Cycle4DSI - Lap de Gaps 2015

loinnsigh

Free tomorrow? Great sportive being run by a great club for a great charity tomorrow, starting in Blessington.

WHAT: A charity cycle event in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland, run by Reservoir Cogs CC
ROUTE: 50k (around Blessington Lakes) or 100k (Lakes, Sally Gap and Wicklow Gap)
WHEN: Saturday May 16th 2015, Registration between 8am and 10am. As soon as you are registered you can start cycling your chosen route. Or you can register online before 3pm today to guarantee yourself a goodie bag.
WHERE: Blessington GAA Club, Blessington Inner Relief Road, Blessington Co. Wicklow

And all for 20 quid (€22 non-CI).

See all the nice things people had to say about last year's event here

Full details at at www.cycle4dsi.ie, and on facebook.

edit: yr.no forecast also says "Go for it"

happyhappy

loinnsigh wrote: »

Free tomorrow? Great sportive being run by a great club for a great charity tomorrow, starting in Blessington.

WHAT: A charity cycle event in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland, run by Reservoir Cogs CC
ROUTE: 50k (around Blessington Lakes) or 100k (Lakes, Sally Gap and Wicklow Gap)
WHEN: Saturday May 16th 2015, Registration between 8am and 10am. As soon as you are registered you can start cycling your chosen route. Or you can register online before 3pm today to guarantee yourself a goodie bag.
WHERE: Blessington GAA Club, Blessington Inner Relief Road, Blessington Co. Wicklow

And all for 20 quid (€22 non-CI).

See all the nice things people had to say about last year's event here

Full details at at www.cycle4dsi.ie, and on facebook.

Anyone on here doing this??

I'm looking forward to it tomorrow, the forecast is good after the 3 peaks, skoda tour of Wicklow and Orwell randonee monsoons!

As there is no fixed start time, I'm wondering what time will the majority of people be setting off??

custom_build

It said on the confirmation email that the 100k will roll out at 10am and the 50k at 1015.

loinnsigh

custom_build wrote: »

It said on the confirmation email that the 100k will roll out at 10am and the 50k at 1015.

That has since changed slightly. Updated details on cycle4dsi.ie. The committee had to work very, very closely with the Gardaí this year because of the volume of cyclists that took part last year. On recommendation it was advised to have a rolling start between 8am and 10am so it would mean smaller groups of cyclists spread out along the routes.
So once you've registered you can head off.

Hatcho

Looking forward to this myself - have done it for the last two years and it's a cracking sportive!

The plan is to allow folks to head off once they have registered - this will avoid any traffic congestion which would occur if all involved were to depart at the same time.

sullivlo

Was meant to do it but it looks like I've to pull out due to injury

Hani Kosti

One of the nicest cycles last year, weather was simply wunderba!!!
Putty there is Carlow 795 on Sunday, otherwise I'd be there
Good luck everyone!

Daithi101

Will it still be ok to register in the morning or are they closing it at 500 entries as per the website?

Unknown Soldier

Signed up last week.

Had intended cycling over to the event and doing the 50km due to "missus V time out cycling" but got talked into the 100km.

I really, really wish I hadnt looked at the RWGPS course.

Anyways, fingers crossed that all the hill stuff I have been doing the last few weeks will see me through.

I've never done Sally gap etc

Will be doing it with small group so I am hoping for the best.

I have removed every excess gram of weight off the bike and me for this.

I don't know what shaving my beard and clipping my nails counts for... but they were excess weight!

I scared

wheelo01

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

I have removed every excess gram of weight off the bike and me for this.

I don't know what shaving my beard and clipping my nails counts for... but they were excess weight!

I scared

One can never be too careful, best of luck one and all.

Mercian Pro

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

Anyways, fingers crossed that all the hill stuff I have been doing the last few weeks will see me through.

I've never done Sally gap etc

It's a lovely route round the Lake. Take it easy on the last bit up to Sally Gap with the wind behind you as you will need plenty in the tank after lunch for the headwind on the Wicklow Gap. Cycling in company always makes the road shorter and the hills (very) slightly less steep.

loinnsigh

Daithi101 wrote: »

Will it still be ok to register in the morning or are they closing it at 500 entries as per the website?

You can register in the morning, no worries.

Wishbone Ash

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

...I've never done Sally gap etc....

