Anyone doing this [KARE Tour De Foothills] on Sunday

dario28

Anyone doing this on Sunday

http://www.karetourdefoothills.com/#

Will be my first 100....is it worth doing or just go on a Sat spin ?

bbosco

Depends what your goals are. If you're training to do some summer sportives then this is what you're training for....

dario28

bbosco wrote: »

Depends what your goals are. If you're training to do some summer sportives then this is what you're training for....

Yeah I'd like to do the W200 alright...

bbosco

If you haven't done much of this sort of thing before then it'd be good for getting used to sharing the road with a large sportive crowd and riding in a group. It would also potentially be a nice break from your usual training (I'm guessing).

What I meant by my first comment is that this event doesn't have to be a means to an end i.e. further W200 training. It can be a perfectly enjoyable day out in its own right.

jag con

Yes im doing it also, looking forward to it and the weather is looking very good for it

irishmotorist

Yes - I'm doing it too. Got my number the other day and all. It's a very well organised event - good marshalling, good food and great food at the end (last year anyway). I've been aiming to cycle down to it and back but training hasn't gone as well as I've hoped this year so doing 150km with a recent max of 100km isn't feeling too appealing at the moment. Maybe if the weather continues to pick up nice it will feel a bit more doable.

Anyway, I'd recommend it. It's a good distance with a few nice little hills in it...nothing earth shattering mind you. It's good to cycle with a big group like this and get used to it. I think that at this stage, it's a good training step for the WW200.

dario28

irishmotorist wrote: »

Yes - I'm doing it too. Got my number the other day and all. It's a very well organised event - good marshalling, good food and great food at the end (last year anyway). I've been aiming to cycle down to it and back but training hasn't gone as well as I've hoped this year so doing 150km with a recent max of 100km isn't feeling too appealing at the moment. Maybe if the weather continues to pick up nice it will feel a bit more doable.

Anyway, I'd recommend it. It's a good distance with a few nice little hills in it...nothing earth shattering mind you. It's good to cycle with a big group like this and get used to it. I think that at this stage, it's a good training step for the WW200.

Sounds good - I'll sign up today - Thanks

Would people have a time in mind - I'd be aiming for between 3 and 4 hours

jag con

dario28 wrote: »

Sounds good - I'll sign up today - Thanks

Would people have a time in mind - I'd be aiming for between 3 and 4 hours

You should do it between 3 to 4 hours but at the end of the day its a sportive so make sure you enjoy it
I cycle with Naas cycling club and we are associated with it so it will be a great day out

irishmotorist

dario28 wrote: »

Sounds good - I'll sign up today - Thanks

Would people have a time in mind - I'd be aiming for between 3 and 4 hours

That sounds like a reasonable time to be aiming for. I did it in 3hr 30min or so last year and it was a hefty effort from me....very high average HR for it from what I remember. I was expecting 4 hours so was delighted with the time. The tailwind home from Naas was very much appreciated and I had Cadex for company - though he seemed like he'd just popped onto the bike for a quick spin instead of nearing 200km for the day AFAIK.

MadHatter

Planning to do this one myself along with Mrs MadHatter. It's her first 100km so no goal time in mind, will do it at her pace.

Heard good reports from Cadex about last years event so I'm looking forward to it. If the organisation is on the same level as Tour of Kildare it'll be a good day out. Plus the weather is looking up, so I might even get to dust off the boards gear for the day.

crumliniano

I'm doing it too. Sounds really well organised and a nice route.

Bikerbhoy

Im IN.

looking forward to it.... great event last year both organisational and weather wise

vektarman

I'm doing this one, weather's looking good too:)

Roadtoad

Just signed uo myself and will bring the kids.

poolboy

Hope to be there. Anyone know where foodstop(s) will be on 100k route

vektarman

poolboy wrote: »

Hope to be there. Anyone know where foodstop(s) will be on 100k route

Donard is one of them, I don't have the registration letter with me to tell you the other one.

bcmf

I think there was only 1 on the route itself with grub at the end.
Any way looks like Rob Fowl and I are in

irishmotorist

Yep - I think Donard is the only one on the 100km route. Looks like it will be a nice day so if it's like last year, there'll be a big table full of sambos on the green in the middle of the villiage with loads of cyclists chilling out on the grass.

