Day 17

Monday, August 21st

Flew from Belfast back to Toronto today.  We all made it back safely with our bikes and luggage.

Some final thoughts on this trip:

- Ireland was perhaps the most scenic of my three trips this summer.  I loved the rugged, rocky mountains and tranquil lochs and estuaries.  The weather was great but the roads were pretty bumpy and potholed.  It didn't have the wonderful decents of France or the epic climbing days of LEJOG, but this was a great trip.

- Self-supported B&B touring was fun.  Route planing wasn't difficult, the B&B's were very nice and the two small panniers did not have as much of an impact on the cycling experience as I thought they would.  I would definitely do more of this in the future.  However, I still see the benifits of "professional" route planning to show you some great little roads and beautiful off-the-beaten-track scenery.  Kevin did his typical masterful job in this respect.

- Ryan and Jenn did very well.  Ryan really hadn't had the time for many training rides, and Jenn was always concerned with her ability to keep up with us speedy boys.  However, both of them made it all the way from end-to-end without any trips in the van.  Full credit to their determination (and Ryan's doping routine).  It was great to share this experience with them.

- Its amazing how bikes can be so symultaniously fragile and reliable.  They seem to have a lot of little break-downs on these trips, but they usually still get you to the end of the day.

- The people we met in Ireland really were wonderfully friendly.  The B&B that stored our bike boxes and gave us free breakfast and the two strangers that helped me repair my brakes on day one are just two examples that come to mind.

I have really enjoyed each of my trips this summer and look forward to more cycling adventures in the future.