Great Dublin Bike Ride 2018 - 23rd Sept

Weather looks dry tomorrow.

https://www.met.ie/weather-forecast/dublin-city#forecasts

Kamu wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I'm doing the 65km and I'm assuming I'm wave 3 (number in the 100's) which starts at 8:33,(according to the information booklet) what time should I get to the start pen at?

Wave 2 leaves at 8:15, so I was thinking about 8:25?
I live close, so don't want to be waiting around all morning.

Thank you in advance, see ye there, and enjoy the day!

Waiting around if somewhat inevitable really. The pens fill up on a first-come first-served basis so you would be more than likely down the back in pen 4 and not crossing the start line until maybe 8:50ish.

They're saying the pens close at 7:50. I doubt they will stop you from joining if you are late, I'm sure it's just a traffic management request. Just join the route further up the road if there's any hassle anyway.

brianomc wrote: »

Waiting around if somewhat inevitable really. The pens fill up on a first-come first-served basis so you would be more than likely down the back in pen 4 and not crossing the start line until maybe 8:50ish.

They're saying the pens close at 7:50. I doubt they will stop you from joining if you are late, I'm sure it's just a traffic management request. Just join the route further up the road if there's any hassle anyway.

Ah, ok. I see how it's being arranged now.
It's my first kind of Sportive, so I'd like to be in the pens. Guess I'll get there for 7:45 so.

Thank you!

That was really good. While it was not an arduous challenge, the fact that so many feel the can give it a go is really good.
i liked the minestrone at the end.

tk123 wrote: »

I was threatened with a ticket for obstructing traffic (there was nothing behind me) for not exiting a roundabout and ploughing into passing cyclists in Ballycoolin this morning.. So if a blue/green suv cut you off my sincerest apologies :mad:

I actually felt bad for any drivers caught in it. I found parts of Dublin 15 pretty hairy, particularly after Lucan where there were cars and bikes together sharing very little road. I cycle those roads every other day and felt perhaps they’d be better off closed.
Otherwise a nice day, did the longer route and was surprised (disappointed!) how few groups formed. Just my experience though.

Chartsengrafs wrote: »

I actually felt bad for any drivers caught in it. I found parts of Dublin 15 pretty hairy, particularly after Lucan where there were cars and bikes together sharing very little road. I cycle those roads every other day and felt perhaps they’d be better off closed.
Otherwise a nice day, did the longer route and was surprised (disappointed!) how few groups formed. Just my experience though.

I was livid but did what I was told. There was nothing behind me on the roundabout and I was happy to wait a minute for a natural break rather than drive across the 2 lanes of cyclists! :mad: What if I had of caused an accident like?! :mad:

I really enjoyed the event today, a little chilly this morning but nothing a thermal top could not take care of. However,I was curious with all the rain jackets going on. Was I missing something. Nice and steady all the way around. It was a lovely day for a cycle. It is the sort of event where everyone can have a go nice and flat save one small hill before entering phoenix. Be one for my to do list again next year. Well done to the Marshalls.

Weepsie wrote: »

I enjoyed that more than expected. Slow start as I a good bit back in the pen and I'd cooled down having cycled to the start and waited around for 30 mins.

Did it mostly solo, taking the odd respite from some groups, and giving the odd tow to some folk. Got it done in 3 and half hours, which was only 30-40 mins slower than Orla Walsh (professional cyclist I think). Food was grand, though I'd have had sandwiches at the end and cake in the middle but that's just because I've a sweet tooth.


Some some sketchy cycling in Clonee when people tried squeezing by a car that was just holding it line and patiently going alone with it, and then possibly the same folk going around the left side of a car while turning right, yet the car was going straight on.

The bit between Clonsilla and Fort Lucan was a bit sketchy too. They've made those roads 1 way before for smaller events I'm nearly sure, it was at a crawl for about 5 kms.


Also heard someone behind me hit the deck just past anglers rest, but a lot where unclipping, or just climbing off.


Would I do it again? Possibly, but I'd make some others do it with me, and maybe take it a bit slower, but today I was on a bit of a mission.

