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What sections of royal canal are passable by road bike?

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  • 25-06-2023 5:40pm
    #1
    mpeter92
    Registered Users Posts: 43 ✭


    I was cycling on the Royal canal canal this weekend on my road bike from phisborough. I got as far as castleknock before I had to get off as it was overgrown to coolmine. Checking coolmine, it was dirt track with a lot of tree roots poking up so I went around to clonsilla where I was able up continue to lexlip. It was fenced off at that point.

    What sections are complete/passable?

    Post edited by mpeter92 on
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    #2
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,960 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057747877/royal-canal-on-a-road-bike

    Full thread on it!



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    #3
    01Surveyor
    Registered Users Posts: 114 ✭✭01Surveyor


    I decided to take advantage of the the good forecast for today and did the loop from the city to Ardclough on the Grand, and back through Celbridge and leixlip via the Royal today. The forecast turned out to be wrong with heavy mist throughout the trip making conditions fairly miserable.

    The stretch from the 12th lock to Hazelhatch was really wet and muddy and I found it difficult to maintain enough speed to blast through the muck and eventually lost momentum and went down, otherwise the Grand was fine.

    The return journey on the Royal was uneventful until I got to The Deepsinking with the middle and end section so bad they were dangerous.The middle and highest section, which has the heaviest concentration of exposed tree roots and rock, was lethal as the path was covered with leaves making it difficult to pick your way through the hazzards, the path seems to have become very narrow and was very slippery. I eventually lost my nerve and walked the worst part of the mid section. I remounted for the last section and very nearly got caught out by one of the three drainage channels on the canal side, these seem to have encroached further into the pathway, with one taking up at least half the width of the already narrow path.

    Im a big fan of the Deepsinking and have cycled it dozens of times, and fallen (not into the canal!) several time so Im not a complete coward, but it was so dangerous today, and for the first time ever, I didnt enjoy it. I think there may be a need to post warning signs on the Deepsinking as sadly it seems to have become 'an accident waiting to happen'.

    Despite the miserable weather, and poor cycling conditions, any trip on the canal is better than one just about anywhere else.



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    #4
    01Surveyor
    Registered Users Posts: 114 ✭✭01Surveyor


    Apologies for the double post.



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