Boards Begineers Spin on the 15th of May?

Wingman2010

Hi all,

I'm a complete beginneer and I'm just wondering if anyone else at such a level is interested in meeting up for a cycle sometime? I could meet near Smithfield or around there. Would love to get out early if anyone is interested?

SubLuminal

I'm interested in this too but maybe doing it with such short notice isn't such a great idea. I'm in a similar area to you - maybe a spin around phoenix park would be fun. Would be great if we could get a few of the more experienced racers/spinners to come along too, maybe we could just do 20km or something easy for newbies and whoever else is interested, I know its hardly worth it for you guys who are out doing sally gap 3 times a week but it'd be a good introduction for people new to cycling who are interested in doing something a bit more serious but find it all a bit intimidating. Let us meet you, o hallowed racers, so we discover that you're not all EPO chugging mentalists and are actually quite friendly and not scary and that joining a cycling club for more serious spins would and could be a lot of fun!

So, Funday (sunday) spin around phoenix park, who's in? Come on, come and show off your felt carbon frames, look pedals and super-cool boards jerseys!

Mods - sticky?

blorg

You could venture a bit further than the Park, I think this is what the OP had in mind. Sally Gap is a good option and not actually that far. (26.7km each way.) Shorter options would be up Stocking Lane or Cruagh Road to the Kilakee viewpoint over Dublin, you can go over to Johnny Foxes from there (34km) or if you are feeling up to it over the Featherbeds on the Military Road to Glencree (where there is a cafe, if you wanted a snack) and back via Enniskerry and the Scalp. (50km)

@OP- I think you need a bit more notice to get a response, aim for next weekend and you will be good. Best put the date of the proposed spin in the title.

littleredspot

Sign me up Next Sunday would be good.

ED E

I'd be up for a 40/50K roundtrip next weekend as long as I can be back around one whichever day.

Little taxing at the start but how about: Town-StockingLane-Viewingpoint-Bohernabreena Rd-Firhouse-Rathfarnham-Town. I'd be short enough with a really fun decent:)

blobbie

Lads, with the greated of respect, I am not sure if Stocking Lane & Military Road to Glencree is suitable for complete beginners as per OP.

It is the guts of 450m in about 8ks with stretches >5%

Maybe a few loops up to Mount Venus for starters and then onwards & upwards to Cruagh Road

ED E

Depends on how aggressive you are. I'm a complete novice(not even on a proper raod bike) and I love it:)

blorg

blobbie wrote: »

Lads, with the greated of respect, I am not sure if Stocking Lane & Military Road to Glencree is suitable for complete beginners as per OP.

It is the guts of 450m in about 8ks with stretches >5%

OP posted elsewhere that he was sick of cycling around the park and wanted to venture a bit further. I've been on spins where we have got complete beginners up to the viewpoint and over to Glencree. Have even got beginners albeit skinny ones as far as Laragh, over the Wicklow Gap and back via the lakes (125km.) Yes they were uttely dead by the end of it, but they did it, came back for more and are now experienced and competent cyclists.

The viewpoint is a good point where people can turn back if they are shagged. Those feeling up to it can continue on to Glencree.

If you have suitable gearing (preferably something like 30-27 or if not that 34-27) and get down into your bottom gear and go slowly you should get up the hill. Stop and have a breather if you need it. Ideally everyone would wait at the top of the hill to re-group.

Good luck!

sweetswing

i would be well up for this, earlier the better for me, either sat or sun or even some evenings,
im on the northside so meeting in town suits me, i wouldnt know routes on south side , but i have a few boxed off on the north side:D
north side or south side makes no difference to me , think this is a great idea as i didnt want to weigh down the normal boardsie spins .

mike12

i'd be up for a short evening spin around swords area.
Mike

greener greene

Damn! Would love to go but I won't have a bike till after the leaving cert

littleredspot

I'm all for being encouraged up a mountain, but I only just managed Howth summit this week:D OP its a nice spin out the coast by Clontarf,especially early morning or late evening, too busy later at the weekends IMHO. I turned at Sutton cross today and headed for Donabate, then back via Swords, haven't got an accurate distance but its about 50k of relatively flat, mainly scenic route with not too much traffic. I'd like to try a flattish southside/westside route. How do the hills people are mentioning compare to Howth?

