Introducing Patrick - Read his Operation Transportation Progress so far...

Patrick joins the team:

Hi folks,
Apologies for the late updating of my progress on cycling this week but here goes!

Day 0 Friday 10th June:
Bike cleaned up and oiled today for it's big test tomorrow.
 
Day 1 Saturday 11th June:
I spent the day hillwalking on the mountains back in west Kerry. It's now 11.30 pm and I've just remembered I signed up to undertake the challenge which started today. Okay I am tired but can't give up on day one! Out comes the bike. 5 minutes down and 5 minutes back from the village will cover the day's challenge.  Forgot that downhill takes a little longer. So it becomes a 15 minute cycle but finished before 12 midnight so pressure off......must take the commitment more seriously tomorrow.

Day 2 Sunday 12th June:
Today's the day I'm setting new standards!! I'm Heading down to Crosshaven and back. About 2 hours should cover the journey. Problem is I've no one to mind the puggley dog Mr. Spock.  So he'll have to get a crosser to Crosshaven!! Just delira with himself. Took to looking down his nose on other muts walking the old railway path.The dog's a bit of a snob. Must get a basket to make it easier to carry him. The route has a great cycling path if only the competitive cyclists would show a little bit more care especially with walkers sharing the path.    They could do with getting hold of and ringing a bell to warn of their FAST approach.

 Day 3 Monday 13th June:
I am running close to the end of the day again today. No time to head out on the bike earlier but at 9pm headed out for about 30 minutes of a cycle.  Never realised the road surface was in such a bad condition. You dont really feel the bumps as much when your travelling in a car. Might not be a bad idea for the local engineer to head out on a bike to discover for himself that the issues are far greater than a few potholes!

Have a look at this YouTube clip on How to deal with bad road surfaces.

Day 4 Tuesday 14th June:
Today was a good day on the cycling front! I got out on the bike straight after breakfast. Headed to village for DE EXAMINER and a few bits 'n pieces in the Super.  Could definitely do with a basket now!! Feeling a little saddle sore at the end of the cycle. Getting muscles in places I didn't realise I had places. Amazed how courteous car drivers are.......bar none!!

Highlighted are the muscles used while cycling

Day 5 Wednesday 15th June:
First major milestone. Cycled with my mate Tom (another guy undertaking the cycle challenge) to Fitzgerald's Park for the Lunch by the Lee. Need a groin transplant after the city roads, in particular bad surface along the Douglas Road!! Really enjoyed the FREE lunch and especially concert given by the Cork Academy of Music - a talented group of guys. I met some fellow cyclists I hadn't met in a while. Special thanks to all that organised the event!
Fair pull back home after the event......rained a little but after the 3 hours on the bike I'm feeling sore but invigorated!! Headed home from Fitzgerald Park via Monahan Road. The riverside park is completely overgrown and an eyesore.  Which is a pity. For those visiting concerts in the Marquee it's not showing the City off in a good light.  Then again it must be an oasis for wildlife so close to the city.
Finished off the day with a swim for my very tired limbs!
Let's see what tomorrow brings.
   

 Great journeys so far from Patrick! Keep a look out for his updates here and on:

Facebook and Twitter

20th June 2015, Aisling and Karen Take to The Tracks for 50km+ Roundtrip!

Sunny Saturday Cycles 

Aisling Writes:

Today I cycled from Ballintemple to Crosshaven with my friend Karen.

Aisling  and Karen on the Old Railway line to Crosshaven

We had only intended to cycle to Monkstown but it was just such a beautiful day, we continued onto Crosshaven.

Aisling's Scenic Coastal Route from Ballintemple to Monkstown

We stopped off in the Bosun restaurant in Monkstown for some food and water. And of course we had to have a 99-ice cream when we got to Crosshaven!

Karen would be a much more experienced cyclist than myself so she was giving good tips along the journey . 

The Bosun Bar/Restaurant "famous for its fine food" as depicted on: http://monkstown.org/- A website where there is a diverting extract describing the town taken from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837

Editor's Footnote:

The old cork Railway line has been converted into a walk/cycle route from Centre park Road to Rochestown, Rochestown to Monkstown and Carrigaline to Crosshaven. You can see evidence of its former use along the way as illustrated in the images below:

Also from: http://monkstown.org/:
The old Railway Station (above) and the railway underpass 

For more on the history of these Railway ports see: http://www.passagewestmonkstown.ie/history-1800-1900.asp and  http://crosshaven.ie/information/about/crosshaven-railway

The old Passage-West Steam Train from: http://www.passagewestmonkstown.ie/history-1800-1900.asp 

The Crosshaven Station from:
http://crosshaven.ie/information/about/crosshaven-railway

June 13th, 2015 Cycling: TheTug and Recoil for Chris and Marcia

Fear and Longing in Passage

Marcia Writes:

So, this is National Bike Week ( www.bikeweek.ie ). Thanks to the goodwill of my sporty friend, I have a bike. She gave it to me last year when she upgraded. 

The only Irish made bike: http://www.highnelly.ie/

Her old bike was a massive upgrade for me too. Before that, I used to puddle along the Passage West - Blackrock line occasionally during the summer on my aunt's 100-year old High Nelly, small dog in Wiser bottle box on the backer and bigger dog on a lead running alongside. Several of the kids usually in tow on various sizes of bikes, generally rescued from the civic amenity site in Raffeen. Travelling Wilburys!

But my bike has been growing rustier and rustier as I spend more and more time rushing between work, being mom's taxi, cooking dinners and preparing tomorrow's school lunches. To the extent that I am now positively scared to get up on it. Even worse is the ghastly hill up to our house that seems to go on forever. Embarrassingly, I always have to get off and walk.

Marcia is not alone
in her uphill struggles
as this blogger in Austin acknowledges:
 http://www.treegrowsinaustin.com/2010/04/

On the other hand, Chris is 13. He can cycle anything. Nothing can kill him, stop him or slow him. He wants to road cycle from Passage West to Crosshaven. Thinking of my lovely son negotiating the narrow roads around Raffeen and the fast cars clipping hedges, I baulk.

So Chris and I have both taken on a challenge. Cork City Council is running Operation Transportation for the week. We've signed up to cycle at least 10 minutes every day, keeping a diary of what we do, where we go and how we feel. He's champing at the bit. I'm dreading it. He will need to try road cycling. I will just need to try!

We started this morning with 3 hours of an "introduction" to our bikes outside the main gates of UCC:

• How they work, 
• How to recognise when they need attention and 
• The basics of road cycling safety.

I felt like a total cheat for driving with the bikes to the UCC car park! I had visions of my two-wheeled rust bucket being pitted against Lycra and carbon wheels. Thankfully, no. My chariot was perfectly adequate. And I even had company in walking rather than cycling up Donovan's Road. A thoroughly enjoyable session and a very gentle confidence builder for both Chris and for me, albeit in different ways.

So how I'm going to fit 10 minutes of cycling in to my already overstretched daily routine, I don't know. It'll take me 10 minutes alone to make it back up the estate home! But I've got to start somewhere, so here goes ... 

http://www.inspireux.com/2014/06/21/methods-to-achieve-user-delight/