Mayor Visits Fun Tours

Wednesday, October 30, 2013
The mayor, Mrs Audrey Wales, was in attendance at the start of the weekly Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – fun tours last Saturday morning.
Mrs Wales was introduced to, amongst others, the club’s vice presidents Rex Bonar, John Maxwell and Gordon Caldwell and also to the touring section’s chairman Patsy McGurk.
She praised the road club for their continued work in the community and for their charitable fund raising efforts.
Richard Wilson, one of the organisers of the series, thanked the Mayor for the council’s continued support of the series and stated that those taking part had already raised over £900 for the Chernobyl Children’s appeal NI this year. He also explained that the participants would qualify for bronze, silver and gold certificates of merit and medals depending on how many of the thirteen tours they completed. Saturday was the eighth tour and nine riders, who had completed eight tours, earned their silver awards.
Richard said he was looking forward to the Mayor’s reception in the town hall in December when all the awards would be presented and the money handed over to the CCA.
Fifty two riders assembled for Saturday’s rides.
The A group, which now leaves sharp at 9.15am, completed a lengthy ride which took in Magheralane road to Randalstown, Staffordstown, Toomebridge, Ballyronan, Coagh, Loup, Magherafelt, Curran, Gulladuff, Culnady and Portglenone a total of 67 miles at 18.2mph
John Maxwell led a group of nine riders on a similar 60 miles ride to Randalstown, Toome, Ballyronan, Moneymore, Tobermore, Maghera, Portglenone and Ahoghill. This was completed at 17mph.
The touring group went in the opposite direction and completed a 46 miles ride which took them out the Doury road and on to Ballyveely and Stranocum.
Then it was on to Ballymoney and home along the Garryduff road through Dunloy. By this time the wind had picked up and they had a tough ride into a headwind on the homeward leg.
The silver medallists on Saturday were John Elliott, Patsy McGurk, Rex Bonar, Beresford Millar, Paddy Mooney, Clive Morris, Francis O’Kane, Trevor Thompson and Richard Wilson.