Viable CX /gravel trails

a148pro

Macy0161 wrote: »

The frustrating thing is so many dead ends on the fireroads. I hit one when under 1km of trail would create a loop - it maybe viable on mtb, was getting too narly (for me) on a gravel bike.

I don't think "gravel" is on the radar at all, in Wicklow at least. They'd rather go for nonsense "greenways" in and out of Kilcoole that'll cost millions when a few hundred thousand would produce long routes or gravel/ tarmac loops.

I agree with this sentiment however the reality is in terms of public use greenways are much more popular and worth the investment. I can count on one hand the times i've seem someone else on a gravel bike. I still think it could be done and will be at some point, coillte are showing reasonable progress in their orientation towards enjoyment of forests.

Macy0161

a148pro wrote: »

I agree with this sentiment however the reality is in terms of public use greenways are much more popular and worth the investment. I can count on one hand the times i've seem someone else on a gravel bike. I still think it could be done and will be at some point, coillte are showing reasonable progress in their orientation towards enjoyment of forests.

I suppose my thinking would be they would essentially be "greenways", in the sense they'd be open to walkers too. Particularly in the mountains, fire roads are a lot more accessible to more people than open mountains.

cletus

It would be great if people would upload whatever gravel routes or segments they have to the gravelmap website.

It's as easy as exporting it from Strava, then importing it to gravelmap

cletus

nilhg wrote: »

https://www.strava.com/routes/2746823503449289164

https://www.strava.com/routes/2731651138325824140

Curragh is wel worth a spin around for anyone who can make it

THos two routes look interesting, and they are the right side of the Wicklow mountains for me.

I grew up close enough to the Curragh, and have used the roads for running, but never cycled around it. Have you specific roads or routes that you use, or is it just generally cycling out and about on it

nilhg

Orro wrote: »

Hi John, I've done all those routes and they're great imo, the views of the lakes at sorrel hill are fairly epic

I'm yet to loop the back of sorrell hill out onto the Gap road. Which would link up your route nicely. You may spot a little dirt road where 5he forest ends and there is a little singketrack diagonal down to the right and leads on to the Gap road. I've heard it's very do able.

Hope I'm explaining that well

I think I'm understanding you, looks like you'd come out here,

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.1411362,-6.461443,3a,69y,308.19h,80.38t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1shYexQjPC7MmXFLUeki3ilQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Yeah, once the restrictions ease, I'd be up for a boardsie West Wicklow gravel spin

nilhg

cletus wrote: »

THos two routes look interesting, and they are the right side of the Wicklow mountains for me.

I grew up close enough to the Curragh, and have used the roads for running, but never cycled around it. Have you specific roads or routes that you use, or is it just generally cycling out and about on it

I haven't got up there as much as I'd like because mostly I'm out in the mornings early and that's the time you'll only be a nuisance to the horsey folk but have a look at these

https://www.strava.com/activities/3978832669

https://www.strava.com/activities/3905890667

https://www.strava.com/activities/3739816960

In general on the western side there's loads of car tracks the horse trainers make driving out to see the horses work, on the eastern side there's army, MTB and scrambler tracks that work well for CX/gravel bikes.

Satellite view on Google maps or especially heattmap view on Strava's route builder show them up well.

Orro

nilhg wrote: »

I think I'm understanding you, looks like you'd come out here,

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.1411362,-6.461443,3a,69y,308.19h,80.38t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1shYexQjPC7MmXFLUeki3ilQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Yeah, once the restrictions ease, I'd be up for a boardsie West Wicklow gravel spin

Yep that's it. Nice bit of off off road in your routes. I'll check that section out in the next week or so and yeah a group gravel ride would be good craic once things calm down.

Large bottle small glass

This thread is like the last one, mainly lads looking to have routes handed to them and not putting anything up themselves.

It has never been easier, there are loads of websites to plot on, apps for your phone or use your garmin.

It's not remotely technical or difficult.

I've done it in plenty places I'm not local to without too much trouble.

You'll make mistakes, get lost, heaven forbid reach a dead end. But you will discover, have some adventure and maybe some fun.

Rant over, where's that door to slam again

cletus

I put up what I had local to me, plus added other routes that people had linked on Strava.

I've no problem mapping out cycles for myself, but the issue is with the idea of dead ends, getting lost, figure a new way to go etc. My family life doesn't allow me the luxury, so when I get out for a spin, I try to maximise it.

