Steve Kidd Cycling Trips and Guides

Lough Neagh, 23^rdAugust 2015

I wouldn't put this particular excursion at the top of my bucket list if I were you.

It's gentle, with no killer climbs at all, it is rural, often quiet, it's difficult to get totally lost and there are enough shops, pubs villages and towns on the way round to bail you out if you get bored, without them being constant. I suppose the best adjective to describe it would be 'nice'

The thing is, that is all it is. Lough Neagh, the biggest lake (by surface area) in the British Isles makes Loch Shiel look like Splash World at Scarborough. It is so big you can only see to the other side when it is clear, it is entirely pastoral, and how many farms with cows and grass can you actually cycle past before they become mundane? The flags on the lampposts are ridiculous, and make you realise how totally stupid humans can be, one constantly expects the ghost of Ian Paisley to jump out and start berating you, I have never seen such thick clouds of flies and Irish planning laws seem to dictate you place a bungalow every 500 metres and... and... that's it. Even the few negative aspects are tedious.

There is a plethora of routes to take, I used Google Maps to take me around, and can't complain too much (It is not their fault the cycleway near Craigavon was flooded), but there is little point trying to write a guide. I would recommend Google Maps above the proscribed cycle routes, as it does tend to miss out the stupid diversionary bits whilst retaining the more practical parts.

I suppose it didn't help that my entire trip was overcast, and I got a thorough soaking in the rain down the North-east side (I never totally dried out), and I completed the Southern section in the dark. It was an adventure, it is nice and finite in its objectives and I am proud of the achievement and very glad I did it. But don't expect anything startling.

Map

Lough Neagh showing route and places mention by Steve Kidd, August 23 2015