Dublin to Galway route advice

MajesticDonkey

Hi lads,

Planning to do Dublin to Galway next year in one day with a big group (100-130 likely, broken into groups of around 20 a few mins apart). We want to go "Bay to Bay" - in other words, as close to Dublin and Galway Bay as possible.

Galway is easy enough, but I'm not sure of a route through Dublin city. Am thinking of possibly starting somewhere near Howth, but I'm happy to take suggestions of alternative starting points.

This is a guideline: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5311924 - the part through the city is auto-generated so it hasn't been adjusted in any way yet.

Thanks.

Micilin Muc

That route through the city looks very complicated, the last thing you want the morning of a cycle like this, especially with a big group like that.

Just head out the quays towards Lucan, through Leixlip to Maynooth and then on the old N6. From Enfield, this road is now called the R148 to Kinnegad, and from there it's called the R446 all the way to Galway city.

This road is perfect for big groups as there is very little traffic and the hard shoulder is very big.

bog_savage

We did Phoenix park - strawberry beds - Lucan last year . If you contact some of the IWA guys they could help .


http://www.iwasport.com/cycle/2-uncategorised/41-cycle-2014-details

http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/255927193

rich.d.berry

bog_savage wrote: »

We did Phoenix park - strawberry beds - Lucan last year . If you contact some of the IWA guys they could help .


http://www.iwasport.com/cycle/2-uncategorised/41-cycle-2014-details

http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/255927193

Yes, I agree that Strawberry Beds / Lucan is the way to go. Clontarf is a good place to start because there's loads of parking and open space for a crowd to gather.

Head into city centre on the R807 / R105. Right onto the Quays. Right at Heuston Station followed by a left across the bridge then straight out to Lucan via Strawberry Beds. Quite a nice scenic route too!

MajesticDonkey

Thanks lads.

Updated route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5311924

Clontarf is a good place to start because there's loads of parking and open space for a crowd to gather.

Any spot in particular you would recommend?

brannib

Majestic,
Please let me know how it went. I am looking at going same route (bay to bay) this year and would love to hear about your experience.
Bill

MajesticDonkey

We haven't done it yet, brannib!

Check out betterlifecycle.ie - we're organising it for Saturday May 30th this year. Feel free to sign up

coppinger

Did raheny to gort recently - the big factor on this spin is wind - did it with a headwind and it took 10 hours (518 TSS points !!!!!!) , did it before on a calm day and it took 7.5

ww.strava.com/activities/253633404/overview

quozl

I love this idea. With 3 little kids there's no way I can join you and cycle to Galway and stay over-night but I'm strongly considering getting the early train to Galway some Saturday and cycling home to Dublin. Thanks for posting the updated route.

Dunno why but it's an appealing idea For after the clocks change.

Weepsie

I know ye havn't done your cycle yet, but wondering if you had other routes that were considered. I am looking at doing such a route solo, but not sure of a route. (Would join ye, but unfortunately unavailable the 30th I think). Didn't want to start a new thread, but if ou had other routes I could consider id appreciate it (or anyone else). It's generally flat I guess, but i'm thinking of stops, good roads, I'd be looking at 9/10 hours in saddle with maybe 3 stops.

mr spuckler

Micilin Muc wrote: »

That route through the city looks very complicated, the last thing you want the morning of a cycle like this, especially with a big group like that.

Just head out the quays towards Lucan, through Leixlip to Maynooth and then on the old N6. From Enfield, this road is now called the R148 to Kinnegad, and from there it's called the R446 all the way to Galway city.

This road is perfect for big groups as there is very little traffic and the hard shoulder is very big.

just to note on this point (prob being a bit pedantic!), there are some stretches with no hard shoulder, very short stretch between leixlip & maynooth, similar between maynooth & kilcock and kilcock & enfield. then between kinnegad & rochfortbridge there are some longer stretches of a few km, past rochfortbridge i think you're good the whole way to aughrim. there's then a stretch of a few km between aughrim and loughrea with no shoulder.
off the top of my head that's all i can remember, i've cycled that road from dublin to athlone a few times and it's generally very quiet due to the motorway, make sure people are well visible and you should have no problems

edit to say, if you;'re doing the spin on the 30th i might join you as far as athlone!

