Nope. Ill be honest. No way am I as fit as any GCN rider. Plus, I'll have to do it on my +mtb 😕 what an epic ride/challenge. 450km still pretty badass lets be fair!👊😎
Given the opportunity with right set gears and a support team why not? Except not here in my country cause the roads here is so effed up because of the rampant corruption lmao
Thanks everyone for all the kind words and support! It was an absolute honour to take this event on, loved every second. Curious to find my limits in such a way. I thought maybe this would be my first and last ultra race, but it's just made me want to do it again! So much fun. Thanks all for watching and all the best, Conor
I ride 105 but I also test ride 10 speed Tiagra, and apart from the one gear difference, it felt superb. Even modern entry level 8 speed stuff on my daughter’s bike shifts crisply and never missed a change. A far cry from the hearing when I was her age 😳
@@conordunne1 Conor I just watched this. I agree with Philip, Kati, Jack. Its way more inspiring, that you didn’t give us the standard success story, which so many videos show. I hope you have started a new trend in showing the struggle, without getting the shiny little gold medal at the end. That is real strength, real success, and a lot more encouraging to most people - well, to the “almost did it” people like me! Cleary you are pretty superhuman but you just keep quiet about it. You encourage the right balance of scenery, personal effort and pure enjoyment. My first long ride was Dublin to Connemara which I think you would do before breakfast, but having watched this I will aim a bit higher. Keep going!
@@conordunne1 Sometimes it takes more courage to stop. That's what separated Shackleton from Scott. Well done, that looked very tough and as others have said, it is nice to see serious riders like yourself struggle like that. It's more relatable.
While it is technically a DNF, that was still an EPIC ride that most everybody would struggle to complete, let alone in the context of a RACE. Fantastic job, Conor!
Thanks Justin, was an honour just to give it a go.. absolutely loved it. Gutted not to finish but genuinely couldn't have made it any further. Interesting to find my limits in this way! Thanks for watching and all the best, Conor
Conor is a total machine. Just turning the cranks for nearly 24 hours, in the elements, is far beyond most men. Anyone who has been to the Northern parts of Ireland will attest, it is as cold windy as it looks in the video. It must be a surprisingly tough location for an endurance race.
Is it even worse than the southern part of the country? I've been to Cork, Killarney, Dingle, etc. during holiday and I thought that was already bad. Wind and rain.
@@Vii_DT To be fair to the southern parts, they are windy, wild places too but I think anywhere along the coast to the Atlantic ocean seems to get a lot of wind. I fly in and out of Dublin a lot (or used to before March 2020) and virtually every time I was there, there was a weather warning and that is on the relatively sheltered Eastern coast.
@@markrushton1516 And what tiny fraction of the overall population do you think are capable of completing those events? I'd imagine it's beyond 99% of people, regardless of their training and supplement regime.
This would have to be one of my favourite GCN videos... because it's so real. In reality, sometimes you just can't get there! The effort was extraordinary, there was nothing left to give, yet success wasn't there this time. Love to see the real, human effort. Well done. Really well done. Inspirational.
Wow, hats off to you Conor for sharing your effort with us. 20.45 you look broken and no one can take that you didn't give it your all. What a challenge, and what stunning scenery!
Love everything about this video! The support crew, the noble goal of showing off the abilities of a mid-range bike, the landscapes, the storytelling, and especially Conor! I really like that Conor ended his race because it's just realistic and relatable. Great work to him and everyone involved!
Great effort Conor, you'll get this done next time mate. Very inspirational video for us average Joe's who can't afford the best of the best equipment. Well done!
That was a fantastic edition of the programme guys. Lovely to see Ireland this way but also the way Conor describes his hopes and copes with his ‘failure’. Looking forward to see his return success.
This is easily your best work on the channel so far Conor. It's been great up to now, but this was really well made. Great idea and came across really genuine. Stupidly epic ride.
Me neither. More or less something like this: "I think things are going good, weather's been kind, Conor's just over one of the hardest climbs in a more gap, I think it a very good run over it and hopefully the rest of the night goes as good."
Glad to see a mid-level bike. I’m looking at maybe the Canyon Endurace AL Disc 6.0 (Tiagra) or 7.0 (105). To see a bike in this range doing this makes me feel like I’m NOT a peasant because I wanna get something less than a super bike. Connor-excellent push! Hope to see you do this again the whole way through!
Having an affordable bike doesn't make you a peasant at all! Cycling is an expensive sport and you don't need to spend a fortune to have a good bike and enjoy yourself at all
Marcus P. I’m your opinion, is the extra cost of the CF versus the AL worth it? I understand that might be a vague question but it would be great to hear your thoughts! UA-cam is short on good quality reviews of this bike from this year.
just found this ! this is where we go on holiday and to visit family. even driving on those bendy roads in a car is a challenge. mad weather all year round and windy! such an interesting watch. Connor really does engage the viewers and he did so well. it's lovely that he shares his family too. thank you!
