Andrew Potts joined Orwell Wheelers in October of last year and put in a very consistent sportive season to finish third in the rookie competition of the Leisure League. Andrew takes us through his first full season in Orwell Wheelers.
Rookie Year
Andrew Potts
I can hardly believe that a casual conversation 12 months ago could have led me to sign on for a 200 km audax on a Wednesday night for Saturday knowing I had a 100 km to cycle on the Sunday. Those sorts of distances and events were so far away from my experience and thinking that looking back now, I still can’t believe I really did them because 12 months ago I didn’t even know they existed.
I was in Joe Daly's buying a tube last October when Bernadette Tansey-Daly suggested I might like to try the winter spins with Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club as they were due to start. No pressure come along cycle a bit, coffee, bun, cycle home just tootle along. It sounded great, just what I needed because I had always cycled on and off but on my own and was quite frankly running out of ideas. So I went on the website and filled out the form for three spins and read the guidelines. Bike ready and I’m ready to go with a good bit of nervousness, with a dash of excitement as well. Would I be in a heap at the side of the road exhausted? Would I do something stupid and cause a crash with riders all over the ground? Could I actually get up that early on a Sunday morning?
Up on Sunday and on the road to Joe's from Stillorgan thinking it’s a long way to cycle to go for a cycle, well that thinking soon changed. I was genuinely surprised there were so many people outside the bike shop which said more about my lifestyle. Everybody was sorted into groups very quickly and sent off with minders and leaders. We went out to Blessington that first morning and there were lots of first timers, I found myself on the front of a group with Louise Keane leading and taking it very easy over the Embankment. Louise having a good natter and me gasping for breath. The morning was lovely and this was a constant theme through the entire winter, mid Sunday mornings cycling along in the countryside. It was a great feeling, up early, in the fresh air and enjoying the views, the light and a feeling you have really done something by the time you get home. Maeve O'Donnell will remember one magical crisp, cold, Sunday morning popping over a stiff climb on the Little Sugar Loaf from Greystones and suddenly The Big Sugar Loaf is straight in front of you, a view I had never seen before, set off against a crystal blue sky with a dusting of snow on the hills behind, really stunning, genuinely magical, worth every early morning.
Andrew leading the way up the Wicklow Gap at the Wicklow200 in June (photograph thanks to Diarmuid Donnelly who provided support and photography on the day)
So I just kept turning up on Sundays meeting new people cycling longer distances and suffering on hills. Joe Fitzpatrick and I sat at the top of a little one and had a conversation about all these spins and where it was going as the chatter was about the Wicklow 100 but Joe went for the 200 straight out telling as many as possible so he could not back out. Due to work I could only go out with the 100 training group the odd time which was a shame because they were a great group. Rory and Darragh Connolly even cycled back a few kilometres on one occasion to help me with a puncture. The puncture curse struck again when this time Tom Wymes had to cycle back up to The Hellfire Club to find me after a blow-out. I was very embarrassed, of course he reminds me from time to time that I should be.
I was looking for spins to do to gain the fitness I needed. On the forum I spotted Sinead Kennedy was going out one Friday morning and I tagged along with Simon Kelehan and Sinead over Sally Gap to Roundwood, Robert Tully talked me up Luggala I had never done anything like it so that was very good of everybody minding me. Sinead planted the idea of doing the Lap de Gaps as she said a good Orwell group was going. I signed on, turned up and the group stayed together all day Martin, Simon and Sinead and the rest waiting for Joe and I to reach them on the hill tops. The Wicklow Gap that day was endless but I finished knackered and happy. I was really getting into this so just went to every sportive I could and always seemed to take something from the day or met new people.
June came and did the Mick Byrne 100 and The Wicklow 200 with Joe, he shamed me into it but I was as high as a kite afterwards then just started looking for events to do as I had signed on for The Sean Kelly in August and needed to keep going. Went to the Explore Mayo event and bumped into Eugène Dillon at the sign on, wedid the event, well I saw Eugène disappear into the distance with the big boys but I gave him a lift home after we went to their BBQ, all round great day on the bike.
Eugène Dillon with Taoiseach Enda Kenny just before the start of Castelbar Cycling Club's Explore Mayo (photograph thanks to Andrew Potts)
Eugène introduced me to the idea of a back to back weekend! We were both going to the Inishowen 100 so we shared a B&B but he suggested instead of me taking a slow easy drive up to Derry that I occupy Saturday with the Billy Kerr in Ulster instead. So I did and nearly died the next day doing the Inishowen100 miles. Eugène told me not to worry my legs would come back after a 100 K. Well he was right they did but he could have mentioned this before the start. It was two great days cycling, a long drive back and good to have company. We repeated the back to back the following week on the Saturday we picked up an event on the way to Dungarvan for the Sunday, in Ulster. My God those rolling hills of Antrim, they just attack them and recover on the far side then attack again. There is a great cycling scene in Ulster well organised events, pretty good roads, nice countryside and very generous cyclists. So we then hit the long road to Waterford for the Sean Kelly and talked cycling all the way.
Fell in with Joe Fitzpatrick on the Sunday and spent a great day "nice weather” around a great course and two cracking climbs, I then had too many pints afterwards with Colum, Noel Padraigh and Rachael. I just want to do this one again because it is a great weekend and I really recommend it.
The next event was the Great Dublin Bike Ride but since Stephen Kerr was putting me under pressure in the rookie competition and John Kirby was just uncatchable and Colin Featherstone wanted points for the Yellow Team I just had to do the Dying Cow 200 (6 points) as I had unexpectedly a Saturday off work, sure what else would I be doing. The Audax was a different world, the navigation and "you are on your own baby" gives a completely different experience. Only 39 started the Dying Cow but I now have a chunky Audax Medal which is sort of cool.
The Great Dubin Bike Ride was a far better course than I thought it would be, that’s when Ann Horan's debutants took over. I was out a few Wednesday evenings as a sort of minder with the beginner’s ladies group. It was interesting to see the exact same enjoyment that I had experienced months earlier being reflected in another new group of cyclists. So well done to Ann organising that and to the posse for bringing a energy of its own with Leonard Kaye, Rodney Phelan, Gerard Coffey, John Twoomey and Warren Cray who always seemed to be there.
That was about it one last event the Reservoir Dog, once again Joe Fitzpatrick kept me steady and another good days cycling. I was struck how a signature climb like Cunard up to the Feather Beds is so close to all our homes with the sort of scenery that others rave about.
I have received nothing but encouragement and sound advice from everybody on various spins. I have cycled 23 events with at least one in every Province. I returned to places I have not seen in years and went to places I never have been to before. I met the Taoiseach on a bike in Castlebar, have enjoyed the weekly Leisure News by Stephen Ryan. I have had great conversations and days with total strangers. Discussed wine with Angela, heard Rosie shout to the world "we are effin awesome", enjoyed Leonards' photo montages. I have coffee regularly on Tuesdays with Louise, Denis Gleeson, Padraigh, Declan, Leonard, Kathryn Keogh, Peter, Martin, George, Pat and shared cycling data with Tom. Stephen Ryan has had me out coaching juniors, Darragh even invited me to a Wine Bar opening, to finish it all Joe Fitzpatrick and I did a Big Rule 9, Faceless Monk in biblical rain around the Monastic sites of Meath where the idea of a good time is starting at 7am then a can of Coke and a sausage roll at 9,30 am at the back of a Centra in the rain. Luxury.
In all it was a great year, so thank you Orwell because very simply I had a ball!
Orwell Group Selfie (thanks to Louise Keane)
