CyclistMay the road rise to meet you: Riding 2,400km across Ireland on the TransAtlantic WayThere is a phrase in the Irish language, In irinn t Neart In Ireland there is strength, and its hard to think of a more apt description of the TransAtlantic Way. To tame every corner, every climb, every cliff-clinging road of this event takes the deepest resolve and resourcefulness. Over the course of this week-long, self-supported expedition, riders will not only be required to climb the equivalent of Everest three times over, theyll find themselves sleeping under Gaelic football stands, foraging for food and sheltering in hedges, all in the name of conquering Irelands wildest roads.Setting out from Derry under the shadow of the Peace Bridge, riders pedal from the tip of Donegal, past the Gaeltacht, through Connemara and around the Ring of Kerry before a final push along the south coast that will (hopefully) see them finish in Kinsale. As ultracycling goes, youd be hard pushed to find a tougher event anywhere on the British Isles.The TransAtlantic Way offers up two routes. The longer, named after Gaelic folk hero C Chulainn, is a 2,400km odyssey that clocks up nearly 30,000m climbing. The shorter and these things are relative Sdanta route (C Chulainns childhood name) comprises 1,600km with 19,000m of climbing.There are few rules on the TransAtlantic Way, which prides itself in being an experience rather than a race, however riders must complete the course from start to finish without detours and must be fully self-supported, receiving no private outside assistance. All the organisers arm them with is a GPS tracker and wishes of good luck.In the spirit of the old Irish blessing, May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, Cyclist hears from four participants of this unique cycling event.Donnacha CassidyDonnacha Cassidy, 34, from Ireland, 1st in C ChulainnFergus CoyleIm from Ireland so youd think I would have seen these places before, but its the complete opposite. I hadnt seen the vast majority of the route before riding the TransAtlantic Way I knew about 20% of it. You end up going to places that you would never even think of driving to.I really liked riding at night you could see the moon out on the sea. But as beautiful as that was, the area is quite heavily populated with sheep, so you need to watch out for them sleeping in the middle of the road. I dont like riding right through the night though. You get into a state of almost drunkenness, and you cant move. No amount of Red Bull can keep you going.Statues of Jesus this one in Connemara, County Galway are a common sight in Ireland.Fergus CoyleI found myself constantly planning ahead where to find lunch or where to sleep so I didnt even listen to music until the fourth or fifth day. There was plenty to keep my mind occupied.This was my third time doing the event. Over the years Ive learned a lot about how to prepare, where the shops are and what to steer clear of. This time I wanted to avoid trawling through endless booking websites for accommodation, so I decided to camp. If youre camping theres more incentive to get up and go, something Ive learned before, the hard way.Reflective ankle bracelets are compulsory for safety reasons.Fergus CoyleOn my second time doing the race, I was leaving my hotel room at 5am and I fell down the stairs my legs were like jelly and I was half asleep. This time I finished nearly a day faster by camping and not wasting time in hotels. There arent many wooded areas on the west coast of Ireland though, so youre limited to camping in fields or in a ditch somewhere.Im a delivery driver, so I often find myself driving a lot of these roads. I pass one spot pretty much every day and think, Oh, I slept there during the TransAtlantic Way. Related Posts We who travel have stories to tell: The Pan Celtic Ultra race The Cateran Dirt Dash: Bikepacking for beginners Another planet: The Atlas Mountain Race Bikepacking Alaskas Denali landslide Chase The Sun Ireland ride: What its like riding 336km coast to coast Chris CaseChris Case, 45, from USA, 11th in SdantaFergus CoyleI went into this wanting to race, but also knowing that that this was my first true bikepacking event. I had three objectives: the first was to ride the longest ride of my life, the second was to ride from sunrise to sunrise, and the third was to finish in under eight days.One of the great things about bikepacking is that everybody goes into it with a game plan, but nobodys able to stick to that game plan 100% of the time, so its about developing skills in problem-solving and resilience. Thats the fun of it, whether youre racing or not.A rider enjoys descending the Conor Pass into the Dingle Peninsula. With close to 1,800km ticked off, the end is drawing near.Fergus CoyleI knew Irelands a beautiful place, but there were certain scenes like this cliffside road on the Dingle Peninsula where Id come around a corner and my expectations would be completely blown away. At times like that Id pull over and just take it all in, forgetting about racing. I needed that too I didnt go there just to put my head down and stare four feet in front of my wheel to finish as quickly as possible. I went there for an experience.Fergus CoyleSometimes you ride late into the night and you find this incredible landscape and say to yourself, This is where Im sleeping tonight. I feel