Well done Conor! All my admiration for deciding to stop when you did; you gave 110% - it's a tough decision, but it's the right course of action for you and for the team. Nobody wants to see you in hospital!
As an Irishman living abroad who loves cycling, I always click on any video made by Connor. I really appreciate his honesty about not finishing the race when others did manage to do so.
Disappointment at not finishing is motivational fuel to crush it next year. Am impressed by your efforts Conor, was probably assuming (like most people) that any ex-pro would knock this out of the park but your honesty and humbleness about this race getting the better of you only makes me look forward to the 2021 edition even more so. I even fear the course record might get rattled in your controlled angry revenge... ;-)
Big effort Conor, valiant try - it looks massively brutal. Love that Donegal area - thanks for sharing and showing us all a lovely part of the world..!
Not gonna lie I almost (maybe) tore up at 17:52. So emotional was the challenge. Been a while since I have been moved by a GCN video. Hats off to Conor. Hats off GCN for such an amazing content. Truly EPIC video
Conner , your a champ to me with that amount of commitment. Sometimes we win some and sometimes we don’t , thanks for sharing your ride as I think we all have been there before .
Congratulations and best regards! That was truly impressive! The physical and psychological efforts were outstanding. I still think that such events require multiple attempts both for the knowledge and experience, but also for the confidence and right state of mind needed to succeed. Looking forward to seeing you succeed!
Well done Conor. I don't know how anyone can cycle those crazy distances but to do so in somewhere like Donegal must make it ludicrously hard. The conditions are just so tough there. You can hold your head up high.
Thank you, Connor for showing the HUMAN side of endurance cycling. In the week that the Tour finished with the ultimate in endurance cycling on display it was refreshing to see that we “mere mortals” can have a go and not be too concerned at not completing. I set myself a climbing challenge last weekend...... and I failed. I tried my hardest but that climb beat me. I was gutted! However, after watching your 555 challenge I feel a whole lot better. I tried my best and I’m proud of that. I’ll do better next time. Please take this the right way, but THANK YOU for not finishing!
Thanks Fiona, we're all human and that's one of the things that makes cycling so great, we are all humbled by the bike and know what it feels like to suffer & to succeed. You'll get there on the climb!
Conor, you are an absolute legend even attempting this race and should be commended for getting as far as you did. What an amazing effort. Another fantastic film from the GCN crew, inspiring.
This week on GCN: We have broken Hank and Conor while Manon goes painting. Ollie is busy woo-ing the crowd with his hair. Si is MIA but is probably hugging a tree. Dan is eager to give us all these updates and more water bottles.
Great effort for doing what less than five percent of us can do, Connor! Not finishing was a bummer but between having the guts and resources to enter the race in the first place, and filming and piling on the miles for that long, no one can blame you. Come back stronger! Thanks for the great show, it's such a challenge and I know a lot of us here are as inspired by what you did as I am. Cheers Connor and GCN! Epic show!
I know Conner is a tall fella. But I can never get over the fact that he always looks like he's riding a bike that's six sizes too small for him. Great video yet again.
Fantastic effort Connor, riding in the rain is hard enough when you are warm but that wind and the cold would wipe out anyone...love this video and the scenery is just incredible. I love the scenery of Ireland...I live in Toronto Canada and we don't have anything that can compare.
This is when GCN is at its absolute best. Showing cycling as the adventure and exploration experience it can be. Most of us will never get the chance to pedal one of these bucket list rides, so the next best thing is watching someone like Conor show us what it's like. Really been impressed with his presence in front of the camera and his ability to tell a story with every ride.
Wow very inspiring, shows that even Connor is human. Not succeeding on this tremendous goal and showing us his suffering is sometimes part of the journey to greatness. We fall down and get back up and keep going forward. I hope Connor does do it again and finishes and completes his goal!!! Great stuff!!
This is great. I’m from Dublin myself but my mother is from Donegal, they’re some of the friendliest people in the world and of all Irish people, they have some of the best energy. Also it would be great to see Conor using an Irish made road bike, there’s one company that has an entire frame made from wood!, then I think Vitus are Irish right?. Also the Naul to Skerries all around north Dublin is a really peaceful place for a spin, and hilly!.
Fantastic work Conor it looks a brutal challenge and a fantastic scenery along the way, I’m sure you have this covered here is too the next won. As an over 50’s new cyclist the choice of bikes and specs is mind blowing, and the cost differences huge, great work on a mainstream bike I’m still using my 25+ years old MTB and it’s been fantastic fun improving my pace and distance, all the best for your next challenge
I love these endurance videos. Everyone can be a part of endurance riding no matter what their skill level. You don't have to be super skinny or super strong or really fast with some sort of special diet watching your every crumb. All you gotta do is go outside and jump on a bike. It's a challenge anyone can partake in and the feeling at the end is one of the most rewarding.
Absolute champ for challenging this insane yet amazing route head on! Heads up, you should feel so proud of yourself! Pushing yourself to your limit AND knowing when to stop takes guts, experience and a calm collected mind. Thank you for the video!!!
