Cycling

[WeeDonns]

Not exactly the TDF but was walking the dogs along the tow path where I live, its a shared tow path for walkers runners dog walkers and cyclists, has a beach along side it and fairly busy at the weekends and after work, but some of the cyclists think they should be hammering along the path at speeds that would hurt themselves or anyone they hit, be it a child a dog an adult!

This one fat turd of a cyclists was complaining yesterday that the dogs have to be on leads, not true, if he'd care to read the rules of the place on the many signs about, I mentioned that his expensive bike didn't have a bell to warn people that he is coming of behind people at which point as he rode off giving me the w**ker hand signal

This coming from a man that squeezed his large fat belly into spandex Lycra that you'd be embarrassed to be seen in.

Rant over about cyclists, this coming from a retired cyclist

I thought the only place in NI where you definitely aren't required to have a dog on a lead is in a designated dog park, or private land? In all public places it must be "under control", which doesn't mean on a lead, but it is an offense to allow a dog to cause injury to a person.

[Milltown Row2]

If you are unable to keep control of your dog it needs to be on a lead, that's the wording of the sign (council sign) and if people don't have control of their dogs they must definitely should have it on a lead as its unfair on the public or people who are naturally afraid of dogs, my aunt being the worst for fear of dogs!

By same token its a shared path, lads hurtling along that path not using a bell to inform people, toddlers and dogs for that matter is just daft and arrogant

I've cycled that path for many years, I know going on to it that I have to contend with everyone that is also free to use it. As a cyclist I've also a duty of care not to harm someone with my actions.

The same cyclists complain about road users and how they are not afford space on the road, and that same stretch of the path up on the road has a cycle lane! Seems he just wants to have a go at people

[bennydorano]

Despise towpaths, greasy & glass strewn from my experience- accidents waiting to happen.

[maddog]

Despise towpaths, greasy & glass strewn from my experience- accidents waiting to happen.

Used to use them on work commute. Mostly good experience but arriving behind a jogger going in same direction with their headphones on was always a challenge.

[Milltown Row2]

Despise towpaths, greasy & glass strewn from my experience- accidents waiting to happen.

See that all the time, they slip on the aul seaweed that's been thrown up during the night, or after a cut and the wind blowing the grass on to the path, but its a nice path for a leisurely cycle into Belfast or beyond. There's a cycle path from Carrick into Belfast, but its not a time trial or setting targets on Strava

[grounded]

very dominant win from Pog. Was he too "good" this year?

Interesting that he's not going to the Olympics. Some chat that was partially due to the fact the mrs wasn't selected for Olympics but not sure how much truth thete is to that.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jul/24/tadej-pogacar-says-decision-not-to-select-girlfriend-helped-sway-olympic-no-show

[tonto1888]

very dominant win from Pog. Was he too "good" this year?

Interesting that he's not going to the Olympics. Some chat that was partially due to the fact the mrs wasn't selected for Olympics but not sure how much truth thete is to that.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jul/24/tadej-pogacar-says-decision-not-to-select-girlfriend-helped-sway-olympic-no-show

I hope hes clean but most of the time when something seems too good to be true, it is

[JimStynes]

Listened to audiobook version of 'The Secret Race'. Had read it years ago but it's a lot handier to listen these days. So many parallels with that era to now. Pogacar is a more cleaner cut character than Armstrong but he's even more dominant on the bike. He's exceptionally talented but I've no doubt they're all doping in some shape or form.

Always laugh at the story from that time when the UCI or one of these organisations were half kicking up about people's haematocrit levels were way too high. So they introduced a banning system for anyone with a level about 50. The next race or soon after everyone was turning up to races with 49.5 haematocrit levels. Just one step ahead at all times.

[bennydorano]

Some ride by Ben O'Connor in La Vuelta today, Pelton caught napping, has near 5 mins on Roglic now. Strong enough rider to have dreams of holding on, but a lot of brutal stages srill to come in savage heat.

[JimStynes]

Some ride by Ben O'Connor in La Vuelta today, Pelton caught napping, has near 5 mins on Roglic now. Strong enough rider to have dreams of holding on, but a lot of brutal stages srill to come in savage heat.

The route and heat looks completely brutal!

[maddog]

Think they realise that due to nature of Vuelta route it's near impossible to defend jersey from early on. Brutal route. Given climate change I wonder how much longer they will continue to bother with the south of the country. Moving the date of race is very difficult now given packed calendar. Used to be first grand tour of the year in Kelly's day

[gallsman]

Some ride by Ben O'Connor in La Vuelta today, Pelton caught napping, has near 5 mins on Roglic now. Strong enough rider to have dreams of holding on, but a lot of brutal stages srill to come in savage heat.

The route and heat looks completely brutal!

Andalucía in August never going to be anything but...

[bennydorano]

Was on holidays in Lanzarote a while back there and did a bit of cycling, we stayed in Costa Teguise which is perhaps a bit more exposed than other places but the wind was absolutely horrendous (& I was going out at 7.30am to avoid the worst of it), how anyone can be bothered with that is beyond me, altho the bike shop did say the winds are much worse in high summer. A very distant 3rd in my Canary Islands cycling experience.

[JimStynes]

Was on holidays in Lanzarote a while back there and did a bit of cycling, we stayed in Costa Teguise which is perhaps a bit more exposed than other places but the wind was absolutely horrendous (& I was going out at 7.30am to avoid the worst of it), how anyone can be bothered with that is beyond me, altho the bike shop did say the winds are much worse in high summer. A very distant 3rd in my Canary Islands cycling experience.

Where is your favourite? France surely the best country for the iconic climbs?

[bennydorano]

I've only done 3 of the Canaries really, GC & Tenerife are class. Hoping to cycle in Majorca next year, Calpe on the to do list as well.