Tell us about your cycle today part III

magicbastarder · 25-02-2023 6:40pm

60km around NCD, 717m climbing, 24.7km/h. really feeling the falloff in fitness on the climbs; i was granny gearing it up some climbs i'd usually do two or three gears higher. that wind often didn't help.

patrickc · 25-02-2023 10:13pm

I did 132k today from just outside Carlow to Brittas County Dublin and back. 711m and ave 28kph I was happy enough with that.

26-02-2023 8:57am

Got out early yesterday, was on the road by 6.50am, with the temperature around 0 degrees. Did three hours - Zone 2 (220w) with two 40 minute blocks in zone 3 (275-280w).

I had a busy day ahead and had to be home by 10am so focussed on fuelling - two carb bottles, 1 Lucozade sport, 2 bananas, 1 Snickers, 1 croissant and one bag of Haribo Jellies. Recovery drink and a big bowl of rice with tuna as soon as I got home. Felt good on the ride and fine when I got home. At 89kgs, fuelling is definitely key for me.

Rear shifter went again with 25km to go so a bit of pedal mashing to get home but not too many hills thankfully.

Overall, 90km with 850m climbing at 29.9km in an unusual northerly crosswind.

Wildly Boaring · 27-02-2023 9:53am

Up Bellewstown 4 times.

750m or so in about 50k.

The spin up past Laburnum Farm and the GAA pitch is by far the toughest.

My favourite is still up past Kilsaran, but went down by the little narrow one off the shoulder of Carnes Hill and reminded me that it's a lovely one too.

magicbastarder · 27-02-2023 10:05am

you mean ladymoor road? that drops down beside the bridge on the southside of duleek?

Luxman · 27-02-2023 12:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120292943#Comment_120292943

I do like to climb up that road, not so much going down it. Tough little test, had a dog give chase right at the top one day when I was well knackered after climbing up, the sprint away from the mutt was very hard :-)

Wildly Boaring · 27-02-2023 1:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120292943#Comment_120292943

Think so, didn't realise it had a name, grass up the middle type road

Being past Laburnum
Past Kilsaran Quary
The one in question, nothing on it but a few houses and an Irish Water site

I went up 1 down 4, up 5 down 6, up 7 down 3, up 2 and away home down 8.

8 deffo the handiest way up.....(although dunno if i ever went up 6)

magicbastarder · 27-02-2023 1:11pm

5 is bonfire hill, IIRC? 6 ongenstown road, 7 hill of the carnes, 3 ladymoor road, 2 is bellewstown bridge (on strava, anyway). i never knew if 1 had a name, just 'the bastard steep one up to the racecourse'.

Luxman · 27-02-2023 2:16pm

I thought 4 was Bonfire Bank (hill)? Not 100% though

hesker · 27-02-2023 2:23pm

Is 1 a regular TT route. I went up it once and then checked the KOM and couldn’t believe it

magicbastarder · 27-02-2023 2:23pm

it's a known hill climb TT i think.

magicbastarder · 27-02-2023 2:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120293819#Comment_120293819

i think you're right on that.

Luxman · 02-03-2023 6:00pm

What a shocker of a day for a spin, did about 70k with 600m of elevation, out towards Slane via Donore and Balrath, had a headwind for about 30k as expected but never really benefited from the tailwind, had some drizzle and very wet roads which resulted in soaking feet. Had more rain on the way home and about 30k out my hands and feet started to get cold. the last 10k was a slog and I just wanted it all to be over. didn't break any records as needed a lower intensity spin. Still tough going in those conditions.

02-03-2023 9:30pm

Night spin for me this evening. I've done a few over the last month and am enjoying them now after being a bit reticent at the start. I can't look at the trainer since the rain stopped. 40k with 500m climbing at 27.5kph. Caught a bit of light at the start of the spin after setting off at 6.40pm. Just what the doctor ordered after a tough week on several fronts. Can't wait for the clocks to change.

secman · 02-03-2023 10:57pm

Got a commute in today, 7km in and a meandering 17km home. Followed that with a night spin. From CSS out by luas line to Saggart, the back road climb by Luggwood onto the N81. Lisheen out the Sally road but turned at the Laurence O'Toole bridge, and up the climb and back out on small lake towards Blessington Bridge. Front light stopped with 23kms left in pitch darkness. Was surprised as it has a good battery pack on it. Turned out to be a loose connection , snapped it back tight and the headed into homeward headwind slog .

50kms with almost 500m up...baltic cold 🥶

Seth Brundle · 27-03-2023 1:26pm

Did the Migraine Ireland sportive on Saturday led out by Nico Roche. 100km from Blessington Manor > Kilbride > Kilteel > Athgarvan > Ballyteigue >

Kildare > Ballymore Eustace > Blessington

Grand day out on the good bike. It was cool but thankfully dry for the most. I cycled from Leixlip to the sportive and back afterwards. Some clubmates had originally intended to do the same but in the end I travelled solo to/from Blessington (not that that was a problem).

