The perfectly smooth cycling loop

outfox · 20-09-2013 09:31PM #1

I did a small bit of cycling in France this summer, and was astounded by how good the roads are. Nearly cried when I got back on the bike at home. All the roads round here (southwest) seem to have that sh1te tar and chip finish ('surface dressing'). Cork County Council are particularly obsessed with it. It's horrible to cycle on when it's new, what with loose chips everywhere. And it's awful after a few years when sections of it peel off. Sometimes the council surface dress perfectly good roads that were smooth before. I can't figure it out.
Anyway, it got me thinking. Is there a perfectly smooth loop anywhere in the country. Preferably in the south, so that I can try it out. Criteria are as follows:

1. Smooth asphalt all the way. You know - the lovely black carpet finish.
2. It must be a loop. No doubling back.
3. Distance anywhere between 80 and 150 km.
4. No crazy traffic volumes or junctions. For example, the Ballincollig bypass in Cork is nice, but the exit and entry ramps can be dangerous.

Hiils are OK. BTW, hard shoulders are not always smooth. I've seen a lot of them where they used very little bitumin, mostly chip.

I'd really like to find the perfectly smooth loop. There are none in the southwest. I like the Cork-Macroom road, at least as far as Lissarda. But I cannot find a good road to complete the loop back to Cork.
Thanks for your help. Apologies if this topic was done before.

Squidgy Black · 20-09-2013 09:33PM

I think there's only one sentiment we're all thinking of.

HTFU.

Muckers · 20-09-2013 09:39PM

outfox wrote: »

I did a small bit of cycling in France this summer, and was astounded by how good the roads are. Nearly cried when I got back on the bike at home. All the roads round here (southwest) seem to have that sh1te tar and chip finish ('surface dressing'). Cork County Council are particularly obsessed with it. It's horrible to cycle on when it's new, what with loose chips everywhere. And it's awful after a few years when sections of it peel off. Sometimes the council surface dress perfectly good roads that were smooth before. I can't figure it out.
Anyway, it got me thinking. Is there a perfectly smooth loop anywhere in the country. Preferably in the south, so that I can try it out. Criteria are as follows:

1. Smooth asphalt all the way. You know - the lovely black carpet finish.
2. It must be a loop. No doubling back.
3. Distance anywhere between 80 and 150 km.
4. No crazy traffic volumes or junctions. For example, the Ballincollig bypass in Cork is nice, but the exit and entry ramps can be dangerous.

Hiils are OK. BTW, hard shoulders are not always smooth. I've seen a lot of them where they used very little bitumin, mostly chip.

I'd really like to find the perfectly smooth loop. There are none in the southwest. I like the Cork-Macroom road, at least as far as Lissarda. But I cannot find a good road to complete the loop back to Cork.
Thanks for your help. Apologies if this topic was done before.

Good luck trying to find 80-150k of decent road surface anywhere in the country. If you find it, let us know.

bcmf · 20-09-2013 09:49PM

FFS Councils can barely build 1 km of smooth tarmac road.
I mean take Fingal CC. They spent almost a year redesigning a 500mtr section of road in Balbriggan to finish a few weeks back when along comes the Eircom crew today and digs it up again.
However....The section of road that they have just finished between the N2 and N3 is really great.

outfox · 20-09-2013 10:36PM

There must be somewhere in the country where you could pick a route that would link up several new sections, like that one mentioned between the N2 and N3.
bcmf, how long is that section?

thebouldwhacker · 20-09-2013 11:27PM

Yes, it's called Wales,
amazing pothole less roads there, magic climbs and some of the best food/pubs/people in the world, all only a short boat ride. And pretty bike friendly motorists too.
Trust me well worth a weekend to try it out.

outfox · 21-09-2013 03:22PM

Wales sounds interesting. Must try it out next year, thanks.
5 punctures last week on a group ride, between 16 of us on a 100 km spin. All caused by potholes. Ridiculous.

bcmf · 21-09-2013 03:37PM

outfox wrote: »

....between the N2 and N3.
bcmf, how long is that section?

You may get 12km out of it if ya went the full way.
You may get dizzy from the roundabouts and get lost. There must be 10 roundabouts. It links N2 to N3 and also the edge of Finglas and the NAC.

feck sake lads · 21-09-2013 07:47PM

i was told by a guy that builds roads the reason for chippings is because we get FROST.otherwise the tarmac will lift:eek:
last year they just resurfaced the road out by Newgrange, man it was class like a race track ,a week later the dreaded chippings were layed on it.:mad:

wirelessdude01 · 21-09-2013 07:56PM

feck sake lads wrote: »

i was told by a guy that builds roads the reason for chippings is because we get FROST.otherwise the tarmac will lift:eek:
last year they just resurfaced the road out by Newgrange, man it was class like a race track ,a week later the dreaded chippings were layed on it.:mad:

Frost I hear. We get a light coating a few times every couple of years. We don't as a general rule get harsh winters in this country.

outfox · 21-09-2013 08:09PM

They blame frost. Yet frost and snow on the continent is worse.
They say it's cos we get loads of rain. Yet there are downpours on the continent that cause flash floods.
And in the summer, the sun melts the roads here. But on the continent...
I'm at a total loss.

bcmf · 21-09-2013 08:37PM

I thought chippings were put on the roads due to that horrible horrible bus crash in Kentsown a few years back.

feck sake lads · 21-09-2013 08:43PM

not at all there were chipping long before that tragety. we stopped there one sunday morning (cycling Group) to pay our respects this geezer went by must have been doing a ton what a fooking moran.
by the way its a dodgy road at the best of time stay well away from it.

