Wicklow 200 2017

dahat

If someone could pick me up m drag my ass over the last 40k I'd be grateful...Starting solo which is odd for a long ass Sportive.

dahat

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

There are a few short sections which are in the 12-15% area including the climb out of Enniskerry on the new route and the first bit of the Shay Elliott, but there's nothing anywhere near 20%.

That is reassuring, should be fine for me and my semi compact.

Wishbone Ash

dahat wrote: »

...Starting solo which is odd for a long ass Sportive.

No - there will be about 3,000 of us!

dahat

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

No - there will be about 3,000 of us!

Ah I know but a familiar face alongside to help through the tough moment's helps n did all.the way through the SK160. It will just be something different for me.

py

py wrote: »

Wicklow Gap climb hits low double digits about halfway up: https://www.strava.com/segments/635753

Slieve Mann is double digits early on but drops off towards the middle and the end of the climb: https://www.strava.com/segments/654036

Shay Elliot/Glenmalure hit double digits % early and is constant: https://www.strava.com/segments/9680758

Keep it in mind that the 2 later climbs are after 100Km and a good chunk of climbing already.

Also.. the later 2 climbs are back to back... with a short sharp climb before them :rolleyes: https://www.strava.com/segments/635754?filter=my_results

Look... there's climbing everywhere! :pac: As soon as you hit the right turn before that climb, pace yourself for the next hour of ascending/descending as it'll be the toughest part of the day imo.

smacl

dahat wrote: »

Ah I know but a familiar face alongside to help through the tough moment's helps n did all.the way through the SK160. It will just be something different for me.

I'll be there in a boards jersey playing lanterne rouge, so come over and say hi if you're around. Possibly be heading out with Rollingscone and a few others, though no doubt rolling back on my tod

New route looks nice with the Old long hill replacing the long hill for the opening climb, which while slightly tougher is far more pleasant and a nice way into Roundwood.

diomed

Planet X wrote: »

I did my first one, 1984, second year running of the event? Cycled about another five since.

Then, it was called "A Reliability Trial". Get around 200 odd kilos. There wasn't much talk about sandwiches and food, even they were provided. It's not about that. It's surely about the cyclists ability to get around the course, much like Audax these days.

No mention of his support crew that met him in Laragh on his way back and gave him two bananas and a bottle of water.

loyatemu

Old Long Hill is a serious climb, short but very sharp. I did the 100 before but there was nothing that steep on it.

1bryan

loyatemu wrote: »

Old Long Hill is a serious climb, short but very sharp. I did the 100 before but there was nothing that steep on it.

it's absolutely nuts putting this climb on the 100 route. There will be a lot of people having to walk up it, and it's not that short really.

It would have been very easy to brach here. Have the 200 go up long hill and route the 100 around to the more traditional sugarloaf climb.

You'd wonder how much thought the organisers put into these things at all.

gmacww

For those that did it the past number of years the psychological kick of going through the Greystones roundabout and realising you've another 17km to go will hit hard. Although on the flip side you will probably be fresher than ever before coming through Newcastle and Kilcoole.

Statler

Last leg of the route along the Southern Cross Road in Bray will be interesting with 2000+ cyclists, couple of roundabouts at the end of it before the N11 flyover could be a nightmare with Sunday afternoon traffic. No doubt Joe Duffy will hear all about it the next day!

smacl

gmacww wrote: »

For those that did it the past number of years the psychological kick of going through the Greystones roundabout and realising you've another 17km to go will hit hard. Although on the flip side you will probably be fresher than ever before coming through Newcastle and Kilcoole.

Windgates with 200k and hills in the legs should be fun

Macy0161

Combination of getting jealous of the lads from the club, and a free-ish pass, mean I'm back in.

