Cycling Ireland Best Leisure Event Award 2018 and so on

Mercian Pro

Not overly impressed with the shortlisted leisure events on the CI website. To save you looking it up, they are:
The Great Dublin Bike Ride (winner in 2015 and CI a "stakeholder"!)
The Inishowen 100
Old Velos Vintage Classic (3rd nomination in 3 years)
Turas na mBan
The Ultimate Burren MBT Challenge

Other than ensuring a good geographical spread and including some specialised events, it's hard to the basis for the selection. A lot of extremely well run and testing sportives have been ignored such as the Reservoir Dog and the Rebel Tour.

Is it time for a Boards Sportif of the Year award?

Andy Magic

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Is it time for a Boards Sportif of the Year award?

Great shout on that.

I can see why the great Dublin Bike ride is top of the list, I did it this year and it is extremely well run.

uck51js9zml2yt

A boards outing would just end up in a row and everyone getting carded:)

Beasty

Andy Magic wrote: »

I can see why the great Dublin Bike ride is top of the list, I did it this year and it is extremely well run.

They discovered a way posting them alphabetically while ignoring the Thes

Beasty

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Is it time for a Boards Sportif of the Year award?

Many years ago we ran annual awards threads but they fell by the wayside

Maybe time to recycle the concept...

uck51js9zml2yt

Beasty wrote: »

Many years ago we ran annual awards threads but they fell by the wayside

Maybe time to recycle the concept...

I saw what you did there:D

Beasty

I personally do not think they should include their own event. They can throw much more money at this then any club could risk and get the Guards to effectively run rolling road closures. They also can line up high profile sponsors. Add it all up and despite the amount they charge there are bound to be a lot of votes heading their way.

Might be different if they allowed "down" votes though!!

Redfence74

Can't believe the Donegal bay one isn't on it ....great event ...tough day on bike ...and very well organised...

Beasty

Redfence74 wrote: »

Can't believe the Donegal bay one isn't on it ....great event ...tough day on bike ...and very well organised...

Guess if they put really popular ones in the list it may reduce the chances of the GDBR winning

:pac:

smacl

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Is it time for a Boards Sportif of the Year award?

Voting to be held over pints at Glenmalure lodge maybe? Missed events this year due to injury, but Reservoir Dog would have got my vote last year for sure.

Wishbone Ash

Mercian Pro wrote: »

...Is it time for a Boards Sportif of the Year award?

Boards Evil Ride would have to win of course!

Mercian Pro

Redfence74 wrote: »

Can't believe the Donegal bay one isn't on it ....great event ...tough day on bike ...and very well organised...

It certainly would have been on the top of my list last year but unfortunately I couldn't make it this year. Glad to hear it's still as tough and well organised as before.

Carawaystick

Beasty wrote: »

I personally do not think they should include their own event. They can throw much more money at this then any club could risk and get the Guards to effectively run rolling road closures. They also can line up high profile sponsors. Add it all up and despite the amount they charge there are bound to be a lot of votes heading their way.

It's a bit fr ted
sometimes the people running the draw win the draw...

Daroxtar

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Boards Evil Ride would have to win of course!

You can only vote on a sportive if you've done it and if you've done the Evil your vote should be discounted by reason of insanity

Matt Bianco

I’m not sure if audax would qualify in the strictest sense but the Mick Byrne puts many to shame in terms of organization, support and dedication of Paul and all in Audax Ireland and Sorrento CC

NamelessPhil

Audax Ireland events come under the Leisure section of Cycling Ireland. In that case there's no reason why the Mick Byrne couldn't be nominated.

Borderfox

Reservoir Dog for me this year, GDBR was well organised but a bit meh in terms of everything else

terrydel

Resevoir Dog for me, followed by Cliffs of Moher cycle challenge the best for me this year.

Weepsie

I've never done the GDBR but it should lose out for having such a dull route as much of it goes through industrial estates essentially.

