Wicklow Gap challenge

Lumen

Bit of fun for a boring January...

I vaguely recall a culchie hillclimbing challenge thread a while back, and was inspired by some slightly off-topic discussion here to start a similar thing for us Dubs.

Sally Gap, Kippure etc is out of service right now, but the Wicklow Gap seems reliable and safe.

me@ucd and Blorg both reckon it takes 20 mins (me@ucd claims to be able to do this time as repeats).

It took me about half an hour at the weekend, and I was trying a bit. I'm irritated by the prospect of being 50% slower than Blorg, so I'm clinging to the idea that I started the clock too early.

So first question is, can we agree a definite start and finish point?

rottenhat

Lumen wrote: »

So first question is, can we agree a definite start and finish point?

Start where you turn off the road out of Laragh, finish at the sign post for Wicklow Gap.

blorg

Haha, I'd better start backing down from my 20 minute claim already... I didn't have a computer on Saturday. Don't think I was 10 minutes ahead of you then anyway. I think a bit over 20 mins is the fastest I have ever managed it.

Lumen

rottenhat wrote: »

Start where you turn off the road out of Laragh, finish at the sign post for Wicklow Gap.

Thanks. Game on

I can't be bothered to attempt to extract my real time from the TCX file, so I'll just have to go out there and do it again....

superrdave

I think this is about right:

Google maps

From the turnoff in laragh to the junction at the top. It's about 320m in 8.5km. Average gradient about 3.8%. Sally gap from the west is 260m in 9km which is only about 2.8% although the last 3kms is probably about 160m in 3kms from when you cross the river, which over 5%. Probably the toughest 3km in Wicklow that I've cycled. There is a small part of the climb up the wicklow gap that is tough, maybe about 1km, that is significantly steeper than the rest.

Raam

blorg wrote: »

Haha, I'd better start backing down from my 20 minute claim already... I didn't have a computer on Saturday. Don't think I was 10 minutes ahead of you then anyway. I think a bit over 20 mins is the fastest I have ever managed it.

Never back down. Only say that you are tired from yesterday's hour long threshold session which was followed by 5 X 3km hill repeats.

ROK ON

Surely if there is a Wicklow hill climb challenge it has to be Shay Elliot or SlieveMaan.

Also it is a bit rich of Lumen to call people culchies given that he is from further outside the pale than most of us on this site ;-)

Chips Lovell

Lumen is probably the least culchie person I know.

blorg

ROK ON wrote: »

Surely if there is a Wicklow hill climb challenge it has to be Shay Elliot or SlieveMaan.

Slieve Maan is harder but also more difficult to get to. Also I can do the Wicklow Gap on the fixie, well on for this.

niceonetom

Is this to be another time-trial?

IM0

when I measure I measure from the right turn onto wicklow gap (hairpin if you were coming from Glendalough) to the sign at the 'back' of the top of the pass.

and is there bonus pts for the quickest descent and max speed

also the climb to calary is alot closer and a very nice steep climb to, albiet a whole lot more traffic and dodgy sight lines.

lukester

Just asking like, but would a challenge closer to town, such as the previous one up Three Rock, not make more sense?

(I guess I still like the idea of a single, designated boards hill TT route)

Peterx

all good plans there..
We time it from the coffeeshop where the garage used to be to the top of the gap but that's cos we stop at said coffeeshop for a very tasty soup and sambo combo. yum.

Closer to Dublinia there's one from Tala;

Old Mill pub - up Bothernabreena - turn left up towards Corrig and stop the watch at the top of that hill. It lures you in with some sneaky flatness and has a real kicker section half way up the bothernabreena road and then from the left turn it's pretty hard.
Never a great idea before a hillrun on Corrig but all good training.

Lumen

lukester wrote: »

Just asking like, but would a challenge closer to town, such as the previous one up Three Rock, not make more sense?

IMO the main disadvantage of 3 Rock is that it's too short. The fastest person last time did it under 13 minutes (see here).

Additionally, Laragh is sufficiently far from Dublin as to require a proper cycle to get to, which encourages us to get out and ride our bikes.

Lumen

niceonetom wrote: »

Is this to be another time-trial?

For entirely selfish reasons I haven't suggested that, as I'll only be able to get out there on very early morning spins, if at all.

Feel free to organise one anyway :pac:

Raam

Lumen wrote: »

IMO the main disadvantage of 3 Rock is that it's too short. The fastest person last time did it under 13 minutes (see here).

Confusingly, if you do it fast enough it will feel like the longest cycle you have ever done.

IM0

Lumen wrote: »

(see here).

is blorgs name on that list?

lukester

Lumen wrote: »

IMO the main disadvantage of 3 Rock is that it's too short. The fastest person last time did it under 13 minutes (see here).

Fair enough.