Wingman2010

Thanks for the replys. I don't mind where we go at all to be honest once its not Phoenix Park as said by one of the lads above. Once I could meet someone in town and take it from there. If we met somewhere in town around 9am saturday morning and take it from there? Any suggestions welcome.

WithCheesePlease

I'm with littleredspot above. Could meet around Connolly station say and cycle up to Fairview and follow the coast as far as Sutton. Nice cycle all the way out. Then turn and do Howth summit and back around into Sutton and back in the same way to town. Nice and easy to start and finish with only about 3k of a climb. And a nice decent into Howth. Round trip would be about 35K.

Just a suggestion.

Otherwise go the other way, out through the East Link and follow the coast the other way through Sandymount and Blackrock, Dun Laoighre and Dalkey and do Killiney hill as far as Shankill and back the N11?

ED E

I'm in. Got my cheap lucozade earlier in Tesco(8x500ml = 3.49!)

I know clontarf is good but I have no idea past there.

We could try the below. Its 20K but you can add around 5 by going along the coast Dun Laoighre way. Road surface is ok, traffic is minimal. There is a smallish hill in Killiney and we dont have to touch Vicount(Reasonably nasty, but not stocking by a long shot) though it is very beautiful[say 200m up looking out over the bay:)].

WithCheesePlease

^^ Stick to the coast, far nicer. And do Vico!!

cdaly_

littleredspot wrote: »

How do the hills people are mentioning compare to Howth?

Depends on which way you approach Howth. If you climb from the village, there's a pretty sharp 8% climb but the whole thing is pretty short (only 2km to the summit). OTOH, if you climb from Sutton Cross, it's not so steep and about twice as long (4km).

The climbs you would meet in Wicklow are likely to be longer and quite likely as steep (or steeper). For example, the climb up Stocking Lane is about 5 or 6km with sections up to 7%. So a bit steeper and longer than the climb to Howth.

sweetswing

WithCheesePlease wrote: »

I'm with littleredspot above. Could meet around Connolly station say and cycle up to Fairview and follow the coast as far as Sutton. Nice cycle all the way out. Then turn and do Howth summit and back around into Sutton and back in the same way to town. Nice and easy to start and finish with only about 3k of a climb. And a nice decent into Howth. Round trip would be about 35K.

Just a suggestion.

Otherwise go the other way, out through the East Link and follow the coast the other way through Sandymount and Blackrock, Dun Laoighre and Dalkey and do Killiney hill as far as Shankill and back the N11?

2 fantastic choices there easy on the eyes aswell, ok so will we say 9 o,clock saturday morning at connolly station for the first spin?

littleredspot

I feels a posse forming:) I go out by Clontarf most days so I'd like the Bray via Dun Laoghaire route for a change. Saturday at Connolly at 9 suits me fine.

Wingman2010

Connolly at 9 would be great!

Do we need a vote on what route to take Both routes are new to me but I would like the spin out to Clontarf and beyond

Nietzschean

cdaly_ wrote: »

The climbs you would meet in Wicklow are likely to be longer and quite likely as steep (or steeper). For example, the climb up Stocking Lane is about 5 or 6km with sections up to 7%. So a bit steeper and longer than the climb to Howth.

...sections up to 13%

that said coming out of howth village if you goto the right of the church it gets up to 15% there....but its all over very fast

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

seamus

Connolly at 9am on a Saturday? Jaysus it'll be like going into work on a weekend

Never been on a boards spin before, eager to get onto a beginner's spin. 40k would probably be a little short for me, but we can add on more to the route for anyone who wants to go a little futher maybe.

I'm coming from Firhouse direction, so if there's anyone else out here, maybe we can have two starting points and we'll rendezvous on the N11 at Leopardstown and head on down towards Bray.

Scien, SPDs aren't essential kit really. In fact, I imagine about the only thing you need to avoid getting badly dropped is skinny wheels & shorts and a t-shirt.

nitrogen

cdaly_ wrote: »

For example, the climb up Stocking Lane is about 5 or 6km with sections up to 7%. So a bit steeper and longer than the climb to Howth.

At what average speed would you be ascending that 6km climb?

WithCheesePlease

Scien wrote: »

So do you lads have all the kit?

