novice cyclist - Galway to West Clare

Sniipe

I plan to do Galway to West Clare on Saturday on a road bike. Weather conditions are predicted to be ok (so far); wind from the north, temperatures around 3 degrees and sunny with some showers.

I'm 28 now, but I've done this trip about 5/6 times when I was 16. Would it be mad to do it now with all the traffic and the current conditions? Or would it totally ok.

When I do get out and cycle its on isolated roads on sunday mornings. (also, I've not been out this winter at all yet)

flickerx

Sniipe wrote: »

I plan to do Galway to West Clare on Saturday on a road bike. Weather conditions are predicted to be ok (so far); wind from the north, temperatures around 3 degrees and sunny with some showers.

I'm 28 now, but I've done this trip about 5/6 times when I was 16. Would it be mad to do it now with all the traffic and the current conditions? Or would it totally ok.

When I do get out and cycle its on isolated roads on sunday mornings. (also, I've not been out this winter at all yet)

I've done that trip twice. First time was from Galway to Ennis, second time was from Ennis to Galway. Slightly different routes each time (first time was longer because we went via Kilkee and Kilrush). Its ok to do it, we had no major problems. Only unpleasant bit on the second trip was going up the N85 from Ennis to Doolin. Take the R479 around the coast, its a nice road.

Major piece of advice I can give you is to do start in Ennis and end in Galway, not the other way around. You wont have the North Atlantic trade drift blowing in your face. The first time we did it, especially on the coast road, we were exhausted from having the wind hitting us head on, for hours. The second time was much nicer, especially on the uphill.

Ghost Rider

If the OP's "Location" is anything to go by, I'd say that won't be happening. It is generally good advice, though. I did some touring a few years ago from Sligo county, south around the coast of Mayo and then inland through Connemara and back to Galway. Conditions were mild, but what wind there was was in our faces most of the time, on account of our general south/south-west direction.

flickerx wrote: »

Major piece of advice I can give you is to do start in Ennis and end in Galway, not the other way around.

kenmc

flickerx wrote: »

Major piece of advice I can give you is to do start in Ennis and end in Galway, not the other way around. You wont have the North Atlantic trade drift blowing in your face.

Predicted northerlies this weekend though, so he'll have a tailwind the way he plans.

victorcarrera

Met.ie

Another hard frost will set in early on Saturday night under clear skies but rain, preceded by sleet or snow, will arrive in the west and southwest later. The mix of rain, sleet and snow will spread to remaining parts of the country during Sunday, with significant snowfall possible in parts of Ulster.

Galway to kilcolgan is busy and fast but mostly has hard shoulder. Kilcolgan to wherever in west clare is quiet at this time of year. Nip up over corker or the corkscrew hill if you are feeling strong otherwise the coast road by black head should be easy if northerly wind prevails. Appropriate clothing (high viz, good gloves and over boots), food & fluids very important in this weather and remember if you are alone coast road is very exposed and isolated in parts between Ballyvaughan and Liscannor. Dont over stretch yourself on the hills. Always keep something in reserve. Sundown @ 5:30 approx.

ROK ON

From Ballyvaughan to Doolin, via Black Head and Fanore is spectacular. Bt you will be very exposed to the winds. (Hopefully they will be at your back).
You could try inland and over corkscrew (ie direction of Lisdoon), however Corkscrew would be a tough climb, and area is just not as nice as the coastal route IMO.

All in all, you will not be travelling a huge distance, so despite the weather, it shouldn't be a big difficulty. The coast road is undulating, but there are no big climbs to speak of.
All the way to Lahinch would be 95KM.

Go ahead and do it, it should be great fun.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Galway,+Co.+Galway,+Republic+of+Ireland&daddr=Kinvara+to:Ballyvaughan+to:Fanore+to:Doolin+to:Lehinch&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=53.007347,-9.251862&sspn=0.243352,0.576782&ie=UTF8&ll=53.10689,-9.12259&spn=0.242791,0.576782&z=11

Vélo

The corckscrew hill was a grade 2 King of the Mountains climb on the 2005 FBD RAS. Not all that long but steep and windy as the name suggests.

OuterBombie

Morning.

Kind of depends on where in West Clare you are going and is it a one way trip or return.

Galway city to Lisdoonvarna, up the corkscrew and back the coast road is pretty much a century so be prepared for that. Galway to Lahinch is about 55miles directly (via Carron, Kilfenora and Ennistymon), more via the coast road (BallyV, Lisdoon, Doolin).

Watch the frost saturday morning if you are leaving early. The wind will be grand for the leg to West Clare but don't expect it to be at your back all the time, the roads have a habit of giving you a headwind no matter what direction you are headed!

Be very careful/aware on the road between Ballinderrin and Kinvara. This is very narrow and the surface is crap at the mo. It only takes 10-15 minutes but is the worst and traffic nightmare part of the trip. Galway to there is all hard shoulder and from Kinvara on the traffic lightens depending on the route you take.

