Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – will hold
their first "open” promotion of the season this Sunday 19thJanuary when their annual reliability trials take place from Rex Bonar House,
Railway Street.
Everyone has been looking forward to this event, which
signifies that the countdown to the racing season has official began.
It is
expected that cyclists from all over Northern Ireland will assemble at Rex
Bonar House for the 10am start. Everyone will be hoping for better weather
conditions than those experienced last season when conditions were seriously
poor, with the riders having to contend with heavy rain, sleet and snow showers
and gusty gale force winds throughout the event. The event was more like a
Polar expedition than a cycle tour. Nevertheless there was still an entry of
150 for the two events.
That day
the "A” group was 80 strong and they completed a 72 miles ride which took
in Antrim, Greystone, Templepatrick, The Longshot to Ballyrobert, then Mossley,
Greenisland, Woodburn, Kilroot, Whitehead (where a strong tailwind had the
group riding at 45 mph in places) Glynn, Larne and the pit stop at Ballygally.
Then it
was on around the coast road (where the wind coming off the sea had the speed
reduced to walking pace for some riders) and home via Glenarm, Carnlough and
Glencloy before the run in through the Braid to Broughshane and back to base,
where hot showers and post event refreshments were an even more welcome sight
than usual.
The
touring section’s 53 miles route took them out the Larne Road towards
Glenwherry and then right on to Ballynashee road and on to Ballyeaston and the
Lower Ballyboley road to Kilwaughter and on to the pit stop at Ballygally and
then back the same route as the "A” run.
Many
riders failed to finish the event, such was the severity of the challenge, and
others, who did finish, commented that it had been their most difficult
experience ever on a bike.
The
routes for this weekend’s trials will be the same as in 2013. The "A”
group is scheduled for an average speed of 19mph while the tourists hope to
achieve 16mph average.
Clifford
Grant will be taking control of the 'A' group.
Registration
for Sunday’s event will commence at 9am with an entry fee of £7 being charged.
Riders are requested to wear their crash helmets in both events.
Cycling
Ulster also require that riders, who are intending to take part, have already
applied for their 2014 Cycling Ireland membership. Those who haven’t received
their membership card are requested to present a letter from their club
secretary stating that they had applied for their licence.
In
recent seasons the racing licences haven’t usually been received until the
first weekend of racing in late February. This year Cycling Ireland have a new
system in operation and, amongst other things, it enables the Ballymena Road
Club part, of the overall signing on fee, to also be paid at the same time.
Hopefully the new system will also mean that licences will be issued more
quickly than before.