Team (mumble mumble mumble*) need YOU -*name tbc

TinyExplosions

Yes folks, the inaugural Race Around Ireland is happening in September, and we have an opening for a cyclist!

So far, we have:
RogerB -climbing god and all round speedster
Blorg -the man, the myth, the be-sandalled legend
TinyExplosions -The liability

Yes, you could add your name to this illustrious band, and go down in the annals of t'internet to fame and fortune, or at least a bag of chips!

Who fancies it then?

scottreynolds

I could be convinced... I doing to Tour Of Ireland in May for fun.

AstraMonti

I wish i could join! Best of luck guys!

DirkVoodoo

Pretty hard on yourself there Tiny.

I don't think I have cycled with RogerB yet, is he better on hills than Raam?

TinyExplosions

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Pretty hard on yourself there Tiny.

I don't think I have cycled with RogerB yet, is he better on hills than Raam?

I'm just being truthful

He's better than Raam up hill, only weakness is his sprint (so I've been told!)

@ScottReynolds, if you want to be in you can be in I reckon! -though we do need a confirmed decision asap (what say Blorg and RogerB?)

Hungrycol

Whoa, that's brillant. Best of luck. You'll need a support crew to share driving 24hrs too! You trying to get a relay team of 8 together?

ROK ON

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Yes folks, the inaugural Race Around Ireland is happening in September, and we have an opening for a cyclist!

So far, we have:
RogerB -climbing god and all round speedster
Blorg -the man, the myth, the be-sandalled legend
TinyExplosions -The liability

Yes, you could add your name to this illustrious band, and go down in the annals of t'internet to fame and fortune, or at least a bag of chips!

Who fancies it then?

If you need another liabillity then I would be keen.
I want to train for and do an event like this anyway.
Maybe if a few folks wanted to do it ye could hold trials.
It would be like x-factor for freds:D (or euro wannabies).

TinyExplosions

Hungrycol wrote: »

Whoa, that's brillant. Best of luck. You'll need a support crew to share driving 24hrs too! You trying to get a relay team of 8 together?

Relay team of 4 is the plan. Cost is 275 each for the entry (though we may try for sponsorship once we've the team together).

We'll need support crew as well, so anyone that fancies that can drop me a PM (Hermy's our chief driver, but they suggest 3 vehicles in total)

TinyExplosions

I think the easist is if you are serious about wanting in on this, and are free in September to take part, add to the list below, and in a day or so we three will get together and decide how to proceed?

1. ScottReynolds
2. ROK On

DirkVoodoo

Well, I'm available, and would be willing, but I'll put my name in the hat just to get some extra training in. If I get better and manage to pass out my two rivals, I'll be happy

I am getting better!

TinyExplosions

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Well, I'm available, and would be willing, but I'll put my name in the hat just to get some extra training in. If I get better and manage to pass out my two rivals, I'll be happy

I am getting better!

Then add yourself to the list!!!!

1. ScottReynolds
2. ROK ON
3. Dirk Voodoo

scottreynolds

I'm happy for you other two guys to 'fight' it out for the right to represent the forum. If you still need somone closer the time let me know -- I'll have to buy a time trial bike

DirkVoodoo

No, no, no...you can't quit. My plan is reliant on 2 fighting it out while I hug the wheel, when they eventually tire I make a solo break away and attempt a cavendish celebration which will inevitably end with me on the ground.

scottreynolds

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

No, no, no...you can't quit. My plan is reliant on 2 fighting it out while I hug the wheel, when they eventually tire I make a solo break away and attempt a cavendish celebration which will inevitably end with me on the ground.

Crickey -- you must be very fast to be able t hold out wheels for 100km at 40km/h -- we may as well sep aside and sponsor you for the solo.

DirkVoodoo

yes, I'm something of an undiscovered talent. Heck, you're right Scott, nuts to Tiny and his team, I'm off to join the pro-tour!

ROK ON

Required cycling skills are a given, but they shouldn't be the only pre-requisite for selection.
I reckon good looks and charm should count:D
(I may have an edge here).

