Annagh Wheelers - La Raison d'Etre

Some people often wonder why we do it? Why do we sit on a hard saddle the size of a monkey wrench for 100 odd kilometres Sunday after Sunday in all weathers? The sweat, effort and pain involved in pushing the pedals into a head-wind up Barnacarroll hill; why bother?

Well, some would think we do it out of a desire to keep fit; others assume that we like bikes and chains and oil and stuff; and yet others may quietly believe that it’s the love of lycra.

Some or all of the above reasons may be true depending on whom you talk to but no; the real reason we do it, quite simply, is the food. Yes, FOOD! Fig Rolls, bananas, chicken sandwiches, Fig Rolls, fruit scones, omelettes, Mars bars, and Fig Rolls…you name it, and so long as it’s crammed with calories, we’ll eat it.

Don’t ask us what it is, but food definitely tastes better after a couple of hours on the bike. You won’t know what I’m talking about unless you’ve devoured half a packet of Fig Rolls washed down with a cup of steaming coffee on a cold February morning outside a petrol station in Foxford having cycled 50km. You won’t appreciate how delicious the chicken sandwiches and pints of Guinness in Gill’s taste until you’ve completed the Mayo 200km. And chances are you’ve never had the opportunity to savour a bowl of cassoulet in Villefranche de Largais after 100 sweaty kilometres through the French countryside in June.

So, no longer content with the scones on offer in Healy’s pub in Pontoon, six foolhardy members of the Annagh Wheelers C.C. set off for Biarritz in June in search of la vraie cuisine française.

Our search took us from Biarritz in South-western France, through the Pyrenees and the Cevennes to Avignon and finally to the Alps and Grenoble. We averaged over 100km a day (60 miles) and never missed a meal…apart from one and God, were we narky.

We travelled solo which meant carrying everything we needed for a two week holiday on the bikes. (You would be surprised how little you need when you have to carry it over, amongst others, the 1,909m ascent of Mont Ventoux.) Needless to say we had very few creature comforts. Although some people’s view as to what constituted a creature comfort, as against a necessity, differed.

It may have been Confucius who said “the bigger the bag, the greater the load”; however nobody told James. He may not have had a spare tube but he carried a travel iron in panniers that would have safely held the population of Luxembourg. In fairness, he was, without doubt, the best dressed cyclist on the trip.

There were many highlights over the two weeks – the climbs (and descents!) of Col de Marie Blanque, Col d’Aubisque, the Tourmalet, Mont Ventoux and Alpe d’Huez were special. So too were the salads the size of a small Welsh vegetable garden, Grahame’s and Hardy’s pizzas in Lannemezan, Mike’s sock washing exploits under the Pont du Gard, the judo music festival in Remoulins, the pigeons in Avignon, Martin’s dessert in Veynes, Bernard’s homemade carrier and the many, many pichets de vin rouge.

So, after cycling over 1,270km in thirteen days, climbing 18,274m (that’s twice the height of Mt. Everest) and spending 58 hours in the saddle, do you still wonder why we bother? Well, it certainly is about the craic, the scenery, the sense of freedom, and the personal challenge. But above all it’s about the food and if you don’t believe us why not come and try it for yourself. All you need is a bike!

The Annagh Wheelers leave every Sunday morning at 9ish in their weekly quest to Castlebar or to Foxford or to Ballinrobe (depends on the wind!) for coffee and Fig Rolls.

GC