Part of what makes life worthwhile is the anticipation of getting something that you really, really want. Whether that be a watch or a car, a house or a pair of shoes, it's often the case that the looking forward is almost as good as the attainment. For cyclists the item that dominates day dreams…
Cycling has become a two tier sport. Last week, just two days after Philip Gilbert had become a deserving World Champion a customer who has clocked up over five thousand kilometres so far this year came into the shop. As we chatted about various things I remarked how impressive Gilbert was in the Worlds. The…
Throughout Ireland many people earn names other than those chosen for them by their parents. Usually these new monikers are inspired by the actions of the person involved. There's 'The Cake', who fell into a wedding cake at a reception, 'The Runbuddy', a builder who constantly walks at a pace even Rob Heffernan would have…
This evening I stood alone on the side of a desolate windswept mountain waiting for a lone cyclist to pass by. Why, you might ask would I want to do something like that. The answer is easy. Not as in, an easy answer, but it was easy to sit in the van and drive 30k…
Last weekend whilst doing back up service on the Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford I noticed quite a few people who made the 160k challenge even more difficult for themselves than it needed to have been. Preparation and energy conservation are the name of the game when it comes to a six, seven or even…
So much has been written and spoken about Lance Armstrong over the past few days that there is no point in me rehashing any of it here. Let's just say that there is no doubt whatsoever that he had the biggest budget for the 'best' doctors and coaches who enabled him to have the 'best'…
In life there are many lines that should not be crossed. There are a few on a bike too. The most common being the thin white one that can be found in the middle of almost any road. It sometimes seems as if the iridium lenses of cycling glasses block out the sun and the…
Today we have had a number of bikes in for repair. The cause of the damage to the bikes has varied. One was driven over by a jeep, another had a saddle which was eaten by a dog, but it was the third bike in this morning which was the most unusual of all. The…
The four worst words to be heard in a bikeshop are me-bike-is-clickin or any variation there of. It may also be described as 'me bike is screeechin' or my particular favourite 'tis like they do be a bird in the back wheel'. The reason why bike shops dread to see a bike coming in clicking…
Most kids learn to pedal around the age of 2 and many are off stabilizers by the age of 4 or 5. From then on most people throughout the world are able to cycle a bike. Kids love to cycle and the freedom and independence that it offers them. They always seem to be smiling…
Sometimes we all need a little inspiration ! Barry www.worldwidecycles.com
Rule 1 : The rule of weight .The average family car weighs over 1200kg. The average bike weighs 8kg .Head to head the bike will be squashed like a fly under a doc martin boot when it comes in direct contact with a car. Even if you are totally in the right and the car…
Last weekend I got dressed up in my best gear , headed out with my friends, had a bite to eat drank loads, got hammered and came home legless . We caught up on all the news and gossip, there was plenty of slagging and things went a bit wild towards the end. Before people…
Recently on Facebook there was a link doing the rounds that told the story of a busker playing a violin for 45 minutes in a Washington Metro station .Very few people paid any attention whatsoever to the busker apart from a few kids who had to be dragged away by their parents. In total only…
When the boss of the Phillips Corporation in Eindhoven gave the go ahead for subsidiary company PDM to sponsor a cycling team in the late eighties I wonder if he realised the full extent of just how far the sponsorship deal would reach . For a number of years the PDM cassette and video tapes…
One day I was doing a buckle when a friend strolled in. He is a guy who travels quiet a distance and we always have a good ould chat. As we looked at the wheel spinning in the jig I asked how long he was on the bike now and was surprised by the answer…
(Eddy Merckx was fanatical about his equipment) Before the days of twitter , Facebook and the Internet the greatest cyclists in the World were almost supernatural . Fans would spend days recounting any brief glimpse of a Champion in the flesh . Monthly magazines like 'Winning' were torn apart as pictures of Hero cyclists were…
In 1989 Sean Kelly won one of the biggest races on the World cycling calendar , the Liege Bastogne Liege classic . Whilst the whole cycling world were congratulating him he made a call home and heard the news that a friend of his had also won a race that day . Whilst…
With sporting success comes a certain amount of public recognition . In Ireland a cyclist who competes on National teams representing their country will be recognised locally or sometimes further afield by those with an interest in cycling . A GAA star however , is recognised by every man , woman and child in…
