Ring of Kerry cycle, Saturday July 3rd 2010

penexpers

It's not 112 miles. Think I recorded it as ~170km last year (~105 miles). The map on MMR is the correct route.

on_the_nickel

Morning,

The family and I are staying in Kenmare, does anyone know if there are any plans to close the roads b/w Kenmare and Killarney on the day?

Will I able to drive over at 6:30 or so on the morning and back afterwards?

AstraMonti

The roads are open all day long, but be very careful, people are doing super idiotic things.

damoz

on_the_nickel wrote: »

Morning,

The family and I are staying in Kenmare, does anyone know if there are any plans to close the roads b/w Kenmare and Killarney on the day?

Will I able to drive over at 6:30 or so on the morning and back afterwards?

I am staying in Kenamre too with family and a couple of others doing the ROK. We will start in Kenmare at 6:30 ish and be in Killarney for the official start at 8:00 and obviously finish up in Kenmare.

1. We get Molls Gap over and done with early.
2. We still get the official start
3. We finish in Kenmare where we can shower and change and then go to the stop at Kenmare for a massage !

Win win win.

All you need to do is register in Killarney the evening before and you can start anywhere. If there are a few others in Kenmare we could even do on official Kenamre start at 6:30 !


Edit : Actually just remembered - see the post from ROK ON on this thread - there will be about 300 starting in Kenmare. hmmm - maybe we could arrange an offical non-official Kenmare start as it would be good to hit out in a group

on_the_nickel

I'm going to seem incredibly thick but that never even occurred to me - it's my first sportive and I was focused on doing the "official course".

Your point make perfect sense - what do I miss by not finishing in Killarney then? Apart from delays, having to drive back and food in Scotts?

shamwari

Does anyone know how the support vans work? Apparently you can give them a bag with a change of gear in it if needed. So where do you meet with the van en route?

damoz

on_the_nickel wrote: »

I'm going to seem incredibly thick but that never even occurred to me - it's my first sportive and I was focused on doing the "official course".

Your point make perfect sense - what do I miss by not finishing in Killarney then? Apart from delays, having to drive back and food in Scotts?

Maybe a photo taken at the finish, and a little bit of anticlimax as people might think your quiting in Kenmare rather than finishing... but i'm willing to trade that for the points i raised above.

penexpers

shamwari wrote: »

Does anyone know how the support vans work? Apparently you can give them a bag with a change of gear in it if needed. So where do you meet with the van en route?

Website says

There will be no facility on the day for minding peoples personal belongings so please ensure that you can carry whatever you need on your person/bike.

I know in previous years they used to let you put gear into vans, but I guess they are going to stop doing this.

madrabui

Just checking in with ye all. There's a bunch of us starting in Killarney. We'll be the overweight, soft stomached newbies.

I've been chatting to a few and some are starting at different points. Some are starting and finishing in Glenbeigh.

One week to go!

murf85

Dont particularly fancy getting caught to do most or all of this on my own...so if any of the boardies fancy setting a meeting place and a time...maybe we could get a group going off together..anyone up for it?

grizzly_beer

murf85 wrote: »

Dont particularly fancy getting caught to do most or all of this on my own...so if any of the boardies fancy setting a meeting place and a time...maybe we could get a group going off together..anyone up for it?

Yeah, I'm up for that I was thinking of going down by myself, but I sort of assumed I would fall in with some group who was going about the same speed as me.. I would assume there is a friendly atmosphere there!

One thing I would like to ask the boards people is... is there anyone going to it from Dublin that I could possibly get a lift with?? I will of course provide some fuel money! The whole prospect of trying to get a bus to kilarney at 6 am or whatever with my bike is not good!

Signal_ rabbit

Myself and joff are heading up for this one, it's a shame the jerseys aren't ready yet. Is there a secret handshake or special greeting to establish who is a Booardsie?

