Thursday Spin

ROK ON

Hello.

I am taking a daytime spin on Thursday (weather supposed to be a cracker).
Planning on leaving Phoenix Park around 9-10ish and head out as far as Laragh, via Edmondstown Rd and Sally Gap. Then decide what to do there after cake consumption.

Anyone with time on their hands, or just fancies skipping work for the day for a spin, then let me know.

Lumen

Quite possibly.

I could do with a bit of a leg stretcher before the ROK.

DirkVoodoo

Might be up for this. Was planning on heading out friday and there is a chance I could be hungover on thursday so I will put myself down as a 50/50 for now.

ROK ON

Grand so lads.
Thinking that I may try Shay Elliott over and back, before stopping for cake at the hippy cafe in Laragh.

eggie

I'm up for a spin. Nice biscuit cake in that Laragh cafe place.

Nietzschean

probably should be up for this too, mostly dependant if i get enough work done before then

Threads like these are not good for my continuing employment.

ROK ON

Bump.

Leaving park at 10am in the morning.

rflynnr

ROK ON wrote: »

Bump.

Leaving park at 10am in the morning.

From anywhere in particular? Papal monument?

ROK ON

rflynnr wrote: »

From anywhere in particular? Papal monument?

Could meet at
Castleknock Gate, Farmleigh Gate, Chapelizod Gate or Islandbridge Gate.
I tend to do a loop around before I leave the park at Islandbridge gate.

rflynnr

ROK ON wrote: »

Grand so lads.
Thinking that I may try Shay Elliott over and back, before stopping for cake at the hippy cafe in Laragh.

This is an alternative which would avoid repeating SE: continue over Slieve Maan then take a left at the bottom of same. This brings you back towards the R755 and then into Laragh. Just a thought, though.

ROK ON

True - but the thing is, I get a kick out of doing over and back on the SE, plus I wont get to do it again for a while.
After WW200, I couldn't care if I never see the Slieve Maan again.

rflynnr

ROK ON wrote: »

True - but the thing is, I get a kick out of doing over and back on the SE, plus I wont get to do it again for a while.
After WW200, I couldn't care if I never see the Slieve Maan again.

Oddly enough, my rationale for doing SM is exactly the same. I was so disappointed with my performance going up it during the 200 that - at some stage - I'll need to do it again, just to make sure I'm not losing it (whatever "it" may be in this context). Doesn't have to be tomorrow though so I'm easy.

Any of those gates suit me as a meeting point. Shall we say Chapelizod?

(One provisio - I need to pick up my kids at 5.30 so will need to be back in Dublin for 5.00ish at the latest. Don't let my timetable cramp yours though.)

rflynnr

keenan110 wrote: »

Would be interested in going for a spin, about how many Km are you thinking of doing?

Something in the region of 120-130km judging by the map.

Lumen

rflynnr wrote: »

(One provisio - I need to pick up my kids at 5.30 so will need to be back in Dublin for 5.00ish at the latest. Don't let my timetable cramp yours though.)

The last time ROK_ON and I did a long spin similar to this, it took us 07:50 for 138km, with a rolling average of 23kph.

That's only 6 hours of actual riding though, so with a bit of discipline 10:00-17:00 should be doable.

ROK ON

The way I see it is as follows.

12.30 Laragh,
2pm Finished SE and lunch.
Thinking of flattish/spin home via Roundwood/Ballinastoe/Enniskerry.

Home by 5pm.

But on Boards spins, time does tend to disappear (at least the ones that I have been on).

I usually tell my wife that I will be home by midnight, I then strive to beat that time.:D


Alternatively, we could leave at 9.30? So meet you (RFLYNN) in Chapo arond 9.40??

rflynnr

Lumen wrote: »

The last time ROK_ON and I did a long spin similar to this, it took us 07:50 for 138km, with a rolling average of 23kph.

That's only 6 hours of actual riding though, so with a bit of discipline 10:00-17:00 should be doable.

You popping along?

Lumen

rflynnr wrote: »

You popping along?

Probably. Have to get drag kids out of bed and dump in creche first, so may be a bit late and catch you en route.

rflynnr

ROK ON wrote: »

The way I see it is as follows.

12.30 Laragh,
2pm Finished SE and lunch.
Thinking of flattish/spin home via Roundwood/Ballinastoe/Enniskerry.

Home by 5pm.

But on Boards spins, time does tend to disappear (at least the ones that I have been on).

I usually tell my wife that I will be home by midnight, I then strive to beat that time.:D


Alternatively, we could leave at 9.30? So meet you (RFLYNN) in Chapo arond 9.40??

