Royal Canal on a Road Bike

KevRossi · 05-09-2019 10:48am

loudymacloud wrote: »

Hoping to cycle the canal from Newcommen Bridge to Mullingar, then greenway to Athlone tomorrow.

Should I avoid Deep Sinking and go on the road for a bit, or just hop off the bike and walk it, how long of a distance is it?

I will be on a standard road bike, 23mm tyres, have cycled the canal several times from Maynooth onwards, first time to try the lot.

The rough bit with the tree roots is about 1.75km, can be walked in 20 mins, worth doing IMO.

Mercian Pro · 05-09-2019 5:31pm

loudymacloud wrote: »

Should I avoid Deep Sinking and go on the road for a bit, or just hop off the bike and walk it, how long of a distance is it?

The first few hundred metres after Castleknock Station are fine. You could then walk the next bit as far as Coolmine Station and then cycle up to Clonsilla Road and back down Porterstown Road to avoid the second section. It's a lot more overgrown than it used to be and the tree roots and rocks stick up a fair bit. You'll have a fairly strong headwind against you all the way unless you decide to do it in reverse! Enjoy.

tnegun · 05-09-2019 7:41pm

Do it in reverse headwind wasn't as bad home today as yesterday but after 20km into it each day it was very energy/soul sapping!

Reznorek · 05-09-2019 7:45pm

To make sure, I will be doing this route on Sunday from Mullingar to Dublin, does it mean that the wind will push me?

tnegun · 05-09-2019 8:16pm

Most likely but it's been slack westerlies in the mornings all week only to pick up in the afternoon. So not helping me in the am and then against me in the evening

Thargor · 07-09-2019 8:56pm

KevRossi wrote: »

Looks like Kilmore Bridge to Furey's is open too!

https://twitter.com/royalcanalrunn1/status/1168117185652436992

https://twitter.com/royalcanalrunn1/status/1168083128151416838

That track looks absolutely massive, I havent done the Royal yet, Im saving it for when all the construction is finished but for me the best part about cycling the Grand Canal is being alone in a nature reserve on a track that oftentimes wasnt much wider than my handlebars. That pic looks like ecological destruction tbh, Id hate to see that done to any of the beauty spots on the Grand which is basically one big long beauty spot, only place Ive ever seen massive dragonflies and swarms(?) of butterflies, is it all like that?

Im a big fan of greenways and cycling infrastructure but does everything in this country have to be tarred and concreted over?

bovis · 07-09-2019 10:35pm

Don't worry Thargor. It's not ecological destruction. It's simple a safety fence on that short section as the greenway was built in a very narrow space between the Sligo train line and the canal. The existing towpath is still in its 'very natural' state on the northern bank. Come and have a look for yourself. Pictures can be misleading.

Thargor wrote: »

That track looks absolutely massive, I havent done the Royal yet, Im saving it for when all the construction is finished but for me the best part about cycling the Grand Canal is being alone in a nature reserve on a track that oftentimes wasnt much wider than my handlebars. That pic looks like ecological destruction tbh, Id hate to see that done to any of the beauty spots on the Grand which is basically one big long beauty spot, only place Ive ever seen massive dragonflies and swarms(?) of butterflies, is it all like that?

Im a big fan of greenways and cycling infrastructure but does everything in this country have to be tarred and concreted over?

Mercian Pro · 11-09-2019 9:31am

More delays on the Dublin sections (see the 3rd & 4th paragraphs):
https://irishcycle.com/2019/09/11/construction-of-three-dublin-cycle-routes-delayed-until-2020/

Mercian Pro · 11-09-2019 5:11pm

Walked (!) Maynooth to Phibsboro on Sunday as a group of us are heading out on the Camino in a few weeks. Took a note of the changes of surface and this is the result:
8.2km (34%) of the 24km is grass/clay/mud. The rest is a mix of gravel path, compressed stone or Tarmac. That percentage goes up to 50% if you are just looking at the Castleknock to Maynooth section.
The main sections of grass heading west are the 2.5km from Castleknock Station to Keenan Bridge at Porterstown Road that includes the Deep Sinking; 4.7km from shortly after Clonsilla Station to Leixlip Confey Station and about 1 km after Deey Bridge near Intel.
At this time of the year all the grass sections with the exception of the Deep Sinking are OK to cycle on with a road bike but obviously more comfortable with wider tyres.

michaelm · 14-09-2019 8:58pm

I'm really interested in this particular development so - last Thursday I parked the car in Mullingar and headed east on the greenway on a road bike. The entire 62km to Maynooth is now complete and absolutely top quality, a pleasure to cycle. There really is a lot of good work being done on these cycle paths....hope it continues.

Thargor · 14-09-2019 10:32pm

michaelm wrote: »

I'm really interested in this particular development so - last Thursday I parked the car in Mullingar and headed east on the greenway on a road bike. The entire 62km to Maynooth is now complete and absolutely top quality, a pleasure to cycle. There really is a lot of good work being done on these cycle paths....hope it continues.

