Saturday Spin: 24th May

TinyExplosions

10:00 from Harolds Cross Dog Track, 10:!5 Dundrum.

Route to be decided (el_tonto was talking about having one in mind aimed at taking the Wicklow Gap from behind -ooer missus :eek:)

Chips Lovell

Yes, here's the one I was thinking of. Starting from Dundrum, get out onto the Firhouse Road and then up the climb at Bohernabreena. Then on to Blessington, Valleymount and up the Wicklow Gap from the Western Side. After Laragh, go up the Sally Gap from the South, up by Glenmacnass Waterfall and then home via Glencree and Rathfarham. 110km from a starting point in Dundrum and finishing back in town.

Also, would anyone else be amenable to an earlier start time? 10 is fine for shorter spins, but with the W200 coming up and people putting in long rides, it means you're out for half the day. Even just an hour earlier would make a difference.

niceonetom

el tonto wrote: »

Yes, here's the one I was thinking of. Starting from Dundrum, get out onto the Firhouse Road and then up the climb at Bohernabreena. Then on to Blessington, Valleymount and up the Wicklow Gap from the Western Side. After Laragh, go up the Sally Gap from the South, up by Glenmacnass Waterfall and then home via Glencree and Rathfarham. 110km from a starting point in Dundrum and finishing back in town.

Also, would anyone else be amenable to an earlier start time? 10 is fine for shorter spins, but with the W200 coming up and people putting in long rides, it means you're out for half the day. Even just an hour earlier would make a difference.

+2

that route looks suitably challenging without being overly mental, and i haven't done it before.

i'd be in favour of an earllier start too. 9 o clock would be good. 8 even.

petitioning for an earlier start, dear lawd, what have i become?...

TinyExplosions

niceonetom wrote: »

+2

that route looks suitably challenging without being overly mental, and i haven't done it before.

i'd be in favour of an earllier start too. 9 o clock would be good. 8 even.

petitioning for an earlier start, dear lawd, what have i become?...

9 is good for me... shall we change it to 9 Harolds Cross / 9.15 Dundrum?

kenmc

Me drinking in Brugge for the weekend. There IS no 9am there, cos it's an hour ahead.
Have fun.

blorg

You guys aren't doing the Mick Byrne 200 on Sunday then? ;-)

emty

Very nice route,early start sounds good,btw is the ras going through wicklow tomorrow?

Chips Lovell

emty wrote: »

btw is the ras going through wicklow tomorrow?

You're right, just checked and it is. They'll be coming over Slieve Maan, through Laragh and onto Roundwood, so we'd only possibly intersect with them in Laragh.

TinyExplosions

kenmc wrote: »

Me drinking in Brugge for the weekend. There IS no 9am there, cos it's an hour ahead.
Have fun.

Rome a couple weeks ago, Brugge this weekend... you're earning too much money man!

Mick Byrne is out for me, as I pulled a muscle on Wed on the track, and don't think it'd last 200, so a ton tomorrow, and maybe see about the 100 on Sun

kenmc

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Rome a couple weeks ago, Brugge this weekend... you're spending too much money man!

Fixed

emty

Would it be possible to arrange it so that we are in laragh the same time as the ras?.Might be nice to take a look.

TinyExplosions

emty wrote: »

Would it be possible to arrange it so that we are in laragh the same time as the ras?.Might be nice to take a look.

I wouldn't mind a gander either... we could pretend to be all continental, lining the streets in our cycling gear cheering the chaps on -if only we had our boards kit, and it was being televised we could get on d'telly

trek climber

Any word yet on when you are likely to get the boards kit ?

Chips Lovell

emty wrote: »

Would it be possible to arrange it so that we are in laragh the same time as the ras?.Might be nice to take a look.

My club just sent out an email looking for people to cheer them on. They've provided the following estimated times, based on the possible fastest times.

Slieve Maan Category 14:10
Drumgoff 14:19
Laragh 14:26
Annamoe 14:31
Finish Line at Main Stree Roundwood 14:47

TinyExplosions

trek climber wrote: »

Any word yet on when you are likely to get the boards kit ?

Should be sent out from Portugal by the end of the month, and I was assured we'd have it by the W200, so should be a couple weeks!

el_tonto, what time should we leave to get to Laragh in time based on your info?

Raam

el tonto wrote: »

My club just sent out an email looking for people to cheer them on. They've provided the following estimated times, based on the possible fastest times.

