Bike Touring in Ireland 
 John
grew up in Ireland and has done extensive bike touring there. Pamela
made her first trip to
Ireland in late autumn of 1993, and has collected many Irish stamps
in her passport since.
Cycling in Ireland
The really nice thing about Ireland is that the scale of the country
lends itself very well to cycling. You can be absolutely in the middle
of nowhere, but still be within easy hitting distance of a town.
Not only that, there is a warren of small back roads, not to mention
tracks, just begging for exploration. There is endless history and
culture to immerse yourself in. The climate is temperate, which really
just means that it probably won't be much warmer in summer than it
is in winter.
When to go
Airline Recommendations and Left Luggage
Insurance
Renting bikes
Where to stay
Camping
Maps
Things to bring
Where to go
Drivers
Trains
Money
When to go 
The best weather is often in September, after kids go back to school
- or so it always seemed when I (John) was in school! Pamela's experience
goes along with that, but she also experienced rather cool conditions
in July and very pleasant warm conditions in January. Airfares to
Ireland tend to high in the summer, but usually go down in September
and continue to fall throughout autumn and winter. July is the height
of tourist season, so you may need to be a little less spontaneous
(completely against our religion, but that's another story) in touristy
areas, and try to book accommodation before you get to your intended
destination..
Airline Recommendations and Left Luggage 
Most major American air carriers serve Ireland. We usually travel
with Aer Lingus, and have had
good luck with them. We have traveled with a full-sized tandem in
a large padded case, single bikes in large padded cases, as well as
coupled bikes in stealth mode. There are left-luggage facilities in
both Shannon and Dublin, and we have stored cases there for a small
fee. (I don't know if there have been changes since September 11,
but the Dublin
Airport web site indicates they still are operating. )
Both Shannon and Dublin are also quite handy for simply riding out
of the airport. You can put your bike back together in the airport
(there are even bike stands near left-luggage in Dublin), drop off
you cases at left luggage, and ride away - on the left side of the
road, of course.
That said, the area around Dublin Airport has seen massive development
in recent years, so expect plenty of traffic. On the positive side,
there is a marked bike route leading out of the airport, so initial
navigation is simplified. In general terms, my inclination is to head
west towards the village of St. Margaret's and then to either skirt
around the city to the south, or head north.
Shannon Airport was particularly easy to ride out of in 1995. Our
advice here is to avoid the city of Limerick, if possible. (It's a
kip)
Travel Insurance 
Airlines limit liability on luggage to some tiny sum. If you are
really paranoid, you can check into additional coverage. The Aer Lingus
additional travel insurance (about $50 per person) lists coverage
for baggage loss at $2000. I don't know if that's total or per bag.
They also have things like trip delay/cancellation and of course illness.
Check with the airline for details.
Renting bikes 
We encourage you to bring your own bike. Rental bikes are available,
and tend to be of the ubiquitous hybrid style.
Where to stay 
There is a good network of relatively low-cost places to stay
- hostels and B&Bs - that enable you to travel light (apart from
carrying good waterproofs!). Hostels are our favourite places to stay,
as you get to meet lots of other people, and get information and ideas
that you might otherwise miss out on. They fall into two basic categories,
International Youth Hostel Association affiliated (in Ireland, this
means An Oige hostels) and
private hostels. To stay in the former, you need to be a member of
a Hostelling International
organisation. Private hostels tend to have better facilities overall,
but An Oige have some superb (which, to us, means remote) locations.
Most hostels rent sheet bags these days if you don't have your own,
but we typically carry (very compact) silk sleeping bag liners. Hostels
also have cooking facilities, but you will need to bring your own
food. These days, though, many of the more de luxe hostels provide
optional meals.