I toured around Ireland in 2019. I think we visited most of the places on the Donegal 555 and a lot more. The country is amazing. Its people are even more amazing. Thanks for the video reminder of my last vacation before Covid.
Conor's video from earlier this summer around Waterford inspired me to ride my first century here in Ireland this past month through Counties Dublin, Meath, and Kildare - thankfully before lockdown hit again. Thank you, Conor, for sharing this epic Irish beauty, your struggle, and noble attempt. Well done.
@@gcn Considering my previous longest ride was 80km during the strictest point of lockdown and completely within a 2km radius from home, my Irish century crossing three counties was glorious freedom!
Not one to usually comment, but have to say, great effort Conor, nearly 300 miles is nothing to laugh at. Hard to call it quits before the end, but takes a real man to know when it's no longer safe. Looking forward to seeing you conquer this next year, as I know it'll be on your mind until you do.
Another epic video from GCN. It's hard to really appreciate all of the successful trips/rides when sitting comfy at home, but when you see somebody work like a machine for so long and not get to the end, really puts it into perspective.
Well done Connor, I have driven the route a number of times and can testify just how steep the climbs are in the flesh. Mamore Gap is a challenge for a car let alone a bike. As ever the photography is wonderful and does the beautiful scenery justice.
Awesome! ingenious video ...an ad actually ( for Shimano, and mainly for Ireland) but best I ve seen, what a scenary. And Connor with a gigantic effort, and even better, the courage to show his "fail". I salute him for the crazy enormous effort and for trying as hard he only could. Amazing! ...I would need 5 days for the whole 555km, and it still would really challenge me.
That was an epic effort Conor, well done! I know we always feel "sorry" and say that to those supporting us these big quests. But you shouldn't be sorry at all. You have done an amazing job there going till your personal end of this road. I'm sure you'll come back and do it again - I see it in you. All the best mate!
You guys at GCN are absolute beasts, always pushing yourselves over your own limits... so inspiring. Each time I struggle on a ride and feel like "Maybe I just suck at cycling..." on my way home, I watch one of your Epic videos and within seconds I'm like "I definitely need to try that kind of challenge!". Keep on going, you make cycling even better than it already is ;)
Wow, great effort. It’s quite humbling and also encouraging for riders to not only see victories, but defeats imo. And this by Connor was inspiring to me.
Funny enough, I set the alarm for 4am every Sunday morning to get a 3.5-4 hour ride in around our city with no traffic. There's something very peaceful about being out when you have the world mostly to yourself. Even when it's like today and I'm fighting a blustery headwind it's still magical riding from the night into the morning.
I just got a Decathlon Triban 500 2 months ago, first road bike so nothing to compare with, but there is Triban 120 at the bottom and the Van Riesels at the top, well I had different ideas for mid range also...:-D
I’m always surprised to find that Conor finds enough sunny/not rainy days to film in Ireland. I think the road surface quality must be very trying - there’s a big difference between smooth tarmac (that you even find on a lot of smaller roads in west Scotland) versus the rougher stuff that rural Irish back roads are paved with.
Tiagra vs Dura Ace literally makes no difference in terms of performance for the weekend warrior. As long as its set up properly it will work like a dream.
exactly sir! it aint what ye ride, it's how ye ride it. the latest, lightest piece of charcoal colored tupperware with two wheels won't make a dimes worth of difference for any recreational rider..nor will sponsored lycra.
I use Tiagra, the reason; I couldn't afford anything more expensive. I've ridden 150 km in one ride and it has responded beautifully despite my aggressive use.
I recently purchased a new bike and I agonized whether to spend about $800.00 extra to upgrade from the 105 groupset to Ultegra. I decided the 105 would serve me well enough & used part of the money I saved to buy a nice Wahoo Elemnt computer. Saving up for new carbon wheels now. Cheers from 🇨🇦
@@matthewcrich5951 hahahahha, did the same Too, kept saving money and got myself a set of Mavic Wheels and a Garmin 530 Bundle, and it has helped me improve a lot...
I couldn’t agree more, 100% tiagra would be fine. Which is why as a new rider I purchased a trek Madone with ultegra di2 😀. Why..........why not. Just like I wouldn’t buy a skoda if I was looking to buy a new car, not that there’s anything wrong with a skoda, I just don’t want to drive one.
Amazing and I bet you didn't want to see a bike for a couple of days. Its nice to see someone not make the ride! So many videos make the rest of us feel very human so its nice to see the Gods of GCN suffer and experience what so many of us feel. Total respect for even considering it and making it to 450km!
Fantastic effort and a really honest presentation of how even a top rider can’t always overcome every challenge. A good promo for the lower group sets too, they do work and they are durable!
Would you do an ultra endurance race? If so, where would you like to do one?
I think Tasmania in Australia could host quite a nice race. I’ve been there once and driven around the coast, it’s beautiful there.
