Stretches of road you have an irrational hatred of?

The little road behind Marlay Park beside the M50 - no matter which way I am going there's a headwind.
At the start or end of a cycle when I get on that road I feel like I'm cycling in sand - doesn't matter which direction. I hate it.

detones wrote: »

R132 past Blake's cross north bound. Hate it. I'd rather do a detour twice as long on mucky country lanes coming home than use it.

Agreed but I use it a lot for longer intervals. It's quiet enough, flattish and there's nothing to interrupt your effort for 12k or so. I just about put up with the crappy surface and the complete lack of anything to look at.

The climb on the Old Military road between the Glencree junction and the featherbeds.
http://www.strava.com/segments/7052767

2 km of draggy ****e that always looks like it's just about to end but is nothing but false flat after false flat. And always comes at the end of some long climby cycle so your legs are wrecked and it's the only thing between you and the lovely down-hill to home.

The poggio as already mentioned is also pretty annoying. Basically anything that is right at the end of the way home from a long day's climbing in Wicklow.

I don't get this. So you don't like the hills that get you to and from the hills you like to cycle?

I live in Shankill so anything around Enniskerry/Stepaside/Ballycorus
is my downhill freewheel home.

L'Enfer du Nord wrote: »

Have you considered this



Totally irrational ('cause I love that stretch)

At least the bit on the lower road from Enniskerry as far as the petrol station. Smooth, constant slope, serpentine bends, Deciduous trees whats not to like? Generally it's the last hill on the way home for me too.

Firhouse road is much of a muchness although less traffic. I've often contemplated taking that option. I must give it a go.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

That's a grand stretch of road. The Scalp especially could hardly be described as boring?

From Enniskerry to the filling station is not too bad but after that I just don't like it yes, I agree, it's totally irrational. I can't explain it, tbh. On the other hand, I love going up the Embankment. I'm obviously a confused individual

Orwell Park Road and Highfield Road both in Rathgar, not irrational just terrible surface, shakes me to the bones.

mickydcork wrote: »

Dundrum Road!

And I cycle it every day.

The traffic is always at a standstill so I scoot up the inside. This leads to regular near misses and lucky escapes.

I'm not sure what else I can do, apart from slowing down (psychologically hard to do when you are commuting to work) or going out of my way to take an alternative route.

Hate this road! They need to make it one way and put in a proper bike lane.

Overtake on the outside. Less opportunity for near misses, just pedestrians leaping out or cars turning to try the other route...

Lots of quite nice stretches popping up in this thread - weird!

My own one is from doing the odd Bray Wheelers event. They have this annoying habit of starting so many weekend cycles or events going down the N11 to Ashford before hitting "proper" (i.e. more quiet!) roads. That's alright to warm up on the way down, but having to face the N11 home to Bray isn't ideal. I particularly dislike the uphill stretch just after the M11 becomes the N11 near enough to that new Applegreen Station. Usually I'm wrecked by then and this hill doesn't help!

Also, as a driver I hate the M50/N4 interchange (esp the on-ramp to the N4 eastbound at Liffey Valley). I merge/cross parts of the road twice daily in the car and dread coming across cyclists on it, so I can imagine it's equally (if not more!) nerve-racking being on a bike along there! Way too much crossing of traffic over and back with multiple lanes and multiple speeds.

I really like the route between Old Long Hill and Laragh. It is much quieter than the route through Roundwood, more interesting (climby, if that's a word), and more scenic.

The road that I just can't like is the one from Manor Kilbride, along the eastern side of Blessington lakes, as far as the turn for the Wicklow Gap. It seems to go on forever, you can see for miles just how long it is, and there is not a flat bit on it.

smackyB wrote: »

<rant>
+1 for Rock Road, especially outside the Tara Towers hotel where the road narrows and becomes impassable in traffic. And as mentioned before, the surface is horrific with large puddles building up during persistent rain. My theory is that the stretch is on the border between DLRCC and Dub City council and neither side wants to be responsible for fixing it.

</rant>

I've got all the potholes on the Rock Road memorised.

The thing to do is stay in the middle to right of the bus lane after Merrion Gates until lights at the Trimleston Ave junction.

That way you control the lane and prevent yourself getting pushed into the worst of the holes.

The one bit of road that I have an irrational hatred for is the stretch of N11 southbound from UCD to the Stillorgan Park Hotel. It's not very steep but just enough to make it a pain and it is so boring. Having to overtake slow cyclists who are taking up the cycle lane every 10 yards probably contributes to my dislike of the road. I changed my route to go home via Ranelagh - Clonskeagh - Goatstown now as a result. It adds a few Ks to my cycle home but it's a much more enjoyable cycle.

daragh_ wrote: »

I've got all the potholes on the Rock Road memorised.

The thing to do is stay in the middle to right of the bus lane after Merrion Gates until lights at the Trimleston Ave junction.

That way you control the lane and prevent yourself getting pushed into the worst of the holes.

Absolutely the only the way to ride that stretch. Do exactly the same myself.

Irrational hatred of roads, can't really think of any. I have a completely rational hatred of the N11, every part of it. It has absolutely no redeeming features.