Henlars67 · 21-09-2013 08:52PM

There's a loop I do every so often of about 120-130k that's smooth nearly all the way.

The first 8k or so coming out of Sligo aren't great, but once I cross into Leitrim it's smooth roads all the way through Dromahair, Drumkeeran, (where the loop of Lough Allen starts), Drumshanbo, Ballinagleara- where the loop ends, on through Dowra Co. Cavan, eventually coming onto the main Sligo-Enniskillen road outside Blacklion and heading back to Sligo through Glenfarne and Manorhamilton.

Other than the main roads the roads in Sligo are similar to what the OP described, but once you cross into Leitrim they're much better, once you avoid the small back roads.

cantalach · 21-09-2013 09:19PM

outfox wrote: »

I like the Cork-Macroom road, at least as far as Lissarda. But I cannot find a good road to complete the loop back to Cork.

If you want a loop, don't go as far as Lissarda. Just turn right at Farnanes (N.B. not Farranes) and head over the Windy Gap on the R619. That road has a freakishly smooth surface the whole way to Coachford, apart from the bridge over the Lee. At Coachford, turn right onto the R618 and follow that through Dripsey and all the way back to Leemount Cross. Again, a very good surface by Irish standards. I don't know what part of Cork you live but it's about a 65km loop starting/finishing in Douglas.

kumate_champ07 · 21-09-2013 09:23PM

theres a nice traffic free smooth 460m loop in Crumlin

outfox · 22-09-2013 07:41PM

That turn off at Farnanes to Coachford sounds like a great idea. Thanks Cantalach. Will check it out.
The Leitrim loop will be perfect for a weekend trip I'm organising for Nov.
Might hold off on the 460 m loop in Crumlin till I'm ready for it

I appreciate the feedback guys.

EaSwe · 23-09-2013 08:58AM

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/539699/cheap-chippings-cause-road-chaos-for-cyclists.html

Article about the same type of road surface dressing in the UK. Seem to be all the rage for cash strapped councils.

on_the_nickel · 23-09-2013 09:27AM

Temporary surface on the Belgooly-Carrigaline road was beautiful. Like carpet.

Rode it at the weekend and they were surface dressing it. Now a momentum-sucking, dead piece of road.

darkvalley · 23-09-2013 09:45AM

Henlars67 wrote: »

The first 8k or so coming out of Sligo aren't great, but once I cross into Leitrim it's smooth roads all the way through Dromahair, Drumkeeran, (where the loop of Lough Allen starts), Drumshanbo, Ballinagleara- where the loop ends, on through Dowra Co. Cavan, eventually coming onto the main Sligo-Enniskillen road outside Blacklion and heading back to Sligo through Glenfarne and Manorhamilton.

Other than the main roads the roads in Sligo are similar to what the OP described, but once you cross into Leitrim they're much better, once you avoid the small back roads.

Having just taken up cycling in June of this year I had been wondering why people complain about the roads as they seemed perfect for it. This explains it as I live in Manorhamilton!! Also the drivers around here are very good in giving you space for the most part. 800km and no close ones yet!!

Nisio · 23-09-2013 11:44AM

I seem to remember the ring of kerry loop has pretty good tarmac

MojoMaker · 23-09-2013 01:36PM

The stretch of road they really paid attention to for the '98 TDF in & around Enniscorthy is well worth a cycle. I don't think you'll get the distance you're looking for but there are some awesome sweeping sections of marble-smooth blacktop there for the taking. I'm sure Google would turn up more precise information for you. That TDF stage may still be intact, if not a loop.

JMcL · 23-09-2013 02:17PM

feck sake lads wrote: »

i was told by a guy that builds roads the reason for chippings is because we get FROST.otherwise the tarmac will lift:eek:

Nope they do it because it's cheap.

EaSwe wrote: »

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/539699/cheap-chippings-cause-road-chaos-for-cyclists.html

Article about the same type of road surface dressing in the UK. Seem to be all the rage for cash strapped councils.

To quote from the article:

...which are rolled into place

Your average Irish council wouldn't know what to do with a road roller

outfox · 23-09-2013 04:05PM

Down here they just seem to bate the sh1te of it with their shovels. No rollers for these lads.
They should be made cycle to work on 23 mm tyres at 110 psi.

The perfectly smooth cycling loop

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