Irish Road Racing 2023

dahat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120248711#Comment_120248711

That will do then, i'll add that to the list for March.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120248786#Comment_120248786

A more detailed description. Not that any race is predictable but it rolls out neutral and you wait just off the circuit. The Comms let you start on the road that you would turn onto from the finish line. This is flat (effectively) on a wide open road for about 2.5km, left turn onto decent back roads, one or two tight turns but it remains flat and fast for the next 5km then you turn onto Boston Hill (not a turn but a 90degree bend in the road). This is 3 minutes and goes one of two ways, either everyone sits on or people (like me but I am unlikely to make it this year) send flyers which on occasion get away but rarely. Fast descent that ends on a left turn, the only not nice of the course as the road it comes onto has a sharp bend on the right so the marshals have an awful time of it trying to look after traffic but there has never been an incident but some more nervous riders grab a lot of brakes. After this it is a long draggy section where any brakes are reeled in slowly. Then 3km from the finish it picks up pace with the slight descent, the road is safe but not straight but it always lights up here, then you are onto a fast sprint.

daragh_

Never done the Open Race but we use it a lot in the Vets and it's one of my favourite circuits. Might do the A4 this year if the weather is ok.

wav1

Just to let you all know Boyne GP goes ahead on the new circuit again this year as per last year due to continuing road works on the N51

Positive feedback from last year 16km circuit

A1A2 6 x laps 96k

A3 5 x laps 80k

A4 4 x laps 6k

Full details at weekend but HQ will be Stackallen Tennis & Pitch and Putt club on N51 approx 4k from Slane

wav1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120249487#Comment_120249487

Sorry Sunday 19th March

beggars_bush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120249487#Comment_120249487

Nice handy A4 sprint there

dahat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120249487#Comment_120249487

I’ll be there all going well as liked the new circuit last year.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120249487#Comment_120249487

The route for anyone thinking of going: https://www.strava.com/routes/2933009252306216014

dahat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120248945#Comment_120248945

Appreciate the detailled description, helps for those like me that haven't ridden the course before.

That makes 4 races in March which means A2 in April 🤣

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120251415#Comment_120251415

This time next year dahat, this time next year...

Bambaata

Got my race numbers this morning, a fairtly scaled back package compared to last year!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120247876#Comment_120247876

Hate the way a race says theres a TT and then announce a hill TT, not the bloody same! Although from the looks of the main segment it doesnt seem too back and seems it is big ring to the top! Im guessing so long as theres no headwind the current KOH will be smashed so prob not much over 80/90s allout.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120252090#Comment_120252090

That KOM will definitely be smashed, 90seconds for the hill part. I think a little over 3 minutes for the stage winner, 3.5 to 4 minutes for most of the A3s.

Arthurdaly

Nice to see the Seamus Kennedy running a separate A2, lets hope they stick to that even if A1 numbers are poor. A2's have been paying for the A1 pots for far too long!

CramCycle

Gorey 3 day opens on Monday

Macy0161

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120249235#Comment_120249235

I don't appear to have done it, despite doing 2 of the Dorey's races. Is there a second lap? I didn't miss too many Sundays, but did no Tuesdays!

daragh_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120264391#Comment_120264391

I meant the Newbridge GP, which is the same as the Curragh Race we do, although I think the A4 Race is shorter by a lap than the usual Vets Race. Might be wrong.

The Dublin Wheelers is on familiar ground. Doreys, Mullagh Cross Roads, Culmullin Loop. The A4 is short of two full laps but you go up Doreys twice, with the finish there the second time around.

levitronix

Not sure yet if i ll do navan, but im doing the newbridge gp and the boyne gp. The race im looking forward to the most is the galway classic

dahat

Delighted to see Ras Luimni appear on the Munster calender in May. It’s a great course for crosswinds & had a ball there last year sticking lads in the gutter.

beggars_bush

thinking of doing some racing this year.

is a spare wheelset a necessity?

what other spare bike parts would you recommend having in advance of regular racing?

dahat

Yes spare wheels to either train on or use if your better wheels get mangled. I always bring a set to a race just in case something happens at the start but rarely give these to neutral service if available on the day.

Regualr racing is just plain & simply costly with travelling & food requirements plus handing out for things like hangars, rd’s & general but that get chewed up faster.

My personal recommendation is to buddy up with a club mate or friend for races as it’s company plus costs can be shared. It’s the thing I miss on race day.

