Royal Canal on a Road Bike

Harrybelafonte · 20-01-2018 10:19AM

Carawaystick wrote: »

You do realise the canal is an entirely human built thing? not a natural feature of the landscape.

He/She referred to the surface around the canal and made a point with which I totally agree.

magicbastarder · 20-01-2018 10:57AM

Carawaystick wrote: »

You do realise the canal is an entirely human built thing? not a natural feature of the landscape.

not sure what your point is; we can't favour grass over gravel?

CapnHex · 21-01-2018 09:40PM

In my opinion, the best sections of the royal canal are the gravel sections all the way to Ballymahon. Looking forward to Meath completing their sections. Much of Grand Canal is way behind and hard to cycle outside of perfect dry conditions.

TooObvious · 22-01-2018 10:49AM

Yeah, gravel sections from Mullingar all the way to Ballymahon are lovely, just the right amount of gravelliness! I'm going to cycle from B'Mahon to Clondara at the weekend, hopefully it won't be as pissy as last weekend.

marvin80 · 22-01-2018 10:59AM

TooObvious wrote: »

Yeah, gravel sections from Mullingar all the way to Ballymahon are lovely, just the right amount of gravelliness! I'm going to cycle from B'Mahon to Clondara at the weekend, hopefully it won't be as pissy as last weekend.

As far as I know Longford County Council have been working on the section after Ballymahon for the past few weeks - let us know how it looks.

TooObvious · 22-01-2018 12:30PM

Thanks for letting me know - will advise how i get on!

Gorteen · 25-01-2018 08:25AM

TooObvious wrote: »

Yeah, gravel sections from Mullingar all the way to Ballymahon are lovely, just the right amount of gravelliness! I'm going to cycle from B'Mahon to Clondara at the weekend, hopefully it won't be as pissy as last weekend.

PM sent

TooObvious · 29-01-2018 09:50AM

So, I cycled from Brannigan Harbour in Ballymahon to Clondra via the canal at the weekend. Gorteen joined me for the outward leg. The full route can be cycled without dismounting on a CX bike, though it is at the moment fairly muddy in places - chiefly where works are being carried out to lay down the track. I don't recall any singletrack so all of the route is either paved now or to be completed imminently. I spoke to a Inland Waterways chap whilst en-route and he said that the work would be completed in about 6 weeks.

Carawaystick · 30-01-2018 01:03AM

TooObvious wrote: »

Yeah, gravel sections from Mullingar all the way to Ballymahon are lovely, just the right amount of gravelliness! I'm going to cycle from B'Mahon to Clondara at the weekend, hopefully it won't be as pissy as last weekend.

How do they compare with the dust sections immediately east of Mullingar?

TooObvious · 30-01-2018 11:46AM

The surface is a mix of older tarmaced (road) surface and the new surface which is a grit surface with a similar grade to that used between Mullingar and Ballymahon. Once complete should be happily doable on 25's, 23 even if you want to.

CapnHex · 03-02-2018 08:16PM

Cycled from Thomastown Bridge/Nancy Quinns Pub to Moyvalley/Fureys Pub today, about 17km of mainly fine grit/gravel with some top quality tarmac and some rougher tarmac. My first time to cycle this section since the surface was upgraded. I think that must give The Royal Canal the title of the longest continuous greenway in Ireland. I believe you can now cycle from Fureys Pub to Longford Bridge/Ballymahon, a distance of roughly 70km.

Gorteen · 03-02-2018 11:26PM

CapnHex wrote: »

Cycled from Thomastown Bridge/Nancy Quinns Pub to Moyvalley/Fureys Pub today, about 17km of mainly fine grit/gravel with some top quality tarmac and some rougher tarmac. My first time to cycle this section since the surface was upgraded. I think that must give The Royal Canal the title of the longest continuous greenway in Ireland. I believe you can now cycle from Fureys Pub to Longford Bridge/Ballymahon, a distance of roughly 70km.

Work ongoing on last "grass" stretch of Ballymahon to Clondra. Is expected to be finished in 6 weeks time. That will make a continuous greenway from Furey's Pub to Clondra, a total distance of 95km approx.... All that's required now is the same level of marketing and promotion that has been given to Waterford & Westport Greenways....

surball · 04-02-2018 02:51PM

Work ongoing on last "grass" stretch of Ballymahon to Clondra. Is expected to be finished in 6 weeks time. That will make a continuous greenway from Furey's Pub to Clondra, a total distance of 95km approx.... All that's required now is the same level of marketing and promotion that has been given to Waterford & Westport Greenways....

