Wicklow 200

cunnins4 · 06-02-2008 12:36pm

Hungrycol wrote: »

My God I didn't want to see another energy bar for a long time after it too!

So true....after my last triathlon I was feeling rather hungry so I ate a load of them at the finish: felt so sick for hours afterward!:o

Mr. Bones · 06-02-2008 10:18pm

Hungrycol wrote: »

My God I didn't want to see another energy bar for a long time after it too!

Some of the energy bars they were giving away at the top of Slieve Maan last year were manky, you wouldn't feed them to yer neighbour's dog!! Nothing beats the oul bananas;)

Raam · 07-02-2008 9:47am

kenmc wrote: »

Does anyone happen to have it mapped out on google maps or google earth or somehow I can get it into my GPS (Garmin Forerunner 305)?
Thanks
K

I have last years route. This year is slightly different though. The descent from Sally Gap goes by Luggalla (sp) instead of Gleanmeacneass (sp)
PM me with your email and I'll send it on. Boards won't let me upload the file type.

kenmc · 07-02-2008 11:05am

Thanks Raam, PM sent.

Entry paid last night! This'll be my first. Am back on the bike to work after 2.5 months travelling, hoping to get out for a spin on Saturday.

blorg · 07-02-2008 12:42pm

My effort last year is here. You'll find others on that site too if you do a search, downloadable into the Edge. For some reason the GPS seemed to go a bit wonky from about Slieve Mann on (the display was frozen, and there are a lot of very straight lines in the result) but up to there it was quite reliable.

I took a course from someone who did it in 2006, edited that with peaks and checkpoints, etc. that I followed- I'll have a look for that. It was very useful to have something that would indicate you were X metres climb from the top of the hill, etc.

EDIT: Clicking on "Similar Activites: Trail Network" gives you a few other ones to choose from. I think I had used setanta's from 2006. This one from superlav has excellent GPS resolution, which is what you want.

bunnygreen · 07-02-2008 11:11pm

Im going to use the Wicklow 200 as prep for this years Etape,as well as the weekly training,anyone else doing the Etape this year?,any advice?,suggestions etc,thanks.

zorkmundsson · 11-02-2008 6:46pm

afternoon folks, reckon i'll give the 200 a rattle this summer. have done no training yet but stood on a weighing scales last night and got a bit of a shock! great motivator, the old vanity.
is it too late now to start in earnest? i cycle 10 miles a day as it is going to college, will start taking the long way back home i think. maybe a long spin on the weekends? 80-100km?

Raam · 11-02-2008 6:53pm

zorkmundsson wrote: »

afternoon folks, reckon i'll give the 200 a rattle this summer. have done no training yet but stood on a weighing scales last night and got a bit of a shock! great motivator, the old vanity.
is it too late now to start in earnest? i cycle 10 miles a day as it is going to college, will start taking the long way back home i think. maybe a long spin on the weekends? 80-100km?

If you start now, then you will have plenty of time to build up.

zorkmundsson · 11-02-2008 6:57pm

Raam wrote: »

If you start now, then you will have plenty of time to build up.

cheers, just let me finish this nutella, chips and cake sandwich and i'll get right on it.

Hungrycol · 12-02-2008 9:31am

zorkmundsson wrote: »

cheers, just let me finish this nutella, chips and cake sandwich and i'll get right on it.

Hummm Nutella (drool). Had it on pancakes this day last week and I think I had a momentarily out of body experience.

If you commute 10 miles a day and do spins at the weekend you'll be fine. Try to incorporate some hills into your weekend spins IMO.

zorkmundsson · 15-02-2008 11:05am

does anyone know, and feel free to tell me to ruck fight off, if there's a deadline for applying for the W200? money's a little tight at the min., but i'm pretty keen to do it.

kenmc · 15-02-2008 11:20am

I *think* it's limited in places rather than time. so when it's full it's full, however long that may take.... of course I'm not able to find that on the webpage now.... i don't see a sign-up deadline though

bunnygreen · 15-02-2008 11:57am

I think its limited to 1500 participants

tunney · 15-02-2008 12:21pm

As long as you bring your own grub and don't mind not getting a certificate you don't actually have to pay. Just cycle the route and follow the crown. As for the cycling jerseys - generally they are cut to fit middle age guys that don't really cycle - i.e. very roomy around the belly.

Diarmuid · 15-02-2008 1:18pm

bunnygreen wrote: »

anyone else doing the Etape this year?,any advice?,suggestions etc,thanks.

Myself and a friend have applied but have to wait to see if we get selected (we live in France). I'd take any advice too..

trek climber · 15-02-2008 1:21pm

tunney wrote: »

As long as you bring your own grub and don't mind not getting a certificate you don't actually have to pay. Just cycle the route and follow the crown. As for the cycling jerseys - generally they are cut to fit middle age guys that don't really cycle - i.e. very roomy around the belly.

