Tell us about your cycle today part III

ednwireland

Wet evening Ride.

Darkglasses

Nicest cycle I've had in possibly years. In preparation for my Mondello 24 attempt I'm focusing on going slow and just trying to spend as much time in the saddle as possible, without any regard to speed or distance. Great mindset to have, spent plenty of time looking up and enjoying the Harvest Moon rise. Appropriately enough I did a bit of foraging of wild blackberries.

Got taken out by a heavy cold for the guts of three weeks and only got back on the bike yesterday after work. Great to get out for a bonus spin which was badly needed to clear the head and open up the lungs. I always feel so much better when I've managed to get a break from kids and work by jumping on the bike for a few hours.

55k @ 31.2kph with a KOM thrown in for good measure so the break didn't do me too much harm even if one of my quads started cramping near the end.

A new Wahoo Kickr Core landed on Monday which will be good timing for the onset of the dark nights and bad weather.

Luxman

Made a dash through the city early enough in the morning to avoid traffic, from Ratoath to Rathfarnham, the up Cruagh and up towards Glencree. I got to Sally Gap and there was no one there, enjoying the silence and some snacks for a few mins, then arrived about 4 lads from one side and 2 ladies from t'other side and it turned into a right proper conversation, so being a grumpy old git, I left. It was fab up there for the few mins of quiet. 110k in total and found some new roads too.

Seth Brundle

Had planned on a rest day as I'm doing the DFB Sportive tomorrow and it should work out at about 160km all in.

However, I had to sign on in Fairview this afternoon so decided to cycle the 22km each way from Leixlip.

Although the weather was lovely, traffic was crap. A taxi sped past me in the wand separated section of bus lane on the N4 inbound opposite Liffey Valley. I was doing 35-40 and he was much faster. Looking at the front and rear camera footage, I don't think he slowed or changed his line at all.

Passing alongside the Phoenix Park a prat in a Corolla decided to use his horn to tell me that I should be using the crappy cycle path and not the road. I caught up with him on the quays and he confirmed his ignorance of the ROTR.

Further on along the quays at the Courts, I was nearly taken out of it by a man in his Audi who felt that the red light facing him coming from the bridge meant nothing.

On the way home, again doing a decent speed on the N4 buslane approaching junction 4a (Spa hotel) a Go Ahead bus zoomed past half in the bus lane and half in lane 1. He wasn't very close but it did feel like it was.

It wasn't great over the last eighteen months but the aggression and hostility from drivers was a lot better than it is now.

stevencn88

80k with 1050m meters climbing. Cracking day for it. One close pass from a taxi up near Glencree, but aside from that "oh sh1t" moment, loved every second.

Nigzcurran

I have no cycle to tell about unfortunately. I’ve hit a bad place of other things getting in the way of me getting out on the bike and it’s depressing

secman

Me neither...fvking vertigo ☹😭 almost 3 weeks now.😫

^^^ hope you guys get back out there soon,

I managed to get out early this morning, before 8, up to Blessington and down to Baltinglass, headwind was strong, N81 was quiet at that hour thankfully. Over to castledermot and back up to Naas, wind on my back for the home leg, 28.3kph avg, 650M, 100k

Weepsie

I cycled for my 2nd covid test in just over a week. Pain in the hoop as it's most likely just a cold as it was the last time, but equally don't want to be that guy.

Loads of kids who looked properly sick too.

magicbastarder

bagging some more roads i'd not been on before - went down kettles lane (from the airport road end) and did not expect that little climb and drop again as you head for the kinsealy road - had just assumed it'd be flat out that direction.

Seth Brundle

Did the Dublin Fire Brigade Cycling Club Staying in the Saddle for Prostate Cancer charity sportive yesterday.

The plan was to meet up with a clubmate and cycle into Fairview. Minutes after we met up the front of his right cleat broke but he stuck it out.

The weather was lovely but windy. A garda escort brought everyone to Sutton and we were allowed ascend at our own pace then. By then my average speed had plummeted and it was hard to bring it back up significantly.

The southerly wind would carry us from Howth up towards Julianstown but we knew that it would be facing us for the return leg. Also, I wasn't expecting that climb up to Bellewstown racecourse. It wasn't a long climb but by then my legs were feeling a little tired.

The others I was out with fell behind and I did most of the return leg on my own. Made it back to Fairview anyhow and had some pasta and a bit of craic with others.

