On Ireland: Appendix

I picked up a lot of good tips along the way and might as well have a section organizing them.

Preparing for the Trip

• Practice, practice, practice. Unless you are in good shape, you aren't going to enjoy cycle touring. I'm not saying that you should ride a century every weekend, but you want to get to the point where you can pedal 12 km/h pretty much all day.


• Ride with weight. Panniers throw off your steering a little bit and you should get used to it before your tour. I wish I had done this more.


• Know the route. With one exception, I never felt lost anywhere in the country. Not only does knowing where you are give you more time to enjoy things, you will worry less. I'd spend a few minutes each night memorizing the route and important towns along the way.


• Pack light. I took about 8 lbs more than I needed to and could have spent that weight more wisely.


• Don't skimp on quality panniers. You're going to have a hard enough time keeping stuff dry.


• Get a hard commitment from your partners. I was never worried about Helen bailing because we had both committed to the trip several months before.


• If you are a guy and want to have kids, wear padded underwear.


• Pick your partners carefully. It isn't just a matter of whether you'll get along with someone, you need to know that you'll be able to rely on each other through rough patches. Whenever I was grumpy or hurting, Helen was usually fine and able to help me out, and I'd like to think the reverse was true as well. Someone who's liable to give up on stuff easily may not be up for a rough cycle tour

Trip Execution

• Get a good estimate for how long you think each days riding should take and adjust your pace accordingly. If you are ahead of schedule, take random stops at interesting looking things along the way. If you are way behind, consider cutting the days riding short rather than straining yourself to complete the objective, or look for a bus you can hop on to make it to the end.


• Don't let weather get you down. Enjoy the good weather when it comes, but when it starts raining, talk about anything but the rain. It's cliche but true; everyone talks about the weather but no one does anything about it. Alternatively, a good "aw shucks" attitude can go a long way here.


• Plan rest days. It's not just a matter of fatigue, it's fun to have a day where you don't need to worry about an objective.


• Wear a goddamn helmet.


• Take turns in front. It's not just a matter of drafting. I'm pretty sure Helen would have gotten sick of staring at my back for 600 km if she was trailing the whole time.


• Talk to other cyclists. They're a great source of information on upcoming conditions, and if they know short cuts, they can save you time and energy.


• Eating: Helen and I would usually eat a big breakfast and dinner, and snack a little instead of breaking for lunch. Breaking for more than an hour would have been tough to recover from.


• Be a celebrity. Cycle tourists are novelties in many spots. 95% of the population thinks you are some hardcore beast. Bask in the glory and let it invigorate you the next time you have trouble riding.


• Talk to anyone and everyone. Half the fun of being a traveler is being a stranger and being able to interact with other strangers in a fun manner.

Strongly Endorsed Ireland Locations/Activities

• Skellig Michael. If I had 24 hours in Ireland, I might consider spending it trying to get to that island for another two hours.


• Cliffs of Moher


• Dublin Literary Pub Crawl


• Cycling around Valentia Island


• Killarney Lakes boats

Overrated Ireland Locations/Activities

• The Blarney Stone. We didn't go, but I've seen it in a bunch of lists on this subject, so I figured we'd include it.


• Kylemore Abbey. Really, looking at it from the outside is the best part.


• Killarney. I felt like the city was a giant tourist trap.


• I'd also be wary of anything that is overselling itself as "authentic" or "traditional."

And finally
The Ten Commandments of Irish Cycle Touring
I. Thou shalt bitch, but not be a bitch.
II. Thou shalt wear a helmet, else thy brains will be smeared all over the curbside
III. Thou shalt remember when the last pub stops serving food, else be prepared to scarf down bread and jam for dinner.
IV. Thou shalt maintain near continuous visual contact with thy partner, and not go more than 120 seconds without checking on her.
V. Thou shalt determine thy power food, and be ready to purchase and consume it when needed.
VI. Thou shalt not substitute an internal compass and mental map for a real compass and real map.
VII. Thou shalt remember that riding is more than the means of transportation, and enjoy the random sights you’ll see along the way.
VIII. Thou shalt celebrate every achievement
IX. Thou shalt not feel guilty about eating or drinking anything
X. Thou shalt love thy cycling companion, for she blocketh the headwinds when they are strong, giveth the shot bloks when thou hast low blood sugar and maketh the entire journey exponentially more awesome.