When Will Curtin of the Giant Store in Cork announced that he was running a sportive to raise money to help keep The Junior Tour alive, I immediately wanted to take part. Like many of what could be called the 'baby boomers' of Irish Cycling, I have great memories of my first taste of real…
On a cold and frosty December morning I looked across at the mountain calling A goal was set A challenge was met I was going Carrauntoohiling ! There is a new phenomenon currently taking hold within the cycling World. People choose a climb and ride up and down until they amass a cumulative total of…
' 'Degri' put me in to knock a bit of mutton off !'
There is a climb that I look across at each morning as I sit and eat breakfast. The road is only visible in places as a blanket of evergreen trees surrounds it all year round. At this time of year headlights glimmer every now and then, as an early morning riser makes their way…
Heading for The Falls Hotel in Ennistymon this morning I took a slight detour via Lahinch to watch the surfers in action. The morning was wet and windy as The Wild Atlantic Way lived up to its' name. As I watched the neoprene clad adventurers walk gingerly towards the sea a thought flashed across my…
Today I was doing a little organising when I came across a piece of paper that I had almost forgotten about. It was a GC sheet, not one from a race I myself had taken part in but from The Nissan Classic, and one stage in particular. The Nissan Classic time trial from Carrick on…
I normally don't mind a dog popping out to say hello and often reply by giving them drink from my water bottle. The drink sometimes sprays into their face and they have to stop on the road before they can thank me but there was no offering this guy a drink, he was more interested in food.
Cycling clubs, just like cyclists themselves come in all shapes and sizes. Some focus predominantly on racing, others on touring whilst some focus solely on the social aspect of people getting together to go ride their bikes. One of the best clubs in the country to take all of this in and more is The…
As I sat down to dinner in Gregans Castle, one of Irelands blue book hotels, last evening looking out at the purple hue form the limestone mountain across the valley I noticed the the sky beginning to change colour. As each course of my meal was presented the sky went form pink to orange to…
Breakfast in Gregans Castle is an experience all on its own. The finest selection of the freshest offerings greeted me upon arrival in the dining room. With tables allocated by each individual rooms identity, I returned to my table by the large conservatory window looking out across the magnificent Burren landscape all the way down…
Gregans Castle, one of Irelands Blue Book Hotels, is situated on the lower slopes of the famous 'Corkscrew hill'. With its well earned place amongst Irelands most iconic climbs, it has been a feature of many races such as The Ras, The Junior Tour, Ras na mBan, The Tour of Ireland and The Nissan Classic.…
This is where online coverage and social media are hugely important. To capture the hearts and minds of young people and to encourage them to take up the beautiful sport of cycling they must have a steady stream of content available in the form that they are going to be accessing. Online video and live streaming may well hold the key to the continued development of cycling in Ireland and beyond.
Here is a downloadable map of the Kenmare Bay 24k Here is the Strava file And here is a smartphone downloadable file on mapmyride A glimmer of bright sunshine made its way into my room in The Kenmare Bay Hotel this morning giving hope of a bright day ahead. Being my final day the plan was…
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…
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…
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…
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 :-)
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…
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…
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…
