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Wicklow MTB Adventure

Cycle SuperStore Staff Spin

Just back from a spin with a bunch of great lads from the shop. We put together another fantastic Cycle SuperStore staff mountain bike ride. Savage summer evening, tons of laughs, little head-to-head competions here and there, some crazy stuff from the DH lads. Another great day on the bike, can't wait for the next one! :) 

Back on the bike

Lately I have been very busy at home and in the shop, so I had no time (energy either I have to say) to get out and ride my bike in the last 3 weeks. Until now!

Finally I managed to get out and ride some of the finest trails around Threerock. And of course when did it happen? When the trails are absolutely super-mega-über wet! I mean I've seen rivers where I never seen rivers before! It was absolutely insane...insanely fun of course! 

Skidding left and right in the mud that made the wet roots even more slippery was so much fun I can't even begin to explain. Man, I needed this spin. I needed it badly. After the 2 hours spin I got home completely soaked and knackered but still happy as a kid in a sweetshop. :)

It was brilliant to get away a bit and get some fresh air to my lungs, push hard on the legs that are getting a bit too comfy lately and wake up the 29er beast from it's commuting boredom. It was simply awesome and can't wait for my next spin!! 

MTB photoshoot up on Threerock

I have been contacted by Wickow based photographer Rodrigo Cunha not long ago to work together and make one of his project come true. This project was based on mountain biking, so needless to say that I was on board straight away! After weeks of planning (and hoping for good enough weather for the photoshoot) we have finally managed to get the job done. Went up to Threerock to capture some nice XC action on the local trails. 

Here's a sweet shot, just to see what we have been up to. There's plenty more to come, so stay tuned. And in the main time check out his website on www.rcportraits.com !

It was brilliant to work together with him, I was delighted to be part of this photo project of his. Many thanks for the stunning images, can't wait to see the rest of them! :)

Sunday spin in the sun

photo credit: Richie Byrne

The spin that almost didn't happen

I had this spin planned for this afternoon, been planning all week long...and then of course the skies opened up badly straight after lunch I decided to postpone the ride and go tomorrow instead. But an hour later there was a 10 minute window between showers, so I decided to man up and go for a savage XC session. Now, of course by the time I hit the end of the street I got lashed on but still, to go for a spin was the best decision this week! 

The weather was a bit crazy throughout the 2 hours and 30 minutes long spin, but I really had a good time in the saddle. Went over to Threerock on the long way over the hills. Good spin it was and by the time I got home my little bike maniac buddy was waiting for me...

... or for another chance to check out the bike? Hard to tell! :) 

Team ThinkBike MTB Spin // Threerock

I went out with the lads from Team ThinkBike to have a blast on the trails of Threerock and I have to say we had one of the best group spin in ages! It was absolutely awsome!

For start the weather on Sunday was a gift compare to Saturday. That's always a good start, right? So we were all happy and smiley as we were heading up on the first climb from the Taylor's Pub carpark. Mild morning, sunshine and good crowd. What more a mountain biker could ask for on a Sunday morning?

We did the usual trails (Metros, Schizeile Loop, etc...) and of course the new bit of the Metro 2 upper section. Man, that trail just keeps getting better every time I'm up there. Simply brilliant! 

After we finished the 2 hours long spin we all got back to the carpark and went home from there. Myself I definitely wanted to stay for longer but I needed to get to work on time. But I'm sure if we can put another good spin like this together again it'll be a longer one indeed. I'm a bit of a loner on the bike but I gotta admit that riding with a group like this was very-very good: good pace, savage trails and no messing around. Simply the way it should be! Nice one lads, thank you all! :)  

Kickstart 2014 // First spin of the new year

The first spin of the new year. It's always planned and it's always special in a way. This one was extra special, especially because it happened only for the second attempt. :)

We had a nice spin scheduled for the 1st of Jan but the weather was so miserable that is nearly impossible to describe. Long story short: we cancelled the mountain bike ride. So, to celebrate things I had a lovely hot cup of tea that I was saving for after the ride. Lashing rain, about 3 degrees temperature and me sitting in the car sipping away the my tea that was rapidly picking up the taste of the plastic cup. Lovely...what more I could wish for hah?! :) 

Anyway! We mountain bikers never give up (not easly anyway) so there's always another day for riding my bike. And that day was today: brilliant sunny afternoon with very little wind and mild temperature. Off I went and I managed to have a good 45 km mountain bike spin around the Leadmines and Threerock. Trails were excellent around Leadmines but I have to admit that Threerock was a freakin' disaster. Very wet it was with mud up to my knees. Lovely!

So, first spin of the new year: it's done & dusted! It was lovely and was defo enough to make up for yesterdays cancellation. If all my spins will be as good as this one I will have a fantastic 2014! Can't wait! 

