Bobby Powers Carrick Wheelers Challenge Sportive 2011

cantalach

Sr. Assumpta wrote: »

[...]and Cadburys Roses from the organisers[...]

Jeez yeah, completely forgot about the Roses - that was a nice touch.

Pat65

Moreofthatjazz wrote: »

Much Kudos to the Organisers, the route setter, the marshals and all the folks at the tea stops etc. Had a lovely day's climbing, t'was very enjoyable... and thanks especially to the marshal who got my water bottle back to me after a dim moment... thanks folks... hope to see ye again next year...

Glad to be of help - it was going to be a long way to the water stop in Rathgormack.:)

Well done to everyone who took part and to all who helped out on a really memorable day.

cantswim

vistafinder wrote: »

Think I saw lamas in a field somewhere along the road or was I seeing things.

Nope - I saw them too.

Great event - everything about it was superb. even the weather came good in the end.

DirkVoodoo

I saw Llamas in running in one field and even an emu squatting in another. I think it was trying to go bathroom.

Muckers

vistafinder wrote: »

Fair play Carrick Wheelers and all the helpers. It realy was a challenge wasent it. Think I saw lamas in a field somewhere along the road or was I seeing things. The rain on the decents was horrible hit 3 climbs freezing. Mahon falls was painfull again and the off road part was great crack. Great course. Hope its on again next yea.r

Yep I saw the Llamas too. Just after the climb up Slievenamon on both sides of the road if I'm not mistaken.

Pat65

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I saw Llamas in running in one field and even an emu squatting in another. I think it was trying to go bathroom.

I knew we shouldn't have taken ye up there - told the lads all them cyclists would scare the s£!+e out of the emu!

michael196

Muckers wrote: »

+1 to that. Great event and brilliant organisation. 130 I believe started out with around 50 abandoning during the event. Here's a weird one. My garmin was telling me I was descending while I was climbing the Nire valley loop.

Muckers, were u in a black kit on sunday ? was looking out for u in the waterford sportif gear.

Yep My garmin told me that seskin had a -2% gradient !!! weird stuff going on with the Garmins that day ........

dowtcha

michael196 wrote: »

Muckers, were u in a black kit on sunday ? was looking out for u in the waterford sportif gear.

Yep My garmin told me that seskin had a -2% gradient !!! weird stuff going on with the Garmins that day ........

My legs were fairly talking to me going up Seskin, luckily all spectators were gone, I fairly snaked it up the top section

Guess the fancy dan Garmins have their off days too!!

Phil2me

Mahon Falls I found incredibly tough, I was nearly 7 mins outside my PB, the wind was crucifying, I usually worry about the last steep section but this time I nearly free wheeled up it once the wind was now at my back.
@Cantalach..bet your glad I suggested we re group at bottom rather than top..LOL, you'd have been a block of ice by the time I arrived.

Phil2me

May I also add my congrats on a great sportif, fab route, brilliant marshalling, the food was exceptional, just really well organised throughout.I'll definitely be back next year.
One liner of the day goes to one of the helpers I met at food stop in Rathgormack, someone suggested that the sun might come out later(bear in mind it was till teeming down with that horrible misty rain) he replied oh yeah the suns coming out alright........
In ****** Johannesburg......

michael196

another first for Carrick Wheelers: Where else would Llamas and Emu's feature as part of a sportive ??


'tis the sportive with the squatting emus' and dancing Llama's ',


think I am nearly recovered !!!

michael196

it is incredible that 50 opted for the shorter route on the day. I realy hope to see a major tour on this sporitve in the future, i strongly believe it will grow significantly next year, and the years afterwards, you deserve it Carrick wheelers.

It was unique, it was tough, it was Carricks First sportive, it was wet and windy, it was handled well, marshalling, warnings signs, etc


I cannot think of anything that was overlooked , ommitted or forgotten,

the showers at the end, were very welcome,

well done lads in carrick Wheelers....

damo80

a totally unique and awesome day thank you Carrick. this event will only grow and grow. well done to all involved especially the marshals who encouraged and congratulated the riders the whole way round. they looked as wet and cold as us!!
i bet the 50 that pulled out are regretting it even today. what a missed opportunity. especially the Boardsie with bib no60!! ye were at Mahons base why oh why go back!! alright i know Mags and Anne forced ya :)

1 small suggestion for next years staging. perhaps put a sign up at each challenge to highlight which one you were doing. they all just blended in to one bluf of suffering pain

DirkVoodoo

damo80 wrote: »

a totally unique and awesome day thank you Carrick. this event will only grow and grow. well done to all involved especially the marshals who encouraged and congratulated the riders the whole way round. they looked as wet and cold as us!!
i bet the 50 that pulled out are regretting it even today. what a missed opportunity. especially the Boardsie with bib no60!! ye were at Mahons base why oh why go back!! alright i know Mags and Anne forced ya :)

1 small suggestion for next years staging. perhaps put a sign up at each challenge to highlight which one you were doing. they all just blended in to one bluf of suffering pain

Was he wearing extremely gay "lady socks" on his arms? He was forced by MAWS, you are darn right, last time he will go cycling with her I suspect!

damo80

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Was he wearing extremely gay "lady socks" on his arms? He was forced by MAWS, you are darn right, last time he will go cycling with her I suspect!

oh jesus yeah those arm warmers!!! so not "Euro" :) looked well withthe kit but still

cantalach

damo80 wrote: »

oh jesus yeah those arm warmers!!! so not "Euro" :) looked well withthe kit but still

This be them:

Phil2me

I may regret asking this, but what does MAWS stand for....

