Swords CC Club League

dario28

07Lapierre wrote: »

Apologies everyone, Race has been cancelled due to the current weather conditions, please "Spread the word".

Apologies

Weird - first race of last year was rained off , same this year

iiiiiifffffff trends are following i'll come 3rd next week

manwithaplan

Think I'll go for a spin anyway. Free evenings are like hen's teeth so best to make the most of them.

killalanerr

manwithaplan wrote: »

Think I'll go for a spin anyway. Free evenings are like hen's teeth so best to make the most of them.

Be careful its still pretty wild out theses parts,I would have went if it was on but it would not be a night for marshaling the right decision was make in fairness

Beasty

Given we were all geared up for racing last night I think it's only fair that League points should be awarded on the basis of our performances today. It seems to me that the ideal way of measuring this is by reference to the number of Strava KOMs established on this morning's commutes ...;)

07Lapierre

Club League - Next Race

Date: Wed May 2nd
Sign On: 6.30pm, Ring Common Sports Centre
Race Start: 7pm
Circuit: Bog of The Ring
Circuit Intro: Tuesday May 1st
Distance: 40km
Laps: 4
Swords CC number required
(available at Sign-On)
Cycling Ireland(Club or Full)/IVCA licence required

07Lapierre

07Lapierre wrote: »

Club League - Next Race

Date: Wed May 2nd
Sign On: 6.30pm, Ring Common Sports Centre
Race Start: 7pm
Circuit: Bog of The Ring
Circuit Intro: Tuesday May 1st
Distance: 40km
Laps: 4
Swords CC number required
(available at Sign-On)
Cycling Ireland(Club or Full)/IVCA licence required

The weather looks more promising for this weeks race....

Beasty

With the change in the finishing line, do we know if it will be 3.5 or 4.5 laps?

07Lapierre

Beasty wrote: »

With the change in the finishing line, do we know if it will be 3.5 or 4.5 laps?

It depends on how many sign-on. If we get large numbers i imagine it will be 4.5 laps, but the decision will be made on Wednesday.

killalanerr

So where is the finish line goin to be now ?

Beasty

killalanerr wrote: »

So where is the finish line goin to be now ?

For you it's where it always was - the rest of us will continue until the straight leading up to the Balbriggan/Naul road, a km or so after the cricket club, before the T junction ...

07Lapierre

killalanerr wrote: »

So where is the finish line goin to be now ?

If the Start/Finish line is changed, the new start/finish will be here. Any change to the Start/finish will be announced before the start.

manwithaplan

I like the potential new finish line. Where can I vote for it?

Apart from it being a bit more uphill and a little less panic-inducing that the usual one, it also makes my standard marshalling spot on that circuit more interesting.

Beasty

Thought it was a done deal, but I do have a couple of slight reservations.

The descent before that straight has a couple of bends just before it flattens out, and I'm not sure about it's suitablity if everyone is gearing up for a fast finish - I think the road would need to be completely clear of traffic ideally from the top of that descent. Also depending where the line is, there could be a risk of holding up vehicles back to the Balbriggan/Naul road, which could cause problems with the amount of traffic now heading towards the big Tesco further along that road.

Having said that, it's a much better position for me personally - I always like powering along that slight drag, as opposed to the steeper incline on the current finish on the flyover

07Lapierre

manwithaplan wrote: »

I like the potential new finish line. Where can I vote for it?

What you do is....come along to the AGM....vote me OFF (Please!) the Committee and nominate yourself as my replacement ( I'll second that!)

manwithaplan

I'm never making the mistake of attending an AGM again. I made the newbie error last year of not looking at the floor when nominations were being sought and nearly made eye contact with someone.

Lusk Doyle

manwithaplan wrote: »

I'm never making the mistake of attending an AGM again. I made the newbie error last year of not looking at the floor when nominations were being sought and nearly made eye contact with someone.

Bet that was awkward the morning after!

manwithaplan

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

Bet that was awkward the morning after!

Don't worry - I still respect you.

Lusk Doyle

manwithaplan wrote: »

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

Bet that was awkward the morning after!

Don't worry - I still respect you.

I don't. You were crap btw.

Inquitus

Can anyone swap Marshalling duties with me, I am down to Marshall on the 16th May but have just got an appointment to be in St James for a minor operation on the same day, so can't do it. Willing to swap for any non July (am on hols) race dates.

Dermot Illogical

Inquitus wrote: »

Can anyone swap Marshalling duties with me, I am down to Marshall on the 16th May but have just got an appointment to be in St James for a minor operation on the same day, so can't do it. Willing to swap for any non July (am on hols) race dates.

