Cycling from Maynooth to Mullingar along the Royal Canal Greenway, Ireland

[@derek8272]

Hi All, thanks for watching, commenting and giving this video the thumbs up! :) this video is doing really well! A very nice surprise as when I was putting it together I was thinking to myself that this will be another one for the flop pile! I am really curious as to what brought you guys to the video and what you liked and even more importantly didn't like. Did ye like the time lapse in there? It is hard to "grow organically" on youtube, so I am delighted with the traction this is making! :) A few of you have asked if I will finish the trip off? I plan on it, I really want to. So therefore I will :) just have to wait for the current restrictions to lift and the weather to suit the drone! I am going to blame the drone for not doing it sooner, even though if I am honest I am a bit of a fair weather cyclist.

[@sionnachog894]

HI Derek: As I'm thinking of doing it after lockdown , this was ideal. Our bikes are roadbikes though , are you sure they wouldn't be suitable?

[@derek8272]

@@sionnachog894 you more than likely will be fine. At one point in the video I do meet a guy on a road bike. My tyres are a bit chunkier than normal road tyres so can probably handle the fine stones a bit better, probably what made me say it. Hope you do get out on the canal, it is a nice cycle. Do you plan on doing half of it? or the whole thing?

[@sionnachog894]

@@derek8272 Okay thanks Derek as long as it is not dangerous...don't want to be falling off at my age!

[@derek8272]

@@sionnachog894 Can I ask, where do you plan on starting from? Between Dublin and Maynooth the surface is very mixed. From the entrance to Carton House and on-wards out west is perfect. Lovely surface and a decent width to the path for over taking or meeting other cyclists, it was more of a puncture risk I was trying to highlight from the surface chippings. Some of those racing tyres might not do well on it. Nothing worse than trying to pump a wheel with those little repair kit pumps :D

[@sionnachog894]

@@derek8272 Hi Derek: Yes from what I've read , I figured it would be best to start at Maynooth as surface is patchy up to there. Thanks

[@richardoconnor3028]

Very helpful. Need to do it this summer

[@saddamgul498]

Amazing video 👍👍

[@shayclarke]

LOVELY video

[@wayneturley7814]

Lovely video man spend alot of time cycling walking and dog walking along the canal from maynooth to longwood nice to see on from blackshade to mulingar must venture that way

[@tconnolly9820]

Three years later I enjoyed this video and must check out your channel to see what other gems you have there. I'm a general commuter and shopper by bike from south Monaghan and rarely do longer than 50 km rides. I have been hankering to do a few days credit card touring by bike to Dublin along the east coast and then across west so this is very interesting and informative. Great video and I enjoyed the high speed sections.

[@daz475]

Thanks for the video.

[@marktrvls1218]

Very interesting video, will try that sometime, thanks 👍

[@degutos]

Great video Derek, Inspirational. I particularly didn’t know the way and was looking for something exactly like this. Thanks for sharing the video.

[@derek8272]

@Degutos Gonzaga thank you for the nice comment! always great to get feedback! It is a really nice cycle from Maynooth to Mullingar, especially if you are not a long distance cyclist like me and you can cheat and take the train back! :D I hope to get back out there soon and complete the journey! Hope you will have slightly better weather than I did! Safe travels

[@4Hewitts]

Great video, thinking about doing this tomorrow! Thanks for taking the time to put it togther.

[@derek8272]

@4Hewitts thanks watching and leaving a comment 😁 did you make it out on the canal? If you did, what did you think of it?

[@4Hewitts]

@@derek8272 in the end the forecast was too wet but on my to do list for sure! Swam at the 40 Foot and Greystones instead!

[@VISTATREKKER]

Nice job, very nicely captured and a story well told. I did a video of a little bit of that stretch by canoe, Boyne dock to Hill of Down, while making that I realised Google maps have run along the canal with the camera on a boat which is a great source of info for planning anything like this.

[@rotbowie]

Thanks for putting this together, brilliant stuff. Was curious about the trail and found your vid based on an organic search.

[@derek8272]

@Rot bowie thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! Really appreciate it! That is really cool to hear that you found it from an organic search! Seems I done something right? 🤔😬😅

[@buckzer]

Great stuff Derek. Drone shots are class!

[@derek8272]

@buckzer thanks for the comment Niall! really appreciate the support! surprised they came out like that, wasn't easy cycling and trying to fly the drone at the same time! :D there were a few dodgy moments along the way!

[@CyrilSavio]

Bro, you are so lucky that you got this wonderful track for cycling. Keep Pedaling explore the nature

[@derek8272]

@Cyril Savio thanks for the comment! I will try my best! 😅 i have to get back out there and finish the journey. Some day soon 🤞

[@rhack10]

Nice video, thanks for sharing

[@derek8272]

Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment @Robbie Hackett. I need to make time to complete the journey now 😅

[@SlogOnTheTyne]

Nice video

[@rods5555]

Amazing video Derek!!! Thank you very much. I usually run on the greenway from Samuel Beckett bridge to Maynooth harbour and I always wonder what comes after the harbour thanks to you now I know :-) I have a plan to run the entire greenway and you just deliver invaluable information, thank you.

