Halloween Critical Mass St Stephen's Green Dublin 29/10/10

It was a terrible Day of Torrential Rain and I had gone into the City three hours earlier and my Trouser Legs was Saturated with Cold Rain. I had lost my Pully up Trousers about a Month Earlier in Clontarf. So I got a new pair in the City in a Cycling Shop and went up to the Memorial Arch outside Saint Stephens Green  to wait for the CM to begin. Thankfully it did not Rain again during the CM.

The Cyclists began to come in a Trickle until there was around 40 ,a lot had Dressed up in Hollyween Garb of Ghouls and Goblins. So they all headed of eventually at 6.30 pm all laughing and Giggling and Whistling and giving the odd Shouts and offering encouragement to Cyclists and People to come and join us on their Bikes. We eventually ended up at the Garden of Rememberance on Parnell Square
and took some more Photo's and Cyclists gave the Victory Salute of raising their Bikes above their Heads. Then we all went off to the Social Club on Belvedere Court Shomra Spraoi/ Fun Room and looked at the Pedal Project Film of Cycling in Dublin London and Amsterdam . Highlighting the Contrast of the bad Infrastructure in Dublin and London and contrasting it to the best Practice of the Netherlands and the European Continent. Why can it not be like there,The Authorities are still Pandering to the Motorists and Promoting Car Dependency. Everybody had great Fun on CM and enjoyed the Bicycle Film.

Fixing Punctures and a Trip around the Phoenix Park last Weekend.

                                             The Phoenix Monument,Phoenix Park.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                  

The Main Road in the Phoenix Park,Chesterfield Avenue

                                               On way Home Seen these two Chaps with some nice Husky Dogs.                     

                      How to know a real Cyclists,all the Lumps on me Shinbones from the Thumps off the Bike.

                        Police HQ ,Garda Headquarters Phoenix Park on the Road out of the Park.

                  Fixed two Punctures on my two spare Inner Tubes

  I had this Tube lying around for a while with the Puncture marked with an Elastic Band.

                        Putting the Patches on and then Tearing the Paper Backing off.

              I put the Cement or Glue on and waited for it to nearly go Dry before putting Patch on.

                Before you fix the Puncture Roughen the Area with some Sandpaper first.

             My Puncture Kit Bag,I got this Bag from Yahoo Answers.

              Rather than use another new Inner Tube I put on an Old Tube that I had fixed.The Previous Week I had gone to Tallaght Pronounced Talla to look at Cycle Super Store in Hibernian Industrial Estate on the Greenhills Road and got my first Puncture on my New Bike. So I put on a New Tube and after another 65 Km or 46 miles I got another Puncture but it was a slow one and I just Pumped it up,this was when I had gone to the Phoenix Park the Week afterwards. I noticed I went over a few bad Potholes and one I got an Horrific Jarring so that must have caused the Puncture. I felt the Bike was not comfortable and I could feel all the Lumps in the Road so I jumped off the Bike at Mountjoy Prison on the NCR and found the Tyre was soft. I was going to Pop the Wheel off but decided it was a Slow Puncture and just Pumped up the Wheel ,so it was Grand until I got Home and did not go down for two Hours afterwards.

So a few Days later I put on a fixed Inner Tube and then I fixed two more Inner Tubes rather than use a New Tube then I went of again to the Park as the Weather was still warm.