Kippure Time Trial

barrabus · 18-03-2009 9:34pm #1

I mooted the idea of a boards Kippure time trial in another post.

I am now suggesting Tuesday March 31st as the date, starting at say 6.30pm??
This is the first Tuesday after the clocks change, sun set will be at 7:55pm.

One minute intervals between riders, as it is a hill course tear drop helmets and skin suits aren't mandatory

All obviously welcome.
Reply if interested so we can get an idea of numbers.
The advice of someone who has actually organised a tt before would be appreciated.

I suggest Al as the bookie ...

http://www.sunrisesunset.com/calendar.asp?comb_city_info=Dublin,%20Ireland;6;53;0;2&month=3&year=2009&time_type=0

Raam · 18-03-2009 9:41pm

Good idea. Is it worth waiting a couple of weeks later to get extra time at it? Chances are we won't be there on time.

On Tuesday the 14th April suset is 20.24
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=78&month=4&year=2009&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1

barrabus · 18-03-2009 9:44pm

Raam wrote: »

Good idea. Is it worth waiting a couple of weeks later to get extra time at it? Chances are we won't be there on time.

On Tuesday the 14th April suset is 20.24
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=78&month=4&year=2009&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1

think i am in switzerland that tuesday .. one before or after???

Raam · 18-03-2009 9:51pm

Swords TT is on the 15th so I doubt doing a TT the day before is a good idea for me!

April 7th?

NeilMcEoigheann · 18-03-2009 10:13pm

i'll be there, but will be knackered as i'm only back from denmark the day before, this is going to be really good,
basically you need two clocks with second hands, every rider sets off at 1min intervals and as they cross the line the time on the second clock is recorded,
then the time is subtracted, even if the clocks are wrong they are wrong for everybody so its ok, this is going to be great.

NeilMcEoigheann · 18-03-2009 10:14pm

Raam wrote: »

Good idea. Is it worth waiting a couple of weeks later to get extra time at it? Chances are we won't be there on time.

On Tuesday the 14th April suset is 20.24
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=78&month=4&year=2009&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1

just turn up ontime, 31st is good

short circuit · 18-03-2009 10:19pm

With so many people with Garmins ... all you need is 2 people with Garmins at the top and bottom .... both of them will always show the exact same time.

I will probably be there for the entertainment and betting if Al is running the bookies

Raam · 18-03-2009 10:30pm

NeilMcEoigheann wrote: »

just turn up ontime, 31st is good

Some of us have jobs on the far side of the city.

ROK ON · 18-03-2009 10:33pm

Is there mobile coverage? Judging by Tunneys comments earlier there isnt.
If not, then it would be difficult to co-ordinate start with finish stop watches.
Alternative would be to give each rider a ticket (piece of paper) with their start time as they leave the gate at bottom of climb.

blorg · 18-03-2009 11:01pm

short_circuit's idea with the garmins- the gpses run off the satellite time and thus the time will be the same; would hardly be so difficult to sync two watches either at the start.

Lumen · 18-03-2009 11:22pm

Does anyone have a portable defibrillator?

ryan_sherlock · 18-03-2009 11:29pm

March 31st is good with Mel and I.

Could figure out times so that those further away have more time to get to the start, i.e. start towards the end...

I'm sure someone could hack together a quick signup sheet that would orgainze that. Then, the day before the event - post everyones exact start time so we know when to be where.

Low Key hill climbs in the US usually use that format.

zzzzzzzz · 18-03-2009 11:33pm

31st sounds good to me

niceonetom · 18-03-2009 11:46pm

This thread gives me the fear.

kenmc · 19-03-2009 10:07am

This is a downhill time trial, right?

ryan_sherlock · 19-03-2009 10:27am

I've attached the profile for the climb - starts out pretty flat but kicks up a few times. The last few hundred meters are tough.

Average gradients is only 6.3. Max is around 15...

Caroline_ie · 19-03-2009 10:44am

ryan_sherlock wrote: »

I've attached the profile for the climb - starts out pretty flat but kicks up a few times. The last few hundred meters are tough.

Average gradients is only 6.3. Max is around 15...

Are you sure max gradient is 15%?? I am pretty sure it's about 20 on my garmin near at the last 2 bends. Or maybe it's just like me ... it exagerates everything ...

I have a great game for you guys in Kippure: How many times can you go and down Kippure while I go just once

ryan_sherlock · 19-03-2009 10:51am

Not sure if it is right... Was a crappy day I recorded the data and it was with a 305. I just remember it being steep. I have not been up there since then.

