Trip around the Phoenix Park last Saturday Week 10/7/2010

I went on a Cycle with a Social Cycle Group last Saturday Week to the Phoenix Park. That marvelous huge City Park to the West of the Metropolitan Area of Dublin City. It is 1,760 Acres in Total and it has Fallow Deer,Horse Riding and Polo,A Cricket Club, Football Playing Fields,The Police Headquarters/AN Garda Siochana or Civic Guard,The American Ambassadors Residence,The Irish Presidents Residence,The Zoo,and Hundreds of Acres of Fields and Forestry to explore.

There was 8 Cyclists on the Trip or should I say Trek. I started off from Home at about 9.30am and got there after 10.00am after going 9 KM or 6 miles arriving at the Phoenix Monument Roundabout on Chesterfield Avenue otherwise known as the main Road through the Park. I was the first to arrive,and we eventually headed off at 10.45am.

We did 4 Laps of the Valleys and Plains of the Park,it was marvelous as they have closed off most of the Roads to Traffic now over the Years. We estimated we did around 47 KM or 25 Miles ,It was not a Sportif thing more of an endurance Cycle .A leisurely Spin at a fair pace,one Young Chap on a High Performance Bike took off on his own around the Park a few times. The rest of us took our time and enjoyed the view. We stopped every so often for Water and some Bananas and Biccies mainly on the Inner Perimeter Road on the Cabra side.

We eventually stopped off at the Tea Rooms beside the Zoo and had some Coffee or Tea and Lunch we Elected that we would have another Lap and see if we would continue after that.
We then decided to separate and Head off Home after finishing the Lap. We had a marvelous Day out in the warm Sunshine unlike the Previous Day when it came down in a Deluge of Rain.

The New Bike performed great except it developed a Whistling sound off the Mudguard and I tried Bending it as we Cycled along. The Jokes from the Gang were Hilarious about the Whistling Bike. I must have gone 60KM or 37 Miles that Day altogether. I tried bending the Stays of the Mudguard the next Day and it corrected the Whistling.



Pictures are, The New Bike, Two French Cyclists and an Irish Girl in Pink,The Phoenix Monument Roundabout,Two Pics of the Cyclists enroute around the Trails,Group Photo with me on the left and a French Woman and a young French Guy and the Irish Girl in Pink,Two of the Happy Cyclists having Refreshments on the Inner Perimeter Road at the Cabra side of Park,The Duke of Wellington Monument Arthur Wellesy Commemorating the Battle of Waterlo, Park Keepers Lodge at Parkgate Street Entrance to Park, Two Pictures of the Phoenix Park Cycle Hire Company who were doing a brisk Business from the tourists and Locals alike.

New Dawes Bike,Bendy Buses,Bad Cycle Lanes,Park Life.

I got a New Dawes Audax Style Bike last Thursday for Long Distance and Touring. It is a great Bike ,it is Steel and very Responsive and is very Nimble and fast. It was a Model that they had for a while and I got it cheaper than it normally was. The only thing I do not like about it is it is in Silver and a bit Garish looking,I would have preferred if it was Green or even Red but apart from that I like it very much.

The other thing about it is the Bars are to thick for the Light attachment Band to fit. I have 2 Lights but the Band does not fit around the Handlebars. This is the Light Brackets on the Trek Bars and they should fit it like this,also the Cateye Light. I was looking at the Blog People Powered from Andy in Germany and he did a Feature on making Gadgets out of Old Inner Tubes.One of the Respondents made a Band out of an Old Inner Tube and put 2 Holes in it to fit a Narrow Light and Wedge it around the Bar so this is something I could try. I thanked them for the Idea and said it is a good Gadget to try.

Woman in Saint Annes Park with Her Bike and a King Charles Spanial and a Basket on the Bike. One of those Bendy Buses they are trying out in Dublin beside Trinity College, CIE Dublin Bus has two,I hate them as they are Double the Length of a normal Bus and they can Trap you if you are not careful on your Bike.

One of our Rotten narrow little Cycle Lanes on O 'Connell Street where a Bus can catch you out stopping at a Bus Stop. They have very wide Paths along here they could easily make a dedicated Cycle Lane Here. The D.C .Council decided to Narrow the Road around Ten Years ago to make it Safer for Pedestrians but forgot about the Cyclists.