Wicklow 200

I am welcome to tips of any sort, since you seem to have more experience it would actually be nice.

Advice ay? Hmm.

It's too late to get any fitter so all you can do now is fret about underpreparation, stay away from any booze, fags, etc. Eat healthy (vitamins and such), drink loads of water, and sleep as much as you can.

On the day, have a big breakfast with loads of carbs and a bit of protein and sugar - porridge is traditional. Loads of coffee. Then eat enough on the bike. On the fixie you don't have any options if you run out of glygogen - you are fucked - so eat a little and often (nutrigrains elevenses are my weapon of choice), drink, and use dyoralyte or sea salt to stop cramps. PACE YOURSELF. Be very conservative for the first 100k, they're the easy bit. Stretch at the stops.

I do know what you are saying yes, but just because roadies go down hills expecting people to be going at the same speed doesnt mean that they are right.

It ain't about right or wrong - it's about expected and unexpected. Just be aware of it, and try to be as predictable as possible. Maybe stay to the left to allow them to pass you on the outside when possible.

I havent ridden in large groups before, no more than two or three other people, I have read up on group etiquette but unfortunately havent been able to practice it myself.

TBH, if you haven't experienced riding in a group before the WW200 is not really the ideal day to try to learn. There'll be a shit load of cyclists pouring out of UCD between 6:30 and about 8 and, being cyclists, they'll naturally form bunches, two by two. It would actually be quite difficult to avoid ending up in some sort of bunch, and there'll be a lot of very nervous and twitchy fucker out. Stay frosty. And relaxed. Frosty but relaxed. yeah.

Basics:
Call shit in the road. If someone is a wheel's distance behind you they can see fuck all in front of them so if you bunny hop a pothole, or swerve around it at the last second (swerving is bad), they'll go straight into it. That's bad. So point at the pothole and say HOLE loudly. Or say HOLE LEFT! or HOLE RIGHT! or HOLE MIDDLE! depending on where the hole is relative to the group. You'll hear the word shouted about 210,000 times on Sunday.

Call cars if it seems people are a bit dozy, ie, CAR! or CAR UP! /CAR DOWN!

Some roadies really make a big deal out of the calling thing, and it can seem like like some sort of bizarre completition as to who can call the most innocuous ripple in the road the loudest, and with the most urgency. Ignore these people. But some of these calls can save your wheel, and thereby your day.

Lastly, and most importantly... BE PREDICTABLE. No swerving, no sudden braking, skidding, skipping or anything.

Yes I am prepared to stay out of peoples way, is it really necessary to stay in groups though?

No, it's not necessary. But it does save energy to sit on someone's wheel and you'll need to save all the energy you can. We all will. It's also a bit difficult to remain solo when there's about 2000 cyclists on the route at the same time. Close quarters cycling is going to happen. There's a great atmosphere on a day like the 200, and you'll end up having loads on conversations with randomers. Your conversations will mostly start with the question "Are you fucking mental? Is that a fixie???". You'll be noticed.

Yes I am using two brakes.

Good. Use 'em. Spinning is energy sapping enough (everyone else will be able to recover on the descents) but leg braking will be, uh, leg breaking over that distance, so let the callipers do the work. Your knees will thank you in the years to come.

Oh, and Roadies a fucking assholes. hahaha

Ah, sectarianism. The mark of a truly great mind...

is this longest post in the history of this sub forum? fucking 1 line posts a go go around here.

yeah lol.