Royal Canal on a Road Bike

Gerry · 19-02-2023 9:18am

the proposed route looks to be still on the north bank, so the deep sinking wouldn't be gone but wouldn't be part of the route. thats my reading of it anyway

magicbastarder · 19-02-2023 9:54am

The proposed route is on the north bank, but they haven't really had the fight yet about it, with the delwood residents association.

DD Mikasa · 21-02-2023 6:13pm

Is Maynooth to Mullingar road bike friendly on this Greenway? Thinking of doing it in the next few days, as off, but not sure whether to bring the road bike or the mtb.

Seth Brundle · 21-02-2023 6:28pm

It is fine on a road bike. I did Leixlip - Maynooth - Mullingar - Maynooth - Leixlip back in 2020 and managed something like 27 or 28km/h on a sunny Sunday morning (I think it was about 130km altogether (so about 115 from Maynooth and back)).

It's a mix of tarmac and compact grit but fine. Just pay heed to any signposts when you get to a bridge as you have to change sides every so often. Other than that, enjoy!

DD Mikasa · 21-02-2023 7:40pm

Thanks for that. Road bike it is!

buffalo · 21-02-2023 9:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120247563#Comment_120247563

Looks like this is done the whole length (of that section) now.

Seth Brundle · 21-02-2023 10:38pm

Yeah, I just saw the photos in the Greenways thread

Mercian Pro · 25-02-2023 9:07pm

For some reason the old news that Leo Varadkar objected to Fingal's plans to run the Greenway along the north bank of the Deep Sinking has been published again in the Irish Mirror and elsewhere. Maybe the fact that his mother and sister also objected is new. The one interesting bit is the following:

"A spokesman for Fingal County Council told the Mirror that the route will go ahead on the north side of the canal bank despite the objections of the senior government politicians.

He said: “‘Fingal County Council is currently preparing a planning application to An Bord Pleanála which involves the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment Report and other associated documentation.

“Consultation with stakeholders including Waterways Ireland and Irish Rail and discussions on land acquisition with relevant third-party landowners is also ongoing.

“It is expected that a planning application to An Bord Pleanála will be submitted in 2023, subject to progression of the necessary planning documentation as well as the required public spending code approvals."

So let's all hold our breaths until (late?) 2023 when the planning application may be submitted. Then, as magicbastarder predicts, the real fight will begin!

Citizen Six · 26-02-2023 11:25pm

Had planned to get the train to Enfield, and cycle back to Dublin on Saturday. Operational difficulties meant we had to get a bike repaired before we got to the train, so we ended up just going as far as Maynooth and cycling back from there.

Section along Leixlip closed off but doesn't look too far away from finishing.

Deep sinking was grand for me, but mate took it handier with 25mm tyres on road bike.

Pint and chips in the Bernard Shaw when we got to Phibsborough.

Seth Brundle · 27-02-2023 8:04pm

I passed over Packenham Br., near Westmanstown, this evening and noticed they have done a lot of clearing of the shrubs along the tow path but also laid down a thick layer of large stones. Not sure if this is a final layer or a foundation for a temporary path or what. Whilst I didn't spend long looking at it, it definitely didn't look like something I'd take a road bike along.

Citizen Six · 27-02-2023 8:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120295322#Comment_120295322

My mate walked his bike on that part. 🤣

cletus · 27-02-2023 9:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120295322#Comment_120295322

If they're doing like they've done the grand canal near me, that'll be the base layer. It'll be dressed with about 4" of fine gravel

Seth Brundle · 27-02-2023 9:21pm

But to my knowledge, it's not part of current greenway improvement works so is this just a temporary path until the final one is tendered & built? There was no hard path under this previously AFAIK, just grass.

buffalo · 02-03-2023 10:09am

Leixlip section now has kerbing of sorts about half the length. I presume they're borders to keep the grit/path material in place.

devonp · 02-03-2023 12:49pm

or stop little cyclists going overboard...?

buffalo · 02-03-2023 2:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120305013#Comment_120305013

They'd have to be very little! :D

Citizen Six · 04-03-2023 4:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120310563#Comment_120310563

I saw them digging right by the Dorset street end last Saturday. Then it was open again when I passed on Wednesday.

Breezer · 04-03-2023 8:06pm

I went down to Mullingar by train today and cycled back to Maynooth. Lovely cycle, my first decent spin this year, after being injured.

The only bit that seemed closed (from looking out the train window) was between Confey and Louisa Bridge. The path between those “curbs” looks very narrow, barely wide enough for a single lane cycle track, never mind a two way shared path. Was it always that narrow? It never seemed that way to me. Maybe it was just the angle from the train window?

