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Royal Canal on a Road Bike

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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,272 ✭✭✭Mercian Pro


    I thought the work from Maynooth to Louisa bridge was done? and its fine onto Confey?


    I read it as referring to the whole length of canal from Maynooth to the Liffey. Significant sections in Fingal and Dublin have yet to be upgraded to Greenway status and the design and planning consultation processes seem to be taking forever.frown.png


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,724 ✭✭✭tnegun


    Maynooth to Carton was done a few years back but not to the same standard as Maynooth to Kilcock, path is narrow and not levelled but much better than a grass track, Leixlip Louisa to Confey had some work done recently but aparently this wasn't to the same standard as other sections.



    I travelled from the city to Lucan on the canal last week and couldn't take it any more and took to the roads for the rest of my journey to Maynooth! It was ok as far as the deep sinking then awful, also the lack of signage to indicate which side of the canal the path continues on leads to to guess work and there are a few kissing gates to pass too.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,440 ✭✭✭cdaly_


    tnegun wrote: »
    Maynooth to Carton was done a few years back but not to the same standard as Maynooth to Kilcock, path is narrow and not levelled but much better than a grass track, Leixlip Louisa to Confey had some work done recently but aparently this wasn't to the same standard as other sections.



    I travelled from the city to Lucan on the canal last week and couldn't take it any more and took to the roads for the rest of my journey to Maynooth! It was ok as far as the deep sinking then awful, also the lack of signage to indicate which side of the canal the path continues on leads to to guess work and there are a few kissing gates to pass too.
    I like that bit. It's nice and green with a grass track rather than pathway. Old-school canal-side cycling...


  • Registered Users Posts: 114 ✭✭01Surveyor


    colm18 wrote: »
    This is the best bit! I've done it plenty of times on my CX bike with 40mm tyres- no problems at all
    I agree. Ive done it several times this year and its great fun (I'm 67 BTW). If youre a confident and half competent cyclist its best done at speed however I had a couple of spills on it during the winter and Im a bit more cautious now. You dont want to fall 10m into the canal.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,724 ✭✭✭tnegun


    Yeah am thinking my setup was wrong it's a cx bike but setup for commuting with 28s at 80psi lovely area and great for walking just got fed up with the bumps and having to move over for groups a walkers


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  • Registered Users Posts: 114 ✭✭01Surveyor


    cdaly_ wrote: »
    Make a proper holiday of this:
    • Take a train Dublin to Cahir.
    • Ride the Suir Blueway to Carrick on Suir.
    • Ride south to Kilmacthomas. (On road)
    • Ride west to Dungarvan then back to Waterford.
    • Ride northeast to New Ross. (On road)
    • Ride the Barrow Way to Robertstown.
    • Ride the Grand Canal west to Shannon Harbour.
    • Ride north to Athlone. (On road)
    • Ride Athlone to Mullingar on the greenway. Alternatively ride north on road to Termonbarry.
    • Ride the Royal Canal back to Dublin
    Works out around 600k with max 150k on road...


    Thats a great spin, Ive done the two canals, the Greenway and Blueway from Clonmel to Carrick - can you cycle the section from Cahir, I understood it was a paddler only section?


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,440 ✭✭✭cdaly_


    01Surveyor wrote: »
    Thats a great spin, Ive done the two canals, the Greenway and Blueway from Clonmel to Carrick - can you cycle the section from Cahir, I understood it was a paddler only section?
    I think you're right. You'd have to ride backroads from Swiss Cottage to Clonmel and then there's only 20k of riverside cycleway before you're back on roads.


  • Registered Users Posts: 118 ✭✭Liam28


    I thought the work from Maynooth to Louisa bridge was done? and its fine onto Confey?

