Cove de Bob
I seem to have ended up rather semi-detached from Bike Week this year. Did go on a cycle on Thursday... but it wasn't one of the ones flagged as an AO event on the BW list, it was the "longest day" cycle, which ended up on on the same day.Good call as it turned out, as for once the weather was glorious. Excessively so, almost -- might have been an occasional for a short-sleeved jersey -- if not (gasp) actual shorts. Quite the "warmup" getting to the start, for that matter... was briefly averaging over 30kph, indeed. Quite the slog up Scart Hill. Just one person at MP2 -- I do wonder if that's partly because of how confusing the rendezvous instructions for there were. Not sure I could reliably reproduce how we got from the Ballygarvan road to Minane Bridge... I think it involved Forest Road and Castle Heights, though. Optional turnoff at the end... I think I must have been a bit sunstroked or hypoxic at that point... why was I going up additional hills that I didn't need to?
Worth it at the end, though! Lovely glimpse of Ringabella Creek, which I stopped to snap... but turns out I'd forgotten my camera, and as my phone was stashed away in my now-stowed jersey, had to hasten off to make sure I wasn't missing the next turn. But then... the cove was in sight! There, at least if dodgy brakes didn't kill me on that last stretch. Wasn't quite so carried away with the occasion as to join in the swimming. Hadn't brought a towel anyway, but the water wasn't looking in the least bit invitingly warm, anyway. Brr. Instead, had a little walk around the headland, then fell back to the pub. Offloaded my remaining Cycling Festival leaflets, that I hadn't spammed the group with, on the RC Inn.
We didn't linger over our liquid dinner and barsnacks, and we were off around the west side of the cove. Back in Carrigaline by about 10pm -- flying along, as our leader said. Then back via Maryborough Hill, where it was quite tough going again with a stiff headwind. Starting to get a little more chill for that reason, too. Then regrouping in the Douglas McDs, though strictly vicariously in my case.
63.76k, 16.9kph.