The Rocky Road to Dublin Super Randonee 600
Organiser: Helen Kerrane, 15 Whitecliff, Rathfarnham, Dublin D16 CT93.
Scroll to end of page for Rider Results.
E-mail: helenkerrane@gmail.com
Entry Fee: €15, includes Brevet Card, Frame Badge and Audax Ireland Medal. Please pay by PayPal to paypal@audaxireland.org
A 606km route with 10,000m+ ascent, from Killarney, Co. Kerry to Dublin. A Super Randonee 600 is a 600km route, with at least 10,000m of ascent. The route is ridden by arrangement with the organiser, on a date of the riders choice. There are quite a few SR600 routes in other countries, but this is the first such route in Ireland, more may become available later. This event should not be confused with the similarly named Super Randonneur series, which is a series of a 200, 300, 400 and 600km event in one season. It is a requirement of the organiser (Sophie Matter) that the route must be submitted in the Open Runner mapping system, and must exceed 10,000m of climbing. Our route does satisfy this requirement, but it may show a slightly lower amount of climbing on Ride with GPS or other navigation systems. This is not a problem, the ride will still be validated. PLEASE NOTE THAT SUPPORT VEHICLES ARE NOT PERMITTED AT ANY TIME.
History of the Super Randonnee Award: Super Randonnées : historic – Audax Club Parisien Randonneur (audax-club-parisien.com)
Super Randonneur 600 Provence Randonneurs: Super Randonnées (superrandonnees.org)
Route Description
This route showcases some of the best scenery that Ireland has to offer. The route is roughly a straight line between Killarney and Dublin and it travels through the inland counties, from the Atlantic coast to the Irish Sea. You start in the heart of the Kingdom of Kerry and ascend some of the best climbs around the Killarney Lakes before turning for the challenging hills of Cork. After Cork the Comeragh Mountains of Waterford and the tough little hills of Kilkenny await. This section has the most climbing of the entire route. Up and over the side of Mount Leinster you’ll see the Wicklow Mountains come into view and the route winds its way through the mountains before you catch a glimpse of Dublin as you tackle the last valleys before a 10km descent to the finish outside the former House of Parliament in the city centre of Dublin.
The route was chosen by an experienced group of Irish audaxers. None of the climbs are especially high (the highest point on the route is 482m) but some are quite steep in parts, over 20% gradient, so low gearing is advisable. The road surfaces are also variable between smooth tarmac and rutted local roads with grass growing in the middle. All roads are paved and there are no off-road sections. Exercise caution when descending as the roads are narrow and you may encounter livestock and farm traffic. Some parts of the route cross grazing land for sheep. Known hazards are marked on the route sheet and undertaking this route is at the rider’s own risk.
Map on Open Runner:
https://www.openrunner.com/r/11734314
Map on Ride with GPS:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37380937
Weather
Irish weather tends to be mild and damp, but frosts can occur on high and sheltered ground between October and May. Nights are cool and fog can accumulate on high ground. It is recommended to ride this route between April and October. If camping outside please be aware of the possibility of low temperatures and prepare accordingly. Strong winds are another possible hazard on the route.
Controls
There is a separate document with the control locations. The controls represent various forms of Irish culture from ancient churches, war memorials and pubs, to a former House of Parliament. Your bicycle with its SR600 frame plate must be in the photos at all times. You must familiarise yourself fully with the Super Randonee rules, which are a bit different from regular Audax events.
Services
The route goes through some sparsely populated areas. There are few major towns on the route and shops are located in villages. The largest towns are Killarney, Mallow, Carrick-on-Suir, Bunclody and Dublin. Some services are marked on the route sheet but not all services may be available at all times.
Rules
The rules of the SR600 can be viewed at the link below, and must be followed at all times. The route can be completed either as a Randonneur within 60 hours or as a Tourist at a minimum of 75km per day. The route is mandatory and the rider must be self-sufficient, bringing or buying what they need along the way. NO SUPPORT VEHICLES PERMITTED !
Rules (Link and extract below from ACP website)
https://www.audax-club-parisien.com/en/our-organizations/super-randonnees-en/#reglement-SR
3. RULES OF SUPER RANDONNÉES
Introduction
The Super Randonnée is a permanent route, ridden at the initiative of the participant. Riders choose their start date and time, how they get organized, what they put in their bags, how they manage their time, if they sleep at the hotel or in a sleeping bag or not at all. Regarding their own organization, they have no other obligation than to make the overall time limit according to the option chosen (Randonneur or Tourist) and to do the ride without the support of a vehicle. Each of them is responsible for validating his/her passage at the controls. In short, they can and have to handle things all by themselves. The spirit of the Super Randonnée is based on freedom and maturity of the riders.
What are Super Randonnées
Super Randonnées are permanents which are organized, verified and validated by Audax Club Parisien. They are located in mountainous areas.
The length is about 600 km (373 miles) and the total amount of climbing is over 10.000 m (32.800 feet).
At registration, each rider selects to ride a Super Randonnée either as a Tourist or as a Randonneur.
– Tourists have to complete the SR at a minimum average of 75 km per day.
