Sunday morning of my first morning in Antigua woke up very early. Reason ? To meet with Alistair of Road Runners Cycling club of the Antiguan MTB Fraternity and get in the first full mtb ride in Antigua. Grabbed gear and bike to head down to the 1st Choice Foods to meet up with Alistair.
My Strava
Alistair's Strava track
Met in the 1st Choice Foods lot and loaded the Chromag onto his little hatchback for the drive to where we would ride. The starting place would be in Bendalls south of St John's. And was interesting as a passenger as the last time did the vehicle passenger thing in the left hand seat was back in 2000 in Sydney NSW.
Ride started with riding through the fields of a long ago shut down Sugar Plantation. Now used for the free grazing of cattle.
Part way through one could see the remains of an assault wall from an obstacle course race. Kind of reminded me of the assault wall ran through twenty years prior on my infantry course
Crossed the road and followed more 4x4 roads which eventually connected to a former work road for a former development project that would have destroyed these tracks as well as access to Seaforth Beach. There was another bit of fun significance to visiting this beach that will share later.
Part way up the climb we had a rest stop due to Alistair's derrailleur hanger deciding this was the time to take job action. So with the broken hanger got to see the way things get solved in the Antiguan mtb world. Phone calls made, Alistair's wife's morning sleep in disturbed, a buddy with a 4x4 , and after a while the needed part arrived. And the ride could carry on. Let's see that happen in Canada.
Riding on followed the 4x4 road with a view into Five Islands Harbour and somewhere below was Seaforth Beach.
And came out right beside Seaforth Beach with The Sleeping Indian in the distance. To think that if it had happened the development project for some Marijuana Farm the year prior would have destroyed this.
I mentioned earlier kind of a fun significance to me riding to and on the sand of Seaforth Beach. As I jokingly called it a Seaforth on Seaforth Beach. What do I mean by that? Well, I am a veteran of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada and here I was on a beach called Seaforth Beach,
Also kind of funny timing wise because thirty years prior on the same day was in the process of earning the privilege to be a Seaforth Highlander. To have the privilege of wearing the Stags Head cap badge. So for me this was kind of cool thing to happen.
And got to ride on the beach for a bit with great scenery, looking at the Sleeping Indian as we rode the beach. Funny thing is it has been like 34 years since had the privilege of riding on a beach though this time it was actual sand instead of shale.
Of course have to add in a moment where Alistair caught me with the phone camera pulling the Victorian stereotype of the Noble Scottish Savage look with a Chromag on a Antiguan Beach.
From Seaforth Beach headed via a different track heading inland towards Valley Drive heading to the Hamilton Dam below Mount McNish.
One thing that stood out as the ride progressed was that pretty much everything rideable off road was double track or lesser used access roads. Did it matter? Nope, because it was more like the riding when I first started mountain biking back in 1985 where there wasn't much singletrack. However to say the double track was easy it isn't as it is rough and minimally maintained if that. One doesn't need singletrack to have a good off road ride.
Finally arrived at Hamilton Dam to see the reservoir low and cattle casually laying on the grass. This is a spot had seen in a photo in Alistair's FB Photos. Cool to see it in person.
With Mount McNish overlooking Hamilton Dam which would be the final spot visited before heading back to where Alistair had parked. While if I recall correctly what was told about Mt McNish that there was or had been a hiking trail or two however they had become overgrown with the Acacia, the local version of natures Barbed/Concertina Wire. Though maybe one day it will become a spot for riders to ride up for the view and then descend.
Headed back to where we parked on the last of my water as had rushed the night before to be ready so hadn't got the bike mounted extra hydration in place.
Back at Alistar's car for some shade and fluids. Pelligrino the sparkling water sponsors cycling in Antigua. But what was a surprise to me was canned juice from Sun-Rype. Anyone who grew up in BC in the 1970's and 1980's would remember Sun-Rype from Kelowna. Cool.
Then it was off heading back towards Dickenson Bay with a pit stop at a local store for the first post ride beer in Antigua. Important to have the correct further recovery beverage post ride. Then off to the cottages to be dropped off with plan to ride again in a few days near Falmouth Harbour. And then it was for me further recovery time in the pool with a plan in mind for the next day.
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