The
great thing about cycling in Ireland are
that the distances are manageable and there
are miles of quiet roads devoid of traffic
that make it safe and peaceful. However
not all the roads are that well signposted
so you should always take a good map and
compass and be fit for the rolling hills
and stiff climbs!
Click here for details on motorbike
riding.
PREPARING FOR THE TRIP
If you are planning a cycling trip through
Ireland you need to be prepared. Here are
some handy hints and absolute essentials:
- a basic repair kit and knowledge of bicycle repair. Make sure you take spare inner tubes, tools for adjusting seat heights
- extra snack food and water (it can be a long way between towns in some parts, particularly if you get marooned with an injury or fault on your bike)
- pack light! You can buy extra food as
you go and you really only need bike riding
gear and a change of clothes for evenings
in town.
- maps (detailed for side roads that you
might take) - itinerary – give someone a copy of your itinerary and check in with them every few days so they know you are okay.
- helpful hints – there are lots of people
that have biked through Ireland and a lot
of them have put up details on websites.
- learn Irish road rules and driving habits
CAN
YOU FIX YOUR BIKE?
If you are not going with a tour or with
someone that knows there bikes then you
need to have a working knowledge of your
bike components. Most people that embark
on this kind of holiday know their apparatus
but obvious essentials are:
- spair inner tubes
- tyre repair kit
- tools for adjusting brakes, seat height,
and other parts of your bike
A trip to your local bike shop would be
the best place for more advice.
SUGGESTED
ITINERARIES
Southwest of Ireland is popular for cycling
with the peninsulas and islands of Cork
and Kerry that offer stunning scenery, little
traffic and plenty of good rest areas. For
full details on this area the Cork/Kerry
Tourism Offices public "Cycling Routes
in Cork and Kerry”.
Ireland's islands are also good for cycling.
You can take your bike on the ferries at
no extra cost. If you want to cycle some
of the best islands include Cape Clear,
County Cork; Great Blasket Island, County
Kerry; the Aran Islands, County Galway;
and Achill and Clare Islands, County Mayo.
If you have cycled an interesting route
in Ireland email us the details to paste
on the site for other travellers - ireland@backpackglobe.com
SAFETY
Always inform someone of your intended route
and check in with them as regularly as possible.
Make sure you have checked the weather forecast
and know what the normal weather is for
that time of year.
RENTAL
COMPANIES
Most major towns in Ireland will have places
where you can rent bikes. We have listed
some of the ones we know about here in these
places:
Raleigh Rent-A-Bike
Raleigh House, Kylemore Road, Dublin 10
Tel. +353 1 626 1333, Fax. +353 1 626 1770
www.raleigh.co.uk
Euro-Bike and Walking Tours www.eurobike.com
offers tours by bike. Go to their website
for more details or contact them at info@eurobike.com.
Their postal address is PO Box 990, DeKalb,
IL 60115 – USA.
Bike Trip - Information about biking
www.biketrip.org/
Crazy Dog Travel Guide - biking. Tips on
renting a bike and tours.
http://www.crazydogtravel.com/bike.html
Adventure Cycling / Cyclists' Yellow Pages
- Bike renting, bike shops; Also an online
bike shop (http://www.monvelo.com) offering
good bargains
http://www.adventurecycling.org/
Gite.com - Plan your trip - Covers bike
touring around the world mostly for self
supported riders and offers good recommendations
if you plan to bike on your own
http://www.gite.com/plantrip/travbike.html
