Bangor Coastal Challenge 2009 - any NI commuters attending?

girv73

Bangor Coastal Challenge 2009 entries have opened now.

Sunday, 21st June 2009.

A 100k loop of the Ards peninsula: Bangor, Greyabbey, Portaferry, Cloughey, Ballywalter, Millisle, Donaghadee (don't you love those names?) then back to the start. £20 entry, proceeds go to charity of some kind.

Enter here:
https://www.entrycentral.com/index.php?raceID=100180

A map of last year's ride is available here:
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-ki ... /496463215

21 weeks away - plenty of time to train (I hope) !

What the hell, I'm going to give it a bash (first sportive!) and I'm currently seeking like/weak minded individuals who I can rope into it with me. I'll likely give Lap The Lough 150k in August a go too.

Wheezy, coffeecup, anyone else from Norn Iron - think you'll give it a go?

don_don

Hi girv,

My sister & her family live in Bangor. I can't say yes just yet, but it might be a good excuse to combine this with a visit. Let me check and I'll get back to you here.

Sounds like a really pretty ride too

girv73

I did part of the route years ago (Ballyhalbert, Ballywalter, Millisle on a loop from Belfast) riding a knobbly MTB. It looks like mostly country A/B roads with only a few visits into the towns. Bangor and Newtownards are the only large ones too, the others aren't much more than one road villages you'll zip right through.

My parents have a caravan in Ballyhalbert and they're likely to be found there any given summer weekend. An impromptu tea & cake stop wouldn't be out of the question

girv73

I thought I should mention that I'm aiming just to finish the course and take lots of photos along the way.

I'm hoping to cajole my friend Mark into doing it too. He's a much lapsed mountain biker working back to some sort of fitness, who will want to attempt it on a slicked MTB (if anything).

What I'm saying is that we're not looking at setting the tarmac alight here, Back To The Future stylee or otherwise.

IceWeaselcp

I've done the Bangor Coastal Challenge the last few years and it is a really great day that attracts all sorts. Everybody is welcome from the club riders on bikes costing more than my car to grannies on their shopping bikes! The only bad experience I've had over the years was 2008 when it rained hard and continuously for the first 2 hours and then light showers for the rest of the day, but after a while you can't get any wetter and peddling keeps you warm

Every other year has been great, the route is really well marked and marshalled, the lurch stop can get a bit busy but everyone gets feed eventually. You should definitely plan on carrying snacks with you.

itboffin

girv73 wrote:

I did part of the route years ago (Ballyhalbert, Ballywalter, Millisle on a loop from Belfast) riding a knobbly MTB. It looks like mostly country A/B roads with only a few visits into the towns. Bangor and Newtownards are the only large ones too, the others aren't much more than one road villages you'll zip right through.

My parents have a caravan in Ballyhalbert and they're likely to be found there any given summer weekend. An impromptu tea & cake stop wouldn't be out of the question

Now you know damn well there no such thing as 'summer' its an urban myth.

PS. every time i've been there's been a fierce wind - never a tail wind.

coffeecup

Might give it a blast for the craic

I'm on hols in spain for 10 days, getting back just before it, so fitness might take a late hammering, but wtf, why not

I usually take my dahon on hols so I suppose I could try to keep ticking over....

girv73

coffeecup wrote:

I'm on hols in spain for 10 days, getting back just before it, so fitness might take a late hammering, but wtf, why not

Call it your taper week

tailwindhome

Yeah definitely up for this and the Lap the Lough. Possibly somewhere hilly in the Autumn if I survive those two

Funds are low at the minute so the road bike will probably be put on hold unless I get a real bargain off ebay, so I'll also be riding a MTB with slicks, at a very slow pace.

My mileage is shamefully low at the minute, no job to commute to and a rapidly expanding family taking up all my time, hope to build up the miles when the clocks change and I can get out after the kids are in bed.

girv73

Good man, Wheezy!

