Good luck to the brave souls doing the ring of kerry

sooty11

hey guys

well i lost ye all before we even got out of killareny town! it was amazing heading out in the big group. i didnt see a boards jersey for the rest of the day. Ye must have been flying!!
myself and the brother took it at a handy enough pace. averaging 25km/ph. My fastest speed of 52kms was clocked heading into waterville. god i was scared! We had plenty of stops on the way. we actually spent too long at cahersiveen and it did us more harm than good. my bro was feeling the pain at waterville. I was surprised at how fresh i felt at that stage.
my god definetly the worst part for us both was covetown to kenmare. it poured rain the whole way and the wind didnt help. its a long,boring stretch, i though it would never end. i got in a fight with a wasp or something like it along that route and had to flag down the ambulance to get them to give me something cause he got me right under the eye and it was swelling fast.
i was so happy to get to kenmare. molls gap was tough but i made it up with out stopping. i relaxed my shoulders, sat back in the saddle, slowed down my breathing and i was at the top sooner than i expected. with my brother arriving about 10 mins after. we relaxed there for awhile before heading for home. it was a great feeling flyng down from molls knowing we were nearly home. it took 8 hours riding time. my body felt like it was hit by a truck today.
i was talking to a guy after in the gleneagle and he left at 9am and arrvived back at 330!!:eek:, that was savage going. so he advised us for next year not stop for so long. no more than 10 minutes, but stop as much as you need to. and obviosuly more long distance training...
There was no need to bring food. god ive never seen so many bananas in my life! i loved when the official cars past us playing music. it was a great day. and even though im suffering now ill do it again next year.
ive raised about 400 euro on one sponser card. and i yet to see how my second card has filled out.

browneire

Great cycle. We couldn't have been luckier with the weather. There were a good few pace setters which helped the averages. Organisation was top notch, there was a truck load at food in Cahersiveen! Did it in 6:09 and well chuffed as only got a bike 3 weeks ago. The boards.ie jerseys looked the part.

blorg

There was a bit (this was only one of many tables, all of which were constantly replenished:

I ate as much as I physically could at that stop, given that I skipped breakfast (never a good idea, just wasn't available at that time!)

ROK ON

Started in outside Killarney and finished in Kenmare, where the inlaws live (unfotunately if I finished in Killarney I would have had to cycle back to Kenmare. Made it in 6h10m. Have travelled the road from castlecove to Kenmare very very regularly - and agree with previous posters (long and boring). I found it way way tougher than Coomnakista. Have been up and down Mols Gap from both sides in past few months, and the road from Sneem to Balckwater in particular I found much worse. First time ever doing somethin like this (did about 100m), had to finish in Kenmare as I was staying there and wouldn't have been able to get lift back. Great fun. Have been training for 4mths for this, and is so much more enjoyable cycling in a group than out on the back roads of Kildare and Meath on my own. To be honest, apart from cramp (maybe stopped to long in Caherciveen) I found Coomnakista very vey enjoyable, but was with various groups heading up. If anyone knows of a casual cycling group aroound West Dublin let me know, I would much prefer to cycle with a larger group in future. On training runs I averaged 13.5mph, whereas y;day averaged 15.5mph. I put most of this down to cycling in a group. Great experience. Loved it.

daymobrew

kenmc wrote: »

Was that your kid waving a yellow tshirt as promised, on the left of the road maybe about 15km into the route? Long enough garden, stone wall topped with grass perhaps (as we sped by!)

That was my 3 year old niece. My lad is only 7 months old and said it was too cold to be out waving.

Raam

Sounds like a great day was had by all. Well done to everyone.

Chips Lovell

I really enjoyed the weekend. While I knew there wouldn't be that much climbing, I wasn't expecting it to be that flat. Coomakista was really just a long drag and Moll's Gap isn't that tough, although coming right at the end means you do feel it in your legs. It's a beautiful ride up there though.

We were going at a fair old clip and I was really enjoying the pace. I probably got a bit carried away with myself by taking some big pulls near Sneem, which meant I had to let blorg, niceonetom and ollietrex go off up the road before Kenmare. After the food station in Kenmare I took off up Moll's Gap. I caught up with Paul (who'd skipped the Kenmare stop) on the descent and we found blorg a bit further up the road just after the rain started putting his raingear on. The three of us flew back into Killarney, but didn't succeed in catching the other two before the finish. Ride time for me was 5:50 with an average speed of just over 29kph.

The organisation was great. Plenty of food at the stops and the support cars and Garda motorbikes really made a difference, especially at the beginning. The food stop at Kenmare probably could have been better signposted since a lot of folks missed it and the fact that it finished at the Gleneagle wasn't broadcast either, but they're pretty minor quibbles. It was also great to see so many locals lining the road cheering us all on.

I'm surprised no one mentioned yet that myself, blorg, niceonetom and Paul were on the lash until three in the morning that night.

