Cycle Café Fade Street and other bits of Cycling stuff.

Some Photo's of the new Cycle Café on Fade Street the first in Dublin . Run by the Rothar group who recycles Bicycles and also repairs Bikes, Rothar means Bicycle  in  Gaelic. .The Workshop downstairs in Cycle Café. A Vandalised Bike on Fade Street beside a Dutch Bear Bike. Two Pictures of a Postman on Merrion Road with his Postbike not many Postmen on Bikes left in Dublin now. A Dutch Babboe Bike outside the Library in Ringsend,Three Wheeler.   My Dawes Audax getting its Tyres checked they were flat but not Punctured,I just hadt to pump them up. I had not used the Bike in a few Months. Two pictures of a Bike Parking ring on Mary Street Dublin,these are relatively new.

Leisurly Cycle to the Poolbeg Lighthouse ,Great South Wall Ringsend 26th April 2011

Very uneven Granite Pavement due to action of the Sea coming over the Wall for 200 Years in spite of some Renovation on part of it in 1999  /  La Grand Mur du sud  ,Bouche du Riviere Liffey  á Dublin  en Irlande, Voiture Interdit sur le pavé granite. la sol ne pas bon pour conduit. le action au la mer vers 200 Année precedent  produit cols et defiles en la pierre . La Mur par temps ne pas sante parce la orage sur la mer .La mur 5KM de longe/ Clic on the images to make bigger/ Clique sur les images pour aggrandir.

Looking back at the Poolbeg Power Station Ringsend.

Half Moon Swimming Pool Club founded in 1898.La Club Lune  du midi du nage fondeé 1898

Ancient Block and Tackle Hoist  Poolbeg Lighthouse/ Phare  du Poolbeg la Grand Mur du sud  ,Ringsend.

Speed Limit for Pleasure Boats and Shipping in Dublin Port.

This is a Shelter area for Walkers on the South Wall and there are Seats in the Alcoves but it is prone to Anti Social behaviour at Night with the remains of Fires./La cloche pour le pietons traverse la Mur ,contenue le Chaisse /benchs.mais le delinquents causé dommage et jettée detritus et  les feu.

Mural on wall of Shelter,Monty Python./Mural sur la mur. monty python

Poolbeg Lighthouse and the Ulysses Ferry coming into Port.

I got a new Lock that Day in 2Wheels .ie  Bike Shop in Sandymount  Green  .The Fagetaboutit New York Lock, Krytonite in Yellow. Supposed to be very good./ jai achat   tré bien lock  nouveau  Krytonite Fagetaboutit new yorkaise  á la droit  en jaune   á  2wheels.ie  magazin du velo á  la verte Sandymount.

Ringsend Nature Park /Parc Natural and the Poolbeg Power Station.

Ringsend Nature Park beside the Shelly Banks.

Passed through Fairview Park on way Home. These Girls were attending Boot Camp to get fit and lose some Weight./Boot Camp pour elever truc ventre, le Jeunesse Femme  Jettee le ventre ,Park du Fairview.

Cycle Track through  Fairview Park on way Home.

Cycle Path Fairview Park /Chemin du velo parc du fairview.

I love this a Feral Motorist getting their comeuppence for Parking on the Cycle Path and Pedestrian Path outside Fairview Park on my way Home.  /Un voiture sur le chemin du velo  prochaine parc du fairview CLAMPED jai tre heurresment.

On Thursday last I decided to go for a spin to the Great South Wall at the Mouth of the Liffey as I have not been there in many Years. The Nth Bull  and Sth Bull Wall was put in to stop the Liffey from Silting up in the 18th Century and was Designed by William Bligh of the Mutiny on the Bounty Fame. I was not in humour for a very long Cycle just a nice sedate Jaunt and I wanted to have a look at 2Wheels .ie Bike Shop on Sandymount Green. Which I did first as I knew it would be closed after coming from the Sth Wall. I decided to get Baggy Cycling Shorts and also the New York Lock because I heard it was very good the Fagetabout it.

Then I headed off through Ringsend Park then the Nature Park and did a little bit of off Road Cycling for five minutes until I reached  the Road to the Sth Wall. I tried Cycling on it the Sth Wall for a while but it was rough going and I did not want to wreck my Wheels on the uneven Granite Blocks which were made uneven by the Sea constantly coming over the wall so I walked the 5 Km to the Lighthouse there and back to the Power Station. The Wall is around 5KM long or 3 or 4 miles and can be dangerous if the sea is rough and is coming over the wall but it was very calm that day. I had Lunch up beside the Lighthouse at 3.pm of a Baguette of Chicken Salad which I had got in the Spar Shop on Sandymount Green at around 2.15pm. There was a sharp Nth East wind hitting me in the face but not very Cold around 16 C and it would be much warmer away from the Coast. I enjoyed myself for over an hour watching the Ships coming into Dublin Port and I started to head Home at around 5.00pm.

