Good roads to ride

brownian

Hi all,

I thought a thread on good roads to ride would be educational. A fair few folk that I ride with don't often think much beyond the Sally Gap/Laragh/Ashford triangle (starting from south Dublin), with Blessington and the Wicklow Gap being the outer edges of the known world.

Having spent 3 months of lockdown near Laragh, and 20 years of growing up in Wicklow, I got to ride a few nice roads. But I am sure there are many more.

Also, when away for a weekend (or a week), it'd be good to know where the cycling gems are.

So...to start the ball rolling, some of the roads I like in Wicklow

1: Ballinaclash to Aughavannagh via the Brown Mountain - a balcony with two wee hairpins. From the Macreddin crossroads on, it's just great. Good in the opposite direction too.
2: The Beehive to Arklow along Brittas Bay and the Coast. Not on a summer weekend, but open and airy in winter.
3: Rathdrum to Avoca via Avondale and Kingston. A short but scenic alternative to the 'no overtaking at all at all at all' main road.
4: Greenane to Clara vale via the first-turn-left after you leave Greenane heading for Rathdum (past the old dead Golf Club). By its smooth smooth surface shall you know it. A nice way back if you've ridden the easy side of the Shay Elliott.
5: Almost any road around Croghan Kinsella. Especially the right-hand side (looking from Aughrim towards Croghan). And the road around the wee hill behind it.
6: Aughavannagh to Aughrim (finally resurfaced after 20 years!). Some lovely deciduous forest, pretty river. Iron Bridge option for the hardy.

My knowledge of the wider country must of course be less than the locals, but some goodies...

Glen Inagh, Connemara
Lough Fee, Connemara
Aughrus Head/Claddaghduff, Connemara
Doo Lough Pass, Mayo
Sheefry Pass, Mayo

Healy Pass, Cork
Caha Pass, Cork
Borlin Valley, Cork

Gap of Dunloe, Kerry (ignore the Jarveys, the road is just fantastic)
Black Valley, Kerry
Ballaghabeama Gap, Kerry (these three are all on the Ring of the Reeks, a good day out)
Ballaghsheen Gap, Kerry
Slea Head, Kerry
Caherconree, Kerry (really just a test piece - the access road N86 is a bit crap...but if you're in Camp or Castlegregory anyway...).
Conor Pass, Kerry (but not as good as Healy!)

Weepsie

Donard to Aughrim is a good one. Through glen of imaal. You can go via aughavanna or knockananna. Roads are not as busy as those further north.

It's not as pointy , but it rolls nicely.

Macy0161

Old Long Hill to Roundwood, and/ or Annacarter Cross to Laragh via Old Bridge (and vica versa). I really don't know why anyone would chose to do Kilmac to Roundwood and the Long Hill on a Saturday or Sunday morning. More climby, but way way less traffic. Worst part of my club spins is Roundwood to Kilmac to meet the group (as I can never get organised early enough to go the back road) - one of the worst roads for close and punishment passes in my experience.

The Glencoria roads really lay undiscovered to me for years. Surfaces poor, but very little traffic.

Conary/ Kilmacurragh I always think I should ride these roads more.

brownian wrote: »

1: Ballinaclash to Aughavannagh via the Brown Mountain - a balcony with two wee hairpins. From the Macreddin crossroads on, it's just great. Good in the opposite direction too.

Brown Mountain is my favourite of the three. Love that climb - best views of the three as well, and it reminds me a bit of the Kilmahon side of Corn Hill!

brownian wrote: »

4: Greenane to Clara vale via the first-turn-left after you leave Greenane heading for Rathdum (past the old dead Golf Club). By its smooth smooth surface shall you know it. A nice way back if you've ridden the easy side of the Shay Elliott.

Not as good a surface, but the turn up the baby Shay before you get to Greenane from Glenmalure (that has the sculpture on the junction). On the Mick Byrne route iirc.

Miklos

I haven’t cycled it but I drove it a few weeks ago, the Healy Pass on the ring of Beara. I went from the Kerry side but it looked like it would be more craic from the Cork side.

a148pro

An aul link to a GPX with a route taking some of these in would be great if anyone has it, for those of us that don't know Wicklow that well beyond the usual big hitters

Don't Chute!

Great idea for a thread!

secman

Gorey to Arklow on old n11, woodenbridge , Avoca, Rathdrum, Deputy's pass, across to the Beehive and back on old n11 to Arklow and Gorey. Lovely route.
Also the roads uo the back of woodenbridge behind the garage , again lovely surface.
Also when coming into Avoca from woodenbridge, take the right turn which climbs for a bit , just before it evens out take the left turn up barniskey, a nice little climb, from there head for the coast road by brittas bay.
Also at the back of Tara hill, Castlletown, take the turn at the Anchor pub and roll along the coast road, lovely views.
The road down by the European Golf course is lovely too.
Have ridden all those routes and also up by the Gap pub.., some fantastic routes down around Gorey for sure.

brownian

Miklos wrote: »

I haven’t cycled it but I drove it a few weeks ago, the Healy Pass on the ring of Beara. I went from the Kerry side but it looked like it would be more craic from the Cork side.

The Healy from Cork (S) side is indeed the better side. Squiggles around like an alpine col. Worth going slow on the descent, for the super views down to the left.

brownian

Coming south from Roundwood, if you've had enough of the traffic on the main road, or can't face the Old Bridge hill on the upper road...keep left at the Y at the S end of the village (passing Byrne+Woods pub), and climb briefly/steeply to the next junction (road swings sharp left at junction). Take the R at the junction, and go S to Tom Riland Cross Roads. Right and immediate Left takes you to Garryduff Cross Roads, where a right takes you to Laragh over the Clara Vale. Straight on at Garryduff takes you to Rathdrum; left takes you to Glenealy, for easy access to Rathnew and the coast road.

