Rothar Rides

Cyclist.ie’s Rural Cycling Collective is embarking on a year long ‘Rothar Rides’ promotion, aimed at getting individuals and groups out exploring rural Ireland to discover the best ways to get from A to B. 

Over the year the group hopes to gather suggestions to form a network of cycling routes, map them with GPS on a central database, and use them to provide suggestions to local authorities when developing cycle routes around these areas. In this early stage of the campaign, organisers are asking that bike lovers of all ages and abilities get out on their bikes on the first Sunday of each month to think about potential cycle routes in their areas.

One of the main goals of the campaign is to map the many local secondary, tertiary and boreen roads that can offer more enjoyable and safer options for cyclists to access places of interest (like beaches or historical sites), as well as mapping routes from residential areas into nearby villages and towns.  

Spokesperson Allison Roberts from the Rural Collective stated:
“We can all be a part of the development of cycle routes in Ireland. As cyclists and as cycle advocates, we have the knowledge that is needed to make sure that government efforts to increase access to cycling is a success, we can provide the information they want so that they, in turn, can provide the infrastructure we so desperately need.”

The Rothar Rides kick off this Sunday, 7th of March, so hop on your bike & explore! Find a new route from A to B or start thinking about your dream cycle route in your area. Post pics of your ride using #rotharrides and tag @cyclistie.  And do please remember to stay within your 5km limit until this is changed.

For more information on Cyclist.ie’s Rural Cycling Collective, check out  https://cyclist.ie/ruralvision/.

Stay tuned for more!

Nationwide Highlighting Dublin’s Coastal Mobility Route

Cyclist.ie was delighted to see RTE 1 TV’s Nationwide programme broadcasted on Monday 1st March 2021 which focused on the development of the Coastal Mobility Route in Dublin. 

It brought to a nationwide audience some of the many benefits which accrue when high quality cycling infrastructure is provided, as exemplified by the route running from Blackrock to Dun Laoghaire in South County Dublin. The interviews with Engineer, Robert Burns, and Architect, Bob Hannon, from DLR County Council were particularly illuminating. 

Colm Ryder, Chairperson of Cyclist.ie and a long time member of Dublin Cycling Campaign, also took part in the programme, and he contrasted how the development of cycling was in the 1990s compared to now. All in all, we are making progress on the back of many years of targeted cycle campaigning. 

If you have not seen the programme, we highly recommend you check it out on the RTE Player here (see Mon March 1st programme).

Below you can see a few screenshots from the programme to give you a flavour. 

People of all ages using the Coastal Mobility Route

And cargo bikes!

But there are contrasting cycling conditions on the Rock Road!

Presenter Anne Cassin back on the motor-traffic free section near Bull Island

Colm Ryder providing the context to the development of the new routes

A nice view of the route looking north

And great insights into the daily rhythms of the bike messenger from Cyclone Couriers

And further great footage of families enjoying the route! 

We understand that Nationwide may be planning a programme to explore some of the regional greenways and cycleways, so watch this space for further news in this regard.