Boards Evil 200+ 2014 edition (June 7th)

daragh_ · 28-01-2014 3:47pm

superelliptic wrote: »

No worries, I might look into doing some training with a club perhaps. I've just picked up a Defy 0 on BTW that I'm itching to try out, so who knows, maybe the Wicklow 200 the following day if I still have legs :pac:

Well, you've plenty of time to train.

For the record (and this is going to come up a few times in this thread over the next few months) the Evil 200 and the Wicklow 200 are two very different things.

The Evil 200 is a bunch of people who happen to have come across this thread heading off for a spin around all the steep bits in Wicklow. There's no mechanical support, no food stops, no road markings, no marshals etc. It's entirely unofficial. You should be prepared for a long lonely day in the saddle with a ridiculous amount of climbing. There is no medal or commemorative jersey and when you get home nobody will care.

AstraMonti · 28-01-2014 4:02pm

mirv wrote: »

Maybe we could go straight onto the N81 from the start rather than going on the firhouse road? Won't be much traffic at 7am, and we'd avoid all the curb/bike lane hopping and the lights on the firhouse road.

Also another suggestion is to go from the N81 - slade valley/saggart hill westwards - the lamb hill/cupidstown eastwards - sally gap, and it would avoid getting lost in the estates and park in saggart/rathecoole and add another 'scenic' hill.

I am sorry i don't understand what avoid a scenic hill means in the content of Evil 200!

superelliptic · 28-01-2014 4:11pm

daragh_ wrote: »

Well, you've plenty of time to train.

For the record (and this is going to come up a few times in this thread over the next few months) the Evil 200 and the Wicklow 200 are two very different things.

The Evil 200 is a bunch of people who happen to have come across this thread heading off for a spin around all the steep bits in Wicklow. There's no mechanical support, no food stops, no road markings, no marshals etc. It's entirely unofficial. You should be prepared for a long lonely day in the saddle with a ridiculous amount of climbing. There is no medal or commemorative jersey and when you get home nobody will care.

That's ok I was kind of drawn to it for those reasons to be honest. The idea of doing an Audax was always appealing to me but a Boardsie Audax - now that would be something else altogether!

(no finishing jersey- WTF ppl!!! :pac:)

CramCycle · 28-01-2014 4:16pm

superelliptic wrote: »

(no finishing jersey- WTF ppl!!! :pac:)

Nail the jersey you were wearing on the day (unwashed obviously) either above your bed if co-habiting or to the front door if single(or as good as), so that the people who should, appreciate how incredible you are.

The Noble Nudge · 28-01-2014 4:22pm

CramCycle wrote: »

Nail the jersey you were wearing on the day (unwashed obviously) either above your bed if co-habiting or to the front door if single(or as good as), so that the people who should, appreciate how incredible you are.

Not the jersey your shorts........:eek:

bellinter · 28-01-2014 4:29pm

All going well I'll tag along on this

mirv · 30-01-2014 10:58am

AstraMonti wrote: »

I am sorry i don't understand what avoid a scenic hill means in the content of Evil 200!

Hey, I didn't mean to avoid any hills, in fact they're hiller than the original route. Just trying to discuss options.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3969863 +300m more climbing than original!

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3980959 +230m more climbing!

1) I've set the start at Tescos, so people from further afield can bring their bike by car and park for free - I think this one is a definite plus.

2) Goes up smooth N81 instead of the horrible Firhouse road, it's no less and no more scenic, and makes the route straighter.

3) We could do The Lamb Hill and possibly Mount Seskin, which are both pretty vicious in addition to Slade Valley.

4) It's a bit easier to follow than the twisty estates in Rathcoole between km 12-16 in the original route, I think this is important as getting lost really is an issue without spraypainted markers, especially at the start.

godtabh · 30-01-2014 12:26pm

Lads what kind of gear setup did you use doing this?

ROK ON · 30-01-2014 12:40pm

53/12

godtabh · 30-01-2014 12:42pm

will the small cog have any bearing on it?

ROK ON · 30-01-2014 12:44pm

godtabh wrote: »

will the small cog have any bearing on it?

No
MTFU

godtabh · 30-01-2014 1:12pm

ROK ON wrote: »

No
MTFU

Just wondering as i need a new cassette!

Hmmzis · 30-01-2014 2:01pm

godtabh wrote: »

Lads what kind of gear setup did you use doing this?

