January 2014 saw Moy Square Wheels celebrate its 3rd official year. It seems a long time ago now when under the tree could be found the humble gathering consisting of The Farmer, The Bev, The Igloo Man, The Artist and The Master Carpenter. Over a short period the club has seen its numbers swell to over 70. At 9am every Sunday morning Square Wheels members can be found topping up their tyres, sipping their water bottles and generally chatting under the tree in preparation for another organised club run.
Just like the tree itself most of the 4 original members can still be found in the Square of a Sunday morning (although the bed usually proves more tempting for the Farmer and back injury has temporarily interrupted The Bev’s career). The other founder members are regularly accompanied by more recently joined personnel. Assets to the club have arrived on tailwinds from Dungannon in the shape of the Schleck twins. They usually land under the tree with wives in tow, courtesy of their matching Van Nick titanium bikes. With them they have brought years of cycling experience and knowledge of organising events such as the much acclaimed Coast to Coast Strive for 5s event for diabetic cyclists which proved so popular during the year and is now set to be an annual event.
Other newer members have landed in the shape of the current Not So Slow Chairman and his neighbours The Faygin and The Connoisseur. The recently elected Chairman has already begun taking his role very seriously by organising Celebrity Sundays, photo shoots and a wine tasting evening, in association with the Connoisseur. The wine tasting evening proved to be very popular with other members such as the Master Carpenter who can now tell the difference between his Buckfast and his Bucks Fizz!
The Muffin Man and The Barbarian became new members around the time the club launched its new kit. Rumour has it that the kit and logo, designed by the older twin, persuaded them to sign up to the Square Wheels. The Muffin Man and The Barbarian along with the likes of The Miller have entered the semi-professional bike racing world showing off their skills and speed on their professional looking steeds. They can be found congregating under the famous tree at 8.30am on Saturday mornings for a more intense work out. Along with them are other speed merchants like The Tone, The Pharmacist, occasionally The Dentist and The now infamous Sandbagger. Over the last couple of years The Sandbagger has grown from strength to strength in an attempt to shake off his nickname (but not with great success). Occasional bouts of sciatica see him sitting on a sofa rather than a saddle only for him to return even stronger. The Pharmacist, in his spare time, can be heard on his turbo trainer in the garage powering up the watts while his wife brings him cups of tea. Rumour has it that the electricity in his big house is wired up to his bike. The Tone however was invited to join the club by his friend The Master Carpenter and hasn’t looked back since. The rest of the club members continue to be baffled by the amount of miles he gets on the clock as he continually tops the distance league table on Strava. It’s very simple he says, “I let the wife decide, pub or cycling?”
Other members have joined the club over the last 12 months or so like the 2 Oil Men. Whilst they haven’t been competing against each other in the saddle they have been competing in the baby stakes against the Tone, Dan Donnelly, The Barbarian and The Muffin Man who have all increased their family sizes since joining the club. Perhaps it’s something in the water bottles. Usually they arrive with Calpol in their drinking bottles instead of energy drinks, glad to get out of the house. Other additions to the club have included The Marzipan Man, The Bramley Apple Man, Fred Astaire, Sir Alex and others too many to name, who bring with them unique stories of misspent youths and being hand cuffed in Dubai for anti social activities.
Then there are the likes of Black Rod, Sam’s Yer Man (SYM), The Duff and Ronnie Drew. Ronnie Drew has added an extra dimension to the club, giving it an international feel and a touch of culture with his stories of shenanigans in Ballymun. He’s also the only member sure to have Euros when the club crosses the border to Glasslough. Black Rod has illuminated the club with his selection of spotlights and sensor lights for the weekly Thursday night rides. Then there’s SYM who is sure to keep the Chairman’s nursing skills up to speed given the number of times he kisses the tarmac on the weekly spins. The Duff is one of the newer members. He has bought more bikes than almost any other member since joining the Square Wheels only a few short months ago. Mind you he took the “Square Wheels” name almost literally when he reshaped his new wheels a few weeks ago with the help of one or 2 other nameless members. The Legal Drug Dealer however is the other member who has changed his steed more times than Lester Piggott. If his bike hasn’t been stolen it has been incinerated somewhere only to be replaced by a newer and fresher model to boost his ironman efforts much to the dismay of his friend and rival The Other Pharmacist. Between them they have their personal battles when they both decide to turn up.
Of course, not to be forgotten, are the female members. The current Mrs Schlecks who do sterling work behind the scenes catering and ironing their husband’s kits. Then there are the Social Cyclist and Warm Weather Cyclist who must be on commission given the number of new members they have recruited when they aren’t arranging mid- summer pizza rides, Christmas pizza rides or sleepovers in Strangford. Of course the Saturday morning 9.30am Bun Run has been a major success for new member and those who haven’t cycled for a long time or wish to give it a go for the first time.
Members, who have come and gone, perhaps to return again sometime, include the Benburb crew and the Original Chairman. The Original Chairman had an enforced absence due to an injury brought on by lifting his heavy bike over a hedge during the club’s first ever time trial which he won. Hopefully 2014 will see him back in the saddle following successful surgery a couple of months ago. We all can still remember his chain snapping on the climb to Pomeroy, under the weight of the rust.
As for 2014, it looks like it is going to be another successful year for the Moy Square Wheels. The Sandbagger has massive aspirations of Abramovic proportions for the club in his capacity as Development Officer. The Barbarian will hopefully continue to arrange the successful club and inter club races along with the individual time trials and team time trials which proved very popular, not to mention the Aussie pursuits which gave everyone the chance to feel like Mark Cavendish and Chris Froome regardless of their standard. Of course there will be the famous Giro D’Italia in May which will see the likes of Roche and Nibali passing our doors trying to climb Keady mountain faster that we can.
