{"id":1022,"date":"2016-03-10T22:49:42","date_gmt":"2016-03-11T03:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.irelandbybicycle.com\/?p=1022"},"modified":"2024-06-17T18:55:52","modified_gmt":"2024-06-17T22:55:52","slug":"a-bit-of-history-ireland-2006","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irelandbybicycle.com\/index.php\/a-bit-of-history-ireland-2006\/","title":{"rendered":"A Bit of History – Ireland 2006"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was digging through old emails for something completely unrelated, and came across my post to the old “Phred” mailing list (of cycle tourers) with an analysis of the trip data from Ireland 2006. Figured I’d include it here. Photos from that trip are also on-line, with the highlights available\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Last week I returned from a 3 week cycling trip to Ireland. I’ve done a lot of solo touring in Europe (about 7 months cumulative I think) , but this time I tried something different. I talked my wife into going, as well as another couple we know who had never been touring. The plan was the other couple would cycle with us for 9 days, and then fly home. My wife and I would continue onwards for another 11 days.<\/p>\n

Given that there were people going who’d never toured before, I put a lot more effort before and after the trip documenting information.<\/p>\n

Route:<\/span>
\nShannon** > Limerick >(bus) Cahir > Cashel* > Carrick on Suir* > Kilkenny** > Carlow* >(bus) Limerick (other couple flies\u00a0home) > Shannon*<\/p>\n

> Corofin* > Doolin** > Kinvarra* > Athenry > Aughrim* > Roscommon > Knockcroghery * > Athlone > Clonmacnoise * > Banagher * > Roscrea > Banagher * > Portumna > Mount Shannon* > Shannon *<\/p>\n

* Spent night<\/p>\n

Distances:<\/span>
\nSo some mileage statistics (or actually kilometer statistics). They’re slightly inaccurate, because I cycled additional\u00a0distances more than once (2 days that my wife took a rest day, as well as extra miles one morning before everyone was up to return\u00a0to something from the day before).<\/p>\n

Rick’s Odometer (In kilometers):<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nCycling Days<\/td>\nAll Days<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Avg distance w\/ other couple<\/td>\n40<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Avg distance w\/o other couple<\/td>\n74<\/td>\n60.54545<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Avg overall distance<\/td>\n60.4<\/td>\n47.68421<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Avg w\/o other couple – wife’s odometer<\/td>\n56.8<\/td>\n46.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Note that the increased distances without the other couple does NOT mean that they were slow or holding us back. My wife was in much better shape as the trip progressed, and we were starting to figure out how to feed her. We were also in the central\u00a0region of Ireland that required farther distances\u00a0to get to things. Also, the first part of the trip had very specific destinations in mind from before we left, and was planned to be shorter.<\/p>\n

Generally really short distances. But then again, Ireland’s not that big \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Cost:<\/span>
\n(there are some quirks in the math here due to the day we lost on the way out (Go Laguardia)).<\/p>\n

Irksome that, either with ATM card or credit card, I was paying about a 1.2\/1 conversion rate, and then a 7% exchange fee (or 1.3\/1 with no fee, which is about the same). That’s a significant increase\u00a0in fees. Grf. I’ve divided up costs, like my mileage estimates, into separate categories of with other couple, not with other couple, and combined. I’ve also split out daily cost for airfare, because that changes depending on how long you stay \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nTotal p.p.<\/td>\nDays<\/td>\nper day<\/td>\nairfare p.d.<\/td>\ntotal p.p.p.d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
with other couple<\/td>\n$425.08<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n$53.14<\/td>\n$84.09<\/td>\n$137.23<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
without\u00a0other couple<\/td>\n$475.98<\/td>\n11<\/td>\n$43.27<\/td>\n$61.16<\/td>\n$104.43<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total<\/td>\n$901.06<\/td>\n19<\/td>\n$47.42<\/td>\n$35.41<\/td>\n$82.83<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

So for the original 9 days, it would have been $478 + airfare per person. For the next 11 days it was $475 (we did a lot more camping then) + airfare. For the trip in total for my wife and I (barring Laguardia) it was $948.4 + airfare. [ Looking back, I think that’s $47.42 as a total daily expense for myself and my wife, not $94.84 per day].<\/p>\n

My Gear Weight (any shared gear, I carried):<\/span><\/p>\n