Sunday Cycle  11^th May 2014

After the excitement of seeing and watching the Giro for the past couple of days,  it was back to the grind for the Sunday cyclists.  8am saw a dozen or so very wet boys huddled under the tree at the side of the rec carpack, for such was the ferocity of the falling rain.  Big Pete Kelly commented that it was only rain, but Paddy Donnelly had noted that this rain was very wet.  What we did not know at that stage was that Pete had a wee trick up his sleeve  (or more precisely, up his gansay).

With only a slight easing in the downpour, and we were off,  heading for Tobermore, Magherafelt, Ballyronan and into Toome.  Our "Up-N-Overs” became "Back-N-Overs” as Pete was training for the Iron Man and so assumed the front left position and stayed there  (I did not hear too many complaints).

It was in Toome,  when we were stopped at the public toilets that Pete pulled off his masterstroke.  Having warmed his hands in the blow dryer in the gents,  he wheeked out a dry pair of dry gloves from his back pocket and was ready for the road. The rest of us wrung out our sodden apparel and cursed the wet and the spray as we started off again. 

We headed up the Lough Beg road, onto Portglenone, Kilrea, CrossKeys, Swatragh and back to Maghera.  Pete’s heart monitor told him that he still had 1 hour  12 minutes left to do before he was allowed home (to change into his running gear),  so a few of us accompanied him for a few more miles -- to Magherafelt, Curren and back to Maghera.  On this leg of the journey the rain actually stopped and temperatures did rise,  but the wind did not ease any for us.

Well done to all.

BM