Was also nice to meet some of the guys from Boards who I'd never met before. Ollietrex was flying all day and Harpz was very strong for a guy who hadn't done much long distance stuff before. Ran into showery at the finish line, who recognised the boards kit.

daymobrew

el tonto wrote: »

The food stop at Kenmare probably could have been better signposted since a lot of folks missed it and the fact that it finished at the Gleneagle wasn't broadcast either, but they're pretty minor quibbles.

I agree wrt the Kenmare stop - they needed someone to be at the T-junction.

As I approached the Gleneagle I saw an electronic road sign mentioning the end of the cycle.

Chips Lovell

daymobrew wrote: »

As I approached the Gleneagle I saw an electronic road sign mentioning the end of the cycle.

That's how I found out about it too, but a remarkable amount of people blew right by without spotting it. I don't think it was helped by the fact that it was raining and a lot of people just had the head down gunning for the finish.

Beached

We were so lucky with the weather. Started and finished near kenmare so got molls gap out of the way nice and early. Was too far down the bunch at the start in Killarney to see any Boards jerseys. Never saw as much punctures as i did this year in the first 20K. Smashed heineken bottle in the middle of the street in Killarnet didnt help anyone and i reckon it had got at least 3 riders.
No headwind anywhere, it was a great day. Saw my only boards jersey in Cahersiveen, but was queueing at the time so i couldnt say hello.
Was treated to a real Tour de France moment going up Coomnakista. A 4x4 with a camera man out through the sunroof getting some great shots of us struggling up the hill. Hopefully ill make the DVD.
Only tough bit for me was that little hill before sneem. Its like an optical illusion to me. It does'nt look like a hill, but it kills me every year.
Karma finally caught up to me weatherwise as I got drowned yesterday at the Kerry, Cork match, but i wouldnt have it any other way.
Did it in 7 hrs 10

RobAMerc

Did anyone else have a tangle with a d*ckhead in a Jeep Cherokee blowing his horn and telling everyone to get off the road ?

penexpers

el tonto wrote: »

That's how I found out about it too, but a remarkable amount of people blew right by without spotting it. I don't think it was helped by the fact that it was raining and a lot of people just had the head down gunning for the finish.

I would have gone right past it too only I was with the "23 times in a row" guy and he was able to direct my to it. In hindisght, I shouldn't have stopped in Kenmare and I should have just pushed on.

penexpers

RobAMerc wrote: »

Did anyone else have a tangle with a d*ckhead in a Jeep Cherokee blowing his horn and telling everyone to get off the road ?

I didn't come across this guy but there was a good bit of aggro off a few drivers. There was one coach driver in particular who I came across quite a few times during the day and he was driving quite aggressively. Maybe a suggestion for next year is to see if the coaches can be taken off the road for a few hours.

Pj!

Sounds like a great weekend lads.
Hopefully I'll be up for it next year or the year after.

Beached

penexpers wrote: »

I didn't come across this guy but there was a good bit of aggro off a few drivers. There was one coach driver in particular who I came across quite a few times during the day and he was driving quite aggressively. Maybe a suggestion for next year is to see if the coaches can be taken off the road for a few hours.

I dont think any coach driver should be in a position to be complaining about cyclist's holding up traffic. They hold the drivers up for every other day of the summer.
But the coaches are the lifeblood of south Kerry tourism and there would be no way the would be taken off the road for a few hours.
And if there is a strong headwind, a slow moving coach can be a heaven send

DeepBlue

Like some others on this thread it was my first time doing the ROK or indeed any cycling event so happy enough to make it around in 7 1/2 hours cycling time and a rather leisurely 10 hours total.

From reading comments here I expected a well organised cycle but even still I was amazed at how there was stops and refreshments *everywhere* in every town and village we went through. T'was great getting load of claps and cheers of "well done" going around the course as well. Almost started feeling like a rock star (although that might have been the endorphins ).

Only saw two boardsie shirts briefly at registration time so you guys must have headed away briskly at the start of the group.
Apparently 1600 took part and all the mountains of sambos, scones and brack were made locally and donated by volunteers and the water, chocolate, bannanas and nutrigrain etc donated by sponsors so all money collected went directly to the charities.

The weather was almost ideal, slightly overcast to avoid being roasted by too much sun and yet not dull and also practically no wind. Unfortunately the light sprinkle that started in Castlecove turned into a heavy downpour about a mile short of Kenmare. I'd expected worse weather as it was lashing down on the way into Killarney before the race and the early starters looked like they were half-drowned.

The goal had been to get around the course without suffering too badly and after a month's preparation that was achieved.

