Ring of Kerry cycle, Saturday July 3rd 2010

AstraMonti · 03-07-2010 9:19pm

ROK ON wrote: »

As well as Astra Monti (very strong all day)

I wish man! After the descent.. (where you stopped to fix your saddle) something happened.. by stomach felt really really bad.. I couldn't drink or eat anything as I was feeling that I want to throw up. And that was the end for me, I switched off after that. I was lucky that Irishmotorist ( I hope I didn't messed the nicks!) caught me and we had a really nice chat and made me forget the stomach for a while.. but it was not long till I was dropped.. anytime that I tried to push my stomach complained.. so I said feck it I ll enjoy the scenery.

I went um molls gap with 140HR, actually just leisurely spinning the legs. Everyone was passing but I couldn't care less at that point, just want to get over with it. At some point, I look back and saw a lady with an old bike closing fast, and there I was with my lycra and my carbon bike ready to be overtaken. I couldn't accept that! I stood up like a man... unclipped.. and went for an unneeded leak on the side and let her pass

I descended surprisingly well, passing a large amount of people, but when we hit the flat, I was there enjoying the scenery again.

Anyway it was good as last year, I met lots of people, grizzly bear (really sound man!), dave11, irishmotorist (thanks for the company, it was lovely to meet you) and ofc Rok On

Funny part, I tried to start a conversation with a man in his 50s who was from a village god knows where.. I honestly and truthfully say.. I didn't understand a SINGLE word of what he said. He could be speaking gaelic to me!

Edit: I missed the El Tonto train though

rash · 03-07-2010 10:09pm

anyone know anything about a rider overshooting the 1st bend on descent of Molls Gap after the lake, guy I was with, saw a number of riders stopping at this bend and hearing one say "he's gone over"??.
hope no harm done.

Murph100 · 03-07-2010 11:26pm

Apparently he's ok, according to 2 Gardaí outriders I know, he was fortunate enough to meet a branch of a tree mid flight which broke his fall of nearly 50 feet ! :eek:

Apparently was actually climbing back up when the emergency services came on the scene.

rash wrote: »

anyone know anything about a rider overshooting the 1st bend on descent of Molls Gap after the lake, guy I was with, saw a number of riders stopping at this bend and hearing one say "he's gone over"??.
hope no harm done.

DeepBlue · 04-07-2010 1:13am

Ky Abu wrote: »

Hey... Im very interested in challenging myself to do the Cycle next year. I know this is a hard question to answer, because everyone has different levels of fitness... BUT..

How long would the most people (people who did this cycle as a challenge) have trained for prior to the event??

http://www.maccfund.org/trek100/riders/train.pdf

If you follow that plan (or as close to it as possible) you would get around the course comfortably and enjoy it.

petethedrummer · 04-07-2010 1:27am

I'd go along with what penexpers said. And also I think the problem is the disparity in speed. And people busting themselves to keep up with large groups they're not able for. The number of muscular legged, gaa men in runners wobbling all over the road to try and keep up on the smallest of inclines eventually wore me down. With 5000 cyclists there is no way to get a group of 15-50 faster cyclists around a small group out for one day, without a whole load of crazy passing. If you don't like the craziness you're gonna have to forgo the luxury of being towed around and get into a small group or go on your own.

petethedrummer · 04-07-2010 2:13am

Did i mention i met jimmy white last night as i left the campsite and Walked passed the gleneagles hotel? Well i did. This camping lark is a mixed bag. My tent is undoubtedly the worst put together in the entire field and i lie here i shame at my tent construction skills. There is quite the wind blowing and my fenix tied to the 'ceiling' is doing quite the merry dance. On the upside i haven't been bummed against my will by any of the locals. The night is still young though. I ordered a second wopper on the way home so at least breakfast is sorted.

Plastik · 04-07-2010 8:46am

6.40 on the bike, 7.40 car to car. Was very happy with my time. Insane amount of people out on bikes, there were still people between Sneem and Kenmare yesterday evening about 7pm, there might have even been others further back than that!

ROK ON, you had problems with your saddle, did you pull up outside the closed bike shop (what a day to not be open!!) in Sneem and sit on his window ledge for a few minutes?

Would I do it again, yeah, probably. There was only Murf85 and myself clipping along at a nice pace for large periods until about 110km which meant all the passing was handy enough. I had a tough time between C'daniel and Sneem though so ended up doing the last 60k or so solo.

Big bad Enda Kenny was out on his bike also, spotted him at the C'civeen food stop!

Signal_ rabbit · 04-07-2010 9:13am

It was a good day, myself and Joff started at 6am and avoided the crowds and the mayhem and we even had some of the roads we had to ourselves. We were back by lunchtime and avoided the rain which is always a bonus.

I thought the food stops were very very good at the lads playing Elvis at the top of Molls Gap was quite surreal.

Only saw one Boards.ie and that was at the end about two ish, i went over to say hello but he shot off, don't know who he was, but he was tall and had a white Planet X with white sidi over socks I think.

Went for a fantastic steak in The Flesk restaurant after wards, great service I highly reccomend it.

