Paddy Martin Randonee - Sun, 21 Feb 2010

gimmeaminute

Mosiki wrote: »

If your speedo said 45km to Bray, get a new one, we went to enniskerry (via Dundrum), took the first left at powerscourt hotel for about 2km where you got a flat and turned back to through enniskerry and turn left then after descent from top of hill by Ritz carlton.

The first left would have got us there too, I came back that way. Just would have had to cross footbridge to get to other side of M11.

I was including my ride into town...

Mosiki

We weren't lost at any stage, just seeking the safest route due to road conditions. The flat prob made us miss the start but i didnt care much as these spins develop into various small groups of differing pace at any rate.

The roads dont move so can always put the miles in even if late.

Bikerbhoy

Mosiki wrote: »

If your speedo said 45km to Bray, get a new one, we went to enniskerry (via Dundrum), took the first left at powerscourt hotel for about 2km where you got a flat and turned back to through enniskerry and turn left then after descent from top of hill by Ritz carlton.

The first left would have got us there too, I came back that way. Just would have had to cross footbridge to get to other side of M11.

What in Gods name were yez doing up there,talk about making life hard for yourselves.......

Mosiki

Bikerbhoy wrote: »

What in Gods name were yez doing up there,talk about making life hard for yourselves.......

was planning on taking the left before enniskerry at top of hill but looked pretty icy so decided to venture on past. Still would have been 20k to get to bray at any rate.

gimmeaminute

Bikerbhoy wrote: »

What in Gods name were yez doing up there,talk about making life hard for yourselves.......

One man's hard is another man's interesting.

And I withdraw the 'lost' comment. I alone was lost. Once I venture outside the straight line from my house to my work, I'm lost. Always lost.

jimm

The tax man wrote: »

So besides Jimm and myself,anyone else ride today?(see edit) My Boards jersey was two layers down so went incognito today.
Set off a few minutes behind the main bunch and chased them till we caught them just before the Glen of the downs. Nice pace along the N11 before turning off the main road and hit the old N11 through Ashford,Rathnew and out towards Rathdrum,where the long and shorts routes split. I naturally went left for the longer of the two,felt strong and it was a beautiful day to be out on the bike. Got up over that drag away from Rathdrum heading towards Avoca, Jimm passed me on my right,went to catch his wheel.....nothing...my body had just at that point gone "to hell with this cycling malarkey,I'm switching off"
Now I've bonked before and I know what it feels like but this was much worse. Food intake up to this point was pretty much on par as my usual intake on a spin.

My problem today stemmed from the week I've had being sick and not eating. My fuel levels where probably already in the red leaving Bray Wheelers car park and the bits I ate along the way kept the needle hovering above empty.

All of this couldn't have happened on a nicer stretch of road. The evil b*****d of a road heading down towards The meetings and on to Woodenbridge,the type of road surface that makes you work at going downhill. Stuffed a few shot blocks into me and a bar but they lasted about 5 minutes.
Crawled back into Rathdrum cursing the day I decided to get back in the saddle so soon. Met Jimm at the food stop and had to admit defeat....I abandoned a sportive event.:mad:
I spent the last 30k in a van. A truly shocking end to a day that started out so well.

Next time I won't be so quick to jump back on a bike after an illness.

Big thanks to Bray Wheelers for putting on an excellent event,for the food out on the road,the spread back in the club house,the marshals and for getting my sorry ass back to Bray.;)

@Jimm Sorry I wasn't still around when you got back,I was completely knackered and needed to get home.You passed me on Killarney road just as you came off the roundabout. Well done and see you soon.

edit: Bikerbhoy and Clandog turned up.

Excellent event today, thanks Bray Wheelers. My only gripe being that the main bunch shot out the gate at 9.50am as I was still doing a few bits and pieces, and as The Tax Man said (thanks for waiting for me btw) we had to hammer down the N11 with the rest of the slow coaches to catch them.

