7th April 2023: I bought a new Hybrid bike during the week and tested it out today on a hilly 57km cycle with a total of 630m of ascent. I used the opportunity to explore some new routes that I hadn't cycled on before.
The first real hill was near Maryville Stables to the south of Carrigaline. With a maximum gradient of 18%, it's not the easiest but it is an alternative route to the busy R611 that goes from Carrigaline to Ballyfeard. It's probably a bit too hard though to be a viable option for most people.
The next 'hill' and new route was west on the L3206 out of Riverstick. The initial climb is supposed to be 11% but it feels a lot steeper than that. After about 150m and two-thirds of the way up the climb, there is a turn off to the right onto a nice quiet country road with a more relaxed gradient. This little detour is a much nicer alternative to the busier road and the 10% climb after turning right at the next crossroads.
The objective was to get to Ballinhassig for a cuppa but first, I tried a road to the west towards Ballyheada which was again a nice quiet rural road with no traffic. I thought would bring me out by the church at Ballyheada but instead I arrived at a non-descript T-junction... left or right? Google Maps showed 'Ballyheada' at this road junction but I obviously wasn't there.
Just out of pure luck, there was another cyclist stopped at this junction who was checking their phone. Was he checking for messages or equally lost? After enquiring, he told me he had come from Ballinhassig so I then knew the route to take.
I later checked Google Maps to discover that this road junction was actually 1.2kms east of the church and that the little road I had seen in the past beside the church was a cul-de-sac.
Lesson: Be careful using dynamic maps like Google Maps, be sure to zoom in to make sure and the old Ordnance Survey maps have their place as well. Sometimes, you need to make mistakes to really find out about an area.
Onwards to Ballinhassig for a coffee and cake.
I often stop at the small shop in Ballinhassig for a break. There's benches nearby to sit down and it's also open early on Sunday mornings when a lot of other shops are closed. The object of any long or hard cycle should be to leave a few Euro behind somewhere.
I took the 'scenic route' home vis Cork Airport... onwards and upwards!
One of the challenges with hills is how to gain height while keeping the gradient to a minimum. The most direct route north out of Ballinhassig has a long section of 16-17% gradient climb which makes it unattractive.
I noticed on Google Maps a 'dog leg' which promised a more gradual ascent. Other than a short 16% section at the elbow, it's a nice alternative and allows you to gain 60m in elevation relatively easily. I'll be using this route again.
From the high ground, the road climbed at a much more gentle incline and parallel to the main busy Band road below. I turned off right and then took a winding country road to the back of the airport which in parts wasn't wide enough for two cars to pass.
Despite being on top of the hill, the route had two deep dips which required a bit of climbing out the other side. Not the fastest of routes but a nice alternative to a busy road.
From there, I arrived at the Airport road and I was back on more familiar territory and zig-zagged my way home.
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