Cycling forum Raid Pyrénéen trip 2012

Planet X

Critical for those doing the Raid I reckon to focus on the Mick Byrne, May 27th,
http://www.bikemap.net/route/509597

2790m.

Reckon if we can do this we'll be half way there.
Feel fine this morning. She even got breakfast in bed!
Nice day but reading 0-2 degrees. Too nippy to consider the bike. Lame excuse.

Captain Havoc

Sorry you've decided to pull out Super Freak.

I woke up at six to cycle to work and decided meh. I'll go when I finish work at five instead, might try Mt. Leinster via the Corrabut, I'm so undertrained at the moment it's not funny.

If anyone wants to take Super Freak's place, post here. Flights are around €275 and the trip will cost around €500. For €500 you get accommodation, most meals , we've a van to bring your bike and gear from Ireland, your gear brought every day and everything brought back to Ireland. The flights and €150 deposit to be paid immediately, first to post here and pay goes.

Planet X

Still consider:
You don't have to do the whole thing. People can skip a day or two and still go out and cycle the Pyrenees. Get the tan lines. I reckon this is feasible? No?
Nothing is written in stone.
Captain?

ROK ON

Super Freak

Sorry to hear about that. It's a shame.
However this is meant to be your holidays and despite the enormity of the challenge you are supposed to enjoy the holidays.

As a very slow cyclist myself what I would say is that life gets on top of us all. Most of us have responsibilities with family, job, etc. So the only training we can do will have ro suffice.

If you want to reconsider and do part then I can assure you that I will offer to stay with you on the road for as long as I can.

Mentally it is tougher than physically. Yesterday I felt tired all day. At the bottom of Lugalla I saw a cyclists with two artificial legs. It made me thankful for what I have. No matter how slow I was I had to finish.

For the long days the key is to break it down. 180k is 3 60k cycles.
60k tuen coffee. 60k then lunch etc.

A guy here who is a great climber and has done the Raid told menthat the key is on a 15km climb to cycle 4-5pm and stop for 1-2minutes (no more) and go again.

Sorry for longwinded but I am very hungover.

Idleater

Provisional acceptance of the free space pending re-research of dates after my breakfast?

Planet X

Next engagements;

May 19th. Saturday. Mount Leinster. 140k. 1267m.
May 27th. Sunday. Mick Byrne. 200k. 2790m.


Yesterday Orwell. 140k. 1450m.

lennymc

Sorry to hear that superfreak. As others have said, its supposed to be enjoyable.

Did the orwell yesterday, first time doing that climbing in one day, and while i found it tough, it was doable. I feel OK today (which is good as ive a 10k run later) so am a bit more confident for the raid!

@ astramonti - on the mental bit - i found myself on my own for about half of the spin yesterday, and apart from practicing my singing, i was also humming this in my head (it matched my cadence perfectly).

@planetx - yeah - the mick byrne sounds good.

Idleater wrote: »

Provisional acceptance of the free space pending re-research of dates after my breakfast?

let us know asap idleater. would be great to have you. (if only so you can drag me up them there hills!!)

Planet X

"As I was going over...... the Pyrenean Mountains,
I met a Captain Havoc and our money he had taken,
I first produced my.......



....you're the songwriter, now finish it!
The Raid chant.

lennymc

Planet X wrote: »

Next engagements;

May 19th. Saturday. Mount Leinster. 140k. 1267m.
May 27th. Sunday. Mick Byrne. 200k. 2790m.


Yesterday Orwell. 140k. 1450m.

I signed up for the mt leinster, but will be in twickenham watching a game played my men with odd shaped balls. Anyone wants my entry give me a shout.

just on the orwell spin - my garmin said just over 2000 meters with correction enabled. was it really only 1450? :eek:

Planet X

Wasn't it mentioned somewhere else on the site that Garmins are unreliable for altitude?
The official Orwell map that we were given at the start would be the one to go by I imagine. You can always work it out from any of the map sites. RidewithGPS, MapMyRide etc. These will be 100%.

lennymc

Planet X wrote: »

Wasn't it mentioned somewhere else on the site that Garmins are unreliable for altitude?
The official Orwell map that we were given at the start would be the one to go by I imagine. You can always work it out from any of the map sites. RidewithGPS, MapMyRide etc. These will be 100%.

Ridewithgps suggests the raid is 15000 metres climbing!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/174961382 is my ride from yesterday - i have enabled the altitude correction which says

"What are Elevation Corrections?
Elevation Corrections cross reference the horizontal position (latitude/longitude) provided by the GPS with elevation data that has been acquired by professional surveys. When corrections to elevation data are made, each trackpoint of your activity now contains the elevation from the web service, not the elevation provided by your GPS device.
Garmin Connect selectively applies corrections to depict a more realistic representation of your elevation experience. Activities recorded from devices without a barometric altimeter are enabled with Elevation Corrections by default. Alternatively, activities recorded by devices with a barometric altimeter generally contain accurate elevation data and therefore Elevation Corrections are disabled by default. For those users who are familiar with the MotionBased Gravity service, this is the same service."

i guess its all black magic and voodoo

Still working on the lyrics. We can sing it atop the tourmalet, but im not bringing a guitar.

