Connemara

Stunning and ever-changing scenery, quaint towns, dramatic vistas, history at every turn, overall comfortable accommodations with nice breakfast.
Ride was quite challenging at times, especially Day 1, 38 miles up and down a hill and over a mountain.
I do wonder, as did another bike tour operator we spoke to,
1. why we started rather than ended in Cong - which seemed lovely in the 10 minutes we spent there at the launch of our ride - with an overnight there instead of beginning and ending in Galway
2. why we rode east to west, into the wind, on the most challenging portions of the trip (the other tour operator's route goes in the opposite direction, ending with an overnight in Cong)
3. why 2 nights in Clifden? I think Days 4 and 5 could be rerouted. Day 4 Clifden to Sky Road around peninsula to Roundstone; Day 5 Roundstone through bog to earlier ferry to Aran islands

The scenery and Guest houses were great! The only bad day was the first day, climbing a 2400 feet gain. The bikes were not up to the challenge, did not get us up some of the steeper inclines, so we had to push the heavy electric assist bikes up those hills, which was very difficult and very slow, so slow in fact that by the time we got to the listed places to eat, they were closed. We called the bike shop, when we got to the guest house, and had them bring out one new bike and one new better charger. I suggest that trip site find a new bike shop.

The scenery on the Connemara trip is spectacular. Mostly beautiful back roads, always in sight of several mountains, lakes and ocean.

Feedback/Critique:
1) Bike-wise, the first day was pretty awful. The plan was to fit our bikes on day 2 at 9:45 AM, which took 30 minutes. The bike shop gave us one e-bike with only 1/3 of the battery charged, and another one was spotty - didn't respond every time to power request! Owner said problem charging overnight, and he didn’t really apologize… said “that’s the way it is… I don't have another backup battery, so just try to use the battery less…" Then it was at least an hour to transport us to the starting point in Cong and ready our bikes for the ride, bathroom break, etc.. Because of the 1/3 charge, the stronger of our group pedaled a lot without battery. There was no cell service so we couldn't call the bike shop until later in the day - left a message to bring us another bike and another battery. The owner brought us a replacement bike and battery the next morning - The bicycle brought to us was a different brand - and was lighter and peppier. Why not just use that brand?? 2) The ebikes were not Giant as advertised on Tripsite - they were Devron, which I suspect were heavier and less quality. Compared to the bikes we used in our Croatia bike/boat trip in June 2019, these were much heavier, and less peppy. However, the bikes given us on the Aran Islands were lighter and had more power (they really zipped along). If we hadn’t been pretty athletic individuals, I think the trip would’ve been harder. 3) The estimated route time given inside the RIDE WITH GPS routes must not include any time to take photos, get some hydration or snacks. So by the time we got to the ONLY 2 possible lunch spots - Maire Luke's Bar and O'Toole's pub, they were closed! SUGGESTION: STRONGLY recommend - in the BEGINNING of the route description to purchase lunch in Cong before beginning the route. 4) None of the 3 bikes had a bike pump as promised. One bike had an incompatible plug so we had to use a personal plug converter!!! At the end of the tour the owner gave a lame reason... 5) The ebikes were not peppy enough to carry us up several morning hills on day one, which added to our time and so we didn't make the lunch spots. THEN in the afternoon stretch we had to push our bikes up the 2.5 km long hill -- when we were pretty hungry. 6) THE FLAT OPTION ROAD WAS CLOSED, and no one told us until the end of the day. In my opinion it was unacceptable for your partner's contracted bike shop NOT to have a back up battery! In the future, if possible the bikes should be fit THE DAY BEFORE in the late afternoon, and a) the driver could take riders, luggage and bikes to Cong to stay overnight, OR, pick up riders, luggage, and bikes at Galway lodging at 9 AM day 2 then drive to Cong.

By the way after day 2 we did call your Dublin partner to report the bike problems. That's where the corrections need to be made.  SHOW MORE 

This trip was amazing. Everything, from the accomodations to the luggage transfer worked perfectly. The routes were wonderful, especially the part between Westport and Leenane with the amazing mountains around us and the quietness while passing lakes and a Fjord made us love this beautiful country. Thank you for the wonderful trip!

The people we traveled with and the shared adventures as well as the beauty of Ireland

Loved the off day in Clifden. Ireland is beautiful and the people could not be more warm. But do not recommend biking in Connemara. Many, many hills make it moderate at best, and there are no shoulders on very narrow lanes.

We only had 6 in our group so we were self-guided. From day 1, we felt the tour was incorrectly rated as easy-moderate. All 6 of us are seasoned riders but the hills, especially Day 1 were in the “difficult “ category. Four of the riders had been on previous tours with other companies. The directions for each day were lengthy and confusing, often requiring us to stop often to reread them. Some of the restaurants suggested we’re out-of-the-way only for us to later come across a nice one on our route. Caused us to question whether the person writing the directions had ever taken the trip. Luckily, we had a rider who would use his GPS which proved more helpful than the written directions. It was a fantastic trip because of the riders and the beautiful countryside. The ranking of difficulty needs to be changed as a novice biker would not be able to complete this tour.

Favorite Part: The fantastic landscapes of Connemara.

Amazing riding with different terrain each day. Wonderful scenery. Bikes good. Company good. Food good. Guide very good. Best cycling trip I have been on and I have been on a few. Can't wait to go back to Ireland.

Highlights: The scenery. The guide. The route. Loved it.

The ferry to the Aran islands, over night in a surprisingly modern hotel with an excellent kitchen and the ride around the island was the culmination of a very pleasant and interesting 5 days of riding.

Our Connemara trip was a wonderful experience! This was our first bicycle trip outside of the US- I would highly recommend it. The guides were knowledgeable and attentive-the scenery was beautiful and the food was great! Don’t hesitate to sign up for this tour.

The person who dropped off the bikes did not have the tools to adjust the handle bars, so the bikes did not fit well.
The saddle (bike seat) was the type that would be commonly found on a road bike and not on a touring bike.
The gears were not aligned correctly, so it was extremely difficult to shift gears. Sometimes, in order to shift gears, it was required to repeatedly shift the gears up and down before the bike would shift into the lower or upper gear.

We went in July, two years ago. The Irish people were delightful. Everywhere we stayed was great!The Irish homes (B&B's) had all been updated and bedrooms and bathrooms were comfortable and modern. All of the hosts were just wonderful; so accommodating and fun to talk with! Irish breakfasts were great in the B&B’s. The food was delicious almost everywhere!

You do a fair amount of riding on the road with cars in Ireland. The drivers are very nice and respectful of bikers, but I do like a dedicated bike path better. Also, some of the rides were a bit more challenging than our previous trips but you can take it at your own pace and they usually give you can easier option. The scenic beauty of the west of Ireland is spectacular!

LOVED the Irish people - friendly, accommodating, with a terrific sense of humor. We ended our trip by staying four days in Dublin. I would recommend the trip! If you haven't been to Europe before and/or don't speak another language, Ireland is very easy to navigate and everyone is very helpful!