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Today there was uniformity in the group as all were in agreement to fall back on the old reliable , the inspiration for the 100k route of the Sean Kelly tour , the ‘Ballymac ‘ spin .
I decided that it was time to up my own training , especially having entered for the Etape so I went the distance and did the full lap . The first time to go all the way around is always tough and I did suffer today but was glad to have it out of the way .
Here are the details as per my Garmin Edge 705 : click here
Yesterday afternoon we were in a local supermarket when I bumped into a friend of mine who casually enquired if I had been out for a cycle that morning . I often wonder what image non-cyclists have when they ask that question . Of course it is a conversation piece when they know that you are ‘into the cycling ‘ but the picture that is imagined and the actual ‘cycle’ itself can be two very different things .
I think that people have a picture of a group of fellows on shiny bicycles and tight clothing ambling through the lush green rolling countryside stopping for picnics along the way . Time is whiled away admiring the daiseys on the side of the road and looking up at the robin red breasts in the trees . Polite conversations revolve around the ozone layer and world peace . Perhaps it is time to set the record straight . Yesterday will make a good example .
Nine am. I look out the patio door and see black clouds over the Comeraghs . The trees are bent over and it’s raining . 16 month old Kate is looking dubiously at my attire . She still can’t get used to Daddy in that funny looking outfit . She holds up her teddy bear and says Daaa-deee Teee-deee . She is learning new words every day and I think that it might be nice to stay home this morning and spend the time playing with my children after working all week and not seeing as much of them as I would like but no , it’s Sunday morning , the group are on their way up the road and if I don’t go out this morning I will suffer all the more next Sunday .
As I roll down the hill from my house Kevin ‘puncturellie’ Shelly passes and I catch up to him as we head down the by-pass . Then we see someone else up ahead . Brian Alton is clipping along and it takes a while to catch up to him . We are now three and just as we approach Kilheffernan roundabout the group enters from the other side and we latch on the back . There’s a big crowd out with over fifty in the group .
At first there’s a good hard shoulder so everyone keeps well in and there’s no disruption to traffic but as we approach the Bulmers factory and the new traffic islands , a car decides to take a chance and ends up having to come to a complete stop in the middle of the road as the road narrows to just the width of a car , without fifty cyclists on the inside . This girl learns her lesson but is then overtaken by a confused peugeot driver who thinks that continuous white lines are a monorail for their inside tyres as can be seen below .
Next came the roundabout which can often be a contentious item for a group of cyclists to negotiate . The problem is that when the front of the group approaches a roundabout and there is nothing coming they proceed to go around and everyone else follows on . But if half the group has gone through and a car comes around should the rest of the group stop or keep going ? In theory they should of course stop , but in practice the correct course of action isn’t quite so straight forward . Most roundabouts are a melting pot of smooth tarmac , spilled diesel and left behind skid and wheel-spin rubber . So in effect they are like ice on any kind of wet or damp day . If someone in the middle decides to obey the rules of the road and stop they run the very likely danger that someone may rear end them . This is exactly what happened on the Bulmers roundabout yesterday as six of the group tasted tarmac . Luckily no-one was hurt and all were quickly back up and on their bikes but I still can’t say if the first rider should gave braked or not .
The next piece of drama came very shortly afterwards at the next roundabout . Some wanted to go towards Cashel , others wanted to do Ballymac whilst more again wanted to do Clogheen . A few shouts , a few more swerves and the group headed in towards town which narrowed it down to Ballymac or Clogheen .
This indecision created some tension between a few riders and ‘ the one who sometimes says too much ‘ found himself in an argument with ‘ the one who breaths fire ‘ and before he knew it he was being invited to settle the matter off the bike at the side of the road . Sensibly he declined the offer even when ‘the one who breaths fire ‘ pulled over and stopped . Less was said by him for a while after that .
Next up came the Dungarvan road junction . More confusion as half went left and half went straight on . The groups were now a more manageable size and the pace was steady-hard on out over knocklofty as the group that I was in headed towards clogheen . What we didn’t realise was that a few of the others had turned and had decided to follow us on and were in pursuit without us realising it . I was at 180 bpm going over the top of Knocklofty and when I hit the front with Geoff after Grange I had to dig deep to keep it going into the ferocious headwind .