Im pretty lucky to be able to do that park up, watch the sunset, eat yet another energy bar for dinner, fall asleep, then wake up and do it all again. Im not trying to brag, but I actually cant believe I did it, especially as in many ways I think it was kind of a dumb thing to even attempt.One guy I met was an engineer, I think. He suffered a stroke a few years ago and here he was doing this ride. He slept on the ground every night sometimes on concrete slabs underneath football stands to stay out of the weather. Im not sure he showered for seven straight days. Compared to him I was a complete wimp.Nadine AnsorgNadine Ansorg, 39, from Germany, 9th in SdantaFergus CoyleI follow a lot of ultracycling accounts on social media and my coach did the TransAtlantic Way a year before me and posted a lot about it. Even though the weather was miserable it looked incredible, and naturally I became really intrigued.I now live in the UK so Ireland is very close, and I had been to Dublin before and loved it. Obviously, you dont get the whole story of a country from its capital, so I wanted to get out into the countryside and meet more Irish people.Achill Island on the western tip of County Mayo is a popular spot among the riders, and is virtually untouched by tourism.Fergus CoyleI really enjoyed getting to know Ireland its such an incredibly beautiful country. At times I was cycling along and I just thought to myself, Oh my God, Im so lucky to be here.I really loved Achill Island and the Gap of Dunloe. These places are not as touristy as they could be, although when I arrived at the Gap of Dunloe there were busloads of Americans who were telling stories about their Irish heritage.The people really made it for me though everyone was so welcoming and friendly. Often I would cycle through a village and there were people standing on the roadside, ready to start a conversation as I cycled past. Sadly, I couldnt stop for everyone, but it was really sweet.The Caha Pass crosses the Caha Mountains between Cork and Kerry, but dont panic the maximum altitude is 332m, and there is only 600km to go.Fergus CoyleThere were so many little moments where I was able to connect with people and nature. I remember one at a checkpoint. It was at this typical Irish farm owned by the organisers cousin, and the farmers there took me out to see their new-born horse. That was special.Theres no better tourist marketing campaign than an ultracycling race. You get a bunch of crazy cyclists coming to Ireland to experience the country and they then share the experience on social media. Afterwards, a lot of people said they loved my pictures and told me they might visit Ireland as well.Kirsten CluleyKirsten Cluley, 34, from Scotland, 9th in C ChulainnFergus CoyleMy dad and I were planning to cycle the TransAtlantic Way before Covid but never got around to it. A couple of years later, I decided to revisit the idea, but this time without my dad.Before the race my friends put a playlist together and added thousands of songs to it. When I was on the bike, to pass the time sometimes I would listen and try to guess what song would be next. Id then try and figure out who added that song to the playlist. It also let me know who had good taste and who didnt.You sleep where you can on the TransAtlantic Way, but never for long. The fastest riders complete C Chulainn in five days and Sdanta in four.Fergus CoyleI heard from a friend whod done the race before that Gaelic football pitches were a good shout for getting a nights sleep, so one night I stopped at a club that, just by chance, hadnt been locked up. I was able to go in, have a shower and use the loos. But I still slept outside because I was paranoid someone was going to come and lock me in.Another night I slept on the side of a road underneath a road sign. At around 3am these cars went past and started a rave in a car park down the road. They were blasting out music for the rest of the night it was so strange, and I didnt sleep well that night to say the least.The clouds roll in over Connemara in County Galway.Fergus CoyleOn another day I slept so badly that when I tried to get moving on the bike it felt like I had totally bonked. But then Fran, a girl Id met at the start of the event, happened to come pedalling up behind me and it was just what I needed. She was so chatty and positive, telling me, Right, come on, lets go.For the rest of the race I felt like she was my new best friend, though in a competitive way because we really did race each other all the way to Kinsale. It was her first ever ultra and she finished two hours ahead of me in the end she rode amazingly.The detailsGo west (actually north, then south)What TransAtlantic WayWhere Derry to Kinsale, IrelandNext one 8th August 2024Who Solo riders or pairsDistance 2,400km (C Chulainn, shown above) or 1,600km (Sdanta)How much 380 per riderMore info transatlanticway.com This article originally appeared in issue 154 of Cyclist magazine. Click here to subscribe Related Posts We who travel have stories to tell: The Pan Celtic Ultra race The Cateran Dirt Dash: Bikepacking for beginners Another planet: The Atlas Mountain Race Bikepacking Alaskas Denali landslide Chase The Sun Ireland ride: What its like riding 336km coast to coast The post May the road rise to meet you: Riding 2,400km across Ireland on the TransAtlantic Way appeared first on Cyclist.

