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. Â 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 …
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 …
A friend of mine mentioned recently that he was going to Dublin, and would be running and racing around the city centre for the day. I suggested that he use bikes from the Dublin bike hire scheme to get around quickly and easily. He replied ‘sure I wouldn’t know where to start with them yokes’ …
As usual the last Sunday of August begins with an early start for both cyclists and volunteers. Just like many of the cyclists who were travelling from all parts of the country, as a volunteer I was on the road before the darkness of night had passed into the brightness of dawn. A fiery red …
When John Dempsey of Lucca Sports called up to my house one evening with a new bike for me to test out I was happy to see him. As he handed over the Swift Ultravox RS-1 and we looked across towards the Comeragh mountains he happened to remark ‘Mind it now and no going for …
The Rangy rider ignores the jibes and the whispered insults. He is an outcast and is comfortable with that, or so he thinks. A compulsion drives him to change gear
A Carrick man standing in the door and calling out before entering ‘Are any of ye in handcuffs ?’. The reply came ‘not all of us’. As the Carrick entourage entered a Scottish voice called out ‘Did ye ever see Con Air ?’
Glenveagh National Park is the second largest of the six National Parks in Ireland. It took me less than thirty minutes to drive from The Silver Tassie Hotel after a good hearty breakfast to reach the car park and begin my experience of all that the park has to offer. First stop was the impressive …
When I mentioned going for a casual cycle in the afternoon, the receptionist in the Silver Tassie Hotel suggested that Ramelton was a very picturesque heritage town nearby, and that Conways pub was always worth a visit. So, off I set. Just across from the hotel is a road that is a designated …
I recently spent a few days at the Dingle Skellig hotel and spa. As a cyclist your needs are slightly different from the majority of tourists and very often it is the small things that can make a big difference to your stay. Having a dedicated safe and secure bicycle storage room where …
The sun was shining down upon the Dingle Skellig Hotel as I set off for another day of exploring what the Dingle peninsula has to offer cyclists. The plan was to visit Inch strand and come back via the Connor pass whilst taking in all of the majestic surroundings of the spectacular Kerry coastline. Just …
Upon arriving at the Dingle Skellig Hotel and taking a look at the secure Bike Storage Room, my first instinct was to put on my cycling gear and head out for a spin on my bike. So that’s exactly what I did. Dingle is a very picturesque town built around a harbour on …
The experience seems to replicate that of being a professional for three days. Each team of eight has a professional team leader like former Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre, and a fully logo-ed up team support car. Each rider has a race radio and has to sign on up on a podium on a glass sign on billboard each day, just like the Tour de France itself. It is even featured on Eurosport with an hour long programme about the event each year.
As a teenager who read every inch of ‘Winning’ magazine each month some pages held my attention longer than others. One such page was this full page advert for a Rossin Bike. At the time these colours were exotic. The delta brake calipers bordered on erotic and the Columbus SLX steel tubing was the materiel …
Ever before Dan Martin came on to the Irish cycling scene another Dan was making a huge impact. For many years Dan Grant spent his days organising league races and ferrying the youth of Carrick to parts of Ireland far and wide. All the hard work paid of in the creation of a Champion who …
Stephen Roche was in an Airport recently when he bumped into a cyclist from Dungarvan. As the conversation went on Roche remarked that Sean Kelly was flying on the bike, going better that he has been in years and Roche put it all down to Kellys’ training with the Dole gang in Carrick. Whilst it …