The Wicklow 200 (2009) Thread

dave.obrien

1145. my first ever number!

fenris

616 - a bit of a revelation, apparently!

Nietzschean

was out doing part of the w200 route there today, that road by blessington really is energy zapping, up-down-up-down for km on end, bit of a proper hill in the wicklow gap was a welcome change!

crown of storms

yea, those hills around blessington are a killer!

ROK ON

Nietzschean wrote: »

was out doing part of the w200 route there today, that road by blessington really is energy zapping, up-down-up-down for km on end, bit of a proper hill in the wicklow gap was a welcome change!

They are the part I am dreading. You can just psych yourself up to get over the three big climbs, have great fun going down them, and then hopefully have some energy to let rip on last leg home (apart from climb into Enniskerry).

However the road from Kilbride to Donard is a 60 km pain in the h**e.
It really saps my strength anyway.

rottenhat

661 - neighbourhood of the beast.

Home:Ballyhoura

Is there anywhere in Dublin or anything connrcted to the Wicklow 100/200 that lets you rent or hire out racing bikes for the day. My friends sent off their entry forms but need to find some way of acquiring a bike for the day.

I have a hybrid bike that one of them might use (would this make the cycle considerably more difficult for a beginner on their first 100k or would it be better for them due to the comfort for getting used to cycling). The other 2 guys might be on racers so I don't want him to be complainig!

alfalad

Home:Ballyhoura wrote: »

Is there anywhere in Dublin or anything connrcted to the Wicklow 100/200 that lets you rent or hire out racing bikes for the day. My friends sent off their entry forms but need to find some way of acquiring a bike for the day.

Try Wheelworx, mate of mine hired one for a week two years ago in a similar situation.

I'm either 708 or 703. Am warming up mid spin so the brain will take more cake before it operates properly.

Nietzschean

Dónal wrote: »

I'm either 708 or 703. Am warming up mid spin so the brain will take more cake before it operates properly.

you in laragh?

Nietzschean

Nietzschean wrote: »

you in laragh?

Was. Got a tea, some cake and one of those croissant sandwich things in the cafe there. Maybe it was that I really needed something to warm me up or else that croissant was just utterly magnificant.

Was really hard leaving the cafe to go back out to the cold. That was a particularly rotten day outside today.

Highway_To_Hell

Dónal wrote: »

Was. Got a tea, some cake and one of those croissant sandwich things in the cafe there. Maybe it was that I really needed something to warm me up or else that croissant was just utterly magnificant.

Was really hard leaving the cafe to go back out to the cold. That was a particularly rotten day outside today.

I also had to take a stop in laragh. ( I was there around 5:15) the spin from Glencree to Laragh had to be worst cycle in my life nearly ended up in a ditch a few times with the gusts that were out, then the rain came down and I just froze up completely and all energy was sapped from me. Took a while to stop shaking enough to hold my coffee. The lady behind the counter said that she had never seen so many cold cyclyst coming in and one even had to heat up beside the cooker.

Ended up doing 106km in 5hrs (including the stop for coffee) but it felt like 1006km. I hope the weather on June 7th is a bit better:o

Highway_To_Hell

Highway_To_Hell wrote: »

I also had to take a stop in laragh. ( I was there around 5:15) the spin from Glencree to Laragh had to be worst cycle in my life nearly ended up in a ditch a few times with the gusts that were out, then the rain came down and I just froze up completely and all energy was sapped from me. Took a while to stop shaking enough to hold my coffee. The lady behind the counter said that she had never seen so many cold cyclyst coming in and one even had to heat up beside the cooker.

Ended up doing 106km in 5hrs (including the stop for coffee) but it felt like 1006km. I hope the weather on June 7th is a bit better:o

Ah, I went up from Laragh to Sally Gap after leaving the cafe at a bit after 4pm so you were probably one of the many who passed me. I was the guy wearing a balaclava head gear thing and one a flat bar road bike. Blurry pic is below.

When I got into the cafe I asked yer one for something warm, so she might have been talking about me

Highway_To_Hell

I think we passed each other, I was the sad looking guy battling against a head wind wearing black on a red/white specialized with tri bars.

Home:Ballyhoura

I got this email from them about late entries and other stuff, I think it was a "send to all" so most of ye may have seen it already. Just posting it here for the people not on their mailing list:

Hi All,
Thank you to the 2200 plus riders who have entered for the 2009
Wicklow 200/100.
As you will have seen from the website entry for this year is now closed.
Please take the time to read the instructions for the day and take note of some places
along the routes. Also directions within UCD to the check in area.
Don't forget to collect your wrist band for access to the checkpoints at
Donard and Rathdrum and at UCD when you finish.

Remember the Wicklow 200 is not a race so do not get caught up with a
group of riders above your ability.

At this point 1800 packs are being put together for posting.
This is all riders who entered before the 8th of May and leaves over 400 more to
be organised. We hope to have them in time for posting but may have to hold them for
collection at UCD. More info on that later.

If you have entered and for some reason can not take part on the day please consider transfering
your entry (for the entry fee) to one of the unlucky ones who missed the deadline.
Already there are a number of requests for entry on the Forum.
You do not need to register for the forum, just enter your name and add your post.

