Everesting Ticknock - July 2017

godtabh

Alek wrote: »

Dave, I've seen your everesting on Strava - very impressive !! The ramp is no more than 17% (as far as I know) and I have gearing to handle it comfortably... And its only perhaps 100m, the rest is an easy 8%. When I do 10 or 15 reps sometime next month I will know how it feels when I'm tired - in worst case I will change the location.

I plan to eat during breaks (5 mins per 1 hour), as I am generally very nervous descender and can't really do anything else while going down! I will bring 10L of water or maybe 15 if the day will be very hot, and will be re-filling bottles at the biking.ie hut.

You should think about your support team. Would you be expected to fill your own bottles?

Alek

I wouldn't ask my support team for more than a good company*! But I'll be obliged if someone refills the bottle while I check the front brake rub...

* - well, a lift for the gear would be nice... and someone to carry me to bed once its over

fat bloke

Daveoshea_ wrote: »

H Alex,
I agree with you in that you dont want to be out there all day doing 300km kms and idea is thta it is a climbing challenge but also agree with some of other comments above re the short steep ramp (20% part of the climb) and the traffic and the way you may not be able to relax too much on decent. You have to decide if this part of a good challenge or a bridge to far. I completed an everest on Glenmalure and did actually consider the climb you are looking at but decided against as for above reasons...taking a rest and getting some food in on decent was vital to me..I had apprx 15 bottles prepared and got a lot of  my fuel this way. I didn't stop much at all as time ticks on everytime you do and nice to keep the meters ticking down...but again that a personal choice..whatever works for you. Try organise your mates to stager when they come and ride with you, good luck
Dave

It's a hard one to balance alright. I often do laps to the viewing point up Stocking Lane/Cruagh rd and have thought about how many times you'd need to do it to replicate the likes of a marmotte. A steep narrow descent where you're always on the brakes can be very tiring on your arms and hands and shoulders and even neck muscles. A shallower descent would allow you time to sit up and even take the hands off the bars and stretch while you coast.

Best of luck with it anyway. If I'm around on the day I'll pop over for the laugh at with you.

LollipopJimmy

I'd happily join for a couple of repeats.

I'll also offer a lift with gear once I'm available. Not carrying you to bed though

godtabh

Alek wrote: »

* - well, a lift for the gear would be nice... and someone to carry me to bed once its over

Steady on Alek. I hardly know you!

Alek

ford2600

Alek wrote: »

I plan to eat during breaks (5 mins per 1 hour), as I am generally very nervous descender and can't really do anything else while going down! I will bring 10L of water or maybe 15 if the day will be very hot, and will be re-filling bottles at the biking.ie hut.

I'm not the world best descender by any means but I'm never nervous.

You have to go down as much as up so along with all the focus on getting fit enough to get up learn to get better going down.

When Barry Meehan did Ticincor/Power's the Pot, which has some pretty severe gradients I joined him late on. It was May, wet, cold and misty. He was tired when I joined him but I was in awe of his descending in those conditions.
He left all of us for dead without thinking about it and seemed refreshed after each descent.

@TBW is a pretty fearless descender also; he would want to be with 20 odd descents of Priest's Leap!

You'll have enough stress on your system going up make the going down bit as enjoyable as possible to recover.

ditto for food, water, clothing, pacing etc; have all that nailed down. It's not a day for winging it.

I'd like to join you for a lap or two but not a hope I'm afraid

@lennymc and @doozerie have a decent post or two in this thread.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056681365

I'm sure there is loads of stuff on YouTube etc from pro downhill riders etc

Alek

Ok, that was exaggeration I can't coast no hands down Wicklow Gap taking the jersey off, like I've witnessed being done by Noblenudge of this parish, but I'm not scared going down in any conditions with my fingers on brake levers, which I possibly use too often and for a bit too long. Been cycling in the mountains long enough to learn a bit about this as well Thanks for your concern though!

But in fairness I find going up the easy part (while training for this at slow pace), at least mentally.

Wishbone Ash

ford2600 wrote: »

...@TBW is a pretty fearless descender also; he would want to be with 20 odd descents of Priest's Leap!...