    Not really. There is about 1km section West of Deey bridge (ie from Intel towards Carton) which is still grass. Earlier this year the section East of Deey bridge, towards Louisa bridge, which was in good condition was upgraded and is now worse than before. It is now loose coarse black sand / gravel which is not easy on a road bike. So they did the wrong side of Deey bridge and made it worse. The gate at Deey bridge is not bike friendly either. I use this route for commuting and now get off at Pike bridge (Carton), take the busy road past Intel to Louisa bridge and on the path to Confey.
    A section that was repaired / relaid East of Louisa bridge for about 100m is loose, un-packed hardcore stone, again like cycling on sand, so riding on the grass margin is easier. Past Confey is grass again until before Clonsilla station.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 319 ✭✭munsterbear


    Looking forward to Sunday 18th. Going to cycle from Lucan to Athlone via canal and railway. Any last changes we should be aware of?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,272 ✭✭✭Mercian Pro


    Had been sounding out a few clubmates and watching forecasts with a view to doing the full Royal Canal route. Three of us caught the 7.00am train to Longford this morning and were on our way along the Longford branch by 9.00. An hour later we said farewell to the Shannon just outside Cloondara and headed back, Dublin bound.
    For a lot of the way the surface was either tarmac or gravel dust on hardcore. The latter took a bit more effort and knocked about 2kph off our speed but was fine otherwise. After coffees and muffins at the Rustic Inn in Abbeyshrule we pushed on for Mullingar with a very helpful westerly wind on our backs. Not wishing to leave the canal, we circled around the town before stopping 12k further on for lunch at Mary Lynch's pub. No complaints about the quality of the pints but the food helpings could have been bigger for three very hungry cyclists.
    Fuelled by Guinness, we made good time to Moyvalley where we debated detouring or finding a way through the fences and building works. As there was no sign of anyone actually working, we found a way through and had a bumpy ride on hardcore as far as Kilmore Bridge. Next obstacle was a fence a few km beyond Cloncurry Bridge but the newly finished path drew us on for a lovely ride through woodland before eventually meeting someone working near Ferrans Lock. We praised the work done to date and he let us continue on as well as telling us that they would be putting the finishing layer on the Moyvalley towpath once they finished at Ferrans in a few weeks.
    After a coffee in Kilcock we soon started running into the grassy sections beyond Maynooth. I had forgotten how little of the "path" between Leixlip and the Deep Sinking had been surfaced and fairly quickly our average speed dropped from 23.8kph to under 23. It is daft that a section with huge potential for commuting as well as long distance use has been left in such rough state for so long.
    The Deep Sinking has certainly become gnarlier since I was last there about 9 months ago. Even though it was reasonably dry, a few potholes and tree roots nearly brought me down. One of the others had to regularly stop to clear mud from under the head tube of his bike. I was glad I was on 28mm tyres rather than the 25s the others were using but it was still quite an effort to get through to Castleknock and the joys of the paved section to Ashtown. Beyond there, the towpath was really busy which was great to see and we finally made it to the Liffey at the Samuel Beckett bridge at 7.00pm.

    Stats, photos and the route should be at https://www.relive.cc/view/gh39025091488


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,393 ✭✭✭Grassey



    Kilmore bridge to Moyvalley almost done. Contractors have moved in to finish the top layer. Hopefully this section will be open in the coming weeks and we finally cycle out to Fureys and enjoy a nice pint or a meal;)

    Saw this on FB


  • Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭bovis


    Here's a great trip report from a recent one day cycle of the royal canal

    https://royalcanalgreenway.ie/greenway-in-a-day/


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,272 ✭✭✭Mercian Pro


    bovis wrote: »
    Here's a great trip report from a recent one day cycle of the royal canal

    https://royalcanalgreenway.ie/greenway-in-a-day/

    Thanks bovis. It's a more detailed version of the one I posted above two weeks ago. Glad you enjoyed it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,411 ✭✭✭Gerry


    Took a notion to head onto the canal this morning on my work commute. Only joined at westmanstown. No work done on that section but I picked up speed after a while. Lead in to deep sinking is quick enough. Went full gas through it, it's very rough on a road bike with 25s for sure but a bit of fun. Probably for the best that I didn't drop the tyre pressures.
    Went on to drumcondra, quite a few walkers and dogs before 8 am so wont bother going that far again on a weekday morning
    Box is ticked now, next time I'll take the 29er mtb and plot a nice route through the park.

    https://www.strava.com/activities/2655087538


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,008 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    it appears from strava that the KOM on the deep sinking was done at 67km/h.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,411 ✭✭✭Gerry


    Yeah those ebikes are amazing! Seriously that has to be bad gps data.


