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

Luxman

119K with 1900m vertical today, a reservoir Dog recon, found some new roads and kicker after kicker on inclines, its a brute of a route. Warm day but stiff enough breeze from sally gap to lough Tay. I managed 222kph on the decent from Sally gap :-) according to my trusty Garmin, it was probably as knackered as me and just gave up (real speed was 72kph).

Boscoirl

70km club spin tonight, ~29kmph average, don't Normally go with that group, dropped twice, but managed to claw back on( they may have eased up for me)

When I got dropped the 3rd time, I cut them loose, and did my own pace home, best spin in a long time

magicbastarder

just 37km tonight - lovely evening for it, got a bit of protein on the way as the flying ants are out. 29km/h average, a best for me.

dahat

87km with 900m elevation, took in The Vee & Mt Road with the hairpins rather than Powers the Pot, beautiful day for it but my God the headwind & crosswind was savage tough.I reckon at least 70 of that was suffering due to the wind.
My legs blew in Ardfinnian so had to stop for some emergency rations to fuel the body to get home. A segment near home was wind effected in a good way so had a dig at the KOM and failed by a measly 4 seconds, a good way to end a seriously tough spin though.

87km at 28.7 avg, 900m elevation and a failed KOM attempt.

Weepsie

Got off work a little early so headed for park to do some loops of the kybher circuit and around the magazine fort before visiting parents. Started hammering down so cut a bit of my planned route to Blanchardstown out and did my hellos.

The rain was not relenting, so feck it and I went off out towards Clonee, Kilbride, hollystown and home.

80 km at about 28 kmph. Character building in that rain

PukkaStukka

Coming from Summerhill over Ballybough bridge in Dublin on the commute home, one is confronted by the joy that is cycling on new tarmac. That is, until, after cresting the bridge we see that the cobblelock landmines are still there and untouched.

Does anyone know why these lethal yokes are allowed remain when they are a threat to just about any road user, let along cyclists?

LollipopJimmy

Won't be long until some utility company rip it up.

Where I live was done last year and has been torn up three times since by various companies

retalivity

D8 - strawberry beds - backroads to maynooth - rathcoffey - clane - ???? - kill - ???? - n81 - dublin.

Went away with no real plan in particular, no phone and unfamiliar roads. Was looking for the lamb on my way back but appears i got the climb next to it. Spilt my water after 50k and had no money, so was gasping the whole way back as well.

81k in 3h, 540m climbed

https://www.strava.com/activities/1096329675

D13exile

Out at 7am for an easy spin. Went from Clane to Sallins up to Straffan, Maynooth, Kilcloon, Summerhill, Agher, left turn to Kilcock and back home to Clane. 75kms in 2hrs 45mins at an average of 27kph. Had loads left in the legs when I got home and was sorry I didn't go for the 100km mark but have things to do🙄

Fighting Tao

Another item off the bucket list.

Visited my parents in Dundalk and back the next day. Just over 85km each way. Took a lovely quiet route once I got to Swords as far as Drogheda and then the old main road from Drogheda to Dundalk. I just reversed the route and used that to come back to Dublin.

Yesterday was much tougher with the head wind. I was exhausted after it. Then today was great. The tiredness from yesterday didn't really show today. I was also helped by virtually no wind for much of it and the temperature was lower.

I had a backpack both days. First time cycling with a backpack for more than 5km. I was also surprised that the hills I thought would be a problem weren't. Particularly Tullyesker coming out of Drogheda towards Dunleer.

Dublin to Dundalk: https://www.strava.com/activities/1095829261
Dundalk to Dublin: https://www.strava.com/activities/1097570811

Eamonnator

Fighting Tao wrote: »

I was also surprised that the hills I thought would be a problem weren't. Particularly Tullyesker coming out of Drogheda towards Dunleer.

a little hoor, that drag.

Fighting Tao

Eamonnator wrote: »

a little hoor, that drag.

I actually liked it but the hard shoulder is a bit bumpy. I just remember the hill seeming huge from my childhood. Haven't driven it much since the best thing to ever happen, the m1 around drogheda opened. Coming the opposite direction the bumpiness seemed to slow me down a lot. I didn't feel there was bang for the buck going downhill.

magicbastarder

have been feeling a little flu-y over the last day or two but decided to head out for a spin, and now i feel like death warmed up, after 47km. still, first time up over howth in about six months and i knocked 20s off my PB from the village side.