Doable on 700x23s?

michaelm · 15-09-2019 2:44pm

Absolutely - the surface is all either tamac or very fine crushed stone. These are all now purpose built paths constructed with all kinds of bikes in mind. This is a far cry from sections of the Grand Canal which have very rough loose surfaces that are, in my opinion, dangerous on a road bike. If they were event swept it would be a huge improvement.

SCOL · 16-09-2019 9:54am

Thargor wrote: »

Doable on 700x23s?

I done both canals two years ago on 700x23 hibred bike.

devonp · 22-09-2019 12:09am

Cycled Leixlip Confey to Cloondara today, although Louisa Bridge is nearer the front door, wanted to check out my half working Boardman CXR ( a Hellfords horror...)

great weather up to Abbeyshrule rain arrived then and the temp dropped from 19-20C to 13C with showers

had an ideal tailwind but didn't push too hard and all the new sections are great, after Mullingar some of the signage is still on the "old" side despite the newer bits having moved across..

as others above have said its a great route, highly recommended and very doable on a road bike but i would want 25c or 28c would be ideal

buffalo · 21-10-2019 10:13am

Encouraging to see!

https://twitter.com/willdesigndub/status/1185581890792808449

Hurrache · 21-10-2019 11:32am

It's been a long time since I headed east on it from the Dublin/Kildare end into the city, how's that as a commute into the city these days as we come into winter?

Alternative will be the N2 or N3, probably faster but mixing it up with the traffic.

buffalo · 21-10-2019 11:42am

Hurrache wrote: »

It's been a long time since I headed east on it from the Dublin/Kildare end into the city, how's that as a commute into the city these days as we come into winter?

Alternative will be the N2 or N3, probably faster but mixing it up with the traffic.

Where will you be coming on to the canal?

Hurrache · 21-10-2019 11:48am

buffalo wrote: »

Where will you be coming on to the canal?

I'll join at the 12th Lock, so will miss the deep sinking and the more muddier section just prior to Castleknock station.

buffalo · 21-10-2019 12:47pm

Hurrache wrote: »

I'll join at the 12th Lock, so will miss the deep sinking and the more muddier section just prior to Castleknock station.

I haven't been commuting that way in nearly a year, but apart from the kissing gates and lack of lighting, it was a fine straight run in. Very peaceful in the morning.

Hurrache · 21-10-2019 1:02pm

Cheers.

Lack of lighting might be an issue in the evening in terms of security, I was hoping they may have put in some form of lighting.

jonnybravo · 21-10-2019 1:16pm

Hurrache wrote: »

Cheers.

Lack of lighting might be an issue in the evening in terms of security, I was hoping they may have put in some form of lighting.

I cycle this route most days. Definitely need good lights for winter. Other than that and people walking I've never had any real issues. Road is a bit rough in parts and would recommend puncture resistant tyres.

Hurrache · 21-10-2019 2:22pm

Cheers. I actually found my set of decent lights in the attic during the summer, hadn't been used in a few years, and the front one still worked with the original batteries in it. Tyres are decent, the bike has been hockied around the likes of famine roads around the west without issue, but sods law and all that.

How dark does it get, country road dark or is there enough ambient light in most sections to help that bit?

raheny red · 21-10-2019 2:33pm

I'm cycling the 12th Lock to Phisboro since February and it's fine. There's a short stretch that can be very dark. Parts of it are helped with lighting from factories / gafs / luas. Darkest stretch are the locks either side of Broombridge. In the summer you get aul lads drinking there but they are totally harmless. Get the odd stupid comment but that's the height of it. The most dangerous experience was during spring with the swans protecting their eggs :-)

Hurrache · 21-10-2019 2:46pm

Thanks for all the info.

As a matter of interest, how long does that take you, 12th Lock to Phibsboro?

quickbeam · 21-10-2019 2:53pm

How many kissing gates in that section? I know the one in Ashtown? How easy are they no navigate through?

raheny red · 21-10-2019 3:26pm

Takes 20 mins going casually. Alot of foot traffic in the mornings between Ashtown and Broombridge. Path quite narrow and bumpy before and after Broombridge. There are 2 kissing gates, handy to use, just a nuisance.

buffalo · 21-10-2019 4:04pm

quickbeam wrote: »

How many kissing gates in that section? I know the one in Ashtown? How easy are they no navigate through?

Beside Rathborne village: https://goo.gl/maps/7LTqQZiCU55ktaDS7

Under Ratoath bridge: https://goo.gl/maps/FENSj37MKtdCyE33A

They're grand on a regular bike.

quickbeam · 21-10-2019 4:05pm

Sorry to be stupid. But how do you get by them? Do you dismount and push the bike through? Or lift it over? Or can you navigate while cycling and just slow down? If you're carrying panniers does it make it more difficult?

cdaly_ · 21-10-2019 5:17pm

When touring with loaded, bulky panniers, I reverse into the gate, move it over and roll out again. If it's smaller, I lift the front of the bike, roll in and out on the rear wheel.*

*If it's really tight, I dismount first... :cool:

Carawaystick · 24-10-2019 10:41pm

Theres a new access to the R448 at Intel to the Canal; about 200m E of Deey Bridge.
Off the new road intel built.

Royal Canal on a Road Bike

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