O/S map Wicklow

Dirk Gently

Just got an O/S map of south Dub / Wicklow and spotted a lot of "cycle routes" through the mountains. I'm assuming these are trails and will be useless to a road bike?

Also I'm looking for a suggested route from north Dublin - Wicklow - back to north Dublin. Have a few days off this week and am hoping to get two or three decent cycles in just to explore the place and find my way around. I'm thinking about heading up to sallys gap - roundwood and return northside but not sure If that's too much my first time on the mountains.

any suggestions on routes / beginner routes. I'm well use to cycling but wouldn't describe myself as really fit. I'm leaving my back pack at home so somewhere I could stop off and grab a roll would be useful somewhere along the route.

What kind of time would I be looking at on the climbs considering I only average about 25kmph commuting on mostly flats in dublin. I don't intend racing around but would just like to make a day out of cruising around exploring and finding my way, hopefully heading back to Dub before rush hour.

Membrane

On my OS "Discovery" map of South Dublin / North Wicklow (map# 56) I don't see a single cycle track. Are you perhaps confusing "Waymarked walks" for Cycle routes?

Route wise, Oldbawn - Sally Gap - Roundwood - Enniskerry - Glencree - Rathfarnham is a nice ride that avoids the IMO nasty road between Enniskerry and Dundrum. But it includes a fair bit of ascend (~1400m), some of which sharp. I think I recorded that ride here: http://www.toporoute.com/cgi-bin/getSavedRoute.cgi?routeKey=FBWOCERJJSHDTLH

An easier route is to go up through Rathfarnham (via Edmondstown road) to Sally Gap, then left towards Roundwood, left again at the first opportunity towards Enniskerry and then towards Dundrum. A somewhat more attractive variant is to Climb from Stepaside to Johnny Fox's, then right towards Glencree, Sally gap etc.

Stores are rare around there, there's a small one in Roundwood IIRC, but you'll have to take a slight detour to get to it (you don't actually go through Roundwood after Sally Gap), not sure if there's a convienience store in Enniskerry. There is a small store in Kilbride, but that also requires a bit of a detour on the first of the suggested routes.

Dirk Gently

Membrane wrote:

On my OS "Discovery" map of South Dublin / North Wicklow (map# 56) I don't see a single cycle track. Are you perhaps confusing "Waymarked walks" for Cycle routes?
.

Thats the one I picked up (map#56).
I just re-checked and you're right. Dark red indicates a cycle route but I was looking at bright red which is indeed waymarked walks.

Thanks for the suggested routes and pit stop locations. If all goes well over the next few days and I find my way around I might put that €600 euro I have put aside for the new garmin edge towards a new hardtail instead.

Membrane

clown bag wrote:

Thanks for the suggested routes and pit stop locations. If all goes well over the next few days and I find my way around I might put that €600 euro I have put aside for the new garmin edge towards a new hardtail instead.

The Garmin Edge series are great training tools, but IMO not useful for finding nice routes (including the new models that display maps).

The OS Discovery paper maps on the other hand are great for route finding. I've got a few of them and I have spend many hours on them finding new rides. Much cheaper also as you generally don't need that many.

Dirk Gently

*note to self*

/an O/S map of south Dublin would be handy too