Dublin to Galway

Trojan

Hi all,

Anyone got experience with a good route from Dublin to Galway? I'm looking for the quietest roads possible, and the shortest route possible given that.

If you can, please mark up the route on http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

I'm thinking about getting out of town along one of the canals.

Related thread: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055034518

Any other advice or suggestions appreciated. Cheers!

oobydooby

Hi, afraid I don't have time to mark the route out here but in front of me I have a photocopied version (about 10 pages) of the ancient Esker Riada (cycling) route which was compiled by Navan Road Club. Joseph Roche researched and compiled the route.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2002/sep02/sep05news

It's a bit detailed for me to summarise here (right now) but I'd be happy to photocopy these pages for you if you want to pm me your address.

You could try emailing cyclingireland about it.

Trojan

Hey ooby, thanks for that. I'll PM my address or if you get a chance to post a summary, that'd be even better. Much obliged!

bealbocht

if you are thinking of using one of the canals, you definately want the Royal, the one on the north side. Cycled it recenlty out as far as Coolmine, not a bad track, but would recommend a mountain bike, or are least a hybred, as much of it is dirt track, and after the last few days.. probably very wet and muddy. If you fancy that , you could probably take it all the way to Enfield , or thereabouts, ( but if you take the road anywhere from Leixlip/Maynooth/Kilcock you will probably make much better progress)
You will probably be fine on the old main road after that..., has a lot of hard shoulder space, and should have less traffic since the motorway opened, but have not cycled it so..

Trojan

bealbocht wrote: »

if you are thinking of using one of the canals, you definately want the Royal, the one on the north side.

You will probably be fine on the old main road after that..., has a lot of hard shoulder space, and should have less traffic since the motorway opened, but have not cycled it so..

Yep, that's pretty much my current plan. Only exception is I'll be doing it on my touring bike so 700x28s. If it gets too muddy I'll fine a parallel road.

oobydooby

Hi Again,

I'll give a quick summary of that route here. I've a photocopy of it done here so if you want it, let me know. They've detailed every turn off using the OS maps so it's way too detailed to reproduce here.

Main roads distance = 214 km (probably done before new motorway)
Esker riada route = 217 km (all small roads)

Rough outline:
Phoenix Park
Strawberry Beds
Lucan
Taghadoe Round Tower
Croghanhill
Durrow Abbey
Clara Bog
Clonmacnoise
Shannonbridge
Bog rail tracks
Ballinasloe
Kilconnell
Woodlawn House
Fields of Athenry!
Galway Airport
Galway

I guess it was a charity run that some lads/ladies did before. All routes are surfaced so suitable for road bikes. I'll be hoping to do it around Halloween myself. Had the pages lying around for about a year and just found them yesterday coincidentally while tidying the room.

Sean02

Yep Oodbyd has it right except take the Whites gate exit from the park this will take you on the top road above Strawberry beds. Take a right and left after Westmanstown Garda Golf club, through Lucan and on to Celbridge Grotto. Strawberry beds used to be a senic safe route apart from the ramps in my opinion it's almost as dangereous as the Clonee /lucan road.
Forget about canal you won't last kissin time on a road bike. I've organised two trip for Welch and English riders both really enjoyed the trip.
it's longer by about 15 miles you need a good level of fittness for to do it in a day. Enjoy Just got a better idea for you to think about. Hybrid bike on Grand canal to Shannonbridge then Esker Riada to Galway.. now thats a ride you will remember.

Stark

What about taking the old N4/N6 (R148/R446) as far as Athlone? It should be nice and quiet now that it's all bypassed by motorway. After that it looks like you can take either the N6 to Galway or the R348 through Athenry. I'm not sure how busy the R348 would be. The N6 would probably have a better hard shoulder.

bealbocht wrote:

Cycled it recenlty out as far as Coolmine, not a bad track, but would recommend a mountain bike, or are least a hybred, as much of it is dirt track, and after the last few days.. probably very wet and muddy.

I used to run along it from Ashtown to Coolmine and remember it getting really muddy. I also remember having to cross over the canal a few times and negotiate quite a few obstacles. Certainly not a section I'd choose to cycle over anyway. (My bike's a hybrid)

Sean02

Trying to figure out where you could cross over between Ashtown and Coolmine?. Unless you enjoy pushing the limits particuarly during the wet season its tough. I use the path reguarly and find it great. Again take care on the dangereous section between Coolmine and Porterstown.

Fion_McCool

Trojan wrote: »

Hi all,

Anyone got experience with a good route from Dublin to Galway? I'm looking for the quietest roads possible, and the shortest route possible given that.

I did the 318km spin from Slyne Head to Howth Head... Not all in one go I might add !

There are at least 3 or 4 busses an hour on the Galway Dublin route which I found useful to take me back home when exaustion set in. Bus Eireann, Citylink http://www.citylink.ie/timetable-galw2dubl.htm and Nestorlink http://www.nestorlink.ie/timetables.php are the providers. The private companies tend not to charge for the bike if you look pathetic... Bus Eireann almost always charge 10 euro for the bike.

I have marked the route on the pedometer for you. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2245918

The old Dublin Galway route from Leixlip west to Moate is fairly quiet except for a few lorries avoiding tolls, and there are good hard shoulders on the road. The route from Moate to Oranmore is very quiet on fairly narrow rural roads.

Unfortunately I could not finish my planned route because some bo££ix has fenced off the last 3 km to Slyne Head with 'Trespassers will be Prosecuted' and 'KEEP OUT' notices, I had to finish in the caravan park at White Strand Beach in Ballyconneely.

:-(

Trojan

Hi guys, thanks for all the advice.

oobydooby, thanks for writing out the waypoints.

Fion_McCool, that route looks very good, particularly interested in it from Moyvalley on.

Sean02 wrote:

Forget about canal you won't last kissin time on a road bike.

I ain't no lycra-clad roadie and my Surly is offended at the insinuation she's a road bike

Trojan

Post mortem.


Instead of starting at 6am like I intended, I actually started at 8am, which really hurt on the far end. I made it as far as Athlone before I ran out of time (I was getting a lift at the far end). Realistically, I could have made it to Ballinasloe, but not Galway city itself. (Lesson: go to bed before 3am the night before.)

The canal route was pleasant, and I don't regret cycling it, but now that I've done it, I think I'll stick to a road route in future - the canal section was just too slow and wasted a lot of time early in the day. If I was on my hardtail my average speed would have been a lot better on the canal section (but not on the road ) I did take quite a few photos, but had the camera in my bar bag so that didn't slow me up much at all. Will post the 4 videos I took while moving also

My fuel strategy was good. I made an enormous pasta bake the evening before (enough for 6 people ), ate it for dinner that night, and for breakfast, lunch and dinner on the cycle. Had 1.5l of DIY sports drink (oj/water/salt/sugar), and a camelbak of plain water. Bought some sweets (see pics) towards the 100km mark when I thought it might prevent bonk, though I was still going strong - increasing speed in fact!

The route was along the towpaths from Croke Park as far as Kilcock, then after that I was on the old N4 for most of the way. I've thought a lot about the next route that I'll do, Dublin-Mayo, I'll post a new thread for it in a couple of weeks.


Flickr set with the pictures is here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6NQFzScx0g

All videos will be here after YouTube processes them

By the numbers

Distance: 133km
Time: 7 hours 40 mins
Avg: 17.3 km/h (approximately 12-13 km/h on the canals, 21-22 on the road)
Mechanical: 1 (broken front fender after going over a branch)
KCals (according to HRM): 6557
Average HR: 126
Max HR: 163