The Great Volac Milk Ride 2009 – Blazing Saddles!

29 May 2009

The Great Volac Milk Ride 2009 – Blazing Saddles!

Every time we finish a Great Volac Bike Ride it feels like it can’t get any better, but it does……

The 2009 trip to Northern Ireland was superb. The route was spectacular, the arrangements were exceptional, and the company was simply most enjoyable. For those who have not joined a Volac ride in the past you should have a word with any of the riders or support drivers and get on your bike for the next one!

Despite the challenges for getting to Antrim and confronting the Irish weather, 26 cyclists and 8 supporters set out on the 150 mile trip around the coastal route to Giants Causeway and back. Alistair and Vi did a great job planning the route and we were well supported with outriders (David Allan and Jimmy McConnell) and van drivers (Rod Wells and Dave Gould)

The first 50 miles were comfortably knocked off before lunch with a favourable tail wind. The only casualty was James Gale’s bike (constructed from parts bought through ebay!). The roads were pleasantly quiet and views gave us a taste of the scenery to come.

Alistair’s particularly jovial mood at the Cushendall sailing club lunch stop should have been a warning for what was to come. As we set off for the Torr Head ‘scenic route’ (ropes and crampons would have come in handy) the weather played its part, blowing off the Antrim mountains. Torr Head was a real challenge and the most sensible cyclists took the high pass avoiding the worst of the ups and downs. Full credit to Richard Harris for being the only cyclist to stay on his bike all the way to Ballycastle in conditions in which even the mountain sheep had gone home. Richard Kirkland and Mark McAuley also did particularly well on hire bikes.

We finally arrived safely into the seaside town of Ballycastle at about 5.30 for a well deserved coffee/tea/chocolate. The tea shop soon emptied as more and more sweaty, wet, exhausted Volac cyclists arrived.

Dry, clean and buoyed by a few Guinness (and the Irish won the rugby), the sun decided to show us the beauty of this coast. Alistair had laid on a fantastic evening at Kinbane Farm with quite a number of his customers (who raised £300 on the night).

The view of Scotland across the seas was breathtaking as the sun went down, and our chef (Richard Grant) got to work on a couple of beasts that Alistair had prepared earlier. A great evening was had by all…

The second day started with a 12 mile trip from Ballycastle to Giants Causeway. This was a spectacular coastal scene which soon blew away the cobwebs.

Our outriders (looking more and more like policemen) kept us on track for the rendezvous.

Giants Causeway did not disappoint, an amazing natural feature that one imagines could really have been build by a giant.




Turning inland from Portrush to Coleraine and on up the river Bann introduced a new challenge – head wind! A good lunch and support from the ‘noise brigade’, Peter WW and Yorkie, kept our spirits up and pushed on for the finish. This is where the legs start to feel every incline, bump or breeze. Full credit to the less experienced cyclists who kept going into the head wind (Pat and Claver Cahill, Clare Rogers, Maggie Gould, Sophie Gale and Trish Gray) and to Phil and Mary Pearson on the tandem.

Our last stop was at Portglenone Forest when the batteries were charged for the final push to the finish.


 

At 5.30 we arrived back at the Comfort Inn, Antrim to a hero’s welcome from the supporters.











Happy to finish, but a little sad that it was over. With good supper and more Guinness - the hills got bigger, roads longer and the weather harsher.....

Do it again?? - Of course we will.

Many thanks to all those who donated, supported, cycled, organised, enjoyed etc etc. It was a great experience and with £5,000 already counted (and still to be matched by the company foundation) it looks like we could beat our record for Cancer Research UK. Particular thanks to Alistair, Vi, Rod, and Naomi for the huge effort they made in making it all happen.

David Neville.




PS:  If our efforts have inspired you to make a donation to Cancer Research, please either visit  http://www.justgiving.com/volac or send your donation to  Dr Naomi Grant, Volac International Ltd, Volac House, Fishers Lane, Orwell, Royston, Hertfordshire SG8 5QX UK.

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