The Real Saturday Spin:Aug 30th

emty

After the overwhelming reponse to Blorg's thread I decided to see if there was anyone left interested in heading out on a demanding hilly spin from the usual place at 10am?Will make it up as I go along but will include the usual suspects just not in the usual order.Distance will be plus 100km.

blorg

I'll be on for this sort of thing; superspin is looking like it will go ahead but around 27/28th September. Raam and myself discovered a nice new climb there just off the N81, I could try to plot a novel route. Have a nifty new bike GPS now too for directions!

Presume we are talking 10am Dog Track, 10.15am Dundrum?

niceonetom

i'm in.

emty

Yes,usual place and times.Btw,reguarding the superspin would it not make more sense to go somewhere that we could cycle back from the sunday rather then get the train.Thats my two cents worth but as always will go with the marjority(Damn this living in a democracy:mad:)

Raam

blorg wrote: »

I'll be on for this sort of thing; superspin is looking like it will go ahead but around 27/28th September. Raam and myself discovered a nice new climb there just off the N81, I could try to plot a novel route. Have a nifty new bike GPS now too for directions!

Presume we are talking 10am Dog Track, 10.15am Dundrum?

Yes, that was a nice climb and I'm glad that you found it. It's quite hidden: you can't really see where it is going to end, but it's not terribly steep. We were taking it easy, so it might be a different story if people are trying to take lumps out of each other.

I won't be going out on Sat though.

blorg

emty wrote: »

Yes,usual place and times.Btw,reguarding the superspin would it not make more sense to go somewhere that we could cycle back from the sunday rather then get the train.Thats my two cents worth but as always will go with the marjority(Damn this living in a democracy:mad:)

You may well be right, after all anywhere we can cycle to we can cycle back from. Still want to keep it at a 200km first day mind

@Raam- that gradient went well over 10%! It was a 2.9km climb gaining 200m.

Cadex

Hey lads, this sounds like just the thing for me but I have a bathroom that won't decorate itself......so I will have to miss it. Enjoy as usual (of course) and see you soon.

PeadarofAodh

I'll put my name down as a possible if my other spin plan falls through

kenmc

I'm probably in for tomorrow. need to be home around 3pm ish though, so don't want to go *too* far away....

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

Raam and myself discovered a nice new climb there just off the N81, I could try to plot a novel route. Have a nifty new bike GPS now too for directions!

Where's this climb?

Lilphich

blorg wrote: »

Have a nifty new bike GPS now too for directions!

Completely off top I know (sorry all). But what GPS did you buy? Didn't you have the garmin 305? I'm in the market for one at the moment (the 305 that is).

blorg

@El Tonto- Climb is just off the N81 up Gortrum Cottages, comes back down onto the N81 at Bohernabreena Road, we crossed over and went up Cromwellstownhill which gives you another 100m or so up, there is some decent cycling that side of the N81 I reckon- better than the N81 if we were heading out in that direction. (See attached for map and elevation.)

@Lilphich- I got an Edge 705. The 305 broke but I now have a new refurb unit back from Garmin. This appears brand new in every way and has a warranty. I will be selling it as soon as I figure out a price, it will come with a brand new unused HR monitor strap (from my 705) but not the cadence sensor. I'm giving Penexpers first refusal on it.

Lilphich

blorg wrote: »

@Lilphich- I got an Edge 705. The 305 broke but I now have a new refurb unit back from Garmin. This appears brand new in every way and has a warranty. I will be selling it as soon as I figure out a price, it will come with a brand new unused HR monitor strap (from my 705) but not the cadence sensor. I'm giving Penexpers first refusal on it.

I'll shoot you a PM about this and let the thread get back on track!

cantalach

blorg wrote: »

I will be selling it as soon as I figure out a price, it will come with a brand new unused HR monitor strap (from my 705) but not the cadence sensor.

So the HR strap for the 305 will work fine with the 705? That'll save me a few bob when I upgrade (to overcome the battery and storage limitations with the 305 that we've discussed before).

Húrin

I live in Rathmines, so it is Harold's X Dog Track you meet at? OR the other one? Where do you stop in Dundrum?

niceonetom

Húrin wrote: »

I live in Rathmines, so it is Harold's X Dog Track you meet at? OR the other one? Where do you stop in Dundrum?

yep. harry's x.

in dundrum it's under the luas bridge.

