Waterford Greenway

dastardly00

Muahahaha wrote: »

Is doing it Dungarvan to Waterford typically the best option to avoid a head wind? Thinking of heading down there midweek soon, providing I can find a bus from Dublin that will stow the bike.

Yeah if you are just planning on cycling one-way, then get the bus to Dungarvan, cycle to Waterford, then get bus from Waterford back home.

Maidhci

Thinking of taking a trip to the SE to cycle the Waterford Greenway with some friends in a few weeks' time - thinking of hiring bikes for the day as it is less hassle etc. etc. - any suggestions on bike rental shops in Dungarvan? More than likely will do Dungarvan - Waterford - Dungarvan, not fully sure yet. Many thanks.

Andalucia

plenty of options in Dungarvan, there is a hire shop at the bridge in Dungarvan, plenty of bikes, also 2 other places over the bridge in Abbeyside, one is specifically a hire shop, the other is Tony O'Mahoney bike shop which also hires bikes now, any of these will sort you out

think some of the hire shops offer a pick up service on route if the going gets too tough!

touts

Did 20km out from Dungarvan and 20km back yesterday. It really is a fantastic setup. Surface is perfect. Crowded on a sunny day but plenty of room. One observation is the tunnel could do with more lighting. It is very dark. We dismounted but many didn't. One idiot was flying through it on a road bike making some sort of a wailing screech to warn people he was coming and to get out of his way. It was blind luck he didn't take out some child walking. They need to either improve the lighting or put some form of gates at regular intervals to force people to dismount. One tip I would give people is don't rent bikes in Dungarvan. Rent them at the next stop 10km from Dungarvan. Plenty of parking there and they Re €15 for adults and €7 for kids rather than €20 for adults and €15 for kids in Dungarvan.

But overall it is a great experience and public amenity.

iwillhtfu

touts wrote: »

One observation is the tunnel could do with more lighting. It is very dark. .

It's not really to be fair and any more lighting would ruin the effect.

touts wrote: »

We dismounted but many didn't.

Cyclists don't have to dismount going through the long tunnel.

touts wrote: »

One idiot was flying through it on a road bike making some sort of a wailing screech to warn people he was coming and to get out of his way. It was blind luck he didn't take out some child walking. They need to either improve the lighting or put some form of gates at regular intervals to force people to dismount.

Not excusing this idiots behaviour but if people did as requested and stayed to the left it would be half the problem solved. Absolutely no need for gates in order to make cyclists dismount.

touts

iwillhtfu wrote: »

It's not really to be fair and any more lighting would ruin the effect.



Cyclists don't have to dismount going through the long tunnel.



Not excusing this idiots behaviour but if people did as requested and stayed to the left it would be half the problem solved. Absolutely no need for gates in order to make cyclists dismount.

There are signs at both ends telling cyclists to dismount. When I was there yesterday most did. Only a few twats went flying into it.

Walking on the left won't solve the problem of not being able to see more than a few meters ahead of you.

Don't get me wrong. I think it is a fantastic setup. It's just the way the tunnel is currently setup is an accident waiting to happen.

iwillhtfu

touts wrote: »

There are signs at both ends telling cyclists to dismount. When I was there yesterday most did. Only a few twats went flying into it.

Walking on the left won't solve the problem of not being able to see more than a few meters ahead of you.

Don't get me wrong. I think it is a fantastic setup. It's just the way the tunnel is currently setup is an accident waiting to happen.

They must be new there were no signs when I was there a couple of months back. Seems a bit silly if 8m honest either it's open or it's not.

You didn't by chance have your sunglasses on walking through the tunnel. I did in the way through the first time and yes it went pitch black. Coming back the way with sunglasses off I could see from ONE end to the other without issue and certainly wouldn't have said it was an accident in the making.

Yes o agree staying left won't solve the issue but 8t will certainly help also policing dogs on a lead.

touts

iwillhtfu wrote: »

They must be new there were no signs when I was there a couple of months back. Seems a bit silly if 8m honest either it's open or it's not.

You didn't by chance have your sunglasses on walking through the tunnel. I did in the way through the first time and yes it went pitch black. Coming back the way with sunglasses off I could see from ONE end to the other without issue and certainly wouldn't have said it was an accident in the making.

Yes o agree staying left won't solve the issue but 8t will certainly help also policing dogs on a lead.

No I didn't have my sunglasses on.

Asking cyclists to dismount is far from closing the route.

iwillhtfu

touts wrote: »

No I didn't have my sunglasses on.

Asking cyclists to dismount is far from closing the route.

Get yourself off to specsavers so

dastardly00

I can remember seeing signs asking cyclists to dismount when going through the couple of short, narrow new tunnels that cross under the road.

But I can't remember seeing any signs at the long dark tunnel. That's not to say that there wasn't any. I just didn't see them.

iwillhtfu

dastardly00 wrote: »

I can remember seeing signs asking cyclists to dismount when going through the couple of short, narrow new tunnels that cross under the road.