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,937 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    bovis wrote: »
    Here's a great trip report from a recent one day cycle of the royal canal

    https://royalcanalgreenway.ie/greenway-in-a-day/
    That's Mercian Pro's report mentioned a few posts back.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,272 ✭✭✭Mercian Pro


    it appears from strava that the KOM on the deep sinking was done at 67km/h.


    A scrambler or a jet-ski maybe. Max speed was 77.8kph :eek:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,450 ✭✭✭Harrybelafonte


    I can’t imagine doing it at that speed. I was on it in the snow last year and lost my balance and nearly went in. Terrifying.and stupid


  • Registered Users Posts: 36,161 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    it appears from strava that the KOM on the deep sinking was done at 67km/h.
    Gerry wrote: »
    Yeah those ebikes are amazing! Seriously that has to be bad gps data.

    Its the train. I've reported activities before, seems whatever one MB saw has also been flagged.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 9,454 ✭✭✭mloc123


    https://www.strava.com/activities/793339084#19384271243

    Looks like he had a mechanical and got the train home?


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,360 ✭✭✭KevRossi




  • Registered Users Posts: 104 ✭✭CapnHex


    Inspired by Mercian Pro's trip report and having failed to complete the distance last year, I decided to give the full Royal Canal route a go yesterday. The first train on a Saturday is 9:05, so I was cycling on the Longford branch at about 11. I completed the distance in 9 hours cycling (19kmh), 10.5 hours total. Longford to Clondara to Maynooth is fully greenway standard for about 140km. Moyvalley section is open, Ferrans to Lock17 is open except for the ramp up to tow path. Low points were path from Maynooth to Castleknock, especially type 2 fun of Deep Sinking! That's off the bucket list anyway. I'll wait for improvements to undone sections before I do it again.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,360 ✭✭✭KevRossi




  • Registered Users Posts: 357 ✭✭loudymacloud


    KevRossi wrote: »

    excellent, plan on heading down the canal from Newcommen Bridge on Friday


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,104 ✭✭✭plodder


    That's a serious looking fence on the left of that clip. I wonder what they are trying to keep in (or out) ... ?

    Looking forward to cycling that sometime soon.


  • Registered Users Posts: 104 ✭✭CapnHex


    The train line is in very close proximity to the tow path at this point, as in just a step away. I found the surface here a bit loose and slippy. There were a few ruts from other cyclists tyres already. If it's the finished surface then it felt a bit different to the other fine gravel bits of the greenway. Still a great improvement and I'm sure it's just bedding in.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,360 ✭✭✭KevRossi


    Took a spin along there today, took the 6.55 train from Connolly to Mullingar and cycled back to Maynooth.

    Nice ramp at Furey's, mostly steel with little mounds in it for grip, did a coupole of brake tests on it in a heavy shower and it was fine.
    Fence in photo above is to keep people away from trains, something I've seen abroad as well, train passes within a metre or two at the beginning.
    New underpass at Kilmore bridge.
    Stretch from Cloncurry to Ferran's Lock is gorgeous, winds through a small wood, very idyllic and one of the nicest stretches on the canal, kudos to Waterways Ireland for that.
    Still a bit of work at Ferran's Lock, not sure if its greenway related or maintaining the lock itself, but best to go on the road just before it.

    Train was €10.50 to Mullingar, bike goes free.
    Excellent breakfast in Frayne's Coffee Shop in Mullingar, can highly recommend it and great value at €8.50.

    Would also highly recommend a spin along the Lough Owel Feeder that can be easily accessed from the canal in Mullingar, greenway and cycle path all the way, bar a quiet boreen at the end, saw an otter and a few kingfishers out there.


  • Registered Users Posts: 357 ✭✭loudymacloud


    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.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 116 ✭✭Reznorek


    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.

    You should definitely take a walk through Deep Sinking, nice views, about half an hour. I did it a month ago - Athlone to Mullingar, the next day Mullingar to Dublin along The Royal Canal


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