Cape Clear · 04-07-2010 9:53am

What a day!
Top class a tough but doable cycle. Perfect weather conditions great food stops. Redmaxi descended like a bullet from Coomakista. Was struggling a bit on Molls Gap when I pulled alongside a cyclist with an artificial leg powering along. I soon lost any sympathy for myself. Fair play to the man. Also great work by Waterford CC had an amazing road train going from Killarney. Well disciplined and organised. Meet the nicest of people yesterday. Will defo be back. Thanks goes to Redmaxi for the lift down in the morning worth the early start was well worth it.

moby2101 · 04-07-2010 10:31am

Hi
Off topic ... How does one get to purchase a COOL boards.ie jersey?

henboy · 04-07-2010 6:26pm

Had A good day on this yesterday did it with my club Sportif Waterford CC . My time was 6 hours flat very happy with that bet my time by 30 mins from last year . Avg was around 29kph once again very well organised couldn't ask for better weather .

Well done to all

madrabui · 04-07-2010 6:37pm

Great craic altogther. The event is about raising money for charity and not trying to make the best time. Stopped off for coffee at the pastisserie Petit Delice in Cahersiveen who were giving discounts to cyclists.

I think a few hit the bridge at Galway's bridge after ladies view.

The only thing thing that pissed me off was cyclists dumping the water bottles. It's not a race, I wish they put time aside to put the bottles back at the feeding stations.

There were still a poor few souls finishing at 8 who had taken part with double suspension bikes. They really appreciated the applause at the finish line.

Murph100 · 04-07-2010 6:41pm

+1 F@&KING EEJITS ! :mad:

madrabui wrote: »

The only thing thing that pissed me off was cyclists dumping the water bottles. It's not a race, I wish they put time aside to put the bottles back at the feeding stations.

grizzly_beer · 04-07-2010 7:17pm

That was the 1st cycling event I've ever done, I thought it was amazing!! scenery/organisation and general atmosphere were all fantastic!
I thought the hardest bits were after the halfway mark where some of the roads had really a crappy gravely surface, I just felt like giving up and finding somewhere nice to sleep then! but at the hill to molls gap I suddenly got a 2nd wind and raced to the finish, afterwards I felt strangely energised!

Big-up to AstraMonti for being ridiculously sound and going out of his way to give me a lift from Dublin and back!

:D:D

also @ Ky Abu, just for your reference I went on my first long cycle ever on the 29th of May and I was able to complete the ROK (and in between I was sick and took 2 weeks off!) before that I'd only ever cycled to work and such.

also I found this on the ROK's facebook site...

cantalach · 04-07-2010 7:42pm

I really enjoyed the day. My moving time was 5:38 (30.2km/h) and I was pretty happy with this.

I agree with the comments made by others that the huge numbers of slow moving cyclists all over the road made it very dangerous at times. Call it inexperience if you like but what I saw in many cases was a complete and utter lack of common sense. There were people cycling right down the middle of the road, people suddenly pulling out without looking, people stopped in the road, etc.

If the event is to continue to grow, something like start waves based on ability is definitely the way to go.

FrankGrimes · 04-07-2010 7:44pm

madrabui wrote: »

The event is about raising money for charity and not trying to make the best time.

For you maybe, but not necessarily for all. A sizeable portion of the participants are people that are just doing it as their one major cycle of the year to raise funds, while another sizeable portion are people who cycle regularly and will do this event as one of several they do every summer - as those cyclists train for the events, many naturally want to push themselves and there should be no issue with this as long as they do it in a safe manner. Both types of participant raise funds for charity and both have some idiots, but it's the combination of both groups participating that makes events like this such a success.

And it was a success - I believe there were over 4,500 participants on the day and the weather and less wind than last year made for a really enjoyable day - everyone seemed to be in great spirits no matter how much they were suffering. Fair play again to the locals for all the great support they gave to passing riders around the course. I think I only saw one bus on the route this year: not sure if the organisers arranged for buses to stay off the route, but kudos if they did as it removed what was a bit of a safety hazard last year.

The number of cyclists who were just cruising along in the middle of the road or taking up the entire lane with just 2 riders was pretty disappointing - it made overtaking more dangerous than it needed to be. To be fair to those people though, I think it was largely due to ignorance and I reckon that including a leaflet on Dos and Don'ts with the registration cards would educate at least a portion of participants and cause them to be more conscious of their road positioning. Can't do any harm.

I started at 7.45 and had no issues with volumes of cyclists on the route, neither did my mates who all started at 7.15. A mate of a mate did it in just under 5 hours with just a few minutes of stoppages. Him and his buddy are hardcore cyclists over from Oz but their incredible 34km/h average shows there weren't too many roadblocks. I thought the event was very well run and the food at the stops was plentiful.

My ride was almost a mirror image of last year: solo for all bar the 20km into Carichiveen and 10km into Sneem - beyond that I couldn't find groups that were a good fit. But I do enjoy the test of grinding it out on my own and it means I can take in the scenery more than I would in a group with having to concentrate on the wheel in front of me so I was really enjoying it. When I felt surprisingly strong at the start of the Waterville climb I realised beating last year's time was on so I went for it from there and was delighted to come home in 5:49. That's the exact same time as last year but I had an extra 1.7km on the clock this year giving me an average of 29.1 km/h vs 28.8 km/h last year. Given my relatively low preparation this year, I was over the moon with that and the steak and pints tasted all the better last night as a result!