Nope. Ill be honest. No way am I as fit as any GCN rider. Plus, I'll have to do it on my +mtb 😕 what an epic ride/challenge. 450km still pretty badass lets be fair!👊😎
No way
Global Cycling Network A Basque frame with an Italian groupset on Irish roads. What a fascinating combination.
Given the opportunity with right set gears and a support team why not? Except not here in my country cause the roads here is so effed up because of the rampant corruption lmao
Thanks everyone for all the kind words and support! It was an absolute honour to take this event on, loved every second. Curious to find my limits in such a way. I thought maybe this would be my first and last ultra race, but it's just made me want to do it again! So much fun. Thanks all for watching and all the best, Conor
You did an amazing job. You did great. Cheers mate. Wish you all the best 👍
Massive massive massive respect. Man - that was brutal and you could not have given more. Super human achievement regardless of the DNF.
Enjoyed watching this. Great job
Absolute warrior, great job
Amazing effort Conor and I’m sure an amazing experience.
Between Conor & Manon, Ireland and Wales tourism should almost be paying GCN. The scenery was phenomenal, as was Conor’s effort!
Cheers Blair, great to hear you enjoyed it :)
I ride 105 but I also test ride 10 speed Tiagra, and apart from the one gear difference, it felt superb. Even modern entry level 8 speed stuff on my daughter’s bike shifts crisply and never missed a change. A far cry from the hearing when I was her age 😳
@Graham Barker Did you miss the bit where it says "AD" in massive letters on the thumbnail? 😂
Been to many European countries and always wanted to add Ireland and Italy.
Thanks Blair, so happy you enjoyed this one!
Glad to see that not everything GCN does ends in completion of the goal. It makes them more human like and relatable.
Cheers Philip
I had the same thought. Thank you Conor for having the greatness to get it published anyway 🏆
Thanks Philip, super proud to get to the point I did... It was some adventure! Hopefully make it to the finish another attempt. All the best, Conor
@@conordunne1 Conor I just watched this. I agree with Philip, Kati, Jack. Its way more inspiring, that you didn’t give us the standard success story, which so many videos show. I hope you have started a new trend in showing the struggle, without getting the shiny little gold medal at the end. That is real strength, real success, and a lot more encouraging to most people - well, to the “almost did it” people like me! Cleary you are pretty superhuman but you just keep quiet about it. You encourage the right balance of scenery, personal effort and pure enjoyment. My first long ride was Dublin to Connemara which I think you would do before breakfast, but having watched this I will aim a bit higher. Keep going!
@@conordunne1 Sometimes it takes more courage to stop. That's what separated Shackleton from Scott. Well done, that looked very tough and as others have said, it is nice to see serious riders like yourself struggle like that. It's more relatable.
'I've decided to do it solo'
You know a challenge is hard if you can't even convince Hank to join you.
That was intense - he was still sleeping when he got back on the bike. Incredible will power.
Cheers Joe, Conor is an inspiration to us all
The Irish tourism board should pay Connor for his videos. Makes me want to pack up my bike and head over there every time!
While it is technically a DNF, that was still an EPIC ride that most everybody would struggle to complete, let alone in the context of a RACE. Fantastic job, Conor!
Thanks Justin!
Thanks Justin, was an honour just to give it a go.. absolutely loved it. Gutted not to finish but genuinely couldn't have made it any further. Interesting to find my limits in this way! Thanks for watching and all the best, Conor
Yes!
Conor is a total machine. Just turning the cranks for nearly 24 hours, in the elements, is far beyond most men. Anyone who has been to the Northern parts of Ireland will attest, it is as cold windy as it looks in the video. It must be a surprisingly tough location for an endurance race.
Is it even worse than the southern part of the country? I've been to Cork, Killarney, Dingle, etc. during holiday and I thought that was already bad. Wind and rain.
@@Vii_DT To be fair to the southern parts, they are windy, wild places too but I think anywhere along the coast to the Atlantic ocean seems to get a lot of wind. I fly in and out of Dublin a lot (or used to before March 2020) and virtually every time I was there, there was a weather warning and that is on the relatively sheltered Eastern coast.
Beyond most men? Audax riders regularly do 600km. PBP is 1200km with hundreds of riders both men and women.
@@markrushton1516 And what tiny fraction of the overall population do you think are capable of completing those events? I'd imagine it's beyond 99% of people, regardless of their training and supplement regime.
@@Vii_DT And that's on the good days! 😅
The winner finished within 17 hours and 19 minutes... What a monster!
Seriously I can't drive that fast...more than 500k in 17 hours, insane!!!
Average 32 km per hour for 17 hours. Apparently, he(Ronan McLaughlin) holds Everesting challenge world record. Is he even human at this point?
Monster!!! I but he signed his name as cyberdyne model 101
That guy went to the school I go to now
Proof that Aliens are among us...lol
Massive respect to Conor for this. Loving all of his videos - he's grown to be a hugely enjoyable presenter and likeable human 🙂
Ah thanks Steve this means so much.. all the best mate! Conor
This would have to be one of my favourite GCN videos... because it's so real. In reality, sometimes you just can't get there! The effort was extraordinary, there was nothing left to give, yet success wasn't there this time. Love to see the real, human effort. Well done. Really well done. Inspirational.