RobFowl

It was a lovely day and a well organised event last year and am quite looking forward to doing it again.

There is a Vets tour from Clonee that day as well and Race wice a Vets race in Longford (200mile round trip from Chez Fowl ! and the Des Hanlon Classic a highly regarded but very hard race).

I'm off to the Tour De Foothills with BCMF and can almost smell the big mac's on the way home

dario28

Im not sure if im the only one on this thread doing their first event...but I wouldnt mind a few do's and dont's for the day

So far my cycling has been myself, as a one man wolf pack.Once there was two of us in the wolf pack, I was alone first in the pack and then a friend joined later but was a bit slower. Sunday there will be alot of wolves in the wolf pack cycling around Wicklow looking for strippers and cocaine....

and i dont want top pi$$ off any wolves

But I do want to see how fast I can do the 100km's

RobFowl

dario28 wrote: »

But I do want to see how fast I can do the 100km's

I just want to know where the strippers will be .....

Bank on it taking 4-5 hours if it's your first one and make sure to eat and drink plenty.

dario28

RobFowl wrote: »

I just want to know where the strippers will be .....

Bank on it taking 4-5 hours if it's your first one and make sure to eat and drink plenty.

I'll find the strippers dont worry....

I mean will there be people caining it to get a good time
Only event's I have done are marathons ...

Bikerbhoy

dario28 wrote: »

I mean will there be people caining it to get a good time

Of course ..... isnt there always....... anyway take it at your own pace and dont worry there will be plenty of people to slot in with at a speed you will feel comfortable with... Enjoy :cool:

bcmf

Wouldn't worry about it.I will be near the front but as soon as the first hill arrives I wil be out the back

dario28 wrote: »

I'll find the strippers dont worry....

I mean will there be people caining it to get a good time
Only event's I have done are marathons ...

blorg

@dario28- number one thing would be to be very careful riding in a group if you have not done this before. You need to be ultra-predictable, no sharp braking and point out any holes or obstructions to those behind you (parked cars/oncoming cars etc.)

To be honest going very hard having never ridden in a bunch before isn't a great idea, you can lose concentration and cause a crash. Only takes a moment of inattention. Better to take it easier and get used to riding close to other riders. Or cane it on your own. I would suggest the former though, you will need to develop bunch riding skills at some point so why not start now.

irishmotorist

Dario28 - going at a pace you're comfortable with is important, particularly as it's your first sportive. As you might have gathered to a small degree, cycling in a group of 3/4/5/6/7 or more will give you good protection from the wind (as long as you're not at the front for all of it). Don't worry about just being a group member and not feeling like you can pull everyone along. It's not the Tour de France and you'll see on the day that there are loads of people who haven't done them before and have hardly been on a bike in the last year.

Do have plenty of water with you or if you have 2 bottles, try water in 1 and something like NUUN for electrolyte/salt replacment in the other one. Don't panic if you don't have this though. You can probably expect it to be within the 4 to 5 hour mark - depending on how fit you are and how much time you've spent on the bike recently. Remember that at the end of the 4th hour, you might not feel that sprinting for the first hour was a great idea.

It's good fun and a good buzz, particularly if it's your first time group cycling in a big organised event.

Oh, and if you howl like a wolf everytime you pass somebody, you get bonus points

mayan

It's not the Tour de France

although i noticed this morning that they've marked out the route again with sprayed markers on the road reading "TdF"

irishmotorist

blorg wrote: »

number one thing would be to be very careful riding in a group if you have not done this before. You need to be ultra-predictable...

Also remember the same about the people around you. The start of these events often calls for a lot of sudden braking as there's a lot of accordioning going on with roars of 'SLOOOOW' to advise everybody around them that there's an impending pile up. Once the field thins a bit though, this is not a problem.

dario28

Thanks for the tips

There is alot to take in alright, I feel under more pressure though to conform to the euro cyclist rules !