Roll on next year!

showry · 04-07-2010 7:44pm

I really enjoyed it again. I didn't see any of the 5 abreast, saw plenty of marshals and generally thought the experience better than last year. We didn't leave until 8:30 and spent most of the time passing groups (without any problem). There didn't seem to be nearly as much traffic as previous years; last year every camper van in the country seemed to be on the route. My main gripe was with the solo riders who tended to stay out on the white line rather than in on the left. As people have said it's a charity spin not a sportive so it's best to treat it as such and enjoy the atmosphere without worrying about times and speed. I love the brack, the families cheering all along the route, the Kerry Rose handing out sweets, the brack, the scenery. Have I mentioned brack?

karlmyson · 04-07-2010 8:23pm

I was with cantalach and four others all the way round, and our ride time was the same, 5:38, for an avg of 30.2kmph. We had great fun in Kenmare discussing how we could maintain the average above 30kmph with Molls to come (we had an average of 30.5kmph to Kenmare). In the end we neutralised the climb - we usually ride hills as hard as we can individually and regroup on top. We still passed everyone in sight(!), average was 29.6kmph at the top, so then we hammered into Killarney from the top. I suffered in the last 10k but managed to hang on with my companions who eased a few times to let my legs work themselves out.

Great day, super organisation, great food stops. Not much you can do about the sheer popularity of the thing without really regulating it with waves, and that would add a level of administration which in itself would deter the casuals. It's great to see so many cyclists on the road. You just have to keep your wits about you as you pass (all the time). One incident on Coomakista as our group passed a few slow people - a guy wavered from the left to the middle of the road very unexpectedly and I nearly came down in my effort to avoid a collision. It resulted in me losing the wheel I was on and I really struggled with the top 1.5km as I tried to regain good momentum.

Delighted with the day tho.

Bobbins · 04-07-2010 8:47pm

This was my 4th experience of a cycle event such as this and I have to say it was the one I enjoyed the most! The organisation was spot on, the lads in the van playing Paolo kept me going! Although when one of the cars came up behind me on Moll's Gap playing 'Speedy Gonzales' I do feel that there was a bit of tongue in cheek going on seeing as I was cycling at about 9 miles an hour!!! :P

I do agree that there was some lunacy on the roads and the sheer numbers perhaps made it a little more intimidating for a novice like myself and although I did feel it was difficult to overtake due to an apparent lack of awareness of other participants it was the level of 'undertaking' that freaked me out the most. One woman in particular was lethal and of course I kept meeting her along the route!!!!:rolleyes: In saying that, it's true what they say, the more the merrier!! If it wasn't such an open event, it might detract from the day.

I agree with another poster about the litter throwing, particularly in Sneem Square, ppl were just discarding bottles and wrappers with no thought as to who was picking them up, hardly fair on the wonderful volunteers and residents who made us all so welcome....

All in all it was a great day....everyone seemed to be in great form and the cheers from the locals really spurred me on. Dare I even say it...I enjoyed Moll's Gap....:eek:

Roll on the Kelly cycle in August......:)

la calera · 04-07-2010 9:47pm

First time doing ROK, and really enjoyed it. Group I was in was going a bit too quick though to enjoy the scenery, but we got through in a good time. Agree there were a few hairy moments/riders, but to be expected with such numbers of amateurs (don't shout - I just mean people who don't cycle in a group on a regular basis). Amazing organisation re food and support along the way, totally incredible considering the number taking part and hats off to all volunteers!!!!!

NickDrake · 04-07-2010 9:49pm

It was a great day. Got round in 5.32. Pleased enough with that considering a puncture wrecked my rythm.

I have to say its great to see lots of positive comments on here as it is a great day and the locals really look forward to it every year.

regarding the negatives. Get over yourselves and just get on with it. Ya there were some novice riders out there but just overtake them and get on with it. Complaining about the road surface and the wind is just pussy talk. It is usually the Dubs who do this as they are used to dual carrageway cycling.

Some people came on here to give out and its a real shame. its a great day and long man it continue and shame on the negative comments.

thebouldwhacker · 04-07-2010 10:01pm

I missed it this year:mad::mad:
Thats the third cycle this year I've missed.... I hate you all.

on_the_nickel · 04-07-2010 10:10pm

I had a great day, some with my mate, some on my own, some in various groups. I didn't see any major stupidity and tho I rolled out of Killarney at just before eight, i thought it was very well managed.

The only thing that sticks out was b/w Sneem and Kenmare. I started in Kenmare so was finishing there, I felt good and was pushing for a good time, overtaking a fair few people on the way. I overtook a couple of lads from one particular club and another two about 100 yards further on. Then the four of them overtook me. Fair enough I thought, but once they got ahead of me, they sat back and started chatting to each other, dropping the speed to what it was when I passed them.

Why? What's the point? I can only think they were pissed off by someone in an Aldi jersey passing them so had to get back. I had to go around them again and pushed on but have to say it was kind of annoying and put me off joining a club. I know it's not representative but my perception was there was a little of the "us and the plebs*" going on from some clubs. Having said that, I was chatting to a few lads in club colours and they were sound.

*probably not the right word to use here

poolboy · 04-07-2010 10:21pm

NickDrake wrote: »

regarding the negatives. Get over yourselves and just get on with it. Ya there were some novice riders out there but just overtake them and get on with it. Complaining about the road surface and the wind is just pussy talk. It is usually the Dubs who do this as they are used to dual carrageway cycling.

Some people came on here to give out and its a real shame. its a great day and long man it continue and shame on the negative comments.

