Saturday Spin 24th January

Chips Lovell

Anyone on? 9am, luas bridge, Dundrum?

Forecast looks reasonable:

A generally dry, bright start to Saturday, but rain will spread from the southwest during the evening and it will become windy also. Another cold day with highest temperatures of just 4 to 7 degrees.

DirkVoodoo

Count me in sir, feeling a little stronger after commuting this week, hopefully I won't be too slow.

My De Marchi jacket arrived last night, but they sent me the wrong size, I was really hoping to have it for tmw as I was borderline hypothermic last week.

niceonetom

in.

Caroline_ie

I will come say hello ... still too weak to go up the mountains

TinyExplosions

I want to be in, but atm elbow says 'no' -if it's not stiff tomorrow, I'll be there

DirkVoodoo

I wouldn't chance it Tiny, might be best to lay of it for a week and keep taking anti-inflammatories.

Your call of course!

blorg

Caroline_ie wrote: »

I will come say hello ... still too weak to go up the mountains

We could take a relatively flat route- out up Djouce and along by Ballinastoe. Max on that is 300m, the only big climb is up Djouce?

TinyExplosions

blorg wrote: »

We could take a relatively flat route- out up Djouce and along by Ballinastoe. Max on that is 300m, the only big climb is up Djouce?

And conveniently close to a MTB track....

DirkVoodoo

blorg wrote: »

We could take a relatively flat route- out up Djouce and along by Ballinastoe. Max on that is 300m, the only big climb is up Djouce?

We? Does that mean you are joining us this week and ditching your mountain buddies?

Caroline_ie

blorg wrote: »

We could take a relatively flat route- out up Djouce and along by Ballinastoe. Max on that is 300m, the only big climb is up Djouce?

Aw ... Don't worry about me, I will be on the fixie anyway. I can't cycle long just yet and I can't really use the brakes on the road bike properly enough. If I am out to Dundrum and back it's still about 45km for me and that's enough until my wrist gets stonger

kenmc

i'm overnighting in celbridge tonite. will take the bike with me and hopefully cycle home tomorrow (hangover dependant of course). May seeye on the road. Will probably go over the gap I'd say. The wicklow one maybe. it's easy to make promises like that in front of the computer isn't it

ROK ON

Hi folks. I have come back from a spin in Wicklow with Aidan.Offbeat and BA.
Just to let you know that the wind is horrendous - worst that I have ever encountered. Really really scary.

I made it up to the lookout over Lough Tay/Luggala Estate. Was blown off the bike several times.

From the vantage point at the top, the hill overlooking Sally Gap is completely snow covered. Talk to Aidan.Offbeat (he made it that far, we didn't).
If heading up the mountains tomorrow please be careful. The high winds are every bit as bad (if not worse than the ice).

Other than that, it was very enjoyable out there today. No ice that I could see on the road, but Sally Gap looked bad.
Enjoy

blorg

I went up 3 Rock for my lunchtime spin, it was windy as hell on the top. A few patches of ice at the top too. Got a bit lost on the way down. Lovely day though.

Gavin

blorg wrote: »

I went up 3 Rock for my lunchtime spin, it was windy as hell on the top. A few patches of ice at the top too. Got a bit lost on the way down. Lovely day though.

haha you mad fecker, did you go on that trail with your cyclocross !? Good job

niceonetom

wind i can handle. it was pretty bloody bad up on the plateau between kippure and the gap last week and we survived, though it was not much fun at times. the descent was a bit scary. best leave the disk wheels at home methinks.

ice? no. no. no. i'm not playing that game.

anyway this is what the wind map looked like for noon today:



and for noon tomorrow:



so it does look like it's easing. we'll see.


[edit] Joe Bastardi, he say "1 to 3 degrees up there tomorrow. me no like."

Gavin

I'm out tomorrow I'm afraid ! I'll have to head out during the week to sort out my january century

Chips Lovell

Like Tom, I can hack the wind. But ice... no way. Going by memory, winds were much higher two weekends ago and while it was tougher, it was doable.

If we want to be cautious, we could go for a low-altitude Wicklow spin? The worst of the wind tends to be on the exposed roads up near the Sally Gap and possibly more of a chance of ice there two.

One option is over Bohernabreena and do a lap of the lakes. Another would be to head to Roundwood and go over the Wicklow Gap.

niceonetom

can i suggest (purely for safety reasons, of course) that we reschedule to 10? or even 11?

it does give the roads a little more opportunity to thaw and for traffic to make them a bit more grippy... for those of us coming from deep within DNS a 9am start means leaving home at dawn, when the roads are at their most unreasonable.

Chips Lovell

I could do 10 alright.

DirkVoodoo

I'm easy, 10 or 11 suits me fine.

blorg

Gavin wrote: »

I'm out tomorrow I'm afraid ! I'll have to head out during the week to sort out my january century

Why don't you come out tomorrow on your road bike and fix the MTB shifter when you get back, go on, you know it makes sense.

That trail was a bit hairy on the cross bike, I had a few pedal strikes as well, maybe the Tricross has a low BB compared to a MTB. Went down it quite slowly. I can certainly appreciate front suspension and the wider tyres, firing the bike straight at obstacles eh doesn't work so good on it. Getting up to the top was pretty tricky on the SS even at 42/18, I recorded an average gradient of 13.8% and it was a very gravelly fire road. Certainly teaches you to maintain a smooth pedal motion!

niceonetom

10.

grand.

blorg

Wahayy! Why don't we compromise on 10:30am then, seriously if there is a risk of ice even 10am is pushing it.

