Cycling in Kerry

Jim Stynes

Myself and a friend are heading down from the north for 3 or 4nights or so in the middle of August. We are looking to base ourselves somewhere that has good cycle routes. Would love to cycle the ring of kerry route.

Any good cycle friendly hotels or B&Bs that you can recommend? Would there be any sportives or interesting things happening at that time of year that we could check out.

ROK ON

Jim Stynes wrote: »

Myself and a friend are heading down from the north for 3 or 4nights or so in the middle of August. We are looking to base ourselves somewhere that has good cycle routes. Would love to cycle the ring of kerry route.

Any good cycle friendly hotels or B&Bs that you can recommend? Would there be any sportives or interesting things happening at that time of year that we could check out.

Kenmare

The junction between Ring of Beara and Ring of Kerry. Best cycling in the country. Dozens of hotels & guest houses (BrookLane is very cycle friendly and has facilities for bikes). Plenty of options for food, drink, coffee.

mossym

100% agree on kenmare. although the cycling in parts of mayo will give it a run for it's money.

highly highly recomend the abbey court b&b on the way into kenmare. used it for lost sheep last year. b&b set well back off the road, so no-one sees bike racks on the car or anything like that. owner is as sound as it comes, and let us store the expensive tri bikes in the garage overnight. he also got up at 5am on race day and made us whatever we wanted for breakfast. will be using him again this year for sure if going down the b&b route for the lost sheep.

on the RoK, the beara penninsula is way ahead of the ROK for cycles. The lost sheep bike course is an 85km spin that is superb. for something longer, one of the best routes i have ever done, out of kenmare over caha into glengariff. follow the road out to castletown, then swing back along the north side of the penninsula,towards eyeries, till you hit the bottom of healy pass. up over it, back into glengariff, back up over caha from the other side and roll down the hill into kenmare again. that spin would be streets ahead of the rok for me.


can provide garmin/strava profiles/courses for any of these routes, including the ROK. Middle of august I'll probably be down there doing the Lost sheep course in preperation for the half ironman race

Jim Stynes

Cheers lads. It sounds great! Aye send any strava files if you have them. That would be great. No doubt I will get lost though haha

codie

The ring of north kerry is usually on about then
http://www.ring-of-north-kerry-cycle.com/

dragratchet

codie wrote: »

The ring of north kerry is usually on about then
http://www.ring-of-north-kerry-cycle.com/

yep north kerry is often overlooked for great cycling. banna, ballyheigue, ballybunion etc. heading down next weekend, never short of decent picturesque routes

Thargor

mossym wrote: »

100% agree on kenmare. although the cycling in parts of mayo will give it a run for it's money.

highly highly recomend the abbey court b&b on the way into kenmare. used it for lost sheep last year. b&b set well back off the road, so no-one sees bike racks on the car or anything like that. owner is as sound as it comes, and let us store the expensive tri bikes in the garage overnight. he also got up at 5am on race day and made us whatever we wanted for breakfast. will be using him again this year for sure if going down the b&b route for the lost sheep.

on the RoK, the beara penninsula is way ahead of the ROK for cycles. The lost sheep bike course is an 85km spin that is superb. for something longer, one of the best routes i have ever done, out of kenmare over caha into glengariff. follow the road out to castletown, then swing back along the north side of the penninsula,towards eyeries, till you hit the bottom of healy pass. up over it, back into glengariff, back up over caha from the other side and roll down the hill into kenmare again. that spin would be streets ahead of the rok for me.


can provide garmin/strava profiles/courses for any of these routes, including the ROK. Middle of august I'll probably be down there doing the Lost sheep course in preperation for the half ironman race

Please throw up the Strava links if you get a chance

mossym

Lost Sheep bike course
https://www.strava.com/activities/162896024

80km or so out of kenmare

Longer Caha/Castletown/Healy Spin
https://www.strava.com/activities/47667668

i hardly need to put up the ROK route do i?

ruffmut

Our fifth Ring of North Kerry cycle (the RoNK) takes place on the 8th August. Starting in Finuge just outside Listowel. This year the routes will be 135km and 80km approx. They both take in the stunning scenery of North Kerry and the wild atlantic way.

