Cycling to Clonee from City: Safe?

Robin1982

I will have to cycle out towards Clonee shortly.

The route I have to take goes along the N3 (Navan Road) and takes in the Blanch and Clonee bypasses.

I don't have a car and I haven't been out this direction before.

Is it safe enough to go this route? Are those bypasses dual carriageways (I don't want to be surrounded by 100mph+ traffic)? Cycle path available?

Civilian_Target

No that route's very dangerous past Blanchardstown.
I used to cycle Ranelagh->Clonee daily (actually, to IBM Damastown).

The route I recommend is:
- Follow N3 to Halfway House Roundabout, near the top of Phoenix park.
- Follow cycle path to past the garage as you go out the dual carraigeway. Beware of merging traffic!
- There is a gap in the hedge beside the GAA club shortly after the garage. It's signed on the pavement. Go through it, cycle the side road along through the roundabout, and use the pedestrian bridge to cross the M50.
- Continue through Blanchardstown village, don't go back on the N3, and out the other side of the village to the 5 road junction past the Garda station. Go straight on here, make sure you don't let motorists squeeze you.
- At the next roundabout, go right, cross the N3 by the bridge, and at the next roundabout, go right again.
- At the lights, go left into the housing estate (Warrenstown), and continue straight through to the other side, where there's a community centre on the left and a spar on the right. Continue straight ahead here, down into the industrial estate.
- Follow the road straight through the industrial estate now for about 3 miles, it runs parallel to the N3. Eventually, you'll reach the end, at IBM. Turn left at this roundabout, up the small hill across the flyover on the N3 and you're in Clonee.

[EDIT] I see you're actually going to IBM. In that case, turn right at the final roundabout, and ensure you swipe in at the gates (they're picky about that sort of thing)

Good luck, and light yourself well!

Civilian_Target

Here - have a map. Don't worry about the fact that there appears to be no road in some places, its an old map!
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1243222

Robin1982

Thanks very much CT

blorg

Personally I cycle out and back on the N3 often enough (to Trim/Navan) and find it quite safe to Clonee due to the large hard shoulder. It's not exactly fun due to the traffic speed/volume but I wouldn't call it unsafe. The road is a busy motorway-standard dual carriageway.

I have tried the back-and-forth cross route a few times but always got lost, ended up returning to the direct route on the N3.

Civilian_Target

erm... slip roads.... cars coming up from your blindside at 100kmph is not very safe...

Sean02

While I totally respect CT view, like Blorg I use that route reguarly.Danger spots are the M50 slip[ road entrance no problem if you wait for change at the lights rather than the white line, this gives you the necessary lead to safely continue straight ahead. The entrance and exit from the Blanch Centre slip roads are indeed hazardous, either you wait for a safe break or follow the traffic up and back down. The only other hazard of note is on the way towards dublin, taxi's and buses in the bus lane, don't ride too close to the left or they'll have u in the ditch. As Blorg says it's a grand wide hard shoulder, enjoyable to use. Safe cycling.

Civilian_Target

?!!

Are you nuts? You do realise that from the Blanchardstown centre, a grand, wide, virutally unused road runs parallel to the dual carraigeway. This road is not within metres of any cars moving at 100kmph, and there are no slip roads. Its just a road. Why would you cycle in the hard shoulder?! You realise one touch with any vehicle, any one slip up will the almost certainly fatal. What if you hit some glass on the hard shoulder, your tyre blows and you veer out of control onto the carraigeway?

blorg

CT- I'll give your directions a go next time I head out that way. If there is indeed such a road I would be happy to use it, I just haven't been successful in finding it so far! Have had similar lack of luck with nervous drivers who wanted to avoid the main road, back and forth over the dual carriageway, lots of roundabouts and completely lost!

As Sean says, the slip roads are not that much of a hazard if you use common sense. I think your "blowout and veer into the carriageway" is a bit overblown, we would never get out the door. You could have a blowout on a fast mountain descent and get thrown off a cliff. Theoretically.

Oh BTW speed on that road would be 120kph, it's just the limit that is 100 ;-)

Civilian_Target

What you say about a blowout is true, but where are you more likely to encounter glass or other sharp objects? On a senic, windswept cliff road or urban west Dublin? I must admit, it gives me the goolies cycling on hard shoulders having traffic fly past you at 100kmph. Remember too that it's not just you who can have a blowout, all you need is a thick motorist to reach for their mobile phone and accidentally swerve into the hard shoulder. Its unlikely, but between that, the noise and the side wind, I think I'd rather find a side road!