Race fees however have not risen over last 2/3 years so kudos to the organisers for this.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120288758#Comment_120288758

Handy but not a necessity. If you are only starting, have a tube, tyre levers and a mini pump in your back pocket. Thats it, if you get a flat in Irish racing, unless you are an undiscovered star, you aren't winning from a flat.

Are you in a club, I'd recommend joining one nad gettign out with their race group spins and joining a club league before open racing

beggars_bush

Yep. Training away with the club and a few other lads.

Was using the winter bike until recently

Wheels are tubeless on the summer bike, is there a need for a spare set then?

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120289073#Comment_120289073

Its handy to have but necessary, no. Most race without them, without any issue. Unless you have a team car and are likely to succeed in a break away, other than for neutral service to get you home or to get you started if you are flat before the race begins.

Long story short, buy the new wheels but if you can't afford them, then you will be fine without them.

eeeee

Get a wheelset if you want but it's not necessary. As Cram says above unless you've a car in the cavalcade and your a mutant you're race is over if you flat.

Bring the means to fix a puncture cos if you flat out the back of a lap you could be 10-20k unfun walk from your car!

harringtonp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120289378#Comment_120289378

Second all that. As a very average run of the mill racer I have never been able to get back into the bunch after a flat. Even with a fairly quick wheel change it never happened. Closest was a stage race where I was on the bumper of a van which got me back to the cars but even at that the pace was too high coming into the finish to make the final jump.

Regarding punctures and what to carry my consideration is always how to get back. If it's a nice day and I know people on the circuit will just carry a phone so I can make a call or two. Otherwise will carry enough to repair a flat.

It's another topic altogether but for me the switch to tubeless for racing was great. May be a bitch to repair on the road if they do go flat but the likelihood off it happening to start with is much lower and the race completion rate higher.

Arthurdaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120249487#Comment_120249487

Firstly Drogheda wheelers put on great races year after year and is very much appreciated. I notice there is no separate A2 race and this was being encouraged by CI for promoters to implement. Will this be the case for all races run by Drogheda wheelers?

A lot of the active A2 racers are masters (myself included) and although its good to occasionally ride with the A1 riders for the most part I would prefer A2 only races where there is the possibility of being competitive.

Any plans for any A2 only races? Boyne GP is a nice race, will I ride if combined with A1? Probably not as zero chance of CI points and unplaced prizes are generally only a few spots.

wav1

A few different questions in there.will all our races be a1a2 combined.answer we don't know yet but I would say probably.

The a2 only races will only work for the first few months as proven back in about 2016 and 2017 when this was done previously. Thereafter the field sizes drop and separate races won't attract enough riders.

As for the boyne gp we did consider it but there were a few issues.Number 1 there is a 2 day stage race on that weekend and also another event which only switched to that date a few weeks ago and would be hugely worried that the race wouldn't attract enough riders for separate races. To be honest it's an A1 issue and not A2. That is not enough A1s

We are running 3 events that day and we can facilitate them all on the circuit together. If we added another race we would have to run 2 x early and 2 x later. Its Mother's day and most i have asked to help are looking to get home early.

Another feedback I got too was from a few A2 riders who will be riding the ras basically saying that an A2 only race wasn't really the prep required

Anyway we will.lopl at it for Coombes Connor and Sean lynch in April and May based on how the events pan out for other organisers over next few weeks

Arthurdaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120297778#Comment_120297778

Thanks for the reasoning and transparency. At the moment its an A1 issue due to low numbers in the category which is most likely as a result of A2 riders not getting any CI points due to the combined A1/A2 races.

I think when renewing my license I had the option to select A1 so Ras riders should be probably going with that option.

Totally understand volunteers not wanting to be roadside all day so a difficult one keep everyone happy.

harringtonp

Do organisers ever consider not running an A1 race, so just catering for the other 3 categories. Or even just running 2 events, an A4 and a combined A2/A3.

You could make a case that 2 simultaneous A1 races sufficiently geographically spaced in the country on a weekend should open the door for the above options.

The A2 lads in our club tend to build their year around A2/A3 stage races. But even at that there are less of these on offer than there use to be, with Ras Mhaigh Eo opened up to A1, it leaves only Kanturk, Gorey and Charleville that I'm aware of.

beggars_bush

signed up for Navan. looking forward to it

now to figure out clothing for what could be a cold day