Tell us about your cycle today part III

smacl · 01-10-2021 12:00pm

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

As above, the climbs are very manageable and there's no law to say you can't stop and take a breather if you want to. If it is very blowy, I'd tend to descend the same route you came up, via Kippure holiday village. While the Ballinascorny descent is fun, not a great one to start on for someone new to descending on a windy days. On the narrow section ending at Kippure holiday village watch your speed wherever your line of sight is limited as you do get the odd car booting up that road. Also, enjoy, it is a lovely route to cycle.

smacl · 01-10-2021 12:05pm

Not out much recently but took the lunch time spin to Enniskerry yesterday, pleased with averaging 25.2kph after many annoying 24.9 efforts,31k with 320 of up. Warmer than expected and saw the goats our on the Scalp road for the first time in yonks. Not a big fan of the new sections of protected cycle lanes, guess they'd be a real PITA for groups.

Weepsie · 01-10-2021 1:06pm

Not much going out either for me lately, covid in the house and some tests for myself saw me stay put a lot.

Off today though so went for a spin. Towards Ashbourne, Garristown, Oldtown, airport and home. 60km at 26kmph.

Wind was a killer at times though would've been a great day to try and get Kilbride road KoM back from another boardsie here.

Hoping I don't see my usual mid October to December lull, and keep it going as last 3 months were very stop start

MrMojoRisin' · 01-10-2021 1:41pm

This cycle wasn't today it was 3 weeks ago, but I'm posting about it today because I learned something new about it today.

I was in Tenerife and rented a gorgeous BMC bike for several days. The first of these days I was going up one of the many climbs there, (from Los Gigantes to Tamaimo if anyones familiar) and this guy in Alpecin Fenix gear passed me by at a quick pace, I tried to get on his wheel but that lasted about 2 meters before he continued on up the climb never to be seen by me again. He had the full gear on, same aplecin fenix helmet and white canyon bike so I assumed it one of their riders or else some kind of weird superfan. Anyway, randomly looked at Jasper Philipsons strava today, and he had a post in Tenerife going up the same climb as me on the same day, so I'm going to assume it was him!

magicbastarder · 01-10-2021 1:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117962911#Comment_117962911

it's a south westerly today though, so crossing the kilbride road rather than along it, i'd have thought?

Weepsie · 01-10-2021 1:55pm

It seemed to be blowing from a westerly direction more often than not.

It's not a road you want to meet traffic on though if hoofing it.

R125 is closed from Ashbourne to just before rolesrown, so the roads off it are all a bit busier. Closed for 6 weeks

magicbastarder · 01-10-2021 1:59pm

yeah, they're resurfacing it. they've been doing a decent amount of resurfacing around the area for a while.

no harm that they're resurfacing that road; i came close to losing the front wheel at over 40km/h on it a few years ago.

The Silver Branch · 01-10-2021 2:01pm

My cycle was back in my home place, as i was on leave from work. A 50k one criss-crossing the scenic hills of the Laois/Carlow/Kilkenny border. Windy and hilly and tough enough in spots. A cool breeze, much cooler than at sea level where I now live. At it's height I was 336m above sea level in a few spots.

Some of the areas covered were Gortahile Wind farm, Laois, Old Leighlin Hill, Carlow (a 1.5 mile killer), Coan, Kilkenny, Coolcullen on the Kilkenny/Carlow border where Jim Bolger, race horse trainer has his elevated gallops.

Above view over Carlow town and to the east, taken on a hazier day, much clearer 7 county view today.

Seth Brundle · 01-10-2021 2:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117963181#Comment_117963181

cough! 😏

https://www.velominati.com/comment-page-8/

Nigzcurran · 01-10-2021 9:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117962043#Comment_117962043

That’s what we were thinking, maybe do the return leg back through the city centre. We are both on touring bikes so carrying a bit of weight compared to you lads on the speed machines! Any advice on what to wear in the morning regarding the weather? I don’t mind the wet at all, just not used to cycling in wet and cold yet so not sure if I should stick with shorts and t shirt or go for tights and rain jacket

NamelessPhil · 01-10-2021 11:02pm

It's going to be cool and wet tomorrow morning until about 11ish. You'll be climbing from the point you hit the N81 until your goal. The tomb itself is on top of the mountain. Bring other shoes, you'd be foolish to try climbing a boggy mountain in cleats. You can deduct at least 3C from the suggested temperature once you're on top of the mountain. Bring/wear the most breathable jacket you own and possibly spare socks!

Your original suggestion of Lough Tay is only 8 km further on but you'll have to climb over Sally Gap to get there. It's easiest from the Manor Kilbride side but it's gonna hurt anyway.

Best of luck.

01-10-2021 11:12pm

speaking of tombs, I went out around Ardclough today and went into the cemetery where Arthur Guinness is buried, have cycled past there many times but curiosity got the better of me today, a very peaceful place, did 36k in the end, was quite windy and cold, the shorts are put away !

