Rok 08

kenmc

Unbelievable: Last night I never wanted to see a bike again, this morning I'm looking forward to the ROK. looking at the profiles it looks like a 'doddle' compared to the W200. Total climbing is circa 560m i.e. just a bit more than the first climb we did yday! only 2 'hills', max altitude of 236 metres. And the bestest part? It's on a saturday, so we have a recovery day before going back to work. Although I'm not sure that spending it in a car will help much
So who else is going down?

trek climber

kenmc wrote: »

Unbelievable: Last night I never wanted to see a bike again, this morning I'm looking forward to the ROK. looking at the profiles it looks like a 'doddle' compared to the W200. Total climbing is circa 560m i.e. just a bit more than the first climb we did yday! only 2 'hills', max altitude of 236 metres. And the bestest part? It's on a saturday, so we have a recovery day before going back to work. Although I'm not sure that spending it in a car will help much
So who else is going down?

Should be a doddle compared to yesterday plus the fact that it is about 20k shorter. Hopefully the weather will be as good as yesterday. There is a group of us who are doing it this year but we will travel by train.
Plus you also have the opportunity on Saturday night for a recovery drink !!

Raam

I was in, but now I'm out cos I have tickets for Billy Connolly that night.

Chips Lovell

The ROK and the Sean Kelly are the two other big ones I'm thinking of doing this year. Having said that, I've done nothing to organise myself for either. Will have to see if I can make it those weekends, book accomodation and figure out how to get down there. ROK looks a bit easier than the W200. The Kelly looks harder if anything.

daymobrew

I'll be doing the ROK. Did it for the first time last year - certainly much easier than W200, though the last climb, Molls Gap, is tough because of when it occurs (~85 miles in).

According to my Polar HRM data [attached], 1400m of climbs (W200 is 2840m). Moll's Gap is 348m. The climb after Cahersieveen is 298m. The feed stations at Cahersieveen, Sneem? and Kenmare are very well stocked with tea/coffee, sambos, cake and pasta salad. I saw people getting massages at Cahersieveen and Kenmare. I'm looking forward to it.
There were a few showers last year but a gilet was all that was needed for that.

My wife is limiting me to one such an event each year from now on - because the training meant she didn't get a lie-in on Saturday morning. ROK is okay because it goes right past my in-laws house (I'll start about 7 miles into the route) and coincides with her dad's birthday so we'd be down there anyway.

daymobrew

Don't forget to get a sponsorship card: http://www.ringofkerrycycle.net/

Chips Lovell

daymobrew wrote: »

...because the training meant she didn't get a lie-in on Saturday morning.

Do you get her up to make your breakfast or something??? My missus is usually dead to the world when I'm leaving on weekend mornings.

daymobrew

el tonto wrote: »

Do you get her up to make your breakfast or something???

She's not a morning person (I am) but our 6 month old seems to have my early bird genes which she is not delighted with.

Chips Lovell

daymobrew wrote: »

She's not a morning person (I am) but our 6 month old seems to have my early bird genes which she is not delighted with.

Ah, that explains it.

Raam

If you can do the W200, then the SK160 should be manageable. I found the SK160 easy for the first 90km last year, but then I started to cramp up. Mahon Falls was a struggle, and the climb after that wasn't fun either. I think anyone who did the 200 yesterday should be able to get around in one piece.

TinyExplosions

Like Raam, I was in, but I'm in London to see Maiden that night

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

If you can do the W200, then the SK160 should be manageable. I found the SK160 easy for the first 90km last year, but then I started to cramp up. Mahon Falls was a struggle, and the climb after that wasn't fun either. I think anyone who did the 200 yesterday should be able to get around in one piece.

Was this Mahon falls. Doesn't look like fun!

Raam

el tonto wrote: »

Was this Mahon falls. Doesn't look like fun!

That's the beast. There was a strong head wind in lead up to the steepest part, thankfully there was a turn in the road, so it was just the ramp to deal with, which is what you are looking at in that pic.

