Non-Competitive / Leisure Events

They have reintoroduced the C category for those looking to get back into racing, 30 miles with lads in the same boat as you

otherwise check out the calendar

February 2004
1st Feb – Tour of Peninsula – Dave Kane/Northern CC Sign on 10:00 at TBA
70k & 130k tours with Tea Stop half way. Contact Dave Kane on 028 90 653139

15th Feb – Reliability Trial - Orchard Wheelers – Sign on 10:00 at TBA. 100k Tour, changing rooms, showers & refreshments provided. Contact Terry Moreton on 028 38 333673.

22nd Feb – Reliability Trial – Phoenix CC – Sign on 9:30 at House of Sport, Upper Malone Road, Belfast. Distance 100k. Contact: Stephen McDonald 112 Church Cres. Glengormley, Belfast BT36 6EU. Tel 028 90 83 3972

March 2004
21st March – North-South Trial – Omagh Wheelers, start Omagh Leisure Centre at 10:00, distance 96k, changing rooms, refreshments & certificates provided, contact Hugh McCann on 028 82 898893

April 2004
4th April – Lee Strand Tralee CC Tour – Lee Strand Tralee CC, Sign on 10:30 at Lixnaw GAA Grounds, distance 100k, changing rooms, showers, trophies & refreshments provided. Contact J.P. O’Connell on 066 71 32435/087 2398270

18th April – Tour of Tipperary – Clonmel CC Sign on at Clonmel Og GAA Club at 09:00am, start at 10:00am, distance 100k, showers, refreshments & certificates provided, contact John Ryan 086 8240647, Email [email]clonmelcc - at - dirl.com[/email]

25th April – The Rebel Tour of Cork – St Finbarrs CC, Start 10:00am at Kingsley Hotel, Carrigrohane straight, Cork, distance 100k – 200k, Contact Kevin O’Leary 021 4371251 Email [email]dkev - at - eircom.net[/email]

25th April – Tour of Meath & Cavan – Navan Avonmore Road Club, Start 10:00am at The Balreask Arms, Navan, distance 90k, refreshments provided, (Charity: Navan Meals on Wheels) Contact Larry Clarke 041 9824460

May 2004
2nd May – Tour of the Glens – Castlereagh Cycling Club, Sign on 7:30 to 7:55am at Belfast City Hall, distance 200k, refreshments, medals & ambulance provided, this is a hard, hilly touring event, Entry £10.00 on the day, (£7.50 pre entry) Contact Mark Gilmore 028 90 655199 or 07808 399622

2nd May – Slieve Bloom Challenge – Carlow Road Club, Start 9:00am at Holy Angels Centre, Straw Hall, Athy Road, Carlow, distance 150k & 80k, refreshments & certificates provided, Contact Michael Keating 0503 32454

9th May – Tyrone/Fermanagh Cycle – Omagh Wheelers, start 10:00am at Omagh Leisure Centre, distance 112k, Changing rooms, refreshments & certificates provided, Contact Hugh McCann 028 82 898893

9th May – Martin Healy Memorial Tour – Banteer Cycling Club, start 10:00am, distance 100k, refreshments provided, contact Cormac Cahill 022 47274 / 087 9171669

9th May – Tour of the Lakes – Lakeside Wheelers. Start at 10am at St. Lomans GAA Club, Delvin Road [N52], Mullingar. Distance: 35km, 65km and 100km. Refreshments provided, changing and shower facilities. Contact: Richard Carey,
087 7972658


16th May – Conor Pass Challenge – Earl of Desmond Tralee Bicycle Club, start 10:00am at Earl of Desmond Hotel, distance 120k, refreshments, certificates etc will be provided, Contact Michael Hall 066 7129484, Email [email]mandjhall - at - eircom.net[/email] or Matt Lacey 066 7124372

16th May – Tour of Tyrone & Fermanagh – Fintona Cycling Club, Start at 10:30 in Fintona, distance 85k, Contact Patsy McElhalten 028 82 240441

22nd May – Tour of the Three Counties – Eire Og Cycling Club, start 12:00 noon distance 80k, Contact Daire Mooney 071 51095

23rd May – Limerick 100k Tour – Limerick Cycling Club, start 10:00am, distance 100k, Contact Pat Spaight, Shrahane, Ballysimon, Co. Limerick 061 351354

23rd May – Blackstairs 150K – Barrow Wheelers Cycling Club, start at 8:00am, distance 150k, two stops, one with free refreshments at 100k, Contact Adrian Delaney on 051 422803

30th May – Tour of South Armagh – Slieve Gullion Wheelers, Sign on at Mountain House, Belleeks, Co. Armagh. Start at 10:00am, distance 100km & 60km, Refreshments at half way and at finish, Contact Sean Morgan 028 (048) 30848991 or Danny McSherry 028 (048) 37507279

30th May – McNally Swords CC ‘North County Dublin Tour’ – McNally Swords Cycling Club, Sign on 8:30am at Fingallians GAA Club, Start 9:00am, distance 50 miles and 80 miles, showers & refreshments provided, Contact Ken Brennan 086 8103287

30th May – Tour of Meath & Westmeath – Navan Avonmore Road Club, start 10:00am at Conyngham Arms Hotel, Slane, distance 90k, refreshments provided (Charity: Slane Meals of Wheels) Contact Larry Clarke 041 9824460

30th May – Tour of Mayo – Annagh Wheelers, start at 9am at Swimming Pool area in Ballyhaunis, distance 200k, 160k & 100k, Sign on €15.00, Contact Michael Cleary 094 9630123 or Martin Connery 094 9630539.
Email: http://Homepage.tinet.ie/tourofmayo

June 2004
6th June – Sperrin Leisure Tour – Harps CC, Cookstown. Depart from Cookstown Leisure Centre at 11:00, returning to Fountain Road, Cookstown. Showers and refreshments are available at the finish. Contact: Gary McGuire at 028 79401018 or email [email]gary - at - bpmckeefry.com[/email].

