Ring of Kerry 2007

noieralc

Hi,

I'm a bit of a part time cyclist and myself and a friend have just decided to do the Ring of Kerry Cycle this July.
Has anyone any advice on what kind of training we should be doing to prepare for it?

Currently, I do a one hour spinning class once a week, have a good level of fitness, and when the weather is good I would cycle(leisurely pace) up to 40km at the weekend(without feeling any ill effects later that night or the next day!)

I have a Claude Butler mountain bike with, what I think are called, touring/road wheels(they are skinnier and higher than mountain bike wheels)

Any advice at all would be gratefully received

crashoveroid

Check this thread out about the ring

noieralc

Hi, thanks for that.
I had a look at some of the training schedules, I think I could manage to get into gear before July using one of them,
Wish me luck!!

crashoveroid

Where are you based maybe there is someone you could train with ?

michaelm

Did the cycle for the first time last year. Prior to the event the longest trip I was on was 70 miles so I was a bit apprehensive. I have to say it was a great day out, there are so many participants that regardless of your condition at any point on the Ring there will always be someone near by close to your own pace. It is really well organised with two main food stops, even a physio if you need one. Go for it - it will be a great day out with a wonderful sense of achievement afterwards.

noieralc

Hi Crash, I'm going to train with the friend I've signed up with...just so we know what our pace is for the day. And I've looked up some of the training schedules you posted, so we'll try and follow them for the next two months.
So I cycled into work this morning(about five miles) and I'll go home the long way so that'll be maybe another 10/12 miles.

But what I'm looking for really is advice from peoplelike Michealm, who've done the cycle before, on stuff like how fit we should be, would be be better off on racers or are our mountain bikes ok, is there anything you would have liked to have known before you did the cycle and can now pass on the wisdom.

I guess I'm just looking to psyche myself up for the cycle in the early days of training!:rolleyes:

michaelm

OK - here goes, my tuppence worth: I think that on a cycle like this there's no doubt that a road (racing) bike will make the trip much easier - but make sure you have trained for a few weeks on the bike (remember you are probably going to be in the saddle for between 8 and 10 hours depending on your pace. Having said that the Ring is probably unique for the variety of bikes that you will see on the route.

There are 2 main climbs the first after (I think) about 50 miles and the second after 80 miles - just when you are getting really tired. For very average cyclists like me I found that with both of these a regualr pace is much more important than, say, attacking the hill - way too long for that.

Probably the best piece of advice is to pace yourself - with so many leaving Killarney just after 8 am it can be easy to get carried away and want to keep up with people whose pace is a little bit above your own. (This is all exrtremely autobiographical!).

Finally it is worth seeing the route as consisting of three sections;the first 40 the second 40 and the final 30!

noieralc

First hand experience...this is what I'm looking for! It's hard to tell from a map what the route is going to 'feel ' like. Thanks Michael - I think I'll start getting some hill work in!