You'll be fine. It's the easier way to the Gap - only a short steep bit near the end. As Mercian Pro says, the Wicklow Gap is tougher especially into a westerly but there will be plenty of others around giving a psychological lift.

Might see you there. I'll be in pink Boards.ie gear on a black/red/white Fuji. (I'm toying with the idea of cycling from home and making it 200k+ but I'll decide in the morning although I'm running low in brownie points).

iwillhtfu

Gonna do this but only planning the shorter route as cycling from home so "should" roll back to the house with around 165km all in longest cycle this year.

happyhappy

Excellent event today. I really enjoyed it and without doubt this will be the first of many lap de gaps for me hopefully.

When you consider the work that the dsi charity do and seeing the picture at the finish of the poor Dsi marshall who died a few weeks ago (sorry I don't know his name), it puts cycling up the Wicklow gap into a headwind into perspective. It's a piece of p1ss in comparison!!

Well done to all today.

Inquitus

Aye excellent event, well run, the Wicklow Gap into that wind was savage.

iwillhtfu

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Might see you there. I'll be in pink Boards.ie gear on a black/red/white Fuji. (I'm toying with the idea of cycling from home and making it 200k+ but I'll decide in the morning although I'm running low in brownie points).

Spotted you today mumbled something about catching you before the 100k turn off. Immaculately turned out in full boards kit If you did cycle from home you were looking fresh as a daisy fair play.

To echo others a very well run event my god that 50k route is not one for n#beginners though it was tough enough I thought the only real climb was out of Hollywood. Spotted a few jumping off their bikes there. I've come to the conclusion I descend better than the average cyclist but climb like a wimpy kid.

The spread back in the club house was savage although I'd imagine having done the 50k I saw the best of it.

All in all (166 km 1453M climbing) the head wind on the way home was just ridiculous at times and the roads I took over I felt like I'd done the Paris-Roubaix before I even began.

To all of ye that went up the hill in that wind fair play legends all of ye. I only heard of one crash on the 50 at that bad hair pin about 35k in. I think he busted up his bike more than himself though.

A great day altogether and a fitting send off for Aidan Lynam RIP.

AnswerIs42

Outstanding event today and all for 20 euro.

Not only can I not point out any issues, I can't even make a suggestion on how to improve it.

Can't wait for this again next year.

Fiftyplus

Like everyone else, an excellent event, can't be faulted. Blown off my bike for the first time ever, on the section between Sally Gap and Laragh but no harm done. Will be back!

Mercian Pro

Great event as ever and hopefully the photos will start appearing on their Facebook page over the next few days. I can understand why the Gardai were keen on a staggered start given that over 1,000 participated. However, my fears that it would prove more difficult to form a group with riders of similar ability were borne out. Once a mass start on a sportif settles down, you normally end up surrounded by cyclists going at much the same speed but not today.
Good to meet up with Wishbone Ash at the start and in Laragh. I suspect his distance and average for the day were way higher than my 105k and 23.8kph.

iwillhtfu

I think the 100 must have had the majority I did the 50 on my own and only came across the odd pair trio although I started late. I saw one massive group 60 or so as I was cycling up to the club house. No idea what distance they were at.

rollingscone

Today was Pater Scone's first Sportive (I'm trapped in Mad Max Fury Road. By which I mean Donegal ).

I understand he intends to repeat the 50km route tomorrow.

ILIKEFOOD

Mercian Pro wrote: »

hopefully the photos will start appearing on their Facebook page over the next few days

whose page? the link to fb on the cycle4dsi page isn't returning anything for me..

great event! really enjoyed myself

Mercian Pro

ILIKEFOOD wrote: »

whose page? the link to fb on the cycle4dsi page isn't returning anything for me

Try Cycle4DSI - Lap de Gaps on FB. There are a few photos up already but based on previous years, the big uploads will be in a day or two. Great to have a momento of the day (other than the aches and pains).

ILIKEFOOD

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Try Cycle4DSI - Lap de Gaps on FB. There are a few photos up already but based on previous years, the big uploads will be in a day or two. Great to have a momento of the day (other than the aches and pains).

odd cant access the page they link to in the first post..

would you post a link?? cheers! would love to see some

Wishbone Ash

Great day out and exceptional value for €20. Many thanks to the organisers, marshalls etc. for a great job and friendly approach.