Was with The Tax Man until just after Rathdrum where the longer spin group upped the pace significantly. I couldn't resist the opportunity to test myself and see if I could keep up with them (sorry for leaving you then TTM) Did a loop of 30km and back to Rathdrum for some badly needed grub. You surely didn't look the best TTM when we met up again there and the option of a lift back to Bray must have been irresistible at that stage. Hope you're feeling better soon.

Suffered a bit myself on the return with a tight left hamstring and a burning sensation in the toes of the right foot, so both legs not performing well for the last 25km. Think I need to move cleats further back on the right shoe.

Very pleasant conditions despite the snow showers overnight, which I assume, put a lot of people off. I have my own amateur meteorologists theory that the snow may have been a blessing.........Heavy cloud cover combined with low temperature produced snow which quickly turned to slush before dawn......Clear skies would have meant a hard frost, which lasted well into mid-morning for most of the past week. But I'm probably completely wrong on this.

Didn't see all you other Boardsies today but Hi anyway!!

Cadex

Hey lads - didn't think the event would proceed as the area around me was covered in snow from last night (though it was becoming slush pretty quickly) and I reckoned that Wicklow would have been a lot worse. I take it that it wasn't - looks like you all, or nearly all had a good one. I actually spent the last couple of days taking my bathroom apart to fix a leak and then putting it together again....

For me, I don't feel too bad about missing it as I cycled solo to New Ross via Wexford from Artane on Thursday. Used a route of very rural back coastal roads, with some very helpful suggestions from Rottenhat.

Woke before alarm and rose at 07:00. Breakfast etc. and prepared. BIG hailstorm around 8:00 went on for about 20 mins. Eventually it stopped and I was ready so headed off at 08:38. Route roughly was Artane, East Link, Sandymount, Blackrock, Cabinteely, Stillorgan, Shankill, Bray, R767, R761, Greystones, Kilcoole, Newcastle, R750, Rathnew, Wicklow, Blainroe, Brittas Bay, Arklow, N11, Clogga, Cloneranny, R742, Courtown Harbour, Kilmuckridge, Blackwater, Curracloe, Ballytramon, R741, Wexford, N25, Ballinaboola, New Ross (South Knock). Weather was cold but dry with slight crossing tail wind for most of the way (15k/h), becoming crossing headwind from Wexford to New Ross. Stopped a few times and took a couple of pics, checked map etc. Had cuppa and sandwiches in Courtown Harbour (104k) and again in Wexford town (149k). Route pretty rural and on small roads but very little traffic. Quite flat, similar to area around Swords or Rush, very easy to cycle. Steepest up and down was Bray. Got there all ok at 17:20.

(Distance: 186.85k, Cycle Time: 7:33:25, Elapsed: 8:42, Max: 65.5k/h, Ave: 25.1k/h).

Pretty glad to see the place, previous longest this year was 125k so 60k more. As was just ariving into turn for South Knock, the front lamp fell off and just as I was heading back to get it, a tractor, then truck and finally two cars went over it! Thankfully no mechanicals or other mishaps on route. Good to see the wife and her folks then. Bath and beer followed by Chinese and wine - lovely!

brayblue24

[QUOTE=Cadex;64585777 Steepest up and down was Bray.[/QUOTE]

Well done. I am hoping to do this myself in the summer and now I'll steal your route too if you don't mind:D

Very happy to know that the steepest part as you describe is only around the corner from my house-Windgates it's known as-and in the greater scheme of things it's not even too steep.

Again, well done (and more pics if you have 'em please).

Cadex

Hey Brayblue - thanks. I can give you the details of the route, though it is essentially the bits I have listed taking more or less the most eastward road that heads south - I've mentioned a few of them above. I used bikeroutetoaster but didn't save the route. I can tell you that it is grand, a bit 'twisty' in spots but the level of traffic is light and the speeds so low for the most part that you are really safe. I did wear my hi-vis gilet just to be on the safe side though. It was fine on my own but would have been nicer with someone, especially the N25 part into the crossing headwind - it is pretty long, straight and boring. All in all a very 'do-able' route and I was blessed with the weather - though it was cool enough that you wouldn't hang around.

If you want more I can send it on.

Muller_1

Some pics from the Randonée here http://www.flickr.com/photos/42872198@N04/show/