Also note that the road from BallyV up the corkscrew is in terrible condition at the moment. Man-eater potholes for 3 miles maybe. The main part of the corkscrew has been re-surfaced and feels like France for the mile or so of u-turn bends

Enjoy, saturday looks like it'll be a good day to be out on the bike once the roads defrost, wrap up well and keep the fluids going in, even though its cold you forget how much you sweat, esp if you're wrapped up.

Ray.

Sniipe

Thanks for the advice guys. I was planning to go to Kilrush, so I think the best way would be to go to Ennis then Kilrush. I think I'll go ahead with that. I would do croaker and the coast if I was heading to lahinch or surrounding areas. The wind will be behind my back the whole way. Didn't think of high vis jacket, I think I'll get away with my bright red jacket.

Wind is from the north and is predicted to be 7/8 kph.

I'll be leaving as early as possible (which I think is 8.15) and I will be there in plenty time before sundown at 5.30, even if everything goes wrong

Thanks all.

hynesie

Sniipe wrote: »

Thanks for the advice guys. I was planning to go to Kilrush, so I think the best way would be to go to Ennis then Kilrush. I think I'll go ahead with that. I would do croaker and the coast if I was heading to lahinch or surrounding areas.

Don't do it, Ennis to Kilrush is a really boring road, whereas the coast road is lovely. I cycled from Galway to Kilrush last summer by the coast road, it was great and the predicted northerlies will make it even better. I travel from Galway to Kilrush by car a fair bit and via Ennis isn't a nice journey and its also not the safest road to cycle.

victorcarrera

Sniipe wrote: »

I think the best way would be to go to Ennis then Kilrush.

OK but IMO you'r spoiling a lovely spin.

Sniipe

Hey all, its the morning after. And I know I'll get no sympathy and perhaps a bit of back lash, but here goes.

I was very nervous the morning of the cycle. I hadn't been cycling since Gael Force 6 in August. I was also nervous, because I was going to Clare to my granmother's months mind and this was something that I wanted to again, as I did it years ago.

The plan was to get up and go at 8.15, but that didn't happen, my co-cyclist was coming from Amsterdam the previous day and his car was in Limerick and his bike gear was in Westport... Anyway, he's a bit mad in the head when it comes to travel. So he made it ontime to Galway, but without the shoes. The local bike shop in Galway took a while to open and didn't have the right size shoe. I think he has a big foot. Anyway, we left at 10.30

We cycled to crusheen, where I wasn't feeling too well so we stopped for a bite to eat in some pub/resturant for a lovely bowl of soup and a toasted ham and cheese. This was a mistake. First of all I should have eaten some more before I ate, and that powder orange stuff in my bottle was probably making me feel worse.

We hit the road again, and I was not able to sit back on the saddle... Oh the pain! It was too bad, so I cycled off the saddle for a good bit. This did wonders for my knee. My co-cyclist did well to keep me going, but I had to stop once or twice more. then we stopped in Ennis. I had to get a knee support and some... erm gel...

Well neither were a quick fix. I felt so bad, I have never not finished a cycle before. I was cursing myself for not going out on the bike before hand.

My heart rate at this stage was a comfortable 160, but my knee couldn't take it. I finished my cycle after lisseycasey, where I got my brother to pick me up.

I'm limping a good bit this morning and am finding it difficult to sit down, but my ego has taken a good thump...

I'm going to have to attempt this again some time, but I will get my arse used to the long trip before hand. 83km / 109km...

Gavin

No harm, at least you gave it a lash !

victorcarrera

Sorry to hear about that. All of the problems you encountered are common for a novice cyclist. I've experienced all of them. Learn from your experiences so that next time you can eliminate them. Get out more often and know your limitations. Long distance cycling is no big deal. Its just about being well prepared, having the ability to identify the many small physical and mechanical things that can go wrong early and hopefully correct them before they become a problem.

blorg

Worthwhile to have made the effort and I am sure you will have learnt from the experience. Probably best to build up the distances more gradually and it will be no bother to you in a few months time (when the weather will be better too.)

ROK ON

Sniipe wrote: »

I'm going to have to attempt this again some time, but I will get my arse used to the long trip before hand. 83km / 109km...

Chin up. Thats a great cycle for your first long spin attempt.
Well done. The stiffness will go away. In a couple of months, you will coast thrugh this distance, then its onto longer spins.
Same pain (but just much bigger distance).
Anyway, well done.

TinyExplosions

You're not the first one to have abandoned mate, and won't be the last. When things aren't right, things aren't right and it's better to call it a day than push on and hurt yourself more (I know this from bitter experience!)

Sniipe

Thanks everyone for the encouragement, I definately won't let this discourage me. I hope to be back up on the bike doing smaller distances starting next week. I'll be walking like john wayne for the next few days

Got all sorts of old stories from the relations when I met them, from trying "pampers" nappies for the trip, to trying to get a good slice of meat from the butchers and sitting on that for the trip, to using a high nelly next time because the seat had a nice spring in it.

My trip: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7590399