30th April 2023: The main purpose of this cycle was to explore the EuroVelo1 route from Clonakilty to Timoleague which meant a planned cycle for me about 135kms. As the weather was so nice, the sun was shining and I was in Timoleague, I decided to stay on the EuroVelo route and head out to the Old Head of Kinsale which brought the total up to 158kms (~98 miles). At roughly 9-hours including breaks, this was the longest cycle of 2023 so far.
0-50kms - Get to West Cork: The first 50kms were pretty much functional with the aim to get to Enniskean in the shortest time possible. The first 20ksm went from Passage West to Monkstown to Shannonpark roundabout by Carrigaline to Ballea Cross to Ballygarvan to Halfway to Ballinhassig.
From Ballinhassig, it was onto the hard shoulder of the busy N71 as far as Inishannon (30kms). This varies from about 1-3 metres in width and is safer than a lot of the regional R--- roads that I've been on.
The hard shoulder on the N71 disappears on sections between Inishannon and Bandon so I opted for the much hillier direct route on a quiet country road. From Bandon to Eniskean, it was a case of just staying on the R586. It was fine early on a Sunday morning but I'm not so sure it would be quiet during the week.
It took about 2h 20m from Passage West to Enniskean into a light headwind and at a modest pace. This seems like the best and most direct route for me to get to West Cork. O'Donovan's Centra is a nice spot to stop for a cuppa and a cake and they have seating inside.
50-65km - Enniskean to Clonakilty: The next part of the cycle was to head south to Clonakilty. In the centre of Enniskeane, it said 15kms on the signpost. As I left Enniskean, another signpost said 16kms... apparently It seems I was getting further away even though I was cycling towards it! After another 500m, it said 13kms to Clonakilty and 1km to Enniskean. Which is right? 14, 15 or 16kms? Take your pick.
The R588 road is just another regional road and it's just a route to get over the hills between Clon and Enniskean. There are no serious climbs and there is plenty of downhill cycling into Clonakilty.
EuroVelo1: In the Summer of 2022, I cycled all of the EuroVelo1 route from the ferry in Glenbrook in Cork Harbour to Rosscarbery in West Cork. This was done on an e-bike, I had a map just in case, it took two outings and I was going from East to West.
This time around, I was going from West to East from Clonakilty, I had no maps and I was just going to use the EuroVelo signposts.
65-90km - Clonakilty to Timoleague on the EuroVelo route: This 25km section of the EuroVelo route is quite hilly and you'll need to take this into account if you want to do it. The reward however is that a lot of this route is elevated with some stunning views over the coastline and countryside.
On the day I did it, there was broken clouds and sunshine over most of Co Cork but this section of the West Cork coastline was completely clear of cloud. It really is a very nice cycle in its own right and any photos I can show here really don't do it justice.
The photo above was take at point A on the map and shows the view south towards Dunworley Beach. The photo below shows the view to the north-west from the same point.
After passing through the small village of Butlerstown, I stopped at this small crossroads which is marked point B on the map.
The views along this section were so nice that I had decided to stop for a break and sit on a ditch. Someone else had the same thought and had put a bench there.
In the photo above, you can see the EuroVelo signs which are typical of the route. At critical junctions, they tell you which way to go and there is often a small square sign a little beyond the junction which just confirms you're still on the route. This is very useful because the main sign can get hit by farm vehicles and trucks and go askew.
The signs in brown above are for some walking routes for the Seven Heads.
This is the view from the same spot but looking west towards Butlerstown. You can see how narrow the road is and is typical of the route.
From here which for me was around the 82km mark, it was a case of continuing on to Courtmacsherry and then along the flat section to Timoleague and its iconic abbey. The westerly wind had now picked up so this was headwind for a few kms. I stopped for a lunch break at Foley's Centra in Timoleague which has seats outside.
90-125km - Timoleague to Kinsale on the EuroVelo route: This 35km section of the EuroVelo route is again quite hilly and the highlight is the Old Head of Kinsale.
Leaving Timoleague, it's a case of following the R600 road east towards Kinsale. This has a very smooth tarmac surface and with a westerly tailwind, it's very fast section of road. It's also a very scenic part of the route with Courtmacsherry now across the other side of a turquoise blue bay. The only thing that kind of spoils it is that it can be a reasonably busy road with plenty of traffic.
After the flat section, there's a short climb up to the Pink Elephant restaurant. This is a bit of a landmark as when you pass this heading west, Courtmacsherry comes into view and you know you're heading into West Cork.
After passing the turn off for Kilbrittan and reaching the 100km mark, I opted to continue on the longer EuroVelo route to the Old Head of Kinsale rather than staying on the R600 route to Kinsale. I had time to spare, the weather was nice and it takes so long to reach here that it seemed a waste not to make the most of it.
It was also good to get off the R600 and onto quite country roads again. Like the Seven Heads section, this had lots of hills but this was followed by a nice long downhill section to Garretstown Beach which was nice views of the Old Head and the coastline. Needless to say, the beach was very busy as it was a sunny Sunday afternoon.
The road out to the Old Kinsale was surprisingly hilly or maybe I was just getting tired. At the end, it was time to stop at the old signal tower and the Lusitania artwork.
From here, it's a very fast downhill to the Speckled Door pub and the end of the Old Head loop. The next section was uphill on the R604 road towards Kinsale which was busy with traffic. I was glad to turn off right and on towards Sandycove which is another scenic spot to visit.
At 125 kms, I arrived in Kinsale and the end of the EuroVelo route for me.
125km to 158kms - Kinsale to Passage West: Like the first section, this serves no other purpose than getting from A to B as quickly as possible. At 130kms, the last of my water ran out. After this, it was a bit of a slow trudge home.
General takeaways..
1) EuroVelo - The Seven Heads section is well worth doing on a nice sunny day as is the Old of Kinsale loop. It's possible to cycle the route without any maps as the signposts are very good.
2) Traffic - A lot of the country roads are really quiet and perfect for cycling. The main thing is the avoid the R... roads even if this means more hills.
Personal takeaways...
1) Water - The 700ml bottle lasted 130kms. Allowing for warmer weather, a second bottle with a carb mix is probably needed for any cycle over 100kms.
2) Breaks - Need a coffee or meal break after 50kms. Coffee and cake is fine for 100km cycles but need to eat proper food on a 120km+ cycle.
3) Fatigue - After 130kms, things start to happen. Soles of the feet were getting slightly numb, neck and shoulders were getting tired, wrists getting slightly sore. It was mainly due to being on a bike and cycling for about 8 hours.
4) Bike - The new Boardman Hybrid bike worked a treat. The saddle on it seems good and it was the only cushioning I had and I didn't get saddle sore like on other bikes. The alloy forks were fine and there's no need for carbon forks or shocks. The low gears were very useful late in the ride when I was getting tired and much better than standard road bikes which don't have the gears for steeper gradients.
5) Backpack - I had a small backpack with a lock, repair kit, pump and some bits. Need to get this off me and onto the bike.
6) Sweets - Something I forgot to buy but would have come in useful later on. A packet of wine gums or sweets to keep the glucose levels up. It's hard to eat chocolate and the like late in the cycle.
7) Lists - Need to generate a list of things to bring on a long cycle so I can check it before I leave.
8) Ascent & Effort - When I first measured the course, it was coming up with a total of about 1100m of ascent. When I saved the route, it was almost 1700m! I'm not sure which is right but as can be seen from the route profile above, it was quite hilly. I suspect that in terms of effort, this 158km hilly route would be roughly the equivalent of about 180kms on a flatter one on regional R or national N roads.