Planet X

I'd still go with online maps though for accuracy.

Planet X

But http://www.velopeloton.com/raid-pyrenees/ suggests 720k 18 Cols and 11,000 m gain.
This is what I'd go by.


Le Raid Pyrénéen version RANDONNEUR
720 km – 18 cols – 11000m altitude gain – 100 hours to complete the task.

710km across 18 cols through the French Pyrenees with 11000 meters of accent and a time limit of 100 hours( Start at 9:00 Monday and must finish by 13:00 Friday). The ultimate cycle challenge.
Started in 1952 by Cyclo Club Béarnais from Pau, the Raid Pyrenees can be ridden any time from June to the end of September.
It is a difficult task over 4.5 days across the famous high passes of the Tour de France.



Is this our route, above.

lennymc

Planet X wrote: »

I'd still go with online maps though for accuracy.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1001799

2421 meters. LOL

I think we may have to settle for "it went up and down a bit"

lennymc

Planet X wrote: »

But http://www.velopeloton.com/raid-pyrenees/ suggests 720k 18 Cols and 11,000 m gain.
This is what I'd go by.

Is this our route, above.

I think that rok on posted the 5 days planned riding a few pages back. I think we are using the same route, but doing different distances. with longer/shorter/longer/shorter days.

Planet X

Sound.
And possibly having a day off!

lennymc

found it - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=78044322&postcount=411

i was looking back through the thread and noticed a few of my earlier posts, and when i decided to this i weighed 112.5 kg, ROK ON suggested that i would struggle at that weight, so I went on a diet and concentrated on loosing a few lbs. My target was for 90kg by the raid. Weighed myself this morning - 87.2 kg. 25kgs lost since september. Hoping to be 85 or maybe less by the time we get going. happy days.

Planet X

That's a brilliant weight loss. Well done.

manafana

half that bloody weight loss is from him bloody launching crazy attacks.

If anyone is heading done to do mick byrne i may be interested, delighted to get in 2nd 100km spin in 3days working on my flat riding at moment

Inquitus

manafana wrote: »

half that bloody weight loss is from him bloody launching crazy attacks.

If anyone is heading done to do mick byrne i may be interested, delighted to get in 2nd 100km spin in 3days working on my flat riding at moment

I might well be in for the Mick Byrne 200 and can give you a lift as per the Orwell Randonnée last year, hopefully this time you won't banjo yourself and I can give you a lift back

manafana

Inquitus wrote: »

I might well be in for the Mick Byrne 200 and can give you a lift as per the Orwell Randonnée last year, hopefully this time you won't banjo yourself and I can give you a lift back

ha indeed since played around with saddle height and not had much leg problems, thanks for offer of lift if your going. just wondering will i be better off doing my own 200km in own time as im free during week. Plan do this without having push heart rate up, as france is all about getting to finish.

500euro for charity raised so far too.

lennymc

manafana wrote: »

half that bloody weight loss is from him bloody launching crazy attacks.

crazy attacks rock!!

Captain Havoc

For those of ye that want medals can ye fill in the form in the link, scan it and email it or snail mail it to me please. For those that don't speak frog here's a quick guide:

NOM Prénom = Surname, First name

né(e) le = born on the

Adresse = Address

Pays = Country
Sens = direction (cross out Cerbere - Hendaye)

Date prévue du départ = 23.07.12

Heure prévue du départ = 9h00

Fait à = where you are (Dublin)

le = todays date

The two boxes underneath that, you're going for the second box (unless someone has a French cycling license) and the options are €10.50 for doing it (I don't know what you get for €10.50 other than the control card) or €16 for doing it and a medal.

Underneath that tick par Virement Bancaire. I will send the lot at the same time, you can take it if you haven't returned this by the end of May, you're not getting a medal.

velopeloton

The calculation of 11000m is based on the categorised climbs only, not counting the smaller climbs. The figure of 15000m is about right.

Planet X

Crikey!!!!

g0g

lennymc wrote: »

I signed up for the mt leinster, but will be in twickenham watching a game played my men with odd shaped balls. Anyone wants my entry give me a shout.

PM-ed you....not sure if this offer is exclusive to the Raid gang or not!?

Planet X

This weather is hard to take!
My Thursday afternoon spin seems to be bunched!
Don't have a turbo trainer so will probably have to run up and down the stairs a hundred times or so.

manafana

Planet X wrote: »

This weather is hard to take!
My Thursday afternoon spin seems to be bunched!
Don't have a turbo trainer so will probably have to run up and down the stairs a hundred times or so.

looks clear for evening, got two morning rides in this week but 2moro looks like it will have wait till later in the day.

ROK ON

Was out this evening for 90mins in rain and a gale on a Coastal route in Clare.

Felt full force of a NW wind.

It was oddly exhilirating.

Planet X

Seems not too bad for Saturday & Sunday. Would like to do 2 X 100k.'s or so.
Then it's Leinster and the big One (Mick B.).
Then June then..............