Tell us about your cycle today part III

loyatemu · 25-08-2021 10:07am

MTB spin with the club - my skills are sorely lacking, with the emphasis on "sorely" as I'm now covered in cuts and bruises from trips into the undergrowth when I chickened out on a couple of big drops. Still, a lovely evening for a spin around the forest:

retalivity · 25-08-2021 7:39pm

Been a good week weatherwise, and the evening spins have been glorious. Also have been breaking PR's all over the place - beat my 3yo PB up Cruagh this evening by 7s, carrying a good 2-3kgs more as well. Also smashed my PB up Stocking lane yesterday evening by 43s. Must be the weather, the few months of solid riding in the legs, or the weekend diet of pints, crispy duck rolls and ice cream that is the catalyst

https://www.strava.com/activities/5852201765

https://www.strava.com/activities/5844586684

secman · 25-08-2021 8:27pm

To mark the day, i took the morning off and planned on a 64 mile spin, circa 103.50 km. Straight out to Baltinglass from house is 51.5km so it seemed a good no faffing around route. Enjoyed the spin out, it really is a good route in fairness, from Tallaght bypass you have 45km of good surface and only 1 village/town on it, Blessington. No wind to speak of on way out, any flags i passed were limp. But wind picked up on way back and same flags were mostly fluttering straight out. At 67km my garmin screen just went blank, but unit didn't turn off. Nothing would get screen back on. Used phone for rest of spin but between loss of motivation and headwind and not having a clue of speed...less enjoyable. Anyway achieved the 64 mile spin and managed to salvage the first part from the Garmin 🙂

My dad died 27 years ago, 6 months before his 64th birthday so this one felt special to me. He was in my thoughts a lot lately.

25-08-2021 8:36pm

went over the Wicklow gap and back through Dunlavin to Naas, 104kms, 1322m climbed, was warm at times and the smell from the heather was amazing, even had a coffee and a slice of carrot cake! which is something I don’t normally do, managed to knock almost 2 minutes off the Wicklow gap segment,

27-08-2021 4:03pm

Got out for a long loop: Cork - Bandon - Timoleague - Ballinspittle - Kinsale - Carrigaline - Ballinhassig - Halfway - Cork.

121k in total with 1,300 climbing at 30.9kph.

It was very windy down at the coast and tough enough going at times but overall a fine spin.

Have an entry for Beara 160k on September 11 so hopefully that spin will do me good.

Strava seems to be struggling today and hasn't uploaded the ride.

Edit: Oh, and the road from Timoleague to Ballinspittle goes straight in at No. 1 on the worst roads in Cork list. Bone rattling, ball bearing breaking mess.

Weepsie · 27-08-2021 7:44pm

Today was to be a big day. Plans for Wicklow etc but woke up later than planned so said north Dublin.

5-6km from home and a spoke popped and another is about to go. Nursed it to humphries and left it in and took my other bike home that was having it's right shifter replaced

I went home in a huff and swapped wheels in the now ready bike and had issues with the pads rubbing on brand new rotors of said wheels. Should've swapped over before I brought it in.

Sat in a huff for a while and went out for lunch with my wife instead, and then cycled to portrane/donabate and met her there and got a lift home.

2 bikes, 2 cycles, 60k altogether. Took a local legend and set a PB on said segment too

secman · 27-08-2021 8:10pm

Commuted today for a change, did a couple of loops of phoenix park on the commute home. A leisurely 40km for the day and whilst checking my phone for the upload to Strava...lo and behold Ronaldo breaking news CR7 is home 🥰😍🤩

DaveyDave · 27-08-2021 8:31pm

Dropped the car in for a service, brought the ebike and popped into the city centre for some errands, 29km. Lovely day for it, fairly heavy traffic all around though.

Back home for some lunch then another 8km to go back for the car.

Seth Brundle · 28-08-2021 6:46pm

Club spin today around some hills to help prepare for the Reservoir Dogs next week. Managed to lose my Sally virginity today - between one thing and another, I just never met her whilst cycling.

I'll post in the bike maintenance thread but ive realised that I'd be better off doing the sportive with something other than my 11-28 cassette.

