the help and saving me the drive, this was between Platin and Duleek around 5pm. Good to see folks willing to help each other out

Boscoirl

Club spin this evening for all groups and any potential newbies, leisurely pace with a stop for tea and scones, roll out was 6.30ish, I got home from work @ 7

In the door, stripped as I was going down the hall, gear on, and out the door to see if I could catch them. There was a killer head wind but managed to bridge to the breakaway

The rest of the spin was rather sedate, but it's an extra 50km this week

Boscoirl

Boscoirl wrote: »

Club spin this evening for all groups and any potential newbies, leisurely pace with a stop for tea and scones, roll out was 6.30ish, I got home from work @ 7

In the door, stripped as I was going down the hall, gear on, and out the door to see if I could catch them. There was a killer head wind but managed to bridge to the breakaway

The rest of the spin was rather sedate, but it's an extra 50km this week

You missed the scones so ? Or did you grab them in passing :pac:

Boscoirl

Caught them before the stop, the scones,covered in jam and cream, were my motivation to keep on going, nicest cup of tea I have had in a long time too

robyntmorton

I'm sure you could have gotten a soigneur to hold out a musette for you as you raced past.

May have been messy trying to eat the scones on the go though!

ETA: oh, I see Enfilade made a similar comment already.

robyntmorton

robyntmorton wrote: »

I'm sure you could have gotten a soigneur to hold out a musette for you as you raced past.

May have been messy trying to eat the scones on the go though!

ETA: oh, I see Enfilade made a similar comment already.

If missed would surely warrant the team car getting up there to sort it and eat the 200 swiss franc fine along with the yummy scones for feeding in the last 20k :P

kirk buttercup

Question for you experienced riders my strava seems to be all over the place has this happened to anyone before ? E.g. was riding with someone the other day and our times / average speed were way off it logged an extra hour for me. Also it had me at average speed in a ride 2 weeks back of 53km /hr ... While the other riders were 25km. strange.