An Cosantóir

28 | BY LT COL MICHAEL DOLAN I Travels with Surly part 3 f you're still with me, whether out of curiosity or genuine interest, you'll be aware that as we head into spring the number of daylight hours will increase and the reasons for not getting on a bicycle will be- come fewer – so it's time to introduce a little bit of accomplishment to the pleasure/pain equation. In this sub- mission I'm looking at the Wicklow Military Road, built between 1800 and 1809 as a means of clearing out the Irish rebels in Wicklow. Engineered by Alexander Taylor and running a distance of 77kms, from The Yellow House in Rathfarnham to Donard in Wicklow, it was protected by garrisons placed in barracks at Glencree, Laragh, Glenmalure, Aughavanagh and Glen of Imaal, and provided the first direct route south through the Wicklow Mountains. It intersected the existing east-west routes at Sally Gap, Laragh and Glenmalure. Much more information can be found in Michael Fewer's book 'The Wicklow Military Road: History and Topography'. I travelled it in June of 2011 and can confirm that an appreciation of bicycle gears is of far greater importance than an apprecia- tion of scenery on a fully-loaded, solo journey like this one. To understand the effect of gears, simply put the bicycle in the highest gear (that's the biggest ring at the front of the chain and the smallest at the back) and cycle up an incline. A number of things might happen – you won't move, the chain might break, or you will grind your way uphill standing out of the saddle – none of them pleasant. Now put the bicycle in the lowest gear – your legs will turn the pedals effortlessly as you inch upwards. Why is this? In the old penny-farthing bicycles, one revolution of the An Cosantóir April 2012 www.dfmagazine.ie pedals gave one revolution of the wheel. Now, gears allow for the transfer of force to reduce effort. The maths of this are beyond me but they involve a certain ratio between the circumference and the diameter of a circle (pi, which is approximately 22/7) coupled with the number of teeth on both the chain-ring and the cog on the cassette. The distance covered by one revolution of the pedals is found by dividing the number of teeth on the chain-ring (the big one in front) by the number of teeth on the cog (the small one at the back) and multiplying the result by the diameter of the wheel. The result will either be in inches or millimetres – depending on the units used for the diameter. All soldiers are familiar with cadence – the number of paces per minute. Applied to cycling, this is closely allied to gears and is what determines the actual speed. There are those who say that cadence is king, and others, nor- mally those with heavy or loaded bikes, who maintain that momentum is your friend! Both camps are right. Speed and momentum is built up by changing gears while maintaining a regular cadence. Just like a car, you don't start in fourth gear! Pedalling at a relatively high cadence – about 80 rpm – is something which can be achieved with practise and it saves wear and tear on both the body and the bike. So to the road trip! My thanks to 2 Fd Arty Regt for a sleeping space at the end and I recommend Clodagh Duff's Café in Laragh as a stop. I've composed a bit of an ode, which I hope captures the journey. You decide.

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