loudymacloud

mr spuckler wrote: »

just to note on this point (prob being a bit pedantic!), there are some stretches with no hard shoulder, very short stretch between leixlip & maynooth, similar between maynooth & kilcock and kilcock & enfield. then between kinnegad & rochfortbridge there are some longer stretches of a few km, past rochfortbridge i think you're good the whole way to aughrim. there's then a stretch of a few km between aughrim and loughrea with no shoulder.
off the top of my head that's all i can remember, i've cycled that road from dublin to athlone a few times and it's generally very quiet due to the motorway, make sure people are well visible and you should have no problems

edit to say, if you;'re doing the spin on the 30th i might join you as far as athlone!

I agree with Mr Spuckler, there is a small section of a few kms from Kinnegad that have no hard shoulder and slightly winding roads, so might be a small concern for ssafety if there is a big number of cyclists. but other than that it is a nice, safe cycle down...well as far as Athlone anyway, did that one twice last summer, really enjoyed it.

MajesticDonkey

Thanks for the comments.

I should have mentioned this earlier - this isn't a typical sportive. It's a completely-for-charity event where everyone participating needed to be registered by the end of March. Cyclists (150 approx) will only be together while travelling through Dublin, in order to get through it as fast as possible to avoid traffic issues and so on. After leaving the city, they will split up into groups of 25-30, and these groups will stay together until Galway. Cyclists can however drop back to slower groups at food stops if they want/need to.

Weepsie wrote: »

I know ye havn't done your cycle yet, but wondering if you had other routes that were considered. I am looking at doing such a route solo, but not sure of a route. (Would join ye, but unfortunately unavailable the 30th I think). Didn't want to start a new thread, but if ou had other routes I could consider id appreciate it (or anyone else). It's generally flat I guess, but i'm thinking of stops, good roads, I'd be looking at 9/10 hours in saddle with maybe 3 stops.

We didn't really consider other routes, because it's essentially the most straight-forward route to take. We are having three food stops also - Enfield, Co Meath, Moate, Co Westmeath and Kilconnell, Co Galway.

mr spuckler

MajesticDonkey wrote: »

Thanks for the comments.

I should have mentioned this earlier - this isn't a typical sportive. It's a completely-for-charity event where everyone participating needed to be registered by the end of March. Cyclists (150 approx) will only be together while travelling through Dublin, in order to get through it as fast as possible to avoid traffic issues and so on. After leaving the city, they will split up into groups of 25-30, and these groups will stay together until Galway. Cyclists can however drop back to slower groups at food stops if they want/need to.



We didn't really consider other routes, because it's essentially the most straight-forward route to take. We are having three food stops also - Enfield, Co Meath, Moate, Co Westmeath and Kilconnell, Co Galway.

good supermacs there

MajesticDonkey

mr spuckler wrote: »

good supermacs there

Good to know, cheers!

Carawaystick

Moate also has a huge wide street, maybe 40m wide, so plenty of space to stop and chat on bikes.

MajesticDonkey

Carawaystick wrote: »

Moate also has a huge wide street, maybe 40m wide, so plenty of space to stop and chat on bikes.

Yep, that's one thing we looked for. Thankfully there's a wide hard shoulder for 3/4 of the way to Galway. I would assume the road is relatively quite as well, due to the motorway?

Carawaystick

Still a fair bit of traffic from Kilcock to Kinnegad, who avoid the toll, including hgv's

MajesticDonkey

Carawaystick wrote: »

Still a fair bit of traffic from Kilcock to Kinnegad, who avoid the toll, including hgv's

Nice to know, thanks.

a148pro

Weepsie wrote: »

I know ye havn't done your cycle yet, but wondering if you had other routes that were considered. I am looking at doing such a route solo, but not sure of a route. (Would join ye, but unfortunately unavailable the 30th I think). Didn't want to start a new thread, but if ou had other routes I could consider id appreciate it (or anyone else). It's generally flat I guess, but i'm thinking of stops, good roads, I'd be looking at 9/10 hours in saddle with maybe 3 stops.

See this thread from my own similar experience, I still have a niggle on my left leg from the exertion:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=92014487