6th June – Currow CC Annual Leisure Tour – Currow Cycling Club, sign on 9:30am at Currow Community Centre, start at 10:00am sharp, showers & refreshments provided, Contact John Connell

26/27 June – Border Trek 2004. A 2 day cycle challenge from Enniskillen to Sligo travelling through 7 border counties with overnights in Ennisskillen and Sligo. Also included is Mini Trek, a one day 50 mile cycle challenge from Omagh to Bundoran. Contact: Co-operation Ireland on 028 9032 14162 (prefix 048 from RO) for further details and entry form.

June 2004
13th June – Tour of the Knockmealdowns – Fermoy Cycling Club, start 10:00, distance 100k, refreshments at start and at intermediate stops, Contact Michael O’Connor 025 32391

20th June – Carlow 100k & 150k Tour – Carlow Road Club, start at 9:00am at Eire GAA Club, distance 100k & 150k, refreshments & certificates provided, Contact Michael Keating 0503 32454 or Paddy Hayden 0503 35740

20th June – Coast Run – Abbey Wheelers Cycling Club, start at 10am, distance 100km & 48km, refreshments provided, Contact Pat Lyons on 068 31210,
Email [email]abbeywheelers - at - eircom.net[/email]

26th June (Sat) – Ashbourne Inaugural Cycle – Ashbourne Cycling Club, sign on 10:00am at Ashbourne Community Centre, start 10:30am, sign on fee €5.00, refreshments & certificates provided, distance 60k, Contact Antóin Ó Fochraigh on 086 3944589

July 2004
4th July – The Five C’s Tour – Clonmel Cycling Club, Sign on Clonmel Og GAA Club 09:00, start 10:00am, distance 100k, showers, refreshments & certificates provided, Contact John Ryan 086 8240647 E-mail [email]clonmelcc - at - dirl.com[/email]

4th July – Simpsons Hospital Cycle – Orwell Wheelers, start 10:30am, distance 30k, Contact David Tansey 01 2981485

4th July – Western Hills Century Ride – Omagh Wheelers, start at 10:00am Omagh Leisure Centre, distance 160k & 112k, Changing rooms, refreshments & certificates provided, Contact Hugh McCann 028 898893

4th July – Kildare Border Tour – Naas CTC, distance 100k, Showers, refreshments & medallions provided, Contact Donal Buckley 045 897801

5th July – Heartlands Cycle – Shannonside CC, Sign on from 8:00am, Start 9:00am, distance 150k & 96k, Refreshments, showers & back up cars provided, Contact Anthony Reilly on 090 6498120 after 6pm

10 – 11TH July – Western Lakes 2 day tour of the lakes. Start 11am Saturday, 9am Sunday. 100k & 50k. Contact: Padraig Munroe, 094 9543192.

11th July – Tour of Lough Derg – North Tipperary Wheelers, start 10:30am at Kenyon St, Nenagh, distance 125k, showers provided, entry €25.00 licenced, hot meal included, Contact Jan White, 16 Summerhill, Nenagh Tel 067 31798

11th July – Kevin King Memorial leisure Cycle – Drogheda Wheelers, start 10:00am, distance 100k, 50k & 25k, Refreshments provided, Entry €7.00, Contact Peter Finn, 106 Ballsgrove, Drogheda, Co. Louth. Tel 041 9830210 / 087 2392120

18th July – Tour of the lakes – Lakeside Wheelers/Mullingar Credit Union Cycling Club, Sign on 9:00 at St Lomans GAA Clubhouse, Start 10:00am, distance 100k & 60K Refreshments provided, Contact Richard Carey, Deerpark, Miltown Pass, Co. Westmeath Tel 087 7972658

18th July – Three Counties Tour - Carrig Touring Club, 10am start in Rathgormac, distance 115k, refreshments & showers provided, Contact Martin Kiely on 052 640357 (h) & 052 28882 (w)

25th July – Leeside Leisure Tour – Leeside CC Douglas Cycles, start at 10:00am, distance 100k, Refreshments provided, Contact Brian Lynch 021 4364340, Gerry Rea 021 4545114

25th July – Tour of Westmeath - Lakeside Wheelers. Start at 10am at St. Lomans GAA Club, Delvin Road [N52], Mullingar. Distance: 35km, 65km and 100km. Refreshments provided, changing and shower facilities. Contact: Richard Carey,
087 7972658

those leisure tours are good training, especially for those of us doing exams or just getting back on the bike..... usually the 20miles or so are run at close to race pace for those who want to drill it

will everyone else be belting off on me, or will there be some other slow coaches there to keep me company.

generally not everyone will take the opportunity to make ya suffer and even if they do, those who think they are strong but arent will fall back again anyway... tours are generally used as training by people who dont get the change to get the miles in during the week... so they are just there for fitness and a chat. where anyone else is there to test themseleves on a climb or something when the hammer goes down..

its only in some tours ur left to go mad in the last few miles so no worries and u wont be alone if u dont go with them.... a word of warning though any tours i rode round the 100k mark were run off about 16-18mph(?) and thats before u could flake away....

advice... find a nice spot in the bunch and stay there!