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

That's the beast.

I'm a glutton for punishment in that case.

Raam

el tonto wrote: »

I'm a glutton for punishment in that case.

There was an official photographer taking pictures earlier in the climb, so I put on the most pained expression ever, which was an easy task as I was in extreme pain at the time. I figured, "This is certain to be published!". I never saw it though, it must have been too scary, kind of like something that Fabian Wegman pulls.

Beached

el tonto wrote: »

Was this Mahon falls. Doesn't look like fun!

That looks crazy steep. Is it only that 200-300 metres that is visible, or is there more gradient like that

penexpers

I'm in for ROK. Just working out details about how to get down there and where to stay.

Raam

Beached wrote: »

That looks crazy steep. Is it only that 200-300 metres that is visible, or is there more gradient like that

It's not all that steep, it swings off to the right, as you can see in the picture.

Quigs Snr

The Ring of Kerry is a walk in the park. Coomista and Molls Gap are pulls rather than climbs if you ask me...Unless you are doing Coomista as part of RAS Mumhann in which case it may as well be Everest. I often find when cycling the ring that the weather is the hard part. Usually from Cahirciveen to Waterville is windy, if there is a strong headwind then thats worse than any climb you will encounter on the day. Wicklow is far tougher terrain any day of the week.

The Kelly tour on the other hand is tougher than Wicklow in my opinion despite its shorter length. Maybe its just because they are my local climbs and knowing whats coming makes the anticipation all that more worse ! Mahon falls is 4.5k long up to an elevation of about 400 metres. About 7% average, but plenty of sections far worse than that of 10-14%, which is the killer, the gradient varies quite a bit, the scenery around it disguises this quite a bit but the overall effect is that it can be difficult to hit a good rhythm (or maybe its because I train with the guys who were number 1 and 2 across the line in this last year that it always feels tough !). The last section ramps to 18%. Personally I am usually more worried about the descent on the other side than the climb though ! For reference, us locals climb up the same way the Sean Kelly Route does, but we then turn around and roll back down the same way. Too dangerous the way the Kelly route does it, lucky no-one got hurt last year.

Seskin is a shorter hill near carrick that goes up for about a kilometer, first at about 10%, then turns and hits 16% for the second half, no biggie on a leisure cycle, causes chaos on a competitive training spin though. You have powers the pot which is about 6 or 7 k of a steady 6% gradient (I have a hill climb there in a few weeks, usually its an easy climb but tough in a race), and the mooma road (spelling is wrong there), which is about the same. So a good mix of long steady climbs and short sharp shocks, the rest of the road is mostly rolling (e.g. the 5k, 5% climb out of Dungarvan called the pike), the drag past Ballymacarbery etc....

Looking forward to it folks. If there is anymore boards.ie kit being ordered I may even pick up a set.

jwwie

would anyone want to do this ride in late july/early august? i cant do the one on the 5th but id like to see that part of the country and what better way than on the bike! if no one is interested, would anyone recommend i do this solo? probably not the best idea but wondering if anyone has done it alone. anyway, let me know if you're interested and we can play a weekend.

daymobrew

jwwie wrote: »

if no one is interested, would anyone recommend i do this solo? probably not the best idea but wondering if anyone has done it alone.

I wouldn't see any problem doing it alone. If you broke down you could try flag down a tour bus to plead for a lift back to Killarney. As you pass through a number of towns, getting food, rest and help would not be difficult (unlike W200).

jwwie

daymobrew wrote: »

I wouldn't see any problem doing it alone. If you broke down you could try flag down a tour bus to plead for a lift back to Killarney. As you pass through a number of towns, getting food, rest and help would not be difficult (unlike W200).

thanks daymobrew, i would assume its a pretty easy route although it would be nice to have one or a few people there with me for company/ safety reasons. from what ive heard, its a pretty narrow road.

anway, pm me if you would like to join. we can work out a date. cheers.

daymobrew

jwwie wrote: »

thanks daymobrew, i would assume its a pretty easy route although it would be nice to have one or a few people there with me for company/ safety reasons. from what ive heard, its a pretty narrow road.

anway, pm me if you would like to join. we can work out a date. cheers.