Maxim van Gils' second Tour de France experience is over after 15 stages. The 24-year-old Belgian of Lotto Dstny has abandoned the Grand Tour on the second rest day after testing positive for Covid."Unfortunately Maxim Van Gils has to leave this Tour de France, after having tested Covid positive," w...

Joining the celebrated VeloSamba, the new Adidas VeloStan Smith is the brand's latest storied sneaker to get a clipless update. Learn more about the special edition SPD-compatible version of a perennial classic here...The post Have You Seen the New Adidas VeloStan Smith? appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Like presumably every other person who writes about bicycles on the Internets, I recently received an email about a big embargoed announcement concerning bicycles and LeBron James, and you can imagine my surprise when I learned that after the NBA hell be starting a UCI pro road team and riding alongside Mathieu van der Poel:Just kidding:Though he has launched a new campaign with Canyon, a company in which he has an investment:LeBron James has long promoted cycling, though to my knowledge he has yet to partake in a gravel race:Or own a bike custom-painted by Joe Bell:Presumably he prefers to leave his customs unpainted:It is of course a boon to cycling when a superstar athlete and role model like LeBron James professes a love for cycling, if only because it serves as much-needed ballast for the prevailing notion in America that everyone on a bike is a whiny entitled dork, and maybe motorists will even think twice before close-passing you on purpose. However, as a whiny entitled dork, Id be remiss if I didnt complain about the fact that its Canyon hes promoting. I mean realistically I understand that if LeBron James is going to get involved in a bike company its going to be a big one that sponsors pro teams and uses cutting-edge materials and sells gazillions of bikes all over the world, but even so I reserve the right to wish he was promoting Rivendell instead:Indeed, for the price of that video alone he could have funded Rivendells low-normal rear derailleur project to completion and purchased an inventory of square taper bottom brackets, front derailleurs, and long-reach rim brakes that would carry tjhe worlds retrogrouches through at least 2030.But hey, I guess if it has to be Canyon it has to be Canyon.Speaking of collaborations, since receiving a ticket in 2018 Ive been known informally as Tan Tenovo:This is because I was riding a Renovo Aerowood at the time, which the officer noted on the ticket as a Tan Tenovo:And no, this error was insufficient for me to get the ticket dismissed.In any case, as a cycling blogger of note (even if that note is usually Give it up already) Im long overdue to release my own line of bicycles, and so Im pleased to finally announce the official launch of my signature model bike, the TANWPN:TAN is of course a nod to my post-ticket moniker, and WPN is just the word Weapon in graveleseand a fine gravel bike it is, too, with disc brakes and everything:The concept here is modern classic, and in designing the bike I took pains to incorporate nods to some of my favorite iconic bicycles. For example, Ive long admired Treks Function Specific Design:But since I couldnt just steal that I went with New Design Bike instead:Ive also been greatly enjoying the LeMond Tete de Course:By combining titanium and carbon, Trek engineers came up with what they called Spine technology and singlehandedly resolved a dilemma that had been taunting dentists for years:Unfortunately neither carbon nor titanium was in the budget here at Tan Tenovo World Headquarters, and so the best we could do was make it out of cheap steel and call it the Spino:Also, were calling it carbon because technically steel does contain carbon:So far weve sent it out to some key influencers, and the feedback has been phenomenal, with riders declaring that it corners like its on railsat least when you remember to flip the kickstand up:We also put a tremendous amount of thought and consideration into cockpit curation:Some people wanted downtube shifters, others wanted bar-ends, and still others wanted integrated shifters. Its been said that the best compromise is when everyone is dissatisfied, and so in that spirit we went with the 7-speed top mount trigger shifters:Eat your heart out, LeBron.

In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Tom Marvin is joined by senior technical editor Ashley Quinlan to discuss what it's like to ride the latest and greatest road bikes.Ash shares his recent experiences riding cutting-edge road racing machines and highlights what he looks out for when ranking the best road bikes.The duo also shine a light on why these superbikes might not be the best for everyone, with concessions in comfort and versatility often traded for outright speed.We'd love to hear your opinions on anything discussed in this episode drop us an email atpodcast@bikeradar.comwith any questions or comments.How to subscribe to the BikeRadar PodcastThe BikeRadar Podcast takes you to the heart of the issues that matter for bike riders, whether you're a roadie, mountain biker, gravel rider or commuter.From the latest tech news, reviews and debates, to interviews with the biggest and most interesting personalities in cycling, the podcast is your direct line into the BikeRadar team.To make sure you dont miss a future episode, you can subscribe viaApple,Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.

The Slovenian is on course to become the first man since Marco Pantani in 1998 to complete the Giro-Tour double

Mid-motor and Shimano twiddly bits without breaking the bank 7/10

Whilst much of the headlines from the 2024 Tour de France have been around the incredible fight for the Maillot Jaune between Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, Biniam Girmay has been starring in the sprints and as the Grand Tour reaches its second rest day, the Eritrean holds a co...

Cyclist Caileigh Filmer of Team Blue Ridge Twenty24 is headed to her third Olympics to row.

A lot has changed in cycling in the last 26 years, with Tadej Pogaar's record-breaking summit of one of the Tour de France's legendary climbs providing us with a great excuse to do a bike tech deep-dive