Mullingar to Dublin on the Royal Canal

8kvscdpglqnyr4

Is this possible on a road bike? What's the surface like?
Thinking about doing it if it's possible some Sunny Sunday morning

tikkamark

Definitely not fit for a road bike I live near it and it's more suited to a mountain bike or a hybrid bike with larger tyres,there's sections of it tarred but mostly gravel

velo.2010

More work ongoing around Kilcock and beyond over the summer.
From Discover Kilcock Facebook...

Kilcock Greenway update 2017.
Following agreement by all stakeholders involved work will commence from Chambers lock"clintons lock"JULY-AUGUST to Maynooth and Kilcock to Ferns lock September 2017!
More information on completion of Greenway to Follow when available

Mercian Pro

Check out http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057747877 for the section from Kilcock to Dublin. Enfield to Kilcock is grass which isn't too bad when it's cut but catches in the gears and chain when it's not.

Regarding velo.2010's post, Chambers Lock is 1.6km east of Kilcock and Ferns Lock is 3.8km to the west. It would be interesting to know if those sections will be impassable while the works are under way.

8kvscdpglqnyr4

Thanks everyone. Looks like I'll have to wait a while longer to do this

marvin80

Update:

"Waterways Ireland wishes to advise that further upgrading works will take place over the coming months to the Royal Canal towpaths in the Maynooth & Kilcock areas, as part of the National Cycle Network upgrades.
​The canal towpaths will be closed to the public between Maynooth Harbour and Chambers Bridge Kilcock, and from Spin Bridge Kilcock to Ferns Lock, over much of the period from September to December 2017.

Works will continue until end 2017, and signage at individual entrance locations on site will confirm relevant closure dates for those points."

nice_guy80

you can cycle from the Shannon as far as Maynooth

surface is good all the way through longford and westmeath

secman

nice_guy80 wrote: »

you can cycle from the Shannon as far as Maynooth

surface is good all the way through longford and westmeath

Problem now for OP is waiting for a sunny Sunday morning

velo.2010

Lots of activity on the Royal Canal Greenway over the past couple of months. Work progressing well and the section either side of Kilcock will be finished in the no too distant future.

There is a chap posting regular photo's to the Discover Kilcock Facebook page. Scroll down the page and you'll see the constructon work in progress.
https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverKilcock

ED E

Would be great if somebody did a hyperlapse of the route.

Mercian Pro

Looking forward to trying this early in the new year. Sounds like Maynooth to Mullingar and on to the Shannon or left to Athlone will all be paved. Hopefully no kissing gates along the route.

Carawaystick

It's funny both canals have difficult to cycle on bits cutting Dublin off from the rest of the country - Deep sinking and lucan to Hazelhatch on the grand

irishrover99

Done a section yesterday from Ashtown gate to Westmanton road up the back of Lucan.
Done on my old commuter road bike with a 30mm CX tyre on the front and a 28mm touring tyre on the back.
It was grand all the way with the deep sinking section the only troublesome bit and even that was good fun.
Would loved to have gone on further but i was on the clock.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1283135439

LennoxR

irishrover99 wrote: »

Done a section yesterday from Ashtown gate to Westmanton road up the back of Lucan.
Done on my old commuter road bike with a 30mm CX tyre on the front and a 28mm touring tyre on the back.
It was grand all the way with the deep sinking section the only troublesome bit and even that was good fun.
Would loved to have gone on further but i was on the clock.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1283135439

Fair play for doing that on touring bike, I did the same on my gravel bike a few weeks ago and found it tough going. Did you not have to walk the deep sinking? Seriously rocky and rooty!

cdaly_

I've done the deep sinking a number of times on the touring bike. It's grand when dry but I've walked sections of it when wet.

I rode some of the 'under construction' bits back in August and it was a seriously tough day out...

LennoxR

cdaly_ wrote: »

I've done the deep sinking a number of times on the touring bike. It's grand when dry but I've walked sections of it when wet.

I rode some of the 'under construction' bits back in August and it was a seriously tough day out...

Yeah it was mucky when I was there and lots of walkers, so too dangerous to ride most of it.

irishrover99

LennoxR wrote: »

Fair play for doing that on touring bike, I did the same on my gravel bike a few weeks ago and found it tough going. Did you not have to walk the deep sinking? Seriously rocky and rooty!

No. I didn't dismount at any point. Its only my second time through there and for some reason it looked wider than before. I was wondering if they had cut back some of the bushes on the left hand side as it didn't seem as narrow as when i'd been through before.

MysticMonk

I've done the deep sinking without dismounting on a mountain bike..I wouldn't like to attempt it on anything with thinner tyres ,theres lots of sharp rocks to deal with.

LennoxR

MysticMonk wrote: »

I've done the deep sinking without dismounting on a mountain bike..I wouldn't like to attempt it on anything with thinner tyres ,theres lots of sharp rocks to deal with.

Yup. I'd say the suspension came in handy too. I can't imagine even trying it on road or touring bike. But apparently some can, so my hat is off to them.

I could have ridden it very slowly on my gravel bike, but it was scary and there were too many walkers who I couldn't pass safely so I ended up walking probably nearly half of it.

MysticMonk

Speaking of the Deep Sinking..this saturday is the anniversary of the sinking of Longford in 1845 with the loss of 15 lives.

Mercian Pro

Finally found a FB page and website with all the info on the Royal Canal Greenway including updates on the various works being completed. It's at https://www.facebook.com/royalcanalgreenway/ with a link to their website.

Carawaystick

They are underselling the bit from Ashtown to North strand road section, all that needs doing is opening the barriers between Ashtown and Broombridge and designating a cycling track from Phibsboro down to Dorset st.