Charity run Co. Down, Sunday 13th September

mr chips

Hey all,
We're organising a trike & bike charity run on Sunday 13th September in aid of Shimna Valley Children's Holiday Home, which is a place that supports children with cancer and their families - gives them a chance of some respite from the wards, needles, chemotherapy etc. More about Shimna can be seen here: http://www.nicfc.com/shimna.html

If you fancy coming on the run and seeing some more unusual machines (a good 20+ trikes of various shapes & sizes will be participating) as well as supporting a very worthwhile cause, details are as follows:

Starting point is the Temple crossroads in Co. Down, leaving at midday and riding through the Mournes to a rest stop/meeting point at Kilbroney Forest Park in Rostrevor. We leave there at 1.45, then head along the coast road to Kilkeel, up another road through the Mournes again, past Spelga Dam and into Shimna Valley, just outside Newcastle where refreshments will be provided. Route map can be seen at http://tinyurl.com/pxaf92 - suggested donation £5 stg or €5 euro, it's all good!

KamiKazi

Only have a noobie licence so leaving the 26 counties is out of the question I'm afraid, but good luck with it

mr chips

No worries! Tis only a 60 mile run from start point to end, and fully marshaled, but I understand if you don't feel up to something like that if you're still getting used to it - you should never bite off more than you can chew on the bike!

KamiKazi

mr chips wrote: »

No worries! Tis only a 60 mile run from start point to end, and fully marshaled, but I understand if you don't feel up to something like that if you're still getting used to it - you should never bite off more than you can chew on the bike!

Going on the run is no problem, but my licence isn't valid in the 6 counties

mr chips

Really? Don't know how the licences work in the south, are you on an L?

KamiKazi

mr chips wrote: »

Really? Don't know how the licences work in the south, are you on an L?

yup

mr chips

Ok, well you still got a two weeks to get your full licence and go on the run.

DonkeyRhubarb

I'd love to go, but I somehow forgot that I'm going to be in Paris. I don't know how to feel:(:)

Cuddlesworth

mr chips wrote: »

Ok, well you still got a two weeks to get your full licence and go on the run.

Might want to bump that back to about 7-8months notice.

mr chips

DonkeyRhubarb wrote: »

I'd love to go, but I somehow forgot that I'm going to be in Paris. I don't know how to feel:(:)

Guilty, you should feel very guilty.

Seven months of a queue to get a test date?:eek: Jeez, I thought things were supposed to have improved for you guys.


Just got word today, we will have a police escort to get the convoy through Ballynahinch, which is the main traffic bottleneck on the route, so it should be a clear run. Really looking forward to it as it's been a while since I went for a spin through the Mournes - really good place for a run, decent roads and class scenery. It'll take me over an hour even to get to the start point but shur that's just more time in the saddle - it's all good!

Nodster

Would love to join ya Mr Chips but sadly thats the same date as the last road race of the season at Killalane - 25th Anniversary of Killalane...and you know what? I've been at each & every one

But hope to be up that neck of the woods for the John Donnan Memorial Run [to Ardglass I think] on the 27th of Sept - I'll throw up the details when they're finalised.

Good Luck for a safe and dry Run - the roads up around County Down are some of the finest in the island of Ireland

mr chips

27th September? That's the Sunday of the Quay Vipers Snakebite rally in Benone Co. Derry, just across the neck of Lough Swilly from the Inishowen peninsula. Missing that is like missing the annual pilgrimage to Mecca! :pac:

Back to next Sunday - looks like (whisper it) we might have decent weather on the day:eek::cool:. As well as all us trikers, we're going to have support from the Ancestors MCC, Quay Vipers MCC as well as some others. After we've had our lunch at Shimna Valley and given a few kids the chance to get their photo taken on a bike or trike, we're planning to join up with the Ancestors' Poker Run for the Make A Wish Foundation, so the day will finish up with a barbecue at Ballynahinch rugby club.

So next Sunday looks like this: ride out, lunch, ride out, dinner, prize draw, and some great craic along the way. Can't wait. :cool:

mr chips

Last update on this run - if anyone coming from the south wants to join us, we expect to leave Kilbroney Forest Park (just outside Rostrevor, on the Kilkeel road) about 1.30, so suggest you're there for 1.15 by the latest. Route map for the whole run, including rest point at Kilbroney, is here: http://tinyurl.com/pxaf92

As I said at the start of this thread, the run goes to Shimna Valley Holiday House, where secure parking and refreshments have been arranged. Then, if you fancy a bit more of a ride through the Mournes, we will also be supporting the Ancestors MCC Poker Run in aid of the Make a Wish foundation. Although that run starts about the same time we arrive at Shimna Valley, we've arranged that anyone coming on our run will be able to join the Ancestors run and get all the cards that would have been handed out up to that point. The run will then finish up at Ballynahinch Rugby Club with a BBQ and prize draw.

So - you can go on two very nice runs through the Mournes, and get both your lunch and your dinner, and also help out two really worthwhile charities, all for a tenner. Sounds like a good day out to me!!

mr chips

Got home yesterday about 9pm, tired but delighted with how the day went. We raised over £850 for Shimna Valley, with over 80 machines in attendance. Many of the people who were going on the Ancestors run turned up at the start of ours just to donate, which was very generous of them, and a most of us returned the favour later in the day, helping to raise another £615 for the Make A Wish Foundation. We got a lot of support from the Quay Vipers and the End Of The Line clubs as well. Spectacular weather and spectacular scenery - will see if anybody got photos and if so, will stick a few on here.

Only downside was that after replacing my front tyre just recently, it turns out that it wasn't properly balanced - not too bad at lower speeds, but above 60-65 I was getting a fair bit of vibration through the bars. My arms are wrecked today as I covered 220 miles like that yesterday!

Nodster

Well done Mr Jockey's Whips

Latest I heard is that the JD Memorial Run will take place on the saturday (26th) - Drogheda - Newry - Tandragee