Dublin to Galway

mayan

Thinking about a Dublin to Galway spin, cycle there one day, then back on the train the next. Was wondering if anyone had any advice, primarily about routes, preferably avoiding the major roads, happy to go canal tow paths etc, (did this ever happen? http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0820/1224277229259.html i'm guessing not, but sounds ideal)

There's no big hills in the way, but it would be good to make the route interesting, im guessing its a little over 200kms, so a fairly direct route so we can do it one day, but if there are any major things worth detouring for then would be up for that.

Also, coming back, whats the deal with the trains? can you book the bikes on? are there limited places (maybe up to half a dozen of us)?

Thanks

lescol

I cycled the Esker Riada cycle route in 2005 I think, while searching for the route I found one from blorg which would be excellent http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=53.365714,-6.354218&daddr=Tullamore,+Co.+Offaly,+Ireland+to:Galway,+Co.+Galway,+Ireland&hl=en&geocode=&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=12&dirflg=w&sll=53.31016,-6.386147&sspn=0.188309,0.285988&ie=UTF8&ll=53.156653,-7.871704&spn=3.024039,4.575806&z=8

Enduro

I cycled it last year. I took the old main road all the way. It was grand. All the major traffic is on the motorway now.

mayan

Thanks.

Any more info on the esker riada route? is it doable on a road bike? where does it start / finish?

Anyone else brought their bike back from Galway on the train?

DonalK1981

Book your seat and it costs €6 one way for a bicycle. When you planning on this spin?

8kvscdpglqnyr4

I did part of this cycle last summer. I was up in Dublin with work for a night. I took the train up from Galway with my bike. When coming back I just missed my 1pm train - next train was in 2 hours. The sun was splitting the stones so I decided I'd cycle some of the way instead.

I decided I'd try the paths on the Royal Canal as far as I could - I figured I could just pop back on the road if the going got too tough at any stage. I hadn't a clue if it was possible or not. Turns out it's not too bad - it's a bit rough in parts, but if you're not in a hurry, it's really a beautiful cycle.

I didn't have a mountain bike either (would be handy in parts though). I was on a Trek Flat Bar road bike with Aksium wheels - the tyres are 28C so a little wider than normal road tyres which helped.

Because it's a canal, it's pan flat! Not a hill in sight. The paths range from excellent (Maynooth to Kilcock) to pretty poor where you have to really take your time.

I cycled out to Castleknock and got onto the canal just at the railway station in Castleknock. Cycled from there to just outside Kinnegad completely on the canal tracks. It was such a peaceful cycle - I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

Image below is where I got onto the track.


This is as far as I got - the track got too overgrown after this:


Cycled from there to Athlone on the old main road which was fine. Got the train back to Galway from Athlone.

emtroche

mayan wrote: »

Thanks.

Any more info on the esker riada route? is it doable on a road bike? where does it start / finish?

Anyone else brought their bike back from Galway on the train?

Hi

Myself and my dad designed the route for the esker riada cycle. It was used for the Coast 2 Coast during national bike week acouple of years ago. The last one started in Maynooth and finished at a holiday village on the clifden road. Its fine on a road bike. The only thing about it is, the fact that it follows an esker means that theres quite a lot of sandpits on it, meaning that there may be a few trucks on some parts. Will do up a map later if i get the chance.