But I can't remember seeing any signs at the long dark tunnel. That's not to say that there wasn't any. I just didn't see them.

I think the ones on the road underpass were thorn down in protest. When I did it I didn't notice them heading west but they were up returning east. It then became apparent the ones on the other side of the tunnels had been pulled down and thrown on the ground.

There were none on the long tunnel

Also a cyclist dismount at the train station cafe which makes sense to be fair

Colm_D

The lighting in the tunnel is 'bat-friendly', hence the low level.

Fian

I drove down and my wife and i cycled this yesterday - or rather we cycled kilmacthomas-dungarvan and back. There are definitely signs asking cyclists to dismount on the long tunnel, as well as each of the short ones. We didn't dismount, but we didn't fly through at high speed either - we did not inconvenience anyone. Those signs are there primarily to cut down on legal liability - not because it is dangerous to cycle through with a bit of common sense applied.

As to the route it was pleasant, we had no wind to deal with and obviously the weather was fantastic yesterday. Having said that - I would not drive down from Dublin to do it again - it was pleasant but not so fantastic that it is worth the drive over cycling closer to home. In a way it was kind of monotonous - for most of it you can't really see much except the same hedgerows on either side of you. The long tunnel, the fern lined cliffs approaching it from either side and the views of the beach near the Dungarvan end were all spectacular though.

Surface is great and the gates that mean you don't have to dismount to cross roads are great too. Unfortunately i suspect if those were on the canal cycle rather than the much more restrictive ones we have you would find the canal colonised by motorbikes/mopeds.

Johnny Jukebox

Rode it on Saturday, the tunnel is fine, just needs a bit of common sense to slow down going through.

Agree that its somewhat monotonous, but there are some spectacular moments.

I thought it was very busy and great to see such a high level of activity on it. The number of people on bikes and in cars with bike carriers in Dungarvan was high too, and the greenway must be giving a significant boost to the local economy.

Jakey Rolling

Anyone know if there are height restrictions on the car park at Kilmacthomas? I have roof carrier for my bikes and am constantly frustrated at the number of car parks that have height barriers in place, including the new carpark at the Clonea end of the Greenway.

iwillhtfu

Jakey Rolling wrote: »

Anyone know if there are height restrictions on the car park at Kilmacthomas? I have roof carrier for my bikes and am constantly frustrated at the number of car parks that have height barriers in place, including the new carpark at the Clonea end of the Greenway.

No idea of restrictions but I would assume so and to be fair of they weren't there our ethnic minority would have it filled.

mr spuckler

iwillhtfu wrote: »

No idea of restrictions but I would assume so and to be fair of they weren't there our ethnic minority would have it filled.

yes there's a very good reason why those barriers are in place, without them the car park would be constantly full.

Fian

iwillhtfu wrote: »

No idea of restrictions but I would assume so and to be fair of they weren't there our ethnic minority would have it filled.

I don't recall any on the way in, we parked at the workhouse car park. If necessary could you not remove the bikes before pulling in to the carpark anyway?

looksee

The tunnel is actually very well (atmospheric and interesting) lit, I think you need to give your eyes chance to adjust though if the day is very bright. Its worth taking time to look at the stalagmites/tites in many of the recesses.

Jakey Rolling

Fian wrote: »

I don't recall any on the way in, we parked at the workhouse car park. If necessary could you not remove the bikes before pulling in to the carpark anyway?

Thanks for the info.

Yes I have had to stop on the road outside car parks and remove the bikes, and again when we leave - that's what pains me! Got the roof rack while I was still in Scotland, and I don't ever recall having this problem in all my travels there.

dahat

First time on the Greenway today with my daughter, lovely and peacful. We started in Dungarvan and went 15km then returned to Dungarvan. Not a bad spin for a 10yr old.

Some disgusting graffiti on tarmac near Dungarvan was a low point but enjoyed the spin and next time we plan to go all way to Kilmacthomas.
We met one or two Greenway racers which isn't what these paths are about, one lady was easy touching 30km flying past us shouting about rules etc, though I was on a club spin for a brief second!!!!

schemingbohemia

dahat wrote: »

First time on the Greenway today with my daughter, lovely and peacful. We started in Dungarvan and went 15km then returned to Dungarvan. Not a bad spin for a 10yr old.

Some disgusting graffiti on tarmac near Dungarvan was a low point but enjoyed the spin and next time we plan to go all way to Kilmacthomas.
We met one or two Greenway racers which isn't what these paths are about, one lady was easy touching 30km flying past us shouting about rules etc, though I was on a club spin for a brief second!!!!

It's people like her that will scupper more Greenways - if only there was a way of blocking Strava on the Greenway!

dahat

schemingbohemia wrote: »

It's people like her that will scupper more Greenways - if only there was a way of blocking Strava on the Greenway!