Gerry

Planned with more care as I ended up coming home into the wind on Friday. Headed towards dunshaughlin but detoured by a few small hills. Then culmullin, towards trim, doreys forge, Summerhill and back by kilcock. 46km with 350m elevation
https://www.strava.com/activities/1097307849

Mercian Pro

Fighting Tao wrote: »

Took a lovely quiet route once I got to Swords as far as Drogheda and then the old main road from Drogheda to Dundalk. I just reversed the route and used that to come back to Dublin.

Great route to Drogheda but you really should have headed out to Baltray and up the coast from there to Castlebellingham. A bit longer but a much more pleasant road than the R132. A detour out to Blackrock would also get you away from the traffic as you approached Dundalk.

Fighting Tao

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Great route to Drogheda but you really should have headed out to Baltray and up the coast from there to Castlebellingham. A bit longer but a much more pleasant road than the R132. A detour out to Blackrock would also get you away from the traffic as you approached Dundalk.

I didn't actually mind the R132. It's very quiet on a Saturday and Sunday morning. I will certainly consider the coast next time though. It's been a while since I've been through annagassan. Lovely by the sea there. Thank you for your suggestion.

positron

I really enjoy heading north on R132 early mornings - it's mostly downhill as you have already paid for the pleasure by climbing Tullyesker as soon as you leave Drogheda. I prefer going north on R132 and coming back via coast road (Annagassan, Clogherhead, Baltray etc).

Wishbone Ash

Fighting Tao wrote: »

.. It's been a while since I've been through annagassan. Lovely by the sea there....

positron wrote: »

.. and coming back via coast road (Annagassan, Clogherhead, Baltray etc).

Speaking of Anagassan, does anyone know if the pub there still does food? (O'Neill's or The Glyde Inn I think it was called). Used to be a good spot for food but I haven't been there since the 1980's.

Nothing remarkable about my 20km spin today until I remembered on the way back the f'n water is still off so no proper shower for me ..... again. I'd say theres a few of us in the area drawing flies at this stage :pac:

Chuchote

Deleted User wrote: »

Nothing remarkable about my 20km spin today until I remembered on the way back the f'n water is still off so no proper shower for me ..... again. I'd say theres a few of us in the area drawing flies at this stage :pac:

Sure haven't you the whole of the Irish Sea there to bathe in!

Chuchote

Chuchote wrote: »

Sure haven't you the whole of the Irish Sea there to bathe in!

I could make a duathlon of it couldn't I

Fighting Tao

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Nothing remarkable about my 20km spin today until I remembered on the way back the f'n water is still off so no proper shower for me ..... again. I'd say theres a few of us in the area drawing flies at this stage :pac:

As I'm from Dundalk I always assumed that people in the south Louth/Meath area didn't wash, had 6 fingers and had webbed toes.

Wishbone Ash

Deleted User wrote: »

... until I remembered on the way back the f'n water is still off so no proper shower for me ..... again. I'd say theres a few of us in the area drawing flies at this stage :pac:

Ah - that explains why our staff from the Drogheda/East Meath area have been looking shabby lately!

Alerium

I cycled Dublin to Galway over the weekend, with an overnight stop in Shannonbridge. 133km first day, about 82km the second day.

You were travelling light ? Or had you a back pack or something?

Alerium

[Deleted User] wrote: »

You were travelling light ? Or had you a back pack or something?

Very light. The backpack attached to the rear rack in the pic had: 2 pairs of shorts, 2 t shirts, 2 pairs of boxers, 2 inner tubes, tools etc. The saddle bag had my snacks so i dont have to stop.

Chuchote

Alerium wrote: »

I cycled Dublin to Galway over the weekend, with an overnight stop in Shannonbridge. 133km first day, about 82km the second day.

Making these into visible pics, they're lovely. Well done!

magicbastarder

first time strava fail on me this evening. stopped halfway through - using the app on my phone rather than a dedicated GPS device.

retalivity

Up and down stocking lane, cruagh, pine forest. Met nobody at all going up either, passed about 50 then on the way down. They were all secretly following me...

https://www.strava.com/activities/1101169938

positron

I had another successful commute Drogheda-Dundrum using the same route as last week (Ardcath, Garristown, Finglas, Christchurch etc). Fractionally faster averaging 23kmph and PR galore (over 35) in Strava. 58k, 2.5 hours.

Return trip was only up to Portmarnock again and there I tried slightly modified route - essentially cutting thru Herbert Park, that short cut around Ringsend to the bridge to O2 Arena, and then thru Fairview Park etc. Really enjoyed riding thru the parks even if that was only like 10% of the total distance. On the otherside, go dropped by an some guy on an ebike. He was pedaling rapidly but you can tell he's free spinning while the bike was so quick off the mark at traffic light, it was wheel-spinning.. well that's my excuse anyway.