Solo Ring of Kerry

godtabh

Will be down in Kenmare at the end of may. Looking to do the ring of Kerry while I'm down there.

Been told that its not a great road to cycle along as a lot of the locals do be pissed off with cyclist on it the whole time.

Is it bad or would it be the same as cycling around Wicklow? Plan to do it on a Sunday morning.

Also does it matter which way you go? Clockwise/anticlockwise?

on_the_nickel

godtabh wrote: »

Will be down in Kenmare at the end of may. Looking to do the ring of Kerry while I'm down there.

Been told that its not a great road to cycle along as a lot of the locals do be pissed off with cyclist on it the whole time.

Is it bad or would it be the same as cycling around Wicklow? Plan to do it on a Sunday morning.

Also does it matter which way you go? Clockwise/anticlockwise?

I'm just back from Killarney and I find the locals pretty patient with cyclists, probably because there's so many around, and a good few locals are out on bikes themselves training for the ROK.

I'm sure others will agree that the ROK route is not the best way of seeing the peninsula though. There's so many lovely spins from Kenmare, if I had a day to cycle round, I'd probably go another route to include the likes of the Healy Pass, maybe Black Valley and stop in Strawberry Fields for pancakes!

godtabh

I'm down there for about a week so will be doing plenty of cycling. Want to do some training for the eveil 200 so any recommended routes would be welcome.

connie_c

If you are worried about traffic there are nicer cycles in the area but I wouldn't consider cycling the ring dangerous. Also the ring is nice as a sportive but I personally wouldn't bother with it when I'm Kerry alone.

Kenmare to glengarriff via the Healy pass is the cycle I have planned for the next time I'm in kenmare.another beautiful route is kenmare to molls gap, black valley, gap of Dunloe, Killarney then back up to molls gap and down to kenmare. Much more scenic and on quiter roads.

mossym

better cycles out of kenmare than the ROK. I'd do Kenmare, caha pass, glengariff, castletown, healy pass n to S, glengariff, caha pass, kenmare.

have mentioned it a few times on here but it's cracking cycle, with 3 lovely climbs/descents. 147 km all in roughly

ford2600

godtabh wrote: »

I'm down there for about a week so will be doing plenty of cycling. Want to do some training for the eveil 200 so any recommended routes would be welcome.

Kenmare, Molls Gap, Killarney, Gap of Dunloe, Black Valley, Sneem Kenmare
Ring of Beara or cut short by crossing peninsula at csstletowns end
Kenmare molls Gap turn for Kenmare after 10km turn right for Ballaghbeama return via Carragh Lake, Killorglin,Dunloe

Kenmare Kilgarvan Borlin Valley, Priest Leap Kenmare

Kenmare Caha Pass, Glengarriff, Healy Pass Kenmare

Enjoy. Best base for cycling in Ireland

carltonleon

I asked the same question last October and got some great routes.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=87249996

Funnily enough I was just there last week and did a nice 85km spin -
Kenmare-Bonane-Caha Pass-Glengariff-Ardigole-Healy Pass-Lauragh-Kenmare

Scenery was stunning
Started at 7.30 and was back around 11ish.
Mind you the only thing that I could think of was 'I hope I don't get a puncture' as couldn't find my mini-pump before I left.

ROK ON

Goddamn

I live in Kenmare occasionally. I would echo the routes outlined by Ford.

The ring is largely a boring solo cycle.
The ring of Beara, Borlin-Coom, the inside of the Iveragh peninsula are all spectacular.
Enjoy your time.

dragratchet

I cycle in Kerry regularly north of Kenmare around Banna, Ballyheigue Ballybunion direction and going south towards Tralee, Castle-gregory and dingle. never felt in any way threatened on the roads. The coastal routes around there are unbeatable on a nice day.

godtabh

Thanks for the replies. Must plan out some routes

Bloggsie

it all sounds fantastic to me. I spent a number of weeks in the Dingle Pennisula at the Gaelthact back in the school days & to this day I would still love to go back there. I loved the peace & quiet, a traffic jam was a couple of oul lads in tractors stopping for a chat along the road. I would love to spend some time cycling there, but with work & family commitments It may be a while before I get back to the kingdom.
My weekly spin is as flat a the proverbial pancake and the views are very same-ish from maynooth - kilcock - summerhill -dunboyne & maynooth. But on the postitive, it gets me out for a couple of hours.

ustazjoseph

godtabh wrote: »

Will be down in Kenmare at the end of may. Looking to do the ring of Kerry while I'm down there.

