Sally Gap - First timer!

Jabel

The son's GAA team are playing in the Wicklow Centre of Excellence in Ballinakill on Saturday at 11.30am. I had the bright idea of cycling down to it and (shamefully) getting a lift back! It will be my inaugural trip over Sally Gap (route Rathfarnham - Sally Gap - Laragh - Ballinakill) and having done a few spins to Enniskerry and a weekly commute of about 160km I feel ready to take it on. Google maps is saying it's 52km and 3.5hrs, can I ask the good people on here if that sounds about right?
If so, I plan to leave at 8am from Stocking Lane so if anyone fancies joining me for some of the trip you'd be welcome though I'm sure I'll struggle in sections. Can't offer a lift home though!

Cheers
J

godtabh

The time will depend on you. Dont rely on google.

Wishbone Ash

Bottom of Stocking Lane to Laragh via Sally Gap (38kms) takes me about 1hr 45min if that's any use (I'd be fairly average).

smacl

I'd be closer to two hours, being somewhat slower than most, though tend to go Cruagh more often than Stocking lane which comes out ~40k by my Cateye from Ballyboden roundabout.

rollingscone

It's not too tough a cycle apart from the initial climb at Cruagh or Stocking Lane and the Gap itself (which is pretty short), speaking as a horribly unfit cyclist the only thing is to ensure you're not under too much time pressure.

godtabh

rollingscone wrote: »

It's not too tough a cycle apart from the initial climb at Cruagh or Stocking Lane and the Gap itself (which is pretty short), speaking as a horribly unfit cyclist the only thing is to ensure you're not under too much time pressure.

And food , water and supplies

Lusk_Doyle

rollingscone wrote: »

It's not too tough a cycle apart from the initial climb at Cruagh or Stocking Lane and the Gap itself (which is pretty short), speaking as a horribly unfit cyclist the only thing is to ensure you're not under too much time pressure.

It bloody well is if it's into the wind and hail! I consider myself a decent cyclist and it was one tough mudder the last time I went over the gap heading for Laragh.

Inquitus

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

It bloody well is if it's into the wind and hail! I consider myself a decent cyclist and it was one tough mudder the last time I went over the gap heading for Laragh.

Aye check Windfinder - http://www.windfinder.com/forecast/dublin the evening before to get an idea of which direction and how hard, as Lusk_Doyle says that's likely the key factor in determining the time it takes.

smacl

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

It bloody well is if it's into the wind and hail! I consider myself a decent cyclist and it was one tough mudder the last time I went over the gap heading for Laragh.

Bunch of us broke off to go back via Glencree that day, and even then it was still very tough, with very heavy crosswinds on the featherbeds. What's a pleasant outing for coffee and cake one day can be bordering on insane another. You really need your wits about you in bad weather, and the sally and Wicklow gaps can be unforgiving in a gale.

lighterman

Jabel wrote: »

The son's GAA team are playing in the Wicklow Centre of Excellence in Ballinakill on Saturday at 11.30am. I had the bright idea of cycling down to it and (shamefully) getting a lift back! It will be my inaugural trip over Sally Gap (route Rathfarnham - Sally Gap - Laragh - Ballinakill) and having done a few spins to Enniskerry and a weekly commute of about 160km I feel ready to take it on. Google maps is saying it's 52km and 3.5hrs, can I ask the good people on here if that sounds about right?
If so, I plan to leave at 8am from Stocking Lane so if anyone fancies joining me for some of the trip you'd be welcome though I'm sure I'll struggle in sections. Can't offer a lift home though!

Cheers
J

Just a warning if you arrive in time to see the game i'd advise you to dress appropiately. I was there on sunday which was a calm sunny day elsewhere but we nearly died a death with the wind up there.

the grounds is on a hill with no protection from either direction.

Best of luck on your journey

Jabel

Cheers all,
Mrs J is driving down so I'll have have a change of clothes and what not.
Weather not looking good though, where's the wimp list again?

Lusk_Doyle

The last day that I did it was on Saturday, 26th April. It was an awful day with headwind almost all the way and cross wind the rest of the way and hail at the top of the gap and monsoon like rain at the bottom in Laragh! It took me 1 hr 28 mins to get from the Cruagh Road junction to Laragh via Old Military Road and across the Sally Gap.

If the wind is the other way, then that will make it much much easier.

It's still great to do it though no matter the weather because you know what you have just accomplished wasn't easy.

Enjoy it!

ford2600

Jabel wrote: »

Cheers all,
Mrs J is driving down so I'll have have a change of clothes and what not.
Weather not looking good though, where's the wimp list again?

Your son is heading to Centre of Excellence and your heading for wimp list.....

Jabel

ford2600 wrote: »

Your son is heading to Centre of Excellence and your heading for wimp list.....

Lol, good one...damn have to do it now!

superelliptic

Hey OP - what bike you riding on the day? Road bike / hybrid?

Just asking cos it will make a difference.

smacl

Jabel wrote: »

Lol, good one...damn have to do it now!