Wow, hats off to you Conor for sharing your effort with us. 20.45 you look broken and no one can take that you didn't give it your all. What a challenge, and what stunning scenery!
Love everything about this video! The support crew, the noble goal of showing off the abilities of a mid-range bike, the landscapes, the storytelling, and especially Conor! I really like that Conor ended his race because it's just realistic and relatable. Great work to him and everyone involved!
Great effort Conor, you'll get this done next time mate. Very inspirational video for us average Joe's who can't afford the best of the best equipment. Well done!
Thank you Mohammad, super happy you enjoyed this one!! It was ace to film, still recovering though haha
555km and 6000m of climbing? Sounds like something they'd usually get Hank to do. 🤣
True, he's the new Lasty, GCN loves to make him suffer😅🤣🤣
@@jamelpiclit3062 I was just thinking they needed to get Lasty to do it :)
over 6000m of elevation gain
6000 m of climbing.
Hank should have a go on that penny farthing 😂
Well done, Connor. Some effort mate, 450km in one go is an incredible effort. 🇮🇪🇮🇪👍🏻👌🏻
Thanks Eski
That was a fantastic edition of the programme guys. Lovely to see Ireland this way but also the way Conor describes his hopes and copes with his ‘failure’. Looking forward to see his return success.
10:39 "Wan gerta herda merta werta dernk lejk dargs e medlle e re won gerd." Couldn't have said it better!
The most successful people in life are those who try.
Yoda would say, Try not. Do or do not. LOL
I am disabled and ride a road bike, 50+ miles every other day, this guy is nuts.
You need to know your limits, winners are smart
@@Dragon1165 I push myself everyday. I can't work. I swim and ride the bike every other day. Like I said, for me to ride 50 + miles is a sneeze.
This is easily your best work on the channel so far Conor. It's been great up to now, but this was really well made. Great idea and came across really genuine. Stupidly epic ride.
I have no idea what the guys in the car said 😅
me neither
Me neither. More or less something like this: "I think things are going good, weather's been kind, Conor's just over one of the hardest climbs in a more gap, I think it a very good run over it and hopefully the rest of the night goes as good."
Same
In the words of ‘Team America: World Police’
“No one does!”
I understand just fine and I learned English as third language. I think your problems in understanding are connected to your attitudes.
Unbelievable effort Conor!!
As a mere mortal spectator, my heart was with you all the way. You are an inspiration to us all!
Cheers to you, my friend.
Glad to see a mid-level bike. I’m looking at maybe the Canyon Endurace AL Disc 6.0 (Tiagra) or 7.0 (105). To see a bike in this range doing this makes me feel like I’m NOT a peasant because I wanna get something less than a super bike.
Connor-excellent push! Hope to see you do this again the whole way through!
Having an affordable bike doesn't make you a peasant at all! Cycling is an expensive sport and you don't need to spend a fortune to have a good bike and enjoy yourself at all
Canyon makes very nice bikes, you won't go wrong with that.
TheNiall
Very happy to hear it! Thank you for the vote of confidence. Lot of money to spend on something that isn’t worth it!
I have the CF SL Disc 7.0 and absolutely love it!
Marcus P.
I’m your opinion, is the extra cost of the CF versus the AL worth it? I understand that might be a vague question but it would be great to hear your thoughts!
UA-cam is short on good quality reviews of this bike from this year.
just found this ! this is where we go on holiday and to visit family. even driving on those bendy roads in a car is a challenge. mad weather all year round and windy! such an interesting watch. Connor really does engage the viewers and he did so well. it's lovely that he shares his family too. thank you!
Well done Conor!
All my admiration for deciding to stop when you did; you gave 110% - it's a tough decision, but it's the right course of action for you and for the team. Nobody wants to see you in hospital!
Thanks very much :)
As an Irishman living abroad who loves cycling, I always click on any video made by Connor. I really appreciate his honesty about not finishing the race when others did manage to do so.
Connor, what an effort. +1 Connor and Manon have really upped the GCN game.
Cheers Icedog
Don't forget hank! He's a must in the goofy trio!
Disappointment at not finishing is motivational fuel to crush it next year. Am impressed by your efforts Conor, was probably assuming (like most people) that any ex-pro would knock this out of the park but your honesty and humbleness about this race getting the better of you only makes me look forward to the 2021 edition even more so. I even fear the course record might get rattled in your controlled angry revenge... ;-)
Big effort Conor, valiant try - it looks massively brutal. Love that Donegal area - thanks for sharing and showing us all a lovely part of the world..!
17:50 Almost cried. That was such an emotional moment in this video. Superb effort Conor, superb effort!
A GCN presenter endurance relay race would be insanely amazing. I can imagine Ollie, Conor, Manon, James and Simon doing this, they would smash it.
