Wicklow 200 2011

kellt · 22-05-2011 09:55PM #1

Ive just signed up for this event. What should we expect and how long does the event take (200km). I usually do 250-300 kms weekly so i hope that this training is sufficent for this event. Any advice welcome

Lusk Doyle · 22-05-2011 09:57PM

Me to drag you up the hills as usual and then struggle to keep up on the flats!

kellt · 22-05-2011 09:59PM

sounds like a good plan. plenty hills and less flats

smacl · 23-05-2011 09:03AM

If the weather is anything like the last week or so, it could be a long old day. As a first timer to the 200k myself, I'm expecting to do it in 9-10 hours on the hybrid, given moderate winds (20-30k). Heavier winds would add to this, and if it is anything like this morning, I'm up sh!t creek without a paddle

Worth getting out a bit in the bad weather though, to see how you get on with it. Did a few hours on Saturday in ~40k winds and got on ok, had a short commute this morning which killed me.

Hopefully the sun wll come out and the winds die down for 12th.

gercso · 23-05-2011 10:43AM

I have done the W200 two times before and it is a long day on the bike in deed. My best time is 7 hours and 47 minutes but it depends of the weather also. Great event, can`t wait!

iregk · 23-05-2011 10:54AM

According to some sheep farmer up in Donegal yesterday June is supposed to be a great month.

monkeyslayer · 25-05-2011 12:46PM

Heyo, anyone thinking of starting from the city centre? Thinking heading up over the lane and meeting up with the route at the glencree crossroads? Not so much cheating considering the cycle back from greystones to town will no doubt take it well over the 200km and same amount of climbing all in all. The whole getting to/from greystones thing and that early in the morning is kinda annoying

smacl · 25-05-2011 01:27PM

Not cheating at all, but you wont record a time and get your cert if you don't check in at the start. Getting there is annoying ok, but maybe stick up a post and see if you can get a lift from someone near by. The road will be crawling with cars covered with bike racks that morning.

monkeyslayer · 25-05-2011 02:22PM

Cool yea might do that, not so bothered about certificate or timings, they fecked up my timings last two years in a row so won't be rushing out to greystones just for that! So long as i get another gold medal...

Lusk Doyle · 25-05-2011 02:44PM

monkeyslayer wrote: »

Cool yea might do that, not so bothered about certificate or timings, they fecked up my timings last two years in a row so won't be rushing out to greystones just for that! So long as i get another gold medal...

Give a give a give a garmin!

smacl · 26-05-2011 11:02AM

Just got my number today, #136, woo hoo! No backing out now, better try and get in a long one this weekend even though it is supposed to lash. Haven't done Sleive Maan and Shay Elliot as a combo yet, so I might try and figure out the least painful loop from Ballyboden that takes them both in, in the right order. Thinking Ballyboden, Enniskerry, Kilmac, Laragh, Rathdrum, Aughrim, the two big hills and back home. Might be brave and throw in the Sally gap and Blessington.

iregk · 26-05-2011 11:18AM

smacl wrote: »

Haven't done Sleive Maan and Shay Elliot as a combo yet

Just a word to the wise here to anyone looking to do this at the weekend. I've done them a couple of times in the past few weeks. On saturday we left Blessington and did essentially the W200 trail up to the rathdrum road but we went to Laragh and Sally Gap instead.

I've mailed the organisers about it in case they need to get onto the council in order to resolve some of it prior to the 200. The road up to Donard has been resurfaced with gravel and is lethal. We got off and walked but not before it made a mess of my mates 28 Gator Skin Hardshell!!!

Various gravel repair sections between Donard and Sleive Maan. The little hill prior to Slieve Maan, which a few first timers last year thought was Sleive Maan is grand but the descent after it between that and the Maan has a lethal long section of Gravel resurfacing done on it. Its large white stones and its deep so very hard to control the bike on it.

