Tried. Maybe 🤔 it's different when ....you literally weigh half of what I did but 0 chance in the dunes. With 2.2mtb tyres. Even the forests around with a dirt sand mix weren't doable. Touring on beaches sounds nice. With a fatbike.
Have raced Egmond 16 or 17 times. Back in the days where you'd just slap on a few green vredestein beach tires on your full suspension mtb to the special beach bikes of today. The race is just so much fun. My first time the whole beach was frozen solid and the speeds were insane. Nobody had to get off the bike because the beach was like asphalt.
I have raced another in the same series, it was awesome and really hard. I was surprised by your bike and tire choice. Kudos to you for entering this race, it is one of the hardest ones.
First sending Conor "aerodynamic as a bus" Dunne to the Netherlands for the headwind championships, and now sending him to a beach race is some top British banter
This is also a race where weight is extremely important, the lighter you are the less you sink in the sand and rolling resistance is your biggest enemy in this race. But the wind also seemed to be quite furious on that day. Not the greatest conditions for your tallest lad but I think it is quite honorable that I never hear Connor complain about his bodily disadvantages . 👍
This is a great point. In my experience as a bigger powerful rider, the smaller guys love to drop you on the climbs and we can't say anything, but when it's time to drill it on on the flats/rollers, they always pipe up and ask to dial it back. What's good for the goose is good for the gander!
First the world headwind championships, now this! It’s official. GCN is no longer trying to kill Hank. Conor is their new punching bag! Conor, great performance! You Sir, are an animal!
Those 'beach bikes', which look like modern hardtails with rigid forks, are really interesting! Would love to know more about them and this niche racing culture
Most are exactly what you describe. An XC bike with a wide rigid fork. Also special handlebars. race or with an extension in the middle for an aero position. Tyrepressures are lowww I had 0.75 Bar in the front and 0.95 Bar in the rear tyre.
@@jakeskelton8080 There are shops that sell them locally. Also Koga makes one that's being sold online. But a lot of people buy an aftermarket fork and put them on their MTB or gravel bike. As long as it fits the 60mm tires.
@@jakeskelton8080 I'm from the Netherlands and I've never seen them in shops. But maybe closer to the coast or mountainbike/XC specific bikeshops have them.
I live in a walking distance from that beach and can confirm it’s glorious, my favorite spot to do long intervals or just for a couple of hours spin to clear the head. Kudos to Conor for finishing in top 130 on the least adequate bike for the job, I do ride my gravel bike with on the beach in training but even a moderate thread on the tires makes it so much harder.
I mean Ramon Sinkeldam is a World Tour pro so he probably averaged close to 400W in that hour. No denying it’s faster than most of us could go on a road!
love this type of videos - not a race I can get to so experiencing the events through Conor (and other presenters) is a real treat. love Conor's laughs and goofiness...so infectious.
If you go again to this event next year, it would be cool see multiple members of the GCN team take this race on. And you can show how different body types, weights, etc have an effect on riding in the sand.
Watching Collin compared to the rest of the riders it's easy to see why he had a hard time. He was thinner tires, standing up, pumping hard, bike side to side, against the sand while everyone else was fat tires, sitting down, trying as best they can to not push against the sand but ride above it.
Actually the biggest beachrace is Hoek van Holland - Den Helder. A beachrace of 130 km. But the race has been canceled in recent years because the organization does not receive permission from all the local authorities.
This is absolutely insane, bonkers and brilliant content again gcn and Connor! The Irish giant with the giant heart is always welcome in my viewing! Especially when he's tackling such crazy challenges out of anyone's comfort zone! Who do you think you are? Hank? No, we can see immediately in each echelon echelon where Conor is because he's a full head above the rest of the fray. Seriously though, I have ridden/ attempted sand riding on rail trails whilst bike touring and it's BRUTAL! Amazing job! Well done Dunne! I'm on for watching next time, but let's give you a fighting chance with a proper beach bike! You did so well with that handicap! Huge respect!
I also love the commentary from some riders who know the dynamics and can articulate it well. The cinematography and editing of this piece is amazing! Well done team gcn!
Thanks for the amazing words Geoffrey! We loved taking Conor over to the beach race, he smashed it and kept a smile on his face the whole time 🙌 - We're sure this isn't the last time you'll see Conor at a beach race!