A lot of club groups seemed to have overdone it early on, hammering around the lakes, only to seriously fade approaching the Sally Gap. And fair play to those doing it on MTB's - that must have been tough especially into headwinds.

Great to meet a few boardsies - Unknown Soldier, Mercian Pro, iwllhtfu and a few others who's names I didn't get.

Only noticed one other boards.ie kit (coming in the opposite direction between Sally Gap and Laragh).

iwillhtfu wrote: »

... If you did cycle from home you were looking fresh as a daisy fair play...

Yea - cycled to and from North Co Dublin and threw in a lap of Howth on the way home.

AnswerIs42 wrote: »

....Not only can I not point out any issues, I can't even make a suggestion on how to improve it....

Paper napkins at the food stop! The amount of wet/running noses dripping into the sandwiches!

Fiftyplus wrote: »

.. Blown off my bike for the first time ever, on the section between Sally Gap and Laragh but no harm done...

I was surprised at how so many found it difficult there. I've experienced much, much worse coming through there in the depts of winter.

Mercian Pro wrote: »

...Good to meet up with Wishbone Ash at the start and in Laragh. I suspect his distance and average for the day were way higher than my 105k and 23.8kph.

Great to meet you too. I was expecting you to be on a Mercian!

(I ended up doing 250k averaging 25.9 with 2074m of climbing. Strange though that many who did the actual 100k managed to climb 1900m )

Mercian Pro

ILIKEFOOD wrote: »

odd cant access the page they link to in the first post..

would you post a link?? cheers! would love to see some

Seem to remember this happening last year. Can't remember whether it is because I liked their page or indicated I was coming today but it seems to give me full access to all their posts.
Maybe loinnsig can explain?

Mercian Pro

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Only noticed one other boards.ie kit (coming in the opposite direction between Sally Gap and Laragh).

Great to meet you too. I was expecting you to be on a Mercian!

(I ended up doing 250k averaging 25.9 with 2074m of climbing. Strange though that many who did the actual 100k managed to climb 1900m )

Should be remedied by next weekend if my jersey arrives with the new order.

The Mercian met with a violent death a few years ago and nearly took me with it. Changing name to Defy Composite didn't sound so good!

I think at least one turned out to be a typo.

Onefortysix

Great event. Excellently run, chapeau to the Cogs. Getting up the Wicklow Gap against that wind was some experience.

Big thank you to Eric/Airk?? the Wheelworx mechanic in the support van for sorting me with a new tyre after shredding one in the descent out of Hollywood.

Definately back next year.

mgbgt0_0

Here are some pictures I took yesterday
https://www.flickr.com/photos/133249831@N04/?
If anyone wants a full size file just let me know.

Unknown Soldier

I lived to tell the tale! And I got to meet the Legend who is Wishbone ash! Bonus!

Well done to everyone involved in setting this up. It was a great day on the bike. Tough but great. Well done to all who did the 50km or the 100km. Super well done to all who cycled to the event! I saw some Clontarf CC people cycling home after doing the 100km :eek:

Many thanks to the marshals and people who marked the road, who kept us all safe and healthy. And all the other people, like those who made the food and the Ambulance/broom wagon peeps.

You all did an outstanding job. (Hopefully the Ambulance people didn't have to do anything!)

I'm proud to have taken part in a cycle for such a good cause with so many people. I have heard 900+ ?

I'm not going to bore everyone with my day out (I'll do that on the "You're cycle today" thread, at some stage)

All my hill practise over the last few weeks paid off and I got up them all OK but that Wicklow Gap(?) was seriously testing what with the gale force winds in my face. The wind up there was ferocious. At the top, bikes that were lent against sign posts were getting blown over!

But I made it. Didn't have to stop once. I was Delirah!

My only injury was to my thumb at the top of the Wicklow Gap.

It took me about 100+ goes with my lighter to get a smoke lit while I waited on some of the people I went out with.

I have a blister



I know, I'm a sap

Unknown Soldier

mgbgt0_0 wrote: »

Here are some pictures I took yesterday
https://www.flickr.com/photos/133249831@N04/?
If anyone wants a full size file just let me know.

Can I ask where you were? Is that the top of the Wicklow Gap?