RobFowl

dario28 wrote: »

Thanks for the tips

There is alot to take in alright, I feel under more pressure though to conform to the euro cyclist rules !

As a rule of thumb the more someone knows about and adheres to the Euro rules the higher the chance they are a Fred..............

dario28

RobFowl wrote: »

As a rule of thumb the more someone knows about and adheres to the Euro rules the higher the chance they are a Fred..............

Just to clarify I was joking !!!

My bike isnt even in their list !

bcmf

The idea of howling at passers by is very entertaing.

RobFowl

bcmf wrote: »

The idea of howling at passers by is very entertaing.

Strippers
Cocaine
Big Macs
Howling

Sounds fun all right

irishmotorist

RobFowl wrote: »

Strippers
Cocaine
Big Macs
Howling

Sounds fun all right

Sounds like a new Boards Sportive Mission Statement

dario28

irishmotorist wrote: »

Sounds like a new Boards Sportive Mission Statement

Wrong Order though !!

Cocaine
Strippers
Howling
Bigmacs

RobFowl

dario28 wrote: »

Wrong Order though !!

Cocaine
Strippers
Howling
Bigmacs

Sounds like Tom Boonen's Saturday nights

irishmotorist

BTW, I'm #112 (I think) and will be on a Cayo - in case any of us bump into each other. Will anybody have a boards jersey?

I missed last years order cos of holidays so I'm hoping some very generous soul will be putting up an order this year.

poolboy

Anyone got directions to nass gaa club? What road is it on for sat nav?

Haldir

TdF route on mapmyride. Zoom in for Naas GAA location.
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/ireland/naas/544126860862592780

poolboy

Thanks haldir never thought of that. Doh!

irishmotorist

Great day out at the Tour de Foothills. The sun shone, I forgot sun cream but I think I was lucky - just a little glow. I'm not sure how many were there, 399 was the highest number I spotted. It was a slightly different route to last year, IIRC, but good and challenging. Lots of inclines and some good bunches around. I started off pretty fast but after 25km, I slowed down a bit. After the food stop in Donard, things were starting to feel difficult for me - a bit of cramping in the quads. This got a good bit worse over the last quarter. The headwind into Naas while skirting the ring roads was a beyotch when I was feeling banjaxed already. One other thing that springs to mind is that god-awful road between the n81 and Donard. There are a few extra holes and gravel since last year, due presumably to the winter. I always find that surface a real leg sapper. It's slighly undulating but I find myself having to drop WAY down the gears for inclines on it - I think it's just that sort of rough surface that makes it hard to keep momentum going.

The organisation was great - loads of marshalls and good signs - coloured arrows tied to lamp posts etc. There was no doubt where to go at any junction. The food was great too - sambo and fruit in Donard and then a great meal at the end. It really perked me up a bit.

I met a few other boardsies along the way. Madhatter and Mrs Madhatter (who seemed in surprisingly good form at the end, for her first 100km), Dr Groove(y?) and Vektarman. I think I saw Niceonetom in that village with the hill just off the Blessington Lakes...Ballyknockan? I wasn't sure and called out late but I don't think he heard.

I had wanted to cycle back, but I was pretty wrecked from the 100km. I figured I'd have a headwind home too so that was the final thing that convinced me to call in the cavalry and accept a lift.

Edit - my stats for the day:
Distance - 100km
Ride time - 3:48:00
Max HR - 188
Avg HR - 161

bcmf

Great Day out AGAIN.
Chapeau to Mrs Madhatter who was still flying at the end of it.
Went to get stats but computer had reset to zero so just ad 10mns to Rob Fowls time.edit: in around 3.45
as for numbers I was 1003 :eek:

Oh!!!!!! and a message to the f**ker who decided to just pull over from the middle of a big group for piss stop and taking me into the side of the road and onto the gravel "Stick up your hand....call out that you are stopping......anything at all just dont bleedin decide to stop. You could have brought the whole lot of us down."

awful

Hello all

I've not posted here before, but I just wanted to let you know my experience of the event today.

