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!