The vast majority of clips that appear all too regularly are posted by genuine cyclists who just want to enjoy a safe and enjoyable spin on their bike without a one tonne motorised missile piloted by an iPhone yielding, Facebook checker inner, sipper of a latte who sometimes gets confused between a windscreen and a tv screen as they are both secondary to their smartphone screen
There are many fantastic places within a short flight where you can go to cycle your bike, and for many cyclists Mallorca is near the top of that list, especially during spring and autumn times. With an abundance of quiet winding lanes and some iconic climbs, where the surface is as smooth as a billiard…
Yesterday was an ordinary afternoon in east Cork. People were going about their normal daily lives. Some were at, or going to and from work. Some were going shopping. Some were getting married and some were out walking their dogs. In one part of Cork city a well known visitor stopped by. With the current surge…
Grab a few exotic cycling goodies at extreme bargain prices LIGHTWEIGHT CARBON CLINCHER WHEELS Over €5000 new This pair with less than 100km done are now available to a discerning buyer for €2500 Come with original Lightweight brake pads, Shawlbe Ultremo ZX tyres and an 11 speed Ultegra cassette. The Ultimate wheel set can…
Recently I was handed a padded brown envelope. It's contents were unknown before taking a look inside. It turned out to be a treasure trove of cycling memories from Carrick on Suir and beyond. These newspaper clippings might bring back some fond memories for many and also give an insight into the hinterlands that produced…
In January I happened to be staying in the same hotel as the Giant Alpecin team at their now infamous Calpe training camp. The riders and bikes took a severe battering in a very serious altercation with a car and I managed to get an up close look into the internals of Giants range topping…
Mizen to Malin, the entire length of Ireland, all in one single day, I wonder is that doable? That was a question that crossed my mind one afternoon last December. Of course it's doable, I told myself, sure haven't a number of others already done it. Yes, but could I do it? I had done…
Out on the bike you get to meet many different types of people and make many different types of friends. The bike is a great leveller, where a doctor and a person on the dole are both just bike riders. You are taken at face value and the only hierarchy observed is how well you…
A brief snapshot of my last 5 days revolving around bikes, friends and family and bikes. Saturday Quality time with the Queen Sunday Catching the Train to Waterford after leaving the Carrick boys on the road to home. Had hoped for a LUAS but got a TGV instead. Passing the Metalman almost 5 hours into…
There are many different ways that any cyclist can go about their training, but in general they can basically be broken down into two, Old School and New School. Old school is all about feel and experience. New school is more about heart rate and power, but how do they differ out on the road?…
You often hear people say that it was a hard day. I say it myself. Out cycling a bicycle was a hard day. Any day you get to cycle a bicycle is not a hard day. It is a good day that was physically demanding. I've met people who have hard days, and so have…
There was a time when a boy approaching manhood would be sat down for a chat with his Father to be told a tale about birds and bees. The internet has pretty much done away with the need for those conversations, although some may say that they are needed now more than ever. There may…
Irish Cycling Review had a real cult following for its short lifespan. Recently I came across the edition dedicated to Sean Kelly at the time of his retirement from professional racing. Kevin Kimmage did a great job of encapsulating the mood of the Irish Cycling public in the article below Barry www.thecyclingblog.com www.seankellycycling.com
Autumn for some can be a time of renewal, a chance to unwind after a long season and recharge the batteries before the wild, wet and windy winter arrives. One of the best ways for any cyclist to recharge the batteries and have a lot of fun along the way is to head off road…
How do you become a good cyclist? It's a question that is often asked at Q & A sessions. The simple answer is to first become a bad cyclist. Until you start something you can never become good at it. It is very important to do something badly in order to become good at it…
On a cold and damp January morning, in a windswept farmyard in the shadow of the Comeragh Mountains a wooden door opened just as the first brightness of dawn arrived. Looking accross the yard at a blue Ford 5000 tractor with its white cab, and a perspex rear window slightly ajar, the young man now…
Dawn was awakening over the Bulmers factory as I left Clonmel this morning. My destination of choice was the NEC in Birmingham for Cycle Show UK which opens with a trade day tomorrow and runs until Sunday. I'll be spending most of my time on the Onda stand, G21 (clothing not motorbikes) so be…
Here is a glimpse of what you can expect to find at the this weeks Cycle Show UK Barry www.thecyclingblog.com
One of the things that I enjoy about modern technology is the photographic capabilities of the iPhone in the back pocket of my cycling jersey. Taking photos whilst out on the bike adds a different dimension to each spin. Whilst the abundance of phones and camera phones has the effect of disassociating spectators from the…
One day I was chatting to the volunteer crew on a charity cycle from Cork to Carlow. They mentioned that almost everyone was accounted for aside from one lady who they presumed had gone straight on in Cahir in the direction of Cashel. At least she would be able to make her way from Cashel into…