There's the Finn MacCool 100 in September, 100 miles from Belfast to Coleraine (with a bus back!) which looks like a very nice ride up the coast, if the weather holds out. Though I might be away that weekend (13/09) and there's a minimum sponsorship amount required to enter (only £100 like), so it's not a definite for me.

http://www.action.org.uk/get_involved/f ... ol_100.php ...if you're interested.

bannvalley

Hi Pal,Yes!there will be a squad of us doing it this year.I did it last year in awful weather,and i mean,it was terrible.It was my first sportive and it set me up for the whole summer.I did the lough twice after that,also other sportives such as the bann valley coastal run.I am now the newest member of bann valley road club.Check out our website and come along to us for a day out.We run spin classes every tuesday and thursday night and everyone is welcome,and it only costs £2.
The bangor coastal challenge is great fun and easily achievable as it is mostly flat with a wee rise at the end out of Newtonards.
Good luck for the year,and,yes,today is a good day for a ride!!!!

bobpzero

seriously disappointed the bangor coastal challenge is on a sunday as its always been on a saturday. completed it twice and abandoned twice. starting to notice that a lot of charity rides are on a sunday. so ill be looking for alternative(s) not on a sunday. so any suggestions would be much appreciated, please.

girv73

@bannvalley got any more info regarding the Bann Coastal ? Thanks for the invitation to the club as well, but I'm in north Belfast and a bit out of the club catchment area!

I've got a gang of six so far for the Bangor CC, all first time sportiffs with a couple on MTBs. I think the pace will be nice and easy I just need a name for the gang now

don_don

I just e-mailed my sister to check if she is around on the BCC weekend. We're hoping to make it a family trip for a long weekend. Mrs.don_don is keen to come along but it depends on Sis looking after the kids!

Flights over are pretty cheap. Fingers crossed. I'll try and bring some sunshine over with me...

weepiglet

As a newbie to all this malarkey, myself and a few friends have decided to give both this and the Lough a go. Mind you, the others have done the Tour of Ireland and also the Alpe D'huez stage of the proper Tour so I think I am way out of my league here.

But, as girv73 says...I have plenty of time to train and I'll be taking it easy, no doubt with plenty of stops in between!!

girv73

Good man weepiglet A couple of the lads I'm going with have done Bangor and the Lap before, so I'm the newbie of the bunch too.

Four of us did the Marie Curie Craigavon ride last Saturday and got very, very wet:
http://www.rainmiles.com/archives/craig ... gavon.html

Photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/girv73/2009 ... CycleTrail

37 days to the Bangor Coastal Challenge!

Since we're on the subject, I'm looking for sponsorship for these three rides this year, in aid of RNIB. I've a fundraising site up at http://sponsorjohn.com/ if you're feeling generous

Fireblade96

I might join some of you on at least one of these.

My folks are in Ballymena and I go back there fairly regularly to visit. I'm thinking of getting a bike to leave at my Dad's for those occasions - for now I borrow the brother-in-law's hybrid. I did a 50-mile Glens of Antrim loop on it last summer that near crippled me - next time I'm at least bringing my own saddle !

Was back last weekend and borrowed said hybrid, then put it to good use riding from one friend's house to the next, drinking Guinness

barry_kellett99

Might do both this and LOTL

Will be getting on a bike after 3 weeks off on the 21st june, but would like to think I should be able to complete it ok.

tailwindhome

WheezyMcChubby wrote:

Yeah definitely up for this and the Lap the Lough. Possibly somewhere hilly in the Autumn if I survive those two

Funds are low at the minute so the road bike will probably be put on hold unless I get a real bargain off ebay, so I'll also be riding a MTB with slicks, at a very slow pace.

My mileage is shamefully low at the minute, no job to commute to and a rapidly expanding family taking up all my time, hope to build up the miles when the clocks change and I can get out after the kids are in bed.

Just paid my entry fee :shock:

Should be alright on the day :insert hope emoticon:

Did a 50 miler last Sat on MTB with slicks, was very tired and uncomfortable at the end but with a cake stop mid way 67 mile should be ok!

girv73

Go Wheezy! The offer still stands to ride with us mate, if you like. I'm not sure if anyone else will be on a mountain bike but we'll be taking it pretty easy anyway. With the recent crappy weather and some back pain that won't go away, I've been missing a lot of training, so I'll be (ahem) challenged on the day too

youngatheart

Hi Girv. You are seriously underestimating unpreparedness for the BCC!! javascript:emoticon(':shock:') I followed your link to the blog and was somewhat panicked by your post wedding spin of 54 miles!!
I am a complete novice at this distance cycling game and I'm hoping that a year of short commuting (50 odd miles a week), a modest pace ie slow, and an 8 hour time limit will see me round.
I got a road bike recently and with the other half away for the week-end I'm hoping to get time to see how it and I can go for about 25-30 miles. I may have to hold the hybrid in reserve!