If the weather is dodgy, taking the parallel route through Enniskerry, up the old long hill to Ballinastoe, and the backroad to Laragh (paved part of Wicklow Way) is still demanding in terms of climbs gradients but more protected from the weather. Great scenery and a few tough ramps.

http://bikeroutetoaster.com/BRTWebUI

Jabel

superelliptic wrote: »

Hey OP - what bike you riding on the day? Road bike / hybrid?

Just asking cos it will make a difference.

Road bike - Cube Peleton RACE 2013

Jabel

smacl wrote: »

If the weather is dodgy, taking the parallel route through Enniskerry, up the old long hill to Ballinastoe, and the backroad to Laragh (paved part of Wicklow Way) is still demanding in terms of climbs gradients but more protected from the weather. Great scenery and a few tough ramps.

http://bikeroutetoaster.com/BRTWebUI

That link is blank when I open it? (on a Mac)
Kinda want to do the Gap regardless though

the world wonders

Yeah it doesn't look too good for tomorrow:

http://www.yr.no/place/Ireland/Leinster/Sally_Gap/hour_by_hour_detailed.html

ian_rush

The feather beds are so exposed the weather makes a huge difference. Was up there last month with a mate and we saw our average speed drop from the top of the Gap to Laragh i.e. the down hill bit. I think the hail up there is also specially sharpened.

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

The last day that I did it was on Saturday, 26th April. It was an awful day with headwind almost all the way and cross wind the rest of the way and hail at the top of the gap and monsoon like rain at the bottom in Laragh! It took me 1 hr 28 mins to get from the Cruagh Road junction to Laragh via Old Military Road and across the Sally Gap.

If the wind is the other way, then that will make it much much easier.

It's still great to do it though no matter the weather because you know what you have just accomplished wasn't easy.

Enjoy it!

ian_rush

The feather beds are so exposed the weather makes a huge difference. Was up there last month with a mate and we saw our average speed drop from the top of the Gap to Laragh i.e. the down hill bit. I think the hail up there is also specially sharpened.

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

The last day that I did it was on Saturday, 26th April. It was an awful day with headwind almost all the way and cross wind the rest of the way and hail at the top of the gap and monsoon like rain at the bottom in Laragh! It took me 1 hr 28 mins to get from the Cruagh Road junction to Laragh via Old Military Road and across the Sally Gap.

If the wind is the other way, then that will make it much much easier.

It's still great to do it though no matter the weather because you know what you have just accomplished wasn't easy.

Enjoy it!

Jabel

Well, I did it and the sense of accomplishment is great now but at the time it was heavily outweighed by the feelings of saturation, exhaustion and would the fooking wind and rain ever stop or even relent just a little please?
Total of 51km which is my furthest cycle but it was a hard 51km if you know what I mean. Cheers for all the advice, went up Cruagh road but didn't find it easier than stocking lane tbh. Road from laragh to rathdrum was one bumpy MF!

Lusk_Doyle

Jabel wrote: »

Road from laragh to rathdrum was one bumpy MF!

Try the first left immediately after the coffee shop by the green in Laragh on the road to Rathdrum. Bit of climbing on it but it's nice and quiet and not so much like Roubaix like the main road is.

Daroxtar

I'm heading up tomorrow for the first time. I intend on driving to Dublin and parking somewhere near to Stocking lane, then cycling up there and on to the Kippure mast then back along the r759 and right again across the hill in a 50 k loop (Don't know the actual road names as I've not been up there before) I mapped it here http://www.strava.com/routes/466533
I'm not much of a climber and I won't be in a hurry so I'm aiming for under 3 hours. I'd usually do 50 well under 2 but there's no hills where I live. Is there anything I should be looking out for on this route? Bad road surfaces, dangerous bends, wild youths etc... Where would be a good place to park the car?
Thanks in advance for any tips

SetOverSet

Daroxtar wrote: »

I'm heading up tomorrow for the first time. I intend on driving to Dublin and parking somewhere near to Stocking lane, then cycling up there and on to the Kippure mast then back along the r759 and right again across the hill in a 50 k loop (Don't know the actual road names as I've not been up there before) I mapped it here http://www.strava.com/routes/466533
I'm not much of a climber and I won't be in a hurry so I'm aiming for under 3 hours. I'd usually do 50 well under 2 but there's no hills where I live. Is there anything I should be looking out for on this route? Bad road surfaces, dangerous bends, wild youths etc... Where would be a good place to park the car?
Thanks in advance for any tips

PM sent

smacl

Daroxtar wrote: »

Is there anything I should be looking out for on this route? Bad road surfaces, dangerous bends, wild youths etc... Where would be a good place to park the car?

If you're going up to the mast, watch the descent as it can be very treacherous. Lots of gravel at the corners and a pretty crap surface. Grand if you take it easy, but I wouldn't go hurtling down it if you haven't done it before.

Outside of that, the corner on the descent via lough Bray hides the car park just after it and can be dodgy for tourists standing in the middle of the road taking photos.

Main thing, enjoy!