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Post by manuel6b2 on Mar 12, 2009 11:24:41 GMT 1
Tow path tonight again. Meet at Lisburn Civic Centre at 6:50pm for start at 7pm.
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Post by manuel6b2 on Mar 13, 2009 1:38:46 GMT 1
Five of us out tonight. Stewart, Dennis and Alan. Alan had completed an adventure race on Saturday and had convinced a fellow competitor, Rabb, to join us this evening. Rabb confessed to only having been on a bike twice in the last year, but he does go to spin class 3 times a week and jogs a bit! Alan had provided him a bicycle and even with trainers on he was no slow coach. Hopefully he will join us again. The night didn't start too well for Alan who, while taking his front wheel out of the back of his car, noticed a sliver of twig, pulled if off and heard a loud hiss. First puncture repair. We got away about 7:15. Nice pace down the path, lovely dry evening, very mild with few walkers. We crossed the footbridge and Alan then Rabb lead the way. With such a great evening we had to head for the Ring. The Ring however was not as dry as we would have liked and there was quite a bit of slipping in the mud. I stayed behind Rabb and watched as he coped very well with the conditions. Out the back, through the gate then down nettle lane. I stopped to move some of the fallen tree out of the way. Back onto the tow path and it Dennis and Alan up front leading the way with Rabb, me and Stewart following. Into Belvoir and it was the usual fast sprint along the paths with me charging up the hills trying to stay ahead of Alan. Annoyingly my foot kept coming out of the pedals at the most awkward times.  I stopped three times during the evening to tighten up the pedals. Out of the forest and back onto the path for a nice easy pace to Stranmillis. Back into Lagan Meadows and it was again Alan and I battling it out up the hills. Exiting the Meadows and I had expected the light behind to be that of Alan's but it was Mr Experience Dennis who had caught Alan in the wrong gear and was hot on my heels. Back on the path again for a great run to Shaw's bridge. Alan was out in front and headed straight up the hill to Malone House. The gap between him and I was too great and I didn't catch him (althought I tried hard  ) before the usual stop at the bench. Rabb arrived last and asked Alan to check his front tyre. It was indeed flat so the mechanics got stuck in to fix it. We set off again for a great run through the trees, me out in front, up to the running track. Dennis and Stewart gave the BMX run a miss, but the three of us negotiated our way through the jumps. All together again for a steady pace back to base. Past the steel bridge and it was Dennis and Stewart setting the pace with Alan and Rabb then me. Rabb was starting to feel it past the fly over and was working hard to stay with the group. Stewart left us at Hilden then I stayed with Rabb for the last stretch. Fair play to the lad. His comment was "I enjoyed about 90% of that, the other 10% was a **************". Back for 9:20. 25.1 miles done at 13.4 mph average. Not bad given the number of stops. Stephen H could not join us as he is still recovering from his fall last week. Roll on next week ;D |
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I stopped three times during the evening to tighten up the pedals.
) before the usual stop at the bench. Rabb arrived last and asked Alan to check his front tyre. It was indeed flat so the mechanics got stuck in to fix it. We set off again for a great run through the trees, me out in front, up to the running track. Dennis and Stewart gave the BMX run a miss, but the three of us negotiated our way through the jumps.