BOOK REVIEW
Before Lycra: Memories of St Gabriel’s / Phoenix Cycling Clubs 1951-2015 by Billy Smyth
AN ARDOYNE man “born, bred and buttered”, Billy Smith was a teenager when St Gabriel’s Cycling Club, since renamed Phoenix CC, was established in 1951.
An early membership card shows he held records for several club time trials – despite, as he makes clear in Before Lycra, the usually self-built ‘heavies’ of the era being far cries from the carbon fibre affairs of today – and for a “Belfast-Dublin” time of five hours, zero minutes and 27 seconds.
The book, subtitled Memories of St Gabriel’s / Phoenix Cycling Clubs 1951-2015, is evocative of more innocent times, when lads on bikes were “good-living” and kept each other going with yarns and practical jokes.
“All day Sunday runs featured fry-ups over Primus stoves, with occasional camping weekends interspersed. Week-long July camping holidays later extended to two weeks,” writes Billy, who is still an active member of Phoenix CC, albeit one who, at 82, now cycles with a little electrical help.
The itinerary of one such trip from 1960 that saw participants cycle to Co Kerry and back reads as if it made for both tough going and great adventure.
There’s a serious side too, of course; Phoenix counts Irish racing champions including pro-cyclist David McCann among past members.
Before Lycra is an entertaining little book which will be of interest mainly to people in Ardoyne and to cycling club members past and present that, largely via personal anecdote, gives an insider’s take on the development of competitive cycling in Northern Ireland.
Billy’s wry humour, knowledge about all things bike-related and evidence of the steely core of competitiveness that has clearly motivated him and fellow club members from the start, keep his narrative from veering into maudlin territory – though, given that a fair number of those mentioned have long since struggled up their last hill, readers would probably forgive him if it did.
:: Before Lycra costs £8 (£10 including postage) and is available direct from the author. For more details and to purchase a copy email ritabilly2006@yahoo.co.uk