+1 (apart from the dubs comment Ill distance myself from that one) i hope they dont stagger start on ability it will ruin a special event. My day was interrupted by cramp in one leg that just would not go away from sneem on but surprisingly i realised at top of molls gap i would be faster than last year. Rolling time 6 13. See you next year ROK for the hat trick. Many thanks to organisers and volunteers great job:D

kerryscoob · 04-07-2010 10:23pm

Excellent event,from the sign on to the food stops to the woman supplying the spring water.

Can't say enough, alot of other events could learn a few things from the organisation of this charity event.

Suffered heading into Sneem but Molls was not half as bad as I
had expected.

6Hrs 39Min with the doctor telling me last Monday I hadn't a hope of completing the event, missing 5 weeks leading up to it certainly didn't help so roll on next year. As Roy Keane said "Fail to prepare, prepare to fail"

For anyone thinking of taking up cycling I hadn't been on a bike in over 20 years and hooked big time.

Aquos76 · 04-07-2010 10:36pm

Found this on another site,

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/39143274

CptMackey · 04-07-2010 10:40pm

My self and the buddy did it in 7:30
The worst part was before the hill down to sneem. Thought I was going to die. Actually enjoyed going up molls gap even tho I could hardly sit on the saddle for five mins after leaving kenmare. Coming down from ladies view was scary especially when the bus stopped dead in front of us and about 20 odd cyclists. :eek:

As for the negatives I thought a few of the fellas decked out in all the gear got annoyed when ever We passed them out wearing or cheap stuff. They would then fly past you on blind corners :rolleyes:

Well done to the organisers, very well run. Keep it set up the way it is.

FrankGrimes · 05-07-2010 1:02am

NickDrake wrote: »

It was a great day. Got round in 5.32. Pleased enough with that considering a puncture wrecked my rythm.

I have to say its great to see lots of positive comments on here as it is a great day and the locals really look forward to it every year.

regarding the negatives. Get over yourselves and just get on with it. Ya there were some novice riders out there but just overtake them and get on with it. Complaining about the road surface and the wind is just pussy talk. It is usually the Dubs who do this as they are used to dual carrageway cycling.

Some people came on here to give out and its a real shame. its a great day and long man it continue and shame on the negative comments.

5 years on Boards.ie and I've rarely found myself thinking 'wouldn't it be great if there was a way of blocking out posts from a particular user'...but responding to balanced feedback on ways of potentially making the event safer and better with this narrow-minded tripe caused me to have a look. And it turns out there's an Ignore Poster feature right there when you click on a poster's username. Good day to you sir!

vektarman · 05-07-2010 10:00am

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

I missed it this year:mad::mad:
Thats the third cycle this year I've missed.... I hate you all.

I was wondering why I didn't see you, half expected to bump into you again after chatting at the Tour de Cure, didn't see any boards jerseys apart from Penexpers who kept me company for a few K's.

+1 on the organisation again, I found the cycle much easier than last year which was my first long cycle, I've now 8,000 km's under my belt since then, the cycling bug has truely bitten me

cantalach · 05-07-2010 11:20am

NickDrake wrote: »

regarding the negatives. Get over yourselves and just get on with it. Ya there were some novice riders out there but just overtake them and get on with it. Complaining about the road surface and the wind is just pussy talk. It is usually the Dubs who do this as they are used to dual carrageway cycling.

Some people came on here to give out and its a real shame. its a great day and long man it continue and shame on the negative comments.

What a gem. Other nationalities would say "that was great but what could we do to make it even better next year?" but we tend to say "ah sure that was grand so lets just pat ourselves on the back for the next 10 years and make no further improvements." Worse still, we'll have a go off anyone who suggests otherwise and rocks the boat. This underachieving, satisfied-with-mediocrity attitude is precisely what drove Roy Keane scatty in the run up to the '02 World Cup.

There's a world of difference between pointless whingeing about things beyond the control of organisers/participants, and constructive criticism of things that they have some influence over. If you think that the latter is shameful then the real shame is on you.

Mass participation charity bike rides elsewhere can safely accommodate much larger numbers without anything like the same amount of congestion. Consider measures like a mandatory safety briefing, safety reminders at intervals around the course (perhaps combined with the distance markers?), start waves, proactive marshalling of cyclists rather than just the motorists, etc.

The Ring of Kerry is a great event and hats off to everyone involved in organising it for making it so. As with everything though, there is always room for improvement. And if this isn't the appropriate forum for suggesting this, where is?

NickDrake · 05-07-2010 11:36am

FrankGrimes wrote: »

5 years on Boards.ie and I've rarely found myself thinking 'wouldn't it be great if there was a way of blocking out posts from a particular user'...but responding to balanced feedback on ways of potentially making the event safer and better with this narrow-minded tripe caused me to have a look. And it turns out there's an Ignore Poster feature right there when you click on a poster's username. Good day to you sir!

Ah get over yourself. Did you ever think that you are the one being narrow minded?

It was a great day and stop coming on here giving out about it. 99% of the cyclists had a great day but there is anways one as they say

CheGuedara · 05-07-2010 11:49am

NickDrake wrote: »

....there is always one as they say

The irony...

07Lapierre · 05-07-2010 11:52am

FrankGrimes wrote: »

For you maybe, but not necessarily for all. A sizeable portion of the participants are people that are just doing it as their one major cycle of the year to raise funds, while another sizeable portion are people who cycle regularly and will do this event as one of several they do every summer - as those cyclists train for the events, many naturally want to push themselves and there should be no issue with this as long as they do it in a safe manner. Both types of participant raise funds for charity and both have some idiots, but it's the combination of both groups participating that makes events like this such a success.

