Wesport cycling routes? Ideas

DonVincenzo

Hi folks
I'm off to Westport this weekend & looking to get some decent hilly miles in while I'm out that way (to make up for the time off the bike during the snow).

If anyone is local to Westport area or has cycled some good routes out that way, I'd appreciate some ideas/pointers, or even better - a Garmin/mapmyride route I can download if you have one.

Cheers in advance. Aiming to do a 100km to 150km solo route with plenty of climbing.

Cheers
The Don

DonVincenzo

bump - anyone got route ideas before the weekend? Cheers DV

recedite

There is a nice signposted route out past a Granuaile castle. Also if you get over to Achill, another pretty spectacular signposted one is The Atlantic Drive/Route from there. 2 or 3 hours each. There is I think a new cyclepath from Westport to Achill, but I've not seen it yet.

michael196

bike routetoaster or reidewith gps for routes ( also searchable) also western clubs have routes posted

Esroh

Have a look at this. Zoom out until you see Westport and you can figure out some routes that use the Hills on that side of the route.
You could headout towards Tourmakeady and work back over the hills
You could head for Liscarney and on to Drummin and then turn right and back towards the coast
Lots of options long and short

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/27208404

nerraw1111

Could always try out a variation of the Gaelforce West cycle section (minus the off road part to Croagh Patrick.)

Hilly enough and roads are quiet. You could spin out to Killary fjord and back to Westport for around 90km

bean na gaeilge

Hi - the greenway (a cycle track on the old railway from Achill - Mulranny - Newport - Westport )is near completion between Westport and Achill - it is officially open the whole way from Newport to Mulranny though and is well worth a cycle - although its not all that hilly.... check out youtube for a video of it

Trojan

Here's a few on a Gmaps route - I haven't cycled this as one single ride, but I've done all of the roads marked. There's loads of options when you're down at Maam Cross and Leenane - you can choose to go via Clifden etc. Good hilly options too - take a look at an OSI map.

There's some wonderful routes in Mayo, up in north Mayo is great, if you go out towards Achill you'll have the Greenway (off road paved path) as far as Mullrany, you can go north to Bangor Erris, then to Crossmolina and back down to Newport/Westport.

Of all the roads I'd recommend avoiding the Castlebar <-> Westport road, it's extremely busy with traffic and not pleasant. Most of the other roads are ok for cycling on, the National Routes in remote areas are brilliant. Just be aware you may not have mobile coverage and little passing traffic so have your tools etc.

If you do plan to go down the R317 send me a PM and I'll have the kettle on when you're passing.

FatSh!te

Trojan wrote: »

the Greenway (off road paved path) as far as Mullrany, .

I'm curious what is the Greenway http://www.mayowalks.ie/media/Media,13489,en.pdf surfacing is like - is it loose or bitumen paving?

cormpat

FatSh!te wrote: »

I'm curious what is the Greenway http://www.mayowalks.ie/media/Media,13489,en.pdf surfacing is like - is it loose or bitumen paving?

This isn't suitable for road bikes; It's gravel. The Covey Wheelers website routes are here if you want to go solo;

http://www.westportcc.ie/?page_id=142

Or go to the Tesco (beside the train station) car park at 9:30 Saturday morning for Covey Wheeler Race Training or the Clock on Sunday morning at 9:00 for the leisure spin. There will be no bother tagging along.

Trojan

FatSh!te wrote: »

I'm curious what is the Greenway http://www.mayowalks.ie/media/Media,13489,en.pdf surfacing is like - is it loose or bitumen paving?

It's tightly packed & rolled gravel. I cycle on it on 700x28s touring tyres no problem, not sure what road bike tyres would handle it, but half the roads aren't suitable for them around here anyway

There are plans in place to tarmac the Greenway, and if they carry those out as quickly as they built the original it could be in place by the summer. Really awesome work by Mayo Co Co and all involved. Newport to Westport Greenway route is in works at the moment too and they seem to be making serious progress very quickly. The popularity of the route with locals has spurred the various organisations on.

Grimpeur

The town of Westport has hills on almost every exit from the town. Peter St., High St., Quay Hill., Newport Rd. and Sheeaun, which is on the way to Castlebar. So you could do circuits of the town.

As has been pointed out, the Castlebar Rd. is not for the faint-hearted but you can safely cycle from the town to the top of Sheeaun because there’s a hard shoulder out to the ‘summit’ and back.

As has also been mentioned, Achill has some great hills, Minaun Heights and the road to Keem Bay are particularly good.

A lovely circuit for great scenery is Westport to Louisburg to Leenane and back to Westport. Not great for hills though.

North of Castlebar there are some good climbs leading towards the Nephin Mountains but you might need to talk to one of the Castlebar CC boys (Enda maybe) for more details.

You could circle Lough Mask – go out the Station Rd. towards Tormakeady and at the southern end of the lake, where it gets close to Lough Corrib, there are some good hills – I think the area might be called Finney or Bunnaun and Cong might be a good coffee stop.

Anyway, it’s a great town and whatever you do you’ll enjoy it.

Apologies for any dodgy place name spellings.

Chartsengrafs

+1 on Grimpeur's Lough Mask suggestion, I was out that way a few times last year and noticed that the road surfaces were decent with quiet enough hilly-ish roads. Wished I had Felty with me!

Enjoy anyway, Westport and the surrounding areas are stunning.

Esroh

Go with Cormpats Covey Wheelers link.
Take the route described as Tourmakeady x3 good hills. but when you get to Aghagower turn left and take the next right on edge of village. Follow this road keeping left at the Y about 2 miles on(not sure if still visable but WLPD arrows should help). You will start climbing about a mile later. Go thru the crossroads(hopefully you can get by without putting your foot down for traffic)Keep climbing and then enjoy descent into Liscarney. Then back to Westport.

