Howth ... Comparison to the hills on ROK?

5p9arw38djv2b4 · 25-04-2014 10:11pm #1

Would be delighted if someone tells me there is no hills on ROK but I know better! Need to train a lot as I'm only just a complete beginner but looking for some training routes that will help me starting from north of dublin city... Was thinking up the Howth hill route might help to start training... But can someone tell me honestly if the ROK hills will be 5, 10, 20 times worse? I want to be realistic about what I can try do...

Brian? · 25-04-2014 10:22pm

Why don't you check the hills on the route out on Strava.com.

Howth hill isn't the toughest climb

07Lapierre · 25-04-2014 10:31pm

The hills on the ROK are not that bad

http://www.strava.com/activities/1085525

If you can do Howth hill at the end of a 100k spin your fine

Wishbone Ash · 25-04-2014 10:35pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

.....If you can do Howth hill at the end of a 100k spin your fine

....just ensure you turn right at the church!

07Lapierre · 25-04-2014 10:36pm

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

....just ensure you turn right at the church!

Oh your cruel!

HivemindXX · 25-04-2014 11:05pm

There are two significant hills on the RoK. The first is Coomakista and the second is Molls Gap. They are both fairly similar although Molls Gap is near the end so you'll be tired. They are both about 6.5k long and rise 200m.

Both those hills are also pretty constant, you are climbing basically the same slope the whole way. Howth isn't nearly as long as that, if you climb up from Sutton Cross to the pub at the top that's around 120m of climbing in 4k but you have some downhill so while you are climbing it's a bit steeper. If you estimate each climb in the RoK as twice as hard I think you will be pleasantly surprised when you actually do them. If you can go from Suttons Cross to Howth village and back again over the hill both ways you will have no problem with any of the hills on the RoK.

If I was you I'd aim to build up to a route that goes over Howth near the start, then goes for a long fairly flat spin around NCD and then hits Howth again near the end with a total distance of 100 to 120k. If you can do that then you can do the RoK.

Someone linked Strava but there are a lot of sites where you can plan out your route and see the distance and height gained.
The two most populare are probably www.ridewithgps.com and www.mapmyride.com

Wishbone Ash · 25-04-2014 11:09pm

Also bear in mind that when you do the ROK, you'll be psychologically 'carried' by all the others around you (unlike when training for it).

5p9arw38djv2b4 · 25-04-2014 11:15pm

HivemindXX wrote: »

There are two significant hills on the RoK. The first is Coomakista and the second is Molls Gap. They are both fairly similar although Molls Gap is near the end so you'll be tired. They are both about 6.5k long and rise 200m.

Both those hills are also pretty constant, you are climbing basically the same slope the whole way. Howth isn't nearly as long as that, if you climb up from Sutton Cross to the pub at the top that's around 120m of climbing in 4k but you have some downhill so while you are climbing it's a bit steeper. If you estimate each climb in the RoK as twice as hard I think you will be pleasantly surprised when you actually do them. If you can go from Suttons Cross to Howth village and back again over the hill both ways you will have no problem with any of the hills on the RoK.

If I was you I'd aim to build up to a route that goes over Howth near the start, then goes for a long fairly flat spin around NCD and then hits Howth again near the end with a total distance of 100 to 120k. If you can do that then you can do the RoK.

Someone linked Strava but there are a lot of sites where you can plan out your route and see the distance and height gained.
The two most populare are probably www.ridewithgps.com and www.mapmyride.com

Incredibly helpful. Thank you very much.

Wishbone Ash · 25-04-2014 11:23pm

HivemindXX wrote: »

.... I'd aim to build up to a route that goes over Howth near the start, then goes for a long fairly flat spin around NCD and then hits Howth again near the end with a total distance of 100 to 120k. If you can do that then you can do the RoK...

+1

Do a lap of Howth and then head to Baldoyle, Portmarnock, Malahide, Swords, up the R132(old N1 Belfast Road) to Balbriggan, across to Naul for the climb towards Ballyboughal, round by the airport, Ballymun/Finglas or thereabouts to north city. (Apart from Howth and Naul, it's reasonably flat).

EDIT: Just to add that Howth Sutton side (anti-clockwise) is less steep but longer than the village side (clockwise) which is shorter but steeper. The bit just past the church is about 11%).

DD Mikasa · 26-04-2014 8:36am

Would reiterate what HivemindXX has said. I did the RoK last year and Howth was my main training ground. Pre RoK I was doing spins which basically included 4 climbs up Howth (from 4 different angles including the infamous right of church route), and come the day I was sorted. The two big climbs in RoK are essentially really long drags. There is no steep section in the entire 180k, so it really is about getting used to cycling for a long time. In saying that, if you get used to climbing it will make the day a lot easier for yourself.

Jocry · 26-04-2014 9:06am

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

+1

Do a lap of Howth and then head to Baldoyle, Portmarnock, Malahide, Swords, up the R132(old N1 Belfast Road) to Balbriggan, across to Naul for the climb towards Ballyboughal, round by the airport, Ballymun/Finglas or thereabouts to north city. (Apart from Howth and Naul, it's reasonably flat).

EDIT: Just to add that Howth Sutton side (anti-clockwise) is less steep but longer than the village side (clockwise) which is shorter but steeper. The bit just past the church is about 11%).

I would try and do this route most weekends over the summer and find it great training. I've also spent 30km or 40km just doing laps of Howth, there's plenty of stiff climbs to get the legs burning, as has been said right at the church up Balkill Road and then right up Windgate Road (also up Windgate from the Sutton Side) / the climb from Strand Road up St. Fintans Road / the climb up Balscadden and around onto the main pull up the Summit and then obviously up the "normal" climbs around both sides. All this talk just makes me regret not having got my ROK entry

Borderfox · 26-04-2014 10:23am

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

....just ensure you turn right at the church!

In the big ring and none of this compact nonsense ;-)

5p9arw38djv2b4 · 27-04-2014 9:49pm

Thanks everyone!!!

apm0003 · 28-04-2014 11:37am

I'd just add that as a beginner last year, I found a short steepish hill way way way harder then a long gradual hill. For a beginner, a climb with a gradient of 10% is not simply twice as hard as one with 5% ...it may be impossible ! You need to be able to move at a pace that you can maintain without just blowing up and having to stop so I think it's better to do easier climbs that you can complete without stopping rather then trying to go to steep at first. As you progress then you can tackle steeper hills but don't go trying the route up from Howth village, where you turn right at the church, if you are only starting out.

The ROK climbs are long gradual hills with a gradient of about 3% and no steep ramps. For me, I found them less challenging then going up Howth hill from the village (gradient of 5-6%). If you can do a couple of turns of Howth hill from Sutton cross (average 3% but with sections of 6%) then you get a feeling of what you'll need to do except on the ROK they are more gradual but go on for longer.

Climbing is as much mental as physical so it's good to conquer some steeper climbs in training so when you do the ROK you'll look up at the climb and think "I can do this no problem...I've done stuff a lot steeper then this" . Just train yourself not to stop..no matter how low a gear you need don't stop ! You'll be amazed how much easier it becomes once you do some repeated training.

Best of luck om the ROK.

Howth ... Comparison to the hills on ROK?

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