Citizen Six · 04-03-2023 8:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120314282#Comment_120314282

Nah, it's wide enough. Probably just a bit deceptive looking. I cycled it last weekend.

VonLuck · 07-03-2023 12:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120313393#Comment_120313393

Looks like there are some trenches that were dug from the southside of the path towards the canal. Maybe they're rainwater drainage pipes? There's a section beneath the Summerhill Parade bridge (not sure what it's called). Just looks to be blocked by stuff they've cleared from the canal.

Doesn't seem to be much else happening strangely enough. You'd think with a two year programme that they'd be mobilising ASAP!

jebidiah · 21-03-2023 11:45am

Cycled to Enfield (and back, thanks to a signaling issue) on Paddy's Day. To date, you are still probably better off getting off the canal at Castleknock and sticking to the roads as far as Maynooth.

Castleknock to Clonsilla is still trecherous.

Clonsilla to Leixlip is not a comfortable cycle with stones and roots. Especially in the wet when the ground is slippery and waterlogged.

Leixlip to Maynooth, seems to be either under construction or in semi-decent condition. You can cycle on some secitons of it closer to Maynooth, but I would recommend not doing so in the wet due to puddles every 5 meters.

Hoping to take a group of friends along to Mullingar and then to Athlone in the summer.

Citizen Six · 21-03-2023 8:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120382524#Comment_120382524

What's the Maynooth to Enfield section like? Had planned to do it a few weeks back but had to scale back so only started Maynooth and then back to Dublin. Looks like a narrow enough mud path for a lot of sections from google maps.

Thinking I might do it this weekend. Or might jump on the train to Waterford and do a bit of the greenway, as haven't been on it yet.

Rosahane · 22-03-2023 8:36am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120384951#Comment_120384951

The Maynooth to Enfield section is great. It was completed a few years ago. Nice hard surface with fine gravel surface as well as a few bits of tarmac outside the towns. You need a bell sometimes as the track will be busy with walkers near the towns.

jebidiah · 23-03-2023 7:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120384951#Comment_120384951

From Maynooth all the way out to Longford is great. I cycled it last year. The only sections that are not there yet are between Maynooth and Castleknock.

Citizen Six · 23-03-2023 10:39pm

Thanks. I've done Maynooth to Castleknock recently, so maybe I'll go as far as Longford and make my way back this Saturday.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120393104#Comment_120393104

Citizen Six · 26-03-2023 11:41am

So I got the train from Castleknock to Maynooth, and from there on to Enfield and then cycled back towards Dublin. There was three bikes on the train from Connolly, two more had got on at Drumcondra, and then myself and another cyclist at Maynooth. The CSO was really sound about it and let us squash on.

Lovely path from Enfield until Maynooth. Got a puncture somewhere before Kilcock (tubeless), and found my backup pump I'd brought didn't work properly, so stopped off at Two Wheels bike shop in Kilcock, right beside the canal, used their track pump, and bought a new pump.

There had been rain, so the section after Maynooth was tough for my mates on road bikes with 25mm tyres.

Then another puncture on a mates bike before Deey bridge meant we had to stop again for repairs. Luckily I'd brought a repair kit for tubes as well.

So after a mixture of some nice sections, and some tough sections, we hopped back on the train at Clonsilla as far as Broombridge, and then cycled on to the Gravediggers for a pint.

Next time I'm going to head as far as Longford on the train, cycle back to Maynooth, and hop back on the train to Dublin from there.

Londonirish72 · 27-03-2023 10:45am

I dont live in Ireland full-time but I'd like to attempt as much of this as possible during the spring. Would anyone be able to share a decent cycle route from south or central Dublin that would get me and my road bike to the first usable section in Maynooth?

buffalo · 27-03-2023 10:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120405380#Comment_120405380

This is probably what I'd do - a mix of (Grand) canal, country roads with urban roads when necessary: https://goo.gl/maps/jb6xUaHnFa2uvfNy9

Seth Brundle · 27-03-2023 11:29am

I'd probably join the canal at Jacksons Bridge, getting there via Celbridge but not going through Maynooth which can be a bit of a kip to cycle through if unfamiliar.

https://goo.gl/maps/Afv6UkrZqm4it5wi9

However, it will all depend on your experience and confidence on the road.

Londonirish72 · 27-03-2023 11:47am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120405419#Comment_120405419

cheers!

Royal Canal on a Road Bike

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