If I come along I'd be on a hybrid, so no!

seamus

nitrogen wrote: »

At what average speed would you be ascending that 6km climb?

12km/h seems like a reasonable average up that for a beginner. Just stick it in the granny ring and spin it.

In reality there are some nice flat or gentle sections on the climb which bring up your average. If you're totally new, 12km/h would be it. If you've a bit of fitness under your belt, you'd be going for 15km/h.

It can be a bit misleading though, as the climbs get progressivly longer as you go up. So you get up past Mt Venus and up to the Hellfire club and you think, "Hell yeah, I'm almost there". Then you die a little inside getting up to viewpoint because you've used all your energy and every corner looks like the last one, but it's not.

sweetswing

Wingman2010 wrote: »

Connolly at 9 would be great!

Do we need a vote on what route to take Both routes are new to me but I would like the spin out to Clontarf and beyond

i suggest we let the wind on the day decide the route, if we go out againsed the wind when we are all nice and strong its so much easier coming home;)

ED E

20yr old hybrid with drops....shorts and tshirt and of course shades.

I can post a few different maps tonight and then ask the mods for a poll?

WithCheesePlease

Lethal_Bullet wrote: »

I can post a few different maps tonight and then ask the mods for a poll?

Do it!

cdaly_

nitrogen wrote:

At what average speed would you be ascending that 6km climb?

Jeez I dunno. I never get a chance to get out that direction.

OTOH, last climb I did out of Howth my min climbing speed was about 9kph (@60rpm) and I'd say I averaged no more than 12kph or so.

seamus wrote:

If you've a bit of fitness under your belt, you'd be going for 15km/h.

Ok ok, maybe it was 15kph so.

Nietzschean wrote:

coming out of howth village if you goto the right of the church it gets up to 15% there....but its all over very fast

Holy crap! I'll have to try that but I suspect I'll be in negative speed/cadence there...

seamus

Well, here's one proposal.

As I mentioned, maybe we can have two meeting points - one in the city centre and one in Southwest Dublin.

Both groups then meet on the N11 at Leopardstown rd/Newtownpark Ave. That's about 12km for both groups to get there. Then a spin out along the coast to Bray, going via Dun Laoghaire. The end point of this is marked with a little ice cream cone. That's 18km. The vast majority of this route is flat. You'll have done about 30km, probably in just over an hour and you won't be dying. Anyone who commutes on a regular basis will have only warmed up at that point.

If at that point anyone wants to go home by the same route, it's a nice spin back, still flat, and you can say you did 60km that day.

If anyone feels good and not too tired (most people won't), they can go back via Enniskerry & Kilternan, finishing at Aiken's Village and parting ways there.

Either way the total route is about 60km. According to the above, there aren't any major climbs on the Enniskerry route. The longest is about 4km at 2-3%, which isn't bad but should get a good sweat going.

The bonus here is that if any of the old-schoolers (blorg, etc) want to tow us along and give us pointers about riding in groups, they can stick with us for the first 40km, then break off at Enniskerry and go for something harder.

Of the two starting groups, anyone starting in South Dublin will have just one climb - up to Lamb Doyles; but this isn't a huge climb. I would propose that both groups meet at 9am (the Connolly group could probably meet up at 9.15), with a view to meeting in Leopardstown at 10am.

Even at a gentle pace with a few breaks (Leopardstown, Bray and Enniskerry), everyone can expect to be home for 1:00/1:30.

Thoughts?

seamus

cdaly_ wrote: »

Ok ok, maybe it was 15kph so.

All depends on the length and the flat bits
Last time I did it a couple of weeks back, it was 6.1km in 24mins. I was dead, but that 15km/h-ish. Like you though, on the worst climbs I was looking at 9/10kph, it was only the flat parts that let me add something to the average. I'm being a little disingenuous too - that 6.1km included a 1.5km section from home to the first hill where I averaged 38km/h (downhill, strong tailwind)

ED E

I like seamus' plan. I'm coming from D14. Where are we southsiders gonna meet? The usual(DunDrum bridge)?

Bikerbhoy

seamus wrote: »

It can be a bit misleading though, as the climbs get progressivly longer as you go up. So you get up past Mt Venus and up to the Hellfire club and you think, "Hell yeah, I'm almost there". Then you die a little inside getting up to viewpoint because you've used all your energy and every corner looks like the last one, but it's not.