Great organisation, great weather and a tough course.

I would also like to thank the 3 guys that stopped with me around the 80km mark - sorry I didn't get all of your names (John and 2 others), but I was given a Gel bar by Nurse Ratchet who made sure I got all of it - it certainly did the trick. (note to self: go and buy some of that gel stuff - but not vanilla!) Also thanks to the guy who gave me a banana and some sun block.

Your words of encouragement and advice certainly made the last 20km a bit more bearable.

Anyway, I am so glad I did it and got around the course - legs very sore. Still I can relax with hours of golf and a well earned guinness!

Stats

4 hours 38
max hr 188
ave hr 164

irishmotorist

I forgot to say that I met BCMF briefly too.

Well done Awful. Have you done other sportives or was this the first (of many?)?

awful

Thanks irishmotorist

Today was my first 100km. I did a 75km ride with Bray Wheelers in February (I forget the name of the event) and I did the 65km ride out of Clonee in November - but today was much harder.

My Garmin is saying 1000 metres ascending today!!

mfdc

Aaah just come back alive after dinner! Rolled back into Swords at about 5pm looking and feeling like I'd been beaten by a gorilla with a sack of doorknobs - worth it though, excellent event with phenomenal weather. That'll go a long way towards topping up my cyclists tan! Second sportive I've done in Naas and the last one had great weather too. I like Naas

Went down with Ryaner and despite a puncture en route we got there in good time. Tried to stay up near the front once things got under way, which went pretty well. Got dropped coming down that long hill with the great view over the lake (my descending really sucks), and spent the next while chasing back on.

Absolutely buried myself and finally caught back on by sprinting up one of those short sharp hills, only to find a hard left turn right in the middle which really caught me out. Slowed down and around the corner to find I was in a gear much too high and quickly closing in on max heart rate. Didn't get back on this time (not for want of trying!), although I could see them most of the way into Donard. When I got there was told they'd only arrived 30 secs before me, so close yet so far

After Donard I was destroyed, chasing back had taken it's toll. Limped along until I got swept up by a group about 10km from the end, and so was sheltered from the headwind coming in to Naas.

Good organisation, good route, good food, good weather, what more can you ask for? Curry at the end was the icing on the cake, really supplied the fuel needed to get home. Have to train more, but definitely will be back next year. Total covered for the day was 207km... commute tomorrow is going to be painful.

Rolling time - 3:25:51
Average HR - 149 (79% max)
Max HR - 181 (96% max)

vektarman

Fantastic weather and well run event, I must have been late at the food stop in Donard though, only fig rolls and water available when I got there, but the water was ice cold so can't complain, my reason for my lateness: one of my chainring allen bolts sheared and destroyed my two smaller rings (I was on a triple), had to cycle the last 60kms on the large chainring, good for stamina if nothing else, big thanks to the two cyclists who stopped and helped me, I didn't get their names.

poolboy

First off what a day for april hopefully a sign of things to come for summer. A tougher day than i was expecting but enjoyable apart from run into nass with the headwind where i found myself alone with no sign of anyone in front or behind me but was happy with 3:24 ride time for the 100k had bad few weeks training so did better than i expected. Well done to organisers. Saw two boards jerseys but didnt get chance to say hello. By the way was that elevation on map myride a joke nothing more than 3% my ar$e

bcmf

poolboy wrote: »

By the way was that elevation on map myride a joke nothing more than 3% my ar$e

Map my ride only gives an average.You have to get in and break each hill indiviually to get a real reflection on the grads

poolboy

bcmf wrote: »

Map my ride only gives an average.You have to get in and break each hill indiviually to get a real reflection on the grads

Okay must learn how to do that. made for nasty surprise today

Bikerbhoy

Well here we go :

101.32k
3 hrs 28 mins
Ave speed 27.6

Dont do the heart rate malarky , (once its beating thats the main thing)

Great day really enjoyed it carbon copy of last year weatherwise, even a tad hotter today.

Well done Naas Cycling Club another great event ...Thank You.