It's an okay road with some parts more narrow than others, but I felt quite comfortable on it. It regularly has big tour buses on it. I can't remember what direction they go (anti-clockwise?) so if you are going clockwise (as the ROK is) you won't have problems with them.
A few tour buses passed us early on - they didn't have any problem.

I'll be doing the ROK so not around for a 2nd lap.

kenmc

daymobrew wrote: »

so if you are going clockwise (as the ROK is)

erm isn't the route anti-clockwise? I thought that molls gap was the last bit of the route.

trek climber

kenmc wrote: »

erm isn't the route anti-clockwise? I thought that molls gap was the last bit of the route.

Thats right it is anti-clockwise. When you reach the top of Molls Gap you will have 90 odd miles done and all that is left is the spin into Killarney.

Chips Lovell

If I do it, I'm looking forward to playing dodge the jarvies on the way back into Killarney.

Beached

ROK is anti clockwise, all the coaches by agreement go anti clockwise also.

cantalach

jwwie wrote: »

thanks daymobrew, i would assume its a pretty easy route although it would be nice to have one or a few people there with me for company/ safety reasons. from what ive heard, its a pretty narrow road.

I wouldn't be too worried about your personal safety. Rural Kerry doesn't exactly top the table for violent assault. The Ring of Kerry route itself is actually a pretty busy main road (the N70) with a reassuring volume of traffic during the daylight hours. There should be plenty of other cyclo-tourists too at that time of year. It's also a lot more densely populated along the road corridor than you might think so if you do have a catastrophic mechanical failure, you won't find yourself 20 km from the nearest human habitation. More likely you'll be 500 metres from a shop selling pottery, candles and Aran jumpers!

As regards the road being narrow, it's not really all that bad, especially when compared to the roads on the adjacent peninsulas of Beara and Dingle. There are admittedly a few spots where sharp bends require the coaches to take the centre of the road, but these tend to be well signposted.

sooty11

As this is my first time doing the ring of kerry, and first time doing any sort of long distance cycling, can you experienced folks add to my checklist!

bike...
helmet
gloves
road shoes
clothing for wet/warm weather
sunglasses
sun screen
drinks 1 water, 1 energy
energy bars of some sort
spare tube, pump + tools

Anything else that I may need?

DirkVoodoo

A tailwind!

Beached

Sponsership card to gain you enterance to the food hall's in Cahersiveen and Kenmare.

Harpz

Is it possible to just pay a fee to enter the ROK?
Or if not, can you sponsor yourself and is there a minimum sponsorship amount.
(Im a little shy about approaching people for sponsorship)

daymobrew

kenmc wrote: »

erm isn't the route anti-clockwise? I thought that molls gap was the last bit of the route.

Oops, my mistake, ROK is anti-clockwise.

Harpz wrote: »

Is it possible to just pay a fee to enter the ROK?
Or if not, can you sponsor yourself and is there a minimum sponsorship amount.
(Im a little shy about approaching people for sponsorship)

I sponsored myself last year, and will be doing the same this year. No minimum.
I emailed Enable Ireland (1st addr on left) and got my sponsorship card this morning. I also got a bright yellow Enable Ireland cotton t-shirt, which I will not be wearing. I'll get my 3 year old niece to put it on as she stands at the end of the garden with her grandfather waving at people (just before Beaufort Bridge, about 8 miles from the start).

Beached

People have mentioned here about just giving an individual donation at registration. It seems to have worked.
I dunno what would be considered an appropriate donation though!

I dont mind collecting sponsorship for the Ring of Kerry as its for local charitys, but if you intended to do 3 or more of these type of events per year, it must be a compleat drag asking the same people for money on multiple occasions.