The last spin before Christmas

I had my last spin before Christmas, in the next few days there will be 100% preparation for the Festive Season! I took out the Anthem and the main destination was the new trail up on Threerock. I've seen photos, heard about it, so there was no way out: had to check it out! 

Today was absolutely miserable (just like many days in the last one week). Strong wind and proper heavy rain. I got soaked by the time I hit the end of the road...

Got up to the trail there and had my first test ride on it. The feedback is 100% positive! Great little trail, very well built. Nice flow to it and great mix of turns, rocky sections and also some amazing views along the way. Simply brilliant! 

Had a great time out there despite of the weather, but when the rain turned into sleet first then snow about ten minutes later I decided to leg it and get home as fast as possible. It was possibly the best decision 'cause by the time I got home I was freezin' to bits. 

After nearly 2 hours out in the miserable weather nothing is better to get the life back into the body than a good aul' hot bath and a massive mug of tea with lemon & ginger! Oh, yes! :)

So here it is, the last pre-Christmas spin. Was savage, was great, was everything that a winter spin in Ireland can be! Roll on Christmas, happy out! :)

Got a proper fright today!

It doesn't happen too often, but every once in a while I get a good fright on the bike. The kinda moment, that makes me stop and makes me glad because everything has worked out well. One of those lucky moments! It could be a sketchy situation on the trails, weather related or simply the madness in the traffic.

Today I went up to Threerock to do my nice Saturday after lunch off-road spin. The weather was absolutely miserable with rain and mega-strong wind. The higher I got up on the side of the mountain the worst the wind got. I knew it is far from being a fun bike ride but I kept going higher anyway. Even just to keep the bike rubber side down was a serious task!

From the top I was heading towards the Schizeile Loop and as I was riding up the first part the wind pulled down a tall tree right in front of me. Luckily I still had a bit of a gap, so I stopped and waited until everything settled.  

Shortly after I decided not to go any further I had a short stop. Just as I hopped on the bike and left a mammut size tree came down again...the wind broke the thing like it was a freakin' chopstick... The whole thing sounded like a mini Earth quake, I stopped and watched the big tree falling to the very spot where I was standing about 10 seconds earlier. I was about 50 meters away when it all happened, so I'm happy I didn't hang around longer!

The second tree landed exactly where this photo was taken!

At this point I just thought the best is if I simply get a hell out of there! Quick descent back to the carpark and then back home. Wasn't happy I had to cut my spin shorter then it was planned but on the other hand I didn't want to push my luck and I was more than happy to arrive in one piece.

Today was absolutely wild out there and the lesson of the day is that never underestimate the power of nature.

Relaxed XC spin up in the Dublin Mountains

I've been spending most of my time on the road bike in the last few weeks and I just couldn't resist no more, I had to get out on the trails and enjoy some lovely mountain biking at it's best! I went to the usual "never-fail-destination" and had a brilliant off-road spin around Threerock yesterday.

There was a lot of riding up the hill and riding down the hill with a massive smile stuck on my face. It was a very civilised, easy going spin. Pure fun, nothing else! And it was very refreshing indeed, simply loved it! :) 

Oh, and the best part is: there's no sign of the winter so far! The 5-8 °C temperature and the fairly dry trails are just the best gift that a mountain biker can ask for in December! Don't you think?

Wow, what a place to ride the bike!!

Evening XC spin in the sun // Threerock (photos)

Giant Talon 29er 1 // 29er Test Spin # 2

After my first 29er test back in Hungary I was buzzing and I didn't rest until I got a demo bike for the weekend so I got to try the big wheels on my home trails in the Wicklow Mountains. Roots, rocks, tight switchback turns & trail centres were all waiting for me and the beast looking Giant Talon 29er 1!

After a few modifications the machine was ready to rock!

So, the main plan was to give the 29er a proper try on all those trails that I'm usually riding on. This way I can really compare it with the 26" bike. The route that I've picked had some nice combination of a bit of everything: tarmac road, fire road, rocky trails, forest trails, sweet techical climbs & descents.

My first destination was the Leadmines and of course the Epic MTB Club Course. One of my favourite XC course that really puts rider & bike under test! Then I went up to Threerock to do some natural trails and the Coillte Trails as well to put the bike through a bit different stuff. 

I really gave everything I got today and I'm very happy with how this spin turned out. Enjoyed the bike, enjoyed the ride and got another step closer to revolutionize my mountain biking! :)

Thumbs up to the 29er!

My thoughts after the second test ride

• One of the biggest suprise was the fact that I definitely feel comfortable on a M size frame. Flipped the stem to negative and removed all the spacers to have the bar as low as it can be and that's all! The rest of the setup was straight forward comfy!

