Dublin Wheelers Open Race 2018

CramCycle

So who is going out, looks like the same course as last year.

Not sure about the higher up races but A4 has limited numbers and only 45km, considering my lack of training, it looks like a good starter to unwind the legs.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0wyw7ztgklnx1dp/DWCC-GP-2018-route-map.pdf?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/eelgxlmleeqxjwa/DWCC-GP-2018-datasheet.pdf?dl=0

Chumpski

I signed up Friday night.

Checked out the course on strava/google maps. Looks flat and fast. Twisty & narrow roads and 2 straight long main roads. Junctions look ok.

Have you ridden it before Cram? Whats that hill like at the finish?

When you say A4 has limited numbers, you mean the limit of 110? Thats a sizable bunch!

EDIT: Ill probably go ride the course next weekend to have a look for myself.

Borderfox

Fast start down with a bit of a drag up to the Mullagh crossroads. Draggy till just before Culmullen and the Trim Road is grand. The run in to the finish from the last turn is quick and the finish at Doreys is short and sharp but shouldn't be too bad at race pace

daragh_

The A4 will be ditch to ditch at the bottom of Dorey's. If you fancy your chances be up the front on the last left hand turn and hold your spot. Don't be first into Dorey's though.

Glass Prison 1214

Chumpski wrote: »

When you say A4 has limited numbers, you mean the limit of 110? Thats a sizable bunch!

It says 80 rider limit for the A4 race in the link in the OP.

Chumpski

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

It says 80 rider limit for the A4 race in the link in the OP.

It does! Good to know, thanks.

CramCycle

Chumpski wrote: »

I signed up Friday night.

Checked out the course on strava/google maps. Looks flat and fast. Twisty & narrow roads and 2 straight long main roads. Junctions look ok.

Have you ridden it before Cram? Whats that hill like at the finish?

When you say A4 has limited numbers, you mean the limit of 110? Thats a sizable bunch!

EDIT: Ill probably go ride the course next weekend to have a look for myself.

I have done this route but with the finish elsewhere, last year I was in a crash at a few km out where my front wheel stopped with someones chainring. At this point, they had hit 60kmph and were holding at 50kmph, so I was happy to bow out.

I wouldn't even call it a hill, it is a drag that continues from the previous turn. If there is wind behind you, it won't be noticeable. If your feeling OK coming to the last turn and can get round the bunch after the corner and get in front by the bend that has a layby, then go like the clappers. This is 2km out. At 1km out the road is dead straight so from that point on, if your not near the front, it is time to leave it as it will be mental.

In my opinion, says the man who always goes sprinting far too early in club league races and gets taken out a hundred metres before the line.

JimmiesRustled

CramCycle wrote: »

So who is going out, looks like the same course as last year.

Not sure about the higher up races but A4 has limited numbers and only 45km, considering my lack of training, it looks like a good starter to unwind the legs.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0wyw7ztgklnx1dp/DWCC-GP-2018-route-map.pdf?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/eelgxlmleeqxjwa/DWCC-GP-2018-datasheet.pdf?dl=0

If it's anything like last year's race you'll get the legs ripped off ya. I don't think there was any let up from start to finish.

The "climb" doesn't look like much if you're out for a handy spin. Throw it in a race and you'll know all about it. Almost went too early on it last year and luckily blew up on the line.

CramCycle

JimmiesRustled wrote: »

If it's anything like last year's race you'll get the legs ripped off ya. I don't think there was any let up from start to finish.

The "climb" doesn't look like much if you're out for a handy spin. Throw it in a race and you'll know all about it. Almost went too early on it last year and luckily blew up on the line.

Last year was insanity in A4. The waiting at the garage for the off was hilarious. A load of stickybottle readers had the guy who won a different race by a country mile marked from the start. They were acting like children at the garage, one or two hoping the railing with their bikes to get closer to the front and a few pushing off before the comms said so.

I laughed because I told a clubmate new to racing that it shouldn't be too bad. Like I said, I was in a crash early but it was full of insanely eager beavers.

Hopefully they keep to their online only entry for the race.

Chumpski

CramCycle wrote: »

Last year was insanity in A4. The waiting at the garage for the off was hilarious. A load of stickybottle readers had the guy who won a different race by a country mile marked from the start. They were acting like children at the garage, one or two hoping the railing with their bikes to get closer to the front and a few pushing off before the comms said so.

I laughed because I told a clubmate new to racing that it shouldn't be too bad. Like I said, I was in a crash early but it was full of insanely eager beavers.

Hopefully they keep to their online only entry for the race.

