"THERE's one thing about th'oul' bike," said the Westport woman, giving the saddle of my battered Evans a friendly whack, "you can't beat it for getting around." Though our cycling experiences were probably vastly different - her bike took her to the shops and to Mass on Sundays while mine has taken me to Algeria and Georgia, not to mention Baltimore, Ballycastle and Burtonport - we were still sisters of the saddle, for there are times when the bike is your only man.

But no world is perfect, even that of the carefree, car free cyclist. What happens, for instance, if the distance between A and B is more than you can cope with in the allotted time? Or if B is merely the beginning of your true journey and getting to it involves cycling along a tedious route? Suppose you want to begin your cycling holiday in Donegal or Cork and your starting point is a couple of hundred miles away? The sensible answer is to put your bike on the train or bus - and off load it at your real starting point. But how easy is this?

Recently, I had to go to Galway for the day and needing to get to a few places in and around the city in a short time, took my bike with me. The fare, Dublin/Galway, was £14, with the bike - at £12 - costing almost as much. Going with Bus Eireann would have been cheaper £6 and £10 respectively. Now, while ravelling by train is faster, Bus Eireann is cheaper but - and it's a big but - bikes are earned at the bus driver's discretion. You can't book in advance so you can never be absolutely certain of travelling at the time or even on the day of your choice. (Hint: if you're starting from Dublin's Busaras, make friends with one of the inspectors. I've found them helpful and if they can't get you on one bus they'll get you on the next.)

Using private coaches, however, is a different matter. Citylink, which has a regular Dublin/Galway coach service, charges £8, with £2 for a bike. "No problem with the bike," said its spokeswoman, "just turn up."

Getting your bike to Donegal can be challenging - but rewarding. The nearest you can get to Donegal by rail is Sligo. Carew's runs coaches between Dublin and Sligo: £10, with £5 for a bike. "We get quite a few bikes," says a spokeswoman, "and they're no trouble at all, There's always room. Anyway, we always cave a standby bus ready." Bus Eireann will get you and your bike to Donegal town - if there's room on the coach. Cost: £13 plus £10 for the hike.

McGeehan's seems to have a miraculously expanding luggage hold: "We take them all," says a spokesman. Beyond Donegal town, the main coach goes up to Dungloe, while a feeder bus serves the south west of the county. Ask the driver to phone ahead to make sure the feeder bus is big enough for bike he fare to anywhere in Co Donegal is £15 with £5 for a bike.

ULSTERBUS runs a daily service from Dublin to Belfast for £13, plus £10, for a bike, though again, they are carried only at the bus driver's discretion.

Kavnagh's which has services to, among other places Cork, Kilkenny and Limerick, was the only operator I discovered which take bikes free. "We don't charge," said a spokesman. Travelling with Kavanagh's from Limerick to Dublin, with bike, costs £12.

If you've time to spare, of course, you could go by air. Dublin/Shannon, with Aer Lingus, costs £49 and the bike goes free.

Travelling by bike has definite attractions. Its fast and Iarnrod Eireann allows you access to the guard's van so you can load and unload the bike yourself. But it would be great if they provided bars to which bikes: could be safely and securely attached. Any damage done in transit will be paid for by Iarnrod Eireann only if you can prove negligence.

Dan Boyle, Green Party member of Cork City Council, would like to see adequate and secure lock up facilities provided at railway stations. Outside Dublin's busiest commuter station, Connolly, there are bike bars for only about eight bikes.

"And, of course," says Dan, "you can't take your bike on either the DART or the Arrow."

We need, perhaps, to look at the provision made for cyclists in other countries. Local trains in the Netherlands have special carriages where cyclists can sit with their bikes while in England most local trains will carry passengers' bikes - free.

But if you want a cycling holiday without having to get your bike from A to B, give some thought to joining one of Irish Cycling Safaris six tours. Bikes and helmets are provided and a route planned, with accommodation pre arranged. And - though no self respecting cyclist would dream of availing of it - help is available in the form of a pick up van should you get tired.