At Tom Riland, going R and then NOT taking the immediate left will drop you very pleasantly down into Annamoe. It'd be faster on the main road, but what's your rush?

There's a modest network of roads around Roundwood that are worth poking around. My favourite is the wonderfully-named Knockaphrumpa Lane, which is sadly a bit rough in spots.

loyatemu

brownian wrote: »

There's a modest network of roads around Roundwood that are worth poking around. My favourite is the wonderfully-named Knockaphrumpa Lane, which is sadly a bit rough in spots.

Knockaphrumpa is a great little road, it's was a gravel farm track but was resurfaced a couple of years ago so it's fine on a road bike. All those little road between Roundwood, Ashford and Rathdrum are Sorrento CC regulars, hence their presence on the Mick Byrne.

This road a bit further south near Avondale is also beautiful and virtually traffic-free. Detour up to the nearby Mottee Stone afterwards for an amazing view over south Wicklow.

Mercian Pro

Macy0161 wrote: »

Old Long Hill to Roundwood, and/ or Annacarter Cross to Laragh via Old Bridge (and vica versa).

Only discovered the back road to Laragh via Oldbridge on the Mini-Evil and it is so much better than the main road through Roundwood and Annamoe. Haven't tried it heading north yet and I might change my mind. The Old Long Hill by Djouce and Ballinastoe is the opposite with heading south always more of a slog than going north.

In Cork one of my favourite roads is along the north edge of the Mizen peninsula looking across at Sheep's Head.

wersal gummage

brownian wrote: »

Hi all,

. A fair few folk that I ride with don't often think much beyond the Sally Gap/Laragh/Ashford triangle (starting from south Dublin), with Blessington and the Wicklow Gap being the outer edges of the known world.

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Is that route popular for good reason? Roads good? Of so, could you give any further details or is is just as simple as popping those 3 locations in the map and create the route?

I was around Wicklow a few days ago, from enniskerry up along by djouce etc was all stone chippings and cars driving past at speed sending them into me... Was grand now, but if there's a more popular route with good roads I would like to give that a go next time out. After that I'll try some of your more imaginative suggestions!

Thanks

brownian

Sally and Wicklow Gaps are popular, I guess, because they are quite remote, with a feeling of 'well out in the country', and they are some of the highest roads that are (relatively) easy to access from Dublin. Sally is also one of the few obvious ways you get into Wicklow without heavy traffic (N11) or small roads with too much traffic (coast road). And, to be honest, both are really nice roads and very enjoyable.

Pop Sally Gap into Google Maps from your house. Laragh from Sally is obvious. Various ways home from Laragh; the most common is probably the main road via Roundwood; options promoted on this thread include long hill (parallel, just to the W of the main road) and old bridge (bumpier way back to Roundwood). You can of course cross the WW Gap from Laragh and come home via Blessington. Personally, I hate the N81 and so would avoid this, but there side-road options for at least some of the way home - the Artillery Range road is suprising.

Sally Gap to Laragh https://goo.gl/maps/MYvb971TaEQsC24B7

Laragh to Old Bridge and Long Hill https://goo.gl/maps/DTLsMz8WCiUy5Sx46

brownian

Ballinaclash to Aughavannagh via the Brown Mountain: https://goo.gl/maps/bJKXcWA1U4kNniEc7

Aughavannagh to Aughrim: https://goo.gl/maps/rCRJVAQhJcToJqx39

Sally Gap to Laragh https://goo.gl/maps/MYvb971TaEQsC24B7

Laragh to Old Bridge and Long Hill https://goo.gl/maps/DTLsMz8WCiUy5Sx46

Rathdrum to Avoca via Kingston: https://goo.gl/maps/3QoEPKAqnvFnVkzV8

Greenane to Clara via first-turn-left (the smooth one): https://goo.gl/maps/snJ6hLmTME8VT1o59

Large bottle small glass

Bump

C3PO

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

Bump

Got a new gravel bike did we?

fryup

Good roads to ride ???:P MUST RESIST MAKING INNUENDO COMMENT

but seriously, killaloe to mountshannon (40k round trip) is a fab spin on a sunny day, flat for the most part but the hills in ogonnelloe are a killer

Large bottle small glass

C3PO wrote: »

Got a new gravel bike did we?

I've ridden that road with road and gravel bike.

Both work fine, 28mm clincher Vs 37mm tubeless.

Must have had a Google Unimog or quad that day...

County Tipperary
https://maps.app.goo.gl/RApaUYMUDbT4XqpH9

breezy1985

fryup wrote: »

Good roads to ride ???:P MUST RESIST MAKING INNUENDO COMMENT

but seriously, killaloe to mountshannon (40k round trip) is a fab spin on a sunny day, flat for the most part but the hills in ogonnelloe are a killer

Sally gap maybe

But seriously for rolling terrain and false flat roads you can't go wrong in Clare.

Loop head is a pretty amazing one down by Kilkee
https://www.activeme.ie/guides/loop-head-cycle-loop-and-heritage-trail-kilkee-co-clare-wild-atlantic-way-ireland/

A slightly higher one also well known to Limerick and south Clare people will be the various roads up and down out of Cratloe and Gallows Hill

retalivity

My non-mountain spin from dublin is generally out to maynooth and back in a circle. The best route I find is through the park and out strawberry beds and back roads behind intel, carton etc. Its generally pretty quiet and road is in ok nick, with a nice hill at westmanstown thrown in. Here's a segment for it

https://www.strava.com/segments/15268282

If im coming back via hazelhatch, I find that the lords road and tubber lane are great roads to ride - fast, quiet and great surfaces.

https://www.strava.com/segments/7479024/
https://www.strava.com/segments/15963512