Not gonna lie I almost (maybe) tore up at 17:52. So emotional was the challenge. Been a while since I have been moved by a GCN video. Hats off to Conor. Hats off GCN for such an amazing content. Truly EPIC video
man that was brutal , stunning scenery & i'm pretty sure Conor will be back next year and crush it
Conner , your a champ to me with that amount of commitment. Sometimes we win some and sometimes we don’t , thanks for sharing your ride as I think we all have been there before .
Congratulations and best regards! That was truly impressive! The physical and psychological efforts were outstanding.
I still think that such events require multiple attempts both for the knowledge and experience, but also for the confidence and right state of mind needed to succeed. Looking forward to seeing you succeed!
Bravo!! Amazing effort Conor! You gave it your all. 450 kms in those conditions is inspirational whichever way one chooses to look at it.
Well done Conor. I don't know how anyone can cycle those crazy distances but to do so in somewhere like Donegal must make it ludicrously hard. The conditions are just so tough there. You can hold your head up high.
Thank you, Connor for showing the HUMAN side of endurance cycling. In the week that the Tour finished with the ultimate in endurance cycling on display it was refreshing to see that we “mere mortals” can have a go and not be too concerned at not completing.
I set myself a climbing challenge last weekend...... and I failed. I tried my hardest but that climb beat me. I was gutted! However, after watching your 555 challenge I feel a whole lot better. I tried my best and I’m proud of that. I’ll do better next time. Please take this the right way, but THANK YOU for not finishing!
Thanks Fiona, we're all human and that's one of the things that makes cycling so great, we are all humbled by the bike and know what it feels like to suffer & to succeed. You'll get there on the climb!
Brilliant to see you in Donegal Conor,
Hopefully you will try again next year
Conor, you are an absolute legend even attempting this race and should be commended for getting as far as you did. What an amazing effort. Another fantastic film from the GCN crew, inspiring.
This week on GCN: We have broken Hank and Conor while Manon goes painting. Ollie is busy woo-ing the crowd with his hair. Si is MIA but is probably hugging a tree. Dan is eager to give us all these updates and more water bottles.
Great effort for doing what less than five percent of us can do, Connor! Not finishing was a bummer but between having the guts and resources to enter the race in the first place, and filming and piling on the miles for that long, no one can blame you. Come back stronger! Thanks for the great show, it's such a challenge and I know a lot of us here are as inspired by what you did as I am. Cheers Connor and GCN! Epic show!
I know Conner is a tall fella. But I can never get over the fact that he always looks like he's riding a bike that's six sizes too small for him. Great video yet again.
6ft8 according to google. 2.04m
@@andymitchell2146 ua-cam.com/video/DHAwyjPbDaw/v-deo.html
seen him at the irish nationals last year in londonderry.....the guys a telegraph pole hes so tall lol
@@gubber123456 you mean Derry. Not Londonderry
@@loc9588 NO...I think you'll find its LONDONDERRY..always was and always will be 👍👍
Fantastic effort Connor, riding in the rain is hard enough when you are warm but that wind and the cold would wipe out anyone...love this video and the scenery is just incredible.
I love the scenery of Ireland...I live in Toronto Canada and we don't have anything that can compare.
Dan should've tried this. I mean after all, he rode for the Cervelo Test Team.
How did you find that out, he never talks about it 😂😂
Scott that’s awesome I thought Dan was a club rider 😂
I though he was a Mountainbiker..
Where did you know that?
wow you're right , i had to check wikipedia to confirm that , never heard it mentioned before .. haha
give him enough mineral waters anд he will beast that course in less than 20 hours :)
This is when GCN is at its absolute best. Showing cycling as the adventure and exploration experience it can be. Most of us will never get the chance to pedal one of these bucket list rides, so the next best thing is watching someone like Conor show us what it's like. Really been impressed with his presence in front of the camera and his ability to tell a story with every ride.
Great to see GCN in Ireland.
Come to Wicklow some time, to ride some roads and gravel!
@@johndorney7812 They've another video in Waterford. Look it up.
@@ulyhappy All Conor's stuff is filmed around Waterford/Tipp - there's plenty on GCN.
Great Video Connor. Between this one and your cycle around Waterford your showing off this amazing Island of ours in spectacular fashion.
Wow Ironman Conor🙌🙌, wow. You had me at the edge on my phone, inspiring stuff👍
Wow very inspiring, shows that even Connor is human. Not succeeding on this tremendous goal and showing us his suffering is sometimes part of the journey to greatness. We fall down and get back up and keep going forward. I hope Connor does do it again and finishes and completes his goal!!! Great stuff!!
This is great. I’m from Dublin myself but my mother is from Donegal, they’re some of the friendliest people in the world and of all Irish people, they have some of the best energy. Also it would be great to see Conor using an Irish made road bike, there’s one company that has an entire frame made from wood!, then I think Vitus are Irish right?. Also the Naul to Skerries all around north Dublin is a really peaceful place for a spin, and hilly!.
Fantastic work Conor it looks a brutal challenge and a fantastic scenery along the way, I’m sure you have this covered here is too the next won.
