Training for Tour of Sligo

nophd08

Hi all, I'm thinking of entering above (160k) and just wondered what level of training should I be doing. I can only manage one long cycle per week and last weekend I done 115k at 27kmh average, mostly flatish terrain. I want to make it around at a reasonable pace either in a group, or my own. Should my longest cycle be this weekend coming, 140k?
I have also been doing 100k on fairly hilly terrain a few times.
How tough are the ox mts?

ednwireland

not very, you'll ride me off your wheel

sherlok

If you can ride 115 on your own you should be fine to do 160 in a bunch easily.

a few steep pinches in the ox mountains, but nothing too bad.

good luck

nophd08

Thanks for replies lads, looking forward to it.

Gipo3

Got a jersey today.

ednwireland

F****ing wind finished 160 waiting for massage

CheGuedara

Wow - what a ride!

The organisation was again top class like last year - signage, marshalls, foodstops all just faultless. There was even a wee gazebo in Coolaney where you could get jels & energy drink if (when) you needed it, and dont get me started on the hot, creamy chicken and bacon pasta at the 120km mark... Like mana from heaven...

The route was the reverse of previous years which made an interesting change - but what turned a good testing challenge into an epic (and others will agree it qualifies as EPIC this year) was the incredible gusting wind.

Unreal crosswinds when on ones shoulder (crosswinds have now lost their challenge - skirting around a tornado now a piece of p!ss, won't even move me offline...). Tailwind on Ladys Brae made the climbs waaay less work than it would have been otherwise.

The yin to that yang was the most incredible headwind all the way up to Easkey Lough - a climb with a very soft gradient became one of the toughest I've done in a long time - and from there most of the way home.

Had some great drafting with club mates and some of the western lakes cc crew (cheers guys! Great cycling with ya!) before the engine blew 30km out of sligo and I rolled across the line with three of the chain gang with 6h20 on the clock. Delighted with it given the conditions!

Great event though (and the post ride endorphins are evidently pretty good too!). Well done to Sligo Sports & Recreation, An Post and everyone involved in putting it on; it's easily one of the best run and scenic events in the country. Roll on the 2012 editon!

And to my fellow participants - chapeau everyone; that was one hell of a way to earn the souvenir tshirt/cert and justify the post ride meal!

Esroh

Che's discription sums it all up. Would have given my bike away at the end.
I was not part of the WLcc train for long but was there for a while after 2nd feedstop. Presumed You were in the mix but not able to talk much at that stage to ask

We do have another club connection as Cora(only one of ye who did 100km) stayed in Ballinrobe last nite with my sister.

Big crew heading for ROK.

Herc

Having done the 100k want to echo what the guys said above - coming in from another sport I was unsure what to expect as first An Post Tour but organisation and marshalling top notch - food stops, clearways at junctions etc etc made for a very enjoyable experience - gales made it 'interesting' but all part of the challenge - looking forward to Connemara next week-end and then roll on the Burren :P

ednwireland

6hrs 55m of riding 35 mins longer than last year (but it was 10km longer;) )

as che said that ride over easkey lough was nightmarish i would have got in a sag wagon there and then !

thanks to the tri lads from leitrim who i met at the bottom and dragged my ass to near ballintogher (where if i had stopeed with them i wouldnt have started again

garmin data

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/84376288

oflahero

I had to laugh - sort of - on the climb up to Lough Easkey. I'd been watching 'Twister' in the hotel room the night before. It all came flooding back...

Lot of people going through a gruelling long dark night of the soul on that hill.