Just as we were dropping down into Ardfinnan someone shouted that there was a group coming up behind and we eased up to let them get back on . The chase to end all chases had been going on behind as we rode on oblivious to it . Going out the wood road ‘The Nurse’ Molowney was putting in some savage turns and had the chase group lined out in hot pursuit . Approaching Knocklofty hill ‘Coca Cola Kelly ‘ ( the real thing ) went to the front and controlled it on the climb to get the whole group over together . Just as they crested the climb and ‘ The Nurse ‘ hit the front once more and as he was winding it up again a shout went up from behind . ‘The woodchopper ‘ Cronin was claiming to be getting cowld and was worried that they would never again see home if they didn’t drive it on a bit . This was gristle to the fire of ‘The Nurse ‘ as he dropped it into the twelve and was down so low on the drops that he was almost chewing the stem . He sacrificed himself for the cause and was doing bit and bit with Coca Cola and a few others until he was almost in need of medical assistance himself .
Things seemed to calm within the enlarged group leaving Ardfinnan as the wind grew wilder and the rain grew heavier . Passing Castlegrace hailstones were added to the mixture and red pockmarks began to appear on the mud-caked faces of all who were present . In Clogheen we turned back towards newcastle and the tailwind launched a few tails in the air as the speed rose to over 45kph . A mobile phone was dug out of a pocket at the rear of the group and a request was made for the number of one of the riders at the front to give him a ring to slow it down a bit . Eventually it took a puncture near Graigue to calm the mood for a brief interlude .
Newcastle seemed like a blur as we rocketed through and on the drag out of it an observation was made that the first race of the season had come very early this year . The turn back into the wind at the Beehive settled things back down again and I had enough left in the legs to make it back up the hill home in one piece once we were back in Clonmel .
So , whilst ‘going for a cycle ‘ can mean many things to many people , for most ‘serious ‘ cyclists it is a combination of pain , pleasure , suffering and satisfaction and sometimes more entertainment than an episode of Killinaskully !
To see exactly where we went on the spin and how unfit I am click here
Barry
He’ll never have to miss a spin around ballymac again no matter where he is in the world with this to get him home ! read the full story here
Well , I felt that my motivation was lacking recently and decided that a new challenge was what was needed to get me back training more consistently . There were a few options available , go back racing next year , do a malin to mizen , blazing saddles or a Crumlin charity cycle , or else ride a stage of the tour on closed roads and feel like a pro for a day . Having gone back racing a few years ago to ride the Ras ( see here ) and having done a blazing saddles epic before ( see here) I decided on having a go at the L’etape de tour .
I eagerly awaited the announcement of the route and when it was announced that it was going to be the stage form Montélimar (Drôme) to the Mont Ventoux my mind was made up that I had to give it a go .
In years gone by one could send in a private entry but in recent times it is neccessary to book your place through a recognised l’Etape agency . A full list of official agencies may be seen here . Even though it is possible to book through any number of international agencies I decided to go with one of the two Irish companies who are licensed to enter the event . Trail seekers offer a five day package for €995 excluding flights whilst On your bike offer a seven day package for €1995 excluding flights .
Having spoken to Sean O’Leary of Trail seekers , a man who raced against the O’Gormans , Bobby , Larry and Paddy Power , Tony Ryan et al and who claims that he had the finest steak he ever tasted during the 1983 Ras in a B & B between Clonmel and Carrick I was happy to book one of the Cork mans’ few remaining places and forward on my €150 deposit .
So there it is , no turning back now !
Training wise at present I am doing 2 – 3 hours on Sundays with the group , 2 – 3 on Tuesdays by myself looking over ditches and one hour on the turbo on Thursday mornings . That will have to be improved on pretty soon if I don’t want to be in a complete body bag on the evening of July 20th .
As my training progresses and as I receive more information about the event I’ll post it under a L’Etape diary heading .
