Cycle in Kilkenny & Waterford

mahoo

Hi All
Im heading to Kilkenny for 2 nights and Dungarvin for 2 nights and planning on doing about 100k a day. Never really cycled in the area before apart from the SKT so wondering if theres any routes people would recommend over the obvious ones

rough plan was the Tour de Kilkenny 110k route first day
a trip over to Mt Leinster day 2
the Sean Kelly Tour 100k day 3
and the 160k on day 4 (tired and hungover for extra hurt )

any advice much appreciated

Cheers
Matt

coastwatch

The coast road "Copper Coast" from Dungarvan to Tramore is a great spin, quite roads, and great scenery. This was the original SKT 100 route. Back the same route for double the fun, about 80 km round trip.
There are no shops between Stradbally and Tramore, so stock up. The visitor centre in an old church in Bonmahon is a great coffee stop.

ford2600

Spend one day in Comeraghs, one in knockmesldowns, and take Copper coast road as above.
If you like climbing you have the following in order of difficulty
Shanrahan
Mahon Falls
Ticincor
Bog/powers the pot
Newcastle Mellary climb
The Vee
Mauma
I'll pm you routes later.
Also check Dungarvan cycling club web page and their strava club for routes

mahoo

Great stuff. Thanks a million for the replies lads

JMcL

coastwatch wrote: »

The coast road "Copper Coast" from Dungarvan to Tramore is a great spin, quite roads, and great scenery. This was the original SKT 100 route. Back the same route for double the fun, about 80 km round trip.
There are no shops between Stradbally and Tramore, so stock up. The visitor centre in an old church in Bonmahon is a great coffee stop.

+1 on this. Go via Stradbally to hug the coast It's lumpy, but since the OP is planning on doing the Tour of Kilkenny and SKT 160 routes in the 4 days, I'm guessing that's not that big an issue :-)

There is actually a small shop in Bunmahon. If coming from Stradbally it'd be on the left at the T junction.

mahoo

JMcL wrote: »

+1 on this. Go via Stradbally to hug the coast It's lumpy, but since the OP is planning on doing the Tour of Kilkenny and SKT 160 routes in the 4 days, I'm guessing that's not that big an issue :-)

There is actually a small shop in Bunmahon. If coming from Stradbally it'd be on the left at the T junction.

Thanks for the tips. Routes are locked and loaded. . Cant believe after weeks of uninterrupted sunshine we've chosen 4 days where rain is forecast! :mad: .. sure with all the climbing we wouldn't want sunshine anyway

ford2600

mahoo wrote: »

Thanks for the tips. Routes are locked and loaded. . Cant believe after weeks of uninterrupted sunshine we've chosen 4 days where rain is forecast! :mad: .. sure with all the climbing we wouldn't want sunshine anyway

I said I'd post routes and never did!

Do you need any more sdvice on good routes.

Dungarvan, Lismore, Vee, Clogheen, Shanrahan Hill, Ballysagart, Lismore is lovely route. Do not do in reverse descent on rough road into Lismore is horrible. Shanrahan is a proper climb

Dungarvan, Lemybrien, Mauma, Ballymacarbry, Newcastle, Mellary Cappaquin is another beautiful route.

Dungarvan, Ballymacarbry, Nire Powers the Pot, Glenpatrick, ticincor, Powers the pot Dungarvan is another tough route

I would bother with SK 160 to be honest. Mix it up and do your own.

Enjoy, might see ye on the road

mahoo

ford2600 wrote: »

I said I'd post routes and never did!

Do you need any more sdvice on good routes.

Dungarvan, Lismore, Vee, Clogheen, Shanrahan Hill, Ballysagart, Lismore is lovely route. Do not do in reverse descent on rough road into Lismore is horrible. Shanrahan is a proper climb

Dungarvan, Lemybrien, Mauma, Ballymacarbry, Newcastle, Mellary Cappaquin is another beautiful route.

Dungarvan, Ballymacarbry, Nire Powers the Pot, Glenpatrick, ticincor, Powers the pot Dungarvan is another tough route

I would bother with SK 160 to be honest. Mix it up and do your own.

Enjoy, might see ye on the road

Cheers! Going to do the copper coast on the first day and then was thinking of doing an adjusted SKT route second day. I did the 160 before and figured the carrick - clonmel stretch wasnt very interesting. We'll prob go dungarven, mahon falls, maum road, powers the pot, seskin (if we're bothered) and back to dungarven. Those other routes sound tempting though! Thanks a mil

ford2600

mahoo wrote: »

Cheers! Going to do the copper coast on the first day and then was thinking of doing an adjusted SKT route second day. I did the 160 before and figured the carrick - clonmel stretch wasnt very interesting. We'll prob go dungarven, mahon falls, maum road, powers the pot, seskin (if we're bothered) and back to dungarven. Those other routes sound tempting though! Thanks a mil

The knockmealdowns are lovely. You will not meet a car on Mellary Newcastle or shanrahan.

Carrick clonmel surface is horrible. If you do want to travel between those towns cross river and use main road. Boring enough route though

JMcL

ford2600 wrote: »

Carrick clonmel surface is horrible. If you do want to travel between those towns cross river and use main road. Boring enough route though

Ouch, that's a fact. The Comeragh tour went along that in May and the surface is shocking. I was sure I'd at least done in a wheel after hitting a series of small craters on a short descent - I never want to hear a noise like that on my bike again. They have the gall to call it a "cycle route" , and it's a shame as it's a fairly scenic road.