The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Northern Ireland: Belfast to Belfast

August 27th to September 9th

Ride Coordinator: Cheryl Houston
Report by: Joan Reinhardt Reiss

    The starting point is Belfast and we arrived a day early to tour around. The war between the Catholics and the Protestants is referred to as “The Troubles”. A Black Taxi ride features tales of that time as told in numerous murals and narrated by our cab driver. Free history walks begin in front of City Hall and add another dimension. The stunning Titanic Museum relates how that doomed vessel was built in Belfast as well as the city’s commercial history.

    Our bike adventure is fully supported and directed by Iron Donkey led by Tony, Norman, and John. Half the group brought their bikes and others (like me) rented from Iron Donkey. At the evening Happy Hour we had a route briefing for the next day.

   The most important aspect of Northern Ireland cycling is four seasons in a day. Always have  rain gear available.  The country roads feature fifty shades of green, castle ruins, and herds of sheep. Many people loaded the GPS routes onto an expensive Garmin. However, “Ride with GPS” can be loaded onto an iPhone with a waterproof cover. I used a cheap Garmin and the route sheets with a cautionary approach to the mileage which could be a wee bit off. The northern Irish are not keen on street signs but mileage for turns is almost accurate and turns onto major roads are clear. If in doubt the Google Maps app on your phone will talk to you and direct. However this is a power sink so shut it off when not in use.

   For us wee Americans, here are two words for cyclists: KEEP LEFT. The Irish ride on the wrong side of the road but this is their “wee” country and our lives depend on those two words, Keep Left!  The Irish also mispronounce a number of words but my favorites were “lough and quay” which translates to “lock and key” 

    Often the route goes onto narrow country lanes where you seem directly headed for a farm house door. When we heard the sound of a large tractor behind us, we would immediately dismount and flatten ourselves against the grassy walls. My favorite turn was a wee “hole in the wall,” that connected to our bike route. A number of the towns have bike lanes through parks. These lanes are also favorites for walking dogs, and strolling children so it is imperative to slow down. Castle ruins appear and some were featured in “Game of Thrones” which the cognoscenti refer to as GOT. We even saw Game of Thrones bus tours.

     The most dramatic rides are by the sea and among these the Giant Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage site is spectacular. Here we had a rest day which provides an opportunity to hike the trails. This is where Irish mythology translates into geological wonder. Here enormous stone columns have been carved by the sea at this site which has a geological age of 60 million years.

     Our return to Belfast has some travel by the sea and then inland. On the last day, there’s an option for a 15 mile ride and a return by train to avoid heavy traffic into Belfast. Many thanks to the Iron Donkey men Tony, Norman, and John for all their assistance and to our leader Cheryl Houston, the BAC organizer.