Tips for Buying a Cycle Helmet

Posted on September 1, 2010 @ 1:42 PM in

Buying a bike is a good time to buy a helmet which is so important to protect you and your child’s head. There are many types, colours and brands of helmets as well as the price range, from £7-8 to hundreds. A helmet is advisable but not compulsory in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, so here are a few reasons why we should wear them...

• Evidence shows that 35%-40% of children taken to hospital after a cycling accident have head injuries

• Wearing a helmet can reduce head injuries by 88%

• Wearing a helmet can reduce facial injuries by 65%

A lot of helmets are made of EPS foam with a thin plastic shell. The shell helps the helmet skid easily on rough pavement to avoid jerking your neck. The shell also holds the foam together after the first impact. Some excellent helmets are made by moulding foam in the shell rather than adding the shell later.

A few things to think about when buying a helmet…I feel you should:

• Take it out of the box and try it on if possible

• Make sure there are plenty ventilation holes to keep you cool in warm weather, but not too many as this can reduce the protection

• If possible buy a helmet with an adjustment at the back of the head as this will give a much better fit

• A visor sometimes comes separate from the helmet, this is important as it protects your face in a fall. It is easily attached to the helmet.

• Rigid visors can snag or shatter in a fall

• Narrow straps can be uncomfortable

• Dark helmets are difficult for motorists to see

• Don’t buy a helmet which is too big for your child as it will not sit properly on their head

• If possible get a helmet with a buckle which locks on the straps coming down around the ears, as the ones without the lock move about

• A sticker inside the helmet tells you what standard it meets

• Replace any helmet if you crash. Impact crushes some of the foam and the damage may not be visible.

• The helmet should sit level on your head and cover as much as possible. Above all, with the strap fastened you should not be able to get the helmet off your head by pulling or twisting. If it comes off or slips enough to leave large areas of your head unprotected, adjust the straps again or try another helmet.

• Keep the strap comfortably snug when cycling

Look out for more tips from Mary on cycling safety. For more information on Pedal Right and its services please click here.

Bed, Breakfast and Bike

Posted on July 27, 2010 @ 1:53 PM in

Northern Ireland has some fantastic places to stay, from which you can hire a bike and base yourself from for a scenic cycling experience in Northern Ireland....Here are a few options which i have thought of...

• Castle Ward Estate, Co.Down - hire a bike at Clearsky Adventure Centre and cycle around the stunning estate or along the amazing long distance Strangford Lough Cycle Trail.

• Dunhill Cottage, Hillsborough - this B&B offer bikes for hire, from here you can take the opportunity to cycle around Hillsborough Forest or join the Belfast to Ballyshannon cycle route at Lisburn.  

• Share Centre, Fermanagh - whether you are undertaking a number of short cycling routes or riding along the Kingfisher Trail, the first long distance trail in Northern Ireland named for its abundance in wildlife, Share Holiday Village provides everything you need to make the most of your stay.

For more information on cycling holidays in Northern Ireland please click here

Bike Week has arrived...

Posted on June 17, 2010 @ 9:49 AM in

Already there has been lots of events happening for this years Bike Week which starts on 19^th June…the main aim of Bike Week is ‘to promote cycling and show how cycling can easily be part of everyday life.’

Here are just a few of the events that are happening across Northern Ireland over this years Bike Week…so why not get out and enjoy the sun and take part in one (or more) of them!

• Saturday 19^th June:
  • Family Cycle and Midsummer Fayre – Lisburn
  • Mountain Bike Race – Davagh Forest
  • Lower Bann Cycleway – Ballymoney
  • Fresh Air Miles Sponsored Cycle – Derry

• Monday 21^st June:
  • Florence Court Forest Family Cycle – Fermanagh

• Tuesday 22^nd June:
  • Craigavon Cycle Challenge – Craigavon

• Wednesday 23^rd June:
  • Castle to Castle Family Cycling Evening – Enniskillen
  • Bike Doctor - Derry

• Thursday 24^th June:
  • Bling Your Bike Day – Derry
  • Bike Doctor – Derry

• Friday 25^th June:
  • Maghaberry Bike Night – Maghaberry
  • Critical Mass Belfast City Centre Spin – Belfast

• Saturday 26^th June:
  • Inis Eoghain Cycle - Derry

• Sunday 27^th June:
  • Pedalling Picnic on the North Coast – Coleraine

Check out CycleNI.com for more events over Bike Week and all year round!

Daydreams of a Cyclist...

Posted on April 22, 2010 @ 2:44 PM in

In the spring of my daydreams, I spin along quiet Northern Irish lanes.

The office and the city outside fade away and vivid cycling memories flash past in colours as bright and clear as the view of the Scottish coast from the Torr Head Road in April.

