Back in the late eighties a bike race was a good indicator of what the latest trend in haircuts was . Former National champion and current surgeon in St James' hospital Dublin , Julian Dalby was the first to sport the dyed blond look complete with a diamond pattern shaved into the back of his head .…
Back in the days of the telephone box the only time a cyclist wearing proper cycling gear was seen on the phone was if they 'bananafied' a rear wheel and had to call out the 24 hour breakdown service (ie : the wife ) to come and pick them up . Nowadays , however that's…
Many Irish people have an unusual way of greeting each other . When passing someone that you know on the street the common greeting is how are you ? , how are things ? how’s life ? etc . And the most common answer is very often ‘ not too bad ‘ which may often…
When you haven't trained for a while the one thing that hangs over you is the first spin back with the group . It's a lot like the leaving cert , you know you have to do it but you just don't want to face it . Throughout the winter I've been busy with family…
Last Sunday in a prelude to Ray's stag night we decided to check out the new mountain biking centre in Ballyhoura . We have been hearing about it for the past twelve months now , so we were all curious to see just what it is like . It was first due to open back…
Yesterday afternoon whilst recovering from another fantastic spin off road we were having lunch when a blast from the past appeared before us . Both Ray and myself had to do a double take when Shane O'Meara formerly of The Shannon Transport club in Limerick appeared before us . We had all raced together up…
Brian Alton the youngest rider in the race takes victory on the mountain top finish of Powers the Pot [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7Prv7Q7B1g]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzxVw_XmWfQ] Joe Hahessy shows a clean pair of heels to the rest of the bunch !
A number of years ago former Murphy and Gunne team mechanic Seamie English and myself went to work in a meat factory in Holland . The factory was located in Enschede near the German border . Seamie was an experienced boner but I was an unexperienced Aer lingus trimmer . ie : Seamie would cut all…
A very wet night saw Sam Bennett take yet another victory ![youtube=ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiucmotDB_E]
The knock or the bonk or whatever you wish to call it is something almost every cyclist experiences at some stage or other . And whilst Knock may be a place of pilgrimage for many Irish people 'the knock' is another form of pennance altogether . The most common location around us to view someone…
One of the most important ways to keep your bike running smoothly is to wash it often . It will save both money and frustration as it will improve chain wear and show up most minor problems before they develop into major ones . Here's how to do it properly ! What you will need :…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_yjuw2wzmg]
With the summer now officially upon us along with the longer evenings and brighter mornings more and more people are being tempted to leave the car at home and cycle to work . The advantages are obvious , heatlthier , cheaper , faster if you live in a town or city , more enjoyable as…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_OwcGdvJvM]
Each year during the third week in May several towns in Ireland reverberate to the sound of Paddy Fitzsimons voice encouraging the people of the town to ' Give a big Templemore ( or eight other town names each year ) welcome to the Men of The Ras '. ' The Ras ' holds a mythical…
What to do if you get a puncture miles from home ! 1 : Always carry at least one spare tube along with a few patches and some solution (glue) . Most people will also need a set of two or three tyre levers and of course a pump . 2 : If it is a…
Very often we have people come in to the shop who ask us for directions . Sometimes it will be a delivery driver looking for a particular street in the town or perhaps someone looking for the community partnership offices further down our block . We also get the odd tourist who may be looking…
Each year throughout the cycling world and beyond millions of fans tune in their televisions each afternoon to view live events at the Tour de France . On the continent sidewalk cafes fill with enthusiastic supporters every day . Some people even plan their annual holidays in order to watch it live on T.V .…
I have often been to Kerry . Sometimes on holidays or day-trips , other times whilst racing . Every time I go there I have a new experience of where Kerryman jokes come from like ; A Kerryman rang Aer Lingus and asked how long it took to fly from Dublin to London. "Just a…