For a sneak peak at the route see the following video clip ;
Barry
Just what is it about Christmas that brings out the optical illusions of parents ? We always try to encourage parents to bring their kids into the shop to have them sized correctly for their santa bikes . A good excuse is to tell the kids that you are just getting the name and size of the bike for their letter to Santa . However there will always be the few exceptions who think that they are more capable themselves of getting the correct size bike and they are usually the ones whose kids leave the bike in the shed for the first three years of having it as they can’t even get up on the bike .
A case in point ;
One day last week a guy came into the shop looking for bikes for his three kids . I suggested that I could show him what we have and that it might be a good idea to then bring them in to have them sized correctly . He said that he couldn’t do that because it would spoil Christmas for them and that he would have a good idea himself anyway .
I asked the ages and was told six , eight and twelve . So I began with the six year old and showed the customer a twenty inch Bumper Solar which would be a very suitable bike for 99 % of six year old girls . I explained the specifications of the bike with alloy v-brakes , alloy wheels , etc. as the customer nodded in agreement . He then asked if it might be a bit on the big side for a three year old , but she’s a big three . I replied that it would definitely be too big for a three year old and pointed towards fourteen inch Bumper Starlet which would be a much more suitable size . She would still get two years of growth out of this size which is what would be the norm for kids between three and eight . An eight year old should then get roughly four years of growth if sized correctly . He disagreed and said that maybe the twenty would be better so that she could grow into it ( and fall of it aplenty if it is even used , I thought to myself ) .
Next came the bike for the eight year old and I proceeded to show him a twenty four inch wheel eleven inch framed Specialized Hotrock . A really nice bike with an aluminium frame , front suspension and twenty one gears . He looked it up and down and then said that she’s six but a big six and I pointed back to the bumper Solar which would be best for most six year olds .
Next up came a bike for the twelve year old . At this stage I was well aware that she was definitely not twelve but I showed him a fourteen inch Giant rock with full size twenty six inch wheels anyway , which would be a good size for a twelve year old . Again he confirmed my suspicions and said that she is only eight but a big eight . So I pointed back towards the Hotrock and again suggested that it might be best to bring them in to have them sized correctly . I said that it didn’t matter if he were going to buy the bikes from us or not but that we would gladly size the bikes for him in order that his kids would be safe on their bikes .
His reply was that he might bring them in at the weekend and we left it at that .
We genuinely do not mind people coming in to have their kids sized and perhaps buying their bikes elsewhere . There is nothing worse than seeing a child precariously balanced atop a bike that’s way too big and just about managing to maintain control over it . Most bike shops feel the same so no matter where you are , if you are getting a bike for a child this Christmas be sure that it is the right size !
Barry
Recently , a very well accomplished domestic cyclist spent a weekend in Dublin . On the Friday night he partook in a number of sociable beverages with a few esteemed acquaintances . Saturday was spent volunteering his valuable time in the service of the greater good of cycling in Ireland before he retired early after what had been an exhausting day .
Sunday brought about his journey back home and on the way he began to feel slightly peckish and decided to stop at one of the motorway convenience garages on the way out of Dublin .
A number of Cadburys finest confectionery products were purchased and were eagerly consumed during the next part of his journey .
A little while later , he began to feel ill at ease with the aftertaste of the amount of chocolate which had been deposited within his mouth . It was then that he thought of the bottle of mouthwash that he carries in the glove box of his car to wash out his mouth after every race . (This is a good idea especially if a number of electrolyte drinks have been consumed during the race , or if the weather conditions dictate that some precarious ingredients of ‘road cocktail ‘ find their way into your mouth .)
Being a considerate safety conscious motorist he decided to pull over to the hard shoulder before taking a swig of the mouthwash and depositing it back out onto the road . Job done he pulled back out into the traffic and continued on his way .
Unfortunately , a couple of hundred metres later there was a Garda car doing a speed check and they had observed the conspicuous movements of the motorist who had pulled over for a short time before passing their location and decided to investigate further .
