Trust Tommy

So, that's our (Dad and I) usual route. That first pic is the way we go from our house to Muroe, and the second is (meant) to be from Muroe to home, but Google Maps can be awkward. The correct route is the middle one (with two white dots on it)



So we began fine, me thinking that the best tenner I ever spent would be on the bull bars on the bike, I feel fine, in control. Everything's fine, I get past the church fine, noting that with the extended route we're taking today it's 1/4 of the journey rather then the usual 1/3 when I switch gears from 2 to 6 a wee bit too fast. Next thing I know there's a clanking noise and the sound of chain coming loose. My pedals become useless before actually seizing up. I try and make an emergency stop but...fail, ending up falling in a ditch. Dad stops and together, we fix it. Everything's hunky dory through the straight stretch, past the ATC dog* and along the last bit of non-main road.


No, it's not til the final stretch does trouble strike. I was in 5, and changed into 6. Bad idea. Same symptoms as the first cock up. There's a lovely proportioned wall beside me to lean against though this time. We fix the thing again and continue on, turning right onto the main road instead of left. We find ourselves at a -brace yourself- 5 road junction. Wow. Anyways, we continue up a big hill to Glenstal. It's a lovely place, only very steep on entry. I lose control of the bike (again) and find myself sprawled on the ground. I get up and walk my bike to the top of the hill before continuing. When we reach the main courtyard, we sit down and have our bananas.

Back on the road, past the 5 road junction we head for home. We're halfway there when my fecking wheel comes loose. I manage a stop without falling and we have to call John for help.




In short, an eventful cycle.




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* ATC dog, or Air Traffic Controller dog is a lab that lives in one of the houses at the top of the big hill. One sunday before Jay came home, I had to stop outside the house for something (can't remember, mighta been the brakes) and the dog wasn't pleased. From what I know of dogspeak from John Charlie and Barack I think he was saying that we were blocking the approach of the 2:15 from Dooradoyle. I'm not sure.


:)