I may be able to do that day, work permitting. As it stands I'm in the clear. I'm not down for any marshalling yet (that I'm aware of), so not a swap.

killalanerr

Looks like its going to to be a fine evening for the bog road ,did all the groups come together in the first race in the bog last year ?

manwithaplan

IIRC, we were joined that evening by Mr. Irvine who brought the pain in a major way. Groups didn't so much come together as were successively shattered to bits in vain attempts to hang on. Scratch caught everyone. I think there were two 'group threes'. I was in the one nearer scratch (cursing my alphabetically challenged surname) and I don't think anyone stayed with the pace for more than half a lap after we were caught. Scratch did that lap at an average of 43kph or something. One or two strong riders in the other group three might have hung on when they were caught.

It was some introduction to racing but a great laugh. I'm tired typing this and am half glad I'll have a flag and a high-vis bib tonight.

manwithaplan

Last year's thread if anyone's interested:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056250098

Beasty

manwithaplan wrote: »

(cursing my alphabetically challenged surname)

Unfortunately they went on first names - didn't help you, but made a massive difference to me when they split Group 2. Having said that, one or two ignored misheard the instructions and went with the first "split" leaving some of us in much smaller groups. Any more of that this season and I'll be dishing out cards;)

Lusk Doyle

Beasty wrote: »

this season I'll be dishing out cards;)

You know our birthdays?!?

Beasty

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

You know our birthdays?!?

... if you've got a full CI licence I do;)

Anyway, are you flying in to marshal tonight?

Lusk Doyle

Beasty wrote: »

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

You know our birthdays?!?

... if you've got a full CI licence I do;)

Anyway, are you flying in to marshal tonight?

I have delegated my role to an associate. He has been briefed and passed the written exam.

Dermot Illogical

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

I have delegated my role to an associate. He has been briefed and passed the written exam.

Is it still possible to fail the practicle? Could be fun.

Lusk Doyle

RT66 wrote: »

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

I have delegated my role to an associate. He has been briefed and passed the written exam.

Is it still possible to fail the practicle? Could be fun.

When a car hits a rider or vice versa on your corner you know you failed!

Beasty

... heads off to check life insurance payments are up to date

Inquitus

Beasty wrote: »

... heads off to check life insurance payments are up to date

This could solve my wifes negative equity woes....

Beasty

Inquitus wrote: »

This could solve my wifes negative equity woes....

Didn't realise I knew her ....

Lusk Doyle

Beasty wrote: »

Inquitus wrote: »

This could solve my wifes negative equity woes....

Didn't realise I knew her ....

Maintain deniability at all times!

manwithaplan

Marshall Law

A tale of love and betrayal set against the epic backdrop of Ireland's economic collapse and burgeoning amateur cycling scene. A torrid affair between a rider and his clubmate's wife comes to a tragic denouement with a fatal collision at a windswept junction. But was it an accident or was it 'flagged' in advance?

An epic story of romance, (normalised) power and money, Marshall Law is not to be missed.

Hungrycol

All open category racers from A1 to A3's are in scratch group in this evenings league race.

Inquitus

Beasty wrote: »

Didn't realise I knew her ....

LOL, I guess that quote was miscontrued what I was alluding too.

Have you anything to confess?

manwithaplan

Hungrycol wrote: »

All open category racers from A1 to A3's are in scratch group in this evenings league race.

That's me bollixed next week. I don't even have my A3 numbers yet. I'd say Martyn Irvine is ****ting himself!

Beasty

manwithaplan wrote: »

That's me bollixed next week. I don't even have my A3 numbers yet. I'd say Martyn Irvine is ****ting himself!

I think you meant to say sunning himself - he's in Mallorca at present

Lusk Doyle

Beasty wrote: »

manwithaplan wrote: »

That's me bollixed next week. I don't even have my A3 numbers yet. I'd say Martyn Irvine is ****ting himself!

I think you meant to say sunning himself - he's in Mallorca at present

He could just do what the DID boys do - tan in a can!

killalanerr

Hungrycol wrote: »

All open category racers from A1 to A3's are in scratch group in this evenings league race.

plus anyone who placed in the over 50s race in Dundalk

Hungrycol

manwithaplan wrote: »

That's me bollixed next week. I don't even have my A3 numbers yet. I'd say Martyn Irvine is ****ting himself!

No, that's you bollixed this evening, bucko. Don't pretend to be one of us mere mortals in A4's when it suits you. You're no longer welcome in our A4 club .

manwithaplan

Hungrycol wrote: »

No, that's you bollixed this evening, bucko. Don't pretend to be one of us mere mortals in A4's when it suits you. You're no longer welcome in our A4 club .