– The time limit for Randonneurs is 60 hours.
Being permanents, Super Randonnées can be ridden at any time of the year, provided the roads are open. Please make sure that they are before starting.
About the riders
Super Randonnées are open to any amateur cyclist regardless of cycling affiliations. Each rider must be covered by liability insurance. Any rider under the age of 18 must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian.
Any form of human-powered vehicle is acceptable.
Riders are allowed to ride either alone or in a group.
After registration, riders will receive a personal SR card and a frame badge. Both need to be kept with them throughout the ride. On the card, the requested information (name, first name, address etc.) must be completed before the start.
Riders’ duties
Each rider must be self-sufficient. Support vehicles, even occasionally, are totally forbidden, on the course and at the control places.
Each rider is considered to be on a personal ride. The ACP or Provence Randonneurs cannot and do not accept responsibility for any accidents that may occur during a Super Randonnée. The rider must ride in accordance with all applicable traffic regulations and obey all traffic signals.
Riders must follow the route of the Super Randonnée. The organizer provides a detailed cue sheet (road book) indicating the location of the control places, and GPS-files.
Those who have registered as Randonneurs must start from the official starting point. As Tourists, they can choose any other starting point on the cue sheet.
Bikes must be equipped with front and rear lights attached firmly to the bike. During hours of darkness or other low-light conditions (rain, fog, etc.), lights must be turned on and a high-visibility vest must be worn, as requested by the French traffic law. Backup lighting system and headlamp are strongly recommended.
It is recommended to wear an approved helmet, light-colored clothes, and to carry a survival blanket and a cell phone.
Registration
By registering for the Super Randonnée, the participants declare on their honor that they are in sufficient physical condition to complete the course chosen, and to have read the safety instructions.
Each rider must contact the organizer and send the registration fee at least 30 days before the intended ride. The riders can cancel their registration by sending back their SR card.
A card is valid until the participant has started. If he or she starts and abandons, the card is no longer valid for another attempt.
In the Randonneur option, riders must declare a starting date and time at registration. It is possible to change the date and time after registration by informing the organizer of the new date and time, but only up to at least a week before the start.
In the Tourist option, riders do not have to specify a start date. However, if they plan to start from another point than the official starting point, they must notify the organizer of their starting point.
Control and Homologation
Both Tourists and Randonneurs must note on their card the start and finish date and time (day, hour, minute), and the time of passage at all intermediate control places (hour, minute).
They must prove their passage at the control places by taking a picture of their bike at the place designated by the organizer. For each Super Randonnée, the organizer provides detailed information about the places where to take the control pictures. These information can also be sent by e-mail. The rider can appear on the picture, but not without his or her bike.
If circumstances permit, riders can have their card stamped at an establishment located at the control place, instead of taking a picture. The stamp must show the name of the control place, otherwise it is no valid.
Missing pictures (if no replaced by stamps), missing control times, or loss of the card (regardless of how far into the ride a rider is) will result in disqualification.
Each participant is required to personally complete his or her SR card. Each participant must personally provide the organizer with all the control pictures requested for his or her homologation.
Secret controls may occur at the start and during the ride.
Those riding as Randonneurs and finishing in more than the allotted time will be homologated as Tourists, provided they have validated all controls and observed the present rules.
After the ride, participants must return their SR card to the organizer, together with the required pictures. The pictures can be sent as electronic files.
The SR card will be returned to the rider after it has been verified and a homologation number has been assigned. Homologation numbers are issued in chronological order, including both Tourists and Randonneurs. The list of the homologated riders will be posted on the ACP Web site in chronological order. Super Randonnées are not competitive events. Riders are not classified by performance.
Notes
A Super Randonnée cannot be counted as participation in, or as credit for another event held in conjunction with the Super Randonnée.
A Super Randonnée cannot be held both at the same time and on the same course as a BRM of 600 km.
Super Randonnées being permanents, the organizer has the obligation to offer them throughout the year (provided the roads are open to traffic). If the organizer wants to set a date for a Super Randonnée, he may do so, provided that the rules are respected. In particular, he is not allowed to offer motorized assistance, even occasionally, nor to perform control operations instead of the riders. He must offer the two options, Tourist and Randonneur, and he must not impose any time schedule to the riders.
It is expected that those riding a Super Randonnée agree that their name will be published by the organiser. In any case, their identities will not be used for commercial purposes and will not be transmitted to third parties.
It is also expected that those riding a Super Randonnée fully accept these rules. Any fraud, cheating, or deliberate violation of these rules will result in the exclusion of the rider from all ACP events.
Congratulations to the following riders, who have completed the Rocky Road to Dublin Super Randonnee 600 !
2021
Danny Moriarty, Fintan Brewster, John Turner, Joe Fitzpatrick, Richard Guthrie, Valerie Plant, John Cartner, John French, Gerald Herradura, Hendrik Ketelaar, Angelo Failla, Martin Milner, Eddie Dillon, Canice Bennett, Niall Gerlitz, Anthony Walsh, Sean O’Halloran, William Finnane, Michael Lonergan, Seamus O’Leary, Chris Bloomer, Cathy McCormack, Suzanne White.