Personally I like to get the certificate at the end of the cycle, and as far as I know the cycling jerseys have been discontinued.

zorkmundsson · 15-02-2008 4:16pm

Cheers all, will have to bite the bullet i suppose. Didn't even realise there was the chance of a "free" jersey, just thought it was to cover insurance and the frankly obscene amount of bananas i intend eating on the day.

Raam · 15-02-2008 4:55pm

zorkmundsson wrote: »

Cheers all, will have to bite the bullet i suppose. Didn't even realise there was the chance of a "free" jersey, just thought it was to cover insurance and the frankly obscene amount of bananas i intend eating on the day.

There were no jerseys last year, just "medals" and a cert. Oh, and a very tasty burger. Mind you anything savoury would taste great after eating bars all day.

Planet X · 15-02-2008 5:20pm

It's ''limited'' to 1500 but over 1700 cycled last year.

They'll take your wedge on the morning. I guy told me last year that he payed there and then.

OK, that was last year...........rules change!

niceonetom · 03-03-2008 3:23pm

just signed up today.

now i have a motivator to get some miles done (and a possible excuse to buy a proper bike

).

zorkmundsson · 03-03-2008 3:40pm

niceonetom wrote: »

just signed up today.

now i have a motivator to get some miles done (and a possible excuse to buy a proper bike ).

heh, ain't that the truth. slowly building up th miles on my sunday spins, going all right so far but next weekend will be the true test as there may be a feed of pints on the saturday night.

this will not end well.

snookie · 12-03-2008 6:09pm

Would cycling a hybrid present difficulties?

Chips Lovell · 12-03-2008 7:19pm

In theory no. But it depends on the type of hybrid it is. Something with fat chunky tyres would slow you down and make it a much harder ride. Proper road tyres and I wouldn't see a problem.

Caroline_ie · 12-03-2008 7:42pm

This year I will do it ... and the Sean Kelly Comeragh Challenge too ...

The bigger the hills the more fun you have going down them ...

Raam · 13-03-2008 10:23am

Caroline_ie wrote: »

This year I will do it ... and the Sean Kelly Comeragh Challenge too ...

The bigger the hills the more fun you have going down them ...

SK was good last year. But by god, Mahon Falls was a pain. It was the second last climb and the wind was right in your face and never mind the steep gradient. It was the closest I ever got to getting off the bike and walking up, which quite a few were doing. The road down the other side was more like an MTB trail. Some "larger" feller who I kept passing on all the climbs was always able to belt it past me on the descents. It felt like I was wasting my time putting all the effort into climbing

Caroline_ie · 13-03-2008 1:01pm

Raam wrote: »

SK was good last year. But by god, Mahon Falls was a pain. It was the second last climb and the wind was right in your face and never mind the steep gradient. It was the closest I ever got to getting off the bike and walking up, which quite a few were doing. The road down the other side was more like an MTB trail. Some "larger" feller who I kept passing on all the climbs was always able to belt it past me on the descents. It felt like I was wasting my time putting all the effort into climbing

... might not do the 'challenge' then .... I could do the level below instead ... i am not the best on climbs.

I was chatting to Sean Kelly during the Tour of Ireland Preview last year, just a couple of days after his event, I was asking him how the Comeragh event went and he asked me if I had cycled it myself... and I told him ... I hadn't ...
the cheek of me ... 'Hi Sean, you know your challenge in Waterford? Well, I didn't bother doing it this year' ... * Things not to say to a legend*

Raam · 13-03-2008 1:05pm

Caroline_ie wrote: »

... might not do the 'challenge' then .... I could do the level below instead ... i am not the best on climbs.

I was chatting to Sean Kelly during the Tour of Ireland Preview last year, just a couple of days after his event, I was asking him how the Comeragh event went and he asked me if I had cycled it myself... and I told him ... I hadn't ...
the cheek of me ... 'Hi Sean, you know your challenge in Waterford? Well, I didn't bother doing it this year' ... * Things not to say to a legend*

Go on, do it, it will be a "challenge"

What did he say back to you?

Caroline_ie · 13-03-2008 1:09pm

Raam wrote: »

Go on, do it, it will be a "challenge"
What did he say back to you?

He was mad at me ( in a joking way ) ... he said something like ' What? And you call yourself a cyclist?' ...

Bambaata · 13-03-2008 1:21pm

I've signed up myself for the 200. I've neevr done it before and myu longest distance to date si about 50km! I must start reading about how to approach it diet wise and how to eat on the day! I'm on a new Trek 1.5, i presume it'll do the job ok? I went for a ride up to Johnny Foxes 2 weeks back and did soem of the hills in that area (took a left at Foxes towards Enniskerry), is it those hills we're talking about or similar? Or worse?!!

blorg · 13-03-2008 3:31pm

Trek 1.5 should be fine. Get a few longer rides in on it so you are comfortable with your position on the bike over a longer distance. The hills between Foxes and Eniskerry are pretty steep in places but short; generally most of the climbs on the W200 might not be quite as steep but there are more of them and they are longer.

Wicklow 200

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