The climb peterx quoted is close too, and must be nearly as long. It's got some very nasty gradients near the end too :pac:

Lumen

me@ucd wrote: »

is blorgs name on that list?

Blorg is his name. He's the Stig/Edge/Grinch of cycling. He didn't do that one.

niceonetom

I am in no way volunteering to organise a TT, but I'm just pointing out that the Wicklow Gap is a long enough, and exposed enough, climb that weather conditions can play a big part in how fast you get up it. Times set on different days really aren't comparable IMO.

I'm sure a boards spin will find itself in Larragh again before long. If we do, all it would take is for us to agree to agree to go of at, say, 1 min intervals from the crossroads and be honest about timing ourselves up to the sign...

DirkVoodoo

Will this be on on saturday? I am itching to get back out there and a boards challenge might be just what the doctor ordered.

Chips Lovell

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Will this be on on saturday?

Ask Tom. He's organising it.

Lumen

niceonetom wrote: »

I am in no way volunteering to organise a TT, but I'm just pointing out that the Wicklow Gap is a long enough, and exposed enough, climb that weather conditions can play a big part in how fast you get up it. Times set on different days really aren't comparable IMO.

The calculator appears to agree with you - a 10kph headwind adds perhaps 4 minutes.

That buggers up my plan then.

ROK ON

Try the Cruagh club up ti Killakee.
1. Depending on start point us between 5,5 and 7km.
2. Mostly sheltered until you hit final 1.5km and the shallow gradient at that point would compensate anyway.
3. Starts in Dublin so can be done on a daily basis by folk li ing in Dublin.
Honesty is maintained by publishing link to garmin data.

Caroline_ie

Given it might freeze,snow etc, you might want to schedule for another weekend.

TinyExplosions

I think this weekend would be a splendid time for such a TT... I would, most likely blow you all away with my new found talent, but will alas be in Paris, practicing for the final stage of the Tour on a velib..... well, doing laps of the Champs Elysees at least

LDB

I liked the Wicklow gap climb on Sat. not sure I'd like to TT up it though and then have to cycle 60k home

Happy to help time it some weekend though.



(first post in AGES!)

blorg

LDB wrote: »

I liked the Wicklow gap climb on Sat. not sure I'd like to TT up it though and then have to cycle 60k home

Happy to help time it some weekend though.



(first post in AGES!)

Cool, I really think independent timing is important for any TT. I am away this weekend and then in Spain for the following two with some other assorted boardsies but any time after that would be good

Raam

blorg wrote: »

Cool, I really think independent timing is important for any TT.

I agree that LDB should do the timing.

Lumen

blorg wrote: »

Cool, I really think independent timing is important for any TT. I am away this weekend and then in Spain for the following two with some other assorted boardsies but any time after that would be good

I see. You are so scared of being beaten up the Wicklow Gap that you've arranged a training camp in the mountains to prepare.

There should definitely be time penalties for that.

Caroline_ie

Raam wrote: »

I agree that LDB should do the timing.

Sure I will help

blorg

Raam wrote: »

I agree that LDB should do the timing.

I doubt there will be much need for time falsification unless Ryan Sherlock shows up.

Lumen wrote: »

I see. You are so scared of being beaten up the Wicklow Gap that you've arranged a training camp in the mountains to prepare.

All the serious competitors are going to be there... along with the timekeepers

Lumen

blorg wrote: »

All the serious competitors are going to be there... along with the timekeepers

Ha. Whereas I'll be on my turbo with the front end propped up exactly 3.8%, listening to Los Payasos de la Tele and carbo-loading with tortilla and mountain paella.

ROK ON

Curious as to what mountain paella is versus ordinary paella?

Lumen

ROK ON wrote: »

Curious as to what mountain paella is versus ordinary paella?

Coastal paella = seafood.
Mountain paella = rabbit, chicken, snails (these must be fed on rosemary, very important)

Under no circumstances mix the two recipes together.

ROK ON

Thanks. While I dislike rice on its own per se I live rice based meals like risotto, nasi goreng and paella. But never tried mountain paella.
However one needs to be careful while eating rabbit. It is the celery of the meat world in terms of calories provided versus the amount of energy reqd to digest it.

Now to get back on topic. If training for a hill tt on wicklow gap, then setting am incline on the turbo of 3.8% is not great. That average masks a lot of low gradient stuff and a few steep ramps. The median maybe more appropriate. However factoring in wind resistance and 60km already in the legs you would be better off replicating the climb at say 5.5%.

blorg

Lumen wrote: »

Coastal paella = seafood.
Mountain paella = rabbit, chicken, snails (these must be fed on rosemary, very important)

Under no circumstances mix the two recipes together.

The original paella from Valencia was meat and snails. Wikipedia informs me that marsh rat was the original meat, I did not know that.

Chips Lovell

Me encanta comer conejo