2025 Foray: Lough Talt and the Windy Gap

My track through Windy Gap and beside Lough Talt

Waking several times during the night to preempt my alarm, I finally got up at 04:30, left home at 05:00 heading towards Dublin on my bike (40km). The first hour was in the dark, aided by my Black Diamond Sprinter 500 light set and supplementary rear facing red lights for good measure. But just before reaching my destination, Heuston station, I realised something was wrong with my back wheel - it felt, well... wobbly. On further inspection I diagnosed a flat tyre - it got me to Heuston just about before total collapse. I tried pumping it up to no avail. What does one do, stranded 40km from home at 7am?  OK, I was equipped with a spare inner tube and basic tools, and the internet. The latter didn't actually lift a hand to do the work, but did inform me how easy it was to remove the rear wheel on a Trek 1.2 road bike. There wasn't time to do the necessary whilst waiting for the gate to open on my chosen service for Westport, stopping at Manulla Junction where I was to transfer to a two coach back and forth service to Ballina. And there wasn't room on the train to do the work, so I had to suffer the ignominy of a broken bike and the anxiety of travelling even further away from home not knowing for sure how things would turn out. Why anxiety? It was beyond my control, I just could not stop that little voice within saying"what if?".

Cyclists on a train get used to watching the bike rack like a hawk at every station to make sure one's own bike is not totally locked in by other bikes. Choosing a seat within sight of the rack I got to sit opposite to another cyclist whose bike was on top of mine but he was to exit before me so all OK. He turned out to be employed as a programmer in the 5G business and amongst other things we discussed 5G conspiracies and he agreed with me about the fragility of the internet as a whole and how the world has become too dependent on it, citing the scary example of remote surgery via the internet.

Always snap a shot before disassembling

So, unable to fully enjoy the journey because of my little demon "what if?", we eventually arrived at Ballina where I requisitioned the plinth outside the station where I took my bike's rear end apart. A local cycler, who had also just disembarked, offered help which I declined but was very thankful for.  Cyclists are a tight community. Anyway I finished the job and the new tyre remained inflated all the way home. But the repair must have cost me a precious half hour or so of my time allowance for the next segment of my journey which was to cycle up to Windy Gap in the Ox Mountains, then down along beautiful Lough Talt towards my destination Collooney just south of Sligo town (52.2km, elevation gain 377m). So now I had a double whammy - could I make it to the train station in Collooney in time to catch the one and only link to home - more anxiety but this time a tad more controllable as I had allowed for an extra hour in my planning. "Planning", when there is only one viable option, is a bit of an overstatement.  My lunch break (cheese and Branston sarnies) was severely curtailed, but I made it with over a half hour to spare.

Ballina terminus station

The salmon weir, Ballina

From the footbridge across the Moy

Windy Gap

Lought Talt

The route is single track with passing loops all the way until it converges into the Dublin area. My next whammy was at Edgeworthstown where the train sat for 20 minutes waiting for a down train running very late to pass.  My train did make up maybe 10 minutes of time, but my itinerary (as recommended by Irish Rail itself) allowed just 4 minutes to make the connection at Drumcondra for Sallins-and-Naas so obviously I missed it. In the event the next service was only 20 minutes later so all was well, except...

I have already mentioned that, due to the diurnal shortening of daylight hours prevalent at this time of the year, I had had to cycle in darkness for the first hour or so of my Foray: I also knew that I would arrive back home in darkness, so that every additional delay meant more darkness. And I just had to stop for F&C along the way.

I sat on a bench in Naas to eat, but could not muster much enthusiasm - the prospect of a hot shower weighed more heavily than greasy chips. So, after cramming in few more mouthfuls, I set off again and arrived back home at 21:15.  A long day out!

The morals?Always carry a spare inner tube and basic tools, be visible especially when it's dark, and don't give up and don't give in to your demons!

Collooney station

Spot the glaring error!

Tractor puncture

Some while ago our tractor was used to heap up a pile of wood and got a puncture in the front offside tire. It's a small tractor and not 4-wheel-drive, so the front wheels are not that large, but still larger than a car's. Using my bottle-jack I raised the front axle, put it on blocks and removed the wheel-nuts using a 1/2" socket wrench extended with some 1" square section steel I found in the barn. The intention was from someone to take the wheel to the tire shop in Blessington, but then the latest coronavirus restrictions put a stop to that. Which meant no tractor for however long...

I could have given into the rule of the virus at this point, but that's no way to act in an apocalypse. So this afternoon I set to work. I filled a large tub with water and verified that there was indeed a puncture - air was coming out around the valve which suggested there was an inner tube. And, bicycler that I am, I had the means to repair an inner tube. But I couldn't shift the outer tire. The internet reminded me that the outer gets stuck to the rim so I fixed up a 4"x2" lever and with that and a lump-hammer I managed to break the seal. It took an amazing amount of force. This had to be done both sides.

Next I needed tire levers. At the barn I found a 3' length of 2" x 1/2" steel bar which looked promising. First I ground the square-cut end to round off the sharp edges. I wanted to bend the last couple of inches - so I lit the Turboburn boiler a with a pile of dry hardwood chunks and had the fan at maximum, waited till yellow-hot embers, and stuck the bar in. After a while it came out red-hot and bent easily under lump hammer blows.  I also had a couple of pry bars as secondary tire levers.

Starting with the valve uppermost, and on the opposite side to the valve, I needed the full 3' length to get enough leverage to prise the rubber over the rim, but eventually I did it. Taking care not to hurt the inner tube.

With a couple of offcuts of 4"x4" timber under the tire to lift it above the rim, I extracted the inner tube. I found the puncture with my tub of water, and did the repair using a large patch about 1.5" diameter. Testing proved it was sound and there were no other leaks.

Now to push the inner into the outer with valve stem poking through the hole, and getting the outer tire back on again. Once again I needed the 3' bar in addition to my larger pry bar, but it went on and after filling with air (we have a compressor) I took it to the barn to reunite with the tractor. No problems there. Then I rode the tractor in triumph down to the woodshop to top up the air pressure  and Bob's your uncle. Tomorrow I shall go see if the tire has kept its pressure.

Which only goes to show that all manner of things one once thought were only for the professionals are actually possible with a bit of brain and a lot of grunt. And the internet for encouragement.

We shall not give into the virus.

Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.