cycling & driving: THE FEAR (1 Viewer)

[cephalopod]

There is no respect for bicycles in this country where people will drive any distance that exceeds 100m

 

[cephalopod]

I remember nipping around all sorts of country roads on my bike as a fearless kid. Now its like carmageddon on them. Anyone else get personally affronted by speeding cars, and god forbid sometimes find themselves briefly wishing that the bollocks who has just gone by doing 120kph in a residential zone would get themselves involved in a single vehicle accident? Its sickening, and the truth is that a lot of people who die in car-'accidents' in this country are actually victims of a type of manslaughter

 

[flashback]

yep, and you tend to bunnyhop potholes.

and crashed bikes and riders...
I did a huge jump I did over a guy who crashed in front of me, and I remember looking straigh down at my front chainring and seeing him on the ground looking straight up back at me. I was sort of willing the bike to stay flying in the air, BMX style.

 

[classic seanc]

I remember nipping around all sorts of country roads on my bike as a fearless kid.

When I was young I'd cut across two or three lanes of road to keep on the steepest incline, so I could go "deadly fast". straight through junctions, footpaths, all that. No one cared. It was fuckin' maniacal. Why didn't anyone stop me?

 

[nlgbbbblth]

I haven't cycled for over a decade. Never wore a helmet in the old days. Was knocked down twice. Non-serious. If/when I start again I'll probably wear one.

My flatmate was knocked down by someone who owned a bicycle shop.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

got over 40mph on my Raleigh Road Runner and Medale.

anyone ever cycle a bike with no gears or brakes? Olympic style.

 

[flashback]

My flatmate was knocked down by someone who owned a bicycle shop.

which shop?

anyone ever cycle a bike with no gears or brakes? Olympic style.

those lads all ride fixers, they can slow down by forcing their legs move slower.

 

[IFF]

i've had a couple of close shaves when out on recreational rides, mostly with suv but there has been others. dear motorists, near the top of hills is not good places to overtake anything

 

[flashback]

Its always good for the bum muscles when you completely screw up a corner, end up way out passing an oncoming car on the wrong side of the road.

There was a bridge on the military road that you could do at about 45, if you were totally committed, and there was nothing else around. The bridge was not lined up with the road, it was about 30degrees off, so you would hit it all the way over on one side, and exit all the way over on the far side. Concrete walls on both sides. If you fuck up, you will be in trouble.

I used to psyche myself up for it for about 10 miles riding to it, and still bottle it and tap the brakes just at the last minute.

 

[cookiemonster]

unite!!
CRITICAL MASS!!!!!!

actually, when is the next one?

there hasn't been one for ages, there's a meeting on tonight in seomra spraoi about starting it up again.

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/83408

 

[rettucs]

Its always good for the bum muscles when you completely screw up a corner, end up way out passing an oncoming car on the wrong side of the road.

There was a bridge on the military road that you could do at about 45, if you were totally committed, and there was nothing else around. The bridge was not lined up with the road, it was about 30degrees off, so you would hit it all the way over on one side, and exit all the way over on the far side. Concrete walls on both sides. If you fuck up, you will be in trouble.

I used to psyche myself up for it for about 10 miles riding to it, and still bottle it and tap the brakes just at the last minute.

which military road? The one beyond enniskerry? Up to glencree? I love that road.

 

[flashback]

which military road? The one beyond enniskerry? Up to glencree? I love that road.

Yeah, that's the one. I had an eighty mile loop that I would do every day and that was on it. I miss those roads.

 

[magicbastarder]

Yeah, that's the one. I had an eighty mile loop that I would do every day and that was on it. I miss those roads.

how did you have time to do that every day?

 

[rettucs]

Yeah, that's the one. I had an eighty mile loop that I would do every day and that was on it. I miss those roads.

me too, but it wasn't every day. More like once or twice a week.

From sandyford, up through stepaside, into enniskerry, through enniskerry up the big hill by the church, up milarity road by the back gates to the waterfall, up the long climb to glencree, left up by lough bray, over to sally gap, down to laragh, right into glendalough, right up the wicklow gap, turn off to the right before hollywood and take the near side of the blessington lakes, around into blessington, then back to Dublin along the N81. Class cycle.

