The Wicklow 200 (2009) Thread

Don't have it for Garmin but there's something on the mapmyride page:

estariol

blorg wrote: »

The Wicklow 200 is a lot tougher. I did it last year in 7h39, the ROK in around 6 hours. Both cycling time. There is not much difference in the distance (the W200 is well below 200km) but as Raam says it is a lot hillier.

thanks, exactly what I was looking for! well was aiming to do 6 hour ROK so will budget 8+ for w200 and try not to go out too quickly!

would I be better with a triple if is so hill?

ROK ON

Lumen wrote: »

Apologies if this has been asked in one of the preceeding 32 pages, but....

Does anyone have the "total ascent" number for the 200 route according to Garmin?

I think its something like 1832m. Looked at the route on the WW200 link to mapmyride.

Lumen

ROK ON wrote: »

I think its something like 1832m. Looked at the route on the WW200 link to mapmyride.

Thanks. Seems a bit low - my Garmin says I did 1640m on Saturday, and that was only 138km, including 20+km of flat at each end.

Ah well, I guess my "hills are just like flats if you have the gearing" theory is about to be tested to destruction.

Lumen

estariol wrote: »

would I be better with a triple if is so hill?

If you don't have a strong opinion on triples, you could probably use one.

blorg

estariol wrote: »

would I be better with a triple if is so hill?

Depends on your riding style and experience but if you are asking, probably yes. Triple or compact. What do you have now? Bear in mind it is cheaper to change the cassette on the back if you have anything smaller than a 27 at present.

showry

Not sure if this has been asked back along in the thread but how long are the main climbs?
I was just looking at mapmyride and the first one looks quite long.
I've never been up around there but I like to know what's ahead of me when I'm climbing.

The tax man

showry wrote: »

Not sure if this has been asked back along in the thread but how long are the main climbs?
I was just looking at mapmyride and the first one looks quite long.
I've never been up around there but I like to know what's ahead of me when I'm climbing.

If looking at the elevation on MYR it may seem like a long slog uphill between say 10k and 20k but it's not that bad.
If you zoom in on the map so you see each km marker. It's a bit of a drag around 11k. Between 12k+13k steep uphill at hairpins.Very short but nasty. Nothing of note till just after 17k. Steep drag up to left hairpin just before 18k. Then from just after the 18k mark till just after the 19k mark you've a nice steep climb which eases right off to the 20k mark,then enjoy miles of downhill.
Legs will be nice and fresh so most of the climbs around this section shouldn't be of too much concern.

Nietzschean

http://www.accuweather.com/ukie/forecast-details.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&fday=5&postalcode=wicklow&metric=1

doesn't look like we'll have to worry about shade...
Hours of Rain: 10 Hrs

Ah. Well, that's a bit crap. Was only 3 hours rain planned yesterday.

Ryaner

Lumen wrote: »

Thanks. Seems a bit low - my Garmin says I did 1640m on Saturday, and that was only 138km, including 20+km of flat at each end.

Ah well, I guess my "hills are just like flats if you have the gearing" theory is about to be tested to destruction.

MMR and Garmin get to very different elevation gains on the routes I've done over the past few months, MMR being less than what I've actually done by following the planned course.

Back to 2 hours rain now. Hrm. Seems to prefer me looking at the website in work rather than at home.

Raam

Nietzschean wrote: »

http://www.accuweather.com/ukie/forecast-details.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&fday=5&postalcode=wicklow&metric=1

doesn't look like we'll have to worry about shade...
Hours of Rain: 10 Hrs

That includes the night time. Two hours forecast for the day.

Nietzschean

sometimes i wish they'd just say 'dunno' on weather reports for ireland, would just seem more honest....

Nietzschean

Raam wrote: »

That includes the night time. Two hours forecast for the day.

when i linked to it earlier this morning it was 10hours during the day and 8 more during the night

Raam

Nietzschean wrote: »

when i linked to it earlier this morning it was 10hours during the day and 8 more during the night

:eek: That's way too much rain!

Gavin

Never mind the rain, jaysus. It's the wind I'm worried about.

AstraMonti

Gavin wrote: »

Never mind the rain, jaysus. It's the wind I'm worried about.

Yeah you can live with rain.. but 200 kms with wind.. :eek:

Nietzschean

AstraMonti wrote: »

Yeah you can live with rain.. but 200 kms with wind.. :eek:

tis a big circle at least, should only be 90km into the wind or so...but alas those will be the last 90km if the forecast is right...

AstraMonti

Nietzschean wrote: »

tis a big circle at least, should only be 90km into the wind or so...but alas those will be the last 90km if the forecast is right...

The wind changes direction at every corner in Ireland :pac: Just hoping for the best tbh!

estariol

blorg wrote: »

Depends on your riding style and experience but if you are asking, probably yes. Triple or compact. What do you have now? Bear in mind it is cheaper to change the cassette on the back if you have anything smaller than a 27 at present.

normally scr c3 compact, but picked up one of those vitus zenium triples off chain reaction. Bit heavier than the giant but really stiff frame (awful shimano rs20 wheels and san marco saddle), have only done howth on it a few times so far!

blorg

estariol wrote: »

normally scr c3 compact, but picked up one of those vitus zenium triples off chain reaction. Bit heavier than the giant but really stiff frame (awful shimano rs20 wheels and san marco saddle), have only done howth on it a few times so far!

I'd maybe try to give each a go up a hill; the Giant is a nice bike, full carbon and may be more comfortable over long distances. Only you will know this owning both bikes.

AFAIK the min gearing on the Giant is 34-28 which would be equal to 30-25 on a road triple. As such if the cassette on the Vitus only goes up to 25 the Giant would actually go up hills easier (being lighter.) 27 gives you a little extra over a 25 but not so much that I'd cycle a substantially heavier or less comfortable bike.

DirkVoodoo

Met.ie seems to confirm these bleak predictions:

owers. However rainfall overall will be light and generally it will still be fairly dry for a lot of the day. Through Saturday and Sunday more unsettled weather will approach Ireland from the Bay of Biscay. Rainfall over the weekend will be heavy and persistent at times. The winds will be strong too, from a northeasterly direction. The early days of next week will see a continuation of the cool unsettled weather.

Damn you Bay of Biscay!

Raam

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Met.ie seems to confirm these bleak predictions:



Damn you Bay of Biscay!

Makes a change. I'm bored of cycling in the sun.

DirkVoodoo

Raam wrote: »

Makes a change. I'm bored of cycling in the sun.

All that euro tanning and now I will probably be wearing warmers. Pants.

AstraMonti

So we will be with tights and jackets?! Southeastern winds.. means.. a headwind in the all the way up the hills? uff..!

TinyExplosions

Anyone notice the lack of Funkyzeit around here the last little while....

Raam

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Anyone notice the lack of Funkyzeit around here the last little while....

must be getting measured up

ROK ON

AstraMonti wrote: »

So we will be with tights and jackets?! Southeastern winds.. means.. a headwind in the all the way up the hills? uff..!

No. You will generally be sheltered from the wind cycling up to Liam Horner/left turn for Sally Gap.
The outlook over Logh Bray a south east wind would be at your back / left side. It is a westerly that is a killer going over the gap.

For SM, surely the clim itself would shelter from the wind, and on the SE, it is pretty sheltered on your right until you get toward the top of the climb.

blorg

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Anyone notice the lack of Funkyzeit around here the last little while....

He has claimed he is doing it for the Sean Kelly rather than the W200 for some reason.