IRC/Lucan/Orwell/Tiernans/UCD League - 16/8/12 TTT Brittas

Spelean

Hey up,

I've had a look but can't find an older post saying what distance or route the previous TTTs have been - only that people felt sick after
My first year doing the league, anyone any tips? Is it just continuous up and overs for the whole thing?

Ta.

buffalo

Didn't do it last year, but I believe this is it: http://app.strava.com/segments/722681

Spelean

That's great buffalo.

Looks tough to keep up the speed on.

buffalo

Anyone got times from last year, I only have 2010:

1 37.13 Usher (about 43.3kmph)
2 39.08 Orwell
3 39.14 Orwell
4 40.06 Usher + 1 Tiernans
5 40.40 Lucan
6 42.29 Lucan + Orwell

colm_gti

Starting to get a pain in my legs thinking about this tonight, better be no wind!

kenmc

colm_gti wrote: »

Starting to get a pain in my legs thinking about this tonight, better be no wind!

Lol. Is this incoming deluge better? Forecasting a "moderate breeze" of circa 8m/s from the s/se.
Ugh

buffalo

Took the words (and link!) out of my mouth kenmc. Wind just means you'll work harder, rain means you'll be miserable, and possibly on the ground.

CramCycle

Can't wait, anyone know what the difference in start times between teams will be?

daragh_

Went around (slowly) last night. Bit more debris on the road than usual from the wind. Hopefully will have blown away by now.

colm_gti

kenmc wrote: »

Lol. Is this incoming deluge better? Forecasting a "moderate breeze" of circa 8m/s from the s/se.
Ugh

Aww ffs! I think I'll stay at home and wash my bike instead....

buffalo

colm_gti wrote: »

Aww ffs! I think I'll stay at home and wash my bike instead....

Do the TTT, the rain will wash your bike for you!

colm_gti

buffalo wrote: »

Do the TTT, the rain will wash your bike for you!

Yeah but it'll wash me too, I don't need to be washed, I'm immaculate...

joker77

buffalo wrote: »

Wind just means you'll work harder, rain means you'll be miserable, and possibly on the ground.

I'd say switch them - I'm miserable in the wind and I definitely work harder in the rain!

kenmc

joker77 wrote: »

I'd say switch them - I'm miserable in the wind and I definitely work harder in the rain!

That's handy to know. We'll stick you up front then so.

colm_gti

Well that was painful...I'll be picking bits of ****e out of my eyes for the next fortnight!

kenmc

disaster. joker77 decided to "lose" his computer on the way up to the normal finish line first lap, just as we started upping the pace to go for gold, leaving just 3 of us. we were definitely on for world record time when with 1 km or so to go, buffalo decides to shift from the big ring to the non-existent giant ring for the final stretch and ended up wrapping his chain around everything below his bottle cages. oflahero and myself did the decent thing and went back for him, and we ended up crossing the line like the front row of a scrum. the world record still stands

buffalo

kenmc wrote: »

oflahero and myself did the decent thing and went back for him, and we ended up crossing the line like the front row of a scrum. the world record still stands

So proud lads, so proud. This is what teams are made of.

If there's not a photo of that moment I'll be raging.

kenmc

indeed, Amy better have been there

colm_gti

Now that I've warmed up and can actually type...

I went out in team 16 with Rob, Martin and Richie, following our club mates in team 15 (Daragh, CramCycle, Mick D and Mick M). We were slow enough to get started, with Martin and I slow to clip in, dragging the other 2 lads back. Got into a good, smooth rhythm, but unfortunately Richie dropped off coming across the bridge on the first lap, so the remaining 3 of us kept pushing on. Very little drama really, was on my limit for most of the last lap. Came in at 40:35, respectable enough time I think? Good session!

buffalo

colm_gti wrote: »

Now that I've warmed up and can actually type...

I went out in team 16 with Rob, Martin and Richie, following our club mates in team 15 (Daragh, CramCycle, Mick D and Mick M). We were slow enough to get started, with Martin and I slow to clip in, dragging the other 2 lads back. Got into a good, smooth rhythm, but unfortunately Richie dropped off coming across the bridge on the first lap, so the remaining 3 of us kept pushing on. Very little drama really, was on my limit for most of the last lap. Came in at 40:35, respectable enough time I think? Good session!

40'42" you liar.

Can't believe we were 7 seconds outside the placing, after two mechanicals. Fuppin' ragin'! We had a good rhythm going, and a nice system (copied from UCD's winning TTT). Just damn unlucky. Are there any bonus points for team spirit?

colm_gti

buffalo wrote: »

40'42" you liar.

Can't believe we were 7 seconds outside the placing, after two mechanicals. Fuppin' ragin'! We had a good rhythm going, and a nice system (copied from UCD's winning TTT). Just damn unlucky. Are there any bonus points for team spirit?

My bad I heard someone say 40:35, but you can have your 7 seconds! :P

joker77

buffalo wrote: »

So proud lads, so proud. This is what teams are made of.

