Preparation is Key
A year and a half in the making
We began researching the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland and decided it would be our next European country to explore. Neither of us have ever been there, but we do love a good dark beer. France has incredible wine and their craft beer industry is improving, but it is difficult to find the darker beers that tickle our fancy.
The Wild Atlantic Way is a tourist route that covers about 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) by winding its way along the west coast. There is a popular cycling sportive that begins/ends at Malin Head to Mizen Head, the two most northerly and southerly points on the island. While guidebooks indicate the route can be done between 7-10 days, we have decided to take 6 weeks to cover this distance. Many of the roads that we have chosen take us along very quiet country lanes and very small paved (we hope) roads.
Last October we took possession of our new tandem custom built by David Lafferty at Cycles Chinook. Unlike our other tandem that we began touring on, this gem is coupled and has the appropriate gearing for loaded touring. David & his wife, Emily, hosted us last fall when we flew in to pickup the tandem. They even created a weeklong cycling tour for us in New Hampshire to see the fall colors and discover how this new machine works. We joined the "leaf peepers" and had a spectacular time.
![](https://images.cycleblaze.com/c88ru388wnzc4f97dvf65wglq5f_2000.jpeg)
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Once we got the new tandem home, conveniently named "Chinook de Foix", we swapped out the big touring tires for our normal everyday road tires . . . and oh! This bike now had a new personality. She's really fun to ride whether loaded or not.
![](https://images.cycleblaze.com/e2ftp117bm3c40sm1kdkqh6mbj9_2000.jpeg)
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We fly out to Dublin tomorrow. The tandem is now nicely tucked away in the suitcases.
Our housesitters, friends from Tucson, Arizona, have arrived and are getting settled. Of course, there are a million things to do before we leave and I know we won't get them all done. C'est la vie !
We must get back to packing, but we wanted to let you know that we are off on the adventure (#1) for 2024. Hope you enjoying tagging along with us.
Do we take the puffy jackets or don't we?!!!
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