Advice requested on route across Northern Ireland

DualFrontDiscs

Hi,

Can anyone provide advice on a route from Portavogie to Castlerock?

This is the default route that Google Maps suggests:http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Portavogie,+Northern+Ireland&daddr=Castlerock,+Coleraine,+County+Londonderry,+UK&hl=en&mra=ls&dirflg=ht&doflg=ptk&sll=55.166815,-6.792764&sspn=0.026621,0.071497&ie=UTF8&z=9

It forms the first day of our tour, it's about the 140km mark, proposing to split it into 3 sets of 50km.

All advice gratefully received.

DFD.

blorg

As a general tip using Google Maps if you set it to walking directions it will generally plot you a shorter route on smaller roads. I generally start off with that as a base and then pull it around to reasonably avoid any remaining major roads. Then I manually recreate this in Garmin's Mapsource (Google's routing algorithms are much better for minor roads) and transfer to my GPS. This does often result in something mildly complicated so a GPS is a big help, but you can manage with a map and directions to small towns (not on quite as small roads though generally.)

ten speed racer

Your route from Ballymena to Coleraine is a busy main road (although it does include the rather nice Frosses trees http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/a26glarryforda44.html. If you drag the route from Ballymena to Ahoghill, you get a better alternative.

Now, if you're looking for cycle routes around Castlerock, I can give you some detailed options...

DualFrontDiscs

ten speed racer wrote: »

Your route from Ballymena to Coleraine is a busy main road (although it does include the rather nice Frosses trees http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/a26glarryforda44.html. If you drag the route from Ballymena to Ahoghill, you get a better alternative.

Now, if you're looking for cycle routes around Castlerock, I can give you some detailed options...

Thanks blorg/ ten speed racer,

Taking blorg's advice I now have the following route which includes ten speed's Agohill.

As blorg suggested, it's taken a few kms off the distance too. No GPS, so iPhone and Google Maps will have to do, battery permitting

We won't be staying in Castlerock. The next day brings us to Malin Head and then Lifford.

ten speed racer

Actually, if you're looking for scenery, I'd go for the long route of the Glens of Antrim and the north coast. Although some parts of the road on the north coast around the Giants Causeway are narrow and can get busy.

DualFrontDiscs

ten speed racer wrote: »

Actually, if you're looking for scenery, I'd go for the long route of the Glens of Antrim and the north coast. Although some parts of the road on the north coast around the Giants Causeway are narrow and can get busy.

Beautiful part of the country and have cycled it before. For this trip though, I'm looking for safest, flattest, shortest and quickest route
DFD

ten speed racer

That looks like a better route. The new bit that by-passes Coleraine I think is a little lumpier than going through Coleraine, but the roads will be quieter. Also, don't hang around Macosquinn (not a nice place, but Mrs. ten speed racer, who has the sense of humour of a 13-year-old boy, thinks that it is hilarous that it has a road called Ringrash Road).

On your way from Castlerock to the ferry in Magilligan, you must stop off at the Musseden Temple. It's on your way.

And you must look back and enjoy one of my favourite views.

The angle is not the one I was looking for, but you get the idea.

DualFrontDiscs

Thanks to the route advice received here, I found this Sustrans route
Things are looking up. Does anyone know if the Sustrans routes are well marked?

DFD.

ten speed racer

I'd meant to say to check for sustrans routes. That's probably the way to go, but I think it may be better to join the route at Portglenone rather than trying to get to Toome as the traffic there can be pretty terrible.

Sustrans has distinctive markers regularly along their routes, but I'm not sure if every junction is marked. Someone else might be able to help you.