What are your favorite long cycle (100k+) routes from Dublin??

Iron Enthusiast

After spending the last 4/5 weekends in a row doing mind-numbingly boring loops on the N11, I was just wondering what other peoples favourite routes are for a long cycle (100k+) from Dublin??

Think its about time for some variety!

Cheers!

ROK ON

Depends.

(1) FLAT/FAST: Park Leixlip Kellystown Obelisk Lane Straffan Kill Eadestown Blessington Kilbride Saggart Park.
(2) PUNISHMENT: Cruagh Kilakee LiamHorner memorial Powerscourt Coolakay Old Long Hill Lugalla Sally Gap Kilbride Dublin
(3) Nice Lunch: Cruagh Kilakee Sally Gap Lauragh Shay Elliott *2 Lauragh (lunch/cake in hippy cafe) choice of 3 routes back to Dublin (via Wicklow Gap, Sally Gap, Roundwood).

alcyst

Not sure who Hugh Halpin is, but his book "Leisure Cycling Near Dublin" has a useful selection of good routes and is well put together. It's well worth while.

I've used a number of his routes, amended to suit me. He has ones to Tara, Balbriggan, Glencullen, Maynooth and a whole selection, some dead flat, some much more hilly. He works on the assumption you have occasional access to a car; but you can always cycle to start of one of his for some extra kms. Gill & MacMillan still have it in stock.

One small issue is that his Tara route was written before the motorway and you have to do some alterations on the day, maps google is out of date around Tara also.

alcyst

try to go anti-clockwise, it increases the number of left turns and minimises the times you are crossing traffic.

kennyb3

alcyst wrote: »

try to go anti-clockwise, it increases the number of left turns and minimises the times you are crossing traffic.

Thanks, never even considered that

neris

i went up to drogheda last weekend. bout 100k. Started in Baldoyle, Malahide, Swords, N1 up to Julianstown then turned off and went through laytown and bettys town and took a back road into Drogheda before heading back down the N1. Was lovely cycle. Took me 4 hours. Mixed road surfaces though. I did an 80km the week before from baldoyle up to balbriggan then over to naul, up to garristown then back to swords and home.

setanta159

Howth harbour - baldoyle - Portmarnock - Malahide - Swords - Lusk - Rush - Skerries - Balbriggan - then inland towards the naul (R122) - Oldtown - Cloghran - Baldoyle - Sutton - Howth head (summit pub and a few welcome pints) Total distance 100km. A great mixture of terrain and scenery. Had intended doing it today but put off by the crap weather.

alcyst

Rok On, did your flat/fast this morning. Nice 88k loop, enjoyed it. Not sure about your idea of flat, there is a reasonable rise from Straffan (60m) to Brittas (320m). For really flat look up the Martin Earley Tour of Kildare.

I have tried to put it in mapmyride with the name;

ROK ON FLAT/FAST MaynoothBlessington

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/ie/dublin/919127875849712168