As an over 50’s new cyclist the choice of bikes and specs is mind blowing, and the cost differences huge, great work on a mainstream bike I’m still using my 25+ years old MTB and it’s been fantastic fun improving my pace and distance, all the best for your next challenge
Epic! Next year. GCN team relay FTW!
I love these endurance videos. Everyone can be a part of endurance riding no matter what their skill level. You don't have to be super skinny or super strong or really fast with some sort of special diet watching your every crumb. All you gotta do is go outside and jump on a bike. It's a challenge anyone can partake in and the feeling at the end is one of the most rewarding.
Well said Alex, they're a fantastic part of cycling and one that everyone can relate to
Just one minute in and I already know it's a banger
Absolute champ for challenging this insane yet amazing route head on! Heads up, you should feel so proud of yourself! Pushing yourself to your limit AND knowing when to stop takes guts, experience and a calm collected mind. Thank you for the video!!!
They've got a TT start ramp... For a 555km course 🤣 saving those crucial milliseconds 😤
I toured around Ireland in 2019. I think we visited most of the places on the Donegal 555 and a lot more. The country is amazing. Its people are even more amazing. Thanks for the video reminder of my last vacation before Covid.
Cool event! I have Tiagra 4700 with 52-36 and 11-28 cassette. No reasons to change on 105 or ultegra.
Agreed. I have a bike with Tiagra and and a bike with 105. I can't tell the difference.
You're a Machine, I have 52-36 with 11-32 cassette and it makes me work hard, but it is excellent.
Damn , I got one step losing then. I used Sora, and It sucks after 6 month of using....
Conor's video from earlier this summer around Waterford inspired me to ride my first century here in Ireland this past month through Counties Dublin, Meath, and Kildare - thankfully before lockdown hit again. Thank you, Conor, for sharing this epic Irish beauty, your struggle, and noble attempt. Well done.
Great to hear - hope it was a fantastic ride :)
@@gcn Considering my previous longest ride was 80km during the strictest point of lockdown and completely within a 2km radius from home, my Irish century crossing three counties was glorious freedom!
Not one to usually comment, but have to say, great effort Conor, nearly 300 miles is nothing to laugh at. Hard to call it quits before the end, but takes a real man to know when it's no longer safe. Looking forward to seeing you conquer this next year, as I know it'll be on your mind until you do.
It was a tough decision - but we're proud of Conor
Conor, as a 24hr solo xc racer, I take my hat off to you. I understand everything you were going through. Massive respect to you mate well done.
Drinking game: take a shot for every misspelled 'Conor' in the comments...
Not even the great Dan Lloyd could survive this drinking game 😬
Konner
Cauner
Conner
@@gcn He'd just shot with mineral water, wouldn't he?
This video has made me quite emotional! Human effort is unbelievable, Connor you are an absolute legend!
All the willpower in the world can't help you when you're asleep. Good on you for recognizing it rather than going off a cliff.
That is so cool that these people volunteer to support the riders...hats off!!!
GCN can we have subtitles for the 2 blokes in the car please 🙈😂
I'm surprised poeple did not understand them. English is not even my first language
The bit where Conor meets the dog @10:30. The support team was hilarious 😂🤣😂
@@matthewcrich5951 No sympathy, that's for sure!
Really?
Great effort by Conor, and a nicely produced and honest video about it.
Imagine the poor support crew listening to the car indicators for that long though!
Another epic video from GCN. It's hard to really appreciate all of the successful trips/rides when sitting comfy at home, but when you see somebody work like a machine for so long and not get to the end, really puts it into perspective.
450km in one ride? That's not any kind of failure, it's incredible!
Well done Connor, I have driven the route a number of times and can testify just how steep the climbs are in the flesh. Mamore Gap is a challenge for a car let alone a bike. As ever the photography is wonderful and does the beautiful scenery justice.
Awesome! ingenious video ...an ad actually ( for Shimano, and mainly for Ireland) but best I ve seen, what a scenary. And Connor with a gigantic effort, and even better, the courage to show his "fail". I salute him for the crazy enormous effort and for trying as hard he only could. Amazing! ...I would need 5 days for the whole 555km, and it still would really challenge me.
The accents of the two guys in the car cracks me up every time!
Love to see more videos of epic rides on mid/low range bikes! Shows you don’t need the top tech to get out and do it!
Lads in the team car were absolute legends
This might be the best GCN video I've seen in a long time
Conor, I’m heartbroken! Nigel isn’t legally your brother-in-law. :( Well, there’s only one way to fix that...
It’s Nigel.
Presta chuck You’re right! Sorry Nigel!
I’ll edit my comment and hope he doesn’t notice I called him Hamish.
LOL. I didn't even realize this. He's getting all the abuse for free!
That was an epic effort Conor, well done! I know we always feel "sorry" and say that to those supporting us these big quests. But you shouldn't be sorry at all. You have done an amazing job there going till your personal end of this road. I'm sure you'll come back and do it again - I see it in you. All the best mate!