I still can't get my head around that. I did one ascent and one descent of Priest's Leap (Cork side) and I've no desire ever to go near it again. It makes Kilmashogue Lane look modest.

nilhg

Best of luck with this Alek, you're a brave man....

That's a busy time of the year for me but if I do happen to be free when you're in action I'd love to make it up there and offer some encouragement.

One suggestion, I see in your OP where you've had some issues with cramps on long days, I had the same issue and one change which seems to have helped was my fitting an oval inner chainring, it just seems to smooth the pedal stroke out enough to take the real lumpiness out of low cadence climbing, leaves the legs feeling less tired, can't say I'm any faster but the cramps disappeared for me after the change. I'musing one from absoluteblack, bought on it's own it's not an expensive change.

https://absoluteblack.cc/road-chainrings.html

Alek

fitting an oval inner chainring

Not a bad idea re: cramps, I only get them occasionally but since they can ruin the whole thing.... why not to try? I run 1x10 setup so would need a N/W version, and they have them cheap at superstarcomponents.com - but only for mountain bike cranks... I may have one lying around...

Will think about it, for the time being I've just spent my surplus money on a secondary GPS logger... but maybe next month

godtabh

Alek wrote: »

Not a bad idea re: cramps, I only get them occasionally but since they can ruin the whole thing.... why not to try? I run 1x10 setup so would need a N/W version, and they have them cheap at superstarcomponents.com - but only for mountain bike cranks... I may have one lying around...

Will think about it, for the time being I've just spent my surplus money on a secondary GPS logger... but maybe next month

If you need a lend of equipment for the event ask here. People I'm sure will help out if they can

Wishbone Ash

Alek - have you a Garmin charger/chargers with appropriate USB cable to prevent re-setting? If you need one, let me know.

If using 2 or more devices, just be aware that they may record the same activity slightly differently.

Will you have others counting laps as it will be very easy to mis-count when tired?

Alek

Thanks godtabh, so far I have most bases covered... But as we are at it, I think I will need:

1. Secondary Garmin with barometric sensor that has been tested with very long rides / recording times, and can be recharged mid-ride. Not a 810, as I don't trust them. Preferably 800 or even older, so i can afford replacing it in event of a crash

2. 34T oval chainring, 110 BCD (long shot... )

Alek - have you a Garmin charger/chargers with appropriate USB cable to prevent re-setting? If you need one, let me know.

If using 2 or more devices, just be aware that they will may record the same activity slightly differently.

Will you have others counting laps as it will be very easy to mis-count when tired?

I do have an old trusty Edge 800 with new battery. It can be recharged mid-ride and I have the USB pack in a waterproof top tube bag.

I will probably look at meters climbing and stop when they reach the end. Or use the lap button on the Garmin - never tried but it seems a good feature.

I know devices can vary a lot with the total elevation, that's one of the reasons I want to run three, for data redundancy

Wishbone Ash

Alek - I have an older 500 if that's any use. It has a great battery life compared to the larger modern ones.

magicbastarder

might be worth approaching a couple of bike shops to see if they can lend you that chainring, if no-one here has one?

Wishbone Ash

Also have a well worn Brooks B17 saddle if you need a bit of comfort!

Alek

Alek - I have an older 500 if that's any use.

That would be perfect, if you have the special charging cable too

Also have a well worn Brooks B17 saddle if you need a bit of comfort!

Comfort my ar*e! (pun intended, I am afraid my derriere is not compatible with Brooks saddles in general

might be worth approaching a couple of bike shops to see if they can lend you that chainring, if no-one here has one?

Its not super-necessary, I still think I do well on a standard one. But if someone had one to try...

nilhg

Alek wrote: »

That would be perfect, if you have the special charging cable too

I have a gomadic battery pack that will charge an edge 500 on the go, might need it mid june myself but after that you'd be more than welcome to it. It uses 4xAA.

Alek wrote: »

Its not super-necessary, I still think I do well on a standard one. But if someone had one to try...

