Belfast Bikes - The cycle routes for visiting Belfast & random things not in the guide

Belfast now has it's own rental bikes...and as it's flat and small, why not go for an aul cycle?

The Tourist Information Center has maps, here are some I've done and general info.

Birdies!

Google maps: East Bridge street, go half an hour before sunset to see the sparrows gather for a murmuration. Best to watch it on the side of the bridge so you don't get shat on...

Google maps: Belfast's Window on Wildlife (WOW), 4 miles from the city centre. £3 in to see the birdies.

You can cross over into East Belfast via Victoria park which is a nice small park. That cross over also takes you to the Comber Greenway which is lovely.

Google maps: Type in Castle Espie to cycle 12 miles to visit a lovely bird wetland. If you come from town it's nearly all on segregated cycle lanes. It's mostly flat but slightly uphill going out of Belfast.
http://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/castle-espie/

Pubs/food!

Google maps: Dirty Duck, Holywood. This goes past the WOW and is a 6 mile cycle to a pub with a view over the Belfast lough. Nice seafood and you can buy a pint too. You've 6 miles to sober up anyway... ;)
http://thedirtyduckalehouse.co.uk/
NOTE: Google sometimes gives the right route (via Airport road) sometimes not. The right route goes past the Window on Wildlife. You can drag the route onto Airport Road if it sends you via Sydenham bypass...which is to put it mildly not a fantastic cycle lane (it's next to a dual carriageway...)

For a late night coffee/cheap food go towards Botanic Avenue where you can get coffee until 2200 (or 2300 I can't remember...) and you find your burritos and fish n chips. There's a docking station.

Head on to see Botanic Park (just past botanic) which has a docking station as well.

Nature! Cake!

Cycle 13.3 miles to Lisburn (just put that in Google maps).
Do a stopover for cake and return in the LoughKeeper's Inn at 4.5 miles or go the whole hog.
This goes past the Lagan river (it's a bit busy at the start...) and continues all the way to Lisburn.

Lisburn itself is rather small but there's a park and castle you arrive at. If you're too tired, you can get the train back to Belfast.

Sea!

Input Loughshore Park, Shore Rd, Newtownabbey BT37 0PY, UK for a flat 7 mile cycle. There is a so-so bit near Dargan (which hosts one of the Guardian's worse cycle lanes, can you find it? It's tiny and cluttered with 3 signs...but after that the path is fine) and then goes through nature, and finishes with a windy path past the M2 where you will find yourself at the beach.

Seals can sometimes be seen there. A chip/burger wagon is there most of the time for some refuelling.

There are more routes so if you're interested for more info let me know.

http://www.belfastbikes.co.uk/en/belfast/
http://www.cycleni.com/133/belfast-lough/

This is also of interest:

http://www.belfast-murals.co.uk/
http://extramuralactivity.com/category/belfast/

Yep we still eat visitors over here, good with a bit of seaweed smoked over peat :p

BTW there are king fishers here too, they can be spotted in Victoria park and I've seen one on the lisburn towpath.

http://www.weetoasttours.com/

Yeooo...our own Belfast Beer Biek