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Mayo Western Lakes MTB Audax - 100 or 200?

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    #2
    Large bottle small glass
    Registered Users Posts: 1,721 ✭✭✭Large bottle small glass


    Alek wrote: »
    https://www.audaxireland.org/events-calendar/gazetteer/200km-events/mayo-western-lakes-200100-mtb/

    Anyone done it in the previous years?

    How technical is the 200k, especially these 2-3 climbs in the middle?

    https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27628743

    They say gravel bikes are ok, but I can see a lot of places on the route (in Google Satellite view) going completely off-piste...


    (asking for a friend ;) )

    Great minds, I was just filling out an audax entry form an hour ago.

    A friend did it last year; said he was jealous of cx/gravel bikes a lot of the time but occasionally glad of his hard tail.

    I'll give 200 a go slow and all as I'll be. Stunning part of the country should be fun.

    It's a very long haul for 100km spin


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    #3
    Alek
    Registered Users Posts: 4,520 ✭✭✭Alek


    It's a very long haul for 100km spin

    Exactly my thoughts, but then my fitness this year is truly awful.

    I have a family pass for this event, if my car-enabled friend decides to go too, see you there! :)


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    #4
    smacl
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,722 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    Alek wrote: »
    https://www.audaxireland.org/events-calendar/gazetteer/200km-events/mayo-western-lakes-200100-mtb/

    Anyone done it in the previous years?

    How technical is the 200k, especially these 2-3 climbs in the middle?

    https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27628743

    They say gravel bikes are ok, but I can see a lot of places on the route (in Google Satellite view) going completely off-piste...


    (asking for a friend ;) )

    Looks awesome. The 100k seems to be all l-roads and bohereens with a bit of forest path around Moore Hall. Climbs on the 200k seem more like fire-roads from the satellite but then everything looks like a doddle in satellite view :)

    First ~80k, satellite photography is a blur where it gets interesting

    Second @90k

    Third @98k

    Be very tempted by the 100k myself as it is a part of the world I used to spend a lot of time in at one point. Hmmm......


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    #5
    Alek
    Registered Users Posts: 4,520 ✭✭✭Alek


    satellite photography is a blur where it gets interesting

    Bing is sometimes better... http://www.gpsies.com/test/BingVsGoogle.html

    (switch to Aerial on the Bing map on the left, then hover mouse over the right image and zoom in... boths screens will zoom and move in sync)
    everything looks like a doddle in satellite view

    Yeah. Like the Glenmacrass > Laragh gravel road we were discussing before... what a nightmare it was in reality ;)

    https://www.strava.com/activities/2372702683


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    #6
    Resoguy
    Registered Users Posts: 41 ✭Resoguy


    Had signed up for the 200K, but family stuff has derailed that plan, pity was looking forward to it, maybe next year.


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    #7
    smacl
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,722 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    Alek wrote: »
    Yeah. Like the Glenmacrass > Laragh gravel road we were discussing before... what a nightmare it was in reality ;)

    https://www.strava.com/activities/2372702683

    You managed to get across the river then, I'm guessing you had to carry the bike at some point? I went down all the little dead ends and ended up doubling back. Problem with those steeper fire roads for me is the descent, getting up is a struggle but coming down is a nightmare. Went up this little beauty a couple of years ago on the CX bike and found the descent slow and really hard going.


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    #8
    Alek
    Registered Users Posts: 4,520 ✭✭✭Alek


    You managed to get across the river then

    You mean ravine? Yeah I did ;) 25m almost straigh down and 25m up to cross it... And then it was that 300m of woods so dense, I wished I had a handlebar mounted chainsaw... basically I had to push the bike forward and crouch behind it in a tunnel it made... new jersey and legs in shreds.

    The 8km gravel descend was worth it though!


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    #9
    devonp
    Registered Users Posts: 803 ✭✭✭devonp


    its mad....right up your street Alek

    did it on a hardtail with 35/38c , others on better MTB bikes had 40+ and wider, some gravel bikes also, the two big climbs are dead ends: up you go back you go, sections of fields, also bushes up to your waist and good old fashioned bog, also bits of flat out to the ends of peninsula's and back again
    i just made the 13 hr cut off (or is it 13.5 for a 200 Audax ??)
    the climbs are hard with very poor surfaces near the top of the first one especially, much worse than fine gravel or fireroads

    https://www.strava.com/activities/1613543277

    enjoy


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    #10
    cdaly_
    Registered Users Posts: 6,440 ✭✭✭cdaly_


    Alek wrote: »
    I have a family pass for this event, if my car-enabled friend decides to go too, see you there! :)

    Car? Get the train to Claremorris and then it's only 25k to the start...


