The Wicklow 200 (2009) Thread

FrankGrimes

blorg wrote: »

Yes, you have the climbs entirely right and that is the same direction- but note the Wicklow 200 is not going over the Wicklow Gap this year. I think Tom had the route mapped earlier in this thread. Although not essential it is certainly very beneficial psychologically to know the climbs before the day.

Cheers - I'll dig through the rest of the thread to find the link to that updated route. Would you say the changes to the route net out at making it more or less difficult than last year?

I'll still try do that route as practice at some stage - if I managed to do last year's climbs I'm sure it'd help convince myself I could handle the full 200km route this year (which will need a lot of work between now and then).

Raam

FrankGrimes wrote: »

Would you say the changes to the route net out at making it more or less difficult than last year?

I think this years will be harder. The Slieve Mann - Shay Elliot double is tough, especially after the distance that will already be under the belt.

FrankGrimes

Raam wrote: »

I think this years will be harder. The Slieve Mann - Shay Elliot double is tough, especially after the distance that will already be under the belt.

Man, I know this is the internet and it's not really possible to gauge the tone of someone's message.....but I could swear I detect pleasure in that statement!

ROK ON

Raam wrote: »

I think this years will be harder. The Slieve Mann - Shay Elliot double is tough, especially after the distance that will already be under the belt.

I am planning on heading out and giving these a try on one of the days over the Paddys day w/e, if anyone is interested in tagging along, then let me know what day from the sat 14 - tues 17th suits.

rflynnr

el tonto wrote: »

Tough one. Most people go for an early start and, as blorg says, the danger of rolling out at 9am is doing the whole thing on your own. If it were me, I'd try and grab loads of sleep on the journey home from the holidays and then a few hours that night in order to start early. Everyone is different though, so you might be the kind of person who needs a full night's kip. I only got around four hours the night before last year's one.

Unforrtunately I'll be driving on the journey home so sleeping through it probably isn't advisable. I did the Dublin City Triathlon last year on literally no sleep at all (too excited) and was ok - but that's 2 and a half hours as opposed to 9, 10 (11?) for the W200. Nonetheless your point and Blorg's make sense. I guess I'll aim for the 7am start after all. Thanks.

Big Bob

The wicklow gap is not on this years route, it was replaced by Shay Elliot,
The climbs are Sally gap, Slieve mann and Shay Elliot.
The route is on here,
http://www.wicklow200.ie/2009/routes09.shtml

trek climber

Tawfee wrote: »

Brings you past Glenmacnass waterfall into Laragh, nice road.

Another geography question - how is it from the top of Sally's Gap past Glenmacnass down to Laragh, is going staight through at the top of the gap shorter or longer ?

Raam

FrankGrimes wrote: »

Man, I know this is the internet and it's not really possible to gauge the tone of someone's message.....but I could swear I detect pleasure in that statement!

You may be right.

blorg

trek climber wrote: »

Another geography question - how is it from the top of Sally's Gap past Glenmacnass down to Laragh, is going staight through at the top of the gap shorter or longer ?

Not sure if I am answering the question but straight on is the most direct way to Laragh, yes. This alternative is hardly longer though (although a lot more up and down) and takes in Lugalla which is a good climb and more spectacular view. The road once turned off Lugalla is in interesting condition but I just pretend I am taking part in Paris-Roubaix and that works for me. There are a couple more tough short climbs on that road.

EDIT: Actually- maybe I get you- If the question is, is straight through to Laragh shorter than the 2008 Wicklow 200 route, then yes, it is- but only marginally. More significant is that it cuts out the climb up Lugalla, straight through is just sort of flat and then downhill.

trek climber

blorg wrote: »

Not sure if I am answering the question but straight on is the most direct way to Laragh, yes. This alternative is hardly longer though (although a lot more up and down) and takes in Lugalla which is a good climb and more spectacular view. The road once turned off Lugalla is in interesting condition but I just pretend I am taking part in Paris-Roubaix and that works for me. There are a couple more tough short climbs on that road.

EDIT: Actually- maybe I get you- If the question is, is straight through to Laragh shorter than the 2008 Wicklow 200 route, then yes, it is- but only marginally. More significant is that it cuts out the climb up Lugalla, straight through is just sort of flat and then downhill.

Cheers blorg - answers my question, one more question - in relation to Laragh what is the route to Shay Elliott

scammer101

ROK ON wrote: »

I am planning on heading out and giving these a try on one of the days over the Paddys day w/e, if anyone is interested in tagging along, then let me know what day from the sat 14 - tues 17th suits.

14 or 15 would suit. Early if possiable too. Are you thinking of going from Laragh?

ROK ON

scammer101 wrote: »

14 or 15 would suit. Early if possiable too. Are you thinking of going from Laragh?

Nope.
heading from Phoenix Pk to Kilbride, around by the lakes and onto Donard.
Home via Laragh.
150km in total (God help me).

kenmc

Caroline_ie wrote: »

We need the WW 200 people to input the route to Mapmyride or google ... it's not that hard ...