 

[F. Fred Palakon]

i'm not bothered about how it look as such, but have always found them really uncomfortable.

The main reason I never got around to getting a cycling helmet was that it's a right pain when you're out and about to have to carry all your cycling paraphernalia around with you because someone will rob it off your bike. Spose I was already carrying my high vis vest, and my lights and my rain trousers...

 

[flashback]

me too, but it wasn't every day. More like once or twice a week.

From sandyford, up through stepaside, into enniskerry, through enniskerry up the big hill by the church, up milarity road by the back gates to the waterfall, up the long climb to glencree, left up by lough bray, over to sally gap, down to laragh, right into glendalough, right up the wicklow gap, turn off to the right before hollywood and take the near side of the blessington lakes, around into blessington, then back to Dublin along the N81. Class cycle.

that's more or less exactly the route alright... you can change it about a bit for variety, go up The Long Hill, take other turn at Sally Gap, but it was such a great ride I didn't even want to.
Funnily enough htey do a lot of filming there, movies and stuff. I used to be up there every morning, and see movie stars and things out there fairly often.

how did you have time to do that every day?

I worked in kitchens, so they would start me at 4pm, and I would work till 11 ish, then I would be in bed by 12, and up at 8am and back by 1ish, shower, nap, back into work.

It was basically all I did, ride and work. Some races or club training rides here and there. I wasn't much of a drinker or partier, and I was saving money to go to Norway, you can't spend too much money up by Lough Brae.


edit... Did you spin in home through the Scalp there?, past Kilternan, lovely smooth road, slightly down hill, tearing along feeling like an animal.... that was almost the best bit. Nah, the best bit was putting a jump in at the end of that Glencree climb, then you knew you were in animal mode. Bring it bitches. Ha ha ha.

 

[Pantone247]

The main reason I never got around to getting a cycling helmet was that it's a right pain when you're out and about to have to carry all your cycling paraphernalia around with you because someone will rob it off your bike. Spose I was already carrying my high vis vest, and my lights and my rain trousers...

I got this real funny look from a man in Supavalu yesterday, then I realised I had my combats tucked into my socks, a kahki rain jacket on, a hi-vis belt and a helmet hanging off the straps of me big black record bag and was staggering about all bow legged and wonky... then I realised i looked like a care in the community case who thought he was in a really low rent Star Wars remake

 

[rettucs]

edit... Did you spin in home through the Scalp there?, past Kilternan, lovely smooth road, slightly down hill, tearing along feeling like an animal.... that was almost the best bit. Nah, the best bit was putting a jump in at the end of that Glencree climb, then you knew you were in animal mode. Bring it bitches. Ha ha ha.

normally go up the scalp to eniskerry, rather than back the other way. Just prefer doing it that way.

did the wicklow 200 there a few weeks back and we came back in that way. Lovely stretch of road alright, but the road surface is dodgy as hell down by stepaside so it was a wee bit on the dangerous side.

was up the lough brae climb on monday evening, the only evening I haven't seen rain all summer. Twas amazing. I usually only go up there in the mornings - it looks completely different, and so, so beautiful when the sun's going down.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

which shop?

happened in Stillorgan in the early 1990s.
I think the shop was in Walkinstown or Drimnagh

 

[Eddie Gorilla]

nearly been knocked down tonnes of times headin' in the stillorgan duel carriageway into town. comin' by ucd especially for some reason.

cycled from portlaoise to doolin in clare last summer, and had surprisingly few encounters. most motorists seemed to just treat us a mild curiosity and kinda slowed down quite carefully passing us n stuff which was nice.

some trucks passing were scary as fuck though.

reading this thread is kinda odd. i had the fear before i moved to dublin about what to expect, then when i moved up started cycling around the goatstown/clonskeagh area and found it grand, then moved to dundrum and was without a bike for a month or so, and then moved to deansgrange where i had a bike again, cycled the general deansgrange, dun laoghaire, dalkey, killiney area, also found it grand, and now reading this thread is just reminding me to be scaaaaared.
well, more careful anyway. less brakeless, gearless, helmetless bmx journeys i reckon..

sympathies to all those that have had accidents too. it's insane seeing how common it is.