Audax Rides

ford2600

cdaly_ wrote: »

That's my Four Provinces completed...

There is a discipline in getting that. You picked two handy rides for Munster/Ulster:eek:

Organiser is some man, rides all his own events and then stays at finish. None of his events are anything but brutal in terms of climbing.

I did it last year on a very similar day; for two lads it was their first audax ride they both have RTTY's & 4 Provinces collected since, along with one doing WAWA and a 5000km award.

I was jealous of everyone doing it Saturday, would gladly have swapped 550xp for genesis!

cdaly_

ford2600 wrote: »

There is a discipline in getting that. You picked two handy rides for Munster/Ulster:eek:

Mick Byrne for Leinster and Adrian Nealon for Connaught were no flatter. I had come up with the idea of doing a hilly four provinces already and then my Ulster options were taken away when Around Down was cancelled.

The scariest bit of the whole thing was at around 00:30 with around 34km to go and the GPS giving me an eta of 02:02 and thinking "Oh crap! Missing out on a four provinces by going over time in the last 30km of a 1000km FP and having to do it all again next year!"...

ILIKEFOOD

thinking about doing The Faceless Monk in November, it would be my second Audax, did Ardattin last year - have a 160,175 and 200 under my belt this year along with weekend 100Kish spins so not too worried about distance,

concerned about this point of note on the event page 'Those using narrow, semi slick high pressure tyres take note.' re road surface. Is this a 'be cautious' warning, or don't consider it with that set-up?

Thanks!

cdaly_

Should be fine. The organiser is fond of narrow boreens and occasional dirt tracks but you should get through. Plenty of riders use skinny tyres.

It's a lovely spin on lovely quiet roads, recommended.

NamelessPhil

Yes it's a nice route when you're not doing it in the pissing rain for ten hours like last year. There is one notable barely paved section after Ardee when you swing right up an unmarked boreen.

NamelessPhil

I'll be tackling the Pink Elephant on Saturday. It'll be my first time on a bike around the roads of West Cork and I'm really looking forward to it. Do any Cork natives have a suggestion for somewhere for breakfast because my hotel doesn't do one before I leave? The route is here Pink Elephant

ford2600

NamelessPhil wrote: »

I'll be tackling the Pink Elephant on Saturday. It'll be my first time on a bike around the roads of West Cork and I'm really looking forward to it. Do any Cork natives have a suggestion for somewhere for breakfast because my hotel doesn't do one before I leave? The route is here Pink Elephant

The Oriel Hotel in Ballincollig might do a pre 8am breakfast.

Although the only "easy" bit of route is first 50km at which is the first control. There is a friendly but basic cafe on left hand side in Ballymakera/Ballyvourney about 1.5km before left turn for Coolea/Coum.

Enjoy great route if anything but easy

NamelessPhil

I certainly haven't described the route as "easy", the organiser has described it as like a Cork version of the Mick Byrne with a bit less climbing. It'll be grand if I've got the legs on the day.

ford2600

Rode Pink Elephant yesterday along with 13 others I think (including NamelessPhil whom I didn't meet do to my habitual early start and her habitual late one ).

A bike ride in great countryside with very quite roads in great company; my 7th time riding it and probably the most enjoyable.

Cold at start (maybe 5C or so) but dry and after sunrise it was a magical day meandering through west Cork. The descent from highest point of day down to Gougan Barra was highlight with lowlands covered in a fog while the uplands basked in the autumn sun.

Got bet at my own game yesterday; have a habit of saluting/meeting loads of people I know when out on long cycles. A west Cork gent wiped the floor with me yesterday, had to be pulled out of every shop we stopped while discussing at length county finals, death marriages etc etc.

Thanks again to organizer and other riders for a great day

NamelessPhil

I was chasing damp bike tracks on the route yesterday, ye were somewhere ahead of me but I never saw you. I knew where you'd been by the half-empty bottle of water and the crumbs at Kealkill.

I travelled down to Cork by bus late on Friday evening, arriving in the lashing rain at my hotel just before midnight. Up at 7am but I lost time trying to wrestle a brand new pair of overshoes onto my shoes and trying to get them closed! I was late leaving with nearly 13km to ride in the dense fog to the start in Ballincollig. I sent a text to the organiser at got there at 8:12. I started at 8:22 and rode the whole way round on my own. I was glad I'd opted for full winter kit because it was cold with the promise of rain showers later.

The fog lasted for the first 20km until after Coachford when the sun burnt through the cloud revealing the rolling landscape around me. Tea and a brief stop in Ballyvourney before pressing on up the major climbs of the day on the way to Gougane Barra.I may have had "Whiskey in the Jar" as an earworm. Met a large group of tourists walking the back roads near Gougane. The weather was still good but cold and the clouds were massing to the south. The descent after the climb of Keimineigh was fantastic to Kealkill. The rain showers started coming down on the way to Dunmanway. I met a large group of old fellas playing that uniquely Cork sport of road bowling outside of Dunmanway. a brief but cold soaking in Dunmanway and then the ride for the coast.

Quick stop in Roscarbery and then some calculations to make sure that I'd get back to Cork in time to catch the last train back to Dublin. When I reached the coast at Owennahincha I noticed that the tide was in but thought no more about it. On to Clonakilty via the woods of Castlefreke. After Clonakilty the route hugs the coast via Ring and Timoleague. As I turned for Ring I met the first of the spring tides covering the road completely. All I could do was look for the middle of the road, find a low gear and keep pedalling and pray I didn't fall over! Timoleague was completely covered and I was cycling in water up to my knees. The wind had picked up from the south and the sun was setting.