Biggest problem maybe the frosty roads as lots of areas will get very little sun

DonVincenzo

Thanks tonnes for all the route ideas!

I'll get busy checking out all the suggestions tomorrow & firm up a plan of action. Looks like the weather will be bang on for a spin too.

Cheers DV

snailsong

The toughest hill close to westport is known locally as 'The Maum'. Navigation is pretty easy on this. Take the Westport - Louisburgh road, after 15k or so go left just after Lecanvy village (the sign says Chris Harper artist). Follow the signs for Drummin.First you get Harpers Hill, then the Maum. It gets up to 25% in places. This is the route of the sea2summit race, there's a map on their site and photo's of people pushing expensive bikes up it. If you keep left at Drummin you'll end up back in Westport, about 45k total. If you want to make it longer go right at Drummin and follow the Gaelforce route in reverse as far as killary harbour through the sheaffry hills. Left at the t junction and follow the road along the north side of the Killary until you meet the main Leenane Westport road, left again for home. I would guess this is 80 to 100 total. This is all pretty well signposted and easy to follow if you're not familiar with the area. Have a look at the map and it will be clear. Good luck.

The shorter route is basically leave town, go around croagh Patrick and home. I might do it myself at the week end.

map: http://www.westportsea2summit.ie/graphics/Updated_map_s2s.pdf

DonVincenzo

Nice one snailsong. Maum & its surrounds sounds like wot I'm looking for.

On way driving to Westport now, & prob have chill tmrw & spin Sunday.
Cheers DV

DonVincenzo

snailsong - I think I found a route with a good few of those climbs you mentioned - Maum, Harpers & a decent one down near Sheefry Wood.
Check it out on Garmin Connect if you like ...
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/28934216
Or in the Garmin player, where you can pinpoint the elevation points on the map below:
http://connect.garmin.com/player/28934216

It looks like a popular enough route with the Westport Covey Wheelers, as their website that Cormpat posted earlier rates a similar enough route (http://www.westportcc.ie/?page_id=142 - 7th spin down):
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ptab=2&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=214804205770725401903.0004988ca55943e9c881d

Would love to do this spin tomorrow as the weather is fab, but have to put it off till Sunday, as am climbing Croagh Patrick with my wife tomorrow! Anyway - fingers crossed the weather stays bang on for Sunday.

Nice one.
DV

Esroh

Don You have a nice one there. Enjoy.

DonVincenzo

Esroh wrote: »

Don You have a nice one there. Enjoy.

Cheers Esroh
It looks like the last climb built into my proposed route ...
http://connect.garmin.com/player/28934216

.... is the one you referred to in your earlier post at Liscarney (but going in the other direction), me thinks?

Thanks for the steer.
DV

snailsong

Looks good, DV. IMHO Maum is a fair bit tougher north to south so do that loop clockwise if tough is what you want. Lots of false summits to tease you too. Let me know how the roads are after the frost, watch out for potholes on the descents.

bring a map with you up the reek and you should be able to see all that route from the top, Maum is pretty close by, to the south (ish).

Esroh

Don V. What you make of the Western Hills in Glorious sunshine.

DonVincenzo

Esroh wrote: »

Don V. What you make of the Western Hills in Glorious sunshine.

Esroh - had a magic day.

Headed off from Westport on the way to the Maum (back roads) - I had to ease off the pace, as the roads were still a wee bit white, but fine as long as I took it handy. Did the Maum from both sides (south to north, descended & then came back up from the steeper North to South) - thats a fab climb & just what I was looking for. Continued on around back onto the main road to Louisburgh with the wind in my back & sea to my righ & that was class! Then on to Doo Lough which looked absolutely amazing in the day that was in it. Then turned at the south of Doo Lough & did Sheefry Pass.

However - the descent of Sheefry mustn't have seen sunlight for a week, as I had a fairly cool lookin crash if ever there was one, as I was beginning my descent of Sheefry. Hit a sheet of pure ice & then went through the motions. Hit the deck very quickly & fairly hard & slid for a few meters. All OK - bar a bare left cheek of my arse! The helmet did its job, as my loaf hit the deck & all was fine.

Got up, & looked around to see the sheep have a good laugh at some dozy twonk in torn lycra. I walked the remainder of that descent as it was ice the whole way (a car coming down behind me slid & hit the wall!).

Hopped back on at the bottom & continued back via Aughagower to Westport.

Lookin at the Garmin - just under 4 hours riding & bang on 99kms. Will be back to do it at full tilt in the summer & revisit Sheefry to get my own back on that descent.

Cheers to all for the route suggestions. Couldn't have picked better & all crashes add to the experience once you don't mess yerself up!!

Cheers
DV

Esroh

Glad no damage done.

snailsong

Glad to hear you're still alive DV. I intended to do Maum myself today but didn't get my act together (lie in, beach with kids, lunch out) until afternoon so I did a short spin near home. Just after Aughagower I was getting a lot of wheelspin going up a hill (slick on bike, grippy tyre hanging up in the shed, clever). It occurred to me that we may have sent you off to your death. The north facing hills don't get much direct sunlight at this time of year and its prob a degree or two cooler in the hills. Just as well it was at the top of the descent you spilled it, you can develop a fair bit of vitesse as you go down there.

Anyway, glad you enjoyed the week end. The reek must have been nice yesterday, I hope it was to the liking of your wife. Give us a shout when you're coming back and maybe we'll meet up for a spin.