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raid pyrenean * 2

  • 02-10-2013 02:38PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,386 ✭✭✭


    so a couple of years ago a gang of us did the raid Pyreneen. its a 720 odd km cycle from the Atlantic coast to the Med coast through the french Pyrenees taking in 18 of the cols including many of the famous mountain climbs from the tour. It was fun.

    A couple of us (me and idleater) were shooting the breeze, and the raid came up. We both agreed that we should definately do it again, but this time with a twist.

    The twist is that we start at the Med, head to the Atlantic, then bugger off back to the med. The official raid can be done in either direction, once its completed in 100 hours from start to finish. This raid would do the raid in BOTH directions. We would be looking at doing 1450 kms, with 28000 metres of climbing in 7 days. Just over 200 kms per day. As for support, last time we had a camper. This time its unsupported, just to make it that little bit more fun.

    Anyone interested in this funfest? Fly down to the med, do a bit of cycling and sightseeing then fly home after a pint or two.


«1

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭✭Jawgap


    Dates?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,176 ✭✭✭Idleater


    Subscribed...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,386 ✭✭✭lennymc


    Jawgap wrote: »
    Dates?

    no idea, but probably when its hottest. July/August or so next year maybe. After the tour.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,176 ✭✭✭Idleater


    lennymc wrote: »
    probably when its hottest.

    Jebus no. I saw 38.8 in the shade, 45 climbing when I was there in July. We were lucky last time!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,704 ✭✭✭AstraMonti


    Haha, not a chance, good luck with it lads.


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  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,162 Mod ✭✭✭✭Planet X


    B & B?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,386 ✭✭✭lennymc


    Idleater wrote: »
    Jebus no. I saw 38.8 in the shade, 45 climbing when I was there in July. We were lucky last time!

    September?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,386 ✭✭✭lennymc


    Planet X wrote: »
    B & B?

    nothing pre booked. prepare nothing. bring a credit card. :)


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,162 Mod ✭✭✭✭Planet X


    The Chefs Paella!!!
    Jaysus!!!!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,386 ✭✭✭lennymc


    pace yourself!


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  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,162 Mod ✭✭✭✭Planet X


    'er indoors says,
    "Go for it".


  • Registered Users, Subscribers, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,193 ✭✭✭wanderer 22


    Not far off 5 Evil 200s in a row..jaysus, good luck!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,991 ✭✭✭el tel


    How many meters of descending?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,778 ✭✭✭✭Inquitus




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 460 ✭✭mahoo


    i thought 'never again' was the usual reaction to doing the raid pyrenean .. it must be getting easier :pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,704 ✭✭✭AstraMonti


    mahoo wrote: »
    i thought 'never again' was the usual reaction to doing the raid pyrenean .. it must be getting easier :pac:

    It's an amazing route and it's a "must-do". But never again in the middle of July with 40C. N E V E R.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,778 ✭✭✭✭Inquitus


    So @200km and @4000m a day for 7 days. How long do ye take to do that each day?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,704 ✭✭✭AstraMonti


    Our longest day was day 3 with 200kms and almost 4.000m of climbing, took us 10h moving, 13 in total.

    (Bonus info: Max Temperature: 40,0 °C)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,778 ✭✭✭✭Inquitus


    AstraMonti wrote: »
    Our longest day was day 3 with 200kms and almost 4.000m of climbing, took us 10h moving, 13 in total.

    (Bonus info: Max Temperature: 40,0 °C)

    I spose the decent roads and the long descents means you probably make up much more time going downhill than you would on a Wicklow expedition of similar proportions.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,704 ✭✭✭AstraMonti


    Definitely, the quality of the road makes the whole thing much more enjoyable. You can pretty much go with 70-80kms/h for kms at a time.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,831 ✭✭✭ROK ON


    If I could vet this to dovetail with a family holiday in asth France then I might be up for reverse of days 3&4 the last time. They were my favourite in terms of route, oh and the food/wine got better as we travelled east.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,386 ✭✭✭lennymc


    i think the only thing that would be the same as last time would be half the 2nd half of the route. we would be doing twice the distance in less than twice the time. effectively doing the spin from last year, and then doing it again, but in 2.5 days. I would imagine some of the downhill days would want to be up near 250 - 300 km in order to do the full 1450 in the 7 days.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,741 ✭✭✭✭Squidgy Black


    To do the Raid in the first place is a pretty mental thing to do.

    To do it twice back to back? You deserve to be put in a mental home lenny.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,778 ✭✭✭✭Inquitus


    Why not 100 hours one way, day or so of rest, 100 hours the other? You get the raid legit both ways with slightly less of the sadism Lenny?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,704 ✭✭✭AstraMonti


    Have you asked their wives? lol


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,386 ✭✭✭lennymc


    Inquitus wrote: »
    Why not 100 hours one way, day or so of rest, 100 hours the other? You get the raid legit both ways with slightly less of sadism Lenny?

    that would be nearly two weeks. it was bad enough spending 6 days with a gang of men i met on the internet. An alternative would be to do the full raid in a long weekend. Fly out friday evening, and home on Monday. extreme raiding if you like :)

    I think personally the 100 hours was handy enough, it was a tough cycle, but personally i was never under pressure. long days, but not really pushing on too much - i paced myself - (except for the last day which was fun). knocking a day off each leg would make it more challenging. Just my sadistic tuppence :)

    It would be very good training aswell.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,778 ✭✭✭✭Inquitus


    lennymc wrote: »
    that would be nearly two weeks. it was bad enough spending 6 days with a gang of men i met on the internet. An alternative would be to do the full raid in a long weekend. Fly out friday evening, and home on Monday. extreme raiding if you like :)

    I think personally the 100 hours was handy enough, it was a tough cycle, but personally i was never under pressure. long days, but not really pushing on too much - i paced myself - (except for the last day which was fun). knocking a day off each leg would make it more challenging. Just my sadistic tuppence :)

    It would be very good training aswell.

    Extreme raiding sounds interesting, long weekend, minimal time off work, and salable to the missus, no doubts would be very tough mind, little rest or recovery. Logistically you can fly in or out of Perpignan and San Sebastian I guess?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,176 ✭✭✭Idleater


    Inquitus wrote: »
    Extreme raiding sounds interesting, long weekend, minimal time off work, ...

    As a plan B, this is also good. Doing this on the tour bike with panniers and lights might be possible.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,162 Mod ✭✭✭✭Planet X


    I didn't read it right it seems. I thought it was 5 days over & 5 days back. You want to do the out & back in a week. :P

    What I'm tentatively planning is flying into Perp., going Med. to Atlantic and then taking the Velodessy up the coast to Roscoff.

    Self supported / camping.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37 Mellon


    I followed you’re Raid Pyrenean thread two years ago and it got my interests up and I ended up doing it last year...was a spectacular cycle. I'm also looking for something challenging next summer, how about Raid Dolomites? I'd join a group doing that. You get the 9 days of cycling and it covers some of the best climbs in Europe


    http://www.marmot-tours.co.uk/Road-Cycling-Holidays/raid-dolomites.html


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