Thought for the week !

Success is a journey , not a destination !

What a difference a bike makes !

So far this year my training regime has been almost non existent and last Sunday when I decided to go all the way with the group for the spin I suddenly remembered what it was like to really suffer .  The funny thing is that , rather than put me off it only served as …

Too close for comfort

A friend of mine who works in the  A & E department of  our local  Hospital once told me that whenever there is  a full moon they are sure to have a busy night . There was a full moon over the weekend and they almost had an even busier time with the driving antics …

Thought for the week

Courage is being scared to death , and saddling up anyway

The rule of three

Cyclists in general tend to be a pretty superstitious bunch . In the dressing room before a race it is not unusual to see a kit bag being turned upside down with all of the contents being emptied out onto the floor . This is followed by a chaotic rummaging followed by a last resort …

Fitzy Retires

After 21 years as a racing license holder Mehall ‘Fitzy ‘Fitzgearld has announced his retirement from competition . This is surely the end of an era as one of the most controversial figures in Irish cycling hangs up his wheels . From a young age on his Lejeunes BMX he could be seen terrorising the …

What Kelly told Cronin !

Many people in Irish cycling know Vinny Cronin . He is a good buddy of Sean Kellys’ and it can be easy to see why . He never  looks comfortable on the bike but always hangs in no matter how hard it gets . He is as hard as nails and has covered thousands of …

New Years Revelations

Well , it’s that time of year again , when the turkey is all gone and the pounds have been put on . Some people have been putting in the miles like Rory and Hugh who did over 900 miles in the two weeks surrounding Christmas . While others such as myself were lucky to …

Thought for the week

With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance , all things are attainable !

Santa Claus

This can be a very confusing time of the year in a bike shop . Not only are you trying to keep track of all of the kiddies bikes which are being put on lay-away but you must also be able to speedily decipher each individual parents version of the Santa System . Early on …

Captain Chaos

There are many different characters in the world of Irish cycling . Some like to live a quiet and subdued lifestyle with little or no speedbumps along the way . There are others , however , who live on the edge . Those who always make an impact on those around them . They live  …

Changing Times

With all of the discussion during the week concerning the splitting of the group Sunday was always going to be interesting .  There was an air of trepidation as the group entered Clonmel at full strength of almost sixty riders . Nobody wanted to get left behind in a small group so there were many …

Tommy Sheehan Memorial

A sunny day in Carrick . barry www.thecyclingblog.com

Splitting up !

For the past 30 years now a group of cyclists have been leaving Carrick on Suir each Sunday morning in the direction of Clonmel and more often than not continued on to Dungarvan before completing the loop and arriving back in Carrick 60 miles later . Along the way more riders are picked up and …

National foreign Nationals

In the Ireland of today there has been a huge influx of people from other countries who are adding to the make up of our society  . In the shop we have seen at least 30 % of our business come from new residents in our town . Clonmel now has a population of over …

New season winter warriors

Throughout Ireland each year as the clocks go back and the skies darken an unusual form of two wheeled creature begins to awaken from its summer hibernation . The ‘winter warrior ‘ can be seen the length and breadth of the country . Some do have a specific winter training bike such as an Ridley …