Muckers

Sportive Waterford CC will have about 20 riders all starting at 7am and will probably break into 2 groups early on. Any lonesome hobos are welcome to sit on a wheel.

Aquos76

It's actually Sportif Waterford CC, at the last count it's looking like we will have atleast 30 cyclists doing the ROK this year. Our plan is to set off at 7am sharp and due to the different levels within the club, there will certainly be 2 if not 3 different groups.

Beached

My registration number that came with the sponsorship pack is in the 3,800's. I got that pack last month. My brother got his number sometime last week, somewhere in the 4,400's.
If the numbers actually represent the amount of people signed up, then its gonna be a very busy day on the road next saturday

shamwari

The weather forcast for next weekend suggests that the weather will be "changeable".....

I expect the current settled spell will be over.....:(

CheGuedara

Beached wrote: »

My registration number that came with the sponsorship pack is in the 3,800's. I got that pack last month. My brother got his number sometime last week, somewhere in the 4,400's.
If the numbers actually represent the amount of people signed up, then its gonna be a very busy day on the road next saturday

Gonna be 5000 plus lads - one of our lads has gotten no 4 thousand 4hundred something already!

Based on last years ride with 3800 riders I think giving the heads up before and caution during overtaking will be order of the day. That said I'm looking forward to my 12th ROK - have seen such a change since the first one, the caliber of riders and tech on the road, even remember when there was just a handful of us starting in the wee hours in Kenmare. Some change.

ROK ON

I am due to start from Kenmare at 745 with TourdeMunster gang. However given that I need to be back in Kenmre by 2 I may start at 630.
@che. What time is your gang leavin Killarney. If you don't mind I might attach my wagon to yere train.

paulieb2006

Aquos76 wrote: »

It's actually Sportif Waterford CC, at the last count it's looking like we will have atleast 30 cyclists doing the ROK this year. Our plan is to set off at 7am sharp and due to the different levels within the club, there will certainly be 2 if not 3 different groups.

Might tag along with ye. Sportif Waterford CC dragged me around the Tour de Cure in may. Touching 45kph on the way into Lismore. Good bunch of lads.

Anybody going down from Galway? Not looking for a lift, just wondering would I know anybody.

CheGuedara

ROK ON wrote: »

I am due to start from Kenmare at 745 with TourdeMunster gang. However given that I need to be back in Kenmre by 2 I may start at 630.
@che. What time is your gang leavin Killarney. If you don't mind I might attach my wagon to yere train.

No problem at all lad - I'll get back to you about our departure time, it's in the process of being nailed down

Murph100

I reckon with the numbers in this years ROK, its going to be pretty difficult to keep a large chaingang intact for a decent distance. Some of the carry on last year was unbelievable, so get started early, ahead of the main bunch and keep the stops to a minimum or you'll be playing dodgems all bloody day.

ROK ON

Murph100 wrote: »

I reckon with the numbers in this years ROK, its going to be pretty difficult to keep a large chaingang intact for a decent distance. Some of the carry on last year was unbelievable, so get started early, ahead of the main bunch and keep the stops to a minimum or you'll be playing dodgems all bloody day.

No plans on stopping this year. But 5000 bikes on the Rok could be fun or terrifying depending on who one is with.

henboy

:eek:

Muckers wrote: »

Sportive Waterford CC will have about 20 riders all starting at 7am and will probably break into 2 groups early on. Any lonesome hobos are welcome to sit on a wheel.

CheGuedara

CheGuedara wrote: »

No problem at all lad - I'll get back to you about our departure time, it's in the process of being nailed down

Hmmm, not impressed at this myself but apparently the plan is to meet at the flesk bridge @ 8am and roll on from there.

May try to get an earlier start than that myself, it's either that or run a no stop strategy too and fuel on the wheel for the day and see if I can pick my way through the melee that'll be on the road.