In the smaller towns, if you don't see B&B signs, asking around
can usually unearth a low-key B&B. Many B&B's are run by empty
nesters, people whose children have grown and moved away. The children's
rooms are now B&B rooms. They often work hard on the breakfast,
serving up what is called a traditional fried Irish breakfast, with
eggs, sausages and various puddings, made from ingredients you might
prefer not to know about. Our typical ploy is to ask for porridge
(oatmeal), as the people running B&Bs always insist on giving
you something warm. Despite growing up in Ireland, I (John) never
had a traditional Irish breakfast until I stayed at a B&B!
Camping 
Camping to me means being close to nature, so I like to camp wild
(responsibly, of course) and completely off the beaten path. Failing
that, I have often asked a farmer, or whomever, for permission to
camp in a field and have never been refused. Ireland has no dangerous
animals (drunken yahoos excepted), so camping is straightforward on
that score. Also, An Oige hostels usually allow you to camp on their
grounds and use the facilities, for a reduced fee compared to sleeping
in the hostel.
There is no camping is Irish National Parks.
Camping grounds also exist, but it would probably be difficult to
plan a trip around them. They tend to cater more to caravans and cars,
but do offer facilities such as toilets and showers. We found the
following resources by doing a search for Ireland and camping.
Camping
Trailer Parks
and Caravan Sites
Interhike
Maps 
We mentioned the great network of tiny backroads as an attraction
of cycling in Ireland, and it certainly is. However, some modicum
of map reading ability is required in order to make best use of them.
Ordnance
Survey maps are available from most decent book shops and news
agents, and are of very good quality, cartographically speaking. Unfortunately,
the old cyclist friendly 1/2":1 mile scale maps are no longer
made, although you may be able to find old copies in those aforementioned
book shops (we found a full supply of the 1/2 inch maps at Hodges
Figgis a couple of years ago. Eason's
in Dublin also had some.).
They have been replaced by 1:50,000 scale maps, of which you need
many more to cover a given area. And if you have money to burn, you
can now also get waterproof OS maps - which may not be a bad idea!
Waterproof or not, you basically just want to aim for the white and
yellow coloured back roads and the "brown stuff" - altitude,
which means hills and mountains, is shown by various shades of brown.
Things to bring 
Mudguards 
Make sure to have mudguards on your bike. They are a requirement
on all of the best roads in Ireland - you will also be calling them
"mudguards" instead of "fenders" by the time you
return! Many of the best roads run through farms. Farmers regularly
move their sheep and cattle from a field on one side of the road to
one on the other. Pamela's theory is that since the animals don't
want to poop on the grass they eat, they save it up for the crossing
of the road. Also since the diet, is high fiber, the byproduct is
liquid.
And while we have had some rainfree trips to Ireland, it is pretty
rare. Also for some reason that isn't totally clear to me, the roads
tend to take a lot longer to dry out after a shower than they do in
the US. So it may not have rained for days, but the roads are still
wet.
Tyres 
Many Irish roads are surfaced with a kind of chip seal. A plump tire
will go a long way toward making the trip comfortable. We really like
the Avocet smooth thread tires in 32 and 35 mm widths. Schwalbe Marathons
are quite beefy and will handle the tiny little tracts you may want
to explore. Fit the fattest tire your frame has clearance for with
fenders.
Panniers 
I also highly recommend waterproof panniers, like Ortlieb.
Ortlieb makes a nice BOB bag (if you are using a trailer).
Basic Reliable Parts or Your Own Spares 
While almost every town has a bike shop, don't expect to find much
speciality or high end stuff in them. If you are riding anything unusual,
like a tandem or recumbent, be aware that it will not be very easy
to find special parts, even in Dublin. Bring spare long cables, or
better yet, use DaVinci
cable spltters, so you can use standard length cables. If you
use Campagnolo shifters, spare cables are always a good idea, since
the head on Campag cables is smaller than others. Basic standard stuff
is not too hard to come by. A few years ago, I broke a speedplay cleat
on a trip. While no one in the country had speedplay cleats, I was
able to get a pair of inexpensive SPD pedals to complete the trip.
