Dublin-Galway-Dublin

Ausdubliner

Hi just wanted to share a cycle I just completed. I cycled from Dublin to Galway and back via Clane, Edenderry, Tullamore, Shannonsbridge and Athenry.
We spent 4 days doing the cycle with totals of 150km (day 1), 90km(day 2), 80km (day 3) and 140km (day 4). It was a great cycle and Im pretty proud of the effort because I only cycle 5km a day for a commute and 25km 3 times a week. All of it was done on a GT mountainbike.
The cycle was well worth it!!

snubbleste

Ausdubliner wrote: »

...All of it was done on a GT mountainbike...

Oh the horror of it all!
Fair play to ye

biomed32

was involved in a charity cycle this march, maynooth to galway and back again, plan on cycling it next year. check it out http://www.galwaycycle.ie

blorg

Nice, I did Dublin-Galway-Athlone last year taking a similar route out. Through Tullamore is a lot nicer I reckon than the Athlone route.

If you are going to get into this sort of thing you might want to consider a road bike!

biomed32

i remeber one of the training cycles the first one, some guy went on a real old clunky mountain bike, he made it 10km before turning round, all the others had road bikes and were flying ahead

Ausdubliner

I am actually enjoying the cycle thing. Ive done a few cycles now from my apartment in castleknock to kilternan..all on the mountain bike. i really should look into the road bike. Is it worth joining cycle clubs? i want to do a few more of the leisure cycles...was thinking of the Sean Kelly 100.

biomed32

Ausdubliner wrote: »

I am actually enjoying the cycle thing. Ive done a few cycles now from my apartment in castleknock to kilternan..all on the mountain bike. i really should look into the road bike. Is it worth joining cycle clubs? i want to do a few more of the leisure cycles...was thinking of the Sean Kelly 100.

there is a cycle club running out of a shop in lucan called stagg cycles

Nietzschean

Ausdubliner wrote: »

Is it worth joining cycle clubs?

yes, though there is generally a boards saturday spin which i guess involves somewhat less formality than actually joining a club... handy way to ease in i've found

blorg

@Ausdubliner- definitely get a road bike, it will make it a hell of a lot easier and you will go faster! Boards spins a good start, many clubs only take on new members in the autumn.

Vélo

blorg wrote: »

Nice, I did Dublin-Galway-Athlone last year taking a similar route out. Through Tullamore is a lot nicer I reckon than the Athlone route.

If you are going to get into this sort of thing you might want to consider a road bike!

Ay but you did it in one day!:eek:

Ant

That's a very impressive cycle given the low base from which you're starting from. You must have great overall fitness.

If I was heading to the Shannon via Edenderry on a mountain bike, I'd prefer to travel along the Grand Canal towpath as the canal towpaths are a very pleasant way to travel through the countryside - even though the rough and grassy surfaces are slower than the road. So far, the furthest I've done is a return trip from Dublin to Kilcock along the Royal Canal but I intend to explore more of the Royal and Grand Canal towpaths this summer.

Ausdubliner

Can you actually cycle all the way along the canal?

Trojan

You can cycle a long way on both canals. However, it is very slow particularly on the grassy sections.

I did Dublin-Athlone a while back, here's some pics. Trip average was 17km/h due to the very slow canal sections at the start. Going roads only I'd hope to have made it to Galway, but going the canal route meant I only got as far as Athlone in the time I had available.

HTH.