On to the Pink Elephant restaurant, a picture sent to the organiser with an ETA. through Kilbrittain and on to Bandon and then over the final climb to Cork and into Ballincollig at 20:06. Ten hours of riding and about two hours total stopping time. It's a good route, the climbing is evenly spread and not too technical, there's nothing over 15% and it's mostly 4% drags. The weather was good for me apart from one shower and a bit of rain into Cork.

Thanks to the organiser I made the last train home and arrived in Dublin at midnight with a ride home in the pissing rain.
Pink Elephant 200

ford2600

NamelessPhil wrote: »

Quick stop in Roscarbery and then some calculations to make sure that I'd get back to Cork in time to catch the last train back to Dublin. When I reached the coast at Owennahincha I noticed that the tide was in but thought no more about it. On to Clonakilty via the woods of Castlefreke. After Clonakilty the route hugs the coast via Ring and Timoleague. As I turned for Ring I met the first of the spring tides covering the road completely. All I could do was look for the middle of the road, find a low gear and keep pedalling and pray I didn't fall over! Timoleague was completely covered and I was cycling in water up to my knees. The wind had picked up from the south and the sun was setting.
[/URL]

https://goo.gl/wy85ct

You might need this for next year!

I've ridden that section of road around Ring/Timoleague quite a bit and high tide getting onto road would never have entered my head

NamelessPhil

It was a combination of a full moon, spring high tide and a southerly wind pushing the tide onto the road. There were signs warning of the occurance. Timoleague was particularly bad. I was in the middle of one flood when a car tried to enter the other end. I managed to signal them to wait until I'd got across because I didn't want to be knocked over by the wave from the car.

A tide table and faster legs would have saved me a soaking. It wasn't particularly cold and I'd mostly dried out by the time I reached Cork.

cdaly_

Give it a few years and we would have been able to forecast that for you...

Unknown Soldier

Will there be Audax "Beginner" rides over the next few months, like there were at the end of last year/possibly start of this year?

paul a newman

Am planning on running a 100k on the first sunday in Nov (6th I think) from Humphries bike shop. Leaving at 9 am going to St Margarets, Oldtown, Garristown, Ardcath, Slane, Hayestown and back via Skryne, The famous Borrowaddy Road, Ashbourne, Ballymadun and returning around 2pm. Post a reply if interested. We hope to get a few in before end of year.

Wishbone Ash

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

Will there be Audax "Beginner" rides over the next few months, like there were at the end of last year/possibly start of this year?

Your gone way beyond that (unless of course its for Mrs Unknown Soldier)!

halvis

Weepsie wrote: »

paul a newman wrote: »

Am planning on running a 100k on the first sunday in Nov (6th I think) from Humphries bike shop. Leaving at 9 am going to St Margarets, Oldtown, Garristown, Ardcath, Slane, Hayestown and back via Skryne, The famous Borrowaddy Road, Ashbourne, Ballymadun and returning around 2pm. Post a reply if interested. We hope to get a few in before end of year.

I could be interested. First half of that are roads I know, but i tend to go for Tara if going further and not slane so a new route there for me

paul a newman wrote: »

Am planning on running a 100k on the first sunday in Nov (6th I think) from Humphries bike shop. Leaving at 9 am going to St Margarets, Oldtown, Garristown, Ardcath, Slane, Hayestown and back via Skryne, The famous Borrowaddy Road, Ashbourne, Ballymadun and returning around 2pm. Post a reply if interested. We hope to get a few in before end of year.

I could be interested too, never cycled around there but always fancied it. Will watch this space.

magicbastarder

do boardsies (who are not wearing the boards top) have a secret hand signal to spot each other?

smacl

paul a newman wrote: »

Am planning on running a 100k on the first sunday in Nov (6th I think) from Humphries bike shop. Leaving at 9 am going to St Margarets, Oldtown, Garristown, Ardcath, Slane, Hayestown and back via Skryne, The famous Borrowaddy Road, Ashbourne, Ballymadun and returning around 2pm. Post a reply if interested. We hope to get a few in before end of year.

Won't make this one as out on the batter the night before, but hope to catch one or two of these spins over the winter, thoroughly enjoyed the one from the Phoenix park last year.

Wishbone Ash

smacl wrote: »

.... out on the batter the night before...

You don't hear that expression much nowadays - my father always used it.

magicbastarder

are these considered doping for these rides?
http://www.expresschemist.co.uk/product_2421_audax-ear-drops-10ml.html

smacl

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

You don't hear that expression much nowadays - my father always used it.

School reunion night, all of us on the wrong side of 50, drinks may be had

Planet X

Wow!
That's the Temporary FH 200 sold out for January.

OleRodrigo

Planet X wrote: »

Wow!
That's the Temporary FH 200 sold out for January.

Only twenty places I believe

Planet X

True.
I've popped my KM 200 in the post today.
PN might not be happy

OleRodrigo

Probably not but that's how these things are going.

Jaysus, KM already. This year flew by.

Planet X

Concur.
It's on the up.

paul a newman

you were the second entry PX

Planet X

paul a newman wrote: »

you were the second entry PX

What????
For the KM?
Couldn't be....just posted it this morning?

paul a newman

received one on the net P X, so your's will be the second. Anticipating 60/70 entries this year, slight route changes have been made to keep us off main roads, all will be revealed post xmass