I'm finally back on the bike

Good news! Today I finally managed to get our for a training spin! I have missed out on the last more than 2 weeks because we have moved house (that kept me very busy neddless to say) and also I have been sick, so the training was out of the question... But that's no longer the case, things are back to normal!! 

From our new place the closest MTB place is the Hellfire Club. The weather was nice and good, but as usual it has changed but didn't get too bad thank God. 

Lovely view to Howth

The weather got a bit grim, so it was time to dig out the rainjacket from my back pocket.

After I finished with the trails around the Hellfire Club I turned towards Tibradden and did a bit around there too. By the time I got back home the Garmin recorded 2 hours of riding time with the distance of 34 km and the nice 780 m elevation gain. 

Wasn't a massive spin but it was perfectly fine as a first spin after being of the bike for a while. Had a great time, felt very good to be able to get out and ride on the trails again! Happy days!

It was a tough week...

I think I just had the toughest 7-10 days in a years. I managed to pick up a very rough flu with high fever and very heavy chesty cough. Yes, it happens, get on with it you might say...but when I combine this with the fact we just  moved house and I got the whole thing right in the middle of it, it was very far from being fun. 

Pack up up the old flat, move everything over to the new house (4 van loads), try to unpack everything, visit the GP, have a week long antibiotics cycle, clean out the old place, try to unpack some more, keep the 20 months old Rhys busy in this mayhem and generally just try to stay alive...so, I have been busy and I don't think I need to mention the lack of cycling during this chaos! 

But the good thing is: seems like I started to shake off this thing now. In fact I'm getting back to work tomorrow and can't wait to start my new route. From our new place it'll take about 3 times more to get to work, so there will be a fair bit of a cycle every day. Happy days!

2014 European XC Marathon Champs // Update # 5

Another month is gone and I managed to settle into a nice routine. After that little wobbly time during the Festive Season things got better and I think I'm happy with the training that I put in. The cycling and running progression is good (I'm happy with it anyway) and finally I have brough a bit of a system into the training: cycling two times a week and running two times a week. Now, of course sometimes I get derailed from this lovely system here, but I'm doing my best not to let that happen! ;)

Since the weather was absolutely crazy (wind, wind, wind...oh, and more wind) in the last couple of weeks I decided to hit the mountains and get some nice & long XC spins done instead of going out on the road bike in that wind. 

The map of the 3 hours and 20 minutes spin to Djouce and back

Another good spin around Cruagh and 3Rock with some WW action in between

Most of these spins are between 2,5 - 3,5 hours long and the pace is kinda nice & steady. The elevation gain is pretty good also, sits around the 1000m every time. Happy with that.

The running is going good also, the distance has reached the top during January. The longest run I've done was just a bit over the 10 km barrier but this is as far as I go with running. I think this is perfectly enough for secondary training, I'm not a runner after all. I will keep running up until the end of this mounth but will stop from the beginning of March. 

So, things are good. Feeling good on the bike and while I'm out running. Motivated I am and can't wait for the weather to get better a little bit. I know I wish for too much here, but I would love to loose those legwarmers and winter jackets already! Come on spring, don't let me wait too long!! 

2014 Giant Anthem 27.5 2 // The first 1000 km

Since I got the 2014 Giant Anthem 27,5 2 I have done 1000 km on the bike, so it's time to write few words about it. The bike has been my faithful partner on the trails in pretty much all conditions (dust, mud, snow, ice) and since day one all I can say: this bike is a truly amazing machine! 

One of the main thing about the Anthem is that Giant really nailed the spec on this bad boy. They got everything fitted that fits into this model's price point. The parts are mid-range ones, but they are really reilable and they are working very well indeed. The modern design features such as OverDrive 2, the bolt through front axle, the internal cable routing really add to the overall experience on this bike. Not to mention the 650b specific frame geometry and the legendary Maestro suspension design. Incredible!

After 1000 km in the saddle, the Anthem still runs like like it did on day one: smooth on the descents, agile on the climbs. No, that's is actually not true...it runs better and better every day. It was super easy to "grow onto" this bike. But let's see the details! 

Pros: 

• the cable casings are very well sealed thanks to the internal cable routing, original cables are still running sweet & smooth
• the wheels are quiet strong, got a couple of knocks on the trails but they are still running true
• the Sram gear system works very well  
• the direct mounted front mech has very good shifting performance
• the bearings & bushings of the frame are well sealed, no maintenance on them so far

Cons:

• the Schwalbe tyres are a bit too soft, so they wear out quiet fast  
• the dropout design is a bit of a "week point" I think (very sensitive)

So, after the first 1000 km on the Anthem 27,5 2 I'm very-very impressed in many ways: the 650b magic truly works for me, the bike is in perfect condition even after some really rough spins in the Irish "winter". The bike works very well and I have tons of fun in the saddle every time I hit the trails on the Anthem. And that is my friends exactly what I'm after when I'm on the bike! Looking forward to the next coming 1000's of kilometers on this beast of a bike! :)

Sunrise over the trails // Djouce