Just something to keep in mind if thats where you're going. Bring spare tubes!!!

setanta159 · 26-05-2011 12:14PM

Did the Shay Elliott and Slieve Maan in both directions last week and concur with IREGK. The road is treacherous in parts on Slieve Maan. I came down it (opposite direction to W200) against the wind in driving rain and came very close to coming off. The gravel, shoddy resurfacing and large potholes obscured by the deluge didn't help things. Was quite shaken up by the experience. Hopefully the organisers will have organised something beforehand to at least fill the potholes in.

neris · 26-05-2011 12:45PM

got my pack today but having second thoughts on doing it. have done very little milage since early March. 2 80k spins (1 last week up to sally gap and gave up) and a few 20ks so not sure if i,ll be up to it but am planning to try work up 3 long spins between this weekeknd and the bank holiday weekend. Also got a very low number which might have been to enthusiastic on the entry

Can they change the route if the road is still in a bad state? Or will the council be doing an all out effort to get it repaired? surely be in their interest from a tourism point of view

seamus · 26-05-2011 01:01PM

They've upwards of 1,000 cyclists using the roads for the event and the council knew about it before putting that surface on the roads, so they would be liable for some very large bills if cyclists came off due to inadequate repairs. I imagine they will fix it, though definitely a good idea to let the organisers know so they can get onto the council.

neris, you can opt to take the 100k route on the day, the entry cost is the same, so don't worry too much about it. If you've previously managed 80k, then 100k will be no bother.

FuzzyDunlop100 · 26-05-2011 01:01PM

They'd hardly re-route the 200 to avoid Slieve Maan though, would they?
It'd be like playing the Masters but skipping Amen Corner!

neris · 26-05-2011 01:13PM

I got a few 150+ in earlier this year but been so long since ive done it im hoping the next few weekends will get me to 150km minimum. Would like to get 200km in before if i can do it. Have no intention of doint the 100

smacl · 26-05-2011 01:36PM

iregk wrote: »

Just a word to the wise here to anyone looking to do this at the weekend. I've done them a couple of times in the past few weeks. On saturday we left Blessington and did essentially the W200 trail up to the rathdrum road but we went to Laragh and Sally Gap instead.

I've mailed the organisers about it in case they need to get onto the council in order to resolve some of it prior to the 200. The road up to Donard has been resurfaced with gravel and is lethal. We got off and walked but not before it made a mess of my mates 28 Gator Skin Hardshell!!!

Various gravel repair sections between Donard and Sleive Maan. The little hill prior to Slieve Maan, which a few first timers last year thought was Sleive Maan is grand but the descent after it between that and the Maan has a lethal long section of Gravel resurfacing done on it. Its large white stones and its deep so very hard to control the bike on it.

Just something to keep in mind if thats where you're going. Bring spare tubes!!!

Thanks for the heads up, sounds pretty crap. I'm on a hybrid / cross bike with 32mm Marathon extremes and lockable front suspension, which may for the first time ever actually prove useful. Not being a dare devil or anything, but if the going is treacherous, all the more reason to have checked it out before the day at my own timid pace and without the crowds.

ednwireland · 26-05-2011 01:44PM

seamus wrote: »

They've upwards of 1,000 cyclists using the roads for the event and the council knew about it before putting that surface on the roads, so they would be liable for some very large bills if cyclists came off due to inadequate repairs. I imagine they will fix it, though definitely a good idea to let the organisers know so they can get onto the council.

neris, you can opt to take the 100k route on the day, the entry cost is the same, so don't worry too much about it. If you've previously managed 80k, then 100k will be no bother.

the council resurfaced part of the ladies brae on the 2010 tour of sligo left piles of chippings on every corner of the descent, several people came off to my knowledge. so dont bet on councils not doing something stupid

velo.2010 · 26-05-2011 03:53PM

Well I'm signed up. First time. Missed the Mick Byrne so I'll do this this, good prep for early July. My number is nearly the same as this year but not quite. So no future anecdote there then.:D

Agreed with others regarding the surface on the road after(or in this case before) the Slieve Maan climb. Poor resurfacing and with little through traffic it won't improve unless the council do something to fix it properly. Would they budge for the Wicklow 200?