Caroline_ie · 19-03-2009 10:56am

My garmin had failed last tuesday when we went up but from what I remember when I went up there 1st last year, I was shocked by the 20%+ gradiant near the top ...

sean_d · 19-03-2009 11:42am

I think I clocked it at closer to 17/18% last year, the stretch just before the hairpin

blorg · 19-03-2009 11:48am

The Garmin displays "instantaneous" grades a fair bit in excess of the sustained grades you will see on the data downloaded. I've got over 30% (not on Kippure)

ROK ON · 19-03-2009 11:50am

I mad it to beyond the 2km mark when high winds and no visibility lead me to chicken out an turn back. I was wondering why you were all so impressed with the climb, as the 1st 2k are not that tough.

Now that I see the visual on the climb, I stopped just before it actually starts to climb(2.5k onwards).

Ah well. Will try it this w/e.

Chips Lovell · 19-03-2009 12:04pm

Yes, it's the bit at the end that's the real kicker.

Organising a tt isn't that hard and you don't need mobiles. Sync watches, agree a start time and send one person up (who can record their own time with their bike computer and hopefully be honest about it). Send people off at one minute intervals on a pre-agreed schedule. You can then work out everyone's time from the agreed start time. So if person x goes off fifth, their time is the total minus four minutes.

I'd do it for the crack if I can get out of work on time.

victorcarrera · 19-03-2009 2:04pm

I would advise using numbered stickers to allow for the possibility of overtaking.

Planet X · 19-03-2009 2:23pm

Call out your number as you cross the finish line. You don't actually need a paper number. You sign on in a position, eg. 6th. Call out six as you finish. Wicklow Tri club did it this way for their TT series last year. The Vets do the same.

kenmc · 19-03-2009 2:42pm

el tonto wrote: »

Organising a tt isn't that hard and you don't need mobiles. Sync watches, agree a start time and send one person up (who can record their own time with their bike computer and hopefully be honest about it). Send people off at one minute intervals on a pre-agreed schedule. You can then work out everyone's time from the agreed start time. So if person x goes off fifth, their time is the total minus four minutes.

Only catch is that the first person to go up has to be a stronger climber than the next few so they don't get overtaken, and have to hope that they don't suffer a mechanical/puncture en route, else the whole timing thing will get totally shafted.

Is there any way to see from the top to the bottom to give a visual signal that the first up has made it and the rest can start going, or is there an obstruction in the way?

Chips Lovell · 19-03-2009 2:49pm

Just give them a good headstart, like fifteen minutes or something. You can see most of the way up. Even if they do have a puncture on the last section, I'd say they'd still get up in time.

Lumen · 19-03-2009 3:06pm

ryan_sherlock wrote: »

I've attached the profile for the climb - starts out pretty flat but kicks up a few times. The last few hundred meters are tough.

Interesting stats. A cursory fiddle with numbers suggests that you weren't trying very hard for that 13:50, and that I might crawl up in just under 20 minutes.

ryan_sherlock · 19-03-2009 3:14pm

A cursory fiddle with numbers suggests that you weren't trying very hard for that 13:50, and that I might crawl up in just under 20 minutes.

It was a recce run up the climb before Team Worc ran the race up it a few days later. I rode a steady pace up it. Hmm, I wonder what I will do this time...

DirkVoodoo · 19-03-2009 3:17pm

I'll do it, or at the very least head out and help with the time-keeping.

kenmc · 19-03-2009 3:24pm

Yeah I'd be up for giving it a go too. Assuming i get out of work and home in time enough to get there.. it's a good hour or so from dundrum

Planet X · 19-03-2009 3:32pm

@kenmc.
I can give you a lift up. Jeep with bike rack.
Assuming I'll do it also.

Caroline_ie · 19-03-2009 3:37pm

Lumen wrote: »

Interesting stats. A cursory fiddle with numbers suggests that you weren't trying very hard for that 13:50, and that I might crawl up in just under 20 minutes.

OMG Lumen, what have you just said! I woudn't tempt team Sherlock if I were you ... :pac:

petethedrummer · 19-03-2009 3:54pm

I'm in. Its not as bad as some might think. The steep side of Howth Hill is worse in my opinion. So if you can get up that in one go, you can get up Kippure.

blorg · 19-03-2009 5:36pm

Planet X wrote: »

Call out your number as you cross the finish line. You don't actually need a paper number. You sign on in a position, eg. 6th. Call out six as you finish. Wicklow Tri club did it this way for their TT series last year. The Vets do the same.