Superb organisation as always. Kudos. Kelly's dye job holding firm.

trek climber

That was one windy day, would have easily given away the new bike at the top of Easkey Lodge, well run and well marshalled event.
I have two minor gripes with the event, on the 160k run the first stop I thought was too early(31k) and the second stop was too late(120k) and did anyone else think that condtion of the roads was fairly poor. I appreciate that the minor roads are more sutable for this type of event with less traffic but I would have thounght that as it is a tourist area the roads would be in better condition.

ednwireland

trek climber wrote: »

I have two minor gripes with the event, on the 160k run the first stop I thought was too early(31k) and the second stop was too late(120k) and did anyone else think that condtion of the roads was fairly poor. I appreciate that the minor roads are more sutable for this type of event with less traffic but I would have thounght that as it is a tourist area the roads would be in better condition.

yep food stops were too early and too late

loads of country roads are like that up here, where you from

its the north west, come up to donegal i'll show you an n road much worse than anything today

trek climber

ednwireland wrote: »

yep food stops were too early and too late

loads of country roads are like that up here, where you from

its the north west, come up to donegal i'll show you an n road much worse than anything today

Well from north midlands and truth be told some of our roads would be as bad but was just surprised considering that it is an obvious tourist attraction...

Donie75

It was my first big event and i did the 100km route. Really enjoyed it, very good route except that big climb after Ballisodare. Well done to all the TOS team, it was very well run and the food was great.
All I need now is a new back wheel as two spokes pull clean out of the rim and its a right-off.

Gipo3

First big event (160km), superbly run. 6hrs 22mins for myself @ 26.1km/h. 1530m climbing.

clashextra

Easkey lough will will be forever synonomous with BRUTAL after today. Excellent organisation, marshaling and food were top notch but the gale force wind,which was in your face for long stretches, made it a very trying day. Great one to get into the legs before the Wicklow though.
Distance 167, Time 5.42, ave. speed 29.2

big mce

Have to say overall it was a great event, I did the 100k and the only critcisim I have is that the meal stops were too far apart.

Well done to all marshals and everyone involved, Ye were brilliant!!

The showers were great afterwards, and the green an post buns!!

desolate sun

Hi guys

I'm a complete cycling newbie, more of a leisure cyclist and I did the 60k. It was my first cycling race and really enjoyed it. But I agree the headwind was a killer.

My time was 3hours 50min (including 5-10min foodstop). I'm not a serious cyclist so I was very happy with this time. I was also cyclng a mountain bike. Would a mountain bike have made a huge difference on my time or ease of cycling?

Lazairus

My major compaint will be that the had a rest stop at 30km WTF?

who stops at 30km. into a 160km tour.

and then another rest stop, four hours later at 120km, WTF is up with that, that is dangerous, especially with that wind.


regards

CH

EDIT, Ps the roads were terrible up at the lough, my sholders were shook to bits afterwards, Bad buzz.

oflahero

Lazairus wrote: »

and then another rest stop, four hours later at 120km, WTF is up with that, that is dangerous, especially with that wind.

That's the first time I've seen a food stop described as 'dangerous'...

I think it just worked out like that because Coolaney was such a good food stop last year, and they basically just reversed the route this time around so that Lough Gill was at the end rather than the start, hence no dodging Coolaney 30km in. I thought it was a small price to pay to get to do the same gorgeous route as last year but the opposite way around. More gels and nutrigrains in your back pocket FTW.

ednwireland

2 bananas, piece of cake and water was all i took at the food stop

saw a load of shannonside guys tucking into past carbonara
i couldnt have got up off the chair after that

cant eat much when i'm on the bike anyway 5 shotblocks and half cheese sandwich was all i ate on sunday (and the above)

but then again i have plenty of reserves !

oh and up here we are used to those sort of roads

jimbobaloobob

Lazairus wrote: »

My major compaint will be that the had a rest stop at 30km WTF?

who stops at 30km. into a 160km tour.

and then another rest stop, four hours later at 120km, WTF is up with that, that is dangerous, especially with that wind.


regards

CH

EDIT, Ps the roads were terrible up at the lough, my sholders were shook to bits afterwards, Bad buzz.

So you didn't enjoy it is that what your saying?

Esroh

Loads of pics up on Sligo Sports Partnership facebook pagehttp://https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001102572674&sk=photos

ednwireland

Esroh wrote: »

Loads of pics up on Sligo Sports Partnership facebook pagehttp://https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001102572674&sk=photos

bah - they missed me again !