Yeah i think eager beavers is a good way to put it. First race of the year!

It will be a nice opener to test the legs. I'm more looking forward to the cycleways cup to be honest as it probably will suit me more (depending on if all this hard work i did over the winter will pay off or not) being a light guy with an ok sprint and not much power.

Plastik

No access to dropbox in work, if someone would tell me the A1/A2 distance and if are they separate races I would be most obliged?

Wrote off a frame racing this before, still hold a grudge against the circuit!

RobFowl

Very short and not hard enough to break it up. Finish is tough though. Go too early and you will die a death.

CramCycle

Race HQ Starts Laps km Early Late
A1(A2) 10:30 10:45 3⅞ 87.8 12:49 13:15
A+,A1 10:30 10:47 3⅞ 87.8 12:49 13:15
A3 10:45 10:55 2⅞ 65.1 12:27 12:46
A4 10:55 11:03 1⅞ 42.4 12:05 12:17

CramCycle

RobFowl wrote: »

Very short and not hard enough to break it up. Finish is tough though. Go too early and you will die a death.

If your not going to help my cause to make sure everyone dies off, then stop posting :pac:

sullzz

Signed up for this the other day , did it 2 years ago and started my sprint far too early and got swallowed halfway up the finishing drag .
Cycled a lap of it yesterday , its a nasty little kick to the finish .
I really feel off form , nowhere near where id like to be at this stage . Ill do the race but dont think ill even try contest the sprint .

CramCycle

sullzz wrote: »

I really feel off form , nowhere near where id like to be at this stage . Ill do the race but dont think ill even try contest the sprint .

Same here, at this point, it really is just the kick I need so i can admit how out of form I am.

JimmiesRustled

Plastik wrote: »

No access to dropbox in work, if someone would tell me the A1/A2 distance and if are they separate races I would be most obliged?

Wrote off a frame racing this before, still hold a grudge against the circuit!

76km I think 3 and 7/8 laps or something like that from what I saw. Same as yourself no access to Dropbox in work but was told it was something around that over the weekend. As far as I can tell it’s a single A1/A2 race.

RobFowl

CramCycle wrote: »

If your not going to help my cause to make sure everyone dies off, then stop posting :pac:

It's deceptive finish, not as steep as it looks. Go early as if you go long it's very hard for anyone to come around you.
Best to go to the front and drive it from the turn off from the trim road.

Borderfox

One other thing, the s bend on the way from Mullagh to Culmullen has a really bad surface. Gravel on the left and shores on the right and off camber

sullzz

RobFowl wrote: »

It's deceptive finish, not as steep as it looks. Go early as if you go long it's very hard for anyone to come around you.
Best to go to the front and drive it from the turn off from the trim road.

Its about 4km from that turn .

RobFowl

sullzz wrote: »

Its about 4km from that turn .

Shhhhhhhhhhssssssss

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=106193033&postcount=14

sullzz

RobFowl wrote: »

Shhhhhhhhhhssssssss

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=106193033&postcount=14

Ooooops !!!

Well i suppose , 3.5km of that 4km is slightly downhill and 99% of the time there is a tailwind along that road .

CramCycle

At this point, I'm going from the turn just to annoy the sh1t out of the more twitchy riders.

Bambaata

It's a tough circuit. Whilst the finish isn't long it's agony! Few draggy sections and some fast sweeping bends between both main roads. Hopefully weather is OK, was on it yesterday too for some laps and took wheel of club mate for 5 seconds of not being able to see with the spray/muck flying into my face! I punctured out last year and had rear wheel trouble a few years back so hopefully I finish this year!!

queldy

No way there will be a break. Stay covered in the first part of group (20/30 riders), do not take wind (so move right and left of the group depending, and anticipate this; after turning it's already late, as everyone will do the same...), and try not to fatigue your legs on the stretch (it's not long, but done at 40/45km/h is painful enough).
Last lap, you must be in the first 15 at the last bend (I mean the one at ~4km, after the Trim road), and keep position and much as you can. Two years ago it was a very nervous race (A4 I am speaking), so be resolute.
And last but not least: you must sprint the last - There will be plenty of people sprinting way too far, and plenty of people sprinting far enough, and plenty of people sprinting at the right time but not keeping it fast enough. Do not be one of them!
There is a sign on the left, two years ago I said to myself "do not sprint it before that sign!", still I did sprint earlier... and it was way too far!
Seems easy, but that sprint is too long, at that speed. So keep avoiding people till the end, and sprint only when you are the last!