Well there you go. Apologies to any one left out and as they say, “May the road rise to meet us and may the wind be always at our backs.”
Just like the tree itself most of the 4 original members can still be found in the Square of a Sunday morning (although the bed usually proves more tempting for the Farmer and back injury has temporarily interrupted The Bev’s career). The other founder members are regularly accompanied by more recently joined personnel. Assets to the club have arrived on tailwinds from Dungannon in the shape of the Schleck twins. They usually land under the tree with wives in tow, courtesy of their matching Van Nick titanium bikes. With them they have brought years of cycling experience and knowledge of organising events such as the much acclaimed Coast to Coast Strive for 5s event for diabetic cyclists which proved so popular during the year and is now set to be an annual event.
Other newer members have landed in the shape of the current Not So Slow Chairman and his neighbours The Faygin and The Connoisseur. The recently elected Chairman has already begun taking his role very seriously by organising Celebrity Sundays, photo shoots and a wine tasting evening, in association with the Connoisseur. The wine tasting evening proved to be very popular with other members such as the Master Carpenter who can now tell the difference between his Buckfast and his Bucks Fizz!
The Muffin Man and The Barbarian became new members around the time the club launched its new kit. Rumour has it that the kit and logo, designed by the older twin, persuaded them to sign up to the Square Wheels. The Muffin Man and The Barbarian along with the likes of The Miller have entered the semi-professional bike racing world showing off their skills and speed on their professional looking steeds. They can be found congregating under the famous tree at 8.30am on Saturday mornings for a more intense work out. Along with them are other speed merchants like The Tone, The Pharmacist, occasionally The Dentist and The now infamous Sandbagger. Over the last couple of years The Sandbagger has grown from strength to strength in an attempt to shake off his nickname (but not with great success). Occasional bouts of sciatica see him sitting on a sofa rather than a saddle only for him to return even stronger. The Pharmacist, in his spare time, can be heard on his turbo trainer in the garage powering up the watts while his wife brings him cups of tea. Rumour has it that the electricity in his big house is wired up to his bike. The Tone however was invited to join the club by his friend The Master Carpenter and hasn’t looked back since. The rest of the club members continue to be baffled by the amount of miles he gets on the clock as he continually tops the distance league table on Strava. It’s very simple he says, “I let the wife decide, pub or cycling?”
Other members have joined the club over the last 12 months or so like the 2 Oil Men. Whilst they haven’t been competing against each other in the saddle they have been competing in the baby stakes against the Tone, Dan Donnelly, The Barbarian and The Muffin Man who have all increased their family sizes since joining the club. Perhaps it’s something in the water bottles. Usually they arrive with Calpol in their drinking bottles instead of energy drinks, glad to get out of the house. Other additions to the club have included The Marzipan Man, The Bramley Apple Man, Fred Astaire, Sir Alex and others too many to name, who bring with them unique stories of misspent youths and being hand cuffed in Dubai for anti social activities.
Then there are the likes of Black Rod, Sam’s Yer Man (SYM), The Duff and Ronnie Drew. Ronnie Drew has added an extra dimension to the club, giving it an international feel and a touch of culture with his stories of shenanigans in Ballymun. He’s also the only member sure to have Euros when the club crosses the border to Glasslough. Black Rod has illuminated the club with his selection of spotlights and sensor lights for the weekly Thursday night rides. Then there’s SYM who is sure to keep the Chairman’s nursing skills up to speed given the number of times he kisses the tarmac on the weekly spins. The Duff is one of the newer members. He has bought more bikes than almost any other member since joining the Square Wheels only a few short months ago. Mind you he took the “Square Wheels” name almost literally when he reshaped his new wheels a few weeks ago with the help of one or 2 other nameless members. The Legal Drug Dealer however is the other member who has changed his steed more times than Lester Piggott. If his bike hasn’t been stolen it has been incinerated somewhere only to be replaced by a newer and fresher model to boost his ironman efforts much to the dismay of his friend and rival The Other Pharmacist. Between them they have their personal battles when they both decide to turn up.
Of course, not to be forgotten, are the female members. The current Mrs Schlecks who do sterling work behind the scenes catering and ironing their husband’s kits. Then there are the Social Cyclist and Warm Weather Cyclist who must be on commission given the number of new members they have recruited when they aren’t arranging mid- summer pizza rides, Christmas pizza rides or sleepovers in Strangford. Of course the Saturday morning 9.30am Bun Run has been a major success for new member and those who haven’t cycled for a long time or wish to give it a go for the first time.
Members, who have come and gone, perhaps to return again sometime, include the Benburb crew and the Original Chairman. The Original Chairman had an enforced absence due to an injury brought on by lifting his heavy bike over a hedge during the club’s first ever time trial which he won. Hopefully 2014 will see him back in the saddle following successful surgery a couple of months ago. We all can still remember his chain snapping on the climb to Pomeroy, under the weight of the rust.
As for 2014, it looks like it is going to be another successful year for the Moy Square Wheels. The Sandbagger has massive aspirations of Abramovic proportions for the club in his capacity as Development Officer. The Barbarian will hopefully continue to arrange the successful club and inter club races along with the individual time trials and team time trials which proved very popular, not to mention the Aussie pursuits which gave everyone the chance to feel like Mark Cavendish and Chris Froome regardless of their standard. Of course there will be the famous Giro D’Italia in May which will see the likes of Roche and Nibali passing our doors trying to climb Keady mountain faster that we can.
Well there you go. Apologies to any one left out and as they say, “May the road rise to meet us and may the wind be always at our backs.”