Ps. Weather can only get better than this!

daragh_ · 26-05-2011 04:12PM

Got mine in the post this am - 39, not as bad as 11 last year which left me open to a good bit of slagging

Road surfaces probably won't get any better between now and then but they can't be worse then the Mick Byrne. We were climbing over trees in the middle of the road for that.

manwithaplan · 26-05-2011 10:47PM

I got number 61 - I assume they will assign me a few domestiques on the day.

Cookie_Monster · 27-05-2011 08:30AM

534

If the weather isn't a million times better than yesterday I'm not going :P

bbolger · 27-05-2011 08:50AM

Got mine yesterday, 17

Not sure if I'll be able to do it justice...

seamus · 27-05-2011 09:23AM

#384

Now I just need this feckin chest cold to lift.

daragh_ · 27-05-2011 10:42AM

seamus wrote: »

#384

Now I just need this feckin chest cold to lift.

This does not bode well for a Boards Team 'win'.

Yi Harr · 27-05-2011 12:47PM

neris wrote: »

got my pack today but having second thoughts on doing it. have done very little milage since early March. 2 80k spins (1 last week up to sally gap and gave up) and a few 20ks so not sure if i,ll be up to it but am planning to try work up 3 long spins between this weekeknd and the bank holiday weekend. Also got a very low number which might have been to enthusiastic on the entry

I'm in the same boat as you. Decided in January to enter (only ended up entering up last week) and haven't had the time to train properly. Aside from my daily commute and the odd weekend spin I've very few kms under my belt.

I've a feeling that on the day I may end up just doing the 100km circuit with an eye to completing the 200km next year.

neris · 27-05-2011 03:50PM

Its two weeks away so my thinking is I did 85km last week so this weekend head to Wicklow from home and try get in a climb to the sally gap into Laragh and back home and hopfully get in over 120km and then next saturday build up on that to 150km and on the monday get 180km in. sounds like a plan in theory reality maybe a very sore stiff body

manwithaplan · 27-05-2011 03:58PM

neris wrote: »

Its two weeks away so my thinking is I did 85km last week so this weekend head to Wicklow from home and try get in a climb to the sally gap into Laragh and back home and hopfully get in over 120km and then next saturday build up on that to 150km and on the monday get 180km in. sounds like a plan in theory reality maybe a very sore stiff body

I don't know if big efforts like that close to the day make much difference, although they may help you decide whether you are in shape to do it. Building up to those distances gradually over time certainly helps but throwing in a couple of big ones late on probably won't do a lot for you. I would just stick to the 100-120k and, if you're feeling OK, save your efforts for the day itself.

Of course, I haven't done more than 120k this year (although I would have done a lot of 90-100ks, some at a fast pace) so I might just be trying to bring you down to my level.

christeb · 27-05-2011 04:03PM

neris wrote: »

Its two weeks away so my thinking is I did 85km last week so this weekend head to Wicklow from home and try get in a climb to the sally gap into Laragh and back home and hopfully get in over 120km and then next saturday build up on that to 150km and on the monday get 180km in. sounds like a plan in theory reality maybe a very sore stiff body

you don't need to do 180 on the Monday, and mightn't even need to do 150 the weekend before. It's more important to be fresh on the day than to flog your body trying to get in shape. Maybe do 80 - 100 the weekend before on the hills, it's allow time to recover for the 200

ROK ON · 27-05-2011 04:17PM

1018.

Training starts tomorrow.
140km tomorrow
140km Sunday
160km next Sunday
That should do it it nicely.

As rgds rest.
Its fine to do 180km next w/e. You will have a full 7 days for recovery. Ideally one should do a few short spins during the week before just to get the legs moving.

Wicklow 200 2011

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