ROK ON

No worried Che. By 8 I hope to be heading toward Glenbeigh ;-)
I'd say with a determined effort ye could catch me.

lescol

With 4000+ cyclists on the road I hope the organisers know what they're doing. I think I'll be looking at a 7.00 start to avoid the worst of the congestion.

Will look out for Sportif Waterford CC:D

Cape Clear

Have decided to do this @ the last minute. Thank God for forward planning and all that! Just wondering if anybody is heading down from Cork City on the morning that would be in a position to offer me a lift? Fuel costs and light refreshments covered. A PM would be much appreciated. Thanks

murf85

Il know by this evening if iv room.trying to get my hands on a bike rack for the car. If i can your more than welcome...if not,i think 3 bikes and 3 lads wud be a bit of a stretch for a hatchback

Cape Clear

Murph,
I have a bike rack which can carry 3 bikes. what kind of car you got?

Regards

Cape Clear

irishmotorist

Met Eireann are starting to consider Saturday. They say:

Saturday will start dry with sunny spells then it will turn humid and cloudy with some rain developing together with hill and coastal fog.

AstraMonti

If anyone is interested I can give a lift from Dublin, I will be driving Friday after work to Killarney and will be returning Saturday after the finish because I have to be home the night.

Why I am doing this anyway?? :rolleyes:

on_the_nickel

Does anyone know if someone can register on your behalf? Or, if one was to begin in Kenmare as opposed to Killarney, can I assume that you can register as you pass through?

In short, do I have to go to Killarney on Friday night??

damoz

on_the_nickel wrote: »

Does anyone know if someone can register on your behalf? Or, if one was to begin in Kenmare as opposed to Killarney, can I assume that you can register as you pass through?

In short, do I have to go to Killarney on Friday night??

Well we have 4 doing it from Kenmare. Not down till late Friday, so the plan is to be on the road at 6:30 and register as we pass through Killarney - should be no bother, assuming we can make it by 8 am ! (i think registration usually overruns till at least 8:30)

NickDrake

Looks like a strong head wind for the first half of the race. That much is at least guaranteed.

Hard to know how the rest of the weather will be

damoz

NickDrake wrote: »

Looks like a strong head tail wind for the first second half of the race. That much is at least guaranteed.

Excellent. I prefer to look at this on the bright side

CheGuedara

Just got my plans for the weekend changed by a last minute work related P.O.S.

Not impressed.

Very not impressed. :mad:

Rapidmike

Hi guys
just wondering if crew starting in kenmare do a group start at 6.30 or
just randomly on the morn . 3 of us from Limerick avg 25 28 kph are
starting at 6.30 anyway from the triangle in town if anyone wants to
make a bigger group .

grizzly_beer

hey, I'm still looking for a lift down from Dublin (my last post is sort of buried at this stage!)
anyway would be much appreciated + I will contribute to fuel costs and whatnot.
cheers!

FrankGrimes

Does anyone know where the food stops and water stops are on the course?

The ROK site just links to this map. The map just has points listed for Killorglin, Caherciveen, Sneem, Kenmare, Waterville and I can't remember which ones were food stops and which were water stops.

It's not a major deal, just would be handy to add them as info points on my Garmin so I know how far I've got to ration water etc.

Murph100

Water will be available at all those towns, along with bananas :rolleyes:

Caherciveen will have food, as will Kenmare, bear in mind last year the main food stop was in the middle of Kenmare, about half a kilometer detour from the route.

Sneem also was a bit confusing as its like a town of two halves divided by a bridge/river. Most people stopped at the west side and bought drinks whilst the actual water stop was over the bridge ( further on ).

Might well be different this year but no harm bearing the above in mind.

irishmotorist

FrankGrimes wrote: »

It's not a major deal, just would be handy to add them as info points on my Garmin so I know how far I've got to ration water etc.

If you've got 2 water bottles, you'll be fine. You'll probably be fine even if you just have one because there's water on top of both the climbs too, but I'd say better safe than thirsty.