Gavin

blorg wrote: »

Why don't you come out tomorrow on your road bike and fix the MTB shifter when you get back, go on, you know it makes sense.

heh, it is tempting, but my window of opportunity is only til around 12, which incorporates bike repair. I'll get my torturous marathon spin in on Sunday, no fear of ice either on the bike of the gods.

niceonetom

10:30 then?

do i hear 10:30? you sir, at the back? 10:30?

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

Wahayy! Why don't we compromise on 10:30am then, seriously if there is a risk of ice even 10am is pushing it.

Sounds like a man who wants a lie in.

emty

Would love to come along tomorrow,10 or later is fine for me

DirkVoodoo

Oh, so suddenly there is a campaign against 10:18, what's wrong with 10:18? It has a nice ring to it.

But yes, 10:30 is fine.

Chips Lovell

niceonetom wrote: »

10:30 then?

do i hear 10:30? you sir, at the back? 10:30?

10 is my final offer.

Plus, chances are everyone will be standing around talking until 10:30 anyway.

niceonetom

el tonto wrote: »

10 is my final offer.

are you trying to insult me? me with a poor dying grandmother? 10? 10? no, no, no. 10:30 look at it! feel the quality! that's none of your goat, that is. 10:30! not a minute earlier or strike me dead.

barrabus

out... walking in wicklow I think.
back on bike next week. letting all the fitness I got in spain go to waste ...

niceonetom

barrabus wrote: »

...walking...

you're out of the gang.

barrabus

I know I know. it is only cross country skiing and speed skating allowed .. silly silly me.
the expulsion from the gang was my own fault.
anyone interested in a sullied boards training jacket then?

Chips Lovell

niceonetom wrote: »

10:30 look at it! feel the quality!

The only thing I'm feeling is the rest of my Saturday slipping away.

blorg

barrabus wrote: »

I know I know. it is only cross country sking and speed skating allowed .. silly silly me.

Rowing is also an option!

el tonto wrote:

The only thing I'm feeling is the rest of my Saturday slipping away.

Better than you slipping away! Seriously though, that same day you crashed myself and emty were up over Sally Gap no problem, no ice on the road.

10:30, class. I may even be on time

Chips Lovell

Fair enough, I bow to the consensus. If I'm feeling energetic I might leave early to get some of my miles in and then meet you all.

Any opinions on the suggested routes?

blorg

It might be a good idea to keep on the low ground until later, maybe out over Djouce as far as Laragh, a quick bite to eat and then over the Wicklow Gap?

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

It might be a good idea to keep on the low ground until later, maybe out over Djouce as far as Laragh, a quick bite to eat and then over the Wicklow Gap?

Djouce is pretty high and exposed. Was thinking the Old Long Hill Road.

blorg

el tonto wrote: »

Djouce is pretty high and exposed. Was thinking the Old Long Hill Road.

Old Long Hill Road is the one I mean, up that big hill and past Djouce. Do you mean the R755, e.g. the main road to Roundwood? We could do that either, it's just a busier road; there are several connecting roads between the two anyway so we could let conditions decide? I am not bringing my MTB and dropping off in Ballinastoe, promise.

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

Old Long Hill Road is the one I mean, up that big hill and past Djouce. Do you mean the R755, e.g. the main road to Roundwood? We could do that either, it's just a busier road; there are several connecting roads between the two anyway so we could let conditions decide? I am not bringing my MTB and dropping off in Ballinastoe, promise.

Actually, I meant the Calary Road, i.e. the R755. Got the two mixed up there.

Chips Lovell

And there always is the Bohernabreena/Lakes idea as well.

blorg

el tonto wrote: »

And there always is the Bohernabreena/Lakes idea as well.

Could be a good option, take the Wicklow Gap from the easy side and then a nice easy run home from Laragh. There was a fair bit of ice there though last time we were coming back that way (3 Jan) while that same day there was no ice heading out on Old Long Hill Road by Djouce.

Raam

Guys, be careful tomorrow. RTE are expecting lots of frost and ice.
Joe Bastardi also thinks it's gonna be well cold, brrr.
http://www.accuweather.com/ukie/forecast-hourly.asp?partner=accuweather&postalcode=wicklow&metric=1&hbhday=2&hbhhour=5

alfalad

Love to join you and slow ye down again!! But i will (still) be in work when you're heading off! Not actually sure if i'll leave today! I hope this office is warm at night!

dalkener

just wondering what the weather has been like during the week. back from boston sunday morning and hopefully after getting some kip on the plane am hoping to get out for a spin!!

Can't be anything like the -22 degrees :eek::eek: indured during the week. The yanks thought I was mental going outside let alone going jogging. But have to say I felt great coming back with iceicles hanging off my eyelids, will never again complain about some frosty weather up in the gap!!

NeilMcEoigheann

a late i'm in, can't decipher is it 10:00 or 10:30 so i'll prob arrive at 10 and not be disappointed when we don't leave till 10:30, but not 10:32.
ps. i thought i was on for some long awaited mtbing but i have no bike yet, but they invented sundays for borrowing your brothers bike and milling about muddy wicklow

DirkVoodoo

All this talk of ice is making me nervous. Changing status to maybe.

Caroline_ie

Guys, D15 looks very bad from my windows. given it's saturday, i am not sure that will cars enough time to thaw the roads for us by 10...

Chips Lovell

Town is fine.

DirkVoodoo

I have a good view of the mountains from my room, all week there was white patches at this time of the morning but its all clear today.

That's not to say there wont be patches of black ice on the roads, my vision isn't that good.

Caroline_ie

My cat is purring while having a wash and that's a sign of icy roads.