Lads come on will ya it aint Ventoux or Alpe D'Huez BE POSITIVE........ its cyclelogical ...all in the head.... it aint the climb at all....

Carlos once said '' If you can learn how to suffer ....the rest is easy''

Good Luck to you all .. and most importantly enjoy.

Blowfish

seamus wrote: »

Thoughts?

Sounds good. For the longer route, I was planning something similar to this for Sat as a mini warm up for the WW200. Plenty of turn off points (Glencree, Threecastles etc.) for varying abilities and I won't be going at a particularly fast pace as the distance will damn near kill me anyway.

sweetswing

littleredspot wrote: »

I'm all for being encouraged up a mountain, but I only just managed Howth summit this week:D OP its a nice spin out the coast by Clontarf,especially early morning or late evening, too busy later at the weekends IMHO. I turned at Sutton cross today and headed for Donabate, then back via Swords, haven't got an accurate distance but its about 50k of relatively flat, mainly scenic route with not too much traffic. I'd like to try a flattish southside/westside route. How do the hills people are mentioning compare to Howth?

Im in the same boat as yourself, only started going over howth head a couple of weeks ago(up the longer easier side) it was a fantastic feeling going over the top for the first time:D, next goal is to go over the other side, but i might wait till i get a better bike, im currently on a triathlon bike and i dont think its suited to climbing (could be my legs:))

cdaly_

Nietzschean wrote: »

coming out of howth village if you goto the right of the church it gets up to 15% there....but its all over very fast

So I foolishly went and did it this evening. Rolling start from the harbour up the hill. Turned right at the church spinning away busily at 80rpm in 52x21 thinking "this isn't so bad". Then it got a bit steeper.. and steeper.. and steeper... Had to stop for a minute just above the chicane to roundly curse Nietzschean gasp for breath before I could carry on. Got rolling again and it all got easier after a bit. Until, that is, somebody strolled on past me making it all look effortless (mind you he was standing up...). Another sharpish bit near the top before it levelled out.

Average rolling speed was 12.4kph over 9'44" and only 2km distance but, if you add the minute of gasping it comes out at about 11kph overall...

Raam

You can continue the pain by carrying on up the road and turning right to go up Windgate Road.

ED E

So? Who's in?

I'll start the list:

Lethal_Bullet

Wingman2010

Wingman2010

Cheers, lethal _Bullet!

I'm really looking forward to this now but something is telling me I will be in a lot of pain Saturday night..

Blowfish

Blowfish - though If we are using Seamus' route, I'll be coming from the SE so will meet up at Leopardstown, stick with the group until Enniskerry and then head up to Glencree/SG as mentioned.

sweetswing

yes im in , should be a laugh

WithCheesePlease

Hopefully so, to start at Connolly but have something on Friday night so not 100% sure yet. Will have to come back to ye during the week...

mr spuckler

Blowfish wrote: »

Sounds good. For the longer route, I was planning something similar to this for Sat as a mini warm up for the WW200. Plenty of turn off points (Glencree, Threecastles etc.) for varying abilities and I won't be going at a particularly fast pace as the distance will damn near kill me anyway.

that's a nice route blowfish - i did something similar at the weekend except that i hit glencree directly from town (up cruagh) and went straight back in via stocking lane. i also climbed back up to sally gap from laragh, which was a mistake! 130km in total.

i'm not around this weekend but would be up for a similar spin (maybe 140-150km at slow pace) the following weekend if you're interested?

cdaly_

Raam wrote: »

You can continue the pain by carrying on up the road and turning right to go up Windgate Road.

Oh I did Raam... I did.

littleredspot

Scien wrote: »

So do you lads have all the kit? .....Don't wanna look like a tit if everyone is suited up properly.

I love that sentence, personally I feel like a tit in my my cycling gear:D It defo does make me go WAY faster though:rolleyes: I'm on flat handlebars but as its a beginners spin we'll have to assume that there'll be some forgiveness in the dress/equipment stakes.

Put my name on the list, and I'll follow the herd on the route.

seamus

To make things easier, I've started new thread for this.

Sorry for hijacking, but this is also not any onus on me to be the "organiser" here.

Lumen

seamus wrote: »

To make things easier, I've started new thread for this.

Great, having two threads is much less confusing.