If you are one of the many who missed the deadline, hopefully you can
pick up an entry in this way.

Regards,
David Blake for Admin

I was actually one of those people who registered after the 8th May so hopwfully they can get in those extra 400 packs for us! Still waiting to see how my friends get on with the postal entry form, but it's not looking good at this stage especially after reading this! They seem to be up to their eyeballs with entrants this year and they don't seem to have been expectiong it!

As a result, I have posted a plea on the W200 forum for the transfer of any entries if you are not going to be able to use them! It goes like this:

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]I was in the process of registering a group of 4 entries when the online entry closed after registering the first of the group. So only 1 of 4 got in, that is me, so now I am a dead man walking (for 3 people)!

One of the other guys needs to complete this event for the President's Gaisce award so it is very important. We intend to raise a lot of money to be donated to charity through sponsorship from our school & college. How about the person who transfers the entry/entries gets to choose what charity the money goes to!

But first, to do this we need to have entered the event! Even if you only have one that you are not going to use, it will be perfect. We will hopefully get 2 more generous people like yourself between now and the big day.

The reason why I said we should be first in line is because I came to this forum the second the entry closed to try and post a late entry request but it wouldn't work! So now that it is working again, you might take this into consideration and treat this request as the first one in the queue!

So, I beg you! Any help would be great, I thank you very much in advance. I genuinely would really appreciate it. We will obviously pay all costs involved including postage etc. You will not be at a loss!

Please contact me asap if you can help out in any way: [/font]

alfalad

Worst case just get your mates to do it and stop in shops and cafes along the route instead! Public roads after all, so they can't stop you cycling them you just won't be able to get the food!

Home:Ballyhoura

alfalad wrote: »

Worst case just get your mates to do it and stop in shops and cafes along the route instead! Public roads after all, so they can't stop you cycling them you just won't be able to get the food!

Not a bad idea actually, especially when they will only be doing the 100km. The food stops won't be so as necessary, even though I know they might have to stop somewhere along the way! The good thing is I managed to source one entry from a girl in London who decided not to fly over for it.

Thanks for the good idea though! Cheers

Nietzschean

1724 , nice and last minute sounding

zzzzzzzz

Nietzschean wrote: »

1724 , nice and last minute sounding

so close!

Home:Ballyhoura

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

so close!

I was actually thinking of the same thing when I saw the figure, the number of days Lance spent in retirement. Actually I don't think this custom paint job bike of Lance looks too bad in comparison to his newer ones here and here!

SORRY: A bit off topic I know!

petethedrummer

I just have a small bone to pick with completion times. Surely its the time from when you cross the start line to when you cross the finish line. Cycle time, Shmycle time.

Raam

petethedrummer wrote: »

I just have a small bone to pick with completion times. Surely its the time from when you cross the start line to when you cross the finish line. Cycle time, Shmycle time.

I don't see those football types saying that they played 105 minutes of the soccer-ball.

steinone

Hey all,

I am in the same boat as home:Ballyhoura,
missed the deadline on the registration and was wondering does anyone have or know someone who has a spare entry to the 200.
I will hopefully take part on behalf of the Irish charity Camara.
If you are looking for more reasons why you should transfer your pass to me....Well I will be taking part on a fixed gear.:D
Thanks, just leave me a pm if you have good news for me.
Lorcan.

petethedrummer

Raam wrote: »

I don't see those football types saying that they played 105 minutes of the soccer-ball.

The ref adds on time for stoppages, he doesn't subtract it from the end time. Half time doesn't get counted either.:p

Edit: Actually I'm not sure what I'm getting at. Different sport, different use of time. But surely for a cycling event its from when you start to when you finish.

rottenhat

petethedrummer wrote: »

But surely for a cycling event its from when you start to when you finish.

I know what you mean, but some people like to stop for long breaks during the ride, others just shove a couple of bananas in their pockets and keep rolling. There's a much bigger voluntary element to time off the bike on a ride so maybe it makes sense to tell people how long the riding part is going to take and let them figure out for themselves how long they're going to want to stop for?

irishmotorist

(sorry if this was mentioned already - I didn't spot it if it was)

I was having a read through the pack that I got when I was eating my brekkie this morning and it looks like it will be a mass start. The 100 and 200 will both be leaving UCD at 7.00. It looks like the organisers are confident that check in/sign on will be much quicker than last year, but I think I'd still get there for 6 or 6.15 to make sure I'm not left behind!

rottenhat

The UCD checkpoint is open from 6am to 8am - I think it will be the same deal as usual, nothing to stop you leaving early if you sign in before 7 but the Donard checkpoint does not open until 10, so no point in getting there before then.

Ghost Rider

Considering that checkpoint is 88km from the starting opint, I doubt I'm in danger of getting there before 10!

rottenhat wrote: »

The UCD checkpoint is open from 6am to 8am - I think it will be the same deal as usual, nothing to stop you leaving early if you sign in before 7 but the Donard checkpoint does not open until 10, so no point in getting there before then.

billyhead

If anyone has an entry they dont want or know someone who has a spare one please pm me. Cheers

rottenhat

Ghost Rider wrote: »

Considering that checkpoint is 88km from the starting opint, I doubt I'm in danger of getting there before 10!

Maybe if I started at 6 on the dot and had a tailwind....