Mini Evil 2020 July 18th

godtabh

In Laragh for a second time. I’ve cracked. I think it’s home the easy way

magicbastarder

what sort of gearing did you guys opt for?

godtabh

155 km with 3051m of climbing

irishrover99

Once you go mini, you never go back 😀

Absolutely destroyed after that.
181 km and just 4000m of climbing although my garmin said 4500. We done Ticknock at the end just to finish off the day, this after I bonked on Cunard and had to stop twice to eat. Delighted to finish it considering I only had 2000km done all year.
This was certainly evil enough for me and no way could I have done the usual 220 this year.

Excellent day out.
https://strava.app.link/C9ggmc49d8

Mercian Pro

Home (at last) and tucking in to a big plate of canelloni, garlic bread with Hop House 13. That certainly was plenty evil enough given the weather and state of unfitness. Brilliant route Irish Rover though that was quite the word I was thinking of on the Lower Cunard Road. Stats and photos will have to wait till later provided I don't fall asleep.

magicbastarder

irishrover99 wrote: »

Delighted to finish it considering I only had 2000km done all year.

that is one hell of a challenge to take on so!

Weepsie

Did ye stick together for most? Tuesday or Saturday are my windows to have a crack at it but I'd probably start as early as possible

Wishbone Ash

Great day on the bike. Took my time and probably held Mercian Pro back. Thanks irishrover99 for organising.

https://www.strava.com/activities/3782095214

Wishbone Ash

magicbastarder wrote: »

what sort of gearing did you guys opt for?

I had a 28 on the rear but at Lower Cunard near the end I could have done with a 30.

Weepsie wrote: »

Did ye stick together for most?...

I think we were in 3 separate groups. It's difficult to stick together on that amount of climbing.

ratracer

Chapeau to all today, that route looks like torture!

Mercian Pro

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Great day on the bike. Took my time and probably held Mercian Pro back. Thanks irishrover99 for organising.

Without that holding back, there is no way I would have been able to get up Cunard on a bike (or even walking!)

Relive video:https://www.relive.cc/view/vKv24B3y746

A few photos (mainly of WA) over at Photos taken on your cycle.

MojoMaker

Well done lads - brilliant day on the bike. You'll have to put some names to the faces in that first photo from the Relive video around Goatstown.

byrybak

Great day on the pusher with the lads yesterday, found it harder than last year! Well done to all finishers. Went for 50km and few hills this morning, legs actually felt ok. Cu next year. Many thanks to IRISHROVER99 for organising.

Wishbone Ash

MojoMaker wrote: »

....You'll have to put some names to the faces in that first photo from the Relive video around Goatstown.

Pic taken at the start in Dundrum.

Left to right - irishrover99, byrybak, Mercian Pro, Wishbone Ash, godtabh.

(Pic taken by a former member of McNally Swords CC who happened to be passing where we met. He was heading to the Wicklow Gap on a fixie.)

daragh_

Well done all!

MojoMaker

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Pic taken at the start in Dundrum.

Left to right - irishrover99, byrybak, Mercian Pro, Wishbone Ash, godtabh.

(Pic taken by a former member of McNally Swords CC who happened to be passing where we met. He was heading to the Wicklow Gap on a fixie.)

Excellent. The gap on a fixie :eek:

Alexzont

Completely wimped out there yesterday, sorry about that lads. Had glorious weather today however and made the voyage. Missed the turn for Sally Gap down Luggala but sure hate that road anyway.

https://www.strava.com/activities/3786506165 180km/3700 meters in 7 hours.

godtabh

Was looking back over the times I've done Slieve Mann. I've done it 6 times. 5 on Evil rides. Its been the death of me each time. I've cracked on it each time and Shay Elliot kills me off. Next year I'm starting from Larragh

Wishbone Ash

godtabh wrote: »

Was looking back over the times I've done Slieve Mann. I've done it 6 times. 5 on Evil rides. Its been the death of me each time. I've cracked on it each time and Shay Elliot kills me off. Next year I'm starting from Larragh

Are you pushing too hard on it? I find that even easing up a little on a climb pays back exponentially. I never find the bigger well known climbs difficult as I know what's ahead of me. It's the more obscure ones which kill me as I seem to forget about them until I'm on them.

For me the two most difficult yesterday were the section from the right turn at the Avonbeg river bridge to the right turn for Brown Mountain and that bloody Shankill drag which seems to go on forever.

People say that Cunard is tough but at least it visible and measurable.

(Of course it doesn't help when you have Mercian Pro ahead of you sailing off into the sunset on each climb even though he has stopped to take numerous pics on the way up! ).

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

..... the section from the right turn at the Avonbeg river bridge to the right turn for Brown Mountain ....

This one with the quirky name! Bloody killer!

https://www.strava.com/segments/20737933

The Noble Nudge

godtabh wrote: »

155 km with 3051m of climbing

At least the weather improved for you after we met...nothing to see up Kippure either surprise surprise......