Sean02

Dr.C.T. if you don't mind I'll get a second opinion before I consider your Nuts diagnosis. I think your pulling our chain. Firstly most comuters don't have the luxury of taking the "senic routes" to and from work. Secondly when you consider the cyclist has the hard shoulder all to himself /herself almost the same width as the space you share on secondary roads. If I was looking for an alternative route I might consider Parkgate St and Phoenix Park, depends on your starting point. My favorite route from Dorset Street would be along the Royal canal towpath to Clonsilla (MTB /Hybrid) then short hop to Clonee. Now your talking DANGER but its a great ride!!!.

Civilian_Target

Fair nuff, I know what I like, YMMV.
I think you're nuts because for me, the cycle isn't solely about speed. I could cycle that hard shoulder of London's A4 every day, and it would be quicker, but I don't. I choose not to. I prefer to take the slightly more backward route, because
- Traffic moves slower. Chances of an accident are probably higher, but chances of a serious (ie. never gonna cycle again) accident are much higher
- There's more to it. Cycling on a hard shoulder on your own is a slog, and its pretty much the same slog every day. Every day the side road is different.
- The environment is better. There's no feedback from cars and trucks passing by at speed. The air quality is probably marginally better. And if the mood takes you, or something goes wrong, you can stop comfortably and it's not unpleasant to do so.

Personally, the time is just not that important to me. If it takes me an extra 8 minutes to get to work, and is substantially less miserable, I'd do it! And I do like that royal canal tow path except that the pavement ends at some point after Castleknock, and I'd like to have children some day

capnsantini

The most dangerous part is crossing the on-ramps and off-ramps. If you're worried about it just take the off-ramp, go over the flyover and back on the on-ramp. You'll only lose a minute or so and no traffic to cross. Otherwise the hard shoulder is so wide you could stop and have a picnic in it, much less worry about a blowout.

Civilian_Target

Except that some of the flyovers on the N3 only operate in one direction...

wahlrab

optional and in my opinion the best.

hi

I was doing the run from Clonee to the City Centre, every day until a knee operation put me off the bike.
I would advise against the N3, and instead head down through Little Pace, right to the end, and at the last roundabout go thru through the gap for pedestrians, down the side of Hunstown Church, and into Hartstown, then Blanchardstown shopping centre-Castleknock-Phoenix Park-Parkgate st-Luas line (avoid Quays, though it has gotten better)

Dursey

RosieJoe

Try http://www.dto.ie/web2006/jp.htm to get a different route

unionman

Good points CT - I suspect anyone doing a regular commute on the hard shoulder would quickly grow weary of the tedium and constant roar of traffic. Walhrab has posted an mapped option, though I see it takes in Knockmaroon Hill... best of luck with that, a challenge in itself. Not impossible, but not on a workday!

CT's alternate route, once you've negotiated those roundabouts and know where you're going, seems the best / safest and potentially more enjoyable.

Gotta say I envy noone the prospect of the N3 in any mode of transport. Truly terrible road.

Civilian_Target wrote:

Fair nuff, I know what I like, YMMV.
I think you're nuts because for me, the cycle isn't solely about speed. I could cycle that hard shoulder of London's A4 every day, and it would be quicker, but I don't. I choose not to. I prefer to take the slightly more backward route, because
- Traffic moves slower. Chances of an accident are probably higher, but chances of a serious (ie. never gonna cycle again) accident are much higher
- There's more to it. Cycling on a hard shoulder on your own is a slog, and its pretty much the same slog every day. Every day the side road is different.
- The environment is better. There's no feedback from cars and trucks passing by at speed. The air quality is probably marginally better. And if the mood takes you, or something goes wrong, you can stop comfortably and it's not unpleasant to do so.

Personally, the time is just not that important to me. If it takes me an extra 8 minutes to get to work, and is substantially less miserable, I'd do it! And I do like that royal canal tow path except that the pavement ends at some point after Castleknock, and I'd like to have children some day

Sean02

Lots of useful advise, all worth trying. However in my opinion the side roads around Clonee are leathal due to the number of HGV and left hand drive cars. By far the safest and quickest is the N3. If Fingal Co. Co or NRA would sweep the glass and debre from the meridians at the on/off ramps it woul be one off the safest routes into the city.

capnsantini

Who would have to be petitioned to put in a decent cycle path? Either right along the N3 or somehow make the back way more navigatable and safer? Seems like there are tons of people who would commute by bike if there were a safer way, thus lessening the cars on the road........

Civilian_Target

The cycle path is mostly very good. The only two hot spots are getting across Blanchardstown village, and by the two housing developments just west and just east of the halfway house. Other than that it's a very good and quite consistant route, right the way North from the old Cabra Rd. See the map I posted!

thomasjad

a good route is to go down through blanch villiage,then instead of going out onto the n3 head up towards castleknock,then head straight through the pheonix park(bike lanes) then when you get out there are luas tracks with paved path that take you straight to o connell street