Ballina to Achill Cycle

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Hi folks,

Heading up to Mayo this weekend for a cycle. I'm getting the train to Ballina and starting from there.

Just wonderimg, obviously there's only one or two routes but which would be the best way to go to get from the town out to Achill? Ideally less busy roads. I've heard the main national road is quite busy.

Many thanks!

Duckjob

Why not get the train to Westport ? Lovely greenway all the way from there to Achill.

woody1

ok ive done crossmolina to achill so you just need to add in the ballina to crossmolina bit

ballina crossmolina bangor turn left in bangor and head for mulranny and then onto achill sound and achill itself ,ballina to crossmolina road is busy and i dont cycle on it meself but others do, the rest of it is fine, reasonable surface 2 lane roads for the most part , bangor to mullranny is very open , no hedges for miles so if its windy youl feel it here,

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ballina,+Co.+Mayo/Bangor+Erris,+County+Mayo/Achill+Island,+Co.+Mayo/@54.0255071,-9.7250465,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m20!4m19!1m5!1m1!1s0x48593773606f79b5:0xa00c7a997319ee0!2m2!1d-9.1550693!2d54.1149482!1m5!1m1!1s0x48590e8c11dec64f:0xa00c7a997319f80!2m2!1d-9.7428784!2d54.1446484!1m5!1m1!1s0x485999d8920e0ee9:0xec3254900bbf34ba!2m2!1d-10.015335!2d53.9619505!3e0


or ballina crossmolina turn in crossmolina and head for lahardaun and about 3k out the road take a right and head for newport, more country roads, but its quieter, newport to mullranny to achill

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ballina,+Co.+Mayo/Crossmolina,+Knockalegan,+Co.+Mayo/Achill+Island,+Co.+Mayo/@54.0044672,-9.7250465,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m20!4m19!1m5!1m1!1s0x48593773606f79b5:0xa00c7a997319ee0!2m2!1d-9.1550693!2d54.1149482!1m5!1m1!1s0x48593f3c4911bdbf:0xa00c7a99731f690!2m2!1d-9.3158456!2d54.100342!1m5!1m1!1s0x485999d8920e0ee9:0xec3254900bbf34ba!2m2!1d-10.015335!2d53.9619505!3e0




or westport and greenway it all ,

woody1

there are a few back roads thatl get you from ballina out to crossmolina,

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ballina,+Co.+Mayo/Crossmolina,+County+Mayo/@54.1236743,-9.2867836,13z/data=!4m24!4m23!1m15!1m1!1s0x48593773606f79b5:0xa00c7a997319ee0!2m2!1d-9.1550693!2d54.1149482!3m4!1m2!1d-9.2346443!2d54.1472993!3s0x48593998ebe2ab81:0x35275a8d48023cab!3m4!1m2!1d-9.2893828!2d54.1326219!3s0x48593930536fa1ad:0xae466458004803d1!1m5!1m1!1s0x48593f3c4911bdbf:0xa00c7a99731f690!2m2!1d-9.3158456!2d54.100342!3e0

i know it brings you out of your way a bit, personally i never cycle on the ballina to crossmolina road, the rest of it on either route is fine .. road to bangor is obviously busier than the back road to newport

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Duckjob wrote: »

Why not get the train to Westport ? Lovely greenway all the way from there to Achill.

Was hoping to cycle Ballina to Achill, and head to Westport along the Greenway the day after.

Large bottle small glass

Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »

Was hoping to cycle Ballina to Achill, and head to Westport along the Greenway the day after.

Whatever you do cycle a full loop of Achill; a magical place for the bike.

On route I'd pick a back road route south of National road as far as Crossmolina and take main road from there. In my two spins from Crossmolina to Achill road it is typically quite, especially in off season.

The headwind will be interesting!

woody1

The headwind will be interesting!

one of the years i did it for a charity thing, with some people that dont cycle too often, brutal headwind all the way, side / head from bangor to mulranny and then back into headwind , it was carnage , the broomwagon was full by the end.. handy for me , i got a puncture about 15k in and even at that stage there were people offering me their bikes, rode the rest of the way on a yoke that was about 2 sizes too big for me in someone elses shoes cos they had flat pedals
great craic afterwards though

cdaly_

Check out the Quiet Man audax route. Uses quieter roads though there's a stretch 30k on the N59 from Bangor to Mulranny that doesn't look easy to avoid.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Thanks all!

JMcL

This on cycle.travel looks lovely Back roads and greenway for almost the entirety

Frankirish

When you head out of Ballina via the Dublin/Foxford (basically head out of the train station and turn right) road you will pass Connolly's VW & Audi garage, turn right after these heading for Pontoon bridge. Follow this route to Castlebar via Knockmore and Pontoon. You get to cycle around the lakes and over the mountains along the bog. The gradiants are long and max out around 5 to 7% so nothing to worry about. In Castlebar head out to Newport then on to Mullranny.

As mentioned earlier you will be cycling into a head wind and its a very exposed route so layer up. Once you leave Ballina the next real food stop is Castlebar, so allow for this. Have plenty of flashing lights on your bike and you'll be fine. Best of luck and enjoy the spin.

woody1

thats a nice way to go

a148pro

Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »

Was hoping to cycle Ballina to Achill, and head to Westport along the Greenway the day after.

If that's your plan can I suggest you spin back an alternative route taking a right when you come out of achill sound, I think it's through a gaeltacht area called an corrain, it's a nicer run to mulranney than simply repeating the same stretch of the Greenway you'll have done on the way in, great views across clew bay and croagh patrick, very little traffic, it'll then bring you back to mulranney and you can continue on the greenway then

You'd want your head examined going up there in wild weather though!

Frankirish

Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »

Hi folks,

Heading up to Mayo this weekend for a cycle. I'm getting the train to Ballina and starting from there.

Just wonderimg, obviously there's only one or two routes but which would be the best way to go to get from the town out to Achill? Ideally less busy roads. I've heard the main national road is quite busy.

Many thanks!

How did you get on? Did it happen? Just curious. Thanks.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Frankirish wrote: »

How did you get on? Did it happen? Just curious. Thanks.

Due to the weather it unfortunately didn't happen, postponed til next month. will keep you updated!