Sunday Cycle  10th August 2014

Biking with Bertha.

In years to come, people in the Maghera area will still, no doubt, know about the Carn Wheelers cycling club,  however,  they may not remember who Bertha was.

Bertha,  or to give her her full title:  "The ex-hurricane Bertha” was a hurricane who started off life in the Caribbean,  and having gathered up lots of rain and moisture,  hooked into our Strava GPS co-ordinates and headed straight for the Sperrins on Sunday morning.
The legend of Bertha will live long in the memories of those who battled her cruel merciless artillery on this day. 

A few feardie-cats did not venture out this morning,  but there was still a good contingent of keen cyclists who ignored the rath of Bertha and met up as usual at the rec for 8am.   Tommie showed total disregard for Bertha by wearing dark glasses and a peaky cycling cap to keep the sun out of his eyes.

We decided to stay as a single peloton and selected a route to suit the full range of experiences of those gathered.  Our route took us to Portglenone via Culnady  (a wee change for the usual concrete road).  Then up the drag of  Ballynafie Road  towards Ballymena.  Then Galgorm, Cullbacky and then another drag up the Craig’s Road hill and then down to Kilrea.  From there it was back to Maghera.

Well done to all who braved the elements --  sure doesint it make the hot shower afterwards more pleasurable.  And well done to Tony O’Doherty for his Herculean work in keeping the peloton moving together on the inclines.

We also had to endure what seems like more than our fair share of mechanicals today – two chains thrown and three punctures  --- on the plus side, Aidan McMullan now has plenty of spent tubes for tying up the tractor arms with.

Well done to all.