And it was a success - I believe there were over 4,500 participants on the day and the weather and less wind than last year made for a really enjoyable day - everyone seemed to be in great spirits no matter how much they were suffering. Fair play again to the locals for all the great support they gave to passing riders around the course. I think I only saw one bus on the route this year: not sure if the organisers arranged for buses to stay off the route, but kudos if they did as it removed what was a bit of a safety hazard last year.

The number of cyclists who were just cruising along in the middle of the road or taking up the entire lane with just 2 riders was pretty disappointing - it made overtaking more dangerous than it needed to be. To be fair to those people though, I think it was largely due to ignorance and I reckon that including a leaflet on Dos and Don'ts with the registration cards would educate at least a portion of participants and cause them to be more conscious of their road positioning. Can't do any harm.

I started at 7.45 and had no issues with volumes of cyclists on the route, neither did my mates who all started at 7.15. A mate of a mate did it in just under 5 hours with just a few minutes of stoppages. Him and his buddy are hardcore cyclists over from Oz but their incredible 34km/h average shows there weren't too many roadblocks. I thought the event was very well run and the food at the stops was plentiful.

My ride was almost a mirror image of last year: solo for all bar the 20km into Carichiveen and 10km into Sneem - beyond that I couldn't find groups that were a good fit. But I do enjoy the test of grinding it out on my own and it means I can take in the scenery more than I would in a group with having to concentrate on the wheel in front of me so I was really enjoying it. When I felt surprisingly strong at the start of the Waterville climb I realised beating last year's time was on so I went for it from there and was delighted to come home in 5:49. That's the exact same time as last year but I had an extra 1.7km on the clock this year giving me an average of 29.1 km/h vs 28.8 km/h last year. Given my relatively low preparation this year, I was over the moon with that and the steak and pints tasted all the better last night as a result!

Roll on next year!

I think the organisers did a fantasic job. It was a great day and the fact that so many cyclists took part confirms this. There were cyclists of all abilities, of all shapes and sizes etc. that THATS what makes it so special. There's no medal for finishing first.

One observation...maybe the local cycling club (Kilarney/tralee) could be asked to act as "cycle Marshals". That is, maybe they could cycle the route offering advise to less inexperienced cyclists, you know, advise them to cycle on the left, to give way to faster moving cyclists, not to "hog" the road etc.

A staggered start might also help to spread out the numbers and will also encourage advance registrations via the website.

Having said that...finished in 6 hours myself...great day, missed the rain though! (well i have to complain about something

)

Lawr · 05-07-2010 11:57am

My first ring of Kerry charity cycle. I wanted to do it last year (Year 2 WC--without a cigarette), but didn't think I was in good enough shape.

This year (3 WC), aged 53, I managed to get around the ring in less than 8 hours, 7hours, 12 minutes in the saddle according to my cycle computer. I am guessing that I had stopped for around 45 minutes for breaks. I was tracking my ride on my N97, but he phone died in Kenmare, 136 kms into the trip. At that point, the phone says that I was averaging 22.5kph, with top speeds of 55.8kph (those descents were gas). My bike computer (a wired speedometer) recorded a total of 175.5kms, and that includes the trip back to my car. It says that I averaged 24kph, with a maximum of 54kph, slower than the max recorded by the phone. I was slower going up the hills than I had expected, as I like hill climbing and do it all the time here in north Limerick/southern Clare/northern Tipperary counties. However, the two hill climbs on the ring are a lot longer and higher than the one's I'd be accustomed to, and I was probably more hydrated than I realized by the time we hit the first of the big hills after Caherciveen, so, gratuity of this experience, I've a training hint for next year's charity cycle.

I experienced some cramping of a muscle or muscle group in my inner thighs (both) while climbing the hills, especially the second one after Kenmare. I didn't even know there was a muscle there, so... I'll be working on developing those muscles for next year.

I know there was some kvetching on Boards.ie about passing slower cyclists. From a slower cyclist's perspective, I thought that some on the road were unnecessarily aggressive, that their time mattered more than the safety of those they passed. I had quite a few groups advance on me when I was in the middle of the road passing a slower cyclist or on the left-hand side of the road going at my own pace. Several times, some on the inside of those groups got much closer to me than I was comfortable with, almost as if they were trying to force me further to the side, or off of, the road. I am sure they feel justified in doing that, but to me it was just inappropriately aggressive given the venue.

To me the real heroes were those on some real heavy old clunkers and High Nellies who were just determined to do the distance and steadily made their way to the finish. No fancy bikes or Lycra. Just steel and plenty of baskets. Saw one guy with a cardboard box strapped to the rack on the back of his bike. Kudos to all of them and to their spirit.

cantalach · 05-07-2010 12:14pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

One observation...maybe the local cycling club (Kilarney/tralee) could be asked to act as "cycle Marshals". That is, maybe they could cycle the route offering advise to less inexperienced cyclists, you know, advise them to cycle on the left, to give way to faster moving cyclists, not to "hog" the road etc.

That is a super idea! Give them a day-glo 'Event Marshal' sticker for the seat post so that they could be recognised and not just taken as somebody letting off steam. I'd happily volunteer to do that actually.

