Update 9.45am Sunday:

Folks in the interests of safety. I propose we cancel this mornings spin. Driven across from Maynooth and the temp has been either -1 or 0. I feel there is a risk of black ice this morning and have reports cautioning of black ice from 3 members. Be assured the 60kms will be added to future spins so they are not lost!

 

Update 7:45am on Sunday 7th January: As there is a lot of black ice out there at the moment it is proposed the spin is postponed until 10am this morning. Any further updates will be published to this page so please check back. A final call on whether the spin will go ahead will be made around 9:30am this morning, so please check back to this page for updates.

 

Our Captain John Boyle is unfortunately away this weekend and asked if I would post a route, so here is my first C-Group route for this Sunday. I have often idly thrown together routes and always thought it was easy-peasy. So much for that!!..There is a world of difference between idle “route-doodling” and putting together a spin for club mates with varying goals and ambitions for 2018.

I promised our Captain that the first spin for the New Year would be short and flat, to give any returning C-Group members a chance to find their spinning legs. It’s slight modification of one of our Captains previous itineraries, but let’s just call this one it’s shorter brother.

The Route

 

From Naas we travel an easy 5km gradients of the Caragh, reacquainting ourselves to riding in a nice tight and safe two-abreast formation and making most of what promises to be a slight tailwind. The focus is on good group riding etiquette and skills with a few rollovers to refresh any returning members.

Continuing on the R409 we proceed past Mondello towards our goal the R403 junction with the R409 at Dag Welds Pub which featured in the iconic 1980’s movie “Eat The Peach” .

The Allenwood road can be a cruel mistress at times and a misery to cycle so our time on the R403 shall be a brief one as we make a left turn at Allenwood for Kilmeague. Kilmeague is a mysterious place. It’s wikipedia page doesn’t give much away. I feel it is a place of full of secrets.

We need to watch out at the bottom of the hill for the sharp right turn that forms part of a T-Junction at the bottom and rolling to our first hill of the day, Allen.

The hill is situated at the easternmost point of the Bog of Allen and it is from this hill that the bog gets its name. According to legend, Fionn mac Cumhaill had a fortress on the hill and used the surrounding flatlands as training grounds for his warriors. In 722 the Battle of Allen was fought between the Leinstermen (Laigin), led by Murchad mac Brain Mut (King of Leinster), and the forces of Fergal mac Máele Dúin (High King of Ireland) in close proximity to the hill. The only battle and heroics for C-Group on Sunday is to get our asses up and over this hill safely.

Our re-group point after this hill will be in Milltown.

Once we have everyone accounted for our next battle will be for coffee in Costa in Kildare town. A place frequented by our group in the past couple of years.

The second part of this spin will be slightly shorter and the next 10km will take us into the breeze a little towards the Curragh and onto Kilcullen. The climb out of Kilcullen is a long drag and it’s important not to kill yourself on the hill out of the town and prepare yourself for the long draggy section that follows.

Our re-group after this section will be at the Kilsaran Dry Mortar Plant outside the town.

The final part of the trip will see us come in by Kilashee where we will finally re-group in full and return to our starting point in a nice neutralised finish to the spin. John B has suggested we adhere to the cycle paths where appropriate as we return into the built up areas of Naas, which I see as sensible.

Look forward to your company on Sunday and hopefully the weather will stay dry. Below are the more technical details of the route so you can plan accordingly. Remember two spare tubes, some money for coffee (and cake), mudguards and lights.

John,Hugh,Denis,Kieran,Shane (C-Group Vice-Captains)

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