Ring of Kerry - Not the event

hardCopy

Hey Folks,

I'm heading down to Kerry this evening, planning to cycle the Ring over Saturday and Sunday.

We're staying in Waterville on Saturday night, should we head clockwise or anti-clockwise? Which way is likely to have less traffic?

The charity route seems to go anti-clockwise according to MapMyRun, should we just follow this?

Thanks

buffalo

I know the coaches do it anti-clockwise, so I went clockwise when I did it, prevents you having to deal with buses overtaking you. Dangerous on the worst of times, but can be unpleasant even at the best of times.

macnab

The Charity Run goes anti clockwise, starts in Killarney and heads to Caherciveen.
I would say if you ask a local they will tell you the best way to go, or just observe the traffic for 10 minutes.

hardCopy

macnab wrote: »

The Charity Run goes anti clockwise, starts in Killarney and heads to Caherciveen.
I would say if you ask a local they will tell you the best way to go, or just observe the traffic for 10 minutes.

In my head I meant to say anti-clockwise, the prefix got lost somewhere between my brain and my keyboard

smacl

Spent a week in Waterville a couple of years ago, and found the cycling down there fantastic. If you get a chance, the spin over balligasheen pass and around lough caragh is probably my favourite spin in the country to date.

07Lapierre

Most Sportives/charity cycles etc. follow an anti-clockwise direction. This reduces the number of right-hand turns, which means less disruption to traffic. less marshals needed. A lot safer when dealing with large number of cyclists.

If your travelling on your own....do what you like!

hardCopy

07Lapierre wrote: »

Most Sportives/charity cycles etc. follow an anti-clockwise direction. This reduces the number of right-hand turns, which means less disruption to traffic. less marshals needed. A lot safer when dealing with large number of cyclists.

If your travelling on your own....do what you like!

Too much choice....!!!

Looking again at the map, Waterville appears to be not quite half way, if we go clockwise we'd get the bulk of the climbing done on fresh legs and be over half way there before we stop. This would give us an easier day on Sunday, more time for a nice meal and possibly a swim in our hotel on Sunday evening.

Since this would also avoid the coaches I think clockwise is probably best for us.

Here's the route mapped Clockwise: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/120449749

le petit braquet

Another reason for going clockwise is that the sea views are beside you on your left, rather than across the road if you go anti.

ROK ON

Don't.

The Ring of Kerry without 7000 other cyclists on the road is a desperately uninteresting cycle in the main.

However Waterville as a base gives you fantastic options for cycling over two days.
1 - leave Waterville and cycle around the Skellig Ring and Valentia maybe doing a loop up to Coomakiste down to Derrynane and up the side road from Derrynane House to Coomkiste again.

2- Waterville to New Chapel Cross Roads - Dromid - Ballaghasheen - Glencar

From Glencar you have two options
i Turn left and cycle around Caragh Lake and out to Glenbeigh. Then back in the Coast road to Caherciveen and Waterville.

Or

ii At Glencar keep straight and head to Gap of Dunloe over Black Valley up to Molls Gap and back via Sneem and Waterville.

Enjoy

mh_cork

ROK ON wrote: »

Don't.

The Ring of Kerry without 7000 other cyclists on the road is a desperately uninteresting cycle in the main.

However Waterville as a base gives you fantastic options for cycling over two days.
1 - leave Waterville and cycle around the Skellig Ring and Valentia maybe doing a loop up to Coomakiste down to Derrynane and up the side road from Derrynane House to Coomkiste again.

2- Waterville to New Chapel Cross Roads - Dromid - Ballaghasheen - Glencar

From Glencar you have two options
i Turn left and cycle around Caragh Lake and out to Glenbeigh. Then back in the Coast road to Caherciveen and Waterville.

Or

ii At Glencar keep straight and head to Gap of Dunloe over Black Valley up to Molls Gap and back via Sneem and Waterville.

