Windy Gap, nr Blarney

on_the_nickel

Would anyone be so kind as to locate this on a map for me?

crashoveroid

on_the_nickel wrote: »

Would anyone be so kind as to locate this on a map for me?

Here you go.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=51.860406,-8.789449&spn=0.009541,0.032873&z=15

langdang

That's it as far as I know. The exact spot known as the windy gap is just outside the top left hand corner of the frame I think. But thats the right road, rooves bridge to the thady inn.

on_the_nickel

Thank you gentlemen, just figuring out a nice route for the weekend.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/465981

langdang

The road between the point 26.3 miles and 28.2 miles gives a good climb compared to the roundabout route - HOWEVER - the road could be in tatters, or full of agricultural vehicles. You going clockwise or anticlockwise? (climb is a good long stretch if going anticlockwise, short sharp shock if going clockwise).

on_the_nickel

langdang wrote: »

The road between the point 26.3 miles and 28.2 miles gives a good climb compared to the roundabout route - HOWEVER - the road could be in tatters, or full of agricultural vehicles. You going clockwise or anticlockwise? (climb is a good long stretch if going anticlockwise, short sharp shock if going clockwise).

Usually go clockwise, but looking at the route, anti would make for less right turns.

Want to try that climb out of Crossbarry though, a few people said it's a nice test, so I'll probably go clockwise first.

Whats the roundabout route?

langdang

Probably best to stick to the main road just so you can concentrate on cycling rather than navigation, but:

If you zoom in on the section south of rooves bridge, you'll see that your route follows a curve up and around from a four-cross-roads (it's at 26.2 miles on your current route). If you were to go straight ahead there you would get to the same place (28.3 miles point on your current route) but would add a good sprinty hill (disclaimer on road surface and silage vehicles as previously noted).

on_the_nickel

langdang wrote: »

Probably best to stick to the main road just so you can concentrate on cycling rather than navigation, but:

If you zoom in on the section south of rooves bridge, you'll see that your route follows a curve up and around from a four-cross-roads (it's at 26.2 miles on your current route). If you were to go straight ahead there you would get to the same place (28.3 miles point on your current route) but would add a good sprinty hill (disclaimer on road surface and silage vehicles as previously noted).

Ah, I've finally just twigged what you mean, noted, thanks.

Morrisseeee

You should go anti-clockwise and take in Temple Hill..............now that's a test

on_the_nickel

Morrisseeee wrote: »

You should go anti-clockwise and take in Temple Hill..............now that's a test

Quite right, added it in. Sticks out a bit on the profile doesnt it? :eek::rolleyes:

Morrisseeee

Sticks out a bit on the profile doesnt it?

It'll 'stick' in your memory aswell :pac:

on_the_nickel

Forgot to add link. It's like a shark fin.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/466066

Morrisseeee

on_the_nickel wrote: »

It's like a shark fin.

Cool.

Here's my computer reading of it, forget those 'little' gradients on RideWithGPS, it's much steeper than that !!

ryan_sherlock

Here it is on Strava: http://app.strava.com/rides/641375#9543502

This is from the RAS Stage 6 - it was rode very controlled, i.e. not full gas. Enjoy

dowtcha

Morrisseeee wrote: »

You should go anti-clockwise and take in Temple Hill..............now that's a test

How is it? its flat in the middle:P:P:P

Morrisseeee

ryan_sherlock wrote: »

This is from the RAS Stage 6 - it was rode very controlled, i.e. not full gas.

Cool ^^ It's great to see the kind of pace that's raced in the RAS, looks savage. It would have been interesting to see the RAS tackle Temple Hill tho, I doubt it would have been 'controlled', I reckon it would have been 'all-over-the-place' :pac:

dowtcha wrote: »

How is it? its flat in the middle:P:P:P

..........me arsse
..........although after that first ramp it does seem flat, but of course it's only a small respite before the next 'lovely' bit !!

dowtcha

Morrisseeee wrote: »

Cool ^^ It's great to see the kind of pace that's raced in the RAS, looks savage. It would have been interesting to see the RAS tackle Temple Hill tho, I doubt it would have been 'controlled', I reckon it would have been 'all-over-the-place' :pac:


..........me arsse
..........although after that first ramp it does seem flat, but of course it's only a small respite before the next 'lovely' bit !!

a garmin doesn't really do it justice, a real wheezfest for sure, couldn't ever see large numbers heading up there, being of grass in the middle road classification at the top

cantalach

ryan_sherlock wrote: »

Here it is on Strava: http://app.strava.com/rides/641375#9543502

This is from the RAS Stage 6 - it was rode very controlled, i.e. not full gas. Enjoy

Interesting that you say it wasn't full gas because your best 5 minute effort that day (358W) coincides exactly with that climb. This suggests either that you were going harder than you realised or that you never went full gas any time that day.

cantalach

dowtcha wrote: »

couldn't ever see large numbers heading up there, being of grass in the middle road classification at the top

They manage to get a full peleton with support vehicles up climbs just like that in the Amstel Gold! The infamous Keutenberg is quite similar to Temple Hill - just a little shorter perhaps.

ryan_sherlock

cantalach wrote: »

Interesting that you say it wasn't full gas because your best 5 minute effort that day (358W) coincides exactly with that climb. This suggests either that you were going harder than you realised or that you never went full gas any time that day.