Eamonnator

Weepsie wrote: »

I've never done the GDBR but it should lose out for having such a dull route as much of it goes through industrial estates essentially.

And for daring to cross the border into Co. Meath.

marvin80

Tour de Kilkenny was a great event. Very well organised, great food stops and a tough, hilly route taking in some lovely parts of Kilkenny.

Macy0161

Don't see how they can enter their own event for their own award to be honest! SWMBO is starting to get interested, so not saying I'd never do the GDBR, but I think eas

Didn't do many this year, but Reservoir Dog just about pips the Blackstairs Cycling Challenge. I don't think the later was CI approved anyway, so not sure how that stands on boards.ie awards?

I'd also go back to the SEC 3 Peaks Challenge too (although this year it was the same weekend of the SRAC, which I've entered for 2018).

Wishbone Ash

NamelessPhil wrote: »

Audax Ireland events come under the Leisure section of Cycling Ireland. In that case there's no reason why the Mick Byrne couldn't be nominated.

Leisure and Mick Byrne 200 in the same sentence seems odd - 1000m of climbing in the first 40k!

One of my favourites all the same. It's a pity it falls on the last day of the Ras (the finish of which is on my doorstep).

terrydel

Macy0161 wrote: »

Don't see how they can enter their own event for their own award to be honest! SWMBO is starting to get interested, so not saying I'd never do the GDBR, but I think eas

Didn't do many this year, but Reservoir Dog just about pips the Blackstairs Cycling Challenge. I don't think the later was CI approved anyway, so not sure how that stands on boards.ie awards?

I'd also go back to the SEC 3 Peaks Challenge too (although this year it was the same weekend of the SRAC, which I've entered for 2018).

Too many acronyms.

Macy0161

terrydel wrote: »

Too many acronyms.

Looking at it now, yes probably!

Mercian Pro

Matt Bianco wrote: »

I’m not sure if audax would qualify in the strictest sense but the Mick Byrne puts many to shame in terms of organization, support and dedication of Paul and all in Audax Ireland and Sorrento CC

Can't think of any other event where the organiser (Paul) drives around encouraging participants. That and the creamed rice cones make it a strong contender.

marvin80 wrote: »

Tour de Kilkenny was a great event. Very well organised, great food stops and a tough, hilly route taking in some lovely parts of Kilkenny.

Definitely, and surprisingly, tougher than the revamped Sean Kelly. I'm told the slogan for next year will be 'a lot tougher than it looks!" Very friendly and well organised too.

Can't forget the Orwell Randonnee though it now seems like years ago. A lot of climbing so early in the year and really good burgers to finish.

Eamonnator

The Orwell would get my vote, great event, tough course, well organised, great food, well marshalled.

goldenboots

The Orwell randonee, Reservoir Dog and Tour de Kilkenny were all brilliant events. Great routes, marshalling, support, food, etc.
Didn't do the Mick Byrne 200 this year but it is a great event as well. The hardest sportive I have done in this country.
Shout out as well to the Pedal the Peaks (Pat Colgan) in Tullamore.
Looking forward to doing all the above again in 2018.

Mercian Pro

Based totally unscientifically on the number of positive mentions so far, the Reservoir Dog tops the list followed closely by the Mick Byrne with the Orwell Randonee and Tour de Kilkenny in joint third position.

Interesting that none of these have even been on the CI shortlists over the past three years. Are we all out of touch or are they?

HivemindXX

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Interesting that none of these have even been on the CI shortlists over the past three years. Are we all out of touch or are they?

I think there is a lot of selection bias. Those events you mention are far more like big club cycles and you are getting feedback from people I assume are club cyclists.

If you were able to poll the entrants to all the old An Post, Ring of Kerry, Skoda etc cycles you would get a very different answer.

Without knowing the criteria (which we don't) you can't say which list is more accurate.

Mercian Pro

HivemindXX wrote: »

Without knowing the criteria (which we don't) you can't say which list is more accurate.

So, any thoughts on what the criteria for Best Leisure Event should be?