Don't know if I'm raining on your parade or not, but the very first component of a Brevet in New Zealand called the Tour Aotearoa has a beach section which is 82km long. I mean it aint an official race, but it is definitely raced when you start, AND you do it with full bike packing equipment....
would be fun for the race to begin just as the tide has started to move in. Would add an extra element of difficulty if there is no beach left for the return journey.
This was a relatively easy EPE, the wind was from the west. The last 3 editions the wibd was from the SW and was directly against until you reached the pier. If you didn't catch a group going south it was a long day. Maybe I missed it, but you didn't show the stairwell in Castricum or the timed dune climb in Wijk aan Zee.
Being Dutch I hadn't heard about this race. So when he said Egmond Pier Egmond I thought he meant the Pier of Scheveningen. Now that would be way more epic in distance.
First of all Conor, you're a legend! Thanks for your laid back attitude that is so great to watch 🙏👏 But I might need to add some racin advice for you... maybe don'y go off so hard! You seem to always fry your legs in the first half of an event :D
2.31 “1,000 other cyclists coming into my rear end doesn’t sound appetising” who ever wrote today’s script needs a pay rise 😂😂 Conor I’m sure you did some training on many of the large Waterford beaches over Xmas 🤔🤔
4:15 - May I advise Mr. Connor not to run after luxurious sofas because luxury never did anyone any good. Just ride at your comfortable pace. Remember, slow and steady wins the race 😊 5:40 - Why does Connor not use fat tyres in a beach race? What's he doing with a bloody aero bike?? 13:05 - You want way more powerful legs? Why don't you try jogging for an hour every day?😊
It’s not like a GCN presenter to have over ambitious expectations of their talent (apart from Ollie) and end up getting dropped five times. But at least you didn’t bonk this time Conor. Well done to finish in the top 130 people.
Most people (me including) ride beach races with 2,35” (biggest available) Schwalbe G-one Speed (no profile). Tubeless with at least 30mm inner rim width. With tyre pressure way below 1 bar.
⛱️Have you ever ridden on a beach? Is it on your bucket 🪣 list to try?
Let us know in the comments 👇
No.
Tried. Maybe 🤔 it's different when ....you literally weigh half of what I did but 0 chance in the dunes. With 2.2mtb tyres. Even the forests around with a dirt sand mix weren't doable. Touring on beaches sounds nice. With a fatbike.
Have raced Egmond 16 or 17 times. Back in the days where you'd just slap on a few green vredestein beach tires on your full suspension mtb to the special beach bikes of today. The race is just so much fun. My first time the whole beach was frozen solid and the speeds were insane. Nobody had to get off the bike because the beach was like asphalt.
I have raced another in the same series, it was awesome and really hard. I was surprised by your bike and tire choice. Kudos to you for entering this race, it is one of the hardest ones.
Shouldn't it be on your bucket and spade list?
First sending Conor "aerodynamic as a bus" Dunne to the Netherlands for the headwind championships, and now sending him to a beach race is some top British banter
Not very aero and super sweaty... there is no hope this this boy 😂 👉ruclips.net/video/FIBtn_W7FU8/видео.html
@@gcn at least you take in salt by breathing in the salty air
Nice meeting and racing with you Conor! See you at the gravel races??
Hop hop Douwe naar de top (comment)
We'll be sending him out for sure! Thanks for going easy on him. What's your next race? 🏖
Douwe vs conor on gravel😉
This is also a race where weight is extremely important, the lighter you are the less you sink in the sand and rolling resistance is your biggest enemy in this race. But the wind also seemed to be quite furious on that day. Not the greatest conditions for your tallest lad but I think it is quite honorable that I never hear Connor complain about his bodily disadvantages . 👍
This is a great point. In my experience as a bigger powerful rider, the smaller guys love to drop you on the climbs and we can't say anything, but when it's time to drill it on on the flats/rollers, they always pipe up and ask to dial it back. What's good for the goose is good for the gander!
Nah not really, it’s mostly just about the raw power you can produce and your technique on the difficult sections. Coming from a beachracer.
Just look at the winner of this race, not exactly the shortest or lightest as well. He is a bit Connor-like :)
Lower weight means lower absolute power... Its flat so lower weight is not that much of an advantage
Conor put up a good fight, we think Conor's racing days are on the up! Where should we send him next?
great effort - with a permanent smile. Gotta love Conor’s approach to these events
He's never not having a good time!