Well done all cant get the long distances into the brain at present..think I need a new bike

fat bloke

godtabh wrote: »

Was looking back over the times I've done Slieve Mann. I've done it 6 times. 5 on Evil rides. Its been the death of me each time. I've cracked on it each time and Shay Elliot kills me off. Next year I'm starting from Larragh

What exacerbates their difficulty is the fact that they're so far away (for Dublin based departures), so you only ever hit them with a good few km in the legs. Also the double whammy effect of one after the other. But they're funny climbs cos they're no particularly high and in isolation are not even that particularly hard.

Elliot from Laragh side is dead easy, very pleasant, and you're at the top before you know it. Sliabh Maan in the direction of Laragh is really hard at the start for the first quarter but then it's not hard it all for the remaining three quarters, but the first bit (which you inevitably attack) kinda sucks the legs off you. I actually think Sliabh Maan is hardest from the Glenmalure side, it seems much longer, it's steep all the way up, and Elliot is also toughest from Glenmalure cos it's hard at the start, eases off a tad in the middle but then seems to get harder again for the remainin half. - I don't have any percentatage gradients to back up my leg-whispering though

Absolutely though - just chill out and soft pedal any of them, let your thoughts wander and before you know it you're cresting handily enough.

godtabh

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

At least the weather improved for you after we met...nothing to see up Kippure either surprise surprise......

Well done all cant get the long distances into the brain at present..think I need a new bike

Meeting you going the wrong way kinda summed up my day! Garmin has issues with cross roads. Some how managed heading up by Lock Dan.

godtabh

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Are you pushing too hard on it? I find that even easing up a little on a climb pays back exponentially. I never find the bigger well known climbs difficult as I know what's ahead of me. It's the more obscure ones which kill me as I seem to forget about them until I'm on them.

For me the two most difficult yesterday were the section from the right turn at the Avonbeg river bridge to the right turn for Brown Mountain and that bloody Shankill drag which seems to go on forever.

Its always a combination of things. Dressed wrong (Probably had too pessimistic view on how the day would turn out), going to hard to early (had a few PBs from Dundrum to Old Military Road), not eating enough (had a lot more food in my pockets when I got home than I thought!) and put myself under time pressure when I didnt have too.

At the end of the day it was always going to be a struggle for a lad like me but its a challenge and its something to work towards. The last couple of years (2018, 2019) have been a struggle motivation wise. 2020 has been a decent year and this was a good motivation for me.

There's always next year!

smacl

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

This one with the quirky name! Bloody killer!

https://www.strava.com/segments/20737933

That climb towards Macreddin is a nasty yoke for sure. The other one that always kills me is the climb up from Clara bridge, very picturesque but it would want to be!

Wishbone Ash

smacl wrote: »

... The other one that always kills me is the climb up from Clara bridge, very picturesque but it would want to be!

That climb was on the 2016 Evil. It must be one of the steepest ramps in Wicklow. I came very close to doing the walk of shame on it but managed to keep moving.

godtabh

smacl wrote: »

That climb towards Macreddin is a nasty yoke for sure. The other one that always kills me is the climb up from Clara bridge, very picturesque but it would want to be!

This one is a killer. You come across the bridge and there is no sign of the torture that awaits you until you hit the bottom.

When I did in 2016 a Moro bike gang came up along side me at the same time. Nearly fell off the bike as
I was going so slow/they were rush past.

Weepsie

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

That climb was on the 2016 Evil. It must be one of the steepest ramps in Wicklow. I came very close to doing the walk of shame on it but managed to keep moving.

I pass by that regularly enough on my way to aughrim. Looking at it makes the legs quesy. The church is a very popular wedding venue as the setting is beautiful. A few wedding cars have gotten stuck getting back up though.

The climb to macreddin is a tester too. When I did it last, there was electrical cable down which made for me taking the middle of the lane. You -gain 70metres in the first 500metres which is decent enough.

There's a similar one between Annacurra and Aughrim and it's twistier too.

irishrover99

smacl wrote: »

That climb towards Macreddin is a nasty yoke for sure. The other one that always kills me is the climb up from Clara bridge, very picturesque but it would want to be!

We might be going back there next year. It’s a rough sketch but interesting.



A nice finish up Ticknock makes it feel proper pro 😀 https://www.strava.com/routes/2720732013190949048

I think that bringing it back towards 200 km will have more people turning up as it was getting a bit out of hand at 240km.
Also wondering if moving it from the day before the w200 would be a good idea as I think it that event draws people away from the evil.

Any thoughts on this are welcome.

godtabh

irishrover99 wrote: »

We might be going back there next year. It’s a rough sketch but interesting.



A nice finish up Ticknock makes it feel proper pro �� https://www.strava.com/routes/2720732013190949048

I think that bringing it back towards 200 km will have more people turning up as it was getting a bit out of hand at 240km.
Also wondering if moving it from the day before the w200 would be a good idea as I think it that event draws people away from the evil.

Any thoughts on this are welcome.

Make it harder than the W200 but 200km long.