Tell us about your cycle today part III

smacl

Short one today, 22k up Cruagh to Foxes and back down via the Blue Light. Loving the new wheels, PBs on every climb today. Still far slower than most here but gradually achieving the goal of moving from the bottom half of the segment table for most climbs into the top half. Dropped a couple of KG in the last few months which is helping, at the upper end of the health BMI scale (24.1) I reckon dropping a couple more wouldn't hurt. Having been on the 25c tyres at 90/100psi on the old bike and then moving back to 32c at 40/50psi is also a bit of a joy in terms of comfort and handling.

magicbastarder

a near perfect evening for a spin. first time in weeks i didn't feel belted out of it by the humidity, reasonably calm and nice comfy temperature. 55km, 665m climbing, 29km/h, and got the PR on carnes hill i was aiming for.

secman

Having suffered with terrible mechanical issues on Sunday was looking forward to getting out tonight back in Dublin, took good bike out, and back wheel was soft, pumped it up and noticed a bad slit on the tyre, 3 month old Gp5000. Took the winter bike out , pumped up wheels, got to the end of the road and gears were unresponsive , looks like cable is loose, sheared in lever, exactly what happened to me on Sunday's spin in Gorey 😫. Ironic that the only bike in working condition is the one for sale Caad9 😁.

And weather looks like a wash out for the rest of the week.

positron

I rode Muff today, and then on to Cockhill. Via Quigley's Point, various Illes etc. Beautiful beautiful afternoon for it and amazing scenery here in Innishowen, decent remote roads with almost no traffic and windmills everywhere. Thoroughly enjoyed the 50k or so with 500m or so climbing and fast descends.

Seth Brundle

I rode Muff today, and then on to Cockhill. Via Quigley's Point

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117698168#Comment_117698168

I'll send you some pics of the back roads in that area! The Inishannon to Ballinadee road must have the world record for potholes.

Anyway, the point stands - the roads in Cork are in a shocking state compared to other parts of the country.

Seth Brundle

Headed out last night with a friend and we did about 50km on a fairly leisurely spin (@ 28km/h). It's nice to take the pace back once in a while and just relax and chat when out.

Passing the canal at Hazelhatch on our outbound leg, a driver came up behind us as we were two abreast and when overtaking, shouted out "Get in a line". Seconds later the driver had stopped the car at the red lights. Looking at my video footage, the driver was half on the yellow box which caused a van leaving McEvoy's pub difficulty in exiting. When the lights went green, 200m beyond the canal the driver had to stop again because two vans were blocking the road. Strangely the driver didn't get agressive with them.

We managed to get in a couple of beers in McEvoy's at Hazelhatch on the way home, which was nice.

adrian522

I did a week in Kerry there last week. I had 4 decent spins on the bike. Weather was a bit mixed.

First one was a trip around Slea Head from Dingle. This was the last day of glorious sunshine, I'd spent most of the day driving but went straight out on the bike as soon as I arrived. 63km @ 23km/h with 586m of climbing.

It's a wonderful route with some great views.

Next day I'd hoped/planned to do the Connor Pass climb but I gave it a miss as the weather was atrocious. Ended up going for a run in the rain instead.

Next up was a spin from Kenmare up towards Molls Gap, Kilarney National Park, around the Gap of Dunloe and back via the Black Valley. I thought this was a class route, at least the first 2/3's of it, the last section was a lot on not great roads, maybe more suited to a gravel bike but I'd love to do this one again.

92km @ 22km/h with 1175m of climbing.

3rd one was a 140km route around the ring of Beara. Another excellent route but I got destroyed in the rain over most of the day, seemed like it was torrential for hours on end. It's a lovely route though and trip over the Caha pass at the end tops it off.

140km @ 22.5 km/h and 1630m of climbing.

Final spin was from Cahersiveen, over to Waterville and Caherdaniel and back via the Skellig Ring and Valentia island. Great route again, the road between Waterville and Caherdaniel is amazing, really nice climb. Valentia island is really cool too and you get a really nice climb on the skellig ring too.

91km @ 22.5km/h with 1233 climbing.

magicbastarder

i want to do the ballachusheen pass next time i'm down that end of the world - it's the road which basically runs up through the centre of the peninsula from waterville.

smacl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117705260#Comment_117705260

The Balligisheen / Ballaghbeama combo taking in Glencar is spectacular, as is the Black valley road. Would love to get back there again myself.

adrian522

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117705260#Comment_117705260

I actually think I ended up driving over that road on the way from Kenmare to Cahersiveen, following google maps directions. Looks like a great route to cycle alright, though I don't recommend driving it :)

Wildly Boaring

Black valley is part of the quest adventure race with the road pretty much closed.