Lumen · 05-07-2010 12:20pm

Lawr wrote: »

Several times, some on the inside of those groups got much closer to me than I was comfortable with, almost as if they were trying to force me further to the side, or off of, the road. I am sure they feel justified in doing that, but to me it was just inappropriately aggressive given the venue.

People who regularly cycle in a tight bunch (e.g. road racing) are comfortable riding very close, even brushing handlebars. It may have felt aggressive, but it is more likely that they were simply being inconsiderate.

07Lapierre · 05-07-2010 12:23pm

cantalach wrote: »

That is a super idea! Give them a day-glo 'Event Marshal' sticker for the seat post so that they could be recognised and not just taken as somebody letting off steam. I'd happily volunteer to do that actually.

A lot of people have come on here and given out about bad cycling habits by inexperienced cyclists etc., but how many of these "experts" passed on their expertise?.

Obviously nobody wants to upset people who are doing a cycle for charity, but I do think anyone who is cycling unsafely or maybe a danger to either themselves or others should be advised and assisted if needed. I think most people would appreciate such advise as most of the "bad" cycling i saw on the day was simply due to inexperience.

There was a support van going around with speakers on the roof playing music, maybe he too could have give advice too? Also, I believe Radio Kerry is involved, maybe they too could broadcast hints/tips during the event. (maybe they already do?)

CheGuedara · 05-07-2010 12:46pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

A lot of people have come on here and given out about bad cycling habits by inexperienced cyclists etc., but how many of these "experts" passed on their expertise?.

Obviously nobody wants to upset people who are doing a cycle for charity, but I do think anyone who is cycling unsafely or maybe a danger to either themselves or others should be advised and assisted if needed. I think most people would appreciate such advise as most of the "bad" cycling i saw on the day was simply due to inexperience.

There was a support van going around with speakers on the roof playing music, maybe he too could have give advice too? Also, I believe Radio Kerry is involved, maybe they too could broadcast hints/tips during the event. (maybe they already do?)

07Lapierre wrote: »

I think the organisers did a fantasic job. It was a great day and the fact that so many cyclists took part confirms this. There were cyclists of all abilities, of all shapes and sizes etc. that THATS what makes it so special. There's no medal for finishing first.

One observation...maybe the local cycling club (Kilarney/tralee) could be asked to act as "cycle Marshals". That is, maybe they could cycle the route offering advise to less inexperienced cyclists, you know, advise them to cycle on the left, to give way to faster moving cyclists, not to "hog" the road etc.

A staggered start might also help to spread out the numbers and will also encourage advance registrations via the website.

Having said that...finished in 6 hours myself...great day, missed the rain though! (well i have to complain about something )

Just as a foil, as someone involved in running a local club there is no requirement for fitter, more experienced cyclists to coast around the Ring either. As you and others have rightly said, it's not a race; it's not even a sportive BUT that doesn't mean that those who do it should be limited in the pace they chose to cycle it.

In marshalling terms I believe that the organisers do a great job in so far as they are able to given the increasing numbers they have seen over the past few years and the resources at their disposal. I would agree that announcements at the depart, food stops and on the road could help however and the Garda outriders might be able to ensure that proper road manners are kept also. Nobody will ever be able to keep everyone honest and two abreast but the nature of these events and herd mentality might see more good behaviour if a fraction are seen to be doing things properly and this is message is reinforced along the way.

Staggered starts may help, but I won't speculate on it happening or not. It will certainly be very interesting to see what happens in the future for the event as I suspect that to see the event safely cater for such large (and possibly increasing) numbers that it will change and evolve; this is not necessarily a bad thing, I've done the ROK enough to have seen changes already and for the better and those that think change is a negative is very short sighted.

This year was the first in 11 years I've missed and Ring is unique in the spread of riders it attracts but people need to be responsible for their own actions and adherence to the rules of the road. Obviously the organisers can't ensure people are sensible about road positioning or safe overtaking but they do give give plenty of notice (via their website for one).

IMHO Club riders can't be expected to enforce the rules of the road or provide tutelage on group riding technique/etiquette on the day. That's not a realistic suggestion.

However I know I can say that if any of these inexperienced cyclists wanted to join a club to train for charity events like the ring, or sportives or even racing that there are now plenty clubs all over the country that would be only too happy take them. Clubs would help them get fitter, educate them in all aspects of cycling and so they would return to the Ring in a years time much more capable, competent riders and hopefully happier and safer within the group riding experience that the ROK is now know for.

Murph100 · 05-07-2010 1:51pm

Feck the cyclists, its the Bumble Bees are the problem !! ... nearly got taken out by one hammering down into Caherdaniel, holy crap, the bastard actually hit my lip so hard I thought I'd been stung, thank feck my mouth was shut !! Then 10 km later another one whacked off my teeth just as hard, bloody reckless and not a marshall in sight !

BTW Big thanks to DCC for the spin from Sneem to Kenmare, sound bunch going really well ( I was the Earl Of Desmond guy ), cheers lads, see yas at the SK !

ROK ON · 05-07-2010 2:33pm

Third ROK for me. I was one of the wobbly cyclists three years ago.

In many ways this was the best.
Weather great.
Foodstop well organised which meant that I only had to stop for 5mins to take sandwich and water.

