Ballyclare: Kings Moss gears up for a cycling centenary

Cycle racing attracted sizeable crowds in the early years of the club

Ride 100 miles on a bicycle and they call it riding a century. Now, one of Northern Ireland's oldest cycling clubs is celebrating 100 years on the road.

But the Ballyclare-based Kings Moss Cycling Club almost died 20 years ago, and its survival to celebrate the big birthday is a minor miracle.

Records show that the club, also known as KMCC, was established at Whittley's Tavern next to the railway crossing at Kings Moss, County Antrim, in 1922.

Over the years it became one of the most successful racing clubs in the country.

A number of the young cyclists who founded the club had fought together in C Company of the 12th Royal Irish Rifles during World War One.

Returning veterans were behind several new sporting clubs in the the area that flourish to this day: Ballyclare Comrades football club was set up in 1919 and Ballyclare Rugby Club was based in Staffy Carmichael's pub in Ballyeaston village.

Looking back to the cycling club's racing heyday, one of its most successful riders was Joe Hadden, who competed for three decades from the 1950s.

Springtime on the backroads of the Six Mile Water Valley provides ideal conditions for cycling

In 1953, Hadden rode a 12-hour time trial at an average speed of 23.4 mph. That same year he broke the Belfast-to-Dublin-to-Belfast record, completing the feat in 10 hours, 17 minutes.

His name appeared in the top three riders in Irish racing from the 1950s right through until 1984.

In later years he took on a coaching role at the club and, in 1982, another Kings Moss rider, Gordon Scott, represented Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in three separate disciplines.

Turning point

Interest in cycling lapsed in the later years of the 20th Century and by the early 2000s, KMCC had just six members, only two of whom were active cyclists.

It seemed that the club was doomed to close, but a charity event in 2008 proved to be the turning point.

Kings Moss members enjoy a sunshine sportive

In 2008, nine Kings Moss cyclists completed a 400-mile ride covering the length of Ireland from Mizen Head in County Cork to Fair Head in County Antrim in four days, raising £5,000 for a cancer charity.

Stephen Laird, one of the heroic nine, says they took a proactive approach to generating local and national media coverage.

"This saw a good few members join," he recalls. "I suppose the end-to-end gave us something to train for and we were out battering the miles in for weeks beforehand."

Sitting on the shoulders of giants

I joined Kings Moss in 2016 after a couple of years cycling by myself, attracted by the club's "Couch-to-90km" scheme for beginners.

Senior members coached and mollycoddled us newbies until we were fit to take on the club's annual sportive - a tough 90km route over the Glens of Antrim.

Since then, I've ridden thousands of miles and taken part in many sportives with thousands of other riders.

I managed to get lost in the woods during a sportive in Belgium, and got utterly drenched watching the world championship road race in Harrogate.

Cycling has changed my life, but the heart of it remains the KMCC Saturday "bun run" with my fellow C group slowcoaches.

We may be slow but we're sitting on the shoulders of giants.

Your correspondent, pictured full of optimism before getting lost in the Belgian woods

Whether in time trials, road racing or on grass tracks, the Mossers of the early years were hardened athletes. And they were all men.

Camaraderie, fun, and friendship

Nowadays, the club has a healthy mix of male and female members.

"The club has grown substantially in recent years to over 100 members and, in common with most other cycling clubs, has seen a big increase in the number of women members," explains KMCC secretary Ian Houston.

"Whereas in the past, Kings Moss was mainly a well-known racing club, we now put much more emphasis on club runs, sportives and the social aspects of cycling."

All-male cycling clubs are a thing of the past

Club member Tara Farrington says riding her bike gives her a sense of well-being and energy.

"It is is an antidote to the stresses of life," she says. "It's hard to worry and ruminate when cycling along in our beautiful countryside."

Tara, who's just returned from the club's annual trip to Majorca, says being a member of Kings Moss gives her "camaraderie, fun, shared adventures, supportive people and friendship".

Gear-changing gear change

The bikes of 1922 were very different from those of today.

Wheel rims were made of wood and multi-speed derailleur gears were a thing of the future. A rider who wanted to change gear had to remove the back wheel and flip it around to access a bigger or smaller cog.

The equipment may have changed but some of the KMCC club traditions have remained the same for decades.

Regular meetings are held at the Five Corners pub near Ballyclare with all members welcome to attend.

The chairman or chairwoman gets to bang a gavel and decisions are made by a show of hands.

It's also a good opportunity for members to have a natter and a coffee.

Kings Moss members enjoy climbing the mountains of Majorca on a recent club trip

Keith Gibson used to be a serious racing cyclist, but he now finds weekend club runs a great way to keep healthy in body and mind.

"In my early days cycling was a sport, about speed and competition," he says. "It was about fitness and recovery and about improving your times and beating others.

"Nowadays cycling is an escape from the daily pressures of life, about clearing the head of energy-sapping nonsense and just getting away to spend time in my happy place."

Kings Moss Cycling Club is celebrating its centenary with a number of special events, including an exhibition at the Theatre at the Mill in Mossley.

The exhibition, which opens on Saturday 7 May, takes the visitor from the club's foundation in 1922 right up to the present day using stories, pictures and video.

The club that almost died is looking forward to a very healthy future.