• These wheels are rolling fast. I mean FAST! It's very easy either to get up to a high speed with them or to maintain the speed with less effort. I noticed this mainly on the road / fire road but also very noticeable on singletracks.  

• Because of the bigger wheels the contact patch is bigger too, so the other thing that was very hard to miss is the added traction. Climbing on steep & technical climbs was easier for sure and the cornering ability of the bike was brilliant as well. Extra speed on uphill and extra confidence in bends. Just can't go wrong! :) 

• The bigger wheels are rolling over obstacles easier and better and I think this was another big thing that I have noticed. Didn't need to place the front wheel that precisely, just let the big wheels take care of it. This and the added traction is the winning combination in my opinion.   

• The only one thing I disliked a bit was the bit poor acceleration. Once the bike is in motion changing the pace is not a bother but building up speed from standing position takes a bit more time. However I'm sure this issue can be fixed with a nice set of light wheels and tyres! :)

Hmm...If you ask me about 29ers about a year ago I would of said that they are not my cup of tea. But now (especially after today's spin) I take the risk and say it out loud: I like them!! The bikes with the big wheels changed a lot, got much better in my opinion. Yes, there is a hidden (or nor so hidden) marketing pressure about them but let's not get into that...

But I can tell: what I experienced on this 29er's saddle today was something that convinced me: it was fast, was just as easy to handle as my 26" XC bike and the overall riding experience was just simply very positive! And that's more than enough for me!! :)

Many thanks to Richie Byrne from Giant Store Dublin for lending me this machine, I appreciate it!

Epic MTB Kilmashogue Hillclimb // race report

Racing is great! Hillclimb racing is even better! So, needless to say how much fun I had this evening! But let's go from the start: this race was a club race run by Epic MTB and the destination was the "feared"  Kilmashogue Lane. When I seen the date and I realized I'm off work, there was no other option but sign up and race this evening.

The race went from the M50 bridge (the bottom of the Kilmashogue Lane) up on the tarmac road and then we turned off the road onto the fire road that leads all the way over to Threerock. The finish line was at the WW trail junction. This is a 3,4 km long climb with 280 m of total elevation gain and the steepest gradient is 18%. So, it is a long enough and heavy enough climb indeed. Simply perfect for a race like this. :)

The course

I cycled out of course and met few of the lads at the carpark at the bottom of Threerock. We have decided to climb up nearly as far as the Lower Carpark as a warm up and rolled down on the other side towards the Kilmashogue Lane. By the time we got there the place was absolutely packed. Big crowd of mountain bikers from many different clubs were ready to hit the climb. It was brilliant to see that many out!

Ready! Go! Off we went! We had a mass start that worked out pretty well for me. Riding in a group kept me motivated better and also helped me to pace myself. The main goal was not to go too hard too early 'cause normally that's where I make mistakes. I managed to keep that plan and it payed off later indeed. I got up on the tarmac section nice and quick and started to push a bit more on the fire road. I had a bit of a gap to work with and luckily I mamaged to keep it all the way to the top. 

I felt great on the bike and had a great race I have to say. Finished 7th (out of more than 50 riders) with 14 minutes and 10 seconds race time. I'm delighted with this result, happy, happy, happy! :) 

Rolling home after the race. Nice & easy :)

After the race I went for a short spin around Threerock and then cycled back home. Was brilliant to be out on the bike, was even better to be able to race on this lovely evening. Thanks a lot for organizing the race, I'm still buzzing after the torcherous climb!  

Time to enjoy some uphill! :)

This afternoon I wanted to do something different: didn't feel like to go for a MTB spin and didn't want to do all the usual route on the road bike either. So, what to do? Pick a shortish route with the most possible climb on the way. Sounds great! 

After I finished my babysitting duty for the afternoon I got my gear ready and off I went. Now, this was the first time this year when the weather was really nice. I mean REALLY NICE! Warm with a bit of wind, dry roads, blue sky! The kind of afternoon that needs to be spent on the bike. :)

As I said before: the plan was to get some good road climbing done by the time I get back home. So I did most of the climbs between the Viewing Pint and Stepaside: Stocking Lane, Kilmashogue Lane, Threerock and over to Stepaside.

The Stocking Lane and the Threerock climb was absolutely great, felt very good and really enjoyed myself. But on the Kilmashogue Lane I had some trouble to deal with the single 38T ring on the front, but still liked it though. With this route I ended up havin' a bit less than 2 hours long spin with the distance of 44 km and the total elevation gain of 1027 m. And as a bonus I managed to pick up a big bunch of PRs on the way. Happy days! :)

After the spin: tired but happy :)

What can I say about todays spin? It was a perfect reminder why I love to ride on the road every now and then: it's fast and smooth. Really enjoyed myself on the bike today, loved the route and the first real taste of the spring was lovely. Kneewarmers and armwarmers but I pulled them off pretty much straight away. Brilliant!