I went over the East Link Bridge at Pigeon House Road then down the East Wall  Road then eventually over the Tolka River then through Fairview Park. There was a large group of Young Women in Training in a Boot Camp to get fit and lose some weight and some had come by Bicycle presumably. I noticed a Car was Clamped outside the Park on the Cycle Track. This is always happening here especially at the Weekend with People Playing Football in the Park and Parking on the Cycleway , dangerous to Cyclists and Pedestrians who have to try and squeeze pass each other or else go on the Roadway. Also if it is  Match Day on Weekends in the National Gaelic Athletics Stadium in Croke Park they Park their Cars here and the Police seems to turn a Blind Eye to what is going on as there are usually a few Gardai on Patrol all around this district and nobody getting Ticketed . I enjoyed the Day it was very relaxing.

Cycle Trip to the Hell Fire Club ,Dublin Mountains 24th March 2011.

The Hell Fire Club ,Dublin Mountains /Club du feu de Enfer , Montaigne du Dublin.

I have never been to the Hell Fire Club,always wanted to go have a look at it but never did. So today as the Weather was so good a very mild Spring Day 14 C I decided to go for a Cycle up there. I left the House at 12. 35am and first went into the City then the South County Dublin off up Harolds Cross Rd then Rathfarnham Rd then Willbrook Rd then up Ballyboden to Scholarstown Rd . Turned right then up Stocking Lane then up up up over the M 50 Motorway up the Hills.

I had to get off and walk for a few KM then Cycled for a few more then off the Bike and more Hill walking. Then eventually the Forestry sign for the Hell Fire Club . I walked through two Gates then up through the Forest for more Kilometres up the Hillside. It was very Beautiful being surrounded by all the Trees. Eventually I got to the Top and I knew the Club was not far off but I could not find it. I asked a Chap with his Dogs and I discovered I had gone past it . I had walked past a Lane with out any sign to tell you .  Up this Lane which was a short Hill of about 1K until I came to the Building.

This Place is a very Foreboding looking Building with all sorts of strange Stories about it. The Story goes that in the 18th Century this Building was made as a Hunting Lodge for one of the Nobility and he had Wild Parties here. He had wild Orgies and unspeakable Bestiality and also Black Magic Ceremonies  went on together with non stop Gambling. One Night as the Party was in full swing in one Room there was Gambling as usual in another. One woman dropped her Cards on the Floor as you do and stooped down to pick them up.The man sitting beside her it was noted was a very Handsome Dark Complexioned Person with deep set strange Eyes and Black Hair. She noticed that instead of having Shoes on he had Cloven Feet,she jumped up and let out a scream and fled the Building. Other People noticed his Feet and they too Scattered out the door. Pretty soon there was a panic with People knocking down Candelabra and Oil Lamps with the mad rush to get out the Door. With the Result  there was a fire and many People lost their lives. People swore they could hear mad Laughter coming from the Interior of the burning Building and it was said the man was the Devil come to take his own back to Hell. The whole area is said to be Haunted and People have said that Black Masses are held on the Mountainside sometimes.

I could see the City far below in the mist about 570 M about 2'000 ft but the Camera did not resolve the view to well. I had arrived at around 3.00pm and after exploring for awhile and taking Pictures I had Lunch of a Baguette filled with Chicken and Salad Tomato and Onion and some Water. Then I headed off down the Hillside at around 4.00pm in the direction of Rathfarnham. It was much easier coming down than going up ,I flew down the Hillside through the Forest. The Tectro  Oryx Brakes on the Surly is not much good at stopping and I was not taking any chances,I did not want to go off the Hillside when coming to Hairpin Bends so I slowed down rather than having to rely on stopping the Bike in a hurry. It is something I must upgrade with new Cantilevers Brakes, I hear the Tectro CR 720 is good .

I got Home at 5.02 Pm Total distance for the trip was 43.7KM ,it was a very nice trip not tiring in spite of the Hillwalking. One problem that cropped up,the Pannier on my Carrier Bag disintegrated and the other Pannier is coming apart too. This bag is a few Months old and has not had rough use,I will have to rummage around for the Receipt to try and get it exchanged.