Kinsale Cycle Challenge

funnights74

This looks interesting. Coastal cycle for a worthy cause and not too long. I've just registered on the link provided.

http://www.kinsalecyclechallenge.com/

on_the_nickel

Feck it, I'm in.

Ardennes1944

looks good! nice to see something so close. prob a bit too soon for me though

funnights74

There was a longer 140 km version over the October weekend last year. This should be good though.

thebouldwhacker

Did this in October, these guys were great, they were all apologies if things weren't perfect and were really interested in feed back, I reckon they will put on a good event. Last year they had a fun cycle on the same day and collected a serious amount of money for the charity, I'd recommend this going on last October's performance.
There were a good few boardies too, Joff and Signal_rabbit were there, I met others but sorry cant remember your user names.
Great hammer fest back from the last food stop too, a great way to end 2010 so this should be a good opener for 2011.
At 100k I would really encourage newbies to do it as its still small enough to benefit from it but big enough to let a taste of more in your mouths
A great cause (yes I'm including you in that Deutschlandfürimmer7) this would be a good first event (and they have a broom wagon in case the legs give up)
Anyway I'll be signing up for it as its a great cause and I think it'll be well organised, as well as a very scenic course

Ardennes1944

ok I'm gonna register! Better hurry on with my purchasing so! Where are you situated now bwack sorry?


I'm in!

Plastik

Would love to, but can't do Saturdays on the bike so I'm out unfortunately.

thebouldwhacker

Deutschlandfürimmer7 my tour of the country has me in Waterford at the moment, hopefully for the foreseeable future
@ Plastik: were you there in Oct?

Plastik

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

Deutschlandfürimmer7 my tour of the country has me in Waterford at the moment, hopefully for the foreseeable future
@ Plastik: were you there in Oct?

No, wasn't there. Can't remember why I didn't go in the end, did the route head out towards Blarney? If it's the right one I'm thinking of, I remember there were a few of us talking about cycling down from Glanmire to Kinsale and coming home from Blarney instead of back to Kinsale.

slingerz

sounds like a good spin, dont think i'll be able for it tho, the joys of trying to combine GAA with cycling!

Bondurant

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

Did this in October, these guys were great, they were all apologies if things weren't perfect and were really interested in feed back, I reckon they will put on a good event. Last year they had a fun cycle on the same day and collected a serious amount of money for the charity, I'd recommend this going on last October's performance.

Did this one too and agree with your comments...hopefully they'll have taken on board the "constructive" criticism they got last October and not have to spend half their time apologising this time around.

I'd like to do it myself, but having been more or less out of commission for a few months it might be a bridge too far for me in 2 weeks time...especially if the pace of the last one is anything to go by.
It does seem to be an easier (flatter) route than last year's though...so maybe, just maybe...

Funkyzeit

Prob do this too lads. Nice spin if we get the weather...

FatSh!te

what kind of speed do ye go round in?

Would be nice to do alright.

thebouldwhacker

Speed varies, go at your own pace really, there was a fair mix in Oct and I reckon more will be out as the weather is a bit better now.

funnights74

Just 6 days to go now and looking forward to a good day out next saturday.The more the merrier folks.

on_the_nickel

Anyone cycling out to Kinsale from the city Saturday morning?

Funkyzeit

on_the_nickel wrote: »

Anyone cycling out to Kinsale from the city Saturday morning?

Might join you OTN if my pulled hamstring (stupid football!) heals. Ado and Tim are coming too Just don't know if they are driving or not.

on_the_nickel

Funkyzeit wrote: »

Might join you OTN if my pulled hamstring (stupid football!) heals. Ado and Tim are coming too Just don't know if they are driving or not.

Football is bad for you, you know. Give us a shout if you know any more. Fancy cycling out as I'm meeting the clan somewhere outside Kinsale for a lift home.....

snottybridge

hey lads,doing this cycle also,whereabouts in kinsale is the rugby club? will be coming into kinsale from the belgooly side.thanks in advance.

on_the_nickel

snottybridge wrote: »

hey lads,doing this cycle also,whereabouts in kinsale is the rugby club? will be coming into kinsale from the belgooly side.thanks in advance.

I've never been there but I'm fairly sure its left at the cross roads the top of the hill before you get into Kinsale. The road is signposted for Charlesfort and the Clarion.

I think.

Funkyzeit

on_the_nickel wrote: »

Football is bad for you, you know. Give us a shout if you know any more. Fancy cycling out as I'm meeting the clan somewhere outside Kinsale for a lift home.....

Will make a decision tomorrow evening and text ya...

