Touring, Adventure and Off-Road Cycling

We are only back 4 days and we are off again.
Our spin tomorrow leaves Jack Whites Inn at 09:00am
The Spin is called "The Not so Wild Wicklow Way"
It is a flat 80km spin
If you wish to join the spin then click to join the group below


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On behalf of the Leaders
Andrew, Kashif and Leonard

You all probably know it’s Mothers' Day next Sunday 27th March.
So, you may not be able to go on the Club Sunday cycle because:

• you are being taken out or,
• you are taking a mammy out somewhere special.

What that in mind - we are holding a novel flat 63km spin this Saturday. 

• It is suitable for hybrid bikes and drop-bar bikes with 28 cc tyres 
• We will cover roads, parks, rivers/canals cycle path trails. 

Meet rear of the old Dundrum Centre Cark Park 9 am (Sunday morning cycle meeting place.
If interested click on the link below


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On behalf of
Andrew, Kashif and Leonard 
The Touring Team  

 
Our next spin will be a tour of the Hot Spots of the 1916 Easter Rising. Paul Walsh Orwell Member and Historian is planning the route.
The spin will take place at 09:00 am, on Easter Monday 18th of April.

Click on the following link to join the spin group


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On behalf of the Team
Andrew , Kashif and Leonard 

Still, time to sign up for this spin
Easter Monday 9 am Dundrum car park

Save the date for the “Follow me up to Carlow spin”
 
.

Dr. John D has been planning this event for a few months now and it promises to be a fantastic day with great sites, old and new, to visit. John is hoping to make our food stop a special feature of the day.

The spin – a drive and cycle will be on Sat 2nd July.
John Denver’s song Take me home country roads comes to mind when reflecting on yesterday's route.

Almost heaven, West Wicklow
Green Ridged Mountains, Barrrow River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze

Cheers 
On behalf of The Touring Team 

Your touring /adventure committee are seeking expressions of interest for a:
2-day cycle to Belfast Saturday, Aug 20th and Sunday 21 st Aug
Hostel type accommodation 6- 8 per room
60 Euro for Bed, Breakfast and Dinner

Day 1 132kms Dublin to Carlingford
Day 2 124 km Carlingford to Belfast

Train or Bus back from Belfast Sunday evening

TBA cost of hiring a van to get the bikes back to Dublin
If interested click on the link below

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The dust will be settled, on the South West Wicklow roads - after our Internal Sportive, just in time for our next Touring Spin. Drive and cycle from Hollywood Co Wicklow to Carlow – Saturday 2nd July. Click to join our 100km spin. 
 

If you would like to join The Carlow Drive and Cycle spin cycle but need a lift to and from Hollywood - send me a message at

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Many thanks to John D for his amazing research, and suggestion for a food stop on our Riches and Rebels tour to Carlow.  Duckett's Grove was so so special,
 

Here is a compilation of pictures taken yesterday by our 42 cyclists. 


Later Jim Davenport reflected on the day and wrote.

We set off on a journey through history with narrators who could make the hairs stand on the back of your neck, recounting tales of long ago.  The stark contrasts between the landed gentry and the peasants, the English Yeomanry with their muskets and the brave farmers who through desperation and despair swapped their ploughs for Pikes and fought the might of the British Army in the hope for a better life for their wives and children.  We learned the history of the croppy boys, atrocities on both sides and the devastation of betrayal by neighbours and fellow countrymen.  We Learned about the Founding of the United Irishmen whose aim was to drive out the English and create a nation where Catholics, Protestants and Dissenters could live together in peaceMeanwhile, we travelled under the warm summer sun past fields of ripening barley, derelict buildings, monuments to inequality and the folly of men.Lunch was enjoyed in the farmers market where the Clans came together to share the joys of the day and more stories of bygone days. At the same time, an old Geezer could be heard in the background of the marriage of Grace and James Mary Plunkett in Old Kilmainham jail.  Michael Dwyer, Robert Emmet, Anne Devlin, Lord Stratford and Jim’s great-great, great, great grandfather 'Tadhg of the wattles" who cleared the Fairground at St Mullin's with the jawbone of an ass.As I set off for home, I reflected on a very enjoyable day of cycling made possible by our very own highly respected Historian Dr John Duighnan.  Thank you, John, from all of us.Up the Rebels!!! 

AS OF TODAY 16TH, Aug. this event is full and we are operating a waiting list.
THE WAITING LIST OPEN FOR
The next multi-day event, for our touring group, is a 2-day cycle to Belfast Saturday, Aug 20th and Sunday 21 st Aug.