No shame, Conor. I bonked just watching and I was sitting on the sofa eating pizza.
Conner, you put up a unbelievable effort! You have NOTHING to be ashamed of mate. Great video as well.
Conor has a special Irish National Champ GCN kit, nice :)
You guys at GCN are absolute beasts, always pushing yourselves over your own limits... so inspiring. Each time I struggle on a ride and feel like "Maybe I just suck at cycling..." on my way home, I watch one of your Epic videos and within seconds I'm like "I definitely need to try that kind of challenge!". Keep on going, you make cycling even better than it already is ;)
Cheers Charly - appreciate the kind words, you don't suck at cycling!
555km starting in the rain without chamois cream!!!😳. ‘Nigel, got a job for you...’
I did ask.... 😂😂😂
Conor is a champion. Next time he'll complete it for sure! Very inspiring. Thank you for the great content.
"D'you like dags?" "Dags?" "Yeah, dags." "Ohhh, dogs. Yes, I like dags."
What a reference 😂
Rains cats n' dags in these parts! Aye!
Wow, great effort. It’s quite humbling and also encouraging for riders to not only see victories, but defeats imo. And this by Connor was inspiring to me.
Cheers Marc, appreciate the support :)
4am the witching hour, when we are at the lowest... keep turning the pedals and wait for sun up!
Funny enough, I set the alarm for 4am every Sunday morning to get a 3.5-4 hour ride in around our city with no traffic. There's something very peaceful about being out when you have the world mostly to yourself. Even when it's like today and I'm fighting a blustery headwind it's still magical riding from the night into the morning.
Or get three hours of sleep...
Thank you Conor for the honest brilliant effort!
A thing that doesn’t get recognized enough
You're really calling a 2000€ Bike a Mid Range Bike? Still a absolute dream Bike for me
totally agree
Shimano Tiagra 4700 on a 2000€ bike? Seriously? Get a Canyon Ultimate SLX with Shimano Ultegra...
@@jamelpiclit3062 but that's not 2000€. You'll get a SL with 105 for that price. But still, makes wqy more sense
I just got a Decathlon Triban 500 2 months ago, first road bike so nothing to compare with, but there is Triban 120 at the bottom and the Van Riesels at the top, well I had different ideas for mid range also...:-D
I mean, component wise it is midrange. You can get Tiagra race bikes for ~1k if you are fine with aluminium.
Top work conor. You can't fake that level of commitment and effort. Took it is far as he could. Beautiful scenery.
I’m always surprised to find that Conor finds enough sunny/not rainy days to film in Ireland. I think the road surface quality must be very trying - there’s a big difference between smooth tarmac (that you even find on a lot of smaller roads in west Scotland) versus the rougher stuff that rural Irish back roads are paved with.
The road surfaces looked fairly good now to be fair, like, ye know, like, ye know. 😅
@@ViveSemelBeneVivere I don't necessarily mean that there might be more potholes than tarmac, but tis tougher going on the L7973320 or whatever
You got the weather Conor! Well planned! It could have been VERY different! great effort mate!
Tiagra vs Dura Ace literally makes no difference in terms of performance for the weekend warrior. As long as its set up properly it will work like a dream.
exactly sir! it aint what ye ride, it's how ye ride it. the latest, lightest piece of charcoal colored tupperware with two wheels won't make a dimes worth of difference for any recreational rider..nor will sponsored lycra.
I use Tiagra, the reason; I couldn't afford anything more expensive.
I've ridden 150 km in one ride and it has responded beautifully despite my aggressive use.
I recently purchased a new bike and I agonized whether to spend about $800.00 extra to upgrade from the 105 groupset to Ultegra. I decided the 105 would serve me well enough & used part of the money I saved to buy a nice Wahoo Elemnt computer. Saving up for new carbon wheels now. Cheers from 🇨🇦
@@matthewcrich5951 hahahahha, did the same Too, kept saving money and got myself a set of Mavic Wheels and a Garmin 530 Bundle, and it has helped me improve a lot...
I couldn’t agree more, 100% tiagra would be fine. Which is why as a new rider I purchased a trek Madone with ultegra di2 😀. Why..........why not. Just like I wouldn’t buy a skoda if I was looking to buy a new car, not that there’s anything wrong with a skoda, I just don’t want to drive one.
Amazing and I bet you didn't want to see a bike for a couple of days. Its nice to see someone not make the ride! So many videos make the rest of us feel very human so its nice to see the Gods of GCN suffer and experience what so many of us feel. Total respect for even considering it and making it to 450km!
I thought the race was called “The Dunne Eagle” after Conor... 😂
HAHAHAH
I've done a lot of long races, 800km+ ultra and 24hr events, some failures to complete, that's part of the game. Good on you for the attempt 👏
Starwars was filmed there
Woohoo you got it!!
Really? Which bit? Which one?
Fantastic effort and a really honest presentation of how even a top rider can’t always overcome every challenge. A good promo for the lower group sets too, they do work and they are durable!