Cycling forum Raid Pyrénéen trip 2012

Planet X

ROK ON wrote: »

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.

Clare coast. NW wind. Sounds tough. Fair play. I like the area.

ROK ON

Planet X wrote: »

Clare coast. NW wind. Sounds tough. Fair play. I like the area.

One of my fave places.

Did Cliffs of Moher yday. Hit 70km on the descent despite having to avoid pedestrians.

manafana

ROK ON wrote: »

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.

im just hoping to get the days in row to get body used to riding day after day, then try some long days, dont mind rain so much theirs no wind both are lethel, new gilet is brillant.

Planet X

Hey, can someone clear this up please.

Orwell Rand. Their flyer put it as 1400+odd Gain.

I went round with Astra and I remember at one stage he mentioned that we were 1700+ odd up.

Lenny said a bit back on this thread, 2000+ Gain.

This blog seems to confirm the 2000+,
http://andrasgercsenyi.blogspot.com/2012/05/orwell-wheelers-randonnee-12-report.html

If that was 2000+ it seems OK.
What do you guys think?

manafana

Planet X wrote: »

Hey, can someone clear this up please.

Orwell Rand. Their flyer put it as 1400+odd Gain.

I went round with Astra and I remember at one stage he mentioned that we were 1700+ odd up.

Lenny said a bit back on this thread, 2000+ Gain.

This blog seems to confirm the 2000+,
http://andrasgercsenyi.blogspot.com/2012/05/orwell-wheelers-randonnee-12-report.html

If that was 2000+ it seems OK.
What do you guys think?

i think the maps tend to under state the elevation gain, while the garmin can be bit of either way, if you can find last years route on gps i think someone posted it, sure was more than 1700 i think.

Planet X

I was fine for hopping the bike the next day except that the dial read minus one or two degrees in the morning.
Tired after the event obviously but the next morning felt "not too bad".

Planet X

manafana wrote: »

i think the maps tend to under state the elevation gain, while the garmin can be bit of either way, if you can find last years route on gps i think someone posted it, sure was more than 1700 i think.

Yeah, but to underestimate by 600+ odd Metres is hard to take?

ROK ON

My Garmin said 2100m but that is Garmin meters as opposed to real meters.

Planet X

If the weather picks up here and I get a few miles in, uphill, I'd fancy printing off the form and sending the 16 rupees to the Captain and going for it!

manafana

Planet X wrote: »

If the weather picks up here and I get a few miles in, uphill, I'd fancy printing off the form and sending the 16 rupees to the Captain and going for it!

yeah dont know if im bother stopping to get my book stamped, seems bit of pain if stop isnt planned.

Planet X

manafana wrote: »

yeah dont know if im bother stopping to get my book stamped, seems bit of pain if stop isnt planned.

Ah, no. You can't travel that far (France) and not stop and get the Carnet stamped!
For me, I'll never do it again. If I manage to do it in the first place.

It's, for me anyway, a lifetime experience.

manafana

Planet X wrote: »

Ah, no. You can't travel that far (France) and not stop and get the Carnet stamped!
For me, I'll never do it again. If I manage to do it in the first place.

It's, for me anyway, a lifetime experience.

i'll see i dont need it to say iv done it but might join in, im sure you'll do fine in pyrennes just ease it off bit, if me and lenny do it im sure the lighter lads should be able.

Planet X

Me, Astra & Lenny came to the top of the Shay Elliott on Saturday. Actually, Lenny & Astra sprinted the last 100 or so. I was impressed. I "shuffled" up the last 100.

Lenny shot down the far side, down into Laragh and was never seen again. He's some tough old boot!

Get in there Lenny!

manafana

Planet X wrote: »

Me, Astra & Lenny came to the top of the Shay Elliott on Saturday. Actually, Lenny & Astra sprinted the last 100 or so. I was impressed. I "shuffled" up the last 100.

Lenny shot down the far side, down into Laragh and was never seen again. He's some tough old boot!

Get in there Lenny!

their is no doubting lenny on the downhills hes a flyer, a man to get some downhill times on strava. I can climb well but need work on my efficiency by holding back more for later climbs.

Planet X

I find going downhill, when doing a "TdeF" tuck can be quiet strenuous and painful. Shoulders n neck. Concentration et al.


