Lap The Lough - Lap 6

_SiD_

Lap the Lough, the 140K Sportive around Northern Ireland’s iconic Lough Neagh will take place on 28th August 2011, starting from its new home Maghery Country Park (Exit 12 on the M1)

An estimated two-thousand cyclists are expected to take part in this year’s 6th Lap.

This year they’re going retro with a reverse course and a unique Lap the Lough cycle cap for all participants.

Sign up early to guarantee your place at the start as places are filling up very quickly.

You can get all the details and sign up online by visiting www.lapthelough.org

DD Mikasa

Imagine this would not have much hills?

Inquitus

Same Weekend as the Sean Kelly Tour sadly, the great man's ride gets my vote!

ednwireland

closer to me than SK might give it a go

_SiD_

@DD - for the length of the route it's very flat - although going in the opposite direction this year does throw in some steep sections. Nothing too extreme though.

@inquitus - maybe you'll try it next year? It's a shame both events clash but I think we're both too established to move now.

@edn - you'll enjoy it - it's a cracking day out, great atmosphere and a good route.

Eamonnator

I did this last year.
Great day, really well organised.
The pig on the spit was an added bonus.
I've signed up for this year.

topcat77

Did a small sportive in Galway last week (Wild west tour). While riding and having a natter about other sportives the lap of the lough was mention "You have to do it, the scenery is fantastic and the organisation is without fault". Think i'm going to make a weekend of it and enjoy a bank holiday in Belfast.:D

_SiD_

TC,

I suppose that's more or less it. We don't have famous cyclists or categorised climbs but we try and give everyone a memorable, enjoyable day out.

ednwireland

i'm in anyway

pauldoo

how difficult is this? id love to do it, i have decent fitness levels, nothing amazing, would 8 weeks training be enough?

ednwireland

pauldoo wrote: »

how difficult is this? id love to do it, i have decent fitness levels, nothing amazing, would 8 weeks training be enough?

hard as you make it
its round a lake so no major climbs
go as fast as you feel comfortable with

_SiD_

P,

as ed. says no major climbs, fairly flat and loads of support.
We have a 10 week training plan on the site, if you're fairly fit then you're already probaly half way there:
http://www.lapthelough.org/downloads/LTL-training-plan.pdf

8 weeks training should be more than enough.

S

Antisocialiser

pauldoo wrote: »

how difficult is this? id love to do it, i have decent fitness levels, nothing amazing, would 8 weeks training be enough?

I heard about it from a friend and started training on monday with the training plan. Hopefully 8 weeks will turn me from beginner to pro

Could you do this with a hybrid? At the moment im trying to find a nice >£150 road bike but having a spot of bother! Any recommendations?

ednwireland

Antisocialiser wrote: »

I heard about it from a friend and started training on monday with the training plan. Hopefully 8 weeks will turn me from beginner to pro

Could you do this with a hybrid? At the moment im trying to find a nice >£150 road bike but having a spot of bother! Any recommendations?

someone beat me on the tour of sligo on a hybrid (fit annoying bugger) on the 160km ride so i'm guessing yes you can do it on a hybrid

el tel

Did this last year, think it was in July? Was a nice event. Might give it another go, Boardsie meetup perhaps?

_SiD_

ET,

it's always on the last Sunday in August - an unfortunate clash with The Sean Kelly as we used to get a lot more cyclists up from the South. On a selfish note, I'd love to ride both events but can't!

roadjunky

just wondering is there many fellow cyclists doing lap the lough from the south of ireland.

rat_race

I am!

xz

There are a few from Bray Wheelers going up

munsterleinster

Tried to register on Sunday evening but reg was closed (early). Contacted them and got a reply from "the upbeat agency" to say some places may free up later in the week.

If they do allow some more places, I'll give it a shot.
Seems to be on the same day as the Sean Kelly so that may rule out a lot of sotherners.

Jawgap

Doing this - the inlaws live up that way so its easier to get a pass out for the weekend to go there than go to Waterford.

Looking forward to it.

ednwireland

another thread here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=72968365

I'll be there (fat boy in four masters kit)

the limit was 2000 and thats when they closed the entries (supposed to be limited entries from 7 to 8 am on sunday (first come first served)

Beasty

Threads merged

Beasty

munsterleinster

Anyone have an entry for this for sale?

Seems that they're going to have 100 places 7-8am on Sunday morning, 1st come 1st served.. Don't fancy getting up at 4am to be told to feck off so would rather secure something before.

