One in the Bank

Today's write up from Lee. Many thanks for forwarding the pics on to me so I can post them up.

Well I'm sat here post ride watching the Tour of Flanders watching the Sky boys in pain after 200+km but that's nothing to the pain I'm feeling after my first full fat ride of the season. It looked like a promising day for a ride with weather being kind, very little wind and just some mist to contend with. Retro was appointed route master and off we went (forgive me I'm not up on all the latest nick names but the group consisted of Retro, Jeff, Mark, Darragh and myself) up to Carryduff and then Ballynahinch. Part way up the Saintfield road the lights played havoc and held us back. A single rider out for a spin managed to pass us while we re grouped. Retro didn't say a thing but put the pedal down and laid chase. It was a hectic pace but it did the job and man caught as we hit the last lights before Carryduff. It turned out he was going to Ballynahinch so he jumped in and just a short way up the road we picked up Sean, a NDCC rider looking for a group to him to Dundrum. So fully assembled the 5 was now 7 and off we went. Retro found us a cracking climb out Ballnahinch (I can say that now I'm sat on the sofa!) which was our first real test. We took the back road into Spa and after that my awareness of the route gets hazy. A welcome break at the excellent Blue Bay Cafe went down well where some healthy (?!!!!) carbs were loaded.

Now this is where it all gets a bit blurry for me, left right left right - I had no idea where I was!

All I know is that we hit around 92km of very lumpy leg cramping superb roads.
Well done to Jeff and Retro for setting a brisk pace closely followed by Darragh with Mark and myself hanging in there!

Hopefully that's one in the bank and it gets easier from here on in!

Categories: Ride