Hostel-type accommodation is not more than 4 per room
60 Euro for Bed, Breakfast and Dinner

Day 1 132kms Dublin to Reservoir
Day 2 124 km Reservoir to Belfast

Bus back from Belfast Sunday evening

BIkes back in a van to Dublin
If you are interested in going on the waiting list

text me at
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Welcome to our new Pathways members and all other club members

Imagine - Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club will celebrate 75 years in existence next year. Our club, the biggest one in the country, offers cycling opportunities for all abilities and ages.

On the leisure side, we have our weekly group spins. And there is also audaxing, more about that next month.

Two years ago, a few of us started a touring and adventure group. This is a mixture of one-day and multi-day cycling events. We try to offer an event once a month.

Pace would be approx. white/yellow, and distances 80 to 140km per day for road cycling.

Some of our events are off-road, canal and forest trail cycling. We will also cater (terms and conditions apply), for hybrid - straight handlebar bikes.


If you are interested in participating in this group - then click on the following link to join our what's app group.


If you have any questions, please leave a message here for 
Andrew, Kashif and Leonard

33 cyclists and a support driver set off last Saturday on the multi-day to Belfast.

A selection of images from, some of our 34 members on, Orwell Wheelers Touring Group's, Stage 3 - Tour of Ireland

Our next adventure spin is scheduled for Saturday 12th Nov. We leave Dundrum 09:30.
The route is designed for off-road bikes, i. e. 28+ plus knobbly tyres.
 
The route leaves Dundrum to Booterstown, The Metals, Shankill coastal route and home via part of The Dublin Mountain Way, and then via a mass lane near 3 Rock and back to Dundrum.

For those interested in the numbers: it's 52km distance and 650m Elevation


To join the spin what’s App group click the link.

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Our next adventure spin is scheduled for Wed 28th Dec in the evening. The spin is suitable for all types of bikes including straight handle bar (hybrid).

The spin is our annual spin into Dublin city to see the Christmas lights.

If you wish to join the group, please click the link below to join the spin what's app group.


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Leonard,
On behalf of the touring team

 



Hi all the weather forecast for Wed night is very mixed. So just to be sure, we are moving the Christmas City Lights Cycle event to Thursday night. Meeting in Dundrum at 07:30pm. I hope that does not cause too much inconvenience.

Sad because you missed out on booking the Beara sportive!
Disappointed you are not cycling Connemara but determined you are not going to pay over-inflated prices for the accommodation or the entry fee!
Not to worry Your Orwell Adventure/Touring committee has you covered with alternative cycling options.

 

Join the Adventure/Touring What’s App for upcoming news of our 2023 cycling Plans.
Monthly Cycles with - 
Drive and Cycle options 
Tour Of Ireland stages 4 and 5,
An over sea’s event - new for this year.
 
 ✅Click on the link below to join the other 184 Orwell members.

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Just to say our overseas trip to Wales, from 21st to 23rd July 2023, is now full at 60 participants. We are operating a waiting list, which you can join by clicking on the waiting list at:


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Hi all
Update on Touring/Adventure Group activities.

The training groups begin their schedule on Sat 1st of April and Club Sunday Spins stop that weekend any other Adventure/Touring cycles will move to a Sunday spot/ or mid-week evening.

June - Dusk to Dawn cycle, this will be an evening through the night cycle. See the Sun go down from the Dublin mountains, have chips in Blanchardstown, see the sunrise in Donabate, and have breakfast in Dun Laoghaire.

July - Planning for our 3-day trip to Wales is well advanced with 60 people signed up, and 2 people on our waiting list. Our waiting list is still open if you wish to join it.

Aug - Dr. John D is actively planning our Rebel tour of Wexford.

Sept. -Planning for our next leg of Tour of Ireland is going well, Derry to Belfast.


In the pipeline:–
Canal tour, a recent recce proved that the surface was too wet for normal road tyres.

Tour of the Dublin Bay and the Martello Towers.

Dublin Mountain way – off-road cycle.

A second tour of the monuments and castles of The Boyne Valley.

Just a flavor of what’s to come.

To join the touring group click on the link below:


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The Team – Andrew, Kashif, and Leonard

Andrew and myself were on a touring/adventure cycle recce, yesterday, cycling from Athlone train station to Maynooth train station 105kms, all but 2 kms were on cycle/canal towpath ways.

 

Back in 2016 there was a club challenge - where you achieved the pictured medal if you cycled twelve by 140km spins. On one of those 140 spins Andrew came up with the idea of a drive and cycle club spin. We were in Athlone at the time. Thus, the idea of an Adventure/Touring group was sown. 



Well, yesterday, we revisited the scene of the crime - but this time by train.  And Andrew was at it again saying that there are lots of drive or train/ cycle options – in the area.  


So, watch this space for another canal spin to Longford or the Shannon.
Mullingar to Longford/ Shannon 62 kms
Mullingar to Maynooth 63 kms

All on canal towpath ways