Compact front, 11-25 at the back. The 34/25 combo was used a lot.

lennymc · 30-01-2014 2:05pm

39 25 all the way (except I didn't go all the way)

CramCycle · 30-01-2014 2:40pm

48/14, although I have just received my new rear cog so I may leave the heroics behind and go 48/18

lennymc · 30-01-2014 2:46pm

maybe do it singlespeed?

godtabh · 30-01-2014 3:07pm

lennymc wrote: »

maybe do it singlespeed?

I always go single speed..........slow

lennymc · 30-01-2014 3:15pm

actually - seriously, is anyone else up for doing it singlespeed?

Raam · 30-01-2014 3:15pm

lennymc wrote: »

actually - seriously, is anyone else up for doing it singlespeed?

actually, seriously: no.

lennymc · 30-01-2014 3:16pm

Raam wrote: »

actually, seriously: no.

you allways say that

CramCycle · 30-01-2014 3:16pm

lennymc wrote: »

actually - seriously, is anyone else up for doing it singlespeed?

I'll be fixed but the temptation to get those stirrups for my frame or fork is strong.

daragh_ · 30-01-2014 3:19pm

It's Wicklow, not the Alps. There's nothing undoable as long as you don't get a rush of blood to the head and try to keep up with Raam.

daragh_ · 30-01-2014 3:20pm

CramCycle wrote: »

I'll be fixed but the temptation to get those stirrups for my frame or fork is strong.

If you get all the way round the pints are on me.

Ole Rodrigo · 30-01-2014 3:25pm

lennymc wrote: »

actually - seriously, is anyone else up for doing it singlespeed?

I'll do it fixed. :pac: What gearing though ? I'd imagine 48 X 16 would be too low.

Raam · 30-01-2014 3:26pm

daragh_ wrote: »

It's Wicklow, not the Alps. There's nothing undoable as long as you don't get a rush of blood to the head and try to keep up with Raam.

I bonked last year trying to keep up with myself. Totally cooked by the time we got to Laragh for the first time. Limped home over Sally Gap with Dirk Voodoo for company. He was trying not to fall off the bike I was going that slow. Still clocked 220km or so for the day.

mirv · 30-01-2014 3:44pm

I was in my 39 x 26 for an awful long time. I'll be bringing a 34 this time round though.

Alek · 30-01-2014 3:57pm

If I'll go, I'll bring a 34 too.

On the back.

The Noble Nudge · 30-01-2014 4:31pm

lennymc wrote: »

maybe do it singlespeed?

What about the Dublin rental bike complete with carrier.....the WW200 was done on that in 2012....

ROK ON · 30-01-2014 4:36pm

When cycling uphill I like the Tim Krabbe mantra from the book, The Rider.

To paraphrase - his twenty sprocket was clean.

That should suffice in the guidance of want max gearing will suffice.

godtabh · 30-01-2014 6:41pm

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

What about the Dublin rental bike complete with carrier.....the WW200 was done on that in 2012....

I'm sure you could get a few lads to pace you around

colm_gti · 30-01-2014 9:57pm

daragh_ wrote: »

It's Wicklow, not the Alps. There's nothing undoable as long as you don't get a rush of blood to the head and try to keep up with Raam.

Let him have you on the first hill and then attack him on the next one

I done it on a double with 11-25 last year, like Daragh said, its Wicklow not the Alps!

mirv · 01-02-2014 11:31pm

Colm and Daragh are sandbaggers of the highest order, I did it on a 52-39 with a 13-26 cassette and I'd have happily taken a compact instead!

It didn't help that I was dying after coming into Laragh for the first time after hammering away and staying with the group for the bit before the first Laragh stop as I was going to get lost otherwise. The fear of getting lost was only the start of my demise!

All in all, a great day and got to enjoy a few "roads" I hadn't been acquainted with before out in east Wicklow. That said, it is a very tough unsupported spin, and you'll need to bring along either a good deal of fitness with you, or a great deal of patience and low gearing. Bear in mind that the numbers aren't going to be very high and you might be quite lonely if you're used to a casual spin being dragged around by a group on the flat all day - you'll be suffering even if you take it easy!

The Mick Byrne 200 is very similar to the Evil 200, but on slightly nicer roads with a bit of food in the middle and at the end and I think they have a broom wagon. It has plenty of climbing but is just simply not as vicious as the Evil 200. It also happens to be two weeks before the Evil 200 so you can get a feel for doing a hard spin albeit with a bit of support.

superelliptic · 06-02-2014 10:11am

lennymc wrote: »

maybe do it singlespeed?

