NI/Belfast Route

seanorawe

Hi

I know a few Belfast/NI riders often frequent this forum. I need to know if you have cycled along the Newtownards Road? It is a an A Road, and its busy. But it seems to be the best scenario for cycling from Belfast to Bangor? Any help would be appreciated.

golfergmc

Why not head out the Kings Road then on to Comber-Ards-Bangor-Crawfordsburn-Holywood-Belfast. Mostly quite roads.

seanorawe

golfergmc wrote:

Why not head out the Kings Road then on to Comber-Ards-Bangor-Crawfordsburn-Holywood-Belfast. Mostly quite roads.

Ill have a look cheers

Diamant49

What about the Greenway from Hollywood Arches/King's Road to Comber, then Banor via Ards. Greenway is traffic free, just have to negotiate dog walkers and joggers - and its a better surface.

I would give the dual carriageway to Ards a miss if possible - have used short sections, but like any dual carriage way the traffic is travelling too fast for comfort! An alternative would be to go out part of the way and take a left down the old Newtownards Road - its a lot quieter and there is a nice descent (once you get over the hill!).

Take a look at the Sustrans website for more information

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/sustrans-near-you/northern-ireland-and-the-republic-of-ireland

seanorawe

Diamant49 wrote:

What about the Greenway from Hollywood Arches/King's Road to Comber, then Banor via Ards. Greenway is traffic free, just have to negotiate dog walkers and joggers - and its a better surface.

I would give the dual carriageway to Ards a miss if possible - have used short sections, but like any dual carriage way the traffic is travelling too fast for comfort! An alternative would be to go out part of the way and take a left down the old Newtownards Road - its a lot quieter and there is a nice descent (once you get over the hill!).

Take a look at the Sustrans website for more information

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/sustrans-near-you/northern-ireland-and-the-republic-of-ireland

Is was thinking of going up netownards ards road as far as the turn off for dunlady road leading to craigentlet road. But ill ake a look at that site.

seanorawe

Diamant49 wrote:

What about the Greenway from Hollywood Arches/King's Road to Comber, then Banor via Ards. Greenway is traffic free, just have to negotiate dog walkers and joggers - and its a better surface.

I would give the dual carriageway to Ards a miss if possible - have used short sections, but like any dual carriage way the traffic is travelling too fast for comfort! An alternative would be to go out part of the way and take a left down the old Newtownards Road - its a lot quieter and there is a nice descent (once you get over the hill!).

Take a look at the Sustrans website for more information

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/sustrans-near-you/northern-ireland-and-the-republic-of-ireland

Do you get on to the greenway through those black arches just before westminster avenue? on the left hand side as you come on to the holywood road?

Diamant49

seanorawe wrote:

Do you get on to the greenway through those black arches just before westminster avenue? on the left hand side as you come on to the holywood road?

Not exactly sure where Westminster Avenue is, but I think thats the Hollywood Road - Upper Newtownards Road junction that you are referring to. Yes, you can join it there - its across into Ravenscroft Avenue and immediately left into a carpark and on up from there. I usually go up Ravenscroft Av and join it from the Beersbridge Road, thr section from the carpark is short, but often has broken glass and kids being a nuisance!

There are other options for joinging - if you search on the Sustrans site there is a map that be downloaded as a pdf, which gives access points.

seanorawe

Diamant49 wrote:

seanorawe wrote:

Do you get on to the greenway through those black arches just before westminster avenue? on the left hand side as you come on to the holywood road?

Not exactly sure where Westminster Avenue is, but I think thats the Hollywood Road - Upper Newtownards Road junction that you are referring to. Yes, you can join it there - its across into Ravenscroft Avenue and immediately left into a carpark and on up from there. I usually go up Ravenscroft Av and join it from the Beersbridge Road, thr section from the carpark is short, but often has broken glass and kids being a nuisance!

There are other options for joinging - if you search on the Sustrans site there is a map that be downloaded as a pdf, which gives access points.

Yeah ill do that I think

My house to beersbridge road is 5.5 miles. The greenway is around 7 then along darragh road, right on to ballyhenry road. Left on to newtownards road to bangor is 9 miles. So there and back would be 43 miles for me. Its longer than i expected. Ill have to man up and get on with it.

Diamant49

Hope you have a good ride - should be plenty of options in Bangor for a cakestop!