PS If I find my Strava I will post it, if I am not wrong we sprinted at ~49km/h. I would consider trying the stretch a few times (at least 5 days earlier) and "choose" a proper gear.

Good luck

JK.BMC

If the long range weather is correct, there will be a foot of snow on the day! We will have to wait and see

Derrydingle

It's good to see that some of the races now are pre reg

sullzz

Derrydingle wrote: »

It's good to see that some of the races now are pre reg

It is good , although id prefer if they were capped at 80 like this race , the Rás Naomh Finian in clonard the following week is pre reg also but with a cap at 110 riders , that in my opinion is still far too many for A4 races . But yeah pre reg is a step in the right direction .

Chumpski

sullzz wrote: »

It is good , although id prefer if they were capped at 80 like this race , the Rás Naomh Finian in clonard the following week is pre reg also but with a cap at 110 riders , that in my opinion is still far too many for A4 races . But yeah pre reg is a step in the right direction .

For that race, it looks like wide main roads in use so maybe cap is bigger for that reason? I dont know, never done it yet (im signed up for this year).

JimmiesRustled

Chumpski wrote: »

For that race, it looks like wide main roads in use so maybe cap is bigger for that reason? I dont know, never done it yet (im signed up for this year).

It's an out and back. The only tight points are coming into small towns with the traffic calming measures and the roundabout where you turn back on yourself. That roundabout was the end of the race for a few lads last year. A lot of gaps formed on it so try and be near the front for that section in particular. Bunch gallop to finish it off.

Delboy007

Chumpski wrote: »

sullzz wrote: »

It is good , although id prefer if they were capped at 80 like this race , the Rás Naomh Finian in clonard the following week is pre reg also but with a cap at 110 riders , that in my opinion is still far too many for A4 races .  But yeah pre reg is a step in the right direction .

For that race, it looks like wide main roads in use so maybe cap is bigger for that reason? I dont know, never done it yet (im signed up for this year).

Did the Naomh Finian  last year too, just watch the roundabout were you turn back on yourself was brave and wet last year and was a bit greasy, apart from that it is pretty flat out the hole time. Lets hope the weather is better this year

Chumpski

Rode the course yesterday. The narrow roads i saw on Google maps are not as narrow in reality.

Nice course, up and down and twisty in parts. Fast main road in the north part of the course. That hill at the cross roads is nasty. Does the race finish at the crossroads does anyone know?

Ironic that racing moved to March to move the start of the racing year out of the winter which is absolutely right thing for Cycling Ireland to do. But unfortunately the first racing weekend of the year is going to happen during a freak blizzard!

CramCycle

It will be interesting to see if it goes ahead or not, the forecasts are so varied.

Matt Bianco

Chumpski wrote: »

Rode the course yesterday. The narrow roads i saw on Google maps are not as narrow in reality.

Nice course, up and down and twisty in parts. Fast main road in the north part of the course. That hill at the cross roads is nasty. Does the race finish at the crossroads does anyone know?

Ironic that racing moved to March to move the start of the racing year out of the winter which is absolutely right thing for Cycling Ireland to do. But unfortunately the first racing weekend of the year is going to happen during a freak blizzard!

Line is around 10m shy of the crossroads - not the longest or hardest drag but at race speed with hurt in the legs can be a different matter for sure

sullzz

CramCycle wrote: »

It will be interesting to see if it goes ahead or not, the forecasts are so varied.

Youd hope they wont leave it past wednesday/ thursday to officially make the call .

DKmac

Considering most races are going to be on minor roads(which won't be treated), if the weather is to be anywhere close to what's forecast there won't be any racing along the east coast this weekend.
They can't be blamed for the weather but Cycling Irelands genius plan of pushing races into March is beginning to show how pointless the whole thing was. It would have made sense if they moved races to later in the year but all they did was pack the February race calendar into March.

harringtonp

DKmac wrote: »

Considering most races are going to be on minor roads(which won't be treated), if the weather is to be anywhere close to what's forecast there won't be any racing along the east coast this weekend.
They can't be blamed for the weather but Cycling Irelands genius plan of pushing races into March is beginning to show how pointless the whole thing was. It would have made sense if they moved races to later in the year but all they did was pack the February race calendar into March.

I'd disagree. I think CI did the right thing and it is a brave move to make. Clubs could have decided to reschedule races for later rather than trying to squeeze them into March. One would be hoping that a few years down the line the kick off would be even later than Mar 1st and there would be a fuller Autumn calendar. But as shown this year you cannot do this in one clean sweep, the adjustment period needs to be over a few years.