Enjoy

I agree. ROK event is great, but the route itself is mostly quite boring. Heres a route I mapped, its 125k and covers all the best part of the ROK route itself (Molls Gap, coastal road from Kenmare to Waterville) and some stunning hidden gems inland.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1181729

Here is the Gap of Dunloe route that ROK_ON mentioned but from Kenmare. Some steep hills, but well worth it.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/304008

langdang

mh_cork wrote: »

I agree. ROK event is great, but the route itself is mostly quite boring. Heres a route I mapped, its 125k and covers all the best part of the ROK route itself (Molls Gap, coastal road from Kenmare to Waterville) and some stunning hidden gems inland.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1181729

That is a nice route. Ballaghbeama, ballaghasheen well worth seeing/cycling.
Must do the gap of dunloe route sometime.
Hoping to do a bit of a loop including a Strawberry Fields pancake stop myself this weekend. Because I'm worth it.

ROK ON

Strawberry fields is fantastic. The owner is a lovely woman, her husband has a huge issue with bikes. I have had words with him several times for moving my bike.

buffalo

ROK ON wrote: »

Don't.

The Ring of Kerry without 7000 other cyclists on the road is a desperately uninteresting cycle in the main.

Really? I'm not sure of the route of the official RoK, but I did from Killarney, through Moll's Gap, along the south coast of the Iveragh, to Waterville, around the Skellig Ring to Portmagee, and it was stunningly beautiful. I had to resist the urge to stop every 20min to take a photo.

Granted, the roads along the finishing leg from Caherciveen to Killarney were busy, but the views across to Inch Strand and the Dingle Peninsular were worth it.

lescol

If you're staying in Waterville then add in the Skellig Ring:- Ballinskelligs-St Finians Bay (you will not be able to pass through without stopping for a picture of the Skelligs!)-Port Magee-Valentia then over on the ferry from Knightstown. I'd go Killarney-Kenmare-Sneem etc.

jameverywhere

cycle inland as much as possible. I went around Lough Acoose and Lough Caragh when I was down that way, or you could do Lough Acoose then to the Ballagasheen Pass to Cahirciveen. (I might not be spelling these things correctly)

I agree that the actual ring of kerry road is boring without all the other cyclists, altho' I seem to remember Waterville to Sneem via Caherdaniel being quite nice.

from Sneem I highly recommend going thru the black valley and gap of Dunloe rather than moll's gap. The N71 is a terrible road for cyclists when it's not closed for the ring of kerry, imho.

Cork24

Good luck with the 2daY event of the ring of Kerry

langdang

buffalo wrote: »

ROK ON wrote: »

Don't.

The Ring of Kerry without 7000 other cyclists on the road is a desperately uninteresting cycle in the main.

Really? I'm not sure of the route of the official RoK, but I did from Killarney, through Moll's Gap, along the south coast of the Iveragh, to Waterville, around the Skellig Ring to Portmagee, and it was stunningly beautiful. I had to resist the urge to stop every 20min to take a photo.

Granted, the roads along the finishing leg from Caherciveen to Killarney were busy, but the views across to Inch Strand and the Dingle Peninsular were worth it.

The southern part of the ring is the nicest imho. Some of the northern half near kells is nice too. But the proposed route via ballaghasheen and ballaghabeama gets the best of the coastal and the best of the inland. The skellig ring is not part of the ROK but is a worthy addition. The cafe in the art gallery near ballinskelligs is a nice stop off for very good coffee and cake.


Edit - if you were based in kenmare you would have 3 very nice routes. The two ride with GPS routes posted previously and a route around the ring of beara. Healy pass, caha pass, priests leap if you wanted (terrible surface, never cycled that myself)

But to be fair, the ring of Kerry is grand too if you wanted to keep it simple!

fixie fox

You would bag The Ring all right but you'd get much better value for your time on some of the other routes suggested.

hardCopy

Thanks folks for all the advice, we ended up just doing the Ring clockwise with an overnight in Waterville.

Traffic was fine for the most part, possibly because the weather wasn't great. Only met one ass-hat on the way into Killorglin who tried to suggest that we cycle in the ditch.

Definitely plan to do the official event next year. Got a few nice pics for the Photos Taken on your Cycle Thread and still have that lovely tingle in my thighs from a good weekend's cycling.

If we had more time I'd love to have cycled around some of the trails in the National Park.