Lovely day to do it. 104km @25.3km/h with 1,378m

https://strava.app.link/DQt03T8Y5ib

secman · 28-08-2021 10:55pm

On grandfather duty this morning watching grandson play footy at 10 am. So a short spin early am, straight out to Valleymount turn bridge and back 50km on the nose avg 30kph.

Terrible tailbacks at Blue Gardenia "Stop and Go" system in place for hedge cutting. Strava just doesn't cooe with stoppages like that on segments, typical times were 1:38 , mine was 6:34 🤣, although the total time pauses !

cletus · 29-08-2021 11:04am

I'd say it's to avoid people doing a segment in a series of short bursts, and then having the time added up at the end.

It was a thing with 5k times on social media a year or two ago. People were posting fast times, but the total time could be an hour😀

secman · 29-08-2021 2:28pm

Gorey cc touring spin today, Gorey ,Ballycanew, Castlebridge Wexford town, across to Ferrycarrrig bridge , Oilgate, Enniscorthy, Ferns snd back to Gorey.

92.5 km , avg 31.1kph, 500 + meters

Lovely spin, no hardship 😁

Wildly Boaring · 29-08-2021 3:07pm

Bellewstown from the north, down SW and over Snowtown. Clonalvy, Garristown, Nail and Snowtown again. Happy Valley to Man O War and then Skerries.

About 700m in 57k

Nice day for it. The breeze was handy for cooling

magicbastarder · 29-08-2021 3:53pm

i was out around clonalvy and snowtown today too. we may have passed each other.

Wildly Boaring · 29-08-2021 5:05pm

Might have.

I met 7 or 8 about the place.

Had a bright blue helmet on, blue top

fat bloke · 29-08-2021 5:41pm

Great spin yesterday. Rocked down the N81 very early in the morning, barely any traffic, but they've a lot of resurfacing work done so it's really nice tarmac all the way to Baltinglass. Went as far as Tinahely and then left for Aughrim where we took smaller roads for Sliabh Maun and on to Glenmalure, Shay Elliot, and home Laragh, Glenmacnass, Sally Gap, Featherbeds. 155k ish and nice weather. A bit of a summer swansong I'd say. Still sh@gged today after it I've had very very few 150+ spins this year

Seaswimmer · 30-08-2021 6:28pm

Had my first Irish cycling holiday last week after going to Spain/Portugal/France for years. Based the camper van in Westport House and cycled..

Sunday 22nd Westport/Louisburgh/Leenanae vis Doolough/Lougn Na Fooey/ Tourmakeady/Westport 112km

Monday 23rd Westport/Lough Beltra/Crossmolina/Pontoon/Castlebar/Westport 106km

Tuesday 24th Greenway to Achill Sound and loop of Corraun and back to Westport 100kms

Wednesday move to Kinvara

Thursday 26th Kinvara/Loughrea/Ballyshrule/Derrybrien/Gort/Kinvara 105kms

Friday 27th Kinvara/Father Teds house/Kilnaboy/Doolin/Fanore/Ballyvaughan/Kinvara 108 kms

Saturday 28th Kinvara/Flaggy shore loop/Carran/Bell Harbour/Flaggy shore again/Kinvara. 85kms.

Absolutely spectacular weather so glorious cycling. A few things I noticed as an urban dweller cycling through rural Ireland.

Huge amount of derelict houses

Lots of half finished houses.

Loads of enormous "Mc Mansions"

Lots of roads (including R roads) were extremely quiet.

Motorists almost without exception were courteous and overtook safely.

so a great trip but the weather made it.

magicbastarder · 04-09-2021 1:30pm

nice morning for it out there, weather got a bit better than expected; knocked 17s off my best on a climb i decided to give it a bit of welly on (the mall climb, up to fourknocks).

loads out on the road between garristown and the naul, seems to have been a fundraiser cycle arranged by swords and VCB.

magicbastarder · 04-09-2021 1:35pm

Huge amount of derelict houses

Lots of half finished houses.

achill is nuts for that - was about five or ten years ago that i was there, and about one third of the houses were half finished, one third looked derelict and one third actually looked used.

