Why do cyclists AND other sports people dope ? Amazingly given the amount of coverage drug taking in sport gets this topic is rarely covered. Until this question is given serious consideration many anti-doping efforts will fail. The simple answer is that they are cheating b******s who will do anything to win, but that …
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 …
Fresh legs made the climb feel OK and we were soon over the top and passing through the Sunday Morning Mass crowd who cheered us on. You can’t beat a good country Mass crowd. The town Mass crowd would just walk out in front of you.
The An Post Ras is over for another year and the withdrawal symptoms have set in. In years gone by it was only the hourly Roy Willoughby radio report and the 30 second clip on the RTE evening news that had us all enthralled. However, nowadays we have Shane Stokes’ live updates on Irishcycling.com, Sticky …
Last night my friend Mickey rang. He lives in a place that locals call ‘Bally’ whilst non-locals add a ‘poreen’ to the end of it. Former US President Ronald Regan once visited and the locals still manage to get the odd free pint out of the visiting tourists in return for a tale about 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 …
Late September 1985. The Master (school principal) stands in front of a room full of fourth, fifth and sixth class pupils and informs them that a big cycle race is passing nearby and that if they were interested they could all walk down to Keatings cross to watch it pass. A chorus of yesses went …
My friend Anthony is a pretty good bike rider. He has won many races including the National Road race, 25 and 50 mile TT championships all in one year. He has represented Ireland at many International races and is a double Ras stage winner. This alone would be enough to be called a classy bike …
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
Well worth checking out this link to a behind the scenes interview with Kelly about this years Paris – Nice. Thanks to Rene van Dam of Visit Nenagh cycling team for recommending it. http://s.nos.nl/swf/embed/nos_video_embed.swf?tcmid=tcm-5-1215399 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 …
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 …
Around 11 this morning Twitter, Facebook and many cycling news websites went on fire with news of Alberto Contadors’ 2 year doping suspension. By 1pm RTE were showing a video clip from the 2010 Tour with Contador in yellow crossing the finish line. Obviously I was just as curious as anyone to find out the …
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 …
Yesterday began like many of my Sundays. Porridge, tea and wholemeal toast for breakfast, get dressed up in bright lycra and at 8.54 I head out to the shed lift my bike down from the rack, pop in the water bottle and fit the Garmin, check the tyre pressure and have a quick look at …
The dreaded puncture is the most frustrating aspect of cycling for many a bike rider . I was asked today if there is anything that can be done to help avoid getting one . The simple answer is , yes there are a number of things any cyclist can do to reduce the chance of …