And can I share the on FBI Book?

iwillhtfu

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

Can I ask where you were? Is that the top of the Wicklow Gap?

And can I share the on FBI Book?

He was at the top of the the climb out of Hollywood on the 50k you caught me twice possibly as I was going so slowly

mgbgt0_0

I was on top of Hollywood hill for the 50KM and up near the top of Wicklow gap
And feel free to share or I can send you the full file.

Unknown Soldier

iwillhtfu wrote: »

He was at the top of the the climb out of Hollywood on the 50k you caught me twice possibly as I was going so slowly

Ah that makes sense... after I went through the rest of the photos.

I can see a lot of the Laurels crew I started with who did the 50km rather than the 100km in the photos at the end

Wishbone Ash

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

I lived to tell the tale! And I got to meet the Legend who is Wishbone ash! Bonus! ....

I ain't no legend - just an ordinary person who likes to ride a bike when the opportunity arises!

(You did well to spot me and call out my real name considering we hadn't met before!)

Unknown Soldier

mgbgt0_0 wrote: »

I was on top of Hollywood hill for the 50KM and up near the top of Wicklow gap
And feel free to share or I can send you the full file.

Great photos, well done.

I hope that one of me is on the Wicklow Gap as I did the 100

I look like I just got on the bike

iwillhtfu

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I ain't no legend - just an ordinary person who likes to ride a bike when the opportunity arises!

(You did well to spot me and call out my real name considering we hadn't met before!)

Does your real name begin with a D. If so i spotted you on a flyby on strava that was a savage spin.

Wishbone Ash

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Does your real name begin with a D. If so i spotted you on a flyby on strava that was a savage spin.

Yup! (Strava link over in the "Tell us about your cycle today thread"). Spin pales into insignificance beside the hardy Audax lads/ladies doing the 400k's over the past couple of weekends.

Wishbone Ash

Lots of riders yesterday with 'Pulse' jerseys (Red/Black). Excuse my ignorance but is that a club or what? Google only gives a Canadian based club.

happyhappy

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Lots of riders yesterday with 'Pulse' jerseys (Red/Black). Excuse my ignorance but is that a club or what? Google only gives a Canadian based club.

Triathlon club I think - subject to someone who actually knows confirming it!

Unknown Soldier

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Does your real name begin with a D. If so i spotted you on a flyby on strava that was a savage spin.

He's a Legend. You want to see some of the spins he's done.

Lets not mention last years spin up foreign mountains. I think it's still a sensitive issue. (He nearly threw his bike off the side of a mountain)

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I ain't no legend - just an ordinary person who likes to ride a bike when the opportunity arises!

(You did well to spot me and call out my real name considering we hadn't met before!)

Ordinary people don't cycle up to Belfast, and back down for the craic, like you did.

I tell people about that.

You're a Legend to me.

Also a lunatic. I most refer to you as a lunatic tbh. I'm nearly sure I said that to you

blobbie

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Lots of riders yesterday with 'Pulse' jerseys (Red/Black). Excuse my ignorance but is that a club or what? Google only gives a Canadian based club.

http://www.pulsetri.com/ ??

iwillhtfu

happyhappy wrote: »

Triathlon club I think - subject to someone who actually knows confirming it!

Yes they're a tri club based up in tallaght afaik. Plenty of members of all shapes sizes and abilities in that club.

loinnsigh

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Seem to remember this happening last year. Can't remember whether it is because I liked their page or indicated I was coming today but it seems to give me full access to all their posts.
Maybe loinnsig can explain?

This link to the event Facebook page should work - lots of photos linked from there: https://www.facebook.com/events/132995056868804/

MugMugs

Did this. Quite enjoyed it. Pretty tired saturday night so that's a good sign. I presume Wishbone Ash was the lad in the black and pink Boards jersey ? We passed each other a few times.

Very well run event all round though Well done to the Cogs

TheNah

loinnsigh wrote: »

This link to the event Facebook page should work - lots of photos linked from there: https://www.facebook.com/events/132995056868804/

Not working for me

carltonleon

Did the 100 on Sunday.
Great event and really well organised. The wind coming down the Sally Gap was unreal, even pedalling coming downhill was tough and as for the headwind on the Wicklow Gap, savage !!! Good training for the Wicklow 200 though.
Well done to all of the organisers etc, you did yourselves proud.