Might be a bit tricky as I have to drop the kids up to school in Glasnevin for 9ish. I could try though: I'll pm you my mobile so we can keep up to date.

eggie

I'll meet up in the morn. Can you confirm time and place?

Cheers

Eggie

rflynnr

Chapelizod Gate @ 9.40am. Do you want to pm me your mobile just in case?

eggie

Fine, pm sent. The chapelizod gate is in chapelizod? I know the gates at parkgate, island bridge......must be the next one towards chapelizod?

What direction we setting off? up by strawberry beds?

Thanks.

ROK ON

eggie wrote: »

Fine, pm sent. The chapelizod gate is in chapelizod? I know the gates at parkgate, island bridge......must be the next one towards chapelizod?

What direction we setting off? up by strawberry beds?

Thanks.

Heading out to rathfarnham and up Edmondstown.
So we can meet you anywhere between Chapelizod and Rathfarnham tbh.

eggie

Chapelizod is fine, meet ya's there 9.40am.

ROK ON

Folks - I could be out of this one.
Feel horrible, bad headache.
Will bring kid to playschool and see how I feel.

@RFlynn - I will txt you at 930am if i wont be there.

Sorry.

Lumen

ROK_ON, sorry you couldn't make it.

Eggie, very sorry we lost you. We waited at Rathdrum until it became clear that you'd gone a different direction (probably the right one!) then we headed back on the WW200 route. Neither of us had your number on us, doh! Hope you made it back OK.

Apart from that, a great spin. Lovely weather, decent distance (probably one forty something), good sangwich.

This is getting easier. It must be the shoes.

edit: I got back at 4.59pm. Goal!

eggie

I kept left going into Rathdrum where I presume you stayed right. I thought you would wait so I hung back at the outskirts for a bit but knew it was lost cause after a bit.

Headed on to Rathnew - Bray - Foxrock - Ranelagh

143.7km - furthest ive ever done and it fells like ive been sitting on a saddle for 6hrs 17mins. Good day. Recovery drink now then bulmers

ROK ON

I did eventually make it out today - bad idea. Never cycle with a headache.
Anyway, went back to bed this morning after txting RFlynn, only to be awoken by Lumen ringing me;).
Went back to bed again, and left for the cycle at 11am.

OUt to Laragh and home via Wicklow Gap, Hollywood and Blessington. 129.4km in total.

Heading up Edmondstown Rd, another cyclist descended past me as I was climbing. A few minutes (10??) he sprinted past me, like there was no 10% gradient in the road. He did say hi, but he was going so fast that I could not actually make out the make of his bike. Awesome, pure awesome.

Now I have been dropped/passed by many cyclists while climbing (particularly on Edmonstown Rd/Cruagh Rd) - but I have never seen someone climb with such pure awesome speed. The strech between of Edmonstown Rd up to the bridge at Cruagh turnoff avg's 10% for most of it.
A few minutes later he passed me again while he was descending - I still had not reached the lookout point at this stage.

I actually felt like applauding.
Only thing I saw was his shorts which said TORQ - eat me.
(I think R. Sherlock is sponsored by them, so maybe him, but dunno).

Fantastic descent to Laragh, hit top speed of 81km - took advice about pedalling, then dropping chin to headset, and tuck everything in. My computer was just in front of my nose - speed went from 64 - 72 once aero, in a matter of seconds.

Nice lunch at Laragh - no cake though.

Climbed Wicklow Gap in dead heat, headache worse and no air.
Met 2 guys at the top. They cycled over from Maynooth yday, with bikes, pannies, tents, the works on panniers. They were cycling back today. One of the guys had climbed from Laragh, laden down with panniers etc on an old (but very nice) steel racing bike. It weighed a ton, and he had a standard double. He said he was shattered. But I have the utmost respect for the man - fair play to you - old school.

Anyway, sorry I didnt make itout with ye, but felt miserable this am.

Actually only made it back at 5.15, so I wasnt that far behind ye on the road - what route home did ye take?

rflynnr

eggie wrote: »

I kept left going into Rathdrum where I presume you stayed right. I thought you would wait so I hung back at the outskirts for a bit but knew it was lost cause after a bit.

That's exactly what happened: we stayed straight on where you veered left, then we waited at the first T-junction. Ironically, I suspect Lumen and I were waiting no more than a few hundred yards from where you were waiting for us. Apologies for losing you. It was a pleasure riding with you as far as we went.

To steal this thread, I was out earlier and a friend got a puncture, and as a result I'm now very bitten.

Nice evening for a cycle though.

Lumen

Dónal wrote: »

To steal this thread, I was out earlier and a friend got a puncture, and as a result I'm now very bitten.

I covered myself from hair to ankles with Jungle Formula, and managed to avoid even a single bite yesterday.