04-09-2021 1:54pm

went down to Carlow this morning then over to Monasterevin and meandered back up to Naas, 131km at just under 29kph, not many out this morning but did see a guy on a nice Emonda wearing Trek Segafredo kit which looked very impressive ,

Weepsie · 04-09-2021 3:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117845984#Comment_117845984

A cycle to raise money for a tricycle for a young lad in need of one in skerries.

Spotted a poster for it yesterday

Weepsie · 04-09-2021 3:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117846047#Comment_117846047

Ryan Mullen fan

devonp · 04-09-2021 6:17pm

Cycled over to Lacken via Sorrel Hill, bit eventful....double chain drop on cromwellstown climb just after the hard middle section (must adjust the RD low limit), then a bee sting on my upper thigh on the fast descent from Sorrel hill down to Lacken..I think the concentration of the descent took my mind off it at first..then it got worse so stopped and flicked away the dying insect and pulled out the sting (went thru my summer bibs). returning home i came to the rd closure on Lissheen..too much barbed wire for me to attempt a climb over. Nice and warm and despite some leaden clouds it stayed dry. 108Km , 1600m of up at 26kph av.

For anyone doing the Dawg tmrw there were plenty of sheep (and their droppings) on the descent down from Sorrel hill into Lacken...take care and enjoy

Wildly Boaring · 04-09-2021 6:38pm

Tight for time went for a run instead.

Great to see 3 different groups of adults and kids about.

2 kids on road bikes showing how it's done up Skryne hill!!

Nigzcurran · 04-09-2021 8:30pm

after a few soul destroying days on the trainer I got back out on the bike today, left blanch and headed through the Phoenix park and down the quays, nice coffee in Dublin port and then back home via the canal, weather was perfect for it

One Who Waits... · 05-09-2021 6:49pm

Hi,

Went out for a short (2 hour-ish) cycle this afternoon. Cycling through a small, fairly busy town, just coming over a hill, when right in front of me appears a rope stretched right across the road at chest height. Tried desperately, in the split second I had, to get the rope over my head but, nope, clotheslined and straight down to the ground. Took a heavy hit to my side and head and was fairly dazed. Two people attempted to pick me up but I said "no, leave me in case something's broken". Dazed, I eventually crawled over to a bench, with a woman suggesting to call an ambulance, and steadied myself after a while. I'm at home, nothing broken but scraped knee, bruised face, hip, left hand and very sore ribs.

I asked the lad who stayed with me "what the f*ck have you a rope across the road for?", the answer: "it's for Christmas lights and we were taking it down 'cos the birds were sitting on it and sh!tting all over the place".

Dunno why I'm posting this. I'm new to the cycling forum, and don't even know if this is the right place, but just had to tell the story.

billyhead · 05-09-2021 7:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117850554#Comment_117850554

Sorry to hear that mate. Hopefully you will get better soon. You might feel in worse pain in the morning so keep using an ice pack and take painkillers and rest up.

One Who Waits... · 05-09-2021 7:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117850592#Comment_117850592

👍️

Yeah, I'm fairly (i.e. very) sore at the minute. Not as young as I used to be so don't bounce as well. Going to be a long night trying to get some sleep.

hesker · 05-09-2021 9:30pm

Hope you recover quickly. I had a very similar experience once but was more lucky. Farmers had strung some fencing wire across a narrow road to presumably herd cattle across. I didn’t see it until last second, let out a roar and the guys yanked the wire upwards. Did my best attempt at a limbo manoeuvre and watched the wire fly just over my nose and forehead. I continued on with the sound of the lads laughing their hearts off behind me

One Who Waits... · 05-09-2021 9:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117851128#Comment_117851128

Jaysus. I though my story was fairly unbelievable but maybe not so...

A car was behind me going up the hill and overtook me shortly before I hit the rope. I can only assume the rope was lowered just after the car passed and maybe that's why I didn't see it at a distance. I used to cycle without a helmet (years ago) until I got a b0ll0cking from a friend. My helmet is pockmarked from where it hit the road and the foam has split inside. My head is sore to touch at the temple but I'm counting myself very lucky with no broken bones.

Tell us about your cycle today part III

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