When John Phillips decided to travel to Ireland, he went all out. Not only did John decide to bike across much of Ireland’s countryside, he had his favorite bike shipped to Pennsylvania prior to leaving for Ireland. While in Penn., the bike was retrofitted with couplers to allow him to pack it in a suitcase and check it as luggage! Now, that is a novel idea!
I sat down with John on day 9 of our Ireland trip and interviewed him about his biking in Ireland experience.
What “favorite place” have you discovered on your bike? I enjoyed the loop from Killarney to Killarney National Park. I took the Moll’s Gap to Kenmore and an unexpected turn on a road led me to the highest pub in Ireland.
What is the most unexpected aspect you have discovered? The roads are wide and have a large shoulder.
What types of supplies do you carry for your rides? rainjacket, water, small repair tools, 2 extra innertubes, hand pump, conventional shorts and tshirt, maps, snacks, camera
Is it hard to acclimate to the reverse traffic flow? No, it’s easy. I feel like it’s safer here because the drivers are more used to cyclists.
As of today, how many miles have you biked? 260 miles
A final comment from John: On the first day out of Galway, I rode part way with a local cyclist, and I asked him if there were any sort of normal courtesy rules I should follow while in Ireland? He responded, “Hey, you’re a vehicle, take the road, and feck ‘em.” What great advice!
