Barrow Way

TooObvious · 30-06-2025 09:09AM #1

Lads and lassies,

How much of the Barrow Way has been resurfaced? I know Robertstown to Athy is all done, and I know that from Athy there is at least 10km of unsurfaced single track - but what about from thereon to St. Mullins??

Plus - are there any good places or recommendations for grub along the way??

Cycling it later this week.

Thanks in advance.

David

cletus · 30-06-2025 12:45PM

As you said there's a good surface to Athy. Having kayaked from there to St. Mullins, there seems to be single track the entire way. I've seen a couple of people cycling it.

Co. B's in Monasterevin do nice grub, but they close earlyish (you'll have to come off the Greenway and into the town).

Nice coffee in Square in Athy (again, you'll have to come off the Greenway and into the town).

Plenty of places in Carlow, but I can't recommend anything particularly.

In Graiguenamanagh, the Waterside Guesthouse does good food (well good breakfasts anyway, so I'm assuming lunches are good too).

There's a cafe in St. Mullins, it's the only option. It's always been closed by the time we've arrived.

TooObvious · 30-06-2025 01:32PM

Thank you Cletus, so single track all the way to St. Mullins from Athy. I imagine nice out of town, but for any long stretches will be potentially overgrown or not quite single track.

Thanks for the tips on the food, plan is to go up and down in the day so we'll need plenty.

nilhg · 30-06-2025 01:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123592697#Comment_123592697

I would imagine that most of the track will be mown by now, WI haven been busy mowing the verges on the Blueway section for the last few weeks. Progress will be much slower below Athy, I'd imagine going up and down in a day will mean an early start and late finish. I'd be interested to see how you get on, thinking of giving something similar a go over the summer, though I'd be starting from Rathangan.

TooObvious · 30-06-2025 01:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123592774#Comment_123592774

Will let you know how we get on. Early start planned alright, about 5.30am and leaving from Sallins. We've done the Royal and Grand Canal in the one day so no strangers to the suffering, it's just the thought of 50-60km of rough track and then having to go back out onto it after our lunch is not the most attractive.

cletus · 30-06-2025 02:30PM

It'll be well cleared (as far as single track goes) I'd imagine. It always seems very well walked when I'm down that way

Gerry · 30-06-2025 06:48PM

Would be considering hardtail mtbs to smooth the journey.

cletus · 30-06-2025 07:17PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123593772#Comment_123593772

Met a girl doing with with a gravel bike and bike bags (looked like she was camping) and she seemed to be going along nicely

tabby aspreme · 30-06-2025 07:22PM

Leighlinbridge to Bagnalstown, is a single track with the grass well cut back, nice coffee just at the bridge in Leighlinbridge and the hotel is the other side of it if your really hungry, coffee and a sauna at Milford weir also

TooObvious · 01-07-2025 08:39AM

I'll report back on whether a hardtail was required or not! At least there will be a sauna available for us if it gets too much.

Cabaal · 02-07-2025 04:14PM

Did it on a hybrid about two years back with full camping gear, St Mullins to Athy.

It would be far more comfortable on a MTB, but its still do-able on a hybrid unless there was an awful lot of rain/mud.

TooObvious · 03-07-2025 12:14PM

Right so, we went from Robertstown instead of Sallins, and glad we made that decision! Robertstown to Athy, about 47km, was virtually all cinder type surface, very rideable, and we had great banter during that section!

The talking ended after Athy, apart from when we stopped to reconsider our choices!

70km of more or less "natural" trail to St. Mullins, tough going particularly where we had just grass to cycle on. We made it to St. Mullins, had a pizza got lauded by the locals for our amazingness and headed back!

Return journey was very tough. 70km of trail again, by Athy we, well I, was fooked. We ate a load of food here, recovered somewhat and pressed on, eventually getting back to Robertstown. Would have hated to have to cycle back to Sallins, that would have killed us.

237km, 22.8kmph moving average, and a lot of foodstops along the way.

The Barrow Way, particularly, from Leighlinbridge to St. Mullins is absolutely stunning, so verdant.

Did we need a hardtail? I think hardtails would have slowed us down, our gravel bikes do have 30mm suspension on the front, so that i'm sure helped, but either way would recommend a gravel bike!

devonp · 03-07-2025 12:41PM

@TooObvious

great going

someday i'll take it on

so tyres (width) more important than suspension ?.. i have a hardtail MTB and a Cx bike (can take up to 38/40c)

TooObvious · 03-07-2025 01:20PM

We had 40mm and 42mm respectively.

3102derek · 03-07-2025 01:32PM

Have you a strava link?
What was the distance from Robertstown to Monasterevin and then to Athy?

TooObvious · 03-07-2025 01:38PM

Not one for sharing strava links tbh. Lowtown to Athy is about 47km, and Monasterevin to Lowtown was about 16 or 17km, less maybe.

cletus · 03-07-2025 02:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123601456#Comment_123601456

Robertstown to Rathangan - 14.5 km

Rathangan to Monasterevin (bridge at Dublin Rd.) - 12 km

Monasterevin to Athy - 24 km

3102derek · 03-07-2025 02:07PM

sound thanks.
Take would me it 104k trip for me to Athy and back.
One for a nice day. thanks.

nilhg · 03-07-2025 10:42PM

OP if ye did it yesterday I think I met ye at Ballykelly on your way down, ye were tipping along at that stage, great spin, well done

TooObvious · 15-07-2025 02:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123602842#Comment_123602842

That is deadly, I've no idea where Ballykelly is, but we definitely met a few bikes on our journey.

cletus · 15-07-2025 02:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123637916#Comment_123637916

If you remember passing by the back of an old mill, refurbished as a distillery, that's Ballykelly. It would be just before you come into Monasterevin.

Barrow Way

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