Best of luck to all

youngatheart

Hi Girv. You are seriously underestimating unpreparedness for the BCC!! javascript:emoticon(':shock:') I followed your link to the blog and was somewhat panicked by your post wedding spin of 54 miles!!
I am a complete novice at this distance cycling game and I'm hoping that a year of short commuting (50 odd miles a week), a modest pace ie slow, and an 8 hour time limit will see me round.
I got a road bike recently and with the other half away for the week-end I'm hoping to get time to see how it and I can go for about 25-30 miles. I may have to hold the hybrid in reserve!

Best of luck to all

girv73

@youngatheart

I should point out that I was driving an 80 mile round trip to that wedding, so I was just on the diet coke and mineral water ... and a chip on the way home (pre-ride carb loading, honest). The bulk of my "training" has been a year on the commute, roughly 20 miles x 3 days a week so in the ballpark of what you're doing. I think you'll do just fine if you take it easy!

You don't need to be doing 50+ miles to train for the BCC, unless you plan to race it. I'm looking ahead to the 90 mile Lap The Lough in August so I'm working on the bigger miles.

8 hours is only an average speed of 7.5mph ... I'd have trouble cycling that slowly without falling off

Mike400

Im seriously tempted to enter - I would be on a MTB with slicks though, and the furthest I distance I have done recently was 22miles, averaging 15mph.....

will this kill me? lol

girv73

How did you feel on the 22 miles? Could you do a second lap if you had a decent break in between?

I've a feeling it'd be tough enough for you, but you'd survive

Mike400

girv73 wrote:

How did you feel on the 22 miles? Could you do a second lap if you had a decent break in between?

I've a feeling it'd be tough enough for you, but you'd survive

I reckon I could have done another 10miles straight on top before needing a rest - beyond that im not so sure.

Its hills that kill me at the minute - if its nice and flat I can churn along a steady enough pace for miles before I tire.

girv73

I think you'd be OK, the BCC is pretty flat and there's a lunch stop about half way.

It's the weight of your MTB that's killing you on the hills - it's like carrying two or three extra 2L bottles of water compared to even a low end road bike, and that's before we start talking about rolling resistance.

Mike400

girv73 wrote:

I think you'd be OK, the BCC is pretty flat and there's a lunch stop about half way.

It's the weight of your MTB that's killing you on the hills - it's like carrying two or three extra 2L bottles of water compared to even a low end road bike, and that's before we start talking about rolling resistance.

Im with you - the slick tyres do help a good bit, and I have a pretty light alu frame, but the forks / wheels / components fairly bump the weight up.

In comparison, I have a (knackered) Raleigh "Pursuit" road bike, early 80's vintage, and you can near enough lift it with one finger.....

girv73

Mike400 wrote:

In comparison, I have a (knackered) Raleigh "Pursuit" road bike, early 80's vintage, and you can near enough lift it with one finger.....

Wow, that's actually a classic now I had a 90's one myself, but never really got on with it. I think I kept trying to ride it like a MTB and breaking it

If you did the BCC on that you'd get a few admiring glances I think!

Mike400

girv73 wrote:

Mike400 wrote:

In comparison, I have a (knackered) Raleigh "Pursuit" road bike, early 80's vintage, and you can near enough lift it with one finger.....

Wow, that's actually a classic now I had a 90's one myself, but never really got on with it. I think I kept trying to ride it like a MTB and breaking it

If you did the BCC on that you'd get a few admiring glances I think!

Its still on its original raleigh branded tyres, sachs components etc. And rust. lots of rust....

Maybe i should get an 80's cycle jersey, and just go for it? lol!

I took it out last night and its such a learning curve coming from the MTB....wobbly wouldnt be the word

girv73

That would be outstanding

Couple of weeks is plenty of time to fix it up and get used to it!

Go for it I say.