Day 13 – Balbriggan to Dublin

When I woke, my energy tank was still empty. I thought about asking reception if I could keep the room and take my rest day. I decided I’d press on to Dublin and take my rest day there. The route I’d planned was only 50 miles.

Breakfast got me the five miles to Skerries. I bimbled around the harbour and seafront mainly resting at points of interest. There were lots of people swimming.

The rest got me the five miles to Rush where a giggle (henceforth the collective noun for a group of  of swimmers exiting the water) of swimmers extolled to me the invigorating virtues of sea swimming every day. Not having my swim shorts didn’t cut it as an excuse. I spared them details of what salt water could do to destroy the anti-chafing properties of Lycra on a long ride.

Next stop Donabate. Nine miles this time. On the way, I survived today’s first encounter with a regional road and executed my first ever overtaking manoeuvre on a dual carriageway. To get over the excitement, I sat for Coffee and lunch at the fabulous Triangle Coffee Co.

The weather was amazing and riding the lanes was enjoyable, even when I added a couple of miles of wrong turn to the cycle to Malahide. The tourists and day-trippers were out in force. I joined them in an ice cream.Three miles down the road from Malahide, Portmarnock had a surprise for me. A dedicated cycleway that took me all the way into Howth, interrupted only by some roadworks (accompanied by specific instructions for cyclists and pedestrians,) and a train crossing.Howth was stunning. Larger and busier than Malahide, it offered the full harbour town / tourism experience. Boat trips, restaurants, ice-cream, drinking in beer gardens overlooking the water. I headed out to the end of the pier, where I met Dave.

Dave noted I was touring from the bags on the bike and asked about my trip and plans. On a Thursday afternoon just outside Dublin, I thought it would be impressive to say I’d started on Monday morning in Belfast and followed the coast down. Dave told me of cross-border mara-cycles that he took part in in his younger cycling days. They rode from Dublin to Belfast in a day. I decided not to compete. It was obvious I had no game.

Dave said I had to go up to the summit and take in the view from the top of the cliffs. I’d half had in mind to turn round and head straight into Dublin on the flat. I knew it was a steep hill to get round the peninsula and didn’t really fancy it.

As I set off, I knew I couldn’t let Dave down. It was steep. I settled in the lowest gear and spun the pedals. Luckily it was steepest at the bottom. I got to the Summit Pub and climbed the hill at the side. The pedals were barely turning when I got to the car park. I had made it. Thanks Dave.

Dropping down the southern side of the peninsula, I picked up speed that I didn’t seem to lose all the way along the glorious cycle track into Dublin. And as I reached the city, cycling infrastructure was everywhere. I revelled in a city-centre cycling Nirvana that took me on safe routes right to my hotel.

Day totals: 54 miles,  1,366ft of climbing

Tour totals: 756 miles,  24,506ft of climbing