Cycling has a way of bringing people together and nowhere is that more evident than out there in small towns and villages throughout Ireland. Upperchurch is one such village and the cycling club based there which also takes in members from surrounding areas such as Drombane and as far afield as Thurles is a great …
A wise clothing salesman once said that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. There’s a lot of truth in that nowadays with so many new technologies available to us all. One of the advantages of being part of a clothing company with Sean Kelly is getting to test out new …
At 9am this morning, much like almost any other Saturday morning I rolled out and met Anthony for our usual two hour spin. Gauging the wind direction normally decides our route so we decided to head for the Old bridge and continue on for Ardfinnan and Clogheen. However, as we approached a set of traffic …
Anthony Walsh in A1 Coaching is launching a FREE 4 part training series called the “A1 Winter Training System“. Check it out here: A1 Coaching Training Smarter Not only are you going to learn some really good stuff, but you also have a chance of winning a FREE 1-1 coaching session from Anthony where …
Entries for this years 160k and 100k Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford are now sold out and plans are well under way to make this years event the best one yet. With over 400 volunteers involved in the event and a full year spent preparing, everything possible is done to make it an enjoyable and …
The Ard Ri House Hotel is already a popular base for charity cycling events such as the Jigsaw Tour d’Galway and many Malin2Mizen challenges, so if you are considering using the hotel as a base for a cycling trip or event this information may be of assistance : Very accommodating staff As a cyclist …
An omelette for breakfast can be the perfect choice for any cyclist when staying away from home. I have sampled many omelettes but the one presented in the Ard Ri House Hotel in Tuam is up there with the best of them. Freshly carved ham from the bone and proper cheese, not just easy singles, …
Queens boulevard in New York was a setting where I often witnessed big strong grown Irishmen reminisce fondly of home, down the neck of a coors lite with a small glint of a tear in their eye at 3am on a Sunday morning. The cause was a 4 minute piece of musical poetry by a …
The winner takes the adulations of the crowd, the money and the glory, but without those who have finished behind there would be no winner. Much is often written and spoken about the winner but what about those who struggle to finish in the bunch or those who eventually make it to the finish …
Own at least one really good pair of cycling shorts Pump your tyres ! Know how to change a tube Wash your bike Wash your bike before bringing it to the bikeshop Wash yourself Wash your helmet and shoes Don’t over lubricate your chain Bring home your rubbish Don’t fight with cars or trucks, there …
Imagine for a second what happens when a person in an ordinary job gets sick for a few weeks. They take a week or two off work and upon their return, they mind themselves, drink plenty of Lucozade and go to bed early after vegging out in front of the TV for the evening. They …
Thanks to the generosity of a huge number of people throughout Ireland and beyond the goal of raising one euro for every meter climbed to the height of mount Everest has been reached. The effort of the single day climb was pretty tough as detailed here : https://thecyclingblog.com/conquering-everest/ Over the past number of days I have …
Kilkee and the windswept coast of Southern County Clare is famous amongst those who swim, cycle and run for the Triathlon known as ‘The Hell of the West’. For those who venture out west on two wheels the area has much to offer, especially if you bring the family along …
After a number of years of restless retirement , Rocky Power finds himself riding down memory lane one afternoon . He had closed the chipper that he now owns for a few hours and headed out on the bike. With no fixed destination in mind, he finds himself cruising through the old neighborhood. He still …
This past weekend I returned to the Kenmare Bay Hotel and this time brought along my family too. It didn’t take much persuasion to encourage them to come join me and right from the moment we arrived everyone had a ball. A wise man once told me that the secret to a happy holiday is …
Some bike reviews are based upon a two hour spin up and down a few hills and along a piece of flat road on a sunny Balearic Island. This is not one of those reviews. Over the course of a number of months I have used this bike in many different ways. There is …
The Solas 500 has an epic sound to it. A bit like the Indy 500 Nascar race in America. Whilst there may not be as much horsepower lining up at 12am (that’s the middle of the night) this Saturday at the Giants Causeway in Antrim there will be a lot more heart then any race …
We all love cycling because on a bike anything is possible – That was one of many thoughts that passed through my mind last Saturday as I attempted to climb the height of Mount Everest on a bike in a single day. The day began with a beautiful orange sky at 4.45am at the summit …
When you reach the summit of Tickincor at Harneys cross 3 choices await. Turn left, down Boola hill towards Rathgormack. Turn right and follow the route of The Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford down the 8km Mountain road towards Clonmel. Then there is option number 3. The other 2 choices see you travel downhill and …
Training is a funny thing. A few weeks ago I spoke to a friend who had completed the Mallorca 312 in flying shape. His longest training spin in preparation was 3 1/2 hours. He did work to a really good specific programme but I must admit that speaking to him relieved my own anxieties …