Love it. Even when they try to murder us with stupid running

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117705331#Comment_117705331

I'm heading that direction on Saturday for a week with the bike. Did Ballaghisheen last year and intend to do it this time with Ballaghbeama. Beautiful part of the world.

Mercian Pro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117705331#Comment_117705331

Planning on doing it in early October as part of this year's Irish Hospice Challenge https://hospicefoundation.ie/get-involved/events/ihf-cycle-challenge-2021/. The previous day includes Priest's Leap so it could be tough. The week in the Italian Alps has been postponed again understandably but hopefully will happen in June 2022.

magicbastarder

was out today and decided to do a road i'd previously spotted i'd not done before, and didn't have a segment associated with it; so i decided to have a crack at it, hit a stone on it and punctured the front. that's me told. so i'm currently second slowest on it (though strava is still matching rides to it)

https://www.strava.com/segments/29384440

bumped into and had a bit of a chat with Mr Skeffington from these parts soon after.

Luxman

Gonna sound a bit daft but I followed a bit of MB's route from yesterdays spin and as I dropped down from Bellewstown direction towards Stamullen and followed his route back up to Snowtown I realised I have never cycled that road before. Good test and more focus needed as there isn't a flat bit to get a rest on and I think is a bit longer too. Its up Snowtown from the East. Not sure I matched MB's effort on it, but nicely knackered after it.

magicbastarder

if you were to stay on that road (i.e. not take the right hand turn up snowtown soon after the road starts to rise), you'd continue along that valley, christened 'the happy valley' by mercian pro.

obviously that approach up snowtown is usually easier in an easterly, you just happened to pick it on one of the rare days recently that we've had a south westerly...

Cienciano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117703831#Comment_117703831

McEvoys looks like such a nice pub any time I pass, definitely stopping for a pint next time

devonp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117705601#Comment_117705601

there is an Audax route called the Inner Ring which i have done twice, first time we starting from Killarney second time from Kenmare, here is some info with a RWGPS link for the route...its hard but worth it

https://www.audaxireland.org/events-calendar/gazetteer/200km-events/inner-ring-200/

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117707608#Comment_117707608

Thanks a million for that. Looks tough! I'll do at least a section of that route.

Wildly Boaring

Snowtown

Is this the last hill before the Naul, if your heading south on the R108?

You can then turn right and climb up away from the sea toward Clonalvy?

It's the last of a series of hills from Drogheda heading to Dublin border?

"The Happy Valley"

This the small road here?

Luxman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117709995#Comment_117709995

Yes. Your X is at the summit of snowtown. And if the second X is the Happy valley then thanks for clarifying. I went through on route to stamullen and up snowtown from the east.

Wildly Boaring

If my X is the summit then the little road off to the west has another few metres of climbing....

Luxman

I know each lung sapping metre!!

magicbastarder

the road to the west of snowtown from the north also has a decent bit of climbing, for an alternative nearby route. it's not quite the same elevation gain, but like snowtown it can be viewed as two or even three climbs stitched together.

i just created this segment from the bottom of snowtown to the top of that road:

https://www.strava.com/segments/29390782

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117707426#Comment_117707426

I was trying to visualize that road without success. According to Strava I've done it 6 times (4 of those times on the Angel of Mons Audax).

magicbastarder

steer clear of it at the moment, someone was obviously shedding a load of hardcore or a similar load and there's sizable (2cm+) stones scattered sporadically along it.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117709995#Comment_117709995

just spotted this - that's not happy valley, this is:

wheelo01

What was I thinking? I thought I was going to be posting in the wimps list, but woke up and it looked okay.

I went from Drimnagh to tallaght, over ballinascorney, Kippure, got to the bottom after cycling through my first downpour, felt cold but convinced myself to turn left to Sally's Gap, started going downhill into my second drowning, the amount of loose stones around Sally Gap is phenomenal and quite scary on the way down, across by viewing point(I think) and again the heavens opened, down gunny hill, and home again.

Between the downpours and the cold getting in on top of me, my speed was very slow.

55 km @ 19.2 kph with 900m of climbing.

Proud of myself for

A. Getting out

B. Convincing myself twice or three times not to take the short way home.

https://strava.app.link/Qk0y97ADvib

Mercian Pro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117711758#Comment_117711758

That's it alright mb but more particularly the southern section after the turnoff for Snowtown. On a sunny day in April or May when the hawthorn are in flower and the horses galloping around the fields below, you couldn't but be happy there.