The previous thread was called the Gravel Compendium. In order for that to be the case, people need to share their routes. It seems that the gravelmap website is the ideal place to do that, as it contains all those routes and segments in the one spot.

I'm not sure why anyone with a route that worked out wouldn't want to share it, but that's just me.

I'm happy to do the job of uploading routes from Strava if people want to share them, but they'll all be attributed to me, and there might be sections of road that people want to remove.

Closes door gently behind

a148pro

You're both right.

I've enjoyed exploring, but it requires a commitment of time which many of us don't have. And it can be frustrating at times. Part of the attraction of getting on a bike is just going, and not being stymied by dead ends worried about where you're going to end up, are you trespassing and will you be back in time for the other crap in your life.

I will continue to enjoy exploring. And I want to share my knowledge. The only reason I know most places up there is someone else putting me on to them.

Orro

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

This thread is like the last one, mainly lads looking to have routes handed to them and not putting anything up themselves.

It has never been easier, there are loads of websites to plot on, apps for your phone or use your garmin.

It's not remotely technical or difficult.

I've done it in plenty places I'm not local to without too much trouble.

You'll make mistakes, get lost, heaven forbid reach a dead end. But you will discover, have some adventure and maybe some fun.

Rant over, where's that door to slam again

Ah yeah, but nice to chat to like minded people tho. Especially like me if you're new to cycling off road. Seems to be getting more popular but my circle are all still road bike only, so it's nice to see I'm not alone in preferring the quieter/more adventure side of cycling.

Whatwicklow

West Wicklow is my stomping ground, here are a few loops we routinely do.

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/2g5SMopYmab

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/Wh5aiLrYmab

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/OrucAEtYmab

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/36I87vHYmab

Plenty more out the Wicklow gap and out the the Glen of immal..

nilhg

Personally I'm slow to upload segments to the gravelmap that I haven't ridden myself, wouldn't want to be sending someone else astray.

Just wondering whether folk consider the non tarmac parts of greenways to be gravel, for example most of the Royal Canal greenway is done with quarry dust, with some segments tarmac public road.

cletus

Thanks for that. Would you be happy to put those routes on the gravelmap website?

Taxuser1

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

This thread is like the last one, mainly lads looking to have routes handed to them and not putting anything up themselves.

It has never been easier, there are loads of websites to plot on, apps for your phone or use your garmin.

It's not remotely technical or difficult.

I've done it in plenty places I'm not local to without too much trouble.

You'll make mistakes, get lost, heaven forbid reach a dead end. But you will discover, have some adventure and maybe some fun.

Rant over, where's that door to slam again

I don’t think there’s anyone here looking for that. I’m completely new to off road and like previous posters, would be time limited. I only wanted to know if there were CX bike/gravel routes in an area that’s new to me as a roadie mostly. More experienced posters kindly shared some, I’ve got exactly what I asked for so thanks to all.

a148pro

Whatwicklow wrote: »

West Wicklow is my stomping ground, here are a few loops we routinely do.

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/2g5SMopYmab

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/Wh5aiLrYmab

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/OrucAEtYmab

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/36I87vHYmab

Plenty more out the Wicklow gap and out the the Glen of immal..

These look great, thanks.

I also love the way people on Boards talk about West Wicklow, it kind of sounds like something from Deliverance. The rest of us go to Enniskerry, or Laragh or the polished Glendalough, but the Wesht is where its at!

Taxuser1

Whatwicklow wrote: »

West Wicklow is my stomping ground, here are a few loops we routinely do.

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/2g5SMopYmab

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/Wh5aiLrYmab

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/OrucAEtYmab

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/36I87vHYmab

Plenty more out the Wicklow gap and out the the Glen of immal..

All of these are fantastic. Incorporating some road training pre and post gravel as well for a very decent ride (after restrictions ease). Thank you

woody1

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

This thread is like the last one, mainly lads looking to have routes handed to them and not putting anything up themselves.

It has never been easier, there are loads of websites to plot on, apps for your phone or use your garmin.

It's not remotely technical or difficult.

I've done it in plenty places I'm not local to without too much trouble.

You'll make mistakes, get lost, heaven forbid reach a dead end. But you will discover, have some adventure and maybe some fun.

Rant over, where's that door to slam again

just added 2 to that map, well 2 versions of the same thing in mayo, was going to add the extreme 100 but theres a lot of road on it , about 60 / 40 id say so i left it off

ofthelord

That GravelMap website looks great - hopefully more routes are added in my area for me to check out and explore.