IMO Ideally racing would be fairly evening spread out between Apr 1st and Oct 31st

RobFowl

IMO there is close to zero chance of racing this weekend and have mentally prepared myself as such....
Supposed to be going down to culchie land on fri for a meeting but that's looking unlikely now too...
On the plus side kids will love it and a great chance to play on the MTB

DKmac

harringtonp wrote: »

I'd disagree. I think CI did the right thing and it is a brave move to make. Clubs could have decided to reschedule races for later rather than trying to squeeze them into March. One would be hoping that a few years down the line the kick off would be even later than Mar 1st and there would be a fuller Autumn calendar. But as shown this year you cannot do this in one clean sweep, the adjustment period needs to be over a few years.

IMO Ideally racing would be fairly evening spread out between Apr 1st and Oct 31st

What's the point in delaying the start of the season? Sure the weathers so variable that it makes no difference between Mid-Feb and March. I just don't see the point at all, let alone the "bravery" of it all.

CramCycle

DKmac wrote: »

What's the point in delaying the start of the season? Sure the weathers so variable that it makes no difference between Mid-Feb and March. I just don't see the point at all, let alone the "bravery" of it all.

A few people made this point last year, and were told we were incorrect.

JK.BMC

RobFowl wrote: »

IMO there is close to zero chance of racing this weekend and have mentally prepared myself as such....
Supposed to be going down to culchie land on fri for a meeting but that's looking unlikely now too...
On the plus side kids will love it and a great chance to play on the MTB

So are they going to bus the riders over the climb at Doreys Forge? There isn't a snowballs chance of this going ahead. Unfortunate turn of events weather wise. Should reschedule for September?

Taxuser1

RobFowl wrote: »

IMO there is close to zero chance of racing this weekend and have mentally prepared myself as such....
Supposed to be going down to culchie land on fri for a meeting but that's looking unlikely now too...
On the plus side kids will love it and a great chance to play on the MTB

Snow and freezing conditions in the lead up and through the day in Cycleways Cup in 2015. didn't stop the race

RobFowl

Taxuser1 wrote: »

Snow and freezing conditions in the lead up and through the day in Cycleways Cup in 2015. didn't stop the race

The Heaviest snowwfall in over 30 years and comparable to 1947 ! I think this is a slightly different ballpark......

LCD

Taxuser1 wrote: »

Snow and freezing conditions in the lead up and through the day in Cycleways Cup in 2015. didn't stop the race

Thats not quite what happened. I cycled from Drogheda to Navan that day for the race. Left Drogheda in fairly good conditions, bright, but cold. Half way there the weather turned & blizzard arrived. Half way through the race it had stopped & sun actually came out.

Same year, that May in the Tour of Ulster, in the Mourne's weather changed, 1oC, sideways sleet, stage abandoned. Guys you were racing against 5mins ago, you`re now hugging in the back of a car trying to stay warm

Taxuser1

RobFowl wrote: »

The Heaviest snowwfall in over 30 years and comparable to 1947 ! I think this is a slightly different ballpark......

I'm still waiting for Orphelia

RobFowl

Taxuser1 wrote: »

I'm still waiting for Orphelia

Ophelia Bottom ?

Lusk_Doyle

Taxuser1 wrote: »

I'm still waiting for Orphelia

You will be waiting a while so.

mhiggy09

I can't see this going ahead with the forecast, a bit disappointed was meant to be my first race.

JK.BMC

mhiggy09 wrote: »

I can't see this going ahead with the forecast, a bit disappointed was meant to be my first race.

That any cyclist in Ireland still expects to be competing in a cycle race this weekend is remarkable; it is possible that every weather forecast is wrong but as far as I can see we are about to get the worst snow/cold in nearly 40 years- the last thing anybody should consider is entering a bike race.
Perhaps it's the 'fake news' mentality of the current times. I dunno...
With a full season ahead, surely it's best to plan for some other races/rescheduling? I'm disappointed to think the Mick Lally would be cancelled; great early season gallop.

Taxuser1

JK.BMC wrote: »

That any cyclist in Ireland still expects to be competing in a cycle race this weekend is remarkable; it is possible that every weather forecast is wrong but as far as I can see we are about to get the worst snow/cold in nearly 40 years- the last thing anybody should consider is entering a bike race.
Perhaps it's the 'fake news' mentality of the current times. I dunno...
With a full season ahead, surely it's best to plan for some other races/rescheduling? I'm disappointed to think the Mick Lally would be cancelled; great early season gallop.

A drizzling of sleet. Will be thawed out by lunchtime.

Chumpski

Might be gone by Sunday, Saturday in doubt.