I think "murrph murrph (collapse)" will do very well in this TT.

Greyspoke · 19-03-2009 6:38pm

I might give it a lash if it turns out that I can make it up on the night in question.
The issue of riders descending back down while others are still heading up needs to be considered. It could be pretty cold at the top so might not be conducive to waiting around until everyone has made it up. Presumably riders going up will keep to the left track (from what I recall there's grass etc up the middle) with any passing obviously requiring a switch to the right where descending riders could be a problem. I guess descending will have to be kept very controlled.

copacetic · 19-03-2009 7:12pm

petethedrummer wrote: »

I'm in. Its not as bad as some might think. The steep side of Howth Hill is worse in my opinion. So if you can get up that in one go, you can get up Kippure.

heh, the one time I was up that way I had already stopped about 15 times coming up from powerscourt to glencree and up to sallygap, it took me about 40 minutes to do the climb up kippure stopping every few minutes! It was shameful, I could run it nealry twice as quick!

but you guys are inspiring me, maybe this year I'll stick with the bike long enough to do something like this in the summer...

NeilMcEoigheann · 19-03-2009 8:32pm

Greyspoke wrote: »

It could be pretty cold at the top so might not be conducive to waiting around until everyone has made it up.

their won't be that many of us so everyone will be at the top before you know it, alternatively the person with the time at the top could bring up peoples windbreakers in some form of bag,

blorg · 19-03-2009 9:42pm

NeilMcEoigheann wrote: »

their won't be that many of us so everyone will be at the top before you know it, alternatively the person with the time at the top could bring up peoples windbreakers in some form of bag,

I think I'm seeing a way to handicap Ryan here

I will bring my lead windbreaker.

niceonetom · 19-03-2009 10:12pm

blorg wrote: »

I think I'm seeing a way to handicap Ryan here I will bring my lead windbreaker.

We're probably going to be thirsty at the top too. I think team Sherlock should make sure there's plenty of bidons up there waiting for us.

Lumen · 29-03-2009 3:17pm

Is this still on for 18:30 on Tues? I need to sort a babysitter....

Also, would much appreciate GPS coordinates or a Google map link for the start point - my sense of direction is dire.

ryan_sherlock · 29-03-2009 8:19pm

I'm still up for it assuming okay weather.

Link to start: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=53.171782,-6.308384&spn=0.063899,0.181961&t=h&z=13&msid=104529717010402214268.00046646c611ba71ff4fe

Just for an idea of numbers, and possible starting order (so we finish roughly closer together) I have a little spreadsheet.

Please add yourself in:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pYbR-2Fs-_VXonLj6fMcLNQ

We need two timers - any ideas?

LDB · 29-03-2009 8:42pm

I can make it out to help with time keeping duties.

TinyExplosions · 29-03-2009 9:01pm

If anyone can give me a lift out, I'm happy to help with the timing/possibly ave a crack at it...

Caroline_ie · 29-03-2009 9:04pm

TinyExplosions wrote: »

If anyone can give me a lift out.

ya lazy fecker!

Chips Lovell · 29-03-2009 9:13pm

Still coughing and spluttering here, but I'll probably give it a shot if I can get out of work on time.

Sunset's around 8 now isn't it? Might be a good idea to bring lights for the way back.

@Tiny: What's wrong with cycling out.

TinyExplosions · 29-03-2009 9:50pm

el tonto wrote: »

Still coughing and spluttering here, but I'll probably give it a shot if I can get out of work on time.

Sunset's around 8 now isn't it? Might be a good idea to bring lights for the way back.

@Tiny: What's wrong with cycling out.

Mostly the time issue, not sure what time I'll be able to get out of work at

petethedrummer · 29-03-2009 10:24pm

I'd like to do it but work is probably gonna prevent it. Gonna have my first busy day in ages on Tuesday.

NeilMcEoigheann · 29-03-2009 11:52pm

i'm good for tuesday.

zzzzzzzz · 30-03-2009 8:22am

Been sick the last few days but I'm hoping to be well enough to get out to this still... According to met eireann the weather looks ok, at least.

Raam · 30-03-2009 2:56pm

I'm in, assuming I can get out of work on time.

Kippure Time Trial

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