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    #11
    Alek
    Registered Users Posts: 4,520 ✭✭✭Alek


    It arrives two hours after the start and costs 40e return...............


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    #12
    smacl
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,722 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    Alek wrote: »
    It arrives two hours after the start and costs 40e return...............

    Was looking at that. For me it would involve going down the previous day and getting a B&B or hotel locally. Still tempted.


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    #13
    at1withmyself
    Registered Users Posts: 2,485 ✭✭✭at1withmyself


    Have wanted to try this for a few years but yet again something comes up this year so no go. However don't forget the Mayo XTRM route a few weeks later.

    https://www.audaxireland.org/events-calendar/gazetteer/200km-events/mayo-xtrm-200/


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    #14
    Large bottle small glass
    Registered Users Posts: 1,721 ✭✭✭Large bottle small glass


    devonp wrote: »
    i just made the 13 hr cut off (or is it 13.5 for a 200 Audax ??)
    the climbs are hard with very poor surfaces near the top of the first one especially, much worse than fine gravel or fireroads

    https://www.strava.com/activities/1613543277

    enjoy

    My memory is that you are a pretty strong rider; did you spend 4 hrs stopped because you needed to recover or where you in Sunday drive mode?

    The reason I ask is I have a draft 200km semi off road audax put together(I'll need to do a lot of tidying up yet)which has way more climbing. If you are struggling to finish this in 13h20mins there is probably no point putting it on


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    #15
    devonp
    Registered Users Posts: 803 ✭✭✭devonp


    Large bottle small glass wrote: »
    My memory is that you are a pretty strong rider; did you spend 4 hrs stopped because you needed to recover or where you in Sunday drive mode?

    The reason I ask is I have a draft 200km semi off road audax put together(I'll need to do a lot of tidying up yet)which has way more climbing. If you are struggling to finish this in 13h20mins there is probably no point putting it on


    sure you got the correct rider...?



    did it in 12.49 total, certainly got lost near the beginning, 15-20 mins to re-route and again near Cong another 15-20 mins, also stopped to recharge the Garmin 20-30mins plus the MTB is the guts of 14Kg w/o the gear etc so found it slow on the road

    it is a tough route but a good one, prob a lighter Gravel/cross bike might be ok...and i tend to take too long at controls, no splash and dash for me :D
    good luck with the new Audax


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    #16
    El Vino
    Registered Users Posts: 345 ✭✭El Vino


    Why does West seem to be the only area with these long MTB Audex events? There seems to be 3 of them on the Audex site
    including this one https://www.audaxireland.org/events-calendar/gazetteer/200km-events/tubbercurry-offroad-200/


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    #17
    Alek
    Registered Users Posts: 4,520 ✭✭✭Alek


    I was thinking about submitting one of the Weevil routes as permanents. They're a bit hardcore elevation-wise, but at least local ;) Never got around to doing it though.

    https://www.strava.com/routes/10783437
    https://www.strava.com/routes/14111787
    https://www.strava.com/routes/14112402


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    #18
    Large bottle small glass
    Registered Users Posts: 1,721 ✭✭✭Large bottle small glass


    El Vino wrote: »
    Why does West seem to be the only area with these long MTB Audex events? There seems to be 3 of them on the Audex site
    including this one https://www.audaxireland.org/events-calendar/gazetteer/200km-events/tubbercurry-offroad-200/

    More unenclosed and marginal land I would think than most other parts of country and an active audax scene.

    Look up Padraig Marrey's rwgps profile; the man likes to explore!

    If the area is predominantly good land, good luck getting access. Uplands, lakelands, peatland where there will be access roads for fishing, turf, commonage sheep farming etc.