Ardennes1944

Wish i wasnt missing this

Plastik

Has anyone mapped the route on somewhere? It'd be nice to see where it goes when leaving Courtmacsherry without having to register on mapmyride and add them as a friend ....

funnights74

here it is Plastik, that add as a friend link is so annoying.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/327895

Plastik

Perfect, thanks FN! Not sure whether I'll head or not. There's a gang leaving the Kinsale r'about at 8 to cycle down and back which I might (try) tag along with.

cantalach

The forecast is looking good so it should be glorious around Courtmac Bay!

on_the_nickel

funnights74 wrote: »

here it is Plastik, that add as a friend link is so annoying.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/327895

Hmm looking at that, the rugby club is nowhere near where I thought it was!

Plastik

That plot starts/finishes in the wrong spot, the rugby club is out the road to Charles Fort here

cantalach

Plastik wrote: »

That plot starts/finishes in the wrong spot, the rugby club is out the road to Charles Fort [...]

Sorry if this seems pedantic but some people will follow directions very literally. The rugby club is not strictly speaking on the Charles Fort road. Coming from Cork, you go left at the crossroads at the top of the hill but then, after about about half a mile, instead of turning right for Charles Fort/The Bulman you continue straight ahead another little bit for the rugby club.

murf85

Yip, there will be 4 of us leaving from the edge store at the Kinsale Road Roundabout between 7.45 and 8. Your more than welcome to join us if you want!

And hopefully we will be graced with Plastik's presence too

on_the_nickel wrote: »

Anyone cycling out to Kinsale from the city Saturday morning?

thebouldwhacker

I'll be driving down and returning to the city solo so if anyone needs a spin back to Cork make yourself known to me. I'm using a boot mounted bike carrier so would only trust it with 2 bikes max.
I just confirmed I'll have my road bike back so I'll be on a blue trek 1.2

See y'all down there!

Plastik

That's an offer that I might avail of tomorrow evening if I head

thebouldwhacker

I'm driving an Alfa so your Euro points will soar... I can also act as team car if you want to cycle back, I'll bring spare bidons which I can pass to you when large numbers of people are watching, also just to clarify would you like words of encouragement shouted at you from the sun roof in french or Italian?:rolleyes:

No bother though, I'll be heading out past Glanmire so can drop you near home. I'll keep the seat for you until I hear otherwise.

Plastik

I'm ditching my own GTA (:D) at the edge, kinsale r'about, and cycling with a few lads from there - Murf85 and maybe 2/3 more - leaving at 8 or so. We're going down, signing up and possibly just hitting the route instead of waiting for the official start so we might not cross paths. I'll be in new boards gear/red specialized, you're welcome to join us in the morn!

thebouldwhacker

Your offer interests me however I have many miles of a drive to get to Kinsale and many more after so the 100 is good enough, as for not crossing paths, don't worry, ye'll make kinsale by 9:30 if ye try really hard:D
Curious though how did ye pay in advance? All I could do is register my name online and collect number etc on the day...

cantalach

Congrats to the Lyons Club for staging a great event! The marshaling (incl a Garda motorbike escort the whole way!), signage, food stop, etc. were all first rate. And, almost needless to mention, any route that takes you west from Kinsale on a lovely spring day is going to be gorgeous.

I went around with a few other Tour de Munster lads and we essentially formed the lead group on the road (aside from people who left early). Our moving time was 3:20:08 for the 107km, making for an average of 32.0km/h. Bit slower though riding back to the city afterwards

funnights74

Nice one cantalach, us mere mortals managed it in 4.10 . But i concur with you about the event as a whole, great turn out and the weather gods smiled on us, scenery was breathtaking a great start to the summer sportive season. Congrats to all the organisers and the participants.

Plastik

Moving time of about 3.40 for the actual event. Cycled down from the kinsale r'about and got as far as five mile inn coming back before a back tyre let go. Instead of trying to change it at the side of the road (Easton Aero's are a mare to get tyres on/off) I lobbed the bike in the back of one of the lads vans that was coming along behind. 147k for the trip all in. Great day.

funnights74

well done plastik, a hell of a trip despite your misfortune , and thumbs up to the good samaritan for coming to your rescue.

cantalach

Plastik wrote: »

Easton Aero's are a mare to get tyres on/off

Interesting...if the tyres are Michelin, have you tried Conti? I find them much easier to get on/off.

Ardennes1944

Ahhh sickened I missed this,especially with the weather. Glad ye enjoyed it lads

Plastik

cantalach wrote: »

Interesting...if the tyres are Michelin, have you tried Conti? I find them much easier to get on/off.

The one that I took off when I got them was some generic thing. Hell of a time getting it off. I put a GP4000s on in it's place and had a hell of a time doing so. It tried my patience sitting at home, I'd be close to sending the wheel over the ditch doing it at the side of the road!