Also, don't forget the chocolate. Chocolate everywhere

07Lapierre

Whats the weather forecast for saturday? Are we in for another soaking like last year?

ROK ON

07Lapierre wrote: »

Whats the weather forecast for saturday? Are we in for another soaking like last year?

More than likely. The peninsula tho has several microclimates. While it often rains in say Kenmare to Killarney National Park, it can be dry in Caherciveen.
IIRC the area around Kenmare is one of the wettest areas in Europe by rainfall and likelihood of rainfall.

Last night was very very wet and high winds. Today looks glorious.
Bring overshoes and a gilet/raincape.

penexpers

irishmotorist wrote: »

If you've got 2 water bottles, you'll be fine. You'll probably be fine even if you just have one because there's water on top of both the climbs too, but I'd say better safe than thirsty.

Also, don't forget the chocolate. Chocolate everywhere

It's true. The chances of you running out of supplies anywhere a long the route iare pretty slim.

daymobrew

Murph100 wrote: »

Sneem also was a bit confusing as its like a town of two halves divided by a bridge/river. Most people stopped at the west side and bought drinks whilst the actual water stop was over the bridge ( further on ).

There is a nice stop at the Sneem Hotel, on the way out of town (it is mentioned on the ROK site). Most seemed to miss it last year - I arrived there at 12:40 and appeared to be the first one there.

daymobrew

Limerick are playing Kerry in Killarney on Sunday at 2pm.
If you are driving out of Killarney I recommend doing so before noon or during the first half of the match.

shamwari

"It will be a bright start to Saturday with some sunny spells and a few scattered showers in parts of the west. Cloud will start to build and rain will then spread into the west of the country during the course of the day and will then move northeastwards into parts of Connacht and Ulster. A windy day with moderate to fresh southerly breezes and it will be cooler than of late with temperatures ranging from 17 to 20 degrees" :rolleyes:

on_the_nickel

The ROK is my first proper sportive (I did a 50 miler at the edge of the Peak District when I lived there but that was about 5 years ago), so I'm looking for a bit of guidance.

1. Equipment
I'm planning to bring what I normally bring on my weekend spins, that is, a couple of tubes, levers, multi wrench, pump.

Clothing wise, I'll see what the weather is like but I'll pack for all eventualities. I prefer to be under-dressed rather than over-dressed though, so unless the forecast is for rain all day, might just be short sleeves and shorts!

Foodwise, two bottles, a few bananas, a couple of gels/energy bars and refuel at the stops.

Do I need anything else?


2. Cycling in a bunch and doing a turn
From reading the review of last year, http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055611656 and from that I gather it's pretty much to use common sense, be aware and keep close but not too close to the guy in front and avoid any big movements. And let people know what I'm about to do. Anything else a newbie should know?

Also, if I was able to do a turn at the front, how long should it be?

Any advice welcome.

petethedrummer

on_the_nickel wrote: »

Also, if I was able to do a turn at the front, how long should it be?

Its not a race, so i wouldn't be overly bothered about doing a turn. It can be annoying though for a group if they pass you and you sit on and don't say hello.

Its a 180km so take your time and don't go busting yourself at the front of a big group. You'll be passing people and being passed by others all day, so groups may chop and change. At some stage of the day you'll probably just find yourself at the front of a group without even trying.

irishmotorist

petethedrummer wrote: »

Its not a race, so i wouldn't be overly bothered about doing a turn. It can be annoying though for a group if they pass you and you sit on and don't say hello.

You're right about not being too bothered doing a turn, but IMO it's part of an event and the day, particularly if it's your first one. It's not every day you get to be part of a peloton.

@ on_the_nickel, IMO, if you're going to do some turns at the front of a group, keep an eye on what speed the group is doing before you get there. The first time I did it, I thought I was Sean Kelly and would pull the group along the road and upped the tempo a bit. The more experienced group members roared at me to slow down but I kept on going. Then I overdid it and the same group passed me up the road with ease!