Mahon Falls - How tough is that!

andun84

Went up it today for the first time. Coming to Mahon Bridge from Carrick-on-Suir side - turned right and then right again and headed up. Computer stats were: 5.1km long with an average gradient of 6.3%. It took me a miserable 26m15s to climb it at an average speed of 11.7kph (so that's how useless I am but I can only get better - I hope). Worst I seen on the computer was 21% (could easily have missed a percent or 2) and what made it worse was that it saved it's worst for last.

Absolutely detested the descent as it was way beyond my meagre skills at this stage. My hands were aching from just trying to keep the brakes on hard enough to slow the bike enough.

Had decided to do both Seskin Hill and Mahon today however I couldn't find Seskin Hill. Did ask someone and she sent me up some hill which clearly wasn't Seskin Hill as it only got 12% and only went up for a mile and then I tried to find but couldn't and no one to ask so I took the sign for Dungarven as I knew it would get me to Mahon Falls. Will have to try that one again.

105.94km on the computer so really happy with that even if the average speed was a pathetic 24.05kph. The tailwind back towards Wateford was a relief however it was pure pain into a headwind into Tramore as my poor legs were shot by this stage (wasn't helped by the fact that I ran out of energy drink at the top of Mahon Falls) and couldn't find a single shop to buy water (had the powder with me) from there until I hit Kilmeaden where I stuffed myself solid. You must have something against shops in that part of this country or you hide them well :mad:

Lovely part of the country though. I meant to check out Sean Kelly Square (just because it's a triangle ) but forgot :rolleyes:

Good luck to anyone doing the SKT 160km route as that climb is tough and I'm sure Seskin Hill is a real toughy too, especially for anyone who hasn't done any similar climb before.

jwshooter

a good spin, there was a savage of a wind this eve

calerbass

Hi, next time look for carrickbeg, its on the waterford side of the river suir, carrick being on the opposite, find walls pub there,seskin hill is straight ahead of you then as you look towards the forestry in front of you. when you took the road to dungarvan for mahon falls, you would have passed the entrance to carrick on suir golf club, well bout a quarter of mile up theirs a turn right, thats the top of seskin hill, where you would have come out if you had found it.................you said you ran out of energy drinks......did you not come out on to the N25 at leamybrien and turned right for waterford?.............theirs a texaco garage with shop and another shop a little down from it where you could have refilled.

Try heading out to portlaw next time and go up the scrouty, goes up for bout mile and half, nice leg buster at the top of it, on to seskin hill then, you ll be well warmed up for it.

andun84

jwshooter wrote: »

a good spin, there was a savage of a wind this eve

Yeah - couldn't get much speed up coming down from Carrick-on-Suir to Mahon Bridge even though there was some nice open road to play with. Got even windier yesterday evening so fair play to get anywhere in that

andun84

calerbass wrote: »

Hi, next time look for carrickbeg, its on the waterford side of the river suir, carrick being on the opposite, find walls pub there,seskin hill is straight ahead of you then as you look towards the forestry in front of you. when you took the road to dungarvan for mahon falls, you would have passed the entrance to carrick on suir golf club, well bout a quarter of mile up theirs a turn right, thats the top of seskin hill, where you would have come out if you had found it.................you said you ran out of energy drinks......did you not come out on to the N25 at leamybrien and turned right for waterford?.............theirs a texaco garage with shop and another shop a little down from it where you could have refilled.

Yeah I kept to this Wateford side of the bridge and then got to to a pub on my left just on the corner. There were 2 roads - one going immediately right and another going straight ahead up a hill. That's the one I took. Near the top of that bit of climb there was a layby on the right and I carried straight on up it. I eventually got to a road which went off to the left (not right as I initally put) which I think said Kilmacthomas or one pointing straight down the road to Dungarven. I decided to the try the road to the right however it was dead flat and I ended up at 3 junctions none of which looked in the least hilly so was lost at this stage so just headed back to the Dungarven sign and took it.

Yes I remember seeing the golf course road and taking a look at it but decided the road was too narrow and it was probably only a road up to the golf club so headed on. So I should have turned up there.

I headed down the hill from Mahon Falls where I came to a junction going either left or right. I went right and carried on down. Came to another junction heading left or right. Went left as it had a sign pointing to Mahon Bridge as there's a road that runs right between Mahon Bridge and the N25 so that's why I went that way. So if I'd carried on down a bit and not turned toward Mahon Bridge I'd have got a shop or 2. Oh well will know next time. That N25 has absolutely nothing on it at all. Down home every hole in the ditch has a shop that you can get some food, water and that's what I'm used to. That approach just don't work here or at least they take a bit of finding. They just don't appear before you

calerbass wrote: »

Try heading out to portlaw next time and go up the scrouty, goes up for bout mile and half, nice leg buster at the top of it, on to seskin hill then, you ll be well warmed up for it.

Yeah seen plenty of signs for Portlaw so will give it a go next. Still here for a while so that'll be my next route and then finally try Seskin Hill this time

I take it this is the road:

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=17417

5% average for 2.25 miles according to that. Should be fun :eek:

calerbass

No bother, i agree about not many shops,service stations down this way, its very poor, the NATIONAL ROADS AUTHORITY have roads going every where now but forgot about service stations, rest areas etc...........yes thats the road, im a little out on the distance, when you go over the other side you ll roll down for a bit and you ll come down to a cross roads, its called piggotts cross, well..........to your right you ll see bout four or five houses together, one of those was belong to sean kelly, he had it when he was a pro for several years, used to live there when home, gym down the garden etc, the road directly across is to a small place called motel, its along that way is where sean has a big house built and now lives, take care on the road..........

andun84

calerbass wrote: »

No bother, i agree about not many shops,service stations down this way, its very poor, the NATIONAL ROADS AUTHORITY have roads going every where now but forgot about service stations, rest areas etc...........yes thats the road, im a little out on the distance, when you go over the other side you ll roll down for a bit and you ll come down to a cross roads, its called piggotts cross, well..........to your right you ll see bout four or five houses together, one of those was belong to sean kelly, he had it when he was a pro for several years, used to live there when home, gym down the garden etc, the road directly across is to a small place called motel, its along that way is where sean has a big house built and now lives, take care on the road..........

Cool - will have to have a look out for it. On the road down to Dungarven I there was a sign on the road about the Sean Kelly Academy Ireland - France or something like that and a few other bits and pieces but it was stuck beside a field and seemed a bit randomly placed. What's that all about? Any significance with that point if you know it?

Just noticed on reading my last post post that I got part of my description wrong about where I got lost on finding Seskin Hill. When I climbed out of Carrick on Suir my dilema actually took me down a road to the left (not right as I have put in that post) as there was no road to the right until that road at the golf course (only left or straight on). You seem to understand where I was anyway but sorry if I confused you a bit.

calerbass

ya......that is where Sean Kelly's brother lives and their home place.......farmhouse is at the back of it, you probably saw wheels hanging up, also sign called arenberg forest etc which is part of the paris robouix course i think...........one of the main classics anyway.

if you kept going on the road to the left you would have come to the cross i mentioned, if you keep going straight pass the cross you can go to kilmacthomas and on to N25 and back to Waterford.

calerbass

By the way if you go through Portlaw and if you have ever been in bessborough in armagh i think( i see from your entries your from co Down) it is designed exactly the same way, in the shape of a hand, as in the five fingers are the main streets etc, go to the roundabout and you ll see. Quakers founded both places.