Torr Head Challenge

[Bob P]

Total of 7 from the club enjoyed the sunshine today on the North Antrim Coast. Anne, Davy R, Stephen W, Fritz, Peter B and numpty and myself on the tandem.

Anyone up for Carlingford next Sunday to watch the MTB Marathon?

Meet at the Scarva visitors centre at 10:30?

[peterbryson]

The Torr Head Challenge starts at the car park in Balygalley, this year the early gloom started to lift as we gathered for the off.

The first question is 20 50 or 70, miles that is...apart from the distance the difference is. the 70 includes the climb up and over the Torr...more of that later.

We were waved off by a Marie Currie rep and Jeremy McWilliams of Moto GP fame. The first stage is a flat run up the coast, big group riding with speeds between 21-26 MPH depending Who was driving the group. The temperatures started rising as we rolled in sunshine along the glorious coast road. You climb before the tea stop in Cushendun which usually sees the peleton splinter.For those on the 70 its a tight wee road up to Torr Head for the 50ers it a swing homeward.

The main climbing of the day up Torr Head is three main climbs with a fair sprinkling of undulating leg rippers in between. The second climb in particular is one for spiderman on his spider cycle with extra grippy spidey tires, it's steep. Its a case of get the head down and get over them, the road rises with the coastline and gives clear views out to Rathlin and Scotland if you have a chance to lift your head. Once ontop of the Torr it's a nice descent but one you need to keep the pedals turning to get down with any speed.

AT Ballyvoy you turn onto the A2 and head back to Cushendall, this is draggy up to the forest and then it's a fast descent off open ground down to the coast, the wind was in our faces most of the way through this section but we got a good thing going riding through sharing the work.

Once back down on the coast it was head down into the wind heading through Carnlough toward Ballygawley. As you follow the coast the wind shifts with you, sometimes turning into a cross wind at others giving a fair push, speeds varied from 16mph into the wind to 32Mph with it at our backs. We had one sweet section out of Glenarm, one of those moments when you understand why you do this riding a bike thing. Sitting a comfortable 28 mph the open ocean on you left the sun on you face and just the sound of tires on the tarmac. As Stevie said.... "it does'nt get any better."

Unfortunately just after he said it, the gods of cycling smacked us with headwind, for the remaining 10 or so miles.

A good end of season run, well supported and made all the better by the chance to shed the arm warmers and enjoy some crackin greenery.

[manuel6b]

Nice report Peter !

[numpty]

Yes it was a great day, me and Bob arrived few minutes late. The main bunch had just gone but we caught them on the tandem.

We moved ourselves up through the bunch and saw Davy Robb,Stephen Wallace and Peter Bryson and Nigel Sudlow.

We were still all together to the tea stop, thanks to all the helpers of Marie Curie

The next part of the run was very tough around Torr Head especially on the tandem, going up all those hills. We were going fast down the other side around 40mph, fast enough

I was glad to see Cushendall and then headed back to Ballygawley. We stayed with a group of cyclists and we took our turn at the front, there was a head wind. I took some photos on the back of the tandem.

We were back at Ballygawley before 3pm and the sun was still shining