I don't know if my one designed to be used as an inner ring would do on a 1x system, if it would I'd have no worries about swapping it out for a week or two to give you a looksee.

http://www.velotechservices.co.uk/shop/vclose2.asp?prd=201637&cat=311

Wishbone Ash

py wrote: »

500 is great though I'd check if you can recharge on the move.

Yes, it charges effortlessly on the move - much easier than my 810 which seems to go into confusion mode when being charged on the move.

Alek

I don't know if my one designed to be used as an inner ring would do on a 1x system, if it would I'd have no worries about swapping it out for a week or two to give you a looksee.

Great! The original 105 34T (non N/W) works good so far, as there are no bumps on that route that could drop the chain... Are you over in Dublin sometimes or do we swap by post? Let me know when and how does it suit you.

If WA has a special charging cable, I'd rather use my own pack as it has 2 USB ports so I can charge 2 garmins at a time, and then leave it when the charging is over.

Wishbone Ash

Alek wrote: »

..If WA has a special charging cable, I'd rather use my own pack as it has 2 USB ports so I can charge 2 garmins at a time, and then leave it when the charging is over.

My cable it not detachable from the Gomadic as far as I can recall but I'll check when I go home. (I think any USB cable with no pins inside will do but you need to experiment beforehand).

I can also lend you 2 Garmin out front mounts also - makes charging on the move easier.

nilhg

Alek wrote: »

Great! The original 105 34T (non N/W) works good so far, as there are no bumps on that route that could drop the chain... Are you over in Dublin sometimes or do we swap by post? Let me know when and how does it suit you.

If WA has a special charging cable, I'd rather use my own pack as it has 2 USB ports so I can charge 2 garmins at a time, and then leave it when the charging is over.

This is the tip you need, connects to the battery pack using what looks very similar to a 3.5mm headphone jack.

I'll PM you re the oval ring, I'd kind of like to have it for the Orwell randonee so we'll work around that.

https://www.amazon.com/Gomadic-TIP-3403-73-TipExchange-Tip-73/dp/B003KVPVUA

Alek

I'd kind of like to have it for the Orwell randonee so we'll work around that.

Thanks again, no pressure at all!

My cable it not detachable from the Gomadic

Right, I understand now. For my pack I would need a special charging cable with no data pins inside... Can make it myself or maybe buy it from aliexpress, so no worries. I still want your 500 then. Is it your main unit which you can lend me on the day or can I have it beforehand so I can test it a bit?

Alek

By the way, I even found a blog post about being a Sherpa at everesting! Quite motivational for me too

https://withallihave.wordpress.com/2015/07/31/sherpa-duty-rolling-up-your-sleeves-and-helping-to-everest/


Also, I already feel I got a huge motivational kick from this thread - thank you all for your support so far!!!

Wishbone Ash

Alek wrote: »

... I still want your 500 then. Is it your main unit which you can lend me on the day or can I have it beforehand so I can test it a bit?

I mainly use the 810. I use the 500 occasionally on longer rides as the battery lasts longer and it is easier to recharge but you can have it and the Gomadic several weeks before the event to experiment.

Also, if you need anything transported by car anytime between now and the event, let me know and I'll work something out.

Alek

you can have it and the Gomadic several weeks before the event to experiment.

Perfect, will I meet you on Evil or MB200?

Wishbone Ash

Alek wrote: »

Perfect, will I meet you on Evil or MB200?

I'll probably need it for the WW200 (on June 11th) if I ride to and from the start/finish but probably won't need it for a while after that.

It will be easy to arrange transfer - I can meet you on your lunchbreak from work or whatever (you still work in Santry area?).

Alek

I'm still in Santry and mid-June is by all accounts enough time

Thud

How accurate are the Garmin barometers (I've gotten different meters climbed from the same routes on different dates, and between my old garmin 500 and new 520)?
Is it the Garmin reading that counts or 34 times the 256m that Strava has the climb segment as (is that what the Strava "Correct Elevation" button does?)?

If after 34 attempts the Garmin says you are under target would you do a 35th or stop knowing that the 34 times 256 should have got you there.....