Barry
  • The Kenmare Bay 83k

    Here is a downloadable map of the Kenmare Bay 83k Here is the Strava file And here is a smartphone downloadable file on mapmyride   Arriving at the Kenmare Bay Hotel this afternoon I had one eye looking up over the nearby mountains at a glimpse of blue beyond the clouds. The forecast was for the sun…

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  • Making time to cycle

    They have no phones or watches to tell the time. Theirs is natures clock and you consider if you too are within this timezone. Then you remember that extra hour before bed spent surfing the net and your dream of being all at one with nature takes a knock.

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  • Why Cycling is such a great way to Explore

    If you are looking for an interesting way to explore different parts of the world doing it on a bike is a great option. There are many different ways to use a bike to experience different parts of the world. Here are just a few of them. Hire a bike where you are One of…

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  • The Clifden Station House Sky Road 17k

    Leaving the front of the Clifden Station house and passing through the small scenic town of Clifden you get a taste of why this quaint picturesque place is so popular with visitors from both home and abroad. Taking the Sky road out of town gives you another reason again. The road rises as soon as…

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  • The Clifden Station House cycling movie

    Enjoy watching the experience of cycling from The Clifden Station House along The Wild Atlantic Way on yet another day when the sunshine is never ending. [iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/acItj0uHsww?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe] Barry www.thecyclingblog.com

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  • The Clifden Station House 110k

    Leaving The Clifden Station House this morning the sun was shining brightly and there was plenty of blue in the sky. The temperature was rising and I was in shorts and short sleeves. It turns out that September really is a perfect month for cycling in Ireland. Signposts for The Wild Atlantic Way (S) directed…

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  • The Clifden Station House 52k

    I arrived at the Clifden Station House just after 3pm today and was itching to get out on the bike. This part of the country is truly unique and has so much to offer cyclists with spectacularly scenic roads and challenging climbs. The Sky road got its name in the early part of the last…

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  • Poll Results on Cycle Mechanical ability

    The results are in, and thank you to the 581 people who took the time to submit their level of mechanical competence to the poll. Again the results are interesting, The largest single level of respondence was 78 people who can clean and lube their chain. Meaning that 133 people or 22.9% are just about…

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  • The Celtic Ross 26k

    I rushed my breakfast in The Celtic Ross Hotel this morning. It was delicious, but the sight of two swans gliding gracefully along the clear water as I looked out from my breakfast table made me impatient to get out on the bike and make the most of my last day in West Cork. I…

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  • The Celtic Ross 111k

    Back at the hotel I bumped into a group of English motorists in some beautiful classic convertibles. They too had travelled along The Wild Atlantic Way today. Their total distance for the day was just over sixty one miles. I had travelled further on my bike :-)

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  • Poll results on the Average Speed of Cycling groups

    The results are in and after 24 hours thank you to all 348 people who took the time to submit their cycling groups average speed . 28 kph was the most popular answer chosen by 22.4% of respondents. 30 kph was next on 18.1% 29 kph followed closely on 11% This coincides with anecdotal evidence…

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  • The Celtic Ross 57k

    Leaving the scenic surroundings of the Celtic Ross Hotel I turned right in the direction of Skibereen.  The sun was reflecting its bright rays against the clear blue water and there was very little wind. A perfect day for a cycle. Within 500 meters a sign for the Wild Atlantic Way directed me left along…

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  • Average speeds

    Yesterday I arrived home from the group Sunday spin and noticed that the average speed was 33kph. This was pretty quick and I wondered how that compared to other group or individual training spins throughout the country. So just to gauge roughly what average speed cyclists who read this blog are travelling at I would…

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  • The cyclists home tool-kit

    Every cyclist should be able to carry out a few repairs to their own bike themselves. By doing work on the bike yourself you will be more capable to attend to roadside repairs when necessary as you will have a better understanding of how each component works. You will also have more confidence in the…

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  • Winners and Losers

    She turned towards me with a look of disappointment on her face. The glowing smile of pride when I congratulated her on almost getting a strike was now replaced with a scowl of disappointment. I felt responsible. I had set her up for a fall.

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  • The cyclists on the road tool-kit

    Every cyclist who ventures further than the end of their road should always carry a minimum amount of tools and spares with them. Some feel that a mobile phone and €20 is all the toolkit that they need. But what happens when you get a mechanical 30k from home in an area with no phone…

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  • Concept bikes

    Today at Eurobike, BMC unveiled its concept bike with an internal gearbox. This futuristic looking machine may well be ahead of its time. But Colnago had a similar internal gearbox concept back in 1987 2014 BMC 1987 Colnago This bike weighed over 13kg. The BMC weighs just over half that. Bike technology is moving rapidly…

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