Slieve Maan Category 14:10
Drumgoff 14:19
Laragh 14:26
Annamoe 14:31
Finish Line at Main Stree Roundwood 14:47

I was gonna try see them while they are on the way up Drumgoff, they'll be at their slowest there, I hope, so it should be better than just watch them belt it by in Laragh. Plus it's not too far from Laragh anyway.

kenmc

ye'll really confuse the leaders if ye are climbing away up the hill as they hit the bottom of it

Raam

kenmc wrote: »

ye'll really confuse the leaders if ye are climbing away up the hill as they hit the bottom of it

It's all about the mind games
Seriously though, I'm hoping to get there early.

Chips Lovell

TinyExplosions wrote: »

el_tonto, what time should we leave to get to Laragh in time based on your info?

Should take around three hours to get to Laragh, which would see us arriving there at 12:15 if we left Dundrum at 9:15.

TinyExplosions

el tonto wrote: »

Should take around three hours to get to Laragh, which would see us arriving there at 12:15 if we left Dundrum at 9:15.

So do we leave later, hang around in Laragh, or what way is the best way to do it? We could always act all suprised as they come through with "Oh, didn't think there'd be anyone else up here" when they come past

Chips Lovell

To be honest, while I wouldn't mind seeing the Ras, it's a bit late in the day for me. Hanging around until it goes by means not getting home till after five o'clock.

RtD

I'm probably in, though I'd like to be home, washed, fed and back out to the pub by the time the rugby starts.

TinyExplosions

Then I think the best is to stick to 9 / 9.15 to start then, and screw the Ras

See yer tomorrow

Chips Lovell

kenmc wrote: »

Me drinking in Brugge for the weekend.

They're filming midgets!

dub_skav

Won't be able to join in unfortunately. Night out tonight and I really need a long spin so going to leave it until Sunday and go it alone again. Reckon I'll piss myself on the big day when I'm surrounded by other cyclists.

I'll be doing the Wicklow gap forwards (starting from Arklow) and the Sally Gap backwards. I'll be interested to hear how you all find it.

sy

Luv to join you guys but have a small "boil" in a very delicate area!! :eek:
Can't believe my luck. ( memories of a certain S Kelly in the Vuelta in the late eighties, bet you guys can't remember that one?) May have to rest it for few more days. Enjoy the spin.Will you be heading out next week?

TinyExplosions

sy wrote: »

Luv to join you guys but have a small "boil" in a very delicate area!! :eek:
Can't believe my luck. ( memories of a certain S Kelly in the Vuelta in the late eighties, bet you guys can't remember that one?) May have to rest it for few more days. Enjoy the spin.Will you be heading out next week?

I would certainly imagine so!

Good luck with healing the boil, they're nasty yokes to have

Cadex

Hi, was thinking of doing a loop starting at Rathdrum, through Laragh, the Wicklow Gap around Hollywood, Donard, Rathdangan, Slieve Maan and back to Rathdrum. Have a friend with me who reckons he'd not make much over the 100, so plan is to drive to Rathdrum and cycle from there - at 09:00. The overall plan is to see more of the W200 route and get the Slieve Maan bit done. DO you reckon we'll be able to miss the Ras? I hadn't planned to meet it but wasn't thinking until I read these posts. Best of luck with the route yourselves, sorry I won't be with you this week.

emty

Cadex wrote: »

Hi, was thinking of doing a loop starting at Rathdrum, through Laragh, the Wicklow Gap around Hollywood, Donard, Rathdangan, Slieve Maan and back to Rathdrum. Have a friend with me who reckons he'd not make much over the 100, so plan is to drive to Rathdrum and cycle from there - at 09:00. The overall plan is to see more of the W200 route and get the Slieve Maan bit done. DO you reckon we'll be able to miss the Ras? I hadn't planned to meet it but wasn't thinking until I read these posts. Best of luck with the route yourselves, sorry I won't be with you this week.

That's a nice route but time wise I think you might clash with the ras around slieve maan

Cadex

Hi, Thanks for all advice. We set out to do the route anyway and it went fine. If I am honest, I suspect there were a couple of bits where we were lost but we did take in the route I planned and got in all the climbs I hoped. The idea was to see more of the W200 route and we managed that. It was a bit of a laugh to come to the top of Slieve Maan ahead of the peloton with the team cars all there! It was cool though, they were 40 mins behind us - not that there was a risk of they mixing them up with us!
Hope you got on OK with the spin lads, it sounded like a good route.

dub_skav

How did yis get on with this? How far did you end up going, how long did it take?

Managed to do my planned spin yesterday, Arklow -> Dublin via Wicklow and Sally gaps, 140k all told.
The wind was horrible