The countdown has begun to the start of Gael Force Cycle West in Westport on the 19/20th of September. Ahead of the start we talked to the organisers about how things are stacking up.

Teams will compete in solo, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 rider categories. Racing will commence on Saturday at 2pm and run for the full 24 hours till 2pm Sunday.  Entries are filling up with entries to the mountain bike race only marginally ahead of road racing.

Camping is on site and there will be enforced quiet times as riders attempt to sleep between stints.  Power will be provided for a communal charging area for lights which will be mandatory once the light begins to fade.  For those that have never ridden or raced in darkness before it is essential to ride with lights a number of times before the race as it can be quite a different experience.  Don’t think that you will get away with a commuting light either - lots of companies provide lights suitable for racing at various price points with various options of helmet mounted or handlebar mounted light sets.

We recommend a pairing of both as a light on your bars is limiting for your field of view (you can’t see either side of you or around corners).  Similarly a sole helmet mounted light can be a bit limited too.  Think about battery burn time too as some systems such as the Ay-up lighting system will almost last the whole night while some others will need to be charged every three hours for several hours.  Fine if you are in a big team but…

Precision timing will be providing each team with a timing chip to provide reliable results.  You simple have a chip attached to your leg which automatically records your lap time as you cross a mat at the start line.

The  mountain bike course is currently being worked on with forest singletrack sections nearly complete.  A basic topographical map has been produced and is available on the website.  The road route loop is 47km long and takes in some fantastic scenery which should take on a life of its own especially in the night with fantastic views of  the Atlantic ocean and the mountains.

We are very excited about the event.  24 hour racing brings a unique challenge to the mind and body and the sense of achievement is fantastic.  Fitness wise you don’t need to be a pro, especially if you compete in a team.  Solo riders are incredible individuals with remarkable stamina and we were shocked to fins out at our first 24 hour race that the solo winner had done as many laps as our team!  However the course is achievable for all levels of teams.  We hope to see you on the start line!

Entries close on the 4th of September so register now to be part of the 1st 24 hour event in Ireland.