Agree with most of this.

Well organised and an interesting route but merging the 65km and 105km groups so far from the finish and squeezing them through the Clonsilla to Westmanstown (Fort Lucan) section was poorly thought through as it resulted in a lot of congestion and a lot of stop start traffic.

I think the congestion was a major contributing factor as to why more groups didn't form, it was just too hard to negotiate traffic!!

Would I do it again next year? Probably.

The new route I thought was an improvement, the Strawberry Beds -> Phoenix Park at the end was a lot more pleasant than the business park wasteland of previous years.

I think the congestion could also have had to do with the increased numbers (7k this year, 6k last year).

Effects wrote: »

Think I heard that tire going bang. About 12.15.
.

They heard the bang back in merrion square!

First time cycling anything more than 30km in one go. My quads had nothing left as I got to Anglers Rest and had to walk the hill, thought I got up it just to see it bend and went "are you for real," had to get off the bike to walk.

A lot of tit-for-tat, passed a few cyclists, to have them pass me later, and on and on it went.

Need to learn how to properly Pace myself.

The food and coffee at St. Margerets was great, but I was so burpy from that point on, hahaha.

I merged with the 105's at that first roundabout after food. The road's were very congested from that point on!

All in all did just shy of 70km total today. Not bad.

Saw at least 3 separate instances which required some attention from the authorities,

Wish them all a speedy recovery and hopefully see them next year!

Happy with my effort today on the 105Km today, got around in 3hrs15min which is good improvement on the past 2 years and on a longer route to boot. Wind was tough once you turned off at Sutton. Thoroughly tired now so the tipple in front of me is well deserved.

Tried to get a few groups working together but some people seemed content on wheel sucking despite several requests for them to pull through. Did briefly work together with a few lads with jerseys that had Henry J Lyons and another couple of gents with something something plonquers on the back of theirs. Gents the lot of them. Wheel suckers meant the groups didn't work and I ended up stop working and let the wheel suckers go ahead only to see them blow up on the hill in Naul so I went by and left them behind for good.

Marshalls and gardai were great. On the back end of the cycle, perhaps the last 30Km, I was a little unsure as to why the gardai were out as they weren't stopping traffic all that much. If they're not going to stop traffic then it's as well to have a marshall(s) on their own there.

Found the directional signage to be quite poor. Far too small and not distinct enough. There was one point where I'd gone for about 5-10Km after getting through Garristown and I didn't see one sign and thought I'd somehow gone off course. Whilst most folks have computers/strava running, it'd be nice to have signs with distance markers. Whilst I understand that having once off signage is expensive, getting a bunch of signs with a large white box on them where organisers could draw the distance in would be of benefit to everyone.

The change of the last 30Km of the route from the past few years was a poor choice imo. Too many interchanges to navigate and quite hairy when traffic is not stopped. Once you go out past Clonsilla, the roads all the way to the phoenix park are country roads but quite busy ones. Too dangerous for this number of cyclists to be traversing. The after navigating the strawberry beds and up past Anglers rest, I'd to deal with impatient cars in the phoenix park. That part of the park should've been closed off. Again, far too narrow a road once you're through the small roundabout. Not a safe final 30Km, needs to be reverted to previous finale.

The different locations for start and finishing was another poor choice. It's massively inconvenient for those travelling from afar. There was one portaloo at the start that I could see... for 7000 cyclists which you've asked to potentially line up from 7am for an 8am start. The roads that lead in/out of Grangegorman would not be suited for a mass start of 7000 cyclists. For the past few years they've made us cycle through the sports campus out in Blanchardstown, don't know why it doesn't start/finish there.

Minor issue, goodie bag should've been given out when collecting numbers. Am guessing they wanted to save on postage. Also no jersey numbers, again saving money.

Generally attend this event as the last sportive of the year. The prior 2 years have been solid and there was a great atmostphere at the end in Smithfield square. I'd be hard pushed to return to GDBR next year if it's the same route and will just use the Reservoir Dog (great great sportive) as the final sportive of the season.