#It was on the return home that the rains came and although I had overshoes on, I had no mudguards so my feet were soaked.

166km with 1400m @ 28.2km/h

As I was travelling down to Blessington, I was climbing Boston Hill which I've done many times. Between the headwind and just general tiredness, I found it tough going and my legs heavy. Suddenly another cyclist passed me making me realise how slow I had been going.

The pace during the sportive was set so that it wasn't a competitive event. This, whilst made sense, made my impatience shine. Freewheeling down the hill from Kilteel to Rathmore to the sound of "ease up" pissed me off but I really shouldn't have been focusing on speed but on enjoying the spin - I'm too used to following my Garmin's data.

Approaching home, I hummed and hawed as to whether I should stay out for another hour and lose my 200km virginity but cold and wet, I decided on something else...

ttps://www.strava.com/activities/8775348721

growleaves · 28-03-2023 11:39am

Almost got hit two days in a row by cars weaving in and out of bus/cycle lane from behind me using it as an overtaking lane.

Tempted to revert to walking to work.

RikkFlair · 31-03-2023 3:01pm

First day back on bike after gallbladder surgery 3 weeks ago, a 35k loop around the bumpy bone-shaking roads of west Limerick. Don't you just love it when you plan your ride so that you have a tailwind on your way home only for the wind to change direction so you don't get any help whatsoever😆. Gruelling, strava says my avg was 24.8kmph, felt way slower.

01-04-2023 7:49am

Got out yesterday afternoon for three hours just after the rain cleared. Great thing about this time of the year is that the roads tend to dry out fairly quickly as it's much warmer. Blocking head wind (WNW) of 30kph for the first 25k took the wind out of my sails. No real climbs but as is typical around my neck of the woods, constant up and down.

Made my way to the town of Bweeng in north Cork (250m asl) and didn't have to put my gloves on which is rare because it's definitely the coldest place on earth normally. The ice cream van didn't seem to be doing much of a trade all the same. Downhill and a tailwind home was nice. 80km with 800m climbing at 29.5kph. And the best thing is I didn't have to get up at 6am on Saturday morning to get my spin in: https://www.strava.com/activities/8808397902

Roadtoad · 01-04-2023 11:28pm

A bunch of roads in the Glen of Imaal, 150 km, 2000m all together.

Particularly elegant gate pillers, very slender height/gap ratio.

magicbastarder · 01-04-2023 11:56pm

that was not a day i had considered going out for a spin.

Roadtoad · 02-04-2023 12:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120429630#Comment_120429630

Ah Magic, there's a long tradition on this thread of posts being a day or two late. Shur ya wouldn't put a milk bottle out in that (Saturday).

Seth Brundle · 02-04-2023 5:00pm

Didn't head out yesterday given the weather so headed out with a dozen club mates and headed up to Sallygap with coffee at Glencree and back towards Lucan via Featherbeds.

The weather was cool but dry. Maybe, like us, many who didn't head out yesterday went out today but there were loads of people out cycling the hills. Great to see.

patrickc · 02-04-2023 5:09pm

I did a nice 122k solo, met loads of cyclists and spoke to a few.

beautiful day for it.

saccades · 02-04-2023 5:16pm

Did a check ride of the SERC 3 peaks route, ~70km with 1000m of climbing, for the event in two weeks (with someone new to the area to check the road markings).

Lovely little route in the sun.

secman · 02-04-2023 7:55pm

Headed out with club today, we did same route with the less fast group getting a headstart from Arklow. Headed from Ballycanew to Gorey for meetup, on to Arklow, Woodenbridge, Rathdrum and across Deputy Pass, out onto old n11 at Jack Whites, back to Arklow where we regrouped and back to Gorey as one group, finish for me in Ballycanew.

103 kms 730 odd meters up and 30kph average. Gradually getting there . .....

saccades · 02-04-2023 10:33pm

It's such a fast home stretch on the old N11, love it.

Good distance for that pace 👍

secman · 02-04-2023 10:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120433204#Comment_120433204

Cheers, the only part of that spin I dislike is the navvy bridge...always gets me 😉

saccades · 03-04-2023 1:17pm

It is a pig alright.

eagle eye · 03-04-2023 2:27pm

A friend of mine who cycles a lot but mainly on flat roads, as there's only one serious two mile climb in the area, went to Spain with his brother recently. His brother has been cycling for 30 years and has done a Tour route and Giro route and probably a Vuelta route as well but I don't know about that.

Anyway, my friend was telling me about the first day. After a couple of miles his brother dropped back to him and told him they'd be hitting a serious climb in a few miles and to just keep peddling no matter how slow he was turning the peddles.

So he hit the climb and it was difficult enough but he kept it going and got over the top as proud as punch. Then his brother dropped back and said we are hitting that climb now.

I laughed hard at that.

Tell us about your cycle today part III

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