Cyclepaths - Lucan to City Centre

boxty

Hi, my girlfirend lives in Lucan (beside Penny Hill) and I'm considering cycling in and out, benefitting from some additional exercise and a shorter journey time. However, I'm wondering what the best route to take would be i.e straight along the N4 or go via Chapelizod. Also, when I sit upstairs on the bus there appears to be a cyclepath running a bit back from the N4, its visible from the Hermitage clinic and appears to go over the M50 on a bridge. Can anybody tell me if there is a cyclepath the full distance. I seem to remember reading that there was a lucan - city centre cyclepath planned. Thanks.

Ciaran500

boxty wrote: »

Also, when I sit upstairs on the bus there appears to be a cyclepath running a bit back from the N4, its visible from the Hermitage clinic and appears to go over the M50 on a bridge. Can anybody tell me if there is a cyclepath the full distance.

The path stops on the other side of the bridge but the roads through Palmerstown are very quiet. If you follow that road you come out behind the petrol station at the top of the hill into Chapilizod. You head down towards Chapilizod and take a right where the bus goes left over the bridge and there is a cycle path through the park on the other side of the Liffey to the bus route. You come out of that park you're back onto the same road the bus takes and you have a cycle path all the way into the quays.

If you're starting out I wouldn't recommend going the whole distance along the N4 its a very busy road and if run out of steam there isn't and space to a take a break.

boxty

It sounds like the best route so. Thanks for that Ciaran500.

Treade

I cycle from close to the Penny Hill into the city centre each day. I avoid the N4 as much as possible as it is dangerous and there is no continuous cycle path.

My route is from the Penny Hill, over to the Fonthill Road, right onto Cold Cut road crossing the M50 at the back of BQ at Liffey Valley. I then cycle down through Cherry Orchard and Ballyfermot Village joining the N4 at Kilmainham. I then cycle down past Heuston Station and down the quays. It takes me approximately 35-40 minutes to get into town using this route.

If you are going through Ballyfermot Village between 8:30 and 9:15 it can be a little bit slower because the kids are getting dropped off at school but over all I would consider it a much safer route than the N4.

irishmotorist

I'm coming from the same place and personally, I find the N4 fine. The M50 can be a bit hairy but there is the cycle lane that goes over the M50 on a bridge parallel to the 'car road' that will make things easier - as pointed out earlier.

IMO, going down the dual carriageway the whole way in is the better option. The road surface is atrocious through Chapelizod while it's perfect down the dual carriageway. On the bike, we have the bus lane to ourselves so very rarely have traffic problems. On occasion, if the traffic is backed up a small bit at the first set of lights after Palmersto(w)n, you might have a bus behind you, but if you're confident enough and don't mind making a potential bus wait for a minute as you climb the hill, it's fine. You can see lots of cyclists taking this route so it's not unusual.

Also, as you go past the slip for Chapelizod on the dual carriageway, you'll be able to get fair lick of pace up too - that will help your max speed stats