Any suggestions for flat & scenic Irish sportive 2018?

GabbaTheHutt

Hi folks

I have some friends thinking of coming to Ireland next year to do some cycling. They are older and not big fans of hills:( I've been racking my brains for good, flat and scenic sportives but it's hard to find that combination.. every good, scenic sportive I can think of has climbs.

Any suggestions much appreciated

Thanks!

The Noble Nudge

Leinster loop is fairly flat but not sure about the scenery aspect.

JK.BMC

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

Leinster loop is fairly flat but not sure about the scenery aspect.

The Tour of Kildare - set in the flattest county in Ireland - is the obvious choice.
Leinster Loop has loads of hills down around Carlow/Castlecomer and Tullow.

lissard

The 80k version of the Westportif is definitely scenic and there is only 500m of climbing so pretty flat. The Tour de Conemara is also pretty flat, it has sold out very fast in the last few years.

Wishbone Ash

Scenic routes by their nature tend to involve mountains and valleys so it's difficult to combine flat and scenic.

The McNally Swords CC annual sportive (usually held in June) is relatively flat (but not particularly scenic IMO).

The Tour of Louth is also relatively flat with only one climb of note.

lizzylad84

Tour of louth only has one hill and passes by carlingford lough. Held the Sunday of the June bank holiday weekend. Tour de Connemara short route seems to be quite flat.

rtmie

Tour of Connemara short route only one long hill

Eamonnator

Lap The Lough.

Starts and finishes in Dungannon. As the name suggests it goes around Lough Neagh. There are some drags, but nothing of any significance. It's always really well organised. The Start/Finish on the Hill of the O'Neills is spectacular.
It's on the last Sunday in August.(the day before a Northern Ireland Bank Holiday)

jon1981

Tour of Meath id call flat. But abit boring in terms of scenery, others might disagree.

http://www.meathsports.ie/cycle-tour/

brownian

Tour de Connemara is amazingly flat. One small hill at the end coming into Clifden...otherwise, bang for your uphill buck is top class.

benneca1

jon1981 wrote: »

Tour of Meath id call flat. But abit boring in terms of scenery, others might disagree.

http://www.meathsports.ie/cycle-tour/

Tara, Newgrange, The Boyne valley, Trim Castle, Loughanlea, Moynalvey Boring ????

jon1981

benneca1 wrote: »

Tara, Newgrange, The Boyne valley, Trim Castle, Loughanlea, Moynalvey Boring ????

Yeah, maybe i'm more a big hill/climbs guy with coastal scenery ... or maybe because I've cycled those routes 100s of times that it doesn't appeal to me as a sportive...

However, i did say others might disagree and so it might tick the OPs box in terms of flattish and scenic (to some )

guanciale

If your friends own a CX or MTB and like small events, then I would highly recommend the Long Heron-5 Aquaducts audax.
The flattest 200k event in the land. About 140k are on canal tracks ranging from fast gravel sections to grass track to sections that would give Carrefour de l'Arbe a run for its money.
Class route. Several places on the canal to stop for a pint.

GabbaTheHutt

Thanks folks, some good suggestions there:)

They did the 80km Tour of Connemara a few years ago in nasty winds and loved the area but want to see more of Ireland rather than going back to the same place.

I had forgotten about the Lap the Lough, did it last year and it is a nice route and very flat (apart from the kick to the finish line!)

The Tour of Louth, The tour of Kildare and the shorter Westportif are great options too

Thanks:)

Does it have to be a sportive????? I mean you have the likes of wild Atlantic way and the waterford greenway you can cycle without the constraints of a sportive like fixed date etc. unless they actually want to do a big group spin

You'd have more opportunity to admire the scenery that way.

GabbaTheHutt

Deleted User wrote: »

Does it have to be a sportive????? I mean you have the likes of wild Atlantic way and the waterford greenway you can cycle without the constraints of a sportive like fixed date etc. unless they actually want to do a big group spin

You'd have more opportunity to admire the scenery that way.

They like having an event to aim for but will spend plenty of other days on the bike exploring while here:)

GabbaTheHutt

GabbaTheHutt wrote: »

They like having an event to aim for but will spend plenty of other days on the bike exploring while here:)

Ah got ya. Was the same reasoning for me doing my first few sportives this year, having an event to aim for.

Esroh

lissard wrote: »

The 80k version of the Westportif is definitely scenic and there is only 500m of climbing so pretty flat. The Tour de Conemara is also pretty flat, it has sold out very fast in the last few years.

Great Western Lakes Sportive has 3 hills . Would be on a par with the others above.

Our climbs over West are short little lumpeens.