    I've a a nice bit of looking done in Comeraghs/Knockmealdown areas and other than Coillte and maybe one hill farmer and maybe Mellary farm there is not a lot of other road types available

    @Alek do you not need a 200km min for audax? 15km/h including stops is going to beyond most riders on those routes


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    #19
    Alek
    Registered Users Posts: 4,520 ✭✭✭Alek


    @Alek do you not need a 200km min for audax? 15km/h including stops is going to beyond most riders on those routes

    200k is minimum for a route to be recognised as a brevet.

    With Weevil routes, they would need to be extended to 200k using fairly flat, ideally paved sections to be rideable in 13.5h!


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    #20
    cdaly_
    Registered Users Posts: 6,440 ✭✭✭cdaly_


    smacl wrote: »
    Was looking at that. For me it would involve going down the previous day and getting a B&B or hotel locally. Still tempted.

    Sure a hammock and a couple of trees* will do ya...








    *Oh wait, this is Connaught isn't it...


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    #21
    NamelessPhil
    Registered Users Posts: 1,098 ✭✭✭NamelessPhil


    @Alek there is a permanent with over 4,500m for it's 200km in South Dublin already. I rode it last year. https://www.audaxireland.org/events-calendar/gazetteer/200km-events/excelsior-200-permanent/

    https://strava.app.link/huQLN1F9vX

    It's on real roads and it's one of the few times I was glad to descend The Wall rather than climb it.


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    #22
    Alek
    Registered Users Posts: 4,520 ✭✭✭Alek


    Thanks, its on my bucket list already :)

    It's a properly mad route in the elevation department but then a road one, and I wish there was something more gravel/MTB oriented around...
    like the Long Heron, but, ekhem, hillier ;)


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    #23
    NamelessPhil
    Registered Users Posts: 1,098 ✭✭✭NamelessPhil


    If you really want to create an off-road 200 for the Dublin/Wicklow area, go ahead and submit it to Audax Ireland. This is the right time of year to submit routes for consideration for next year's audax calendar.


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    #24
    Redm0
    Registered Users Posts: 43 ✭Redm0


    Anyone know How is the course marked out on this ?


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    #25
    Large bottle small glass
    Registered Users Posts: 1,721 ✭✭✭Large bottle small glass


    Redm0 wrote: »
    Anyone know How is the course marked out on this ?

    Audax with exception of Mick Byrne 200 are never marked ime.

    It's up to riders to navigate, feed and get themselves home in the event of a mechanical.

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157332623314288&id=330941294287


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    #26
    delynet
    Registered Users Posts: 431 ✭✭delynet


    Redm0 wrote: »
    Anyone know How is the course marked out on this ?

    There are some markings on the road at junctions. Also, route maps here

    200km https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27628743

    100km https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30321364


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    #27
    smacl
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,722 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    delynet wrote: »
    There are some markings on the road at junctions. Also, route maps here

    200km https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27628743

    100km https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30321364

    The 100k above is a very different route to the one on the Audax Ireland site here; https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26469760 You've basically got a circuit of L. Mask where the Audax route is more L.Carra and takes in some off road at Moore Hall.


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    #28
    delynet
    Registered Users Posts: 431 ✭✭delynet


    smacl wrote: »
    The 100k above is a very different route to the one on the Audax Ireland site here; https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26469760 You've basically got a circuit of L. Mask where the Audax route is more L.Carra and takes in some off road at Moore Hall.

    I got them from here

    https://westernlakescc.com/2018/03/17/audax-event-to-test-your-endurance/


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    #29
    smacl
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,722 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    delynet wrote: »
    I got them from here

    https://westernlakescc.com/2018/03/17/audax-event-to-test-your-endurance/

    Just spoke to Padraig who's organising this. Your route above is the right one for the 100k and my Cross bike will be fine, audax website is out of date. Plan to make it down for this and make a bit of a weekend out of it. Now to get accommodation and transport organised.


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    #30
    Alek
    Registered Users Posts: 4,520 ✭✭✭Alek


    My friend bailed out. No car, no ride :/


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    #31
    smacl
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,722 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    Alek wrote: »
    My friend bailed out. No car, no ride :/

    Booked the train and a small cottage for the weekend, €42 for the return to Claremorris including bike which isn't too bad. Cottage was a bit more than planned but what the hell. It's a part of the country I'd be planning on getting back to and the type of cycling I know I'll enjoy. Knobblies on the CX for me I reckon.


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