Poolboy cottages, Ballinasloe

gzoladz

Hello,

What's this area like? I am organising a cycling activity and this little road looks ideal to get into Ballinasloe, to avoid the R355 presumably with more traffic.

However, the area looks a bit run down (babased on photos on the internet).

Anything to worry about from a safety perspective?

afkasurfjunkie

That road is a cul de sac. It ends at the suck river. The m6 motorway runs parallel and has a bridge over the river but there isn't really access to the motorway from that road.

I'm local to that area. As a place to cycle, it is a nice run especially in good weather, but as an access to the town it's a very long way round especially with the long straight downhill from brackernagh. If you're on about approaching from Portumna direction, there is a long bog road that you can enter in, and if you're good with off-road the old pathway beside the Grand Canal stretch from Shannon Harbour to Ballinasloe is cyclable, but you may come across either traveller camps or their remains.

If I recall right there's a biker's group in town that would know the best ways round that countryside, there's a bike shop beside Duggan Park has its posters & the owner's a member. If I can, I'll look for their contact details & report back later.

When I get my Montague Paratrooper, I'm up for it. One day folks, one day....

Edit: Just to add, there's a footbridge to the East of the Western Motorway on-off ramp, which is was the original Portumna road route before the motorway. This bridge has "no bicycles" signs on both ends & bollards to discourage cycling across it. Doesn't stop some though (and as a local, I don't mind that much as long as you don't whizz down the far end of it).

gzoladz

Thanks, I will check google map in more detail when I get home.

I will be approaching from Laurencetown and want to get out of the r355 into a local road, hence the poolboy cottages option.

My bike would not be particularly suitable for offroad and I will be cycling from Dublin along the Grand Canal so at that stage I will try to reduce legs effort as much as possible!

Thanks for the comments, I may ask some other questions later.

gzoladz

afkasurfjunkie wrote: »

That road is a cul de sac. It ends at the suck river. The m6 motorway runs parallel and has a bridge over the river but there isn't really access to the motorway from that road.

Do you mind me asking where the cul de sac is? If I am riding on that road coming from Laurencetown, according to google maps it crosses the motorway and it ends up at a roundabout where the Clarion Sheerwater is?

afkasurfjunkie

No you are right. If you come to the shearwater you rejoin the old dublin/Galway road and you can continue on your way. I thought you wanted to use it to bypass the town altogether which isn't really possible. That area is not rough so there are no safety concerns.

gzoladz

afkasurfjunkie wrote: »

No you are right. If you come to the shearwater you rejoin the old dublin/Galway road and you can continue on your way. I thought you wanted to use it to bypass the town altogether which isn't really possible. That area is not rough so there are no safety concerns.

Thanks, no I just need to get to the train station. And the area you say is ok is poolboy rd to come into Ballinasloe from the south?

afkasurfjunkie

The area is fine but if it's the train station you are heading for id just head on the regular road. It's shorter and the road goes mostly downhill in the direction of the station. Traffic won't pass you any faster then the cars that will whizz by you on the Laurencetown to ballinasloe stretch.

gzoladz

Cool thanks. Just fyi I plan to turn right to take poolboy cottages half way between Laurencetown and Ballinasloe to cycle on the smaller/rural road.

kaizersoze

If approaching from Lawrencetown and your end point is the railway station, then you have 3 possible routes as I see it.

Route 1 is the route you're asking about via Pollboy...


Route 2 is the more direct route keeping to the main road...


Route 3 would suit is you want to avoid traffic and the town completely....


A lot depends on the size of the activity, how many cyclists, how well it will be marshalled and when you're thinking of doing it.

gzoladz

Thnaks Kaisersoze. I will be cycling from Shannon Harbour (actually from Dublin along the GC), it will not be marshalled as it is a weekend activity and for no leg we will be more than 3.

Route 1 is the choosen one as we need to vet to the train station to go back to Dublin.

afkasurfjunkie

gzoladz wrote: »

Thnaks Kaisersoze. I will be cycling from Shannon Harbour (actually from Dublin along the GC), it will not be marshalled as it is a weekend activity and for no leg we will be more than 3.

Route 1 is the choosen one as we need to vet to the train station to go back to Dublin.

I didn't realise you could cycle along the GC. That sounds like a lovely idea. So you will have very little traffic or busy roads to contend with? Might plan a trip myself! In the opposite direction

gzoladz

afkasurfjunkie wrote: »

I didn't realise you could cycle along the GC. That sounds like a lovely idea. So you will have very little traffic or busy roads to contend with? Might plan a trip myself! In the opposite direction

I did the Royal from Dublin to Cloondara last year and loved it, so I am going for the Grand now.

You need to follow the RC Way to avoid cul de sacs. There are a few parts where the surface is a bit rough but doable.

gzoladz

gzoladz wrote: »

I did the Royal from Dublin to Cloondara last year and loved it, so I am going for the Grand now.

You need to follow the RC Way to avoid cul de sacs. There are a few parts where the surface is a bit rough but doable.

I have completed the cycle. I entered Ballinasloe via the poolboy cottages. Nice road for cycling.

Unfortunately the closer to Ballinasloe the dirtier it was, some parts just beyond belief (specifically on that road).

Nice trip all in all.

kaizersoze

Aye. The illegal dumping up there is chronic.