ROK ON

mossym wrote: »

Lost Sheep bike course
https://www.strava.com/activities/162896024

80km or so out of kenmare

Longer Caha/Castletown/Healy Spin
https://www.strava.com/activities/47667668

i hardly need to put up the ROK route do i?

The Longer route you put up can be made even better by going around the coast from Castletownbere to Allihies to Eyeries then onto Ardgroom.

On the Beara route there are some great coffee stops:
Pedals and Boots in Lauragh (Kerry side of Healy Pass),
the Copper Cafe in Allihies.

In addition to that route I would add:
Kenmare - Kilgarvan (turn right for Bantry) - Borlin Valley - Kealkill - Ballingeary - Coum - Kilgarvan - Kenmare.

Kenmare - Molls Gap - Ballaghbeama -Glencar - Lap of Caragh Lake - Glencar - Dunloe - Gap of Dunloe - Molls Gap - Kenmare.

Two additional and fantastic routes.

mossym

know allihies well, did a load of scuba diving down there. pulled a local lad from the water one time when he didn't have much time left, lucky were there

the day we did the spin above we were shepherding an injured lad around with us, hence the low speed. the idea of adding a bit on was discussed, but dismissed. that route was the ras mumhan route that year as well so we stuck to what the good lads did:)

shaka

ROK ON wrote: »

The Longer route you put up can be made even better by going around the coast from Castletownbere to Allihies to Eyeries then onto Ardgroom.

On the Beara route there are some great coffee stops:
Pedals and Boots in Lauragh (Kerry side of Healy Pass),
the Copper Cafe in Allihies.

In addition to that route I would add:
Kenmare - Kilgarvan (turn right for Bantry) - Borlin Valley - Kealkill - Ballingeary - Coum - Kilgarvan - Kenmare.

Kenmare - Molls Gap - Ballaghbeama -Glencar - Lap of Caragh Lake - Glencar - Dunloe - Gap of Dunloe - Molls Gap - Kenmare.

Two additional and fantastic routes.

On the food stops I'd add in O Neills in Allihies for lunch, good food or the copper kettle in Castletownbere

I find harringtons post office in Ardgroom better than the place in Lauragh.

Kenmare is a great base for all things cycling down there

nilhg

A couple of us went down last may and did two lovely days spinning out of Killarney,

https://www.strava.com/activities/141879115

https://www.strava.com/activities/142230384

Next time I go back I'd hope to get a day in on the Dingle peninsula, I drove over the Conor Pass at the New Year, would love to give it a go on the bike.

Personally I'd avoid a lot of the ROK route in high season, too much traffic for comfort and beautiful roads inland.

Would totally agree too with comments that from Kenmare or Killarney Beara really is a must do, that stretch of road around from Castletownbere to Allihies and Eyries via the coast is just glorious on a half decent day, it's tough on the legs in places but worth it.

shaka

By the way I did the RONK (ring of North Kerry Cycle) last year and it was hugely enjoyable . Good fun ,route and friendly gang , going try stay down this year after the cycle - best cycle in Kerry with a ring in it

ogre357

Basing yourself in Tralee would give you the option to cycle the ring of north Kerry, dingle peninsula and the ring of kerry.

davgtrek

There are a few videos of some of those kerry routes mentioned here.

Look in the projects - Gap of Dunloe route / Healy pass route are all there.


http://www.velocitylens.com


I'd base yourself in Killarney as it's a great town at night after a long days cycling.

wendell borton

Theres a good few climbs around Castleisland on this list.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag1LJillBCzKdE02cWVwY2R6UFVvRUZZRVBjVlRPb2c#gid=0