Ten hotels together with The Model Railway Village, in the West Cork town of Clonakilty and its surrounds, joined together this summer to offer the Clonakilty Bike Scheme in Ireland’s first rural community bike rental scheme sponsored by businesses locally. The bike scheme is proving a success one month in for visitors and locals in the area. Visitors may sign up for a visitor card at 10 euro each, valid for four days with a charge of 1 euro per hour after the first hour to a maximum of 10 euro per day. The local card at 20 euro is valid for one year. Helmets and high-vis vests are provided on hire.
The Bike Scheme comes complete with tips for cycling on West Cork roads and a Clonakilty area cycle route map. Suggested cycle routes include Inchydoney Loop, 10km; Courtmacsherry Loop via Timoleague, 33km; South Beaches Loop via Castlefreke Woods, 34km; Timoleague to Ballinspittle via Killbrittain Whale Bones, 30km; and Rosscarbery to Unionhall via Drombeg Stone Circle, 20km.
Hotels involved in the collaborative Clonakilty Bike Scheme are Fernhill House Hotel and Gardens, Quality Hotel, Imperial Hotel, Clonakilty Hotel, Emmet Hotel, O’Donovan’s Hotel, Dunmore House Hotel, Inchydoney Hotel, Courtmacsherry Hotel and The Celtic Ross, along with the Model Railway Village. The locations involved all have the facility for registration, and for collection and drop-off of the bicyles. Applications are coming in from more centres who are currently getting set up to offer the bike scheme.
The Clonakilty Bike Scheme is sponsored by local dairy company ClonaDairies.
For more information visit, https://www.facebook.com/clonbike