Has anyone done the 30-mile bike loop on the Dingle peninsula? Being a cyclist I'd love the chance to ride while I'm there but wondering if I should pack cycling clothes or whether the bike rentals are standard 'comfort' bikes. Any info is welcome!
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2980 posts
Here's the website for the local bike hire outfit in Dingle: http://paddysbikeshop.com/
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2980 posts
Another thought: Slea Head Drive around the peninsula is an R road, meaning that it's barely two lanes wide and in places can narrow down to what appears less than that. Might help if you preview parts of it by looking at the street view feature on Google maps. If you're experienced cyclists you shouldn't have a problem, but know that you'll be sharing the road with sometimes distracted drivers gawking at the scenery so do bike defensively. Am sure that the folks at the local bike shop can offer advice regarding general safety considerations and the local rules of the road.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thanks very much for the info.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7937 posts
June 2011 - we'd rented touring bikes from an outfit in Limerick, who delivered them to our B&B in Galway, then rode down to Dingle over the next 2 weeks, before riding on to Tralee, and taking a bus to Limerick to turn in the bikes. The Slea Head drive was wonderful, and we'd had 2 weeks on narrow roads, getting buzzed by tour buses and soaked in rainstorms, so had somewhat gotten used to those aspects of pedaling in Ireland. As with other places in western Ireland, Slea Head and back to Dingle has its share of grinding uphill gradients, followed by exhilarating downhill stretches. You'll get a workout, but it's a great way to experience the Dingle Peninsula. Personally, padded liner briefs or shorts at a minimum, if not outright bike shorts, are essential if one's planning on doing anything more than an afternoon bike rental in a city park.
Posted by
Oak Park
243 posts
I packed a pair of cycling shorts for this ride which was my only in Ireland. Make sure you have rain gear just in case.
Beautiful ride, I did it mostly in the rain and utterly enjoyed it. We did this on the day after Dingle Marathon and did not think that it was particularly difficult, but we rode easy and stopped often at beehive huts and other great views along the way. It’s so much easy stopping on a bike than finding a place to stop with a car.
Thanks for allowing me to fondly remember this ride.