With blue and white lights ablaze they signalled the motorist to pull over . The blue cap was donned and a sashay walk was instigated as the Garda approached the car .
In reply to the question proffered by the Garda as to what the reason for stopping short of the speed check area was , the cyclist answered with exactly the whole truth and nothing but the truth of what he was doing .
The response of the Garda was to ask the cyclist to blow into a breathalyzer bag and to the surprise of the cyclist but perhaps not to the Garda a positive reading came up on the display .
The cyclist was now asked to leave his car at the side of the motorway and to accompany the Gardai in their squad car to the nearest garda station where a more definite test could be carried out .
This particular cyclist is someone who is very comfortable in his own skin . A really genuine guy who would be the same with Barrack Obama in the White House as he would be with Benny O’Meara in a cow house . Nerves or nervousness do not show up on his radar so as he was travelling in the back of the squad car he was relaxed and chatted away to the two Gardai up front . He mentioned the fact that he does a lot of cycling and also mentioned the fact that one of the countries top races takes place each year in the town that they were travelling towards . One of the Guards replied that they were aware of the race and that they both had worked on the race assisting with traffic control etc.
The cyclists reply was that yes it is a great race and that it was nice to have won it twice in the last four years . The Gardai looked at each other and then one looked in the rear view mirror but said very little .
As the trio entered the Garda station and approached the breathalyzer machine the cyclist asked one of the Gardai if he were a betting man what did he think the result might be . The reply was that it would probably be negative but they had to do it anyway . Sure enough a negative result was returned and the cyclist was chauffeured back to his car which was still on the side of the motorway and allowed to continue his journey home .
The alcohol contained in the mouthwash was what had caused the positive reading on the initial breathalyzer so I guess the moral of the story is to use your mouthwash going to bed at night but maybe not in the morning , even if you are eating chocolate !
Barry
Take a look at this tv advert and remember that this guy is riding a fixed wheel bike with no brakes !
Statistically cyclists suffer more back problems than the general population . Many people make the assumption that this is because of the bent over posture that we have when on the bike , especially road bikes . This , however is not the case . It is because we are putting all parts of our bodies to more use than Mr. Joe Public that we notice and then go about getting it sorted that we show up highly on the stats .
Recently , whilst we were being measured up for our new Viner Maxima’s , my own back problems were highlighted . As soon as I sat up on the bike measuring jig , Guisseppi , who does the measuring for the Italian national squad , immediately said that I had back problems . Before laying a hand on my back he informed me that my spine was twisted and that I needed to get it sorted .
We regularly have people coming into the shop asking for advice about back , knee , shoulder problems etc. so I felt that the process that I am currently going through may be of interest to some of you .
Now , my own case is pretty extreme . I have a size 44 left footand 46 right foot with two significantly different sized legs . A fall onto my back in Australia eleven years ago was the most permanent souvenir that I’ve ever brought home from my travels . Sometimes when I get home from a spin especially if there’s been a lot of climbing , it can take over an hour before I can stand up straight . And in the usual Irish male fashion I just plough on with it and think that ’twill be grand .
Well , last week I began the process of getting something done about it .
The week began with a visit to a chiropractor . A new practice opened a few months ago here in Clonmel and initial reports sounded good so I headed down to see John Osbourne in his clinic where they use the activator method . Why a Chiropractor ? no.1 they are back specialists . no.2 a few years ago when it was particularly bad I went to my gp who gave me anti-inflammatories ( stopped the pain for a while but no long term benefits ) , then went to a physio who worked on my back muscles and it worked well whilst I was going to see him but the pain was back within a short time of stopping treatment .
My first impression of The Osbourne clinic was a good one . Friendly receptionist , relaxing atmosphere , no big que in waiting area . Straight into first consultation room where I filled out the medical history forms . Then the initial examination which was followed by a change of room to where a back scan was carried out . The results were very detailed but easy to follow and I was given a copy to keep . Should be a good way to monitor progress when I have my next scan after four weeks . Then after being given a full description of what is wrong with my back and how it would be treated I was brought over to the treatment room and had my first session .
