Morning training routes - traffic ok on Edmonstown Road or Stocking Lane?

FrankGrimes · 11-03-2014 3:10pm #1

With working crazy hours and constant work travel, let’s just say my season is just a few months late in starting. Had told myself that it just wasn’t a runner to fit the training in given the hectic schedule as crack of dawn was the only time available and I’ve been a night owl since forever. Anywho, a recent thread on here about people training in the morning prompted me to first go ‘lunatics’ and then say I might as well give it a last. In past week I’ve managed 3 x 06:30 starts straight up, espresso and a mint (the world’s most under-rated superfood – there’s a topic for a separate thread ) and onto the turbo. To my surprise, it worked out well and I had more energy throughout the day.

Next plan is to get back commuting to work on the bike from Crumlin to Sandyford (good facilities in work). So I’m thinking of getting up at 06:30 and go for an extended route for the commute to make it a training session. Up Stocking Lane or Edmonstown Road would be perfect to get the fitness back but I’ve no idea what the traffic is like in the mornings – have visions of rat-racers flying round corners in poor lighting slamming into me, or coming round a corner into a traffic jam when descending. So does anyone have any experience of cycling up/down those roads between 7-9am and are they generally grand?

Chips Lovell · 11-03-2014 3:13pm

Have done both climbs before work, i.e. pre-9am. Always very quiet.

Jabel · 11-03-2014 4:00pm

I live up that way, as Vlad says traffic is pretty quiet until the school run.
Fair play to ya doing that in the morning!
Can I ask a question here if you don't mind?
Would going up Howth head be comparable to Stocking Lane or Edmondstown road or if not is it further/shorter or easier/harder?

Cheers

Harrybelafonte · 11-03-2014 4:02pm

Jabel wrote: »

I live up that way, as Vlad says traffic is pretty quiet until the school run.
Fair play to ya doing that in the morning!
Can I ask a question here if you don't mind?
Would going up Howth head be comparable to Stocking Lane or Edmondstown road or if not is it further/shorter or easier/harder?

Cheers

Howth Hill is like lying on a sunbed in a Med swimming pool compared to the gutting of fish on a trawler in the Bering Strait that is Stocking Lane.

Chips Lovell · 11-03-2014 4:06pm

Village side of Howth is comparable to Stocking Lane or Cruagh Road (the steep continuation of Edmondstown Road). Latter is a bit steeper but shorter than Howth.

Sutton side of Howth is significantly easier than either of them, a big ring job.

Alek · 11-03-2014 4:39pm

I find Cruagh road much harder than Howth from the village side. Maybe because it ends steep (at the bridge), while the latter is rather flat after the initial 12% or so.

Jabel · 11-03-2014 4:41pm

Cheers, I'm thinking of including the Howth loop on my commute the odd time, went almost as far as Sutton cross
this morning and doubled my commute to 32.5km and felt good so what the heck.. I'll try it.
So if I keep the sea to my right exiting Sutton taking Greenfield road - Carrickbrack road that's the easier route?
I did it once on an electric bike (sorry!) and it didn't look that easy!

Thanks

Chips Lovell · 11-03-2014 4:43pm

Yes, sea to the right is Sutton side

FrankGrimes · 11-03-2014 5:16pm

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

Have done both climbs before work, i.e. pre-9am. Always very quiet.

Dammit Vladimir....a man finds himself rapidly running out of excuses! Thanks for that... On the plus side, feels like a lifeline as it's the only time I have available to train and I’d totally dismissed the possibility of training in the morning until I read that thread on here (good old boards.ie coming up trumps for inspiration once again ). Now it looks feasible to actually get some quality training in on these routes a few days a week, will give it a go this week and see how it goes….my chances of getting race-fit this season may yet live on!

Have to say though, that if a final shove was needed on the ‘find a way, not an excuse’ front, it came from Beasty in a PM response where he had a paragraph outlining his numerous injuries (including one point on forthcoming tests to count how many facial bones are broken) and then the next paragraph started with the last sentence I ever expected to see: ‘planning on getting on the Wattbike next week’….well, if he can do it, I’d be pretty much a disgrace if I didn’t haul ass outta bed and get my act together!

smacl · 11-03-2014 6:20pm

I also live near there, and would say Cruagh is slightly quieter than Stocking lane, though if you're going to do it, alternate between the two. Either are an absolute joy by comparison to early morning turbo, even in the crappiest of weather. You've also got Kilmashogue lane just around the corner from these which is quieter still and steeper. It's a dead end, though I did hear mention of repeats of Kilmashogue* on here last year.

(*good luck with that)

Hmmzis · 11-03-2014 7:47pm

After mt. Venus rd you'll have the road to yourself, well almost, you might meet me somewhere along the road there and a farmer in his Defender.

There is a bit of traffic on Edmondstown rd due to the school there, but the rush seems to start there at around 8-8:30am.

blobbie · 11-03-2014 8:04pm

Was up Stocking Lane the last few mornings out to Dub - Wickla border around 7.30am'ish

Less than a handful of cars/vans passed on the way up and the same dumper lorry each morning which then headed down Cruagh. More traffic coming against me as I trundle up, but no more than a dozen or so.

If coming back down Stocking Lane the section from Gunny Hill to Mount Venus is a wee bit of a school rat run and there is usually a traffic jam @ bottom of Stocking Lane.

The most dangerous part of my morning spin has been when I rejoin "normal" commuter traffic after the peace, tranquility & pain of Stocking Lane.

Tis chilly out there at that time of the morning but some fantastic views.

Edit: It is bright @ 6.30 these mornings so no visibility issues

FrankGrimes · 11-03-2014 11:29pm

Thanks a lot for letting me know how you've found it folks, very helpful - hopefully see some of you out there some of these mornings

Morning training routes - traffic ok on Edmonstown Road or Stocking Lane?

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