First the world headwind championships, now this! It’s official. GCN is no longer trying to kill Hank. Conor is their new punching bag! Conor, great performance! You Sir, are an animal!
We tried and failed with Hank 😂 We're not sure Conor has the same resilience, can you think of any other challenges?
@@gcn Tour des stations will surely do him in!
At 9:00 - That sign placement in the background is perfect whether it was intended or not
Love that you are exploring Dutch cycling things. First het NK tegenwindfietsen, en nu EPE, love to see it!
Is Holland the true home of cycling?
Those 'beach bikes', which look like modern hardtails with rigid forks, are really interesting! Would love to know more about them and this niche racing culture
Most are exactly what you describe. An XC bike with a wide rigid fork. Also special handlebars. race or with an extension in the middle for an aero position. Tyrepressures are lowww I had 0.75 Bar in the front and 0.95 Bar in the rear tyre.
@@AnihalasCan you buy a bike new like that in local bike shops in the Netherlands or are these all aftermarket forks?
@@jakeskelton8080 There are shops that sell them locally. Also Koga makes one that's being sold online. But a lot of people buy an aftermarket fork and put them on their MTB or gravel bike. As long as it fits the 60mm tires.
There are some local bike shops who make them but most of the "beachbikes" are made by the riders itself @@jakeskelton8080
@@jakeskelton8080 I'm from the Netherlands and I've never seen them in shops. But maybe closer to the coast or mountainbike/XC specific bikeshops have them.
I live in a walking distance from that beach and can confirm it’s glorious, my favorite spot to do long intervals or just for a couple of hours spin to clear the head.
Kudos to Conor for finishing in top 130 on the least adequate bike for the job, I do ride my gravel bike with on the beach in training but even a moderate thread on the tires makes it so much harder.
Conor is the best!!!! So much positive energy.
Love how GCN continue to send the team a little out of their comfort zone for our entertainment , keep it up great viewing....
Hahahaha that's our jam! We'll suffer so you don't have to 😂 Any other races you would like us to head out on?
@@gcn The Triple Bypass in Colorado.
Can't imagine how the winner was able to complete this in under an hour. That's over 38 km/h. That's faster than most of us could go on asphalt.
I mean Ramon Sinkeldam is a World Tour pro so he probably averaged close to 400W in that hour. No denying it’s faster than most of us could go on a road!
Wild isn't it! 💨
2:31 "Otherwise I've got a thousand other cyclists coming into my rear end."
Tobias Funke would be proud of that phrasing, bravo 👏
Nice to let Douwe moonlight on GCN our growing star on RUclips :).
That looks like a lot of fun.... i would love to do that race. TKS GCN. Connor did a great job.
Conor's cyclocross lessons paid off! Successful jump mount at 10:55 :)
love this type of videos - not a race I can get to so experiencing the events through Conor (and other presenters) is a real treat. love Conor's laughs and goofiness...so infectious.
Really fun to watch you slogging it through this! So interesting, never seen anything like this before, new to cycling.. cheers!
Amazing work as always big man ! Great video and well done 💪🏻
The idea of bringing wide tyres specifically with no profile is that they don't dig you into the ground
If you go again to this event next year, it would be cool see multiple members of the GCN team take this race on. And you can show how different body types, weights, etc have an effect on riding in the sand.
*and in the wind :')
Discovery can't afford that
Who do you think would be the best GCN beach racer? 🏖
With that '51' dossard comes some heavy responsibilities and obligations...🤔
Glad to see that you lived up to them. 👏
Nice one! Should’ve tagged Douwe Doorduin (the guy who you interviewed) tho, he’s an upcoming Dutch cycling RUclipsr.
I love you guys….always 100% effort given.👍🚴🏼
Always! Sometimes we give 110% 👉ruclips.net/video/xlb0DllsC-c/видео.html
Hank is a tank…..almost as tuff as a Tonka Toy.🚴🏼
7:30 in which delirium takes hold, and he says random weird stuff. It's not the first time . . .
At 7.30 Conor was talking about his legs being fryed on a BBQ 🤷🏼♂️😂
You can't help but liking Conor 🙌
Bravo, Conor...a very impressive effort for a first on the beach with arguably not the best bike!