Today's spin was as intense as it can get with my current shape but in the same time it was very relaxing: got my head cleared and enjoyed some of my favourite tunes as well. Pure fun! :)

But the best part was when I got home my little son Rhys joined me and checked out what is this whole bike business is all about! :)

Future cyclist in making :)

Hope it's going to melt before the Dublin Blitz...

This afternoon I went out to do a little sneaky training for the upcoming Biking Blitz # 4 up on Threerock. I got a great race there last year and since this will be my first race of the season I'm super excited about Sunday. So, off I went with some high hopes to get 3-4 laps done on the Metro 1 and Metro 2 just to get some perspective of the current state of the place. Didn't need to wait too long before the hill wiped off the big smile of my face...

Just one of the many ice patches on the course

Tarmac climb is fine and just as much fun as I can get out of it but as soon as I hit the Metro 2 entrance things changed a bit. Little icy here and little icy there, which I'm happy with but then things turned to something else: massive patches of thick & solid ice on the trails. Impossible to climb at many places and also very challenging on the downhill sectors. I got 2 or 3 really dodgy situations on the way down! :) 

It is only Tuesday, so there is plenty of time to melt and all I can say is that I really hope it's going to. I would love to see all this ice gone by Sunday indeed. So I'm praying to all the mountain biking Gods up there to get rid of this nonsense and let us have a brilliant race day on Sunday!...

...Otherwise I need to hire a pair of skates for the weekend!

1x9 // Single ring setup - First impressions

After today's super cool & savage mountain bike spin I think it's time to say a few words about how do I feel about running the XC bike with this new 1x9 setup.

I've had two test runs since I converted the bike. One was a fairy short little spin but the second one was a proper tough going. I've picked a route that put the bike under some real testing to see how will I coop with things. 

Test spin at the Leadmines

The key things that I've been looking for were the folloing: how steep climbs I can deal with and the other one was to see how fast I can be on this setup on flat(ish) tarmac / fire roads. Thankfully I got the answers I've been looking for! 

I have 32T chainring on the front and run a 11-34 casette on the back. This way the lightest gear ratio is a bit lighter than 1:1 wich seemed like perfectly fine. I picked some of the hardest and steepest climbs up around Threerock and I managed to coop with them all in the 32-34 ratio. 

But how about the speed? This was one of my main concern before...The fastest gear is 32-11 and that is fast enough to be able to still spin into a bit at about 40-42 km/hour speed. Let's be honest: that is perfectly ok for me!

I tested the bike on the Epic Club Course at the Leadmines and also up on Threerock. Did a little on the Wicklow Way as well. I think this way I managed to put the bike through a bit of everything: tarmac climbs, technical XC race course type course, steep off-road climbs, techical downhill and all the rest.

First impressions

I'm impressed! I'm impressed how simple it is and how easy it is to get used to it. I'm impressed how well it works for me on the climbs. I'm impressed how much lighter the bike is this way and how much benefit I have from it. 

I like it. I like it a LOOOOOT! :)

Back on the mountain bike!

7:15 am on a Sunday morning: dark and raining...

Today I've had my first mountain bike spin since the beginning of September. It's been a long break indeed, but I've been busy with all the cyclocross & road lately. But enough is enough I say! It was really time to get back in the game and do what I always really preferred: ride mountain bike! :)

I pulled out my faithful MTB from storage and after a small TLC repair it was ready to rock again. Happy days! 

Normally I ride my bike on my own, but this time I had my ThinkBike.ie CC team mate Ben on the spin with me. This was our first mountain bike spin together since he joined our club. We have decided to leave nice & early and get a proper spin in before the place goes mad and gets flooded by people. So we met at the Dundrum Luas Bridge at 7:15 am and took off towards Threerock. It was a very wet and dark morning and it didn't improve too much later on either. Grey sky, coulds were sitting on the hills, water and mud everywhere - typical February morning in the mountains. But hey! This is what we can expect so get on with it and have fun! :)

Basicly we did most of the trails up there including some WW and also visited the Fairycastle. Got loads of natural trail riding also (they are the BEST) and a little bit of the Metros as well. The truth is that I had very questionable confidence on the way up to the hills. Well that was a bit more of a wandering how rusty my off-road skill are after all the "easy-mode" months on the cyclocross bike. But to be fair I had no trouble really on the rough trails. Need to speed up a little and also need to get my body to get used to ride on those bumpy trails again...after 3 hours spin today I felt like I got beaten up. But after a few more spins like this I'll get back into rhythm properly! 

I have to say that I really missed mountain biking and had so much fun on the bike that is hard to describe! Really missed everything about riding XC and it's just felt right to be up in the mountains again this morning! Happy time!! :)