The spin back to Leixlip was tough though. My right knee suddenly became quite sore and I was just tired overall. My longest spin to date at 161km with 1246m @ 25.6km/h. https://www.strava.com/activities/6023433070

Haven't a clue how the Audax folk manage double that distance! Maybe I'm just old.

magicbastarder

yeah, that approach to bellewstown will put manners on you if you're tired.

loyatemu

club spin in mixed weather yesterday; included this double bastard of a hill that I hadn't encountered before. Strava reckons it hits 25%, one of those where you get out of the saddle to keep going, then your back wheel starts sliding so you have to sit down again. At least it's relatively short.

magicbastarder

had a very brief chat with Sé O'Hanlon out on the road earlier. some man for one man, he turned 80 recently.

also at one point was passed by a van making a constant tyre screeching noise - the front left wheel was pointing i guess about 5 or 10 degrees off the direction the van was travelling. and yer man was still doing close to 60 i reckon.

Tombo2001

First puncture for years this morning. This specimen on Blackhorse Avenue - faced with that split second decision: Do I swerve or do I hit it. Decided to hit it, immediate flat.

Nigzcurran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117953163#Comment_117953163

Yikes your were lucky you didn’t come off the bike

rushfan

Haven't posted here in a while, not today or yesterday, but earlier in the month, myself & Mrs R were in Majorca for two weeks. I hired a bike for a week, cycled a total of 240km, including climbing Cap Formentor. I have to say that the level of tolerance, patience, and allowances made for cyclists was a pleasure to see. Granted it's a major holiday destination with a higher than normal uptake of car hire driving ( myself included in that ) and no driver wants to take chances in an unfamiliar setting, but there was no close passes, no aggression, no revving, no angry blowing of horns, no fist shaking. Nothing!! And I was cycling in all sorts of road conditions, rural & urban, quiet & busy. Looking forward to next year already. 

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117956228#Comment_117956228

its a great place to go Cycling , but that tunnel really freaks me out,

wheelo01

Managed t get out for just over 50km this lunchtime, strave tells me it was 14 degrees, felt colder. Probably one of the last cycles this year in shorts and short sleeves.

Really quite cool for about 10k, intil I warmed up properly, but then it was lovely, unless I stopped at lights or whatnot, as as soon as I got going again, I could feel the cold from the sweating.

Drimnagh, out the main maynooth road, through celbridge, maynooth, and return via Leixlip on the return.

Just over 28kph, great day for it, lets hope it doesn't get much cooler too soon.

magicbastarder

i was out from about 5pm to 7pm, long (light) sleeves and i can't say i was warm. strava tells me it was 14C, it felt several degrees cooler.

DaveyDave

I think the sudden drop in temperatures doesn't help. Last week we crept back up to 20C with some sun then suddenly it's 7-9C in the mornings and there's been a fair bit of a cold breeze too for many days.

Don't mind the cooler weather this time of year but it was very sudden.

rushfan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117956403#Comment_117956403

Yeah, I'd forgotten about that. Actually, it was surprising how many cyclists had rear lights on at all times. There was a two way protected cycle lane right outside our hotel so it was very handy for the auld bit of bike porn!! Hopefully I'll do something similar next year, probably bring the lights next time too.

triggermortis

Fairly damp out this morning. Haven't been on the bike in a week as my shifts went crazy and I didn't feel like cycling home after a full 12 hours of graft. Luckily the main culprit contract there has ended, so I can get back to commuting by bike. The morning varied between damp and wet, without a proper downpour, but being with a group, my bike and kit are now filthy

Nigzcurran

Planning on cycling to the seefin passage tomb for the first time on Saturday , Is there any hills involved coming from the n81 direction?

NamelessPhil

Yes! It's on top of a hill!

wheelo01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960441#Comment_117960441

This Strava route covers a bit of your route, you could compare the hills to your experience of hills. There is a steep hill climb bynfoot after Kilbride Army Camp (according to google).

https://strava.app.link/AO1L3URRYjb

hope this helps you in some way.

Nigzcurran

Sorry folks I’ve never been anywhere near the Dublin mountains on a bike and my brother wanted us to cycle from blanch to lough Tay and back which sounded a bit too hilly for me so I managed to get him to comprise on going as far as that seefin place! I’m ok at cycling on the flat, I’ve never really tried more than a few minutes climbing at once so a bit nervous about Saturday now!

Wildly Boaring

Take it handy.

Keep in a gear that you can turn your legs easily.

It's not a race. You'll get there. We all started somewhere.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960838#Comment_117960838

You'll need to take a few stops but it is manageable. If you're unfamiliar with climbing then you'll also be unfamiliar with the descents. Just be careful for dodgy surfaces (gravel, potholes, etc.) and for oncoming traffic.

Bear in mind that the weather tomorrow is pretty crap (windy and wet)!

What route have you planned from Blanch to Seefin?