DAY RIDE: NW200 & Antrim Coast

The North West 200 course is a treat to ride, but so are the roads around it… Dave Manning reports:

Having never witnessed any kind of road racing on the eastern side of the Irish Sea, I was keen to get my first experience of the North West 200, despite over the last couple of decades having promised myself that ‘I’ll go next year!’ after I watched each year’s racing on the television. Thanks to the good folks at Honda UK, and at Ballymena Honda, I had the chance to not only attend the event, but also do a bit of exploring of the area.

Leaving our digs just south of Coleraine (fantastic Chinese restaurant by the river, by the way), we headed north towards Portstewart, in the process heading the wrong way along the road circuit. Now, of course, this was the perfect time to take in a quick lap of the NW200 ‘Triangle’ running from Portstewart via Coleraine and Portrush, in much the same traditional fashion as circumnavigating the Mountain Circuit is part and parcel of attending the Isle of Man TT or, for that matter, any road racing circuit. It really is the only way to get some perspective on just how hard the competitors are riding, at any venue.

So, with a lap of the 8.97-mile circuit under our belts, we took the A2 eastwards out of Portrush, with a brief stop at the ridiculously scenic Dunluce Castle, dodging the tourist coaches and their zimmer-framed contents, before continuing eastwards through Bushmills (yes, whiskey with an ‘e’) and Ballycastle. The ferry to Rathlin Island, a haven for ornithologists and divers (there being over 40 shipwrecks around the island), leaves from Ballycastle, but we settled for a coffee and an ice cream.

Moving on, we turned left on to some smaller roads, heading for Torr Head, the headland that is the closest point between Ireland and Scotland, with just 12 miles of sea separating the two.

Heading south now, the road hugs the coast, initially running high above the sea, atop cliffs with spectacular views, although the tight and twisting road needs some concentration that sightseeing becomes a distraction. After dropping through Knocknacarry, and then Cushendall and Waterfoot, the road runs right alongside the sea’s edge, to the point where I was wondering how much of the road became seabed during the winter months.

Heading westwards, and inland, from Carnlough, the road is smoother, faster, and less twisting, running through dairy pastures through to Ballymena, with some fighting through school-leaving traffic, and onwards to join the A6 at the northern tip of Loch Neagh. A fast blast took us upwards, and to the Ponderosa, reputedly the highest bar and restaurant in Ireland, for some superb food and a pint of 0% Guinness.

Another couple of miles of A6, and then we turned right and north-east, to head through Aghadowey and on to our final stop, and a place that I’d been wanting to visit since I first heard about it when Joey Dunlop first took over the bar at Ballymoney’s railway station. 

A visit to the memorial garden, and a reminder of just how successful the Dunlop family had been in international road racing, was rounded off by a pint in the sunshine outside of a very crowded Joey’s Bar. This was a day ride that was not only very enjoyable, but also memorable for so many reasons. Highly recommended.