Back yourself cycling

 I don't know where to start so I'd better start at the start. I'm still high. Not only was the MARK FLOOD MEMORIAL CYCLE really well supported but it was a great day out on the bike too! Here I am the morning after with the combination of sore legs and a sore face from cycling, smiling and laughing so much. The cycling community came out en masse yesterday to honour Mark. They made an emotional day into a collective hug I'll never forget. Maybe you were one of the many club members that felt his hand on their backs on Inistioge hill? Or with every smiling face that came into the sign on, maybe you just knew he was there? Of course, you know it's gonna be a good day when you arrive at the school at 8am and there are already people looking to sign on. And you know it's gonna be a crazy day when people are looking for espressos at 8.20! And the faces you see arriving are from all corners. Old and new. Some as fit as whippets; there were RAS riders and internation...

 This Sunday the MARK FLOOD MEMORIAL CYCLE will see southeast cyclists head for New Ross. Ahead of them will be a serpentine route through south Kilkenny. It is a fun but challenging cycle, with a few hills thrown in to test the legs and show you the countryside. But don't be afraid! Really this event is a lot more besides. Firstly, it's for Mark Flood. If you knew him then I don't have to say anything. If you didn't then just take it that he was a pillar of the Barrow Wheelers, a pillar of  the community, a family man and simply put, irreplaceable . His passing last April has left an unfillable void in our town. And what is the best way as a cycling club to commemorate him? On the road, as a club and taking care of each other. Because that was Mark. As a cyclist he loved the road, was all about his clubmates and always took care of everyone around him. Still need another reason to rock up on Sunday? Well, the Winter is just about over! Everyone needs an outlet to vent...

O M G !!!!! How on earth did that happen? One minute I'm picking pumpkins in an early October field, bunkering down for a savage winter onslaught. Next thing I know its the end of January and I can smell, almost see Spring.  Look, I know it ain't over yet but the extra minutes of light dangle hope in front of us. Of course that's not to say we didn't suffer a lot. Why? Because the Winter cyclist is a strange animal that does not hibernate. Some training might go indoors but there was always road miles to be done and savage conditions to endure. And real cyclists approach training in the harsh stuff like NIKE;  Just do it! Big miles and tough conditions will lead to fit bodies and an awesome appreciation of those sunlit days ahead. Of course there are consequences. My wheelie bin has since October, contained an array of items actually killed  by Winter.  Chains worn thin enough to wear as jewellery.  Tyres worn square, with enough glass particles or flints to ma...

YES INDEEDY! 'Tis the season for temperatures lower than a snakes belly. 'Tis slippery than a gypsy's handshake and more dangerous than a cornered Kinahan. Love cycling but hate the cold? Me too! But we all want to get out there and enjoy our sport so here is Joe's guide to getting the best out of cycling when it is bleedin' Baltic!  My first piece of advice about going out in the cold is... don't go out! If you are of a nervous disposition and might be freaked out every single time you see the glisten of frost, then just leave it. You'll frighten those around you with your blood-curdling screeches of "ICE!!!" and "F**K!" Sheep will roll over and die, squirrels will drop their nuts. So stump for the Zwift subscription or get a dog-eared copy of the blue book from the '90's and take your turbo to the garage, or shed or spare room and get sweaty. As long as you get some cycling done it doesn't matter.  If you do want to go out, ...

In Spanish they have a phrase to describe crazy people..."como una cabra", as mad as a goat. And it just so happens that in cycling terms this is the time of the year when people go a little crazy, make mad decisions or lose their focus and become as mad as a goat. I'm talking from personal experience here because I've gone a little 'loco' myself in Autumn time.  It can happen easily. There are a number of ways to lose sight of who you are. The easiest is food. Think about it... you have avoided the Rissoles or Taco chips from Christmas to September. You have denied yourself everything in order to climb hills like Sepp Kuss. By August your arms are so skinny you shop for T-shirts in the kids section of Penney's and your ribs are so visible that even a rampant, starving Grizzly bear would pass you by for lunch.  Then along comes Autumn. Never mind that your DNA tells you to store for the Winter like your knuckle-dragging Neolithic ancestors. Never mind that...

 Fall, Autumn, whatever you care to call it... now is the time to do what our ancestors did and hunker down for what's ahead. As a cyclist you can take a break and gather your thoughts or, indeed, you can race off-road and embrace the smell of upturned soil and power washers. For me it's an odd time in that I'm too old to stop for long, as if I don't use it, I'll lose it. So...I'll be in the woods haring around in the muck and I'll be out on the road in all conditions, frost, wind and rain. Why? Well, if you'd seen me at the pumpkin farm last weekend, having more fun than my kids, you'll know I love Autumn. I love the smells of ripe apples, the last minute work of the farmers in the fields, the unpredictable weather. Washing my bike after an epic spin in biblical weather does my heart good . You may not like washing filthy kit or lubing your bike 4 times a week but I do. In fact I'd go as far as to say that while this time might be Samhain  in th...