Old Long Hill does level off in the middle before kicking up again, but definitely a harder run into Roundwood imo whatever about Old v New Long Hill.

kirk buttercup

My first crack at the 100 looks tough but sure I have all day. I live and cycle in Wicklow so I well know there are no flat roads around here. Looking forward to it in a nervous/ excited kind of way

ratracer

I'm intentionally not looking at the route beforehand, just point me on the right direction from the start, and that'll do!!
I need to get a lot of miles on the legs this month though

kirk buttercup

Drove home the route from emmets to roundwood holy moly there's some climbs to begin with

Wishbone Ash

1bryan wrote: »

it's absolutely nuts putting this climb on the 100 route. There will be a lot of people having to walk up it, and it's not that short really.

It would have been very easy to brach here. Have the 200 go up long hill and route the 100 around to the more traditional sugarloaf climb.

You'd wonder how much thought the organisers put into these things at all.

The steep bit of the old Long Hill (despite its name) is only a few hundred meters and the rest of it is just a long drag and, IMO, easier than that traditional long drag from Kilmacanogue to Calary.

dragratchet

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

The steep bit of the old Long Hill (despite its name) is only a few hundred meters and the rest of it is just a long drag and, IMO, easier than that traditional long drag from Kilmacanogue to Calary.

spose it depends on your ability and what you're used to. i climb both regularly enough and would prefer the calary road most times. more consistent regarding gradient with small fluctuations. old long hill pitches up a fair bit around the mid way and then big riders will always suffer on that final 300 metre ramp. there is a few hundred metres recovery before that section of course.

lissard

Whatever about the pitch of the Old Long Hill at least there should be far less traffic compared to the Calary road. For the W200 I have found it a bit stressful what with cars slowly trying to thread their way up the hill with hundreds of cyclists spread all over the place. Last year I was overtaken by a cyclist who thought it might be a good idea to go around the outside of a car that was slowly trying to overtake the bunch up ahead of me. There was a Darwin award just waiting for for that idiot.

kirk buttercup

Is it going back through Enniskerry at the end?

Unknown Soldier

60 Euro?

They can shove that up their hole!

py

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

60 Euro?

They can shove that up their hole!

Early bird was 50 and that was my limit. Any further price increases and I'll pass my custom on to other events (local or further afield).

monkeyslayer

60 is a rip off, maybe if the official jersey came with it, like the Sean Kelly tour can manage somehow, and for less, maybe I'd consider it then... I'd like to do it but can't bring myself to pay that much to cycle on roads I know too well. But I guess it'd be different for riders coming from afar... 60 seems quite greedy by the organisers imo

gmacww

A few of us at the finish last year were saying you could see how it had thinned out from an organisation, support, food, hydration perspective. That was (I think) my 9th time to do it. On the basis of last year I felt the early bird for this year at €40 or whatever it was was a stretch so I sat on it and procrastinated. When it went to €50 a while back and that was it. That's over priced and €60 is a complete joke considering what other sportives offer for lesser prices.

So this year I'll be sitting out and likely this could be the end of the 200 for me.

kirk buttercup

It has appeal for newbies like me but I can certainly see how it has lost its pull for people who have done it a few times. I loved the tour de foothills hope this is as enjoyable (I'm only doing 100 as this is my level this year)

dahat

At €50 the Sk160 in 2016 was worth every cent of it as regards food etc so I'm hoping this event doesn't sour me from big Sportive as doing a different one each year is my aim.

Euro Fred

This is probably my last year doing it, I don't see what they can be offering for €60 to be honest.

Macy0161

Well I ended up entering in the end. I was going to do the Orwell Randonee or Mick Byrne instead, but the days just didn't suit. It is a massive challenge, well for a lot of people, and for me whilst others may be better value for the event, I still have to factor in overnights and/or fuel for the likes of the Sean Kelly.

The one thing I will say I didn't find the support that bad last year. Plenty of food at the stops when I was at them, and water was available when I was there (I know they ran out) - only the end was a bit of let down when all I wanted was cake! It was certainly as good as the ROK at the food stops.

smacl

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

60 Euro?

They can shove that up their hole!

So you won't be doing the many gel powered hyper sprint from SM this year then? Every year I say never again to the WW200, and then sign up for the early bird anyway. Don't actually enjoy the WW200 that much any more, but know damn well it will force me to put in some spring miles in the hills so its well worth it from that point alone.

ratracer

Whats the road surface like up that way lads?