It's spending the evening in the boot, I'll consider changing it tomorrow!

cantalach

Plastik wrote: »

I'd be close to sending the wheel over the ditch doing it at the side of the road!

From what I understand, the correct way to deal with that sort of frustration is to toss the whole bike over the ditch.

thehangtenguy

Fantastic event, really enjoyed the spin, finished it with a rolling time just under 4 hours and well happy with this.:)

snottybridge

well done to the lions club on a great event, this was my first 100k cycle and really enjoyed it,very well organised.

thebouldwhacker

It was great to meet up with so many boardsies, great weather, course, organisation and cause. One for the calender in 2012 for sure. Mike said that the event in Oct will be a fun cycle but we'll see about that;)

I had a very unglamorous start as the climb to Garretstown hit me hard (I have my reasons:o)and got dropped by the TdM group, riding solo was a pain but I was back on track within a few km's when a group caught me and belted away for 15km before my saddle decided to shift position and point up by an inch or so. I tried to tough it out to Clon but after 5km of a saddle wedgie I had to pull over and fix it, only took a minute so tore off after the group again completely in vein.
I was hit with a few false dawns where I chased down leisure cyclists who started from Kinsale town earlier in the morn so was solo for 20km until I caught up with Plastik. We belted away until being caught up to by another group which saw the spin to Clon being a much easier affair.
I realised here that my saddle still wasn't right and could feel my knees and lower back strain but this time I would wait until the break. Got to Clon where again all was organised spot on. The TdM group left while I was in the loo so was getting ready to leave with the second group but through a comedy of errors missed them by a minute or or two. So I jumped on the bike and blasted after them. I was only about 30 seconds behind them hitting the first round about in Clon when a car in front of me decided to stop and make up their own special rules of the road. By the time I left the round about they were out of sight but I put the foot down again and had them in sight by the top of the hill. Another car decided to block the road which brought me to a stop so by the time I was out of Clon and climbing they were again out of sight. Head down driven by the prospect of solo riding again I climbed, There they were turning left, I began to count 38 seconds was the gap, alas that was the end, I started to slow and the group trained on over the hill in an aerodynamic haze...
All alone again I had to decide whether to slow and get caught up by the next group or keep trying to catch them... on an open section of the road I looked behind me and there was no bike coming so keep belting was the plan. Eventually by the time I got the Timoleague I saw two cyclists in the distance ahead, after a bit of effort I caught them and they became my best friends until Kinsale rugby club.
Outside Ballinspittle we caught a nice draft behind the hen party bus, with a blow up man and a bus full of hens shouting encouragement they sped off into the distance and soon we landed back to the finish. It was then I could feel my legs and back stiffening up. I checked my saddle height (which I should have done before the start and def should have done in Clon) it was about 3/4 of an inch below where it should have been. Ah well I thought sure thats fine...
I waited about for half an hour in case Plastik needed a spin before heading, met him on the road tearing home, fair play!
Anyway last night my knees were in bits, I thought I had done damage and was limping going to bed but this morning all was as it should be, a lucky escape me thinks!

Lessons learned:
Dont forget arm warmers, wearing a winter training jacket in this weather is not a good idea.
Just cause the saddle was ok last time the bike was ridden counts for nothing.
Hen parties only use you for their own amusement and will drop you when they are done with you.
Groups are faster than solo riders, esp in a coastal head wind.
Its much better to cycle wise than cycle hard!

Great day though and great to meet ye all!!!

cantalach

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

The TdM group left while I was in the loo

Oops! Sorry 'bout that. Wasn't intentional!

thebouldwhacker

Not at all, I should have been there on the bike when ye were leaving. It was great to see the jerseys leading the way.

seve65

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

Anyway last night my knees were in bits, I thought I had done damage and was limping going to bed but this morning all was as it should be, a lucky escape me thinks!

Limping mmm... How about inside of right knee (old meniscal tear with residual bursa). Outside of left knee and right hip/bum (all IBS related i think...), and now inside of left knee as well...? Its a bit maddening coz I am flying in training, so the muscles and aerobic system are in fine fettle, but the rest of the old infrastucture isnt up to the job.

Anyway good to hear you enjoyed the kinsale ride, missed this one as was economising and wanted to do some solo training. As you guys have said the organisers do a great job.

Plastik

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

I waited about for half an hour in case Plastik needed a spin before heading, met him on the road tearing home, fair play!

Balls, apologies bouldy . I was sucking those two wheels up out of Kinsale and it was a choice of turning right for the rugby club or keep on sucking and head for home. Had I known you were there I would've taken the turn !

thebouldwhacker

No bother at all, I hung about chatting in the sun and checking out a few serious bikes. Not a bad way to pass some time on a Sat afternoon.