There are a couple of good bike shops in Dublin, but even with them,
you might have to wait a while to get a 9 speed DuraAce Barend shifter
shipped in. And despite the fact that it is known for rain, and we
said mudguards are required, high quality mudguards and raincapes
are also hard to find there. Take them with you.
Of course it isn't a third world country and if you have the time,
parts can be ordered and shipped in easily from England (or Europe
or the US for that matter).
Clothing 
Laundry facilities are rare on the ground in Ireland. However, given
our penchant for wool clothing, we typically avoid them even if they
are available, and do our own washing. However, getting stuff to try
overnight in Ireland is next to impossible and Irish youth hostels
do not have drying rooms. With that in mind, carrying two cycling
jersies etc. or two sets of clothes that you can wear on and off the
bike, is a good idea. Carrying some clothes pegs (I think that translates
to "clothes pins" in Americanish) is also a good idea, so
that you can hang your stuff out in a good stiff breeze.
Some B&B's have been known to offer use of their laundry facilities.
We usually take wool jersies, arm and leg warmers. Wool tends to
keep you warm even when wet, and doesn't retain odor like synthetics.
Raingear 
If I had a penny for every mile I've ridden in the rain in Ireland,
I could be somewhere warm and dry right now, but we can all dream
...
Rumour has it that it rains more on the west coast than on the east.
The ratio of rainfall is roughly two to one. You just might not believe
it when you're on the east coast!
The best raingear for touring in Ireland is a cycling cape. They
are cheap, pack up small, allow air to circulate and keep you drier
than anything else out there, providing protection for your body,
hands and upper legs. They are very comforting in a teeming downpour,
but perhaps most advantageous of all in typically showery Irish weather,
they are easy to get on and off.
They are not without their drawbacks too, of course. I don't like
using them in very windy weather (not uncommon in Ireland, even during
the summer)
If you're interested, cycling capes are available in the US from
Rivendell and Peter
White Cycles.
Where to go
Click here to see John's favorite places
to ride. (Currently under construction)
Cars 
Drive and bike on the left side of the road. If you forget,
some friendly driver will honk and yell to remind you!
Driving and car ownership has increased astronomically in recent
years in Ireland. Yet the skill of drivers has not. The good thing
is that with a little map reading, you can avoid them as much as possible.
Trains 
Ireland is one place where it is still quite easy to simply roll
the bike onto a train, and go. Last time we did it, it was 6 pounds
(about $8) each way. You are responsible for loading and unloading.
We usually take bungee cords to secure the frame to something on the
train. Typically, you won't be rushed too much, but my memory is trains
didn't sit around at the station for too long! Sometimes you can roll
the bikes directly on quite easily, but sometimes you'll have to carry
things up a couple of stairs. And I do recall one or two places where
we had to haul our bikes up a full flight of stairs, across the tracks
and down a full flight!
The rail system is really excellent as far as coverage, and frequency
of trains. However, depending on where you are traveling to and from,
you might occasionally have to make an awkward connection. On the
west coast, this is typically through Limerick Junction. Of the places
you might want to visit, Donegal in the northwest, has the worst train
service. The nearest place you can get a train to is Sligo, and the
Sligo line was in need of considerable work last time we were on it
- i.e. it was really bumpy. Rumor has it that this is being addressed.
Any train station will have information and schedules, and the Aer
Lingus web site also has links to rail info.
Money €
Jan 1, 2002, Ireland, along with most of Europe changed their currency
to the Euro. Currently the Euro is rather cheap for Americans, so
travel in Ireland is a bargain. This can easily and quickly change.
But I do recommend changing very little money in the US The exchange
places at US airports have ridiculous rates. Getting money through
ATMs once you arrive will net you a far better rate and lower fees.
Most banks in Ireland will exchange money (unlike in the US).
Phones 
Phone cards are available at most corner shops. They can be purchased
in various denominations (which has surely changed with the intro
of the €, from the last time I bought a card.) They are necessary
for using pay phones. Pamela thinks they are much more advanced than
the US system of payphones, where you enter a seemingly endless set
of numbers to make a call.
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