Giant's Causeway Coast Sportive 2011

AidCycle

Hi All,

Just letting you know about the inaugural Giant's Causeway Coast Sportive. It takes place on 17 September 2011 and is set to be one of major sportives in the Irish calendar http://www.giantscausewaycoastsportive.com/

• There is a choice of 3 routes (57km; 126km; 182km) through the amazing coastal landscapes of the North Coast of Ireland and Glens of Antrim. Click here for route details: http://www.giantscausewaycoastsportive.com/event-information/event-information/
• Start/Finish is the coastal town of Ballycastle in County Antrim
• Entry fee entitles participants to a free buff (RRP £13.50), a goody bag sponsored by Chain Reaction Cycles, hot food at the end and the other usual benefits
• Pre-event dinner on the Friday night with a talk from Radioshack cyclist Philip Deignan at Ballycastle Golf Club £15
• Evening social on the Saturday night after the event in Ballycastle. Nothing formal, just great chance to have some craic and a raffle with prizes including £300 of Chain Reaction Cycle Vouchers

Philip Deignan, the Radioshack pro from Letterkenny, will be cutting the ribbon and leading out the sportive (as long as his legs hold up after the Spanish Vuelta) and is really looking forward to being back home and showing you all how to do those climbs!


There has been great interest so far with lots of you signed up already from Dublin, Kildare, Sligo, Offaly, Meath, Galway to name a few. I would encourage to share this with your friends and club members and look forward to seeing you all there.


Any questions, just let me know.
Thanks

chrisarmstrong

Website looks fantastic - will definitely stick this one in the dirary!

Cheers

Murph100

That looks great, its just a killer its on the same day as the Chaingangs excellent Blasket Blast http://www.thechaingangsportives.com/


Dammit anyway, must get this omnipresence thing sorted

Leroy42

Looks good, but @ £40 its damn expensive

daragh_

Would love to do this, but have used up all my day passes
Maybe next year.

MREGAN

AidCycle wrote: »

Hi All,

Just letting you know about the inaugural Giant's Causeway Coast Sportive. It takes place on 17 September 2011 and is set to be one of major sportives in the Irish calendar http://www.giantscausewaycoastsportive.com/

• There is a choice of 3 routes (57km; 126km; 182km) through the amazing coastal landscapes of the North Coast of Ireland and Glens of Antrim. Click here for route details: http://www.giantscausewaycoastsportive.com/event-information/event-information/
• Start/Finish is the coastal town of Ballycastle in County Antrim
• Entry fee entitles participants to a free buff (RRP £13.50), a goody bag sponsored by Chain Reaction Cycles, hot food at the end and the other usual benefits
• Pre-event dinner on the Friday night with a talk from Radioshack cyclist Philip Deignan at Ballycastle Golf Club £15
• Evening social on the Saturday night after the event in Ballycastle. Nothing formal, just great chance to have some craic and a raffle with prizes including £300 of Chain Reaction Cycle Vouchers

Philip Deignan, the Radioshack pro from Letterkenny, will be cutting the ribbon and leading out the sportive (as long as his legs hold up after the Spanish Vuelta) and is really looking forward to being back home and showing you all how to do those climbs!


There has been great interest so far with lots of you signed up already from Dublin, Kildare, Sligo, Offaly, Meath, Galway to name a few. I would encourage to share this with your friends and club members and look forward to seeing you all there.


Any questions, just let me know.
Thanks

Would anyone have any links to accommodation in the area for this? Preferably b&b.

Thanks

AidCycle

Hey, we actually have put accommodation details on the website. Check out http://www.giantscausewaycoastsportive.com/travel-tourism/accommodation/
The start/finish area is right in Ballycastle town centre by harbour, so would be handy to book somewhere near there..:)

MREGAN

AidCycle wrote: »

Hey, we actually have put accommodation details on the website. Check out http://www.giantscausewaycoastsportive.com/travel-tourism/accommodation/
The start/finish area is right in Ballycastle town centre by harbour, so would be handy to book somewhere near there..:)

That's brilliant cheers.

MREGAN

Are the junctions going to be marshalled? Also is there any cut of times for slower riders. There is a few of my mates talking about doing the big distance but they are very slow and just planning to take it easy.

Thanks in Advance

thebouldwhacker

Murph100 wrote: »

its just a killer its on the same day as the Chaingangs excellent Blasket Blast

DAMN YOU bursting my NornIron cycling trip...... damn you, though I will be cycling kerry next week..... hmmmmm

AidCycle

MREGAN wrote: »

Are the junctions going to be marshalled? Also is there any cut of times for slower riders. There is a few of my mates talking about doing the big distance but they are very slow and just planning to take it easy.

Thanks in Advance

Hey. Major junctions will be marshalled and all others will be signposted. Slower riders will be monitored throughout the day and whilst it is not our intention to short course anyone or take them from the event it may be necessary to do so in some instances if they arer becoming a danger to themselves, other participants or other road users. If they stay in a bunch and help each other along the route they will get through it ok

MREGAN

AidCycle wrote: »

MREGAN wrote: »

Are the junctions going to be marshalled? Also is there any cut of times for slower riders. There is a few of my mates talking about doing the big distance but they are very slow and just planning to take it easy.

Thanks in Advance

Hey. Major junctions will be marshalled and all others will be signposted. Slower riders will be monitored throughout the day and whilst it is not our intention to short course anyone or take them from the event it may be necessary to do so in some instances if they arer becoming a danger to themselves, other participants or other road users. If they stay in a bunch and help each other along the route they will get through it ok

Cool thanks I will let these guys know and they can take it from there.

