Costal Cancer Challenge

slimboyfat

Attended the launch of the Costal Cancer Challenge this eveing in Arnolds Hotel in Dunfanghy this evening, should be another good sporting event for Donegal this year.

http://www.coastalcancerchallenge.com/

emclau

Looking forward to this event in 9 days time...

Anybody any advice for it? I've never participated in an event like this.. (I've been in lots of runs & cycles - just not in this format!)

Is a road or mountain bike best for this event?

slimboyfat

emclau wrote: »

Looking forward to this event in 9 days time...

Anybody any advice for it? I've never participated in an event like this.. (I've been in lots of runs & cycles - just not in this format!)

Is a road or mountain bike best for this event?

Mountain bike would be best.

Satanta

A hybrid would be ideal if you can get your hands on one. Try to avoid anything with suspension. That'll suck all of your momentum on the road, especially going up hills.

GoldenGreen

Or even consider a cyclo-cross bicycle looks like a normal road racing bike but it would have a higher clearance and you can fit wider tires on them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclo-cross_bicycle

emclau

I had an option of an untested/not great mountain bike or a road bike with which I am comfortable.

Going with the road bike- using flat pedals so I can walk the sections I cannot cycle. Thought about upgrading to gator skin tires but this is a once off race for me, so didn't want to fork out €80 on them! Going to cost me a lot of time-but I'm happy just to compete and finish.

Any idea what length of track I could not cycle the road bike?

emclau

Also, if you have experience of the course, pls let me know if the cycle is do-able in road bike..... I have a nasty feeling about it!

homer simpson

Well if you go to the official site click on course info everything you need is in there (including some photos of the route). The route has some track in around ard's and the back of Muckish which would be rough but doable on a road bike, you can check google street view for some hints. If it was me doing it I'd be using a hybrid or a road bike with wider tires.

TBH it's all part of the fun / pain of the challenge, it even says so on their website; "The big decision is what bike will suit best !!!!". I'm sure some people will bring mountain bikes and suffer on the main roads but will bomb up the tracks and visa versa.

slimboyfat

The old railway track may be not be suitable for a road bike.

emclau

What a great event on Saturday! Very well organised,lot of volunteers, magnificent atmosphere and spectacular scenery!

I would recommend this event to anyone!

A few words of suggested advice if anyone is reading this post before the 2013 event:
-Leave food and drink at the bike change area so you don't have to carry on the run

- wear a cycling top so that you can carry food in the pockets (should save you having to carry a backpack)

-I used a road bike and flat pedals for the cycle. While there are some offroad sections, the first cycle is 24km and contains some steep climbs that I would not want to cycle on a mountain bike.

- I would not recommend competitors use their brand new expensive road bike for this event! Circa 8km of the cycle course was open surface (ie gravel) or offroad track.

- If you use a roadbike, make sure you have your tires pumped up to the max (110psi) to reduce chance of getting a puncture - a few people did get punctures on the event. Parts of the course (about a kilometre) -old railway track- competitors had to walk their bike.

- I was recommended to use gator tires before the event

- Don't under estimate the Muckish hike! Thankfully, most of the remaining cycle after is downhill.