Been told that its not a great road to cycle along as a lot of the locals do be pissed off with cyclist on it the whole time.

Is it bad or would it be the same as cycling around Wicklow? Plan to do it on a Sunday morning.

Also does it matter which way you go? Clockwise/anticlockwise?

Im in killorglin . If you really want to do it: the locals are usually fine with cyclists. Sunday morning there ll be loads out training for the ring. the "traditional " direction is killarney , killorglin ,caherciveen etc. By yourself you ll have some opportunities for reflection , some fine scenerey , a couple of good climbs , lots of opportunities for cake and coffee. thinking acoca, top pf molls , murphy's ice cream in killarney , if the french place in caherciveen is open checkitout ( petit delice ) waterville - good cake in little market . sneem - good cafe on the right by the bridge - good ice cream on the left . kennmare - jame . fish and chip place or any pub. enjoy

Ole Rodrigo

I'd second the Beara Peninsula, best days cycling in Ireland when the sun is out.

Top tip - theres a chocolatier on the right as you come down of the Caha pass, forget the name - stock up on a few bars before taking a right to head up to Priests Leap

Edit: Is called Lorge chocolates, and its actually past the turn to Priests Leap ( on the left ) if you're coming from Kenmare ( before hitting the pass )

godtabh

ustazjoseph wrote: »

Im in killorglin . If you really want to do it: the locals are usually fine with cyclists. Sunday morning there ll be loads out training for the ring. the "traditional " direction is killarney , killorglin ,caherciveen etc. By yourself you ll have some opportunities for reflection , some fine scenerey , a couple of good climbs , lots of opportunities for cake and coffee. thinking acoca, top pf molls , murphy's ice cream in killarney , if the french place in caherciveen is open checkitout ( petit delice ) waterville - good cake in little market . sneem - good cafe on the right by the bridge - good ice cream on the left . kennmare - jame . fish and chip place or any pub. enjoy

It was a lady from killorglin would warned me off cycling it!

ROK ON

@Ustazjoseph: you can't mention all of those great places to eat without having space for Jacks bakery in Killorglin.

godtabh

Can people put up any Strava rides they did in the area? My attempt of route planning didn't go well. Don't know the area

godtabh

godtabh wrote: »

Can people put up any Strava rides they did in the area? My attempt of route planning didn't go well. Don't know the area

I see there is a few in the other thread

tamaskan

godtabh wrote: »

I see there is a few in the other thread

If you're looking for someone to show u around and go with u, let me know. I'm always cycling solo around Kenmare. I'm a bit stuck for time but if I know the day in advance I could arrange something I'm sure.

connie_c

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4578074 This is one of the ones I mentioned.

mirv

godtabh wrote: »

I'm down there for about a week so will be doing plenty of cycling. Want to do some training for the eveil 200 so any recommended routes would be welcome.

Sorry for dragging this OT but I wouldn't consider the Ring of Kerry to be anything near adequate training for the Evil 200, as the ROK route is basically a long flat-ish spin.

Reckon you should be able to breeze around the Orwell Rando, and then do the Mick Byrne 200 as testers. Last years Evil 200 was very similar to the 2013 MB200, except without the flat bits, and more climbing, and worse surfaces.

twaimkit

Kenmare is a great base and cycle friendly from my own experience. The rose garden cafe in Kenamre is also a lovely place to stock up on cake as well a a cycle friendly B & B. I have attached a couple routes i did while staying there

http://www.strava.com/activities/44135432

http://www.strava.com/activities/22481277

By the way ignore the length of time it took me to do them i stopped alot looking at scenery

ALso a couple below ive mapped for the next time

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/289735985/

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/289727517/

Hope it helps

godtabh

mirv wrote: »

Sorry for dragging this OT but I wouldn't consider the Ring of Kerry to be anything near adequate training for the Evil 200, as the ROK route is basically a long flat-ish spin.

