I Cheated
The Unknown Bike Rider
by paullafford
4M ago
I’m not a particular fan of Zwift. It’s a computer game, a bit of fun and much safer than running the gauntlet of Winter roads in Ireland. For me, cycling is meeting up with the local group for our summer mid-week spin, where we solve the worries of the world, laugh, argue, and have fun. The sprint to the finish line, a signpost just outside town, means bragging rights until the next night. Sunday spins are longer, normally involving some local climbs, with a coffee stop at the finish, the icing on the proverbial cake. This year however, I invested a little in my Zwift set up. I bought a new s ..read more
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How cycling helped me through a crisis
The Unknown Bike Rider
by paullafford
3y ago
This article was published in the November edition UK based website Bike-Mag.com https://www.bike-mag.com/november-2020 Growing up in a small village in Ireland, there was one thing that every young boy or girl had in common, the ability to ride a bicycle. When your parents bought you a bike, you immediately became independent, you could go places and have fun. You always knew where a group of children were congregating, as there was normally a pile of bikes on the ground, so they were never too far away. We had our heroes too. Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Martin Earley and Paul Kimmage w ..read more
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A tonic for the troops
The Unknown Bike Rider
by paullafford
3y ago
A few years ago, I had a few pound left over at the end of the month. I decided to treat myself to a new set of wheels for my bike. Nothing fancy, but they were new and the experts say the best upgrade you can make, is wheels. They got their maiden voyage on a Sunday morning in biblical rain. It was a local route from our hometown of Cahir, to Ballylooby, Clogheen. Ballyporeen, out to the millionaires and home. My partner that morning wasn’t having the best of days. That happens in every sport, when the body is willing, but the head isn’t. As we passed the hotel at Kilcoran, he was about 50 ya ..read more
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Welcome to my new world
The Unknown Bike Rider
by paullafford
4y ago
It’s been a miserable few months for sports fans, as the Covid 19 restrictions have put a huge dent in our participation and enjoyment of events. Cycling has escaped the worst of the lock down, as many people have been able to use the 2 km rule to devise their own little training route, keeping within the recommended guidelines and most importantly, keeping themselves and others safe. I’ve used a local route on a few occasions and explored new roads but being mindful of the strain a potential accident such as a fall would put on our health services, I’ve kept it to the bare minimum. I wouldn’t ..read more
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The Professional Driver
The Unknown Bike Rider
by paullafford
4y ago
Recently in Ireland, new legislation was passed, which makes the unsafe passing of a cyclist an offence. Many people welcome the legislation, but there has been the expected criticism from the usual suspects and the keyboard warriors report increased activity. I was invited onto a radio programme recently to discuss the legislation and made the point that while it is welcome, more needs to be done. I was also critical of some cyclists during the interview, citing our own town, where cycling on footpaths, not using proper lighting and refusing to obey traffic laws is common. This behaviour give ..read more
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Sorry seems to be the hardest word
The Unknown Bike Rider
by paullafford
4y ago
Away from my regular day job, I also work as a musician. I’ll never be famous or any of that stuff, but it’s something I’ve done with over 30 years now, so it actually becomes part of your life. One of the downsides to this life, is late nights and when you reach mid-fifties, like I have, feeling tired at the end of a night. I often think about the younger me, where a gig was followed by a trip to the local night club, going to watch professional bands and copying them the next night myself. Another annoying part is coming home and the buzzing in your ears as you try to sleep. “later in the ev ..read more
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Why do some people hate cyclists?? Read on.
The Unknown Bike Rider
by paullafford
5y ago
A few weeks ago one of the lads at work said to me “Hey, they’re talking about you on Tipp FM”, our local radio station. Now, I love radio and I’ve been given many opportunities to speak about subjects. The station has been very good to me in the past and I’m one of those people that appreciate stuff like that. Anyway, the programme producer contacted me a little later, asking if I was free the following morning to speak about an issue. However, there’s an added problem, as the boss at work pays my wages and he expects me to do a bit of work for him and leave my radio stuff for my own time. I ..read more
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Vlogs
The Unknown Bike Rider
by paullafford
5y ago
Introducing some of the vlogs I’ve published recently on my YouTube channel, titled The Unknown Bike Rider. Please subscribe. The Wicklow 200 (2019) Wicklow 200 2019 (Prologue) Wicklow 200 2019 (Prologue) Wicklow 200 2019 (Prologue) Wicklow 200 2019 (Prologue ..read more
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The Wicklow 200 (2019)
The Unknown Bike Rider
by paullafford
5y ago
“Fail to prepare, prepare to fail” is my way of doing things. I’m of the belief that it takes as much energy to do something wrong, as it takes to do something correctly in the first place. Mistakes are part and parcel in life, failure happens; strong people get up off the ground, dust themselves off and go again. I take this attitude with me to work, my life as a musician and I urge our 13 year old child to practice the same. In our home, success and failure are measured in the same way, they don’t matter. What does matter is that you tried and did your best. “Look yourself in the mirror and ..read more
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Wicklow 200 2019 (Prologue)
The Unknown Bike Rider
by paullafford
5y ago
I don’t do mornings, never have and I never will at this stage of my life. So, when the clock goes off at 5.45am on a Sunday morning, my immediate reaction is not pleasant. As a musician, that ungodly hour of the day hasn’t me long in bed .Getting up at this time is alien to people like me. We’re in Dublin for the weekend, as I’m taking part in the annual Wicklow 200. It’s Ireland’s premier cycling challenge and widely considered the hardest. It’s 200km in length, which isn’t the biggest problem and almost 3000m of climbing, which is a problem. The route takes in some of the most iconic climbs ..read more
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