TinyExplosions

Blorg, I'll take 3rd dibs on the Garmin if necessary!

blorg

cantalach wrote: »

So the HR strap for the 305 will work fine with the 705? That'll save me a few bob when I upgrade (to overcome the battery and storage limitations with the 305 that we've discussed before).

Yes all the accessories are interchangable, including the mounting system.

smithslist

blorg wrote: »

@El Tonto- Climb is just off the N81 up Gortrum Cottages, comes back down onto the N81 at Bohernabreena Road, we crossed over and went up Cromwellstownhill which gives you another 100m or so up, there is some decent cycling that side of the N81 I reckon- better than the N81 if we were heading out in that direction. (See attached for map and elevation.)

Guy's if I may spill the beans on this climb, and say (correct me if i am wrong) that it is called "mountseskin", lookin at the attachment map i am pretty sure it is, as at the bottom of it, you come out on the bohernabrenna rd (just at brittas), i have being up it before and it is not easy.........

its a climb that people don't know of well, as people tend to go straight and climb the embankment.

oobydooby

Nice to meet a few of the regulars and enjoyed that bit of a spin I shared with you:) That was a monstrous route you had planned so hope it worked out for you. I had a lovely solo spin up Cruach, Sally Gap and back by Brittas.

The last two times I went up Barnaculla I was grinding really slowly with no momentum, much slower than walking. This time I'd gone past it before I even realised. Still not quick enough though. It's great following such a good group but I'm afraid it'll be a little while yet before I can keep up on a full spin with you.

kenmc

if you could go up by cruagh and sally gap, then you'd have been able for what John and myself did- we split off just by ballinastoe and came home via enniskerry. I had to be back.
we did a couple of good climbs, and blorgs bike REALLY didn't wanna go up one - first it threw it's chain out of the pram, then decided to blow it's rear wheel up.

ROK ON

What route did ye take. I started out early this morniong and went up Long Hill and around Djouce forest up to the top past the viewpoint for Lough Tay. My plan was to head to Sally Gap and on to Brittas Bay (for a swim). Had to abort at op of Djouce - fog was very dense. Could not see a car that had passed me on the summit after about 5secs. Doubled back down and head for Brittas Bay via Roundwood and Ashford. My descent was severly hampered by gathering fog/loss of nerve due to said fog.

First time up toward Sally Gap via Djouce. The parts I could see were very beautiful. Very tough though (for me anyways), especially the climb just past entrance to Djouce forest, and the climb all the way up to the Lough Tay viewing point, not that I could see Lough Tay!!). I really could have done with a 2nd (even smaller granny ring) or a new lung, or both.

Got upto top at 10.50am. What time did ye make it up Sally Gap - what was visibility like?

BTW, in case people didnt know, there was a van at the 2nd entrance to Djouce forest selling bike spares/parts etc to the MTB guys that were there. A lot less cyclist on the Djouce route than on the road to Sally Gap from Glencree.

kenmc

this was what smithslist and I did:

niceonetom

@oobydooby - good to see you again, and looking mighty fly on the viking if i may say so. you might have been a bit unfortunate in picking this particular saturday spin to have a go. emty came up with a route that was, eh... psychotic very challenging, and there wasn't the usual lazy arses sensible heads there to stop it becoming the plan. i got home some time after 8pm, and have only a very vague notion of where i was for most of the day. there was much climbing. and pain. and jellies. it's all a bit of a blur.

@the rest of ye - great spin today lads. thanks. same again next week?

blorg

kenmc wrote:

blorgs bike REALLY didn't wanna go up one - first it threw it's chain out of the pram, then decided to blow it's rear wheel up.

I think it was trying to protect me, it was a pretty tough one today, far worse than the Sean Kelly. Thanks everybody for waiting for me when my tyre exploded on that !*>? hill and again in Laragh when we noticed that the tube was protruding from the hole!

Map and profile:

blorg

blorg

TinyExplosions

niceonetom wrote: »

and there wasn't the usual lazy arses sensible heads there to stop it becoming the plan

Sorry mate -had to go to the dentist!

blorg

blorg

As you can see, some sheep chasing was involved.

TinyExplosions

Green jersey looking good on ya Tom!