Whats your favorite 70k - 100k spin near Dublin

cajetan

Hi

I'm looking to do a number of spins outside of Dublin to avoid the cycle through suburbia, busy roads or stocking lane when leaving/returning.

I'd be very interested to hear your favorite spins that satisfy the following criteria:

- Distance 70k to 100k
- Circular route
- Quiet country scenic roads. Part coastal route would be nice.
- Mostly rolling or flat terrain. No mountain climbs !
- Starting point an hour to 1.5 hours drive from Dublin.

The plan is to drive the to the start with the bike. After the cycle I'd plan to stay the night with a few friends so if you could recommend a good pub/restaurant with accomodation nearby as well that would be a bonus.


Many thanks for any suggestions

Al Wright

There are relatively quiet routes out from Dublin; for example on southside;- Enniskerry-Kilmacanogue- Delgany (via Kilmurry ) coast road via Kilcoole - Rathnew-Ashford
(teabreak at Mount Usher gardens café)- then West towards Rathdrum and return by Moneytown-Roundwood- Dijouce- etc.

A quieter level(almost) route is the canal/greenway Mullingar- Abbeyshrule along canal, byroads to Moate and onto Greenroute back to Mullingar. This route can be shortened by leaving canal at Ballinacarrigy for Moate. It might be better to start West of Mullingar to avoid narrow towpath sections under bridges in Mullingar town

godtabh

Al Wright wrote: »

There are relatively quiet routes out from Dublin; for example on southside;- Enniskerry-Kilmacanogue- Delgany (via Kilmurry ) coast road via Kilcoole - Rathnew-Ashford
(teabreak at Mount Usher gardens café)- then West towards Rathdrum and return by Moneytown-Roundwood- Dijouce- etc.

A quieter level(almost) route is the canal/greenway Mullingar- Abbeyshrule along canal, byroads to Moate and onto Greenroute back to Mullingar. This route can be shortened by leaving canal at Ballinacarrigy for Moate. It might be better to start West of Mullingar to avoid narrow towpath sections under bridges in Mullingar town

Dublin to Moat is about 100km. A loop back would make that very long.

smacl

My choice of flat route from Dublin is Grand Canal as far as Leinster aqueduct, change sides at Digby's bridge, secondary canal to Naas. Old road (Craddockstown road) to Punchestown, back roads (a few choices) to Ballymore Eustace, Poulaphouca, Tulfarris, lake drive, Blessington, ManroKilbride, Ballinascorney (small climb), Dublin. Canal can be boggy and tough on a road bike, so a similar route is get off the canal here and follow the R120 to Athgoe, Steelstown, Punchestown, or Lyons, Castlewarden, Punchestown. Circuit ranges from about 80k to 110k for me starting in Ballyboden.

Some lovely cycling as well around the villages of south Wicklow, e.g. Shillelagh, Tinahely, Hacketstown, Clonegal, Aughrim etc.. Not mountainous, but not flat either.

retalivity

Starting from kilmainham...

Phoenix park - castleknock - blanch - ballycoolin - kilshane - old n2 to asbourne - back roads to swords - malahide - portmarnock - sutton - loop of howth - coast road to city centre.

About 70k, relatively flat apart from howth

Carawaystick

cajetan wrote: »

Hi

I'm looking to do a number of spins outside of Dublin to avoid the cycle through suburbia, busy roads or stocking lane when leaving/returning.

I'd be very interested to hear your favorite spins that satisfy the following criteria:

- Distance 70k to 100k
- Circular route
- Quiet country scenic roads. Part coastal route would be nice.
- Mostly rolling or flat terrain. No mountain climbs !
- Starting point an hour to 1.5 hours drive from Dublin.

The plan is to drive the to the start with the bike. After the cycle I'd plan to stay the night with a few friends so if you could recommend a good pub/restaurant with accomodation nearby as well that would be a bonus.


Many thanks for any suggestions

Cruagh road so...


Around Clogher head/ Anagassan is nice, and under visited. Start in Drogheda, head down the Boyne, to Termonfecin and along the coast to Castlebellingham. Loop inland to Tallanstown and back to Ardee, and then the back roads the Dying light audax takes in reverse to King Billys Glen and Drogheda - 70 km or so.


Wicklow - Arklow - Castletown - Inch - Wicklow Gap towards Tinahealy - Aughrim - Rathdrum - Deputy's pass Wicklow is a hundred km.

Loughrea is an hour and a half away for Liffey Valley, Do the loop of the Sliabh Aughty. You've the shore of Loughrea for a bit of it. Use quieter country roads parallel and north west of the N66 - 70 km.

The loop Mullingar - Ballinacarrigy - Moate and back is a good one - flat and mostly off road.
You could always start in Athlone, go to Moate, and then either the Greenway to Mullingar and back by the canal to Ballinacarrigy or vice versa

Red Kev

I'd second that Mullingar-Moate-Athlone-Mullingar route. Did it Paddy's Day, it's about 92KM. Athlone-Ballymahon is a narrow and busy N road but you can go mostly on smaller roads on the Lough Ree side of it. Canal path is mostly tarred, there's a 500m stretch about 2 km west of Abbeyshrule that's soft, but apart from that it's fine.

Other cycles are a loop of the Carlingford peninsula from Dundalk, if you include looping Slieve Gullion, it's about 80km. Great views.

I do this on a regular basis, Man O'War pub is a nice stop off on the way back. Plenty of variations of that, head out to Laytown and you're up on 100km.

You can also cycle one way and take a return train to loads of places as an alternative.

mr spuckler

retalivity wrote: »

Starting from kilmainham...

Phoenix park - castleknock - blanch - ballycoolin - kilshane - old n2 to asbourne - back roads to swords - malahide - portmarnock - sutton - loop of howth - coast road to city centre.

About 70k, relatively flat apart from howth

and howth isn't too much of a hill

i did a similar route last weekend, starting from northside but heading down to the park and on out through blanch, ballycoolin, kilshane etc. that section isn't the most scenic but worth it for getting out to the coast and having the view across howth as you come in from malahide and then across dublin bay as you leave sutton to come back into town

some of the back roads north of the airport are nice and quiet too, plenty of options once you're out in the countryside