Always love watching Conor race
Beach races = sandbox for grown-ups. I love the Dutch beaches! The view and the smell.
Douwe! Wachten nog steeds op zijn video ;)
Volgende week!
Watching Collin compared to the rest of the riders it's easy to see why he had a hard time. He was thinner tires, standing up, pumping hard, bike side to side, against the sand while everyone else was fat tires, sitting down, trying as best they can to not push against the sand but ride above it.
Some lessons learned here for sure, we think we'll be sending Conor off for another beach race 🤔
@@gcnRent him a beach bike to give him a chance again next time. With his positivity he deserve it!
🤯 And yet MVDP and WVA make it look *so easy!*
Those two have nothing on Conor!
Winner averaging 38kph on wet sand is mad 😲
I love you Conor you are such a good sport and far more talented then you give yourself credit for!!
On the wheel of Roxane Knetemann nice!
Nice effort! I raced it as well, I had a GoPro on my bike and uploaded it on my channel! (It’s in Dutch)
How did you get on? Did you spot Conor? 👀
@@gcn finished within 1:06:54! And yeah I had to start a bit from the back so after a while I was in a group with Conor😁
Awesome Connor well done dude mega effort 😊 Pete 🚴🏻🚴🏻👍
We had a tandem race years ago on a trip to Normandy - its was mad! Wish I could add a phot here.
nice that douwe made it in to this video, he makes great videos.
Actually the biggest beachrace is Hoek van Holland - Den Helder.
A beachrace of 130 km.
But the race has been canceled in recent years because the organization does not receive permission from all the local authorities.
Count us in when it's back on 👀
Seem like the perfect race for CX rider that always rides through sand obstacles.
This is one of the best races of the year. Riding on the beach is really something you should have done at least once in your life!
Awesome job Connor! Come on back with 64c tyres next year and show 'em what's up!
He'll be back 🤖
Long Beach WA, about 40k one way, it's brutal if there's a headwind and the tide is coming in where the sand starts to dry up.
This is absolutely insane, bonkers and brilliant content again gcn and Connor! The Irish giant with the giant heart is always welcome in my viewing! Especially when he's tackling such crazy challenges out of anyone's comfort zone! Who do you think you are? Hank? No, we can see immediately in each echelon echelon where Conor is because he's a full head above the rest of the fray. Seriously though, I have ridden/ attempted sand riding on rail trails whilst bike touring and it's BRUTAL! Amazing job! Well done Dunne! I'm on for watching next time, but let's give you a fighting chance with a proper beach bike! You did so well with that handicap! Huge respect!
I also love the commentary from some riders who know the dynamics and can articulate it well. The cinematography and editing of this piece is amazing! Well done team gcn!
Thanks for the amazing words Geoffrey! We loved taking Conor over to the beach race, he smashed it and kept a smile on his face the whole time 🙌 - We're sure this isn't the last time you'll see Conor at a beach race!
Yea! I love his spirit in the world and will gladly watch any video with him (or Manon and Hank for that matter)!@@gcn
He should have started with the gravelracers with that bike. Would have been more fair competition!
Music choice well decent 👍
There should be a race this massive in my hometown -- Cassino beach, the world's longest beach (240km long, non-stop straight sandy shore)
If it's not there yet you should start it 🙌 Build it and they will come!
Much wider, slick tires and really low pressure are the better weapons for this kind of racing, otherwise you dig yourself in. Cheers from Holland
Don't know if I'm raining on your parade or not, but the very first component of a Brevet in New Zealand called the Tour Aotearoa has a beach section which is 82km long. I mean it aint an official race, but it is definitely raced when you start, AND you do it with full bike packing equipment....
That should be a section in the tour de France
would be fun for the race to begin just as the tide has started to move in. Would add an extra element of difficulty if there is no beach left for the return journey.
Wow! That would be a real extra level of competition! Might have to do the race on a pedalo 😂
Might have been a good time to use flat peddles
No absolutely not. Can’t put out any power on those.
Or pedals. 🙂
Connor seems to always have such a great attitude! More Conor videos, please.
BTW did you have Hank filming from the powerglider?