[@derek8272]

Hi Rods, thanks for the comment! :) really appreciate it. Wow! that is impressive man, that is a good distance to run. Best of luck with running the whole thing! I couldnt manage cycling it in one go never mind running it :D

[@AnthonyBrennan-r1r]

Can I ask how long did it take to cycle, I would love to do 200 k inside 24 hours, but not sure if it can be done

[@dairesweeney419]

Great vid, I cycled this myself back in August, a lovely spin if not for all the gates!!

[@derek8272]

Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! :) Really appreciate it! Did you go the whole way? Or just to Mullingar?

[@dairesweeney419]

@@derek8272 From Maynooth to Mullingar, same as yourself. I live in Maynooth and decided to cycle to my sis in Mullingar instead of the car, was well worth it, even if the headwind was a bit annoying along with all the gates!!

[@PranayAgarwal18]

@@dairesweeney419 I did it as well. I totally get your point about the gates. It was so annoying to have nice bursts of speed broken due to them.

[@Раковийсупець]

I like to cycle from Athlone and back by Greenway, was always stopping by at Chocolate Brown as well =) I was actually planning to go from Athlone to Kilcock and maybe Dublin this summer so thanks for letting me know it's possible =)

[@derek8272]

That is on my list to do once I finish the Royal Canal greenway to Longford 😅 any excuse to get a macaroon from Chocolate Brown 🤤

[@paulcleary1758]

That’s really cool, would love to see you do the next stage mullingar to clondra in longford

[@derek8272]

Hi Paul, thanks for watching and leaving a comment! Really appreciate it 😁 I do plan on doing the next stage in the new year. I believe it is the more scenic leg of the journey.

[@rebelcounty2078]

Nice video. 😎👍

[@pawel8365]

Very nice video Derek, I was thinking of walking the full 130 km to Longford, but to be honest, the path looks a bit bland. I think cycling is the way to go! Try doing the full length next :)

[@derek8272]

Thanks for the comment Pawel, you are right, cycling is the only way. to walk this would be absolute torture! the path is way to straight.

[@GR13199]

Great video. Wonder if there was any twrrible surface sections at all along the way? Something like Clonsilla-Leixlip-Maynooth...

[@derek8272]

@GintarasRek thanks for the comment! :) it is great to hear from everyone that takes the time to watch one of my videos. Once you get past the entrance to Carton house the surface is great. I know what you mean, the surface between Leixlip and Dublin isnt great. Perfect for walking along but not cycling. But like I said, once you get past the entrance to Carton house the surface is good for cycling.

[@hangsambo12]

Fair play, nice video. I’m cycling Clonsilla to Abbeyshrule in August. Any tips?

[@derek8272]

Thanks for leaving a leaving a comment first of all :) not much advice to give only make sure to have plenty of water and well padded jocks :D I think Mullingar to Abbeyshrule is my favourite leg of the journey. are you doing a round trip? it is a good distance you are planning.

[@TheBawnie]

Great video. Do you think I could do it on my road bike with 23mm tyres? Sean.

[@alistair_ie]

Great video, thanks for sharing. If you book online the bike is free? I thought you still had to pay... 🤔

[@derek8272]

Hi Alistair, thanks for the comment! :) I booked my ticket online and could add the bike for free during the booking process. If you have already purchased a ticket and want to add a bike later I think there is a small fee. If you turn up to the station with a bike and have booked it online you have to pay for a full price ticket which could be a kick in the teeth.

[@martymartin2894]

What are you buying a ticket for is it not free to cycle the canal way.

[@PranayAgarwal18]

@@martymartin2894 For the train journey back to Maynooth

[@magzire]

Real men cycle back haha. joke, i got to Leixlip and a good way past Enfield but there was a head wind going back, that was fun. over 75km that day.

[@derek8272]

@magzire 😂🤣 and head winds are why you get the train! 😁 ain't nobody got time fo' that

[@magzire]

@@derek8272 made it to Ballynabarny today, 40km up and back.

[@jimmyhayes8651]

Interesting to follow your trip on video and view the scenery.Do you plan on doing all the canal routes..Cycling is a wonderfull outlet.great for mind and body.Keep it up.What bike works best on the road surface ?.

[@derek8272]

@Jimmy Hayes thanks for watching and leaving a comment! :) really appreciate it. I do plan on finishing off the Royal Canal, hopefully this lock down doesnt drag on too much longer and I can get back out. I have walked along the Grand Canal and think a type of mountain bike would be better as the path is not as good as the Royal and is basically a grass path. Regarding the bike question, I would not be an expert on this, I just use a road bike with hybrid tyres, just something that could handle a bit more off road than those crazy skinny tyres you see out there.

[@bastogne315]

Murder highway!!

[@castleblayney6156]

Nobody cycling at speeded up speed 😏