Although, not as painful as doing an 80k. TT. Now that was crucifiction.

lennymc

ah lads yis are making me blush! : )

ridewithgps says about 2100 metres
connect.garmin.com with elevation enabled says about 2050 metres
edge 500 with barometric pressure says about 2100 metres

Thats good enough for me (although next time im bringing a measuring tape!)

AstraMonti

I have 2194m of ascend on the 143kms. It also says I had max power of 16.383w. I must be so freaking awesome.

lennymc

doing quick maths - we have about 7 times the orwell climbing, and 5 times the distance in 4.5 days. sweet. I just hope there is a strava challenge that week.

AstraMonti

Don't take it like that. Imagine the views, imagine the nice roads, the endless descends, the nice food and the awesome wine we re going to have each night before we pass out

lennymc

i meant all that as a positive astra!!
im really looking forward to it. The one sniff of wine each night before passing out will also be good.

ROK ON

I will be getting the controls stamped.

But Astra is spot on. You can obsess about the climbing. Think of the experience.
Everything will be different. The views, tastes, smells, feel.
The weather, the climbs and descents. The suffering will be different also.

Some of the days (1,3 and 5) are not that tough as stand alone cycles in reasonable weather.
Also, when I am doing an event of any distance I only ever count the distance excluding the final descent. Mental thing.
The last 130km are downhill.

On that basis, we have 4 days to cycle 590km. That seems very achievable, given that day 2 is only 80km and day 3 180km ;-)

lennymc

ill be getting the controls stamped, and getting the badge.

Its all positive. Its all time on the bike, which is good, in beautiful scenery, which is nice, along some legendary roads, which is cool, with some proper hills, which is deadly, and some good descents which is sweet.

so its a good nice cool deadly sweet spin, and judging from last weekend, the company should be good too.

manafana

ok might join in on getting book stamped so.

I like the idea of removing last descent off the distance good idea mentally, to be honest everything looks manageable, bar some of steep parts of climbs,

the only part is the tourmalet, its 20km and even before then your climbing a bit, i spoke to someone whos done it and he didnt remember been able get water during the climb which is thing im worried mostly about.

colm_gti

manafana wrote: »

ok might join in on getting book stamped so.

I like the idea of removing last descent off the distance good idea mentally, to be honest everything looks manageable, bar some of steep parts of climbs,

the only part is the tourmalet, its 20km and even before then your climbing a bit, i spoke to someone whos done it and he didnt remember been able get water during the climb which is thing im worried mostly about.

Pre-hydrate well before you get to the bottom

manafana

colm_gti wrote: »

Pre-hydrate well before you get to the bottom

well least il have an excuse for stopping then to go for pee, good idea

velopeloton

manafana wrote: »

ok might join in on getting book stamped so.

I like the idea of removing last descent off the distance good idea mentally, to be honest everything looks manageable, bar some of steep parts of climbs,

the only part is the tourmalet, its 20km and even before then your climbing a bit, i spoke to someone whos done it and he didnt remember been able get water during the climb which is thing im worried mostly about.

There is a water pump, a fountain and a mini-market in Baréges 8km from the summit. There are also many beautiful mountain streams.

manafana

velopeloton wrote: »

There is a water pump, a fountain and a mini-market in Baréges 8km from the summit. There are also many beautiful mountain streams.

thanks velo good to know, will be stopping their for sure for a minute.

Idleater

Idleater wrote: »

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

Assuming the space is still available, I've okayed the time off from work and mentally got my head around the task at hand. This okay with the group?
I'll have to sort out what I owe and to whom next.

manafana

Idleater wrote: »

Assuming the space is still available, I've okayed the time off from work and mentally got my head around the task at hand. This okay with the group?
I'll have to sort out what I owe and to whom next.

yeah just come in good shape, dont have be climbing wiz its not race, two bits of advice i weas given was just to get body used to going for 5days straight on bike, and to drop some weight to make the climbs alot easier.

lennymc

manafana wrote: »

Idleater wrote: »

Assuming the space is still available, I've okayed the time off from work and mentally got my head around the task at hand. This okay with the group?
I'll have to sort out what I owe and to whom next.

yeah just come in good shape, dont have be climbing wiz its not race, two bits of advice i weas given was just to get body used to going for 5days straight on bike, and to drop some weight to make the climbs alot easier.

Bring a rope to pull me up climbs.