The treatment will consist of three times per week for four weeks and then once a week for two months and regular visits after that . 50 euro initial consultation fee , then 40 per visit after that . It won’t be cheap but if it sorts out my back it will have been money well spent .
I also decided to invest in a pair of custom orthotics for my shoes . With a little assistance form our friends at google I came upon Declan Healy of customorthotics.net and was delighted to find that he did consultations in Thurles. As he also has clinics in Dublin , Carlow and Mallow , I rang to book an appointment . He was very accommodating and arranged to meet me at his home at 7.15 on Wednesday night . Once again he did a full physical examination and then did a computerised gait scan where I had to walk along a rectangular plate and he could show me how my feet came into contact with the ground whilst walking . He also made a cast of my feet and this will be used as the mould for my orthotics . 270 euro a pair but again money well spent , I hope .
The orthotics will take three to four weeks and by that time I will have had my second back scan so I’ll keep you all posted as to how I get on .
Barry
Lance Armstrong comes from Austin Texas . The proximity of Texas to the Mexican border means that many Texans have a good grasp of the Spanish language . Lance is no exception . Like many other celebrities when he checks into a hotel he often does so under an assumed name . I can now disclose what that name is – Juan Polloto . The relevance of this name to Mr. Armstrong is Juan ( sounds like one ) Polloto ( spanish translation of Ball )
This has been the name that he has been using over the past few months during his comeback training trail . The training has been pretty intense and his programme for October was as follows ;
2 x per week 5-5.5 hrs endurance pace
2 x per week 3-4 hrs endurance pace with 2 x 20minutes at just below LT pace (380-400watts)
1 x per week Tuesday-nighter
1 x per week 3-4 hrs with 2 sets of 4 x 20seconds max effort x 40 seconds recovery
1 x per week day off-travel, rest.
There have been a number of books about The Lance Armstrong training programme but very few would have been this intense at this time of year .
The tour looks out for next year which should please team mate Alberto Contador but it is almost a certainty that The 100th anniversary of the Giro d’Italia will be the main target for Armstrong’s comeback season .
Barry
Ish bosh bish . Bosh balla bectallawah bangdankint !
Well , that’s what it sounded like to me the other day when a guy walked in to the shop and came up to me at the counter and just started blabbering on in his native tongue as if it were the most natural thing in the world .
A faded coca-cola red denim jacket , a moustache and a pair of sellotaped glasses was the first hint that he wasn’t from these parts . The second was the two minute foreign narrative he projected towards me as if it were the most natural thing in the world . The third , when he stopped and looked at me in anticipation of an answer made me think of a naked camera crew hidden somewhere nearby , but he didn’t quite fit the bill of a Jake Stevens .
I’m rarely stumped by a customer but this guy had me . There was no attempt at sign language and my efforts at procuring some hint of a description were met stonley with more matter of fact dishquashmashdilla . Sometimes the mention of something resembling butyl can mean a tyre or tube but there was nothing even remotley recognisable . I pointed at tyres and tubes , chains , locks and mudguards , cables and saddles . I even tried pointing at a pair of cycling clips but all to no avail . I was met with a stoney look of are you stupid or what-edness .
I handed him a pen and paper in the futile hope that some written form of his language may be recognisable . But once again there was not a trace of anything remotley within my vocabulary .
He was so assured and making so little effort to physically describe what it was that he was looking for that for a brief instant I wondered if I had been transported overnight to some foreign parts and it was I who was speaking the funny language in a foreign country .
I was just about to give up when I pointed at a pair of long fingered gloves and received a curt nod and brief pashwashkifta of , of course thats what I asked for .
I pointed at the price tag which read €25 and the customer took out a very worn looking leather purse and handed me 25 CENTS . I shook my head and reached for the calculator and typed in 25 minus .25 and equals 24.75 . He shook his head , replied ‘too spensif ‘, and walked away .
I was left standing there with my mouth open catching flies- speechless . The rest of the day was spent casually searching the shop for a hidden camera . I still haven’t found it !
Barry