What about the section between ballyduff and killashee? Last time I cycled around here I had to come off the canal and on to the road

dermot65 · 04-02-2018 03:01PM

Has section from kilkock to maynooth reopened, was closed for bridge works, any update on section from maynooth towards Dublin, still nothing happing on this section

Mercian Pro · 04-02-2018 04:51PM

Gorteen wrote: »

... All that's required now is the same level of marketing and promotion that has been given to Waterford & Westport Greenways....

.....and for the other County Councils to complete their sections of the 145km Royal Canal Greenway.

CapnHex · 04-02-2018 08:27PM

I met a local cyclist near Furey's and she said there was some issues getting under the R148 at Furey's. She thought it would take a bridge over the road, as the canal and rail line didn't leave enough room to go under the road. Looks like the road was realigned some time in the past. Maybe something like the new bridges added for the Waterford greenway.

lamaq · 04-02-2018 10:19PM

The current bridge doesn't allow for the towpath, think an underpass would be better than a bridge, like they also have on the Waterford Greenway. Seems they prefer traffic lights on the canal though.

Missus Doubtfire · 05-02-2018 05:54PM

dermot65 wrote: »

Has section from kilkock to maynooth reopened, was closed for bridge works, any update on section from maynooth towards Dublin, still nothing happing on this section

I was down that way yesterday and it still looks like it's just a grass verge from the level crossing at Intel (Lock 13) out towards the bridge at Carton House.

guanciale · 05-02-2018 08:28PM

Kilcok to maynooth is open. In fact the section runs from about 5km west of Kilcock all the way to Maynooth.
From Maynooth to Dublin;
First 2 km or so leaving Maynooth jeading toward Leixlip are fine. Then there is a muddy section that runs from parallel to Carton House all the way to railway crossing close to Intel.
From there to Leixlip is hard packed fine gravel. Not bad to cycle on at all.

Gorteen · 05-02-2018 08:58PM

From past Kilcock (Fern's Lock / McLoughlin Bridge) to Enfield was hard work a few weeks ago. Boggy, Muck, Grass... nothing pleasant about it!
Improved from Enfield for a while (even though it's "work in progress" and then hard work (again) from Kilmore Bridge to Moyvalley (Furey's Bar)......... Excellent from there to Mullingar.

blueballfc · 04-03-2018 10:16PM

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1964542373808324&id=1549278628668036

Better late than never

Mercian Pro · 15-03-2018 10:52PM

Copied from lamaq's post over on the Greenways thread:

Cycled the Royal Canal from Leixlip, no photos unfortunately:

Leixlip to Pike Bridge/Carton House entrance - no work done here, still a mix of narrow paths or grass.

Pike bridge to Maynooth harbour - ok surface.

Maynooth Harbour to Kilcock - finished, the underpass at Bailey's bridge is complete.

Kilcock to about 2km west at drainage bridge - finished.

Drainage bridge to Ferran's Lock - the gravel foundations are down but not the finished surface. Generally ok to cycle on.

Ferran's Lock to Cloncurry bridge - still grass, no work has started yet.

Cloncurry Bridge to Enfield - all done except for last 500m into Enfield which has gravel, not sure why this was left.

Enfield to Blackwater aquaduct - finished.

Blackwater aquaduct to Moyvally - have the foundations down and currently being worked on, looked like they were cutting back some of the trees.

Couldn't go any further than this.

Thargor · 16-03-2018 01:13PM

You can't do it on the Grand but on the Royal canal do you have the option of cycling out say 50km on one bank, crossing over to the other side then cycling back on the opposite bank? Or is it one track for most of the way like the grand.

lamaq · 16-03-2018 02:53PM

Thargor wrote: »

You can't do it on the Grand but on the Royal canal do you have the option of cycling out say 50km on one bank, crossing over to the other side then cycling back on the opposite bank? Or is it one track for most of the way like the grand.

Not really, the other bank tends to be privately owned by farms. In some sections the greenway is being developed on the other side than the existing path, so it should be possible in places.

