Orwell Randonnee 2014

Orwell Randonnee

Folks

This is just to let you know that the details for the Orwell Randonnee 2014 will be published soon.

Full details will be available on the website http://www.orwellwheelers.org/

Any questions just let me know.

glennbhoy

Carrot cake !!!!!

First :cool:

Orwell Randonnee

It would not be the Orwell Randonnee if we did not have the famous Carrot Cake.

kuro_man

Same route as last year? Can you turn down the wind slightly?

Orwell Randonnee

To keep things interesting some changes have been made to the route. The details of the route etc will be announced later this week or early next week on the club website, we will also put the details up here.

daragh_

Orwell Randonnee wrote: »

To keep things interesting some changes have been made to the route.

Did you feel last year was too flat?

WithCheesePlease

When I asked someone about the Orwell Randonnée last year before doing it (and loving it and splurging on carrot cake and loving that too) they described it to me as "like the Wicklow 200 but without the flat bits"

Orwell Randonnee

daragh_ wrote: »

Did you feel last year was too flat?

Daragh. We did add a few interesting bits 😄

Orwell Randonnee

WithCheesePlease wrote: »

When I asked someone about the Orwell Randonnée last year before doing it (and loving it and splurging on carrot cake and loving that too) they described it to me as "like the Wicklow 200 but without the flat bits"

I'm glad you enjoyed it. You will be able to say the same about this year as well

greenmat

Great event, first time last year, a tough test but very enjoyable. Defiantly up there with the best of them.

Orwell Randonnee

greenmat wrote: »

Great event, first time last year, a tough test but very enjoyable. Defiantly up there with the best of them.

Glad to see that you enjoyed it. Hope to see you this year as well.

bazermc

Question for OP, are you planning on holding the event same weekend as last year, the Saturday of the May bank holiday weekend?

Orwell Randonnee

Folks

Just to let you know the details of the Randonnee are now available on the club website http://www.orwellwheelers.org/news-and-events/584-orwell-randonnee-2014

Orwell Randonnee

bazermc wrote: »

Question for OP, are you planning on holding the event same weekend as last year, the Saturday of the May bank holiday weekend?

Bazermc: Yes, we are holding it on the same weekend.

andy69

Orwell Randonnee wrote: »

Folks

Just to let you know the details of the Randonnee are now available on the club website http://www.orwellwheelers.org/news-and-events/584-orwell-randonnee-2014

I'm entered! great event, did it the last couple of years.

Briando

I like that new course
Where is the new feed stop going to be?

Orwell Randonnee

Briando wrote: »

I like that new course
Where is the new feed stop going to be?

I'm glad you like the new route, hopefully you will think the same afterwards. The food stop will be in Laragh this year.

bellinter

signed up. Looking forward to this.

The tax man

Signed up. Liking the new route.

smacl

Also signed up and liking the route. I'd like to pretend I'll miss struggling up the wall, but in all honesty....

Eamonnator

smacl wrote: »

Also signed up and liking the route. I'd like to pretend I'll miss struggling up the wall, but in all honesty....

I cried like a little girl, when I saw that wall. Delighted, it's not in, this year.

wanderer 22

Eamonnator wrote: »

I cried like a little girl, when I saw that wall. Delighted, it's not in, this year.

I think the Wall was the only place I passed out people last year...cue 100k of being overtaken while I cried into that headwind :P

daragh_

I'll miss the Wall but that stretch down the back of the Valley to the entrance of the Waterfall is terrible. Surface gets worse every year. Happy it's not in this year.

sled driver

daragh_ wrote: »

I'll miss the Wall but that stretch down the back of the Valley to the entrance of the Waterfall is terrible. Surface gets worse every year. Happy it's not in this year.

Unless I'm mistaken, I think that stretch is on the route !

smacl

sled driver wrote: »

Unless I'm mistaken, I think that stretch is on the route !

Yep, think it is ok, just no nasty turn off.

goose06

smacl wrote: »

Yep, think it is ok, just no nasty turn off.

Plenty of time left to amend the route!

daragh_

sled driver wrote: »

Unless I'm mistaken, I think that stretch is on the route !

whoops. My bad. Thought we were going down the other side.

Well watch out for gravel, holes and me grumbling :rolleyes:

We may as well go up the Wall while we are there. Shame not to.

sled driver

daragh_ wrote: »

Well watch out for gravel, holes and me grumbling :rolleyes:

And rogue bidons. I rattled so much going down there a few years ago, I lost both !!

smacl

daragh_ wrote: »

whoops. My bad. Thought we were going down the other side.

Well watch out for gravel, holes and me grumbling :rolleyes:

We may as well go up the Wall while we are there. Shame not to.

Signed up, was a killer last year because of the wind but really looking forward to this route.

Orwell Randonnee

goose06 wrote: »

Plenty of time left to amend the route!

We will be monitoring the road surface over the coming weeks and if required an alternative route will be looked at

Orwell Randonnee

The following are a sample of the pictures from last year


https://plus.google.com/photos/10752...08464622054593

https://plus.google.com/photos/10752...08464622054593

https://plus.google.com/photos/110048349428792183091/albums/5874272418771412001

http://www.flickr.com/photos/niallo/sets/72157633410328655/

goose06

Orwell Randonnee wrote: »

We will be monitoring the road surface over the coming weeks and if required an alternative route will be looked at

I meant to add in the Wall rather than avoid that section of road

WHEELSX2

Disappointed the Orwell route has changed so drastically... the wall, luggala and shay Elliott in one cycle - not on any other sportive/randonee... not to mention the stunning scenery... the little exclusive Greenane food stop... shur it was just class.

billyhead

Is the new route easier compared to last year? I did last years and it was tough in spots but not too bad

Ghosty669

WHEELSX2 wrote: »

Disappointed the Orwell route has changed so drastically... the wall, luggala and shay Elliott in one cycle - not on any other sportive/randonee... not to mention the stunning scenery... the little exclusive Greenane food stop... shur it was just class.

