Social outing with Dublin Cycling Campaign Sunday 19th feb 2012

We met up at the IFSC St Georges Dock Nth Wall Quay at 11 AM//Rassemblement  au  IFSC Dock St Georges, Quay du mur nord  11am

A few turned up at 11 so we waited for a quarter of an hour and sure enough more began turning up.

We stopped for a while at Grand Canal Basin Hanover Quay/Le group reste pour meme minutes á Bassin Grand Canal,Quay Hanover.

New Cycleway along the Grand Canal  Dublin./Le Chemin du velo nouveau  Canal du Grand   á Dublin

We Assembled at the IFSC on St Georges Dock at 11am on a nice crisp Sunday morning on the first Social Cycle of the Dublin Cycling campaign of the Year. The DCC promotes Cycling Advocacy in Dublin  and is Affiliated to the other Cycling Groups in Ireland under the banner of cyclist .ie and has connections with the ECF  The European Cyclist Federation and other International Cycling organisations. We headed off on the New Cycle way from East Wall to Portobello Rathmines. There is still some work going on before it is finished ,like fixing the Cycling Traffic lights and some Drainage work .

It was a nice leisurely Cycle ,Slow Cycling at its best in friendly company with everyone chatting away. There was all types of Cyclists from the Lycra clad to the ordinary Cyclists in normal Clothes and Dutch Bikes ,Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes,City Bikes, Families with Children.The majority of Cyclists did not wear Helmets,Le Grand majorite du Cyclists ne pas porte les casque plastique,tré bien. It was only a short spin of about 10KM or 7miles. We reached Rathmines and then turned back and stopped off at the Barge Public House and had some Coffees to relax .

Trip to the Wicklow Gap,beside Tonglegee Mountain Sunday 11th April

It was fine Summery Weather on Sunday so I took a Spin on Mr Trek out to the Wicklow Mountains and up to the Wicklow Gap 470 Metres above Sea Level. I had to walk up a Mountain Road beside the Sugarloaf Mountain outside Kilmacanogue for around two Hours. I passed through Glendalough and stopped for two Sandwiches and a Drink of Water before Walking 9 K up to the Gap beside Tonglegee Mountain. I was trying to get passed the Gap before Nightfall. I reached the Gap before 900pm just as the Sun was going down and I took a few Pictures before heading on to Hollywood Village and then Blessington then Tallaght and the Lights of Dublin City then Home at 3.00am. A Grand Total of around 70 - 80 Miles. It was Pitch Black on these Country Roads no Lights at all. I had to use the Yellow Dashes of the Hard Shoulder and the White Lines in the Centre of the Road as a guide because it was so Dark.I went through several Pot Holes I just did not see them in the Dark and I just hoped I did not Crock up my Wheel. The only Lights were when you got to a Village or Town.
Pics are The Dargle River outside Bray, Mountain Road you could get the Coconut Smell of the Yellow Gorse sort of like Hair Oil at the side of the Road marvelous , The Sugarloaf Mountain A lot of People were walking up this Mountain, Roundwood Church, Roses Tea Rooms the Cyclists Tea rooms Annamoe Village,me at the Wicklow Gap, someone took Pot Shots at this Sign, Saint Kevins Way and a little ruined Church, very Friendly Goat Monsiur Chevaux It let me Pet it on the Head. Loads of Cyclists in the Mountains on Racing Bikes and one on a Recumbent. There is a Cycle Race around Glendalough on the 17th of April.