ROK ON

Phil2me wrote: »

I may regret asking this, but what does MAWS stand for....

Two ladies seeking the companionship of fine gentlemen. (Otherwise just two birds looking for husbands).

Sorry, couldnt resist.

DirkVoodoo

Mags and Anne Want Sex.

Simples.

Phil2me

Jaysus....
I was thinking Mother And Wife Syndrome.......

Whats a derailleur?

Phil2me wrote: »

I may regret asking this, but what does MAWS stand for....

Mags' and Anne's Winter Spins...actually.

dowtcha

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Mags and Anne Want Sex.

Simples.

Might I humbly suggest a speedy retraction???

TinyExplosions

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Mad Auld Wans Spins.

Simples.

FYP

michael196

now this thread is hopping !!!!


certainly a good few suggestions for next year, I think the organisers had alook at this thread from early on.


some concerns about the strada, what did you think ?

i felt every bone in my body shake, i thought it was cruel enough,( on the weary bones and body) , especially when it was occurring in the last 10K.

I remember cursing it as it became rougher in spots.

could not get out of the saddle as the rear wheel would spin,


maybe if it were optional next year? rather than put ur bike through it ?

what do u think peoples?


have to admit it though, It drove me on to see it , our of curiosity if nothing else !!

michael196

http://www.joecashinphotography.com/the-carrick-chellenge-sportive/_dsf0505-1.jpg.php

seve65

michael196 wrote: »

.....
some concerns about the strada, what did you think ?

i felt every bone in my body shake, i thought it was cruel enough,( on the weary bones and body) , especially when it was occurring in the last 10K.

I remember cursing it as it became rougher in spots.

could not get out of the saddle as the rear wheel would spin,


maybe if it were optional next year? rather than put ur bike through it ?

what do u think peoples?

have to admit it though, It drove me on to see it , our of curiosity if nothing else !!

Optional sounds like a good idea:), possibly... the hill outside the estate is an average gradient of 8.9 over 1.7k (so a higher average than any of the other climbs)http://app.strava.com/rides/603976#9000866.

No easy way home either way !!!

It might encourage riders who are protective of their biking bling to take part.

rigal

michael196 wrote: »

http://www.joecashinphotography.com/the-carrick-chellenge-sportive/_dsf0505-1.jpg.php

Great photo - that photographer lad seemed to be popping up everywhere.

I was cycling near you a few times in the first 90kms before the food stop. Did you nearly lose it on one of the shallower descents? I think I saw you lock up/slide out the rear wheel on a manure patch at a cross roads with no markings. I was about 200ms behind you and the roads were pretty slippy at that point. When I saw you I thought to myself thank god I saw that and slowed down before I got to it followed by how the hell did he stay up -impressive!

Personally I enjoyed the Strada although once I got over the initial shock of it I spent the remainder of it praying I wouldn't puncture.

Here's me: http://www.joecashinphotography.com/the-carrick-chellenge-sportive/_dsf0517-1.jpg.php

michael196

wow, yep that was me !!!

think i just overtook you a few hundred yards back and i was in a mad dash to catch up with the lead group after dropping on the hill, I was hoping you would hop on,

did you have a bandage on ur right knee ?

what happened was, as i approached the junction, i noticed the left and right were blind to our right of way, then i was unsure who exactly had right of way, and as i was kinda bombing it a little, decided to caution, so slapped on the brakes, rear wheel skidded out, but i flet i had slowed enough.

twas a juntion i felt could have had a marshall, but we did have the right of way, at the same time i breaked because i felt a car not yielding there hitting me , would be very nasty.

michael196

think you were near me as we got back onto the group after grangemockler and on tickencor i thought.

My best collision was in the swords sportive in 2010. Climbing one of the many small hills , was on front , inside, group of 8 , this mad terrier ran straight out, growling like an angry mad thing,ready to bite, , guys behind me told me later they were just picking their spot on the road to fall, what could i do ? no use braking, lad on my right, could not swerve,

so just kept going dead straight held the bars, and the dog went right under the front chain ring, me being 15.5 stone, meant the bike did not elevate that much, the dog yelped to high heaven as he got an imprint of the chain ring accross his belly, ( I did feel a gentle bump however !! ) and then ran back in home !! i reckon never to run out his gate ever again in anger.....and sporting an oily tatoo of a chain ring imprint to show to his doggy dog friends....

we christened the dog snoop doggy dog, and the hill: snoop doggy dog hill...

rigal

Yeah, marshall would have been handy alright or even a stop sign for the road that was intersecting.

No, just had the black knee warmers on (thankfully!). I probably was beside you there as well. There seemed to be a group of us that lost the lead group on the climbs every time :rolleyes:.

Definitely remember catching the lead group with you at one stage although I can't remember where we were - route turned into a bit of a blur as not at familiar with that part of the country.