Eamonnator

I'm doing this event. I did it last year, great event, well organised, good marshalling, and a pig on a spit at the finish.
It is reasonably flat, as I remember, there are one or two drags.
If you turn up on the day with the required amount of sterling, I cannot see them turning you away. You just might not get the goody bag.

_SiD_

If anyone make the effort to travel up they won't get turned away.

Take that as read.

S

ednwireland

post race hydration





Moving Time: 04:42:46

Avg Moving Speed: 28.2 km/h

Jawgap

Great event - I'd give it an "F" - for fast, friendly and flat!!!

Finished the 133.66km course in 4:33:27 (average moving speed - 29.4km/h)

Overall, I thought it was very well organised and marshalled. Saw some of the moto-marshalls helping riders fix punctures and mechanicals. Junctions through the towns were well controlled and there's nothing like the sight of a couple of well armed coppers to make you obey the rules of the road:)

Spent time with a couple of groups during the first half - all quite fast and well organised. The Foyle CC group was a great bunch, fast and well organised and I even took a couple of turns on the front. The only problem we had came when we got to the lunch stop - the Foyle lads and lassies weren't stopping, but myself and the guy I was with wanted to stop to allow two other lads we started with to catch us up.

The lunch stop was well stocked - loads of sangers, tea and biscuits. You coudl also get a massage at this point. We got in just before the bigger bunches arrived so we beat the queues.

Second half then it was just the four of us and the wind soon whittled us down to a pair. We gathered a third guy at one stage and worked well across the top of the lake and down the west side when our new "friend" opted for the water / food stop there. We pressed on and what had been a stiff head wind became a stiff side wind before turning into a decent tail wind for the last 10 kilometers or so.

Arrived back to find a jazz band playing and a pig roasting on a spit, providing roast pork sandwiches for all who wanted them.

Goodie back was a nice affair - a commemorative t-shirt to wear home, a cycling cap, a CRC bottle and a lock. There were also a couple of free samples of Zeroes and a truffle hunting CD.

ednwireland

oh yeh forgot hi to dare2be met you at the start ( di i pass you near the end as well ? think you asked me how far was left)

big mce

Positives: Great route, marshalls were excellent, great atmosphere at the start.

Negatives: Queue an hour for a sandwich at half way point, no water at the "water" stops, advertised Gel stops had no water/gel, Food at the end ran out!

Its my 5th time doing it and I have to say it was the worst time they've ran it.

The organisers need to visit an An Post spin to see how to do it.

I'll be heading to the Sean Kelly tour next year. :mad:

bax4556

food stop at shanes castle disorganised and chaotic ,queued for 40 mins for a very poor quality sandwich and some fruit---would have made more sense to avoid the place and eat at a local cafe/garage

connie_c

Did it in around 5 hours rolling. Didn't bother to time it properly.

Me and a mate camped on the GAA pitch next door. We headed up from Dublin on the Saturday. Out of 2000 people cycling around 20 people were camping. The 1980 other people had obviously watched the weather forecast as the tent was very cold. The GAA club was great craic. Very welcoming. Couldn't resist a few Pints.

Thought the organisation was good and very friendly but the main foodstop let the event down.

Q for 50 mins for a sandwich so bad I cant imagine where they got them. They also didn't provide bins so everyone was forced to litter the beautiful park. Should have popped into a garage.

You don't get to see the lake very often as the route is so flat but it was nice to see a very rural part of the north that I normally wouldn't have a reason to visit. Not a great route for scenery though.

Gel Stop about 25km from the end had no water or Gels or even any stewards or officials at it. Just a guy selling Icecream and loads of cyclist walking like sheep around an empty community centre.

Foodstop at the end was excellent. Q took about 5 mins for a great roast pork roll and a much better coffee.

Went back to the GAA club to watch the Dublin Donegal game and to re-hydrate. Didn't camp the Sunday night but only because of the cold. Would have stayed there all night if I had a warm place to sleep.

Overall I would recommend it. There was good banter on the roads and good marshaling from police and Hi-Vis Bikers. Plenty of people hitting around 27km/h average which suited me. Hopefully the event will get better as any problems they had would be very easy to iron out. Its not on my must do again next year list but I wouldn't rule it out either.

ednwireland

my thoughts with the girl on the ride with head injuries in the royal victoria

big mce

Please God she recovers completely.

bedirect

did this trip well organised, good crowd, food stop was crowded + slow, waits of up to an hour, should have kept doing, very hard to get started again