Gorse flowers yellow under a cobalt sky and fills the air with a faint scent of coconut. Then I am speeding downhill surrounded by blackthorn hedges, full of blossom, birdsong and the promise of summer to come. Next on I'm riding around Rathlin Island with my dad or skimming past the lakes and country houses of Fermanagh. Then there are the roads kissing the edge of Stangford Lough, it's drumlin studded waters as blue as the Adriatic in the afternoon sunshine.

If I'm feeling energetic, a climb across the lonely passes of the Sperrins or the Mournes might follow. Otherwise I might be sharing a Sunday afternoon train from back Portstewart with a gaggle of homeward-bound cyclists. We brag of miles ridden and summits conquered while remembering lying in the heather, bike cast aside, searching the cotton wool clouds for the tireless Skylarks.

Come to think of it, why am I dreaming about all this, rather than actually getting on my bike? There are so many choices for great cycling in Northern Ireland - from multi-day epics to gentle afternoon freewheels - and there are some brilliant ideas on this site. Using the Belfast-Londonderry rail line can seriously extend your range by opening up new starting points or offering a pedal-free return route. And if you are not lucky enough to live in Ireland the ferry and air connections are excellent.

This is a fantastic time of year for cycling, so I'll see you out there, making some new memories!!!

Tom Cooper is the author of Cycle Touring in Ireland. To buy the book, priced at £14.95, please click here.

Easter grows closer…

Posted on March 22, 2010 @ 3:09 PM in

A few days off work coupled with some good weather (fingers crossed!) gives us all a chance to get out on our bikes…even if it is just an excuse to get it out of the garage – where my bike has been sitting for quite a while!

Here are a few ideas below to whet your appetite!

The most popular cycle rides on CycleNI.com…

• Lagan and Lough Cycle Way – a 21 mile traffic free cycle route from Lisburn to Belfast and onto Whiteabbey. Cycle it all or try out short sections. A popular stretch is from Lisburn to Lagan Meadows stopping at the Lock Keeper’s Cottage for a cup of tea!

• Comber Greenway – a 7 mile traffic free path from Belfast to Comber. There are plenty of options to take a break in Comber.

• Newry Canal Towpath – a popular cycle route following the River Bann stretching from Portadown to Newry totalling 20 miles in length. If you want to cover the whole route, a good stopping point is the Scarva tea rooms. If you want to cycle shorter sections of the route, facilities exist in all the main towns. 

• Belfast Lough – a 7 mile traffic free cycle route, taking in fantastic views over Belfast Lough, starting at Whiteabbey and finishing in Belfast. Highlighted along the way include Hazelbank Park, Clarendon Dock and Lagan Weir.

• Craigavon Lakes – this 6.5 mile purpose built mountain bike trail creates a challenging and also scenic riding experience. Craigavon Watersports Centre is at the start and end points of the route to stop off and grab something to eat.

Download maps for these routes on CycleNI.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those looking something a bit longer and tougher why not try some of the following… 

• Ballycastle - Rathlin - Cushendall (35 miles/56 km)
  This section uses part of the 425km route from Larne to Ballyshannon. Catch the boat out to Rathlin Island where an almost traffic free, 12 mile cycle trail takes you from its famous bird sanctuaries over to its seal colonies. Back to the mainland and off toward Torr Head, one of Northern Ireland's most infamous climbs by bike. Coast into Cushendall for a well earned break.

• Cookstown - Omagh (42 miles/68 km)
  Start off in Cookstown on the Belfast to Ballyshannon route which totals 390km. The Sperrin Mountains steal the limelight as you pedal through one of Northern Ireland's great unspoiled wildernesses. From Wellbrook Mill, Beaghmore Stone Circles and down the valley into Gortin, the endless landscapes and rich colours repay all the effort. As always, a warm welcome awaits you in Omagh town.

• Portaferry – Comber (41 miles/66km)
  The Strangford Lough Cycle route follows quiet country lanes and coast roads, making this a great introduction to cycle touring. At Portaferry wheel your bike onto the ferry and cross the surging water to sleepy Strangford village. A short pedal from here takes you to Downpatrick… Saint Patrick's town. The last 10 miles of the trip brings you past Castle Espie, an important wildlife centre where walkways and hides get you right up close to nature. Park up at Comber, grab a cuppa and with your appetite whetted, plan your next cycle trip in Northern Ireland.

• Giants Causeway - Benone (22miles/36km)
  For a stunning cycle ride along the North Coast, follow NCN Route 93 between the Giant’s Causeway in the east and Benone in the west, passing through the resort towns of Portrush, Portstewart and Castlerock. Significant stretches of the route are along traffic-free paths.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Either bring your bike with you or hire a bike when you get here.

Bike Hire is available throughout Northern Ireland, please click here for a list of providers.

For longer or shorter options please visit CycleNI.com.