Mick Byrne 200 2015

doozerie

NamelessPhil wrote:

Some lovely bikes on the ride.

That's for sure! I had a brief flutter with another bike at the end, a real stunner - the frame size, groupset, and pedals were a match for mine, and even the geometry seemed the same. It just felt so ...right. My (next) mid-life crisis may well be a Condor.

cdaly_

NamelessPhil wrote: »

I said hi to a boardsie in green shorts on the way out of Roundwood on the 200. I rode with doozerie, well I say rode with more like I crawled my way up the hills while he skipped off into the distance. Some lovely bikes on the ride. As ever it's a great event and it was nice to have some company on the ride rather than riding it as a solo audax permanent spin.

How's the new Ti pony after 4 months?

DaithiMC

doozerie wrote: »

The road between Glenmacnass and Sallygap was "interesting", the hailstones decided it would be great fun altogether to batter my exposed left ear, left cheek, and lips. They even managed to sail between the vents in my helmet to batter my head - that'll teach me to cut my hair short the day before a long ride! I spent over a kilometre riding with my left hand sheltering my ear and as much of my face as it could cover, the entire stretch peppered with loud utterances of "Ow!", "Ouch!", and "GEROFF!". I finally see the appeal of a big protective fuzzy beard, and big fuzzy ears wouldn't have gone amiss either.

That road is always interesting to me - the weather changes very quickly, no matter what time of the year. The surface is, well, true to what a bog road should be I suppose but it also changes dramatically depending on the weather! Its not a road to be tired on though, it can be a really tough ride if you are (from experience!).

I got some video footage of the hailstones that I will try to post once I figure out how to edit the files and post them (my chief technologist is currently doing exams so I am a bit lost on that front!). As I got to the Sally Gap, just after the crossroads, I could see those dark clouds forming and moving East ahead of me and I knew that this was going to be interesting - I have been exposed to clouds landing heavily on walks around there and I thought I was going to be in for a drenching. I turned on the camera anyway as the light changes were incredible and then I noticed the pinging of the hailstones on the helmet and, yes, the ear being flicked, and the wind acting as its accomplice blasting them into my face!

I was actually glad it was hailstones because when it stopped there was no residual wetness but for the road surface, which made it interesting descending down past the lakes. I normally love that descent but didn't take any chances this time - I love it even more on the MB200 as it marks the point that almost all of the suffering is done - now if they would only fix the surface of the road from Glencree to Enniskerry, that would be one of the most magnificent run-ins on any route!

NamelessPhil

cdaly_ wrote: »

How's the new Ti pony after 4 months?

New audax pony is going strong. 2,000km done on it since mid-February and nothing has gone ping! It soaks up crappy road conditions and is great over long distances such as the 600 two weekends ago.

Planet X

Congrats to Sorrento CC/ Audax Ireland for raising €3,123 for the Wicklow Hospice from this year's event.
Congrats to all who took part.