Weepsie · 01-10-2021 11:15pm

I'd personally take a hillier route over the N81 but early morning Saturday mightn't be so bad

Nigzcurran · 02-10-2021 3:54pm

thanks for all the tips, weather was a lot better than expected till we got up into the hills, got pretty cold and damp then and my knees starting giving out about it! Didn’t manage to climb the last bit on foot as we couldn’t find an obvious pathway and were a bit wary about leaving the bikes alone, we decided to get the flask out and have a coffee and a bikki and 2 other lads arrived and decided to skip the foot climb as well. I havnt been on the bike in 2 or 3 weeks and my body wasn’t long in telling me, I had to get off and walk up one pretty short steep climb right at the end for a few minutes which was a bit disheartening but other than that a really enjoyable spin. We averaged 18kph so not too bad considering we were carrying panniers and doing hills for the first time

Luxman · 02-10-2021 5:17pm

I was heading down Griffith Avenue and got salmoned by a chap at the lights, on a Canyon Grail, we set off to the next set of lights and the bike light when green before the car light so off I went past him as he was daydreaming. At the third set of lights I stopped and he just motored past me and through the red lights. Ha, that'll show me who's boss eh? Made my way home round Ballyboughal and got my nice clean bike filthy. Now for another wash. Hate a dirty bike. 90k roundtrip.

Weepsie · 02-10-2021 6:29pm

I've seen a canyon grail on Griffith avenue a few times

WOT · 03-10-2021 9:53pm

113km / 800m / 23km/h on Saturday night

Fully dark for most of it love night cycling

Wishbone Ash · 04-10-2021 10:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117968046#Comment_117968046

I think that's 'shoaling' not 'salmoning'. 'Salmoning' is going the wrong way on a one way cycle track.

secman · 04-10-2021 11:21am

You're codding me......ill get my coat and leave

Wildly Boaring · 04-10-2021 11:51am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117973611#Comment_117973611

I think he actually meant "Slalomed"

Where the kayakers and the skiers Slalom through the gates......

Large bottle small glass · 04-10-2021 12:32pm

Was out for an off road spin yesterday and before entering wood had to cross Sir Thomas's bridge over Suir.

Its about 1km from bridge to base of Ticincor and it that time I passed a lone male jogger and what looked like a couple; she was running and he was cycling beside her. If I wasn't kind of local they would have looked like your ordinary Sunday morning folk taking exercise.

Instead I had just passed a man who once podiumed at the cycling national championships, rode the Nissan classic, a woman who has won marathons and the man on bike who has ran the fastest Irish marathon this year.

I was nearly going to turn around and go home 😕

Mefistofelino · 04-10-2021 3:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117974087#Comment_117974087

Aw. I though it was going to be one of those "logic" puzzles - "The person who lives in the house with the green door drinks gin. The person who lives in No. 11 has represented Ireland"

04-10-2021 4:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117974087#Comment_117974087

Who has the fastest Irish marathon this year out of interest? I know Dave Mansfield ran 2.19 in Berlin and is from Clonmel but must be someone quicker...

Large bottle small glass · 04-10-2021 5:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117975413#Comment_117975413

http://www.tilastopaja.org/db/toplist.php?list=topirl&All=0&Ind=0&top=20&Season=2021

It hasn't been a vintage year, there was 5 quicker last year including one sub 2h10m.

Probably wouldn't compare favourably with 30-40 yrs ago

05-10-2021 6:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117975796#Comment_117975796

Thanks. Fair play to Dave, took it up a level with that run.

Sure, it's an Olympic year so all the quick times were trying to qualify last year. Also, with Covid, chances to run quick are limited.

magicbastarder · 06-10-2021 7:28pm

Went out after the rain passed over, met eireann were predicting almost dead calm (3km/h wind IIRC). Reader, the wind was not 3km/h. Was actually quite windy out.

And the roads around NCD are covered in shite at the moment.

ednwireland · 06-10-2021 7:32pm

15km on th mountain bike over the hill behind the house. considering the doom and gloom forecast. out in shorts and a gilet. bit wet because riding through wet cloud on the hills

Seth Brundle · 06-10-2021 10:48pm

Between one thing and another, I ended up having to drive to work, so I stuck the bike on the roof and packed my gear with the plan of leaving work early to head off out.

Anyhow, whilst I didn't get leaving early, I headed off around 6 and got the last light and early darkness over the course of 56kms around Kilteel, Newcastle and Ardclough at a respectable 28.9 with 455m. It was lovely out in th3 twilight and then darkness. Drivers seem to be better able to keep a safe distance when overtaking and overtaking tends to be slower.

As I arrived back in the office car park, I'm not sure what I was thinking but cutting across the car park towards the car, I managed to go straight into a kerb (didn't see it until too late). Front tyre blew and looking at the rim (Mavic Cosmic Elite), it's buckled. Pissed off with myself!

Crappy end to a nice spin after a crappy day at work!

rushfan · 07-10-2021 5:31pm

Day off, so I headed off at 10. 76km around a very mucky North County. Fantastic morning to be out, 18c when I left, thin base layer, ss jersey, shorts, very happy with that for early October.

whomadewho · 08-10-2021 9:20pm

Just back from the Longford to Maynooth greenway along the the canal. Got the 6.55am to Longford. At arrival had a coffee in Longford with the lads first and then headed off.

I did it on my mountain bike as the terrain was a mixure of some tarmac but mostly gravel. 122km in just over 6 hrs. Hard going but very enjoyable.

Screenshot_20211008-211144_Polar Flow.jpg

Tell us about your cycle today part III

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