Cycling Gap of Dunloe

kerry4sam · 13-02-2013 10:46pm #1

This may sound like a daft question & if it is, then, well it won't be the first time that I've asked a daft question on boards.

Has anyone cycled through the Gap of Dunloe in recent times? It is on my to-do-list so today I drove through there to see what I'll be facing and was just shamed at the quality of the road surface. I would actually end up carrying my bike on my shoulder for long periods as the quality of road surface is so bad from the jaunts going through.

It is a stunning glaciated valley that I would love to experience cycling through as my mom cycled it years ago and has a picture of herself on completion at the school & I want a replicate

My route would start in Killarney; through the Gap from Kate Kearney's Cottage, on through the Black Valley and come out by Molls' Gap. From there I would head back for Killarney via either Ladies View if strength is going in my legs; alternatively via Kilgarvan.

Just wondering has anyone cycled this route in recent months & if so, How did you find it?

Thanks in advance,
kerry4sam

Axel Lamp · 13-02-2013 10:47pm

Yes it's cyclable.

Roads are fine

kerry4sam · 13-02-2013 10:50pm

Axel Lamp wrote: »

Yes it's cyclable.

Roads are fine

They were shocking in parts today though. When last did you cycle it, out of interest?

dquirke1 · 13-02-2013 10:57pm

I cycled it last month and the roads were fine.
They're a bit worn down in the centre from the horses but its nothing to worry about.
You should have no problems cycling it.

Raam · 13-02-2013 10:58pm

The road was covered in horse **** last time I did it, but that was years ago. Nice spin though. Descent into Black valley is good fun.

ROK ON · 13-02-2013 11:06pm

The road has improved no end.
Granted, it a bit rough from Kate Kearney Cottage up to the first lake, but after than it gets much better.

Now as the road begins to kick up pretty severely the surface is pure blacktop Tarmac. Perfectly smooth all the way to the top.
Now at the top, the descent into the Black Valley is in a shocking state road wise. But it's ok to cycle on.

The ideal day to cycle the gap is a very dry day - otherwise there are rivers of horse sh1t everywhere.

No need to worry.
Enjoy. When you get to Molls Gap from Black Valley, turn right and cycle for 1k. Strawberry Fields Pancake Cottage - they do great pancakes, soup and coffee.

lescol · 13-02-2013 11:07pm

I rode through in the opposite direction about a month ago. The Beaufort side is a bit rough from Kate Kearneys to the bridge and it is pretty bone shaking rough at the bottom of the Black Valley. The climb to the top from the Beaufort side is smooth tarmac. It is a fabulous ride so the bad patches of road can be forgiven!

kerry4sam · 13-02-2013 11:10pm

Thanks so much ^^^ everyone!

& yeah those pancakes sitting inside by the fire-place would be lovely before the decent back into Killarney!

Ole Rodrigo · 13-02-2013 11:19pm

I did it in August from Beaufort and it was grand, lovely cycle.

JazzyJ · 13-02-2013 11:46pm

I did it as part of the Killarney adventure race back in October - from Kate Kearney's over and down (and up and down :pac:) to Muckross. Great spin. Didn't have any problems with the road, just the slow feckers taking up the whole road in front of me descending to the Black Valley!

xbox gamer · 14-02-2013 1:06am

kerry4sam wrote: »

My route would start in Killarney; through the Gap from Kate Kearney's Cottage, on through the Black Valley and come out by Molls' Gap. From there I would head back for Killarney via either Ladies View if strength is going in my legs; alternatively via Kilgarvan.

I was down in Killarney last August for the weekend. Didn't get to cycle but I drove the gap coming from molls gap to death valley to gap of dungloe. The road surface as everybody else mentioned was grand, but watch out for the horses and their partings.

You should be well capable of the gap if a family went up it when we were coming down. :eek: Met the son first (about 10) telling the dad to hurry up, the father next with a child in a child seat saying he 'earned his drinks', the mother who was looking after the daughter who had to walk up.

The only climb i would be wary about is this http://app.strava.com/segments/1024617, which seems tough if heading towards the ladies view.

I'm envious, would love to do it some day!

Amprodude · 14-02-2013 11:34am

Its not so pleasant on a wet day with all horse nanure over the road. One or two steep climbs that will test you and your bike but they are short. Road rough in places especially at start near beaufort. The descent off molls gap is delightful but watch out for sheep at side of road. Cycled this road at least 10 times and its good training for cycle events.

07Lapierre · 14-02-2013 1:11pm

Amprodude wrote: »

Its not so pleasant on a wet day with all horse nanure over the road. One or two steep climbs that will test you and your bike but they are short. Road rough in places especially at start near beaufort. The descent off molls gap is delightful but watch out for sheep at side of road. Cycled this road at least 10 times and its good training for cycle events.

Do the horses not wear those "Nappies" now or is that just the one's in Muckross house?

ROK ON · 14-02-2013 1:20pm

No. Yes.

codie · 14-02-2013 3:19pm

If you just want to do it the once and are worried about you're bike and wheels there are plenty of places to rent a bike in Killarney.

emtroche · 14-02-2013 5:42pm

It's well worth cycling. It must be one of the nicest parts of the country. Its definitely one of the most regularly spoken of parts of the race around ireland route. Its not so much one big climb as 3 shorter climbs with flat/flattish bits inbetween.

As has been said, the road is in a rough enough way after kate kearneys but it gets much better as you go on.

Also a word of note to anybody who is thinking about driving it, the jarveys have a tendency to wave cars down at the start of the climb and suggest that you can't drive up. Just ignore them!

Red Kev · 28-07-2015 8:04pm

Not sure if I should be dragging an old thread up. Apologies in advance.

We intend doing a cycle in a couple of weeks starting at Kate Kearneys cottage, (about 80km on roads around the base of Carrauntoohill). Friends who were there recently were told they can't park there if they're not customers. I got the impression the car park on the right going towards the Gap was a public one ? Can anybody clear this up ? Thanks.

Swinefluproof · 28-07-2015 8:35pm

I've left my car there for 3 or 4 hours at a time while cycling and there was never anything said to me. Granted it was 8 am Sundays when I'd head off and would be from September onwards. I was always under the impression that it was a public car park as there are public toilets situated on it.
The lower car park (outside some shop, can't think of the name ATM) is private though so maybe this is where they were parking.

lfc79 · 29-07-2015 12:27am

I was here recently (walking not cycling more's the pity) and had no problems parking in the car park on the right hand side. There is a pub / cafe on either said of the road beside Kate Kearney's cottage but don't remember seeing any signs restricting parking.

There is a another pub / restaurant a little bit further up the road towards the Killarney town side and when the car park's near Kate Kearney's cottage are full I would image people park up there so maybe that's the one that has an issue with people parking there and not being customers.

The day I was there it was quite busy with walkers especially the first few km and cyclists were having to weave in and out through groups of walkers. It's all a public road too although there isn't that much traffic on it.

boredatwork82 · 29-07-2015 9:33am

Red Kev wrote:

We intend doing a cycle in a couple of weeks starting at Kate Kearneys cottage, (about 80km on roads around the base of Carrauntoohill). Friends who were there recently were told they can't park there if they're not customers. I got the impression the car park on the right going towards the Gap was a public one ? Can anybody clear this up ? Thanks.

I did it last year. Threw the bikes in a boat went across the 3 lakes, then climbed up the gap and descended towards Kate's cottage. Absolutely fantastic cycle. Didn't notice any problem with the roads, but then again I was on my cyclocross not my road bike.

Cycling Gap of Dunloe

Comments