do you have a favouite route 80 to120km West or North of Dublin?

silverharp

I'd like to do a cycle of about 80km to -120km with no hills. Do you have a favourite route starting from Dublin city centre, Ive only ever cycled to wicklow/wexford so would be nice for a change to go somewhere different. Ideally smaller roads once out of Dublin? Can be to a point and back or something triangular.

wersal gummage

i head out fairview, sutton, howth (not really a hill as such, just a short climb and then finished with), portmarnock, malahide, swords, rush, lusk, skerries, back to swords, portmarnock, malahide, suttonv(i usually leave out the howth loop on the way home) and into fairview. its a nice spin.

BTH

Kinnegad and back on the old N4. Very flat.

Ole Rodrigo

Trim and back. The N3 isn't too bad. Halfway there the turn off to the R154 makes it pleasant. Its about 90k return.

Ole Rodrigo

wersal gummage wrote: »

i head out fairview, sutton, howth (not really a hill as such, just a short climb and then finished with), portmarnock, malahide, swords, rush, lusk, skerries, back to swords, portmarnock, malahide, suttonv(i usually leave out the howth loop on the way home) and into fairview. its a nice spin.

+1. Howth is a good warm up.

Even going as far up as Bettystown/ Drogheda along the coast, and back down the same or the R132 down to Swords & Santry, makes a nice sunday spin.:)

Bunnyhopper

rocstar wrote: »

Trim and back. The N3 isn't too bad. Halfway there the turn off to the R154 makes it pleasant. Its about 90k return.

+1

The back-road loop Blanch, Maynooth, Kilcock, Summerhill, Trim, then back by the R154 through Dunboyne to Blanch is a nice one, and probably about the 90k mark.

uberwolf

Yeah, I've been struggling with this one a little too. I used to live out the west of town, and the prevailing winds meant the N81 was a feature of nearly every spin, but there's a lot of built up to negotiate to get out to it from D8, so a few options once I'm through the Phoenix park are very welcome!

I must try out through Howth. I don't know north county Dublin at all

cdaly_

I just did a 60km spin from Glasnevin to Baldoyle. Glasnevin - Ballymun - old N2 - Ashbourne - Garristown - Swords - Baldoyle. Old N2 is quiet enough and lots of small quiet roads for much of it. Heading through Garristown to Naul and on towards Balbriggan / Skerries would easily expand the distance.

happygoose

Phoenix Park, Lucan via Strawberry Beds, Maynooth, Kilcock, Summerhill, Trim, Bective, Kilmessan, Hill of Tara, N3 to Dunshaughlin, Dunboyne, Clonee, Lucan, Phoenix Park is 110km, nice spin, good roads and flat enough.

onimpulse

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

+1

The back-road loop Blanch, Maynooth, Kilcock, Summerhill, Trim, then back by the R154 through Dunboyne to Blanch is a nice one, and probably about the 90k mark.

+1

Definitely take those backroads as opposed to N3... That stretch from the M50 Bridge to the Clonee/Dunboyne turnoff is no fun on a bike - Back roads from Clonee/Dunboyne to Blanch/Phoenix Park are much better.

neris

head out past swords through balbrigan up to julianstown down to laytown and bettystown up to drogheda and back down the old dublin road. over 100k but nice n flat

cdaly_ wrote: »

I just did a 60km spin from Glasnevin to Baldoyle. Glasnevin - Ballymun - old N2 - Ashbourne - Garristown - Swords - Baldoyle. Old N2 is quiet enough and lots of small quiet roads for much of it. Heading through Garristown to Naul and on towards Balbriggan / Skerries would easily expand the distance.

long way to baldoyle from glasnevin on that route. youd make a great taxi driver (not that a taxi driver would ever go a longer route )

Harrybelafonte

cdaly_ wrote: »

I just did a 60km spin from Glasnevin to Baldoyle. Glasnevin - Ballymun - old N2 - Ashbourne - Garristown - Swords - Baldoyle. Old N2 is quiet enough and lots of small quiet roads for much of it. Heading through Garristown to Naul and on towards Balbriggan / Skerries would easily expand the distance.

That's a good route, I could join it from Ballymun. Do you go across the big M50 roundabout?

cdaly_

Yep. Straight north on Ballymun Ave until the airport. Then west to pick up the N2...

I got home close to sundown yesterday evening. I reckon there's only a week left where you could do this without lights...

Might do it again next week if I survive the Cycle Ambulance spin on Sunday...

G rock

happygoose wrote: »

Phoenix Park, Lucan via Strawberry Beds, Maynooth, Kilcock, Summerhill, Trim, Bective, Kilmessan, Hill of Tara, N3 to Dunshaughlin, Dunboyne, Clonee, Lucan, Phoenix Park is 110km, nice spin, good roads and flat enough.

just back from doing this route (started in kilmainham). 115km, just over 4 hours, av. speed 28.3k/hr

longest spin since getting my bike, really enjoyed it, but once i hit the n3 on way home there were a few mins where i thought i wouldn't make it home-headwind was terrible!

never thought it would come into play quite so much!

as an aside, anyone any tips to make sure i can walk (let alone cycle to work) in the morn? legs are fairly stiff already!