Derry to Sligo

ciaeim

hello all,, looking for what would be the nicest/safest cycle route between Derry and Sligo possibly but not neccessasirily passing through Donegal town, thank you ,

ford2600

ciaeim wrote: »

hello all,, looking for what would be the nicest/safest cycle route between Derry and Sligo possibly but not neccessasirily passing through Donegal town, thank you ,

Derry to Kesh
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/18941825

Kesh to Sligo (from 275km on)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/9615652

Stuart maps lovely routes (if a tad sadistic)

ciaeim

ford2600 wrote: »

Derry to Kesh
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/18941825

Kesh to Sligo (from 275km on)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/9615652

Stuart maps lovely routes (if a tad sadistic)

thanks but i should have said a shorter route would be more suitable.

Jayop

ciaeim wrote: »

hello all,, looking for what would be the nicest/safest cycle route between Derry and Sligo possibly but not neccessasirily passing through Donegal town, thank you ,

The only decisions really that you have to make if you want a short route is whther to go from derry to Ballybofey via Letterkenny or via Strabane. From Ballybofey down to county Sligo it's almost all good roads for cycling with hard shoulders with perfect surfaces.

Once you get into County Sligo the roads are pretty hairy so maybe you could use minor roads running adjacent to the N15 for parts of it.

There's a side road from Grange to Cashelgarren to the East or the N15 and from Cashelgarren to Drumcliff via Carney to the West but I don't know what those roads are like.

Wishbone Ash

Jayop wrote: »

The only decisions really that you have to make if you want a short route is whther to go from derry to Ballybofey via Letterkenny or via Strabane....

Derry to Ballybofey via Letterkenny is safer in my opinion - better roads with wide hard shoulders for almost all the way. Via Strabane you're on much narrower roads and there are few hard shoulders if I recall correctly.

Jayop

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Derry to Ballybofey via Letterkenny is safer in my opinion - better roads with wide hard shoulders for almost all the way. Via Strabane you're on much narrower roads and there are few hard shoulders if I recall correctly.

It's been an age since I've been on either route, but the Derry road from Strabane used to be a brutal narrow road with very fast traffic so unless it's been improved greatly the Letterkenny way is bound to be better.

ford2600

Jayop wrote: »

It's been an age since I've been on either route, but the Derry road from Strabane used to be a brutal narrow road with very fast traffic so unless it's been improved greatly the Letterkenny way is bound to be better.

Really easy to avoid Strabane road, just go on other side of river; lovely road

Jayop

ford2600 wrote: »

Really easy to avoid Strabane road, just go on other side of river; lovely road

True, down through St Johnston is a lovely road.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Derry > Killea > Carrigans > St Johnston > Raphoe > Convoy > Stranorlar > Donegal Town > Ballyshannon > Bundoran > Sligo.

This is the most direct route, nice roads and very little hills. Donegal town, Ballyshannon and Bundoran are all bypassed.

Wishbone Ash

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Derry > Killea > Carrigans >

No need to divert to Killea - just keep going directly to Carrigans.

Cee- Jay-Cee wrote:

... Donegal town, Ballyshannon and Bundoran are all bypassed.

Those by-passes can be fairly boring to ride on. It's nice to go through the towns IMO - breaks up the journey and it's not as if you'll get held up in traffic on a bike.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

No need to divert to Killea - just keep going directly to Carrigans.

Those by-passes can be fairly boring to ride on. It's nice to go through the towns IMO - breaks up the journey and it's not as if you'll get held up in traffic on a bike.

Yeah sorry meant Nixons Corner instead of killea.

ciaeim

thanks guys the info above has been a great help, appreciated.