Only if I get to singlespeed with this..

godtabh · 22-03-2014 2:26pm

With the morning/days getting longer I'll have the opperuntiy to introduce some decent climbing into my training.

Just wondering what kind if climbing blocks.people will be doing for this? Distance wise I should.be fine but need to work on climbing

ROK ON · 22-03-2014 2:34pm

None whatsoever. Climbing before the Evil is cheating.

omri · 22-03-2014 2:54pm

If I was out of the saddle for circa 3yrs or so and my bike should be ready somewhere mid april - would you say there's any point for me trying to commit this evil cycling suicide, or should I leave it till next year ?

Conditiong: 0
Bike handling: can't remember
Muscle memory: yes

Darkglasses · 22-03-2014 3:01pm

omri wrote: »

If I was out of the saddle for circa 3yrs or so and my bike should be ready somewhere mid april - would you say there's any point for me trying to commit this evil cycling suicide, or should I leave it till next year ?

Conditiong: 0
Bike handling: can't remember
Muscle memory: yes

Make a few escape plans if you do, it's a hell of a route.

omri · 22-03-2014 3:09pm

Darkglasses wrote: »

Make a few escape plans if you do, it's a hell of a route.

Sadly my wife doesn't drive so I might camp somewhere till morning or till I get my legs/life back..

godtabh · 22-03-2014 4:17pm

omri wrote: »

Sadly my wife doesn't drive so I might camp somewhere till morning or till I get my legs/life back..

I think he means alternative easier routes home

omri · 22-03-2014 5:30pm

godtabh wrote: »

I think he means alternative easier routes home

I know

mirv · 24-03-2014 8:08am

In all honesty though, unless you were really quite strong three years ago I don't think training from nothing for two months will let you get through the Evil 200, at least with company/diginity/sanity/camping. I did it last year and I'm hesitant about doing it this year as I'm not half as fit as I was!

omri · 24-03-2014 9:27am

mirv wrote: »

In all honesty though, unless you were really quite strong three years ago I don't think training from nothing for two months will let you get through the Evil 200, at least with company/diginity/sanity/camping. I did it last year and I'm hesitant about doing it this year as I'm not half as fit as I was!

Exactly - but I mean what's the worst that can happen ?

Given that I only ever cycled on my own, went for just one spin with boardsies arond 100k (sally gap) that day - wearing a feking backpack as at that time I was brand new to cycling and thought carrying all the necessary tools plus god knows what else is a must and for that I need a big backpack rather than saddle bag. Never did such a hard climbs that made me think I will grind to halt and then collapse and then die in some ditch. Not to mention insane speeds at descents that I would never do if I was there on my own. And I'm really bad with maps so it takes me few weeks to get safely from home to tesco (5 min walk)...

The Noble Nudge · 24-03-2014 9:33am

Will there be many doing the Mick Byrne then the Evil??
Anyone a link for the 2014 Mick Byrne website is last years event?

AstraMonti · 24-03-2014 9:39am

omri wrote: »

Exactly - but I mean what's the worst that can happen ?

Die.. really!

godtabh · 24-03-2014 10:57am

AstraMonti wrote: »

Die.. really!

I would imagine you really need to prepare correctly for this or suffer the consequences

colm_gti · 24-03-2014 12:30pm

I puked my guts up on the way home after doing this last year, lennymc can confirm, I had to get him to pull over at a garage

Raam · 24-03-2014 12:32pm

I think the biggest mistake I have made on these spins, excluding turning up, is stopping for lunch.

lennymc · 24-03-2014 1:19pm

colm_gti wrote: »

I puked my guts up on the way home after doing this last year, lennymc can confirm, I had to get him to pull over at a garage

yes, you did. Oh how I laughed.

Zyzz · 24-03-2014 1:43pm

colm_gti wrote: »

I puked my guts up on the way home after doing this last year, lennymc can confirm, I had to get him to pull over at a garage

Were you not meant to be cycling the route?

Trolol :pac:

mirv · 24-03-2014 2:10pm

So you're saying you're got zero conditioning, can't remember how to handle a bike or even own a bike for another month, and can't read a map?

If you're really set on the Evil 200, you should learn how to read a map and bring taxi fare. Bringing a bike is almost optional to be honest! :P

Boards Evil 200+ 2014 edition (June 7th)

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