(By Eamon Hogan)   

This week was recovery week for the B group, for no particular reason and I didn’t really mention it to anybody, but sometimes it doesn’t to hurt to slip in a slightly easier route  -although the hill up to Carrickboy is far from easy I admit.

So with fingers crossed that we weren’t in for another soaking we headed out in the direction of Ballynacargy and Emper. This road holds many great memories’ for me as it was along these roads that I first rode a bike, albeit my grandmothers high nelly and was somehow able to cycle while looking under the handle bars as I was too small to look over them. 

While myself and Dan O’Toole took a trip down memory lane swapping childhood memories, it occurred to me that this is why I love the Sunday spin. Yes I like flying up and down the roads of this great country of ours, the madness of the Dysart racing  and the wonderful feeling of being in the middle of a group when all you can here is the rolling sound of wheels on tarmac, but most of all it’s the people you meet and the life stories you share while on the road that makes group cycling such a great experience and would recommend it to anyone, no matter what level of fitness you are at.

Passing the river Inny we turned left through Colehill, Tagshinny and onto the tea stop at Carrickboy. It was plain sailing, albeit with a shower or two to contend with on the way home. Turning for home in Edgeworthstown, we had the wind on our backs and it wasn’t long before we were back at base with 82km on the clock… longer and hillier next week chaps!