Reckon you should be able to breeze around the Orwell Rando, and then do the Mick Byrne 200 as testers. Last years Evil 200 was very similar to the 2013 MB200, except without the flat bits, and more climbing, and worse surfaces.

Not around for either do to exams been in Kerry. Just trying to vet what i can done then come June a bit more structured (with no time left!)

thebouldwhacker

godtabh wrote: »

It was a lady from killorglin would warned me off cycling it!

I would pay no more attention to someone from Killorglin than I would a goat. Though they do know their goats there, so I would pay attention if she starts talking about goats, so stay calm and cycle on.

However I agree with ROK ON, Beara is a much much nicer cycle for many reasons.

Lumen

ROK ON wrote: »

Goddamn

I live in Kenmare occasionally

Your dodgy phone autocorrects are one of the highlights of this forum.

2 Wheels Good

This ride has been in my bookmarks for a while. smacl did this last summer and it looks like a great spin.

I'm guessing it was a good day when this was taken! Molls gap, Balligisheen and around being the route I think

ANXIOUS

Sorry to bring this back from the dead, all the other posts seem to be about taking part in the ROK. I'll be in Killarney and have my heart set on doing the ROK. I just have a few questions, I will need to rent bikes. Can anyone recommend a bike shop? In terms of repair gear I'm guessing a few tube and a hand pump, do many villages have a bike shop/pump to get the PSI up? Any general recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

ZiabR

2 Wheels Good wrote: »

This ride has been in my bookmarks for a while. smacl did this last summer and it looks like a great spin.

I'm guessing it was a good day when this was taken! Molls gap, Balligisheen and around being the route I think

Thats a lovely looking ride alright. Beautiful part of the country.

smacl

logik wrote: »

Thats a lovely looking ride alright. Beautiful part of the country.

Yes indeed. For me on the Ivereagh peninsula, the smaller inland roads around Glencar, Balligasheen, Ballaghbeama, and the Gap of Dunloe make for much better cycling in just about every respect than the main drag around the ring of Kerry. The only caveat is they're more remote, so you need to be able effect your own roadside repairs. Was there for a week at the start of the month, and dying to get back already.

smacl

ANXIOUS wrote: »

Sorry to bring this back from the dead, all the other posts seem to be about taking part in the ROK. I'll be in Killarney and have my heart set on doing the ROK. I just have a few questions, I will need to rent bikes. Can anyone recommend a bike shop? In terms of repair gear I'm guessing a few tube and a hand pump, do many villages have a bike shop/pump to get the PSI up? Any general recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

You can rent bikes in Killarney, but no idea what they're like, possibly just hybrids. There's a very friendly bike shop in Kenmare that rents road bikes, on the corner as you come in from the Killarney direction. Bikes also for rent in Sneem, but again possibly just hybrids.

ZiabR

smacl wrote: »

You can rent bikes in Killarney, but no idea what they're like, possibly just hybrids. There's a very friendly bike shop in Kenmare that rents road bikes, on the corner as you come in from the Killarney direction. Bikes also for rent in Sneem, but again possibly just hybrids.

The OH is from Kerry, I really need to make more use of the free accommodation and get the bikes back down there for a week! Loved the RoK this year but I have driven the length and breadth of the county and I know there other jems to be ridden!

tamaskan

ANXIOUS wrote: »

Sorry to bring this back from the dead, all the other posts seem to be about taking part in the ROK. I'll be in Killarney and have my heart set on doing the ROK. I just have a few questions, I will need to rent bikes. Can anyone recommend a bike shop? In terms of repair gear I'm guessing a few tube and a hand pump, do many villages have a bike shop/pump to get the PSI up? Any general recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Anxious, you can rent bikes in O'Sullivan's cycles in Killarney on the Main Street just up and across the road from Penneys. Also Finnegans in Kenmare on the corner of Henry and Shelbourne st is a good spot for your needs. Not sure about race bikes rental but definitely hybrids. Look em both up on the aul' inter web thingy and give them a call.