Thanks for the feedback. We felt it was time to make a change to the route this year to freshen things up. It's one of the things that we think can kill an event when you do the same course every year but don't worry: we think this is actually harder than last years course.
Riders will still be able to experience the stunning scenery assuming the weather is with us and we've got a nice spot picked out in Laragh for all your carrot cake needs!

eoghan84

I know last year I got a bit of a hammering by that wind that took a good bit out of me, but I really loved doing this event, especially as it was a little bit into the long evenings and it kicked off the buzzing for the summer. thanks for organising it!

whacker00

Really disappointed i missed this event last year and i'm really looking forward to it this year. Great to see that its in aid of the Ross Nugent foundation again such a great cause, we will be doing a four day event for the same charity a couple of weeks later and the Randonnee will be a great warm up

Orwell Randonnee

billyhead wrote: »

Is the new route easier compared to last year? I did last years and it was tough in spots but not too bad

billyhead: The route this year is different but it is not easier - some people may find it tougher.

Ghosty669

Orwell Randonnee wrote: »

billyhead: The route this year is different but it is not easier - some people may find it tougher.

Just had a quick look there and there's an extra 400m of climbing compared to last years event.

Don't worry billyhead: we'll make sure that the chipper is open early enough for you should you get back quickly!

Diamond_25

looking forward to it already!

WHEELSX2

Ghosty669 wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback. We felt it was time to make a change to the route this year to freshen things up. It's one of the things that we think can kill an event when you do the same course every year but don't worry: we think this is actually harder than last years course.
Riders will still be able to experience the stunning scenery assuming the weather is with us and we've got a nice spot picked out in Laragh for all your carrot cake needs!

Thanks Ghosty669, I can see that a Club should always seek to keep a route interesting especially if it is boring in the first place. The great attraction of the Orwell Randonee IMO was the unique challenge of the route including the Wall (forever in my memory) followed by Djouce followed by Lugalla, then Shay Elliott and then the best food stop of any Sportive. The last word to be used for such a route is boring. So why change something that works very well and is unique to Orwell and replace it with an average route that we all cycle on a regular basis? Change for change sake perhaps. A retrograde step IMO but wish you well nevertheless as it is a fine Club and always puts on a great event.

Arthurdaly

WHEELSX2 wrote: »

Thanks Ghosty669, I can see that a Club should always seek to keep a route interesting especially if it is boring in the first place. The great attraction of the Orwell Randonee IMO was the unique challenge of the route including the Wall (forever in my memory) followed by Djouce followed by Lugalla, then Shay Elliott and then the best food stop of any Sportive. The last word to be used for such a route is boring. So why change something that works very well and is unique to Orwell and replace it with an average route that we all cycle on a regular basis? Change for change sake perhaps. A retrograde step IMO but wish you well nevertheless as it is a fine Club and always puts on a great event.

Average route we all cycle on a regular basis? Who exactly is "we all"? Or do you mean yourself?

I certainly don't cycle it regularly and welcome the change, spreads the pain more evenly throughout the route.

Orwell Randonnee

Folks

If you are trying to download the route to your GPS device the following is a link to the route on a different mapping site. This new site appears to have an easier interface for downloading the routes.

http://bikeroutetoaster.com/BRTWebUI

Regards

Orwell Randonnee

Lusk_Doyle

greenmat wrote: »

Great event, first time last year, a tough test but very enjoyable. Defiantly up there with the best of them.

Join up again this year?

Edit: Defo leave the deep sections at home this year. Nearly took flight a number of times last year!

greenmat

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Join up again this year?

Edit: Defo leave the deep sections at home this year. Nearly took flight a number of times last year!

Plan to, was a great test last year. Yea that crosswind up the gap was something else.

Lusk_Doyle

My wife and baby son get back from almost three weeks away the day before this. Hmmm... tough decision as to what I should do. Not really. Great event. Great company. Super marshals and food. Entered!

Consey

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Join up again this year?

Edit: Defo leave the deep sections at home this year. Nearly took flight a number of times last year!

Ah yes, remember those from last year. We were leaning at almost 45 degrees into the crosswinds and those deep sections gave our little group some entertainment.

billyhead

Was going to do this again this year but got a lift with another participant last year who cannot do it this year. I will be coming from North County Dublin and will have to get the dart. Whats the nearest stop to the start at St Benildus college and how far is it and if possibly could someone give directions from the dart station? Just preparing in advance:D

Highway_To_Hell

billyhead wrote: »

Was going to do this again this year but got a lift with another participant last year who cannot do it this year. I will be coming from North County Dublin and will have to get the dart. Whats the nearest stop to the start at St Benildus college and how far is it and if possibly could someone give directions from the dart station? Just preparing in advance:D

LUAS green line (Stillorgan stop) will drop you on the doorstep, Benildus is 2 mins away.

buffalo

Highway_To_Hell wrote: »

LUAS green line (Stillorgan stop) will drop you on the doorstep, Benildus is 2 mins away.

But you can't bring bikes on the Luas.

Blackrock looks closest on the map: http://goo.gl/maps/qWUKR