Highlights:

• All the cheers and claps
• Whizzing down into Caherdaniel after Coomakista
• Speeding down towards Muckross from Moll's Gap
• Admiring all the bike porn on display at the start of the race
• The two chaps providing musical entertainment during a long wait in Kenmare
• The brunette volunteer in the white top in Cahirciveen :P

Lowlights:

• The politicians holding back the start of the cycle till 8.25am
• Thinking the final bend before Moll's Gap was actually Moll's Gap and realising it wasnt'. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I look forward to it again next year .

Chips Lovell

Beached wrote: »

But the coaches are the lifeblood of south Kerry tourism and there would be no way the would be taken off the road for a few hours.

They would have had to ask them to take the whole day off. I met a guy last night who'd came in at 9pm and he said there were still plenty of people coming in then.

DeepBlue wrote: »

[*]The politicians holding back the start of the cycle till 8.25am

Don't forget the bishop of Kerry.

Harpz

Fantastic event, was delighted with the whole day. headed off in the group setting the pace for everyone (ok tailing behind the pace car!).
Kept up with group till sneem. El tonto dropped me not long after the last stop when I hit a real low by being passed out by a touring couple dawdling along complete with panniers. Picked up again soon after and finished up at about quarter to four.
Was delighted with that, given my previous longest cycle was the WW100 and I had done no training.
Nice meeting all the boards boys.
Photos???

DeepBlue

Beached wrote: »

Never saw as much punctures as i did this year in the first 20K. Smashed heineken bottle in the middle of the street in Killarnet didnt help anyone and i reckon it had got at least 3 riders.

From Killarney to Killorglin was littered with bikes propped up on the roadside getting punctures repaired. I think the support vans got a little swamped. Got a little nervous as I hadn't brought any spare tubes or anything but thankfully got around without any punctures.

Beached wrote: »

Only tough bit for me was that little hill before sneem. Its like an optical illusion to me. It does'nt look like a hill, but it kills me every year.

That section looks so flat and yet when I hit it I thought I'd gotten a flat or something as it seemed like cycling through wet sand. Thankfully it only lasted a relatively short stretch but it's *so* deceptive.

TinyExplosions

DeepBlue wrote: »

From Killarney to Killorglin was littered with bikes propped up on the roadside getting punctures repaired. I think the support vans got a little swamped. Got a little nervous as I hadn't brought any spare tubes or anything but thankfully got around without any punctures.

Don't talk to me about punctures... did the good samaritan bit and stopped to help a guy that had no pump, and got totally filthy for my troubles -it did amuse the others in Sneem though when I caught up with them

kenmc

you have to admit though, as excuses go, covering yourself in oil and blaming someone else's chain is fairly good

TinyExplosions

kenmc wrote: »

you have to admit though, as excuses go, covering yourself in oil and blaming someone else's chain is fairly good

I'm going to start bringing a tub o grease with me for the next time I get dropped

Chips Lovell

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Don't talk to me about punctures... did the good samaritan bit and stopped to help a guy that had no pump, and got totally filthy for my troubles -it did amuse the others in Sneem though when I caught up with them

I really hope someone got a picture of that. You looked like a coalman. Did it wash out of your kit? And didn't that guy tell you he'd greased his chain?

TinyExplosions

el tonto wrote: »

I really hope someone got a picture of that. You looked like a coalman. Did it wash out of your kit? And didn't that guy tell you he'd greased his chain?

It was something like that anyway -oil, grease, at that stage I was ready to throttle him thinking of the damage it would do to my lovely white bar tape! Blorg has a pic of my hands, think I got away without anyone getting a full shot.

Shorts went through the wash last night, and still got oil/grease on it -any tips for removing anyone?

kenmc

could try swarfega.

TinyExplosions

kenmc wrote: »

could try swarfega.

It'll be my next try -couldnt find any between Heuston and Home yesterday

unionman

Sounds like you all had a great time guys, really hope to be there next year. Well done to all involved.

blorg

TinyExplosions wrote: »

It was something like that anyway -oil, grease, at that stage I was ready to throttle him thinking of the damage it would do to my lovely white bar tape! Blorg has a pic of my hands, think I got away without anyone getting a full shot.

I have a full pic of you although it doesn't really come out as dramatic as it looked in the flesh. Just going through the photos now- I think I may need permission before posting some of them (I'm thinking in particular of the one of Ken and Harpz doing their stretches in Sneem )

ollietrex

Blorg do you have any of me? I need some to send to people at work as proof I actually did it, lol

LDB

TinyExplosions wrote: »

It was something like that anyway -oil, grease, at that stage I was ready to throttle him thinking of the damage it would do to my lovely white bar tape! Blorg has a pic of my hands, think I got away without anyone getting a full shot.

Shorts went through the wash last night, and still got oil/grease on it -any tips for removing anyone?

I use WD40 to get grease out of clothes, works a treat for me.
I usually treat it as soon as it happens so not sure if it will work after being in the wash.
Scrub it with the WD40 and then some hand soap, then into the wash.