I'd say she was just motoring like the clappers from hell rather than a Strava junkie. Problem is kids with unpredictable bike movements ahead of her. A very irresponsible lady imo.

RINO87

Is there a good/safe place to stash the car overnight in Dungarvan? Would love to spin into Waterford, stay the night there, and spin back to Dungarvan the next day.

iwillhtfu

RINO87 wrote: »

Is there a good/safe place to stash the car overnight in Dungarvan? Would love to spin into Waterford, stay the night there, and spin back to Dungarvan the next day.

The Park hotel is just off the route I'm sure it would be fine there. Dugarvan's not really the crime capital of Ireland so I'd say a housing estate would work either.

dahat

RINO87 wrote: »

Is there a good/safe place to stash the car overnight in Dungarvan? Would love to spin into Waterford, stay the night there, and spin back to Dungarvan the next day.

A kind soul told me that Lidl car park has manned security cameras 24hrs, maybe try there? Unsure how true this is...

Vizzy

I did it from Waterford to Dungarvan on Saturday.
In fact 20 of us did it, varying in age from about 8 to 63 or 64.

Absolutely blown away with it !!.

Four of us stopped in Kilmacthomas for a pint and one of the girls went over to Centra for a "filled roll", when she joined us in the pub the first thing the publican asked was "would you like a cup of tea with that roll" and then he proceeded to make one for her - nice touch.
He also told me that it had brought Kilmac back from the dead with people dining/drinking/staying whilst they did the Greenway.
He had four lads that walked from Waterford to Kilmac on Friday and were walking from Kilmac to Dungarvan on Saturday and then joining their wives to stay in Dungarvan on Saturday night - win win for everyone.

It was very busy from Durrow to Dungarvan ( near the tunnel) with loads of family groups, but like Dahat said earlier, didn't stop one guy from a local cycle club whizzing past everyone at about 40k per hour on a TT bike. Pity he came cropper in the tunnel;)

I have cycled the Newport Greenway in Mayo and I have to say that the Waterford one leaves it for dead.
Super safe for kids( except for the odd idiot) and completely doable for all abilities.

Highly recommended

Glencarraig

dahat wrote: »

First time on the Greenway today with my daughter, lovely and peacful. We started in Dungarvan and went 15km then returned to Dungarvan. Not a bad spin for a 10yr old.

Some disgusting graffiti on tarmac near Dungarvan was a low point but enjoyed the spin and next time we plan to go all way to Kilmacthomas.
We met one or two Greenway racers which isn't what these paths are about, one lady was easy touching 30km flying past us shouting about rules etc, though I was on a club spin for a brief second!!!!

Was there yesterday and saw the graffiti on the way to Dungarvan, sad people who think it's fun to write such stuff on a fantastic amenity. I'm sure many kids are asking their parents "what does c**t mean", however on the way back from Dungarvan I saw a worker spraying the graffiti and completely covering it up, fair play to the council for this.

roadster5

Just back from having cycled the Waterford Greenway over 2 days - my wife is not a cyclist so we split it into two days - 1st day cycled from dungarvan to kilmacthomas - had lunch there and then cycled back - grafitti nowhere to be seen - beautiful scenery - great surface - and the coachhouse in kilmacthomas was an excellent place fou lunch - great food and great service - their on to a winner there- 2nd day cycled from kilmacthomas to Waterford and back- downhill mostly to Waterford and long gentle incline on way back - scenery not as nice as 1st section but the rest stop at Kilmeadan was great and a novelty to see the narrow guage railway there - passed by Mount Congreve house and gardens on outskirts of Limerick - that were closed as we cycled past - hard to believe in high season that such a facility is not open 7 days a week - numerous people standing at the gate in disbelief - but visited their today by car and absolutely beautiful gardens - worth visiting for sure - my god whoever planned the greenway had their head scewed on - the greenway is a fantastic attraction for the Wateford area and really other counties should take a good look at this and see the benefits for all concerned - there was certaintly an air of the locals not believing how successful it has been already within a few weeks of it being open - congratulations Waterford on a job well done - we'll be back for sure.

mr spuckler

i cycled a short stretch of it last weekend, from near Clonea to O'Mahoneys pub and back. we specifically visited Waterford for a few days in order to be able to give it a go and like roadster5 i plan on returning. the scenery along that stretch is beautiful and the tunnel really is something to behold. it was very busy in places but nothing that bothered us - outside O'Mahoneys was well busy when we stopped for refreshments!

some lovely touches such as a small playground near the Clonea car park really added to it as our lad was getting a bit bored behind me in the trailer!

i've cycled the full western greenway and the athlone to mullingar one and the stretch i cycled in waterford stacks up really well against the most scenic parts of the western greenway, with the benefit of a surface as good as the athlone one!

couple of photos i took are below.