Quieter South Dublin Routes

t1mm

I've splashed out at last and gotten my very own bike! I'm wondering however if anyone can recommend quiet(er) routes around the south dublin area to go for a spin? I cycled the bike back to Terenure from Shankill where I bought it (about 15k), and I reckon about 20 - 25k is the distance I'd like to set as an upper limit (round trip) for the moment.

If I was at home in Cork I'd have plenty of ideas for routes, but I'm still a foreigner here! What do ye think?

Cheers!

ozzy jr

Cycle to Dundrum and then out to Enniskerry. That'll be about 30km or so.

Plastik

head the other direction - Greystones.

smacl

My favourite short spin route is along the pine forest road in various directions. Marley park - cruagh road - Glencullen (Johnnie Foxes) - Barnaculla (Blue light) - Lamb Doyles and back is about 20k. Great scenery, quiet roads, challenging hills, and some sweet descents. You can easily extend it to 25k - 30k by going on to Kilternan or Enniskerry from Johnnie Foxes. Coming from Shankill / 'Brack direction, head up Ballycorus road, Kilternan, Glencullen, or Ballycorus, Kilternan, Lambs Cross, and take the small left just after Lamb Doyles. I did say challenging climbs, right?

godtabh

I cycle along the N11 early in the morning. Very little traffic and will lit when I'm out

Hmmzis

smacl wrote: »

My favourite short spin route is along the pine forest road in various directions. Marley park - cruagh road - Glencullen (Johnnie Foxes) - Barnaculla (Blue light) - Lamb Doyles and back is about 20k. Great scenery, quiet roads, challenging hills, and some sweet descents. You can easily extend it to 25k - 30k by going on to Kilternan or Enniskerry from Johnnie Foxes. Coming from Shankill / 'Brack direction, head up Ballycorus road, Kilternan, Glencullen, or Ballycorus, Kilternan, Lambs Cross, and take the small left just after Lamb Doyles. I did say challenging climbs, right?

+1 on this. Very quiet in the mornings and well sheltered on the climbs.
You can alslo extend it a bit up to Military rd (again great views but not sheltered at all) and then take a left for Glencree and if you don't overshoot a rather small left turn then you can enjoy what is the Devils Elbow.

smacl

Hmmzis wrote: »

you can enjoy what is the Devils Elbow, once you get well past it and are talking about it in the pub later

FYP. p.s. if you find a bit of discarded lung at the top, it's mine, I coughed it up last time on arrival at foxes.

godtabh

smacl wrote: »

My favourite short spin route is along the pine forest road in various directions. Marley park - cruagh road - Glencullen (Johnnie Foxes) - Barnaculla (Blue light) - Lamb Doyles and back is about 20k. Great scenery, quiet roads, challenging hills, and some sweet descents. You can easily extend it to 25k - 30k by going on to Kilternan or Enniskerry from Johnnie Foxes. Coming from Shankill / 'Brack direction, head up Ballycorus road, Kilternan, Glencullen, or Ballycorus, Kilternan, Lambs Cross, and take the small left just after Lamb Doyles. I did say challenging climbs, right?

What's it like along there in the dark?

smacl

godtabh wrote: »

What's it like along there in the dark?

Haven't tried it yet, still to give night riding a go, though it's on my to do list. Most of the route sees very little traffic, so it should be fine, but it is all unlit so you'd need decent lights. The descent by the blue light is very steep in parts, and quite bendy, and to make matters worse they've added some speed bumps . The descent into Kilternan is shallower but still lots of bends. I'd advise a daylight run first if you're unsure, and even then, check your brakes are in good nick.

the world wonders

Up Ticknock Road to the top of Three Rock Mountain, short and sharp and the last part is a forest path so no traffic.

http://goo.gl/maps/CDVj6

daragh_

the world wonders wrote: »

Up Ticknock Road to the top of Three Rock Mountain, short and sharp and the last part is a forest path so no traffic.

http://goo.gl/maps/CDVj6

+1

you'll need good lights. Take care coming down and watch out for Mountain Bikers and Walkers, especially on the sharp bends in the Forest.

mr spuckler

Hmmzis wrote: »

enjoy...Devils Elbow.

an oxymoron surely??

what the others have said is bang on though, once you're alright with a bit of climbing, those routes around stocking lane / cruagh / glencullen are really lovely

Bikerbhoy

Heres a nice handy one heading out towards Stepaside take a right up Burrow road straight through at Johnnies crossroads on to devils elbow left into Enniskerry out of Enniskerry via steeper route turn right before the closed Texaco garage and next left nice little climb up by the Leadmines coming out at gallery on the Kilternan road next left after lights back up to Johnnies right at crossroads back down Burrow road and home..... I sometimes stick a climb up to 3 Rock masts on the tail of this spin if I have time. Lovely little spin so it is.