Harrybelafonte · 16-03-2018 07:21PM

I would stick the signage provided regarding which side to go on. You could get a couple of km then find an obstacle and have to double back.

lamaq · 25-03-2018 03:26PM

I cycled from Moyvalley to Foygh (about 5km North of Ballymahon) yesterday. It's pretty much all complete with a mixture of ashphalt roads and fine gravel. Only one busy road to cross at Mullingar. The section past Foygh bridge is blocked off currently.

Road bridge at Moyvalley, the greenway should be going between the canal and railway. Photo was from a couple of weeks earlier, hence the snow.

Section past Foygh Bridge currently blocked off. Opposite bank from where photo was taken.

Typical fine gravel section.

Mercian Pro · 25-03-2018 10:56PM

An update on surface conditions heading out from Dublin and incorporating lamaq's earlier post:

Drumcondra to Castleknock Train Station - tarred surface ranging from pristine beyond Ashtown to a bit rougher closer to Cabra/Finglas

Castleknock to Porterstown Road - Grass, clay (muck), tree roots and some rocks along the Deep Sinking

Porterstown to Clonsilla Station - good surface

Clonsilla to Leixlip Confey Station - mix of grass and clay

Leixlip Convey to Collinstown Bridge (at western end of Leixlip) - ok surface

Collinstown to start of Carton Estate - grass and clay

Carton to Maynooth harbour - ok surface.

Maynooth Harbour to Kilcock - finished, the underpass at Bailey's bridge is complete.

Kilcock to about 2km west at drainage bridge - finished.

Drainage bridge to Ferran's Lock - the gravel foundations are down but not the finished surface. Generally ok to cycle on.

Ferran's Lock to Cloncurry bridge - still grass, no work has started yet.

Cloncurry Bridge to Enfield - all done except for last 500m into Enfield which has gravel, not sure why this was left.

Enfield to Blackwater aquaduct - finished.

Blackwater aquaduct to Moyvally - have the foundations down and currently being worked on, looked like they were cutting back some of the trees.

Mercian Pro · 02-04-2018 02:38PM

A bit of an update on this with length of sections included:

Mercian Pro wrote: »

An update on surface conditions heading out from Dublin and incorporating lamaq's earlier post:

Drumcondra to Castleknock Train Station - tarred surface ranging from pristine beyond Ashtown to a bit rougher closer to Cabra/Finglas. 8.2km

Castleknock to Porterstown Road - Grass, clay (muck), tree roots and some rocks along the Deep Sinking. 2.2km

Porterstown to Clonsilla Station - good surface 1.2km

Clonsilla to Leixlip Confey Station - mix of grass and clay 5.0km

Leixlip Convey to Collinstown Bridge (at western end of Leixlip) - ok surface 2.6km

Collinstown to Pike Bridge (Carton entrance) - grass and clay. 2.7km

Carton to Maynooth harbour - ok surface. 2.3km

Maynooth Harbour to Kilcock - finished, the underpass at Bailey's bridge is complete. 5.9km

Kilcock to about 2km west at drainage bridge - finished. 2.0km

Drainage bridge to Ferran's Lock - the gravel foundations are down but not the finished surface. Generally ok to cycle on. 1.9km

Ferran's Lock to Cloncurry bridge - still grass, no work has started yet. 5.9km

Cloncurry Bridge to Enfield - all done except for last 500m into Enfield which has gravel, not sure why this was left. 2.7 + 0.5km

Enfield to Blackwater aquaduct - finished. 3.5km

Blackwater aquaduct to Moyvally - have the foundations down and currently being worked on, looked like they were cutting back some of the trees. 2.6km

Moyvalley to Westmeath border - finished. 12.4km

So between Dublin and the Westmeath border (61.5km), all but about 18.4km is either completed or OK to cycle on. The rest is a mix of grass, clay or muck depending on weather conditions and use.

Harrybelafonte · 02-04-2018 02:58PM

"Clonsilla to Leixlip Confey Station - mix of grass and clay"

Worst section of the whole thing.

lamaq · 02-04-2018 03:30PM

Kilcock to about 2km west at drainage bridge (Spin Bridge?) - finished. 1.1km

No, just an unnamed drainage bridge to the Rye Water. I've put the updates on OSM.

Heavy blue dots = finished greenway
Light blue dots = under construction
Red dots = grassy path
Brown dots = grassy track

Royal Canal on a Road Bike

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