Cycling Weekly — February 08, 2018

History

Established in 1977, NDCC has a

reputation for warmly welcoming

new members and has grown

over the years into one of the

largest and most successful

clubs in Ireland, with over 300

active members.

Club runs have access to the

fl at but scenic Ards Peninsula

and the more challenging terrain

throughout County Down. When

Strava published its annual End

of Year Insights for 2016, the Ards

region had the highest average

speed in the UK.

In line with the club’s racing

heritage NDCC hosts an evening

race series on the Kirkistown

motor racing circuit. There are

races for all ages and abilities with

over 100 competitors from NDCC

and neighbouring clubs racing.

The club organise the

annual 100km Coastal Challenge

charity cycle with nearly 1,000

participants. Over £40,000 has

been raised for local charities

in the last fi ve years and there’s

lots of help from police and local

bodies on the event.

Sadly in 2017, club member

Gavin Moore lost his life and other

club members were seriously

injured in a traffi c incident. NDDC

is committed to cycling safety and

this will be their enduring legacy to

Gavin’s memory. #seethecyclist

Achievements

JKirkistown Race Series — a

unique series of evening races

around the Kirkistown motor

racing circuit. Approximately 100

adults and children take part with

races for all ages and categories

on the last Wednesday of the

month from April-September. The

club holds time trials on the other

Wednesday evenings during

the season.

J The club has a rich racing

history with many past and

present national champions and

a strong current race group.

J Alistair and Gerald Irvine

represented Ireland and won

several championships, and also

competed in six consecutive

Commonwealth Games from

1982-2002.

J Tom and Ian Henry hold the

Northern Ireland two-man,

12-hour distance record at

485 miles.

J Club members regularly

participate in the Rás

representing Co Down.

J Andrew Chivers, Ulster junior

road race champion 2015.

J Katie Armstrong, Irish

national U16 criterium

champion 2016.

J Michael Hamilton, twice

NI road race champion

(1997 & 2000).

J Ross Blayney, fi rst Irish

rider selected for support

from the Dave Rayner Fund

for racing in France.

hy did this

area have

the highest

average speed in the UK

on Strava in 2016?” muses

Bangor-based North Down

CC press secretary David

Totten. “Flat roads, no

traffi c lights and plenty

of clubs riding miles as

opposed to commuting

miles,” is his explanation.

But to concentrate on the

Strava record alone would

be a huge disservice to the

club, which celebrated its

40th anniversary in 2017.

“We have club runs fi ve days

a week with different speed

groups,” Totten continues.

“Then there’s the closed-road

evening race series, club time

trials, open road race, Coastal

Challenge charity ride and

Majorca training camp.”

This raft of events has been

successful in attracting and

retaining members. Recent

joiner Ruth Hamill highlights

the many groups as one of

the reasons she joined: “I can

move up and down the groups

depending on how I feel and

you’re never on your own.”

The club has a healthy

women’s scene as Ruth

McNally, the oldest woman in

the club at 78 and still riding

fi ve days a week says: “When

I joined 20 years ago I was the

only female but now we have

nearly 60 women of all ages

and more joining.”

First away on our ride is the

fast group, jokingly known as

the headless chickens because

of their speed over style

approach. The club has a rich

heritage of racing, with many

past and present national

champions and this group

upholds the tradition. The

other groups fi lter out with

the slowest last. A range of

routes sees them all arriving

at the cafe stop at roughly the

same time.

Half-wheel heckling

Indeed the cafe stop at

Harrisons of Greyabbey is the

focal point of the Saturday

club ride. The facilities are

excellent; a dedicated cyclists’

area with plenty of seating, an

honesty payment system and

as many cuppas and scones

as you like for £3.50.

The club is extremely well

organised and disciplined

thanks to riding etiquette

being explained to new

members on arrival and

is evident in the orderly

way everyone rides. The

atmosphere is relaxed and

jovial with plenty of good-

natured heckling, especially

for half-wheeling. This is

very apparent today on the

stunning but very windy

exposed coast road as riders

struggle with the gusts.

“The couple of hills on the

route are very short so the

fi tter riders blast up them,”

says Eric Blayney. Blayney

organises the monthly

Wednesday night race series

on the Kirkistown motor

racing circuit from April

to September. “There

We hit Strava’s speediest roads with

Northern Ireland’s Pink and Blacks

Club facts:

From: Bangor, Northern Ireland

Members: 316

Formed: 1977

Meets: Baylands Coffee Company,

Ballyholme; Saturday 9am — three

options, 40-60 miles on Ards

Penninsula; Sunday 9.15/9.45am —

three options, two flatter steady

40 miles, and a hillier 45 mile.

Weekday rides: daily rides during

the week to suit all abilities

Words: Patrick Trainor / Photos: Dillon Osborne and Soarscape

North Down

Cycling Club

Ride with

48 | February 8, 2018 | Cycling Weekly