Given that I originally raised some of the comments on poor cycling let me say the following
I am full of admiration for all those who train hard and raise lots of funds. They are the core of the ROK, and hey are what the event will always be about.
Most regular cyclists could do a ROK a week, but for some it is a huge effort.

I saw a man with Down Syndrome cycling strongly. I was delighted in that it shows that a disability doesn't have to mean inability. I raise funds for Down Syndrome so this for me was great to see.

The numbers can't really be limited because as a charity event, the more the merrier.

I think that all of us can enjoy the day even more with some common sense. Keep left, pass right, no more than 2 abreast etc etc.

Staggered start based on expectations maybe a good idea. That is, on the entry for have a simple question.
Expected time
Sub 6
6-7
7-9
Just get around.
Start in pens according to that.

Maybe the idea of cycling marshal's (goodwill ambassadors?) could be looked at. For most people there is no malice simply a lack of awareness.

Rolling closed roads should be considered. Like a prior poster mentioned, there was a conspicuous absence of tourist coaches and this is to be welcomed. I cycle these roads regularly and always encounter them. Not sure if their absence on Saturday was by design or luck.

All in all a great day, just trying to tweak things to make even better.

ROK ON · 05-07-2010 2:40pm

@Lapierre. By any chance you weren't the Swords rider on the Ridley?
If so I was in your group as far as Waterville?

Dr. No · 05-07-2010 3:11pm

Unfortunately i was not able to do the ROK this year because i broke my arm the week before:(
However i went out the kenmare road to shout encouragment and i observed some dangerous behaviour by a large number of cyclists:
talking on mobiles while cycling,
not wearing a helmet (which is a requirement) why do some people not wear helmets? it could save your life or prevent serious injury.
passing other cyclists on the other side of the road (saying riders up as you approach would give people time to move in).
as others have stated the ROK is not a race, its a charity cycle which is open to cylists of all abilities. cyclists who complete it in 6 hours get the exact same cert of achievement as someone who takes 10 hours.
However in recent years the event seems to be taken over by club cyclists whose sole aim is to the get around the ring in the quickest time. i have no problem with this per se. what i do have a problem with is these club cyclists giving out about slower inexperienced cyclists and who think they own the road. i cycled the ring last year on my mountainbike so i could enjoy the day and have fun but i felt intimidated from club cyclists who were forcing me and others onto the side of the road when they were passing out. if you want to race enter a fcuking race.
Sorry rant over

07Lapierre · 05-07-2010 3:17pm

ROK ON wrote: »

@Lapierre. By any chance you weren't the Swords rider on the Ridley?
If so I was in your group as far as Waterville?

Sorry, not me. The clue is in the name...i ride a Lapierre bike

07Lapierre · 05-07-2010 3:21pm

Murph100 wrote: »

Feck the cyclists, its the Bumble Bees are the problem !! ... nearly got taken out by one hammering down into Caherdaniel, holy crap, the bastard actually hit my lip so hard I thought I'd been stung, thank feck my mouth was shut !! Then 10 km later another one whacked off my teeth just as hard, bloody reckless and not a marshall in sight !

BTW Big thanks to DCC for the spin from Sneem to Kenmare, sound bunch going really well ( I was the Earl Of Desmond guy ), cheers lads, see yas at the SK !

You Earl of Desmond guys were flying!...tried to keep with two of you coming up to Muckross, but legs were gone at that stage. A few of you past me like i was standing still on Molls Gap!...i was suitably impressed!

Tackleberry · 05-07-2010 4:26pm

ROK_ON it was great to meet you - can't get over the mileage you've been doing - fair balls!

I've done a good few of these types of events but it was my 1st RoK - already for me it's the best sportive in Ireland so complaining about some relatively minor irritations is a bit unnecessary - if there's inexperienced cyclists, then it's up to experienced cyclists to deal with them correctly and get around them safely, and if the event isn't up to your high standards then go find another one to meet them.

Anyway my blog is up with some pics and details of our day out.

Can't wait for next year!

CheGuedara · 05-07-2010 4:26pm

Dr. No wrote: »

as others have stated the ROK is not a race, its a charity cycle which is open to cylists of all abilities. cyclists who complete it in 6 hours get the exact same cert of achievement as someone who takes 10 hours.
However in recent years the event seems to be taken over by club cyclists whose sole aim is to the get around the ring in the quickest time. i have no problem with this per se. what i do have a problem with is these club cyclists giving out about slower inexperienced cyclists and who think they own the road. i cycled the ring last year on my mountainbike so i could enjoy the day and have fun but i felt intimidated from club cyclists who were forcing me and others onto the side of the road when they were passing out. if you want to race enter a fcuking race.
Sorry rant over

Helmet argument completely aside (been done to death elsewhere) there's a lot of anti-club cyclist rhetoric appearing here which I would like to investigate.

Now my club (which I'm involved in running, just to be upfront and clear about) set the Ring of Kerry as the annual target for all our new and novice members. We also set it as more-a-less a requirement for our more experienced riders to ride for the benefit of the charities the club chooses to ride in support of. They are good causes, we have a good/direct relationship with some of them and it is one of the good turns the club does each year.

We encourage our riders to go out, enjoy the day and put down a good day in the saddle. We remind them that it is neither a sportive or a race. They are trained to ride effectively and efficiently within the law (two abreast, no undertaking etc), to be comfortable in groups, to over take safely, to make aware of obstacles and hazards on or at the edge of the road etc, which cannot be said for a proportion of cyclists that might particpate in the ROK.