If there's not a photo of that moment I'll be raging.

It looked a pretty special moment, will be a real shame if it wasn't captured!

buffalo

colm_gti wrote: »

My bad I heard someone say 40:35, but you can have your 7 seconds! :P

QFT! Now email the league committee and tell them you're transferring that seven seconds to us, woohoo, points! \o/

doozerie

Sweet jaysus, that was tough. I was riding with people that I knew to be in a completely different league to me but it turns out that even that view represented a gross under-estimatation of their ability on my part, or a gross over-estimation of my own ability, or both.

I think I took 2 turns at the front, my brief "contributions" serving to reduce our speed each time. I couldn't hold a wheel at all tonight so their race consisted of brief spells of speed followed by lengthy spells of freewheeling while waiting for me to get back on. By contrast, my race consisted of a little over 42mins of an eyeballs-out sprint to stay in contact, interspersed with several breathless attempts to yell "Man Down! Man... downnn... again... oh fukkit!". It's embarrassing being the team anchor, but maybe that'll motivate me to train better.

CramCycle

Only 1.5 minutes outside of placing, sob

daragh_

CramCycle wrote: »

Only 1.5 minutes outside of placing, sob

Just be thankful the time wasn't based on the 4th man in your team.

daragh_

My first Team Time Trial.

What I discovered very quickly - I suck at team time trials.

I was in the first Tiernan's Team to roll out.

Myself, CramCycle, Mick M and Mick D. Guess who was the slow one? :rolleyes:

Was last off, clipped in, noticed I was already behind, geared up, got back on. Did a go at the front coming down the N81.

Remembered there was a vague plan was to try and hold to 38. I was hovering between 36 and 37 into a headwind. Was getting slower fast. Peeled off and then struggled to stay on the back. Dropped further back on the corner, managed to jump back as the lads slowed up to wait. Was starting to recover through Manor Kilbride. Took that really tight corner and the lads just flew away from me.

Kept them in sight until the bridge across the lake, then got passed by the next Tiernan's Team looking all disciplined and machinelike.

After that it's all fuzzy. Red mist time, head down and grind on to finish. Team says I was in 3 or 4 minutes after them. Felt like an hour. Think I was last out on the course. There were a few people going in the opposite direction giving me 'what the feck are you doing' looks.

I know in cycling you are supposed to be stoic in the face of suffering and defeat but I'm just disappointed and annoyed that I couldn't hang in for longer. :mad:

Next Year

colm_gti

daragh_ wrote: »

My first Team Time Trial.

What I discovered very quickly - I suck at team time trials.

I was in the first Tiernan's Team to roll out.

Myself, CramCycle, Mick M and Mick D. Guess who was the slow one? :rolleyes:

Was last off, clipped in, noticed I was already behind, geared up, got back on. Did a go at the front coming down the N81.

Remembered there was a vague plan was to try and hold to 38. I was hovering between 36 and 37 into a headwind. Was getting slower fast. Peeled off and then struggled to stay on the back. Dropped further back on the corner, managed to jump back as the lads slowed up to wait. Was starting to recover through Manor Kilbride. Took that really tight corner and the lads just flew away from me.

Kept them in sight until the bridge across the lake, then got passed by the next Tiernan's Team looking all disciplined and machinelike.

After that it's all fuzzy. Red mist time, head down and grind on to finish. Team says I was in 3 or 4 minutes after them. Felt like an hour. Think I was last out on the course. There were a few people going in the opposite direction giving me 'what the feck are you doing' looks.

I know in cycling you are supposed to be stoic in the face of suffering and defeat but I'm just disappointed and annoyed that I couldn't hang in for longer. :mad:

Next Year

Like I said Daragh the monsoon like conditions didn't do those of us lacking in confidence on corners and descents any favours, had this been a race I'd probably have been yo-yo'ing off the back on the sharp bends and descents, but I just went in with the mentality of do-or-die (or do-or-get dropped more like), and was happy to finish upright.

Hopefully next years TT's are dry, I'm actually beginning to enjoy them in a strange way.

EDIT: Also, you were out the previous night, which I doubt done ya any favours

joker77

Really feels like there were a lot more rainy nights in the league this year than last year. Particularly unlucky with rain. Was cursing it last night.

TheNah

would have to agree with that. be interested in seeing an analysis of it - have we tested the laws of probability this year with the number of rainy thursdays??

buffalo

In a delayed response to this, someone said this year was the first in a few years that no race was cancelled due to the weather. I'd much prefer that though, get all the rain done with in one night!

CramCycle

buffalo wrote: »

In a delayed response to this, someone said this year was the first in a few years that no race was cancelled due to the weather. I'd much prefer that though, get all the rain done with in one night!

There were several races where the pre race talk consisted of calling it off for the evening and then running it anyway when fear of angry riders who made the effort, for easy points, was mentioned. The points were never easy though (or even existent in my case).