They've done it now!
here it is!

scottreynolds

kenmc wrote: »

They've done it now!
here it is!

looks like it goes around all the nasty hills.

blorg

scottreynolds wrote: »

looks like it goes around all the nasty hills.

Don't worry, we will have a Boards 200 later in the year that goes out of it's way to cram as many climbs into 200km as possible. To be honest looking at the elevation profile on that, it doesn't necessarily look too bad, the bit between Kilbride and the Wicklow Gap road (R756) is deceptively bumpy though.

kenmc

blorg wrote:

the bit between Kilbride and the Wicklow Gap road (R756) is deceptively bumpy though.

yeah that's a horrible bit, always hate that - you've done all the work in going up over wicklow, then there's a nasty drag to get out back onto the main road - seems to go on and on for ever. Last years w200 I tried to drag RtD onto the back of a big group to get out of that section, but he wasn't comfortable descending from wicklow gap too fast, so I had to leave him, cos I really wanted to be on the group for that bit. Last I've seen of him I think.

RtD

Don't worry Ken, I'm still alive and quietly stalking these boards. It's true, I'm the least confident descender in the world.

My tactics as regards when to stay with a group and when to drop off the back of a group that is beyond your comfortable pace have been honed after last year so I'll be still somewhat able for the double wammy of peaks the WW200 is hitting us with this year. My advice for people doing it for the first time is to start early so that if you do feel like dropping back there'll be another group not too far behind you to welcome you in, the toughest bits are when you are stranded.

I'll be back to the Saturday mornings soon, once my knee is good again, bike gets serviced, weather gets warmer and other such excuses

Chips Lovell

RtD wrote: »

I'll be back to the Saturday mornings soon, once my knee is good again, bike gets serviced, weather gets warmer and other such excuses

Will be good to see you back in the saddle. Where's Frenchie these days by the way?

RtD

Frenchie is over in Wales, job has moved him over that direction. Don't know if he'll be back around these parts for the WW200, don't think he even brought his bike over with him

FrankGrimes

blorg wrote: »

Don't worry, we will have a Boards 200 later in the year that goes out of it's way to cram as many climbs into 200km as possible. To be honest looking at the elevation profile on that, it doesn't necessarily look too bad, the bit between Kilbride and the Wicklow Gap road (R756) is deceptively bumpy though.

And there was me thinking that looked like the 'easy' bit - i.e. between miles 31 and 45....that bump at 47 miles looks tasty. But if that's gonna be an energy sapping 15 miles, please tell me that from 52 to 65 is plain sailing!

It's miles 87 to 104 that look the real heart-breakers to me...if I manage to haul myself over Slieve Mann and Shay Elliot I guess it would be nice to think it was straightforward from there home but that looks like a couple of hundred metres of climbing over those 17 miles.

For someone who hasn't done anything like it before this is still gonna be very, very tough..

kenmc

what are these 'miles' you speak of? Have you forgotten the Euro rules? It's kms!
on the plus side, once you climb out of enniskerry it's pretty much all downhill from there... nice.

blorg

FrankGrimes wrote: »

It's miles 87 to 104 that look the real heart-breakers to me...if I manage to haul myself over Slieve Mann and Shay Elliot I guess it would be nice to think it was straightforward from there home but that looks like a couple of hundred metres of climbing over those 17 miles.

That is the way back over Djouce, there is a bit of climbing early on out of Rathdrum but although there appears to be climbing coming back up from Roundwood that way I never really notice it personally. The earlier bit from Kilbride to Wicklow Gap road is far worse.

Chips Lovell

The climb over Djouce from the South is steady enough and not too taxing. I'd agree with blorg that the road around the lakes is kind of lumpy and isn't one you're going to be flying along.

FrankGrimes

Ah, think I remember that on the side of Djouce - would I have covered it coming home from the 100km route last year? You'll have noticed I'm quite promiscuous in my relationships with units of measuring length - yesterday twas miles, now its KMs, who knows tomorrow it might even be furlongs I go for

I seem to remember that climb to Djouce and it wasn't as bad as the elevation map makes out, more of a pull/drag than a climb at times.

The hill with the stone walls on the sides on the way back into Enniskerry caught me off guard completely last year but I guess I was just wrecked at this stage.

Raam

FrankGrimes wrote: »

The hill with the stone walls on the sides on the way back into Enniskerry caught me off guard completely last year but I guess I was just wrecked at this stage.

That's Poggio, everyone forgets about it until they hit it.

Chips Lovell

FrankGrimes wrote: »

The hill with the stone walls on the sides on the way back into Enniskerry caught me off guard completely last year but I guess I was just wrecked at this stage.

aka The Wall.

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

That's Poggio, everyone forgets about it until they hit it.

Yes, I've heard it referred to it as that as well.

niceonetom

Raam wrote: »

That's Poggio, everyone forgets about it until they hit it.

I thought it was called "the wall"?

Chips Lovell

Poggio's a better nickname.

Raam

niceonetom wrote: »

I thought it was called "the wall"?

I always called it "that effin thing near the end" until RogerB told me that his clubmates call it Poggio.