Yet riders in Clubs seem to take a clattering for riding the Ring at a pace that they are comfortable with here. I know it's a charity cycle but if someone wants to go and push themselves, to do a hard day in support of the charity they're riding for just as some more inexperienced cyclists do in just completing the day (which is equally deserving of I applause - everyone starts off on their first challenge cycle like that lest we forget) why shouldn't they?

I'm not going to wade into what group of riders think they 'own the road' or what inexperienced cyclists perceive when being overtaken by 'club' riders but I do think that creating an us and them mentality is not constructive and unnecessarily puts a wedge between two groups that share the same enjoyment of cycling albeit at different levels.

As ROK ON said if a measure of common sense shown by all and riders kept left, passed only on the right, rode no more than 2 abreast, looked before manoeuvring etc it would go very long way in remedying the qualms of both camps. They're simple things that one should do if cycling anywhere so there's no good excuse not doing them just for the ROK.

Murph100 wrote: »

Feck the cyclists, its the Bumble Bees are the problem !! ... nearly got taken out by one hammering down into Caherdaniel...!

Almost taken out by a bee! That's some bee - you sure that wasn't one the Tralee Tri lads with a vuvuzela? I've heard they're at some bee inspired antics recently...

@ Tackleberry - nice read and review of your day; that's the kind of classic day on the Ring that everyone has at some stage and remembers for years to come and has led to its increased popularity over the years. Hard to beat it

Murph100 · 05-07-2010 4:33pm

I'd love to say it was me but I was only with the club from Caherciveen to the top of Coomakista ( where I did do very well on the impromtu hill sprint

), I had to tend to my 2 guests who weren't moving at the club pace

Of course Paul Griffin ( Current National Hill Climb Champ ) and Cian Hogan were miles ahead of everybody on the climbs, fair play to ya if you were hanging on to their wheels going up Molls Gap.

07Lapierre wrote: »

You Earl of Desmond guys were flying!...tried to keep with two of you coming up to Muckross, but legs were gone at that stage. A few of you past me like i was standing still on Molls Gap!...i was suitably impressed!

irishmotorist · 05-07-2010 4:55pm

Only getting to post my thoughts on this now. I had a brilliant day out and it remains my favourite sportive on the calendar. Organisation, cakes and sambos contribute to making it a great day. Also, (as mentioned by many others) seeing the amount of people with ruck-sacks, trousers tucked into socks, bandy bikes with rusty chains etc. killing themselves for the charity/achievement does the spirit good. Sunshine all day helps too

Yes, there was some inconsiderate cycling, but if you've got 5000 people doing anything, you're bound to have some headbangers. Not an excuse, just a fact.

I really wanted to improve my time and with the strong headwind in the first half, did a lot of jumping between groups - take a breather and then move onto the next group. The tailwind was great when it came but not as all-inclusive as the headwind had been

I was largely on my own till I met AstraMonti on the way down Coomakista (pleasure to meet you!). Had a good chat along that scenic coast road.

The road from Sneem to Kenmare is a long old bitch of a road and I was starting to feel it hard then. I could see this dude approaching me bit by bit and when he came to me and we struck up converstation for a second, he told me to suck his wheel for a while. Life saver! That got me into Kenmare with a bit more speed and a bit of recovery and then sambo and cake for the last stretch. I found Molls Gap surprisingly harder than last year, but my condition wasn't quite as good and I was pushing a bit harder earlier on. Anyway, I kind of limped into Kenmare but had a time of 6:20 - about 10 mins quicker than last year. Very happy with that.

on_the_nickel · 05-07-2010 5:15pm

CheGuedara wrote: »

Yet riders in Clubs seem to take a clattering for riding the Ring at a pace that they are comfortable with here. I know it's a charity cycle but if someone wants to go and push themselves, to do a hard day in support of the charity they're riding for just as some more inexperienced cyclists do in just completing the day (which is equally deserving of I applause - everyone starts off on their first challenge cycle like that lest we forget) why shouldn't they?

I'm not going to wade into what group of riders think they 'own the road' or what inexperienced cyclists perceive when being overtaken by 'club' riders but I do think that creating an us and them mentality is not constructive and unnecessarily puts a wedge between two groups that share the same enjoyment of cycling albeit at different levels.

To say there is a lot of "anti-club rhetoric" and clubs are getting clattered is overstating things somewhat.

People are just giving their thoughts on the day.

In my opinion, it's not a case of creating disparate groups, it stands to reason if you put Ferraris, Toyota Corollas and tractors on the same track, there's going to be issues.

My personal feeling is that a group of experienced cyclists should have a little more consideration for others, for those very reasons - they are 1) in groups and 2) more experienced.

NickDrake · 05-07-2010 6:09pm

Showed this thread to a few lads who did the cycle and a few of the locals involved and they are having a good laugh at the people who are being so negative on here.

Nearly everyone said " typical dubs " . It was a great day and there were 5000 people in it. So get over it if you had to do a bit of overtaking. I had to do plenty but enouraged people as I passed and waved to the locals. Great banter.

Its a shame to see the negative comments from the club riders. I am not in a club but myself and my mate passed loads of club riders during the day and lets say they werent staying in left etc. We didnt care just overtook and said hello.

It was a brilliant day stop giving out.

Ring of Kerry cycle, Saturday July 3rd 2010

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