MREGAN

Has any one signed up for this yet? I see the Facebook page has got daily free entry competitions. Be nice to get your entry fee refunded.

JanCo

Been thinking about doing this ride but wondering if it's sensible. I've no road bike, just a hardtail mtb, would the short distance course be achievable in a sensible time if I stuck slicks on it or would I be better looking at a cheap road bike instead?

Cheers

at1withmyself

JanCo wrote: »

Been thinking about doing this ride but wondering if it's sensible. I've no road bike, just a hardtail mtb, would the short distance course be achievable in a sensible time if I stuck slicks on it or would I be better looking at a cheap road bike instead?

Cheers

Short distance would be fine even without slicks but they will make it more pleasureable, even the mid distance would be fine if you had slicks. While it looks like there are more hills in this one I've done the Lap the Lough 160km on a mountain bike with slicks and thought it was fine.

MREGAN

at1withmyself wrote: »

JanCo wrote: »

Been thinking about doing this ride but wondering if it's sensible. I've no road bike, just a hardtail mtb, would the short distance course be achievable in a sensible time if I stuck slicks on it or would I be better looking at a cheap road bike instead?

Cheers

Short distance would be fine even without slicks but they will make it more pleasureable, even the mid distance would be fine if you had slicks. While it looks like there are more hills in this one I've done the Lap the Lough 160km on a mountain bike with slicks and thought it was fine.

What time did you do Lap the Lough in on a mountain bike?

I am in two minds to enter it or not this year.

JanCo

Cheers, looks like I might get the use of a road bike after all which makes things a lot easier.

AidCycle

Certainly will make life a lot easier.

By the way there is a 10% off offer now available to enter too. Use this discount code 'GCCS1105' and recieve 10% off the online entry fee!:)

MREGAN

What is the closing date for entries? I have a few co workers wanting to enter.

I am all signed up looking forward to it now.

Thanks

AidCycle

Great news, look forward to seeing you there. Online entries close on Wednesday 14th September so get those entries in!:)

AidCycle

Guys, last day for entry to the Giant's Causeway Coast Sportive. Enter online at www.giantscausewaycoastsportive.com before midnight!

As you all know by now it takes place this Saturday in Ballycastle Co Antrim:

• There is a choice of 3 routes (57km; 126km; 182km) through the amazing coastal landscapes of the North Coast of Ireland and Glens of Antrim. Click here for route details: http://www.giantscausewaycoastsporti...t-information/
• Entry fee entitles participants to a Tshirt, a goody bag sponsored by Chain Reaction Cycles, hot food at the end and the other usual benefits
• Pre-event dinner on the Friday night with a talk from Radioshack cyclist Philip Deignan at Ballycastle Golf Club £15
• Evening social on the Saturday night after the event in Ballycastle. Nothing formal, just great chance to have some craic and a raffle with prizes including £300 of Chain Reaction Cycle Vouchers

There has been a great response to this new sportive with well over 500 participants registered. Look forward to seeing all of those signed up on Saturday

AidCycle

We have been overwhelmed with last minute online entries and have only 16 places left for 'on the day' registration. If you want to try and fill one of these spaces be sure to arrive early to avoid disappointment.


Once these spaces are filled we cannot accept anymore entries and those who have not been given a space will have to be turned away because we do not want to run out of food or goody bags for the other participants. We will be strict!


Look forward to seeing you all there

at1withmyself

MREGAN wrote: »

What time did you do Lap the Lough in on a mountain bike?

I am in two minds to enter it or not this year.

Unfortunately I don't remember the final time but it was in around 6 hours saddle time.

We drove up from Galway that morning and were an hour late to the start so really pushed to catch people, don't think we seen anyone until about 60km and from there started to catch up with people as the first section was lonely!

MREGAN

Absolutely awesome event. Loved it from start to finish even the climbs. Well done everyone involved.

Dermot Illogical

Huckin' fell!!!! The first 100km was nice, not too bad at all. Then the Torr Road!! What sadistic bastard stuck that in there?
I didn't see anyone not having to walk at some stage. I was off and walking three times.

MREGAN

RT66 wrote: »

Huckin' fell!!!! The first 100km was nice, not too bad at all. Then the Torr Road!! What sadistic bastard stuck that in there?
I didn't see anyone not having to walk at some stage. I was off and walking three times.

Best part of the route for me. I rode it start to finish. I was never a fan of climbs but for some reason loved them ones.

Really brilliant event the craic was great. Having started nearly ten mins after everyone else we played catch up most of the way. Made up most of the time on the climbs when others had slowed.

mel.b

RT66 wrote: »

Huckin' fell!!!! The first 100km was nice, not too bad at all. Then the Torr Road!! What sadistic bastard stuck that in there?
I didn't see anyone not having to walk at some stage. I was off and walking three times.

I was up driving along Torr rd at the start of Sept (a few days before ex-katia arrived). The wind was blowing at around 35mph on the day and there was a lone cyclist out cycling along Torr Rd. I seriously don't know how he did it:eek:

MREGAN

mel.b wrote: »

RT66 wrote: »

Huckin' fell!!!! The first 100km was nice, not too bad at all. Then the Torr Road!! What sadistic bastard stuck that in there?
I didn't see anyone not having to walk at some stage. I was off and walking three times.

I was up driving along Torr rd at the start of Sept (a few days before ex-katia arrived). The wind was blowing at around 35mph on the day and there was a lone cyclist out cycling along Torr Rd. I seriously don't know how he did it:eek:

Fair play to anyone cycling that in 35mph winds. It was tough enough on a relatively calm day.