LiamOSullivan

godtabh wrote: »

What's it like along there in the dark?

It's a great route in the dark. You'd want some good lights, but with those it's a ludicrous amount of fun. I've also done it in extremely heavy wind and rain - it was trickling in the city, and I thought "How bad can it possibly be 10km south?". It was still a pretty okay route.

route66

Bikerbhoy wrote: »

Heres a nice handy one heading out towards Stepaside take a right up Burrow road straight through at Johnnies crossroads on to devils elbow left into Enniskerry out of Enniskerry via steeper route turn right before the closed Texaco garage and next left nice little climb up by the Leadmines coming out at gallery on the Kilternan road next left after lights back up to Johnnies right at crossroads back down Burrow road and home..... I sometimes stick a climb up to 3 Rock masts on the tail of this spin if I have time. Lovely little spin so it is.

Or - for even more hills, after the devils elbow turn right when you come out on to the road to Eniskerry and then take the next left for THE WALL. Do the full one and you come out at Old Long Hill. Then, if you're still alive, make your way back home via Enniskerry.

ozzy jr

I always prefer to go from Eniskerry to Glencree and over Military road, rather then the other way. You get the crap road on the way up when you're going slow and the nice new smooth tar on the way down.

The hill out of Eniskerry to Glencree is a bitch to go up, but it's even worse to go down, especially the way cars inch out at the crossroads just before the village.

smacl

route66 wrote: »

Or - for even more hills, after the devils elbow turn right when you come out on to the Eniskerry road, & then the next left for THE WALL. Do the full one and you come out at Old Long Hill. Then, if you're still alive, make your way to Enniskerry.

Heh, the OP asked for a couple of leisurely routes around south Dublin, and we're giving him the uphill route through the 666 levels of the inferno, one level at at time. Gotta love boards.

t1mm

Some great suggestions here lads - plenty to keep my occupied, thanks again I probably should have mentioned that I'm cycling on a mountain bike btw, but I'm not doing any time-trials or anything - just doing it for a bit of fitness and general enjoyment!

The ticknock route sounds particularly interesting - I just found out theres a MTB trail up there too so I could have a potter around that if I'm feeling adventurous!

Cheers all

route66

smacl wrote: »

Heh, the OP asked for a couple of leisurely routes around south Dublin, and we're giving him the uphill route through the 666 levels of the inferno, one level at at time. Gotta love boards.

Incorrect. He said he was looking for "Quiter" routes, not leisurely.

Anyway, he's from Cork, they're a tough lot down there (I'd know)

t1mm

Finally got the time and the weather for a reasonably long cycle (by my standards) today:

http://goo.gl/maps/ZJVD7

A guy on a road bike witnessed my climb on my mountain bike - took some punishing! I forgot an allen key to adjust my saddle height but I ended up having a bash off the trail anyway; there weren't any steep drops compared to Tracton in Cork so it wasn't a problem.

The hills on the way back down were glorious

route66

t1mm wrote: »

Finally got the time and the weather for a reasonably long cycle (by my standards) today:

http://goo.gl/maps/ZJVD7

A guy on a road bike witnessed my climb on my mountain bike - took some punishing! I forgot an allen key to adjust my saddle height but I ended up having a bash off the trail anyway; there weren't any steep drops compared to Tracton in Cork so it wasn't a problem.

The hills on the way back down were glorious

Good start! And nice day for it too!

You're also in the right place for some nice hilly cycles - e.g. straight on after you cross the M50 bridge and then right at Lamb Doyles past the Blue Light pub and then right @ end of road up to foxs. That's 3 pubs you "have" to pass. 2 of which (at least) I'd recommend you stop off at some time ;-)

Dawn Rider

There's a book called Leisure Cycling Near Dublin by Hugh Halpin which only has one South Dublin route that starts in Marley Park and goes to GlenCulllen, taking in The Blue Light Pub and Johnie Foxes.

The book is still worth looking for though, as there are easy routes in Kildare, Meath & Wicklow.

Look for it in the library if you don't want to buy it.