Trip to the Phoenix Park on Saturday July 31/7/10

It was a nice Day on Saturday so I decided to go for a Spin in the Phoenix Park. That Marvelous Huge Park to the West of the Metropolitan Area of Dublin City. Besides which I was due to hand in the New Bike for it's first 30 Day Service on Tuesday and I wanted to put in a few more Miles on it to loosen it up as it were. I decided to look at the Cricket Match for awhile not really understanding the Rules of the Game after all these Years. It is very much like Baseball although played with a Rectangular Wooden Bat. I will tell you one thing it is very good for sending you to Sleep. I felt myself falling asleep Leaning against the Rail and only the slight fall of Rain kept me awake.

I then went off for a Spin around the Park and looked at the Fallow Deer,then past by the Abandoned Old Magazine Fort which Held all the Munitions for the British Army back in the Day. It is a Pity they do not use this for something what a waste,turn it into an Art Gallery or Museum.

Eventually I started off for Home around 4.30pm and when I got to Ballybough Road I ran into the Crowds coming out of the National Football Stadium Croke Park. Dublin and Tyrone were Playing against each other and there was other Matches on that Day .The Roads were Blocked and the only ones getting through were Cyclists like myself. They have actually put Cycle Parking outside the Grounds on Jones Road it is not much about 12 Parking Stands and it is those Wheel Benders that I Hate but still it is something.

At the Corner of Clonliffe Road I seen a Cycle Cop Dressed up like Judge Dredd or something out of Flash Gorden like one of the Vulcans from the Planet Vulcan. Someone was Selling Greasy Hamburgers and other Junk Food from their Three Wheel Bike Food Stand.

Cycling has really arrived when you see this ,bit by bit People are Selling Food and Ice Cream and Drinks from Three Wheeled Bike Stands.

Une Grande Petit Manifestation Critical Mass á Dublin 30/7/2010

We had a Critical Mass as usual beginning at St Stephens Green on the last Friday of the Month A great Day was had by everybody. A few had Vuzvuzelas those annoying Plastic Bugles they are getting Banned from the English Premier League Soccer Games ,a Hangover from the South African World Cup. A few Girls with Bear Company Dutch Bikes and Grenaer Electric Bikes were Chatting away but they did not take part only the Guy with the Electric Bike.

We met a Couple of Hen Party Girls on Dame Street Heading off to a Party Presumably and I took two Photos and Talked to them for a few seconds before going after the Peloton again.We finally Ended up at the Garden of Rememberance on Parnell Square and Gave a Cyclists Victory Salute lifting our Bikes over our Heads.That is me with the Blue Striped Tee Shirt.

Then a lot of us headed off to Seomra Spraoi and had a look at the Film of New York Critical Mass of 2005 When the Police suddenly went Mad and Attacked the Cyclists very Brutally and Arrested over 400. Resulting in loads of Lawsuits against the Police.

Lastly my Dinner when I got Home,Organic Home Grown Potatoes and Cabbage and Mackeral Fish washed down with some nice Danish Tuborg Lager and a big Mug of Coffee.

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.