The Northern Ireland Thread. *Warning* May include cake

causewaygiant

Is anyone doing or has ever done the Belfast to Dublin Maracycle? Is it well organized etc? Thanks in advance!

paul_mck

done it last year for first time, highly recommended its a great cycle and a good challenge. Org was 100% accommodation in DCU was great tho the queue to get checked in was pretty bad for some.

Route isnt too bad, worse on the way down but mainly due to weather that day. second day was arse killing for a few miles then fine.

do it, should be going again myself this year as its the same route (Belfast->Dublin->Belfast).

kingofthetailwind

Took tomorrow off as I'll be busy over the weekend. Friday's forecast: torrential rain and 30mph winds. Grr! Anyone heading out, or best to leave it?

Anonymous

I had today booked off so I could go out for a good run as well. Forecast is as you say so I went in to work to save the day's leave. Doesn't actually look too bad now!
Anyone for the ballymena reliability run on sunday? I did the apollo one in lurgan last sunday and it was a good run out 66miles at 21.5 average although it was a flat route.

seanorawe

hutchy_belfast wrote:

I had today booked off so I could go out for a good run as well. Forecast is as you say so I went in to work to save the day's leave. Doesn't actually look too bad now!
Anyone for the ballymena reliability run on sunday? I did the apollo one in lurgan last sunday and it was a good run out 66miles at 21.5 average although it was a flat route.

21.5 is way too fast for me

Anonymous

There were groups that weren't at that pace. Last years ballymena run went at 19 average

kingofthetailwind

Anyone do the Giant's Causeway Sportive last year?

My longest run since buying a bike in October has been 50 miles. Most elevantion gain is less than 900 feet!

I've signed up for the full route. I've only been able to find Strava data for the 80 mile run, which is about 6,000 feet of climbing I think. How much more climbing is there in the 112 mile route?

Also doing the Bangor one, and Lap the Lough which should be good preparation.

seanorawe

Stupot101 wrote:

Anyone do the Giant's Causeway Sportive last year?

My longest run since buying a bike in October has been 50 miles. Most elevantion gain is less than 900 feet!

I've signed up for the full route. I've only been able to find Strava data for the 80 mile run, which is about 6,000 feet of climbing I think. How much more climbing is there in the 112 mile route?

Also doing the Bangor one, and Lap the Lough which should be good preparation.

Ill be doing a lap of the lough myself in a few months. I have been told its not too hard and the terrain is really good

MisterMuncher

On for lap the lough myself this year. Should be a grand ould spin.

pedrojake

I can highly recommend the Freewheelers Tour of Lough Neagh, which was the original ‘lap the lough’.

http://www.freewheelersdsd.btck.co.uk/

Done it the last few years and it’s a great day out. Theres usually about 200 in it, tends to be well supported by clubs, and its for a good cause. Ive never done the new LOTL, but have heard that around 2000, mainly inexperienced cyclists, some on Mountain bikes, clogging up the road can be tough to stick, and there were a few bad crashes over the last year or two.

Bangor run is good too, nice and flat so you can get a good speed going, only id suggest getting away before the mass start at 10 as its bedlam until about Donaghadee

wotnoshoeseh

When is the FreeWheeler's tour on this year (2013)?

pedrojake

http://cyclingulster.com/?p=4992

August 6

Sodafarl

Hello
Just thought I would drop in and say hello as I have only joined the forum.
The name is Carl so it should be easy enough to work out where the the username came from.
Only on the bike a couple of months with a break of a month with all the lovely weather we have had here recently plus the man flu etc.
Hope to contribute as much as I can. Haven't cycled anywhere too exciting and anyone that uses the towpath into town will probably have passed me in the morning or evening.
More into photography and try to get to as many events as I can (mostly Triathlons) during the year.
On the bike to get fit, lose weight and help the diabetes.

Soda

seanorawe

Sodafarl wrote:

Hello
Just thought I would drop in and say hello as I have only joined the forum.
The name is Carl so it should be easy enough to work out where the the username came from.
Only on the bike a couple of months with a break of a month with all the lovely weather we have had here recently plus the man flu etc.
Hope to contribute as much as I can. Haven't cycled anywhere too exciting and anyone that uses the towpath into town will probably have passed me in the morning or evening.
More into photography and try to get to as many events as I can (mostly Triathlons) during the year.
On the bike to get fit, lose weight and help the diabetes.

Soda

Welcome to the forum Carl. I use the towpath myself some weekends. You cant beat the scenery.