I will have to wave my flag in a scratch group-appropriate manner so

Hungrycol

manwithaplan wrote: »

I will have to wave my flag in a scratch group-appropriate manner so

Both hands on the handlebars at all times please, save for winning gestures then it's the appropriate finger bang.

07Lapierre

Sorry Guys...Race Cancelled! its not wet enough, too warm and sunny. to much potential for Scratch to catch the rest of us!










..........I'm Only Joking...Race is ON!

Beasty

Got there tonight to discover someone had "promoted" me to Group 3! Now what the hell have I ever done to deserve that? Then RobFowl, who's in a faster group than me in the vets retains his Group 1 slot:eek:

Anyway, around 90 or so signed on at Ring Commons, with a relatively small Group 1 getting 5 minutes over Group 2 (I would guess 20+ in that group) and a further 3 minutes over us (with possibly 30 or so)

The pace was fast, averaging 39kph for the first two laps. The group was too large to get a lot of rhythm going, but most seemed to want to contribute when they could.

We caught group 2 on the 3rd (of 4) laps, picking the pace up further. It was now a very big group though, and when we were caught by the faster groups half way round the final lap it was getting quite hairy, with too may riders trying to position themselves somewhere near the front. Riders were spreading across the road, sometimes with cars coming in the opposite direction, and there was not much room to manouever if anything went wrong

I therefore stuck nearer the back, picking off riders as the pace picked up. Coming into the final 400m or so I was perhaps 20m back, but then there was a big crash with 2 riders down and others stopping so I stopped myself to check how everyone was - 1 rider seemed OK, although the other went off in the ambulance for a check up - hopefully he'll be OK, but he did take a nasty tumble.

We averaged 40.4kph on the final lap bringing my average to 39.4kph over the 40km or so of the race

It seems to me that we had too many riders when the groups came together. It's a problem that appears to arise early on in the season, and I understand that consideration may be given to restricting numbers until things settle down a bit.

GlennaMaddy

Went with G4 which was combined with 6 scratch riders, there must have been 25+ of us. Like G3, most wanted to work when they could but the scratch lads were too strong for a lot of us. Paul Kennedy was a class above everybody else, and practically dragged us around for half of every lap. Average speed was 40.4kmh which was slow by last years fastest average of 42, but tonight felt much faster. Too many of us on the road when we caught G3, but there's no easy answer that doesnt involve more volunteers.

clashextra

Paul Kennedy was the one who went off in the ambulance looking pretty shook up but hopefully he'll be alright. The other lad was Shane Wheritty; he went down right in front of me and I really thought he was a gonner because of the pace of the bunch at that point, but he was up and walking around and appeared ok.
Felt like kissing my brakes when all had settled!! Skidded to a halt behind Shane and was nearly over the handlebars with the suddenness of it all and then braced myself for someone to come crashing into me.
Too many contesting the gallop just as the road narrowed after the bend but that's the way it goes sometimes.
Other than that, great racing from everyone involved.

Beasty

One option is to leave that circuit until a bit later in the season after the initial surge in racers. 50-60 is probably OK, but 80-90 with a large proportion coming together on the narrow back roads seems too many to me

The Garristown and Corduff courses are much better at spreading everyone out because of the hills. Corduff has wider roads, with the option of finishing on the hill. It could also accomodate DMSs (Bog of the Ring is probably too short for DMSs). The problem with Corduff is it's such a long circuit that nearly 3 laps (if finishing on the hill) is too long for this time in the season - it would probably be dark by the time everyone gets back to their cars. We are due to finish on the flat next week though and it will be interesting to see how much daylight is left

greenmat

Enjoyed my 1st race, put into group 3, I said my 1st race didn't I. That was by far the fastest I've ever cycled, I now know what chewing the handle bars really feels like. Lap 1 was a shock to the system but after finishing lap 2, I felt good. When the groups came together on the last lap and the scratch group seemed to squeeze past a non exsisting gap on the left I found myself at the back of a very large group. Never got near the front for the gallop so missed the crash, just seen the atermath. Came in around 30-40th, a great experience, I'm still amazed at the skill and bottle of the stratch group as they passed us heading towards the Naul Road. Well done to all concerned for the organising and marshalling of tonights race.

killalanerr

i joined Beasty in group 3 big enough group to stay away if we got the up and overs going and i have to say we gave it a good go,i rode me little nuts off i went from the line riding through until we were caught by group 4 with a little bit more effort we could have stayed clear but it was a hard fast race and i gave it my all so no complaints
The run into the finish was fast and hairy some body did a turn going across the bog road that was savage (think it was Paul K ) i was well placed in the top 15 or so but when a bike spun across the road in front of me a had to come to almost a dead stop as some one said i was glad my brakes were working so well, not sure if i made the top 10
A real good work out that will stand to me come Sunday