I never went full gas for a 5 minute period all day. There were times at the start (trying to get into breaks etc...) and at the end going full out, but not a constant 5 minutes like on a climb to get a high average.

The race was very controlled by AnPost that day.

This is a 5 minute example for Stage 7 of the 2010 RAS (the start of the Shay Elliot - had been fighting for position for the previous 10 minutes!): http://app.strava.com/rides/295280#4569072 It was not controlled

Morrisseeee

dowtcha:

couldn't ever see large numbers heading up there, being of grass in the middle road classification at the top

I think the road is pretty OK (surface is good, and it's wide enough) for a large peloton to get through, especially when you see the spring classics and the 'bergs' they climb. I don't know what you mean by 'grass in the middle', I didn't see any, unless it's down the other side.

Comparing some of the famous climbs to Temple hill is interesting:

Temple Hill: 720m travelled @ altitude gain of 108m = 15%
Keutenberg : 500m travelled @ altitude gain of 63m = 12.6%
Mur de Huy : 800m travelled @ altitude gain of 103m = 12.9%
^^ that's the worst bit of Huy, it is longer with less steep sections

Re: ryan_sherlock>
I'd like to see you tackle the Mt. Leinster climb, nine-stones to the mast, and put it up on Strava, and let us know how it rates with some of the best climbs in Ireland. Today would be a great day to tackle it (if you're looking for something to do that is :pac:).

ryan_sherlock

Morrisseeee wrote: »

Re: ryan_sherlock
I'd like to see you tackle the Mt. Leinster climb, nine-stones to the mast, and put it up on Strava, and let us know how it rates with some of the best climbs in Ireland. Today would be a great day to tackle it (if you're looking for something to do that is :pac:).

Well, we did tackle it the day before in the RAS: http://app.strava.com/rides/295278

I attacked before we hit the climb and got a gap - the lead group caught me part of the way up - there were about 16-20 of us in the front group over the top - another group of 30 (with favorites who missed the split) caught us 15km later to make a big sprint in Gorey. It was fun

That last section up there was tough - I only had a 39x23 as the lowest and there was a raging headwind (as far as I remember)

Morrisseeee

Mmmm....kinda, I think that's the Corrabut Gap climb, the climb I'm on about is when you go over to the nine-stones car park and then take the private road up to the mast, 2.6km with an altitude gain ~ 365m = 14%. You should try it.....sometime.

ryan_sherlock

I'll add it to the list.

cantalach

ryan_sherlock wrote: »

This is a 5 minute example for Stage 7 of the 2010 RAS (the start of the Shay Elliot - had been fighting for position for the previous 10 minutes!): http://app.strava.com/rides/295280#4569072 It was not controlled

Ah...448W...bit of a difference alright. Some of us local riders who had posted good Strava times on the Windy Gap (relatively speaking) had been thinking up to now "ah those Rás boys didn't go up it that much quicker than we can." Now we are left feeling very inadequate indeed. So thanks for that, Ryan!

dowtcha

Morrisseeee wrote: »

dowtcha:

I think the road is pretty OK (surface is good, and it's wide enough) for a large peloton to get through, especially when you see the spring classics and the 'bergs' they climb. I don't know what you mean by 'grass in the middle', I didn't see any, unless it's down the other side.

.

I am of course subject to correction, next time I take a hike up there, I'll be on the look out. I know for certain last winter didn't do the surface any favours, specifically shortly after the top, there is a few bad spots on the way to the tee junction. I doubt whether any race organizer would propose bringing 100k's+ worth of bikes up there for the sake of a climb, plus as we all know on the climb if you happen to meet a brave driver against you, there is one way traffic only, ie dismount quickly eg its the width of a car only on the way up

Morrisseeee

Well it looked pretty ok a few weeks ago. I don't think a steep climb of this nature could be looking any better really.

ryan_sherlock

dowtcha wrote: »

I doubt whether any race organizer would propose bringing 100k's+ worth of bikes up there for the sake of a climb, plus as we all know on the climb if you happen to meet a brave driver against you, there is one way traffic only, ie dismount quickly eg its the width of a car only on the way up

You should have seen the East Midland Classic in the UK earlier in the year. 200 riders, €1mil worth of kit... Crazy roads, farmyards, fields, everyone loved it

dowtcha

Morrisseeee wrote: »

Well it looked pretty ok a few weeks ago. I don't think a steep climb of this nature could be looking any better really.

Nice photo, the climb is fine, it's after this is where the road starts to get a bit rough, but anyhow that doesn't make it any worse than a lot of sideroads, plenty of competition there, thats a thread on its own - did you ever meet the goat rambling on the way down the hairpin hill?

on_the_nickel

Bailed on doing the spin this morning, headed out at 5 this evening, got lost and ended up getting soaked anyway.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/471109

Windy Gap is a nice climb, nice to have a decent surface round here! Temple Hill is still a bitch.

Thanks to a few wrong turns, actual distance was 98.27, riding time 3:38, ave 27km/h.