Sodafarl

seanorawe wrote:

Sodafarl wrote:

Hello
Just thought I would drop in and say hello as I have only joined the forum.
The name is Carl so it should be easy enough to work out where the the username came from.
Only on the bike a couple of months with a break of a month with all the lovely weather we have had here recently plus the man flu etc.
Hope to contribute as much as I can. Haven't cycled anywhere too exciting and anyone that uses the towpath into town will probably have passed me in the morning or evening.
More into photography and try to get to as many events as I can (mostly Triathlons) during the year.
On the bike to get fit, lose weight and help the diabetes.

Soda

Welcome to the forum Carl. I use the towpath myself some weekends. You cant beat the scenery.

Sean
Thanks for the welcome. It is nice and and enjoyable ride can make you forget how far you have went.
Keep an eye out for the slow guy on the Triban3. Also do the Comber Greenway which isn't bad either

Soda

grifterveteran

Alright Carl welcome in you'd probably pass me on the green way 'cept i'm laid up following a hip op.

I'm interested in your triathaletes knowledge - discussions with physio seem to indicate this may be an option for me (used to be a marathon runner) Can you recommend any triathlon clubs in and around Belfast, cheers

Sodafarl

grifterveteran wrote:

Alright Carl welcome in you'd probably pass me on the green way 'cept i'm laid up following a hip op.

I'm interested in your triathaletes knowledge - discussions with physio seem to indicate this may be an option for me (used to be a marathon runner) Can you recommend any triathlon clubs in and around Belfast, cheers

Cheers Grifter thanks for the welcome.
The main Tri club in Belfast would be Olympian as far as I am aware, Queens have a club and I think Invictus maybe in Belfast or Larne direction. Any of the members I have met have been really friendly.
Try this link http://www.triathlonireland.com for clubs and details.
Good luck with the hip and finding a club.
Olympian seem to have a beginners group, although they probably all do.

Soda

seanorawe

Have you all heard?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/21512205

Step_7

Anyone else heard about this protest tomorrow at City Hall and the petition against Taxis being allowed to use bus lanes. I don't really ride into Belfast much so doesn't affect me much but perhaps there are others interested. Does sound like a dumb idea frankly - no fan of buses but the lanes do give a little bit of space to breathe when it is busy and in my experience Taxi drivers wouldn't help!!

http://www.facebook.com/BelfastBikefast

seanorawe

grifterveteran wrote:

PS - any other clubs in the Belfast area and whether they are a big club or a smaller club. Cheers

A little late on this. The Trappers meet at the Andersonstown leisure centre on Sunday mornings for a club run and welcome new members. They are a leisure club, so they are not out to break time records. They just want a bit of craic on the road. Check them out

http://trapperscc.com/

LiamW

I was a member of that clubfor the last 8 years, took this year off as i'm due a major op. If you want the numbers of the secetary pm me and i'll let you know.

In the last few years we've taken guys who don't do a lot of miles and brought them through, they've now moved onto the likes of Phoenix and the Rubble. The Trappers themselves were started by a group of bus drivers in Belfast, nowdays they head out and do roughly around 40/45 miles @ a steady pace. If you start to progress then there are faster members who go further and faster and indeed go out all year round.

LiamW

seanorawe wrote:

Have you all heard?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/21512205

Some details of the Irish stages of the Giro


http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news ... ig-winner/

seanorawe

Hey Liam did you go to Dublin with the St Galls members? I went, albeit by car due to not being ready for that kind of ride. We are doing the lap o the lough this year

Sodafarl

seanorawe wrote:

Hey Liam did you go to Dublin with the St Galls members? I went, albeit by car due to not being ready for that kind of ride. We are doing the lap o the lough this year

Probably not suit St Galls members but if anyone is interest St Endas are doing their charity cycle this year to Carrick-on -Shannon.
they started training last Saturday.
Training Saturday 9.30 and Sunday 10.30 leaving the bank carpark at the bottom of the Hightown Road.
Had hoped to go out topmorrow and Sunday but have a funeral tomorrow and working Sunday.

LiamW

seanorawe wrote:

Hey Liam did you go to Dublin with the St Galls members? I went, albeit by car due to not being ready for that kind of ride. We are doing the lap o the lough this year

I did mate, i was in the main van fixing the punctures on that god forsaken day.