10:43 Conor goes full friendly giant mode
This was a relatively easy EPE, the wind was from the west. The last 3 editions the wibd was from the SW and was directly against until you reached the pier. If you didn't catch a group going south it was a long day. Maybe I missed it, but you didn't show the stairwell in Castricum or the timed dune climb in Wijk aan Zee.
De route was iets aangepast door werkzaamheden dacht ik.
Being Dutch I hadn't heard about this race. So when he said Egmond Pier Egmond I thought he meant the Pier of Scheveningen. Now that would be way more epic in distance.
Looks great , come to Cape Town, for the cape cycle tour , 35 000 people bike race in one day
That sounds like a great celebration of cycling! Are you going this year?
First of all Conor, you're a legend! Thanks for your laid back attitude that is so great to watch 🙏👏
But I might need to add some racin advice for you... maybe don'y go off so hard! You seem to always fry your legs in the first half of an event :D
Yeah I want to try this.
Its a brilliant race they also have a combo with the half marathon the day after (maybe a good challenge for GTN)
Don't say their name too many times ....
Didn't someone say duathlon? 👀
looks nuts
Amazing race! You should do it 🙌
Absolute legend
Connor is always so adorable
I'm just thankful that Connor didn't dehydrate.
"You didn't come here to build sandcastles"
Just like commuting to work through slush in Finnish winter
Salt and bicycles. What a great combination
*a chain screams in the distance
did you get a pic of the winners bike? interested to see what a beach bike looks like...
it's even more difficult to drive on wet sand, but on dry sand, it's probably only worse to drive on a broken wheel
Where is El Alto? Has Blake it still?
Do we have a beach race in the uk,weston or weymouth would be a good place.
What? No el Alto? 🤣
I did consider but logistics of getting El Alto to the line got in the way. He is still cross with me for being left behind
Thanks Conor and crew...mmmm not "El Alto " , dude ? Be well , and , did the wax work ? No crunchy gears ?
Dutch people are some of the tallest in the world so Conner will fit in just nicely :D
I looked at those treads and I felt sorry for his entire lower musculoskeletal system. 😂
Which forks are these with such a huge clearance?
Is this why MVDP does so well in the sand sections of CX races?
El Alto is upset. And Conor, you had more people with you at the Unbound start line.
Same amount of people at the finish too 😉
@@gcn Hah! But we now know that was down to insufficient sodium.
Well done Conor, great content as usual. Will we be seeing you and El Alto return to battle on the beach this year?
Ummm you'll have to wait and see 👀
2.31 “1,000 other cyclists coming into my rear end doesn’t sound appetising” who ever wrote today’s script needs a pay rise 😂😂 Conor I’m sure you did some training on many of the large Waterford beaches over Xmas 🤔🤔
This is a Conor script... if you couldn't tell already 😂
@gcn Lots of tips in the Live Slow Ride Fast podcast #58
Surely Mr Aero, Ollie should go next time?😂
DOUWEEEEE!!!!!!
Should have brought that giant wheel bike from a couple years ago
That bike is still here... we'll get prepping 🙌
4:15 - May I advise Mr. Connor not to run after luxurious sofas because luxury never did anyone any good. Just ride at your comfortable pace. Remember, slow and steady wins the race 😊
5:40 - Why does Connor not use fat tyres in a beach race? What's he doing with a bloody aero bike??
13:05 - You want way more powerful legs? Why don't you try jogging for an hour every day?😊
So coool!
well done!!!
It’s not like a GCN presenter to have over ambitious expectations of their talent (apart from Ollie) and end up getting dropped five times.
But at least you didn’t bonk this time Conor. Well done to finish in the top 130 people.
Hahahaha he may have bitten off more than he can chew... again 😂
Where is El Alto?
Why didnt you bring el Alto?😁 Probably not allowed?
So, how did you get the GoPro back?
Conor, would you change your set-up when you race next time?
Fun but for sure needs a good bike for it.
@4:55 If someone's lucky, they might find the rear camera 😉
Conor was dropped more times in one ride than Ollie has been in his life!
Ouch!
Perhaps an XC MTB with 2.4" wide tires would've been a better call
Smooth tyres too?
Most people (me including) ride beach races with 2,35” (biggest available) Schwalbe G-one Speed (no profile). Tubeless with at least 30mm inner rim width. With tyre pressure way below 1 bar.
At 7:50 I'm just thinking is he on 20" or 24" wheels
Awsome