Obviously modesty is a factor also;).
Maybe we should also get points for nicest bike/accessories.

blorg

Looks like we could have enough for two teams if there are a couple more crazies? Might make it easier to share supporting resources etc. too.

scottreynolds

blorg wrote: »

Looks like we could have enough for two teams if there are a couple more crazies? Might make it easier to share supporting resources etc. too.

Two teams looks feasible..... I guess the B team is almost decided then

ROK ON

blorg wrote: »

Looks like we could have enough for two teams if there are a couple more crazies? Might make it easier to share supporting resources etc. too.

I dont know how you aim to cycle the event ( ie a number of solo rides or pairs etc.)
However if we have a few teams it maybe possible to have areas through which the race passes that the cyclist not cycling would get to sleep/shower/refuel in a home of friend/relative etc.
For example, I could probably get accomodation in Limerick, Kerry and maybe Cork, then a driver to get the cyclist to the relay point to take over from the teammate.

blorg

Sounds like a possibility ROK_ON. I think the most sensible way to approach it really would be solo relay- this would still leave any given rider with six hours on the bike per day. Pairs on a four person team would mean 12 hours a day! Maybe a 3hr pattern would work best, e.g. ABABCDCD. Should be possible to stay on the bike for 3 hours easily enough but 6 in a row might be more difficult. Or maybe something like a 4 hour straight rotation, so that people take turns at the night riding etc. day 1:ABCDAB day 2:CDABCD etc. That one could mess with sleep patterns though. I am sure we will have plenty of time to consider it anyway!

ROK ON

Thanks Blorg.
It is only fair that every rider take a turn at night. But we will have plenty of time to work out logistics.
In these type of events I presume that one has a good 1st day then tires a bit. But do people tend to get a second wind on say 3rd day?

If so, then maybe milage should be based around a big first day, a little bit less on day 2, little bit more on day 3 etc. Just a thought.
BTW, it wouldbe great to have 2 teams.
I presume full boards kit will be order of the day?

TinyExplosions

ROK ON wrote: »

Thanks Blorg.
It is only fair that every rider take a turn at night. But we will have plenty of time to work out logistics.
In these type of events I presume that one has a good 1st day then tires a bit. But do people tend to get a second wind on say 3rd day?

If so, then maybe milage should be based around a big first day, a little bit less on day 2, little bit more on day 3 etc. Just a thought.
BTW, it wouldbe great to have 2 teams.
I presume full boards kit will be order of the day?

I think there's a whole load of permutations and combinations to be worked out. You'll need to look at the time saved riding in a bunch vs what each person is capable of, who's comfortable riding at night, terrain etc (for example it wouldn't be fair to have one person slog it out for 3 hrs in the mountains, then the next rider to take 3 hrs on a descent and the flat)

I think a team of four would mean there's enough sleep time to not affect performance too much (so long as you're the type that can sleep in a car)

As for kit, I guess that depends on sponsorship and such like. Full boards kit would be fab, but I'd also be considering trying to do this properly and get some sponsorship for stuff, maybe video the process (training and event) and suchlike. I think it'll get a fair amount of media coverage, so we could raise someone's profile a lot.

First thing though is to get the team(s) together, and then make a collective decision

ROK ON

TinyExplosions wrote: »

I think there's a whole load of permutations and combinations to be worked out. You'll need to look at the time saved riding in a bunch vs what each person is capable of, who's comfortable riding at night, terrain etc (for example it wouldn't be fair to have one person slog it out for 3 hrs in the mountains, then the next rider to take 3 hrs on a descent and the flat)

True. A rota could be configurd such that a certain amount of milage is done each day, with fewer miles being required at nighttime and mountains.
120 hours (5 days to do it). If a team targets 4 shifts of 6 hours each over 4 days it should be possible to average 540km per day. Maybe divided into 160k, 140k, 130k, 110k. Assumes an average speed of 22.5 over 4 days.
This then gives a good goal to work toward completeion but also allows for an entire day for mishaps/punctures/injuries/exploding bikes, whatever.

Then a matrix of abcd, bcda, cdab, dabc, sshoud mean that most riders get at least 6 hours to sleep plus a few hours to refuel.
(Christ, this is taxing on the brain - the cycling will probably be easier).