Lap the lough is a great day out mate, cracking route as well. You'll find that it's already marked out from last year, should be easy enough if you fancied getting the 90 miles in before August.

seanorawe

Sodafarl wrote:

seanorawe wrote:

Hey Liam did you go to Dublin with the St Galls members? I went, albeit by car due to not being ready for that kind of ride. We are doing the lap o the lough this year

Probably not suit St Galls members but if anyone is interest St Endas are doing their charity cycle this year to Carrick-on -Shannon.
they started training last Saturday.
Training Saturday 9.30 and Sunday 10.30 leaving the bank carpark at the bottom of the Hightown Road.
Had hoped to go out topmorrow and Sunday but have a funeral tomorrow and working Sunday.

Nice one Carl

Might not suit though, St Galls do this cyle every year to try and make a bit of money to keep the club running and to pay bills. We are trying to start our own cycle club though to keep going as much as possible so Ill keep an eye out for any future outings.

Sodafarl

seanorawe wrote:

Sodafarl wrote:

seanorawe wrote:

Hey Liam did you go to Dublin with the St Galls members? I went, albeit by car due to not being ready for that kind of ride. We are doing the lap o the lough this year

Probably not suit St Galls members but if anyone is interest St Endas are doing their charity cycle this year to Carrick-on -Shannon.
they started training last Saturday.
Training Saturday 9.30 and Sunday 10.30 leaving the bank carpark at the bottom of the Hightown Road.
Had hoped to go out topmorrow and Sunday but have a funeral tomorrow and working Sunday.

Nice one Carl

Might not suit though, St Galls do this cyle every year to try and make a bit of money to keep the club running and to pay bills. We are trying to start our own cycle club though to keep going as much as possible so Ill keep an eye out for any future outings.

Sean
Cycling seems to be getting popular at the clubs I know St Enda's in Omagh have a cycling club with a large membership.
Have a lot of fund raisers through out the year.

Soda

causewaygiant

Eoghan Rua up in Coleraine are doing a centry ride in May to raise funds.

Sodafarl

causewaygiant wrote:

Eoghan Rua up in Coleraine are doing a centry ride in May to raise funds.

A great way to get members to take part in club activities, that might not be involved with the everyday goings on in the club and to raise money.

seanorawe

So I had my bike fit yesterday by Leo Neenan from NI Biomechanics!

I was very impressed with how thorough he was regarding the bike measurements. And he knew a hell of a lot about how your body moves and how opposite forces work with the force you put in to your pedals. (He is a physio after all) When I walked in with my bike he set it up on a Taxc turbo and set up a tripod with a camera attached. He asked me to take a seat and had a chat about any pains or discomfort I’m feeling. He also talked about why I’m cycling and what I wanted to achieve from the fit and future riding. I explained I get a sore lower back and sore left knee. also some neck pain etc. So after all that, he asked me to hop on to the bike and start pedalling as normal. After about 2 mins he asked me to stop and take a seat beside him to look at my video.

looking at the video he said right away that something was not right, he started watching segments of the video in super slow mo for about 5 - 10 mins whilst making noises like hmmm, yes, oh, and yeeeeees (my hands were nowhere near him, I promise)

He then started making markers with his software which started calculating angles and posture. He then proceeded to explain what he saw was wrong. He demonstrated how my back was curved and demonstrated how it works against me. He explained that the force I was applying was coming back up my legs and through my badly angled back and causing pressure. He said my saddle height was good but had a play of 5-10 mm if I need it in the future, but to leave it as it is today. He flipped my stem back to where it originally was (I flipped it up) and also removed 2 shims to slam it in a little, He moved my seat forward because I was too far back.

He also noted that on my down pedal I was pointing my toe a lot, so he measured my bare feet and adjusted my cleats to rectify that. He then got me back on the bike for another video but Before that he explained how to engage my core and he also perfected a riding position to suit me. Looking at the videos, the difference was amazing.

So after all this he moved the camera to the front of the bike, and placed white markers on my knees. He then took a video in slow motion which mapped out the movement of the white markers, He showed me how my knees kick out on the top of my leg turn and explained that it’s because my crank arms are a little bit too long. He said it does not necessarily need changed because strengthening my core should pull my muscles tighter and rectify this for me. He then lay me down on the floor and poked about my buttocks while rotating my knees, and confirmed that because my core was so unbalanced, my right leg was much stronger and more tense than my left.

And all for a reasonable £60.

Riding home I could feel right away, that more power was being transferred to the bike. Time will tell if my back pain is gone.

Thanks for reading.