I've added a few of the shorter routes that I would do when I park up at the woods and stick to the offroad sections. I didn't add in too many routes though as mostly I'd start/finish at the house and be on the road for a while to get to/from the gravel sections.
Not sure if routes like the below would be suited to adding as these are a mix of road/offroad sections?
https://www.strava.com/activities/4077973844
https://www.strava.com/activities/4016232802

cletus

ofthelord wrote: »

That GravelMap website looks great - hopefully more routes are added in my area for me to check out and explore.

I've added a few of the shorter routes that I would do when I park up at the woods and stick to the offroad sections. I didn't add in too many routes though as mostly I'd start/finish at the house and be on the road for a while to get to/from the gravel sections.
Not sure if routes like the below would be suited to adding as these are a mix of road/offroad sections?
https://www.strava.com/activities/4077973844
https://www.strava.com/activities/4016232802

It's easy enough to select just the gravel segments on gravelmap. You just tap where it starts and tap where it ends

ofthelord

cletus wrote: »

It's easy enough to select just the gravel segments on gravelmap. You just tap where it starts and tap where it ends

ah yes I see that now cletus - thanks. will look to add in a few sections this evening.

Large bottle small glass

https://threerockbooks.com/product/wild-ireland-poster/?fbclid=IwAR1FvA7ltIRnfkRUZBVvbBeP1xyOWWn2zzApJ0oomMFQ7d5UfkrJ7w7j5n8

For all map lovers.

Foldable one coming in January I think

Peterx

It's a cool map in fairness, mine arrived the other day.

Now to find a strong light A0 frame. I suspect that task will be very similar to the old one about the bikes. It might be strong and light but it won't be cheap.

On topic, if you are happy to carry your bike a little bit there's great loops to be had in South Dublin/North Wicklow. We had a nice training loop last year which was essentially Wicklow Way or near it over to Maulin, up Maulin, down into Djouce, over the commons and across the Sugarloaf and back around to Enniskerry.
https://www.strava.com/activities/2649751094
I have added it to the gravelmap site but it is possible to edit the start and finish point?, away from my front door

woody1

saw a few a0 clip frames online,
was looking at getting a print but
an a1 print would be handier, a0 is massive,

smacl

Peterx wrote: »

I have added it to the gravelmap site but it is possible to edit the start and finish point?, away from my front door

You need to setup your privacy zones in Strava, see https://www.strava.com/settings/privacy

Peterx

I gave privacy set up on Strava. I presume the .gpx import to gravelmap takes all the ride points though. I suppose I could crop the tide on Strava before exporting

nilhg

Peterx wrote: »

I gave privacy set up on Strava. I presume the .gpx import to gravelmap takes all the ride points though. I suppose I could crop the tide on Strava before exporting

If you go into strava, click the actions menu (3 little dots beside the edit icon) you'll have the option to create route which opens your ride in the route editor. Interestingly for me it opens with the start and finish points at the edge of my privacy zone. TBH I'd suggest if you are going to that much trouble it would be no harm to get rid of most of the public road out and back to/from the gravel sections while you are at it, for uploading to the gravel map at least.

The above works for me on a strava subscriber account.

Peterx

nilhg wrote: »

If you go into strava, click the actions menu (3 little dots beside the edit icon) you'll have the option to create route which opens your ride in the route editor. Interestingly for me it opens with the start and finish points at the edge of my privacy zone. TBH I'd suggest if you are going to that much trouble it would be no harm to get rid of most of the public road out and back to/from the gravel sections while you are at it, for uploading to the gravel map at least.

The above works for me on a strava subscriber account.

Great suggestion to crop as much tarmac as feasible. Will do. Pity I can't see an easy way to do similar on the gravelmap

nilhg

Peterx wrote: »

Great suggestion to crop as much tarmac as feasible. Will do. Pity I can't see an easy way to do similar on the gravelmap

Sometimes it's almost easier to use the add route option rather than the import route way of doing it, once you know the roads you want to add it works well, has the advantage of just adding the gravel sections and leaving out the connecting bits.

cletus

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

https://threerockbooks.com/product/wild-ireland-poster/?fbclid=IwAR1FvA7ltIRnfkRUZBVvbBeP1xyOWWn2zzApJ0oomMFQ7d5UfkrJ7w7j5n8

For all map lovers.

Foldable one coming in January I think

I'm really tempted by this, but given all the greeenways that have been given the go ahead just this year, how soon will it be out of date?