A little over two years ago the number of people in Ireland who classed themselves as a cyclist (someone who cycles once a week or more for exercise) was 212,000. Recently the study was revisited and the current number of people who cycle a bike each week for exercise is over 500,000. With so many…
Paddy Looby is manager of one of the biggest Lidl supermarkets in the country. For the past while his top shelf stacker has been Sonny Burke. Since coming to work in Lidl Sonny had been getting on like a house on fire with Paddy. He could stack shelves better than any other shelf stacker in…
Reality also hit home. It was only a small scratch, had no effect on the performance of the bike and was something you would have to look very close to see. He was focusing on the smallest imperfection and overlooking the 99.9% that was perfect.
Gently pedalling down along the blueway I watched a small branch floating along with the current of the river. It moved at pretty much the same speed as I did and it felt as though I too was floating along the river in harmony with the current and nature itself. A commotion to my left…
At a time when many people are suffering from a lack of motivation or experiencing extra procrastination there may be a very simple solution. Just do one. A while back I was doing a Bike Fit for Grant Simmer, CEO of the INEOS Team UK Americas Cup sailing team. As we were chatting about fitness…
During these uncertain times a type of social weariness has infected people. You pass someone you know on the street and because you both are wearing facemasks there is a moments hesitation before acknowledging each other. Sometimes the chance has passed before you realise that it was someone you knew. You passed each other without…
In 1986 I had witnessed Sean Kelly win his second Nissan Classic, had saved up to purchase a Dawes Jaguar along with a red Decca woollen jersey ace matching woollen leggings. In January 1987 I joined a group spin from Ardfinnan organized by Joe Lonergan. His son Bernard was there too along with the Dalton’s…
Cycling is meant to be enjoyable. Remember that ! Riding a bike can bring you to places in your locality that you would never normally visit. It can take you back in time to places where you grew up and because you are on a bike and not in a car you can stop and…
Frightening, that’s one way to describe what happened out on the mountain bike this morning. It had nothing to do with any white knuckle single track or any 80kmh decent. No, it was much more sedate than that. In fact my bike wasn’t even moving when it happened. To put things into a bit of…
Having cycled a bike on many different roads and routes all over the World, I sometimes wondered what my favourite route is. Having given it a considerable amount of thought it turns out that I didn't have too far to look. For many people the conditions necessary for a good bike ride can be very…
A volunteer at a daytime shelter for homeless women notices a slightly introverted client who is pleasant to everybody and conscientious about helping to clean up when most others have already left for the evening. The volunteer begins to chat and initially the conversation revolves around general pleasantries. The volunteer has a curiosity about this…
"Sport binds people better than almost any other form of social interaction." That was a phrase I once came across. Whilst having a sport in common is a huge factor in building a friendship, there is an extra dimension added when you suffer alongside someone on a bike. In the midst of physical pain and…
After the 2008 banking crash and following recession many found themselves taking up cycling for exercise. It became more popular than ever and was determined by official figures in both the USA and Europe to have surpassed golf in terms of numbers of participants. Many of these new cyclists came from the ABC1 demographic that…
Some people call their shed or garage 'The Pain cave'. Whilst there are times when your legs and lungs should be hurting other parts of your body should be able to get through your training sessions without making their presence felt. With so many people now doing much of their training indoors on turbo trainers…
A guy from Clonmel moved to the Phillipines a while back. He befriended a local cyclist who invited him out on a spin with one of the local cycling clubs . On his first day out his friend was unable to go with the group but the guy from Clonmel headed along anyway. Cycling groups…
'Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change' - Wayne Dyer No two days on a bike are exactly the same, even if you do the exact same route. The direction of the wind can change. It can rain or it can be dry. There can be lots of…
'Did you meet anyone?' is a question cyclists often get asked when they get back in the door after a training spin. Wives and partners are just showing interest in a non committal kind of way. They rarely ask what your 20 minute ftp was or even how many Strava Kom's you just missed out…
Some cyclists like to train on busy main roads where a continuous stream of passing cars, trucks and busses help increase their average speeds and get them closer to the coveted Starva KOM. Others prefer to amble along quiet country roads, lanes and bodhreens, looking in over ditches, taking in the scenery that surrounds them.…
You won't find the following in a newspaper supplement, or in very many online resources but for some it might just make the difference between achieving and dreaming when setting your goals for the new year ahead. First, a little background. As I sat on the couch the other evening, sipping a glass of Baileys…
The most common spin ever undertaken on the roads of South Tipperary and North County Waterford is a lap of Ballymac. The 100k route gets it's name from the small village of Ballymacarbry, that signifies the point of no return when starting in Carrick on Suir and going through Clonmel then on to Dungarvan before…