Cycling from Clonsilla to DCU

suspectpackage · 28-09-2009 4:21pm #1

how can I do this? Are bicycles allowed on the M50 or M3? or do I have to go through the phoenix park? Please help!!

mmclo · 28-09-2009 4:24pm

The River Road (very dark and narrow at night tho) would be the best bet or around by Cappagh Hospital, fairly doable distance wise.

May have to google these as I can't really do that linky thing

Dunsink Lane would have been good but is closed :mad:

flickerx · 28-09-2009 4:27pm

suspectpackage wrote: »

how can I do this? Are bicycles allowed on the M50 or M3? or do I have to go through the phoenix park? Please help!!

Down through Blanch village, Navan Road (the old navan road is a cycle path, dont go near the N3/M50 roundabout), Phibsborough, out to Glasnevin. I'd avoid the other routes mentioned.

Stark · 28-09-2009 4:33pm

I think the road past Cappagh is safer than the River road although both are ****e. Traffic tends to move more slowly on the Cappagh road and there are some cycle lanes along the footpath which seemed usable last time I used them (that was a few months ago though and they could easily be strewn with debris at this stage). You only have a few hundred metres of crap cycling as well and overall the route is fairly direct. I've attached a gmap route (be aware that some of the road layouts around Ballycoolin have changed) : http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3223960. Cars have to turn left at the junction of Snuborough road and Ballycoolin road, but I think bicycles can cut through Rosemount business park, which could save you about a mile/mile and a half worth of cycling.

Bicycles aren't allowed on any motorway in Ireland btw.

flickerx · 28-09-2009 4:47pm

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3223969

My suggested route is only 0.8 miles longer.
I think its a nicer spin, and probably less dangerous. Worth the extra mileage.

(actual route is slightly different, just around the M50 interchange, but you cant mark it correctly on the map, because the old navan road is marked as a dead end, but there is a pedestrian bridge there).

Stark · 28-09-2009 4:58pm

Well I think cutting through the business park saves you significant distance so it might be worth checking out. New cabra road, Doyle's corner and Prospect Road can get fairly messy in heavy traffic, especially with buses squeezing through on top of you. Aside from that, the route is a bit nicer than cycling through drab industrial estate land alright. I used to head down Peck's lane, cut through onto the Navan road shared footpath/cycle lane (only have to use this for about a hundred metres thankfully) at the end of Peck's lane by the garage, then use the overbridge by the Phoenix park racecourse train station to get back onto the correct side of the road when I used to cycle a similar route home from work. At the halfway house roundabout, I used to turn left and head through the apartment complex in Ashtown before taking the Ballybogan road/Old Finglas road to get onto Griffith Avenue. A bit of a windy route but it felt fairly safe:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3224018 (use satellite view to see what I mean about Peck's lane/the overbridge).

billy.fish · 29-09-2009 10:13am

Go for a cycle on the m50. GO on, you know you want to.

rflynnr · 29-09-2009 10:52am

River Road is the most direct but for a more pleasant ride it might be worth looking at the Royal Canal towpath which would bring you out at Cross Guns Bridge in Phibsboro. If memory serves it's reasonably well surfaced as far as the M50. Certainly doable if you're on a mountain bike.

Jip · 29-09-2009 10:57am

FYI Cappagh Road up as far as the M50 flyover is now completely redesigned and it has some decent cycle lanes either side, both seem to be in good shape from the comfort of my car whenever I do have to go that way, I see a few cyclists using it in the evening. Once you get over the M50 bridge near the hospital it's still being worked on and I think the cycle lane disappears there so you'll need to join the road at that stage if you're on a road bike, or can stay on the footpath if you have something a little hardier.

Stark · 29-09-2009 11:06am

rflynnr wrote: »

River Road is the most direct but for a more pleasant ride it might be worth looking at the Royal Canal towpath which would bring you out at Cross Guns Bridge in Phibsboro. If memory serves it's reasonably well surfaced as far as the M50. Certainly doable if you're on a mountain bike.

I went for a run along it about a year or so ago and it was all grass and muck. Would be very unpleasant to cycle along with slick tyres. And if you're going to be doing a 9 mile each way commute, you wouldn't really be wanting to do it on a mountain bike.

rflynnr · 29-09-2009 11:31am

Stark wrote: »

I went for a run along it about a year or so ago and it was all grass and muck. Would be very unpleasant to cycle along with slick tyres. And if you're going to be doing a 9 mile each way commute, you wouldn't really be wanting to do it on a mountain bike.

I'll defer to your on wisdom but it can't quite all be muck: it's definitely hard surface from Ashtown to Phibsboro which is more than 50% of the towpath element of the route. I'd have thought a mountain bike with semi-slicks would comfortably take it on.

Stark · 29-09-2009 11:45am

It's definitely muck from the M50 to Ashtown anyway. The bit at Ashtown has hard surface alright, but I found it very awkard dodging walkers and kids any time I used it and just ended up using the road instead. I would have been taking Ballyboggan road after Ashtown rather than heading on towards Phibsboro though so it wasn't really worth my while using the canal for such a short stretch.

mmclo · 29-09-2009 1:05pm

Well you're both right, from c'nock to ashtown is more of a trail (muddy when weather is bad and takes time to recover)

Ashtown to Cross Guns Bridge quite good and tarmaced

Some a bit reluctant to do it in the dark, had no problems myslef last winter but for now prefer phoenix park. Coming off at Ashtown a better route in my view

Also quite a few gates on it to prevent scrambling

mmclo · 29-09-2009 1:11pm

Would repeat that River Road is lethal in the dark in my view regardless of lights, nobody seems to expect cyclists and its windy. Took it once last winter and never again!

Seems to be several options here,why not experiement with each

Sean02 · 29-09-2009 5:57pm

Flickers run makes best sense very fast downhill on the way in ,return might test you if the wind is up I would take a left at Navan Road Garda station first left after roundabout over broombridge right at T junction. Up Violet hill left at Met office onto Ballymun Road. The Canal is my favourite, if you spare time and gear,however it dangereous around Porterstown Coolmine. Expect one puncture every 4 trips. No need to go to Phibsboro exit at Reillys bridge for Ballymun. So only one strech of tarmac this route and two kissing gate.

mmclo · 29-09-2009 10:00pm

Sean02 wrote: »

,however it dangereous around Porterstown Coolmine..

Presume nobody would suggest this for commute, maybe for off roading! For Clonsilla presumably through Blanch village and old Navan rd or canal at c'nock or later

mmclo · 26-04-2014 9:13am

Giving this a bump as great new cycling facility from Ashtown to near Finglas through new Tolka Valley Park (quite scenic too) would cover a lot of this route and reduce River road component. Major downside are gates in and out, the engineers just couldn't resist it

mmclo · 26-04-2014 9:38am

https://www.flickr.com/photos/24338829@N02/sets/72157644325183414/

Cycling from Clonsilla to DCU

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