Cycling in the City Centre

Yve

I am but a wee country lady :P


I am tad bit nervous about cycling in the city centre (Dublin) particlularly when I know someone who has been knocked off their bike. However am determined to ditch the car and Public Transport, get some exercise and save some money.


Helmets are mandatory right?, I have seen people without them?!



Any hints /tips etc?

Horror Stories?

markpb

Yve wrote: »

Helmets are mandatory right?, I have seen people without them

No :-)

The first few times I cycled through the city centre, the thing I found hardest was knowing which lane to be in to make turns. For example, coming up Westmoreland St to turn right onto Eden Quay, you need to be in lane 3/4 as you approach the WML/O'Connell Bridge junction to be safe and obvious to motorists. It might help to cycle your route in the evenings or weekends so you familiarise yourself with the junctions and traffic flow. Be prepared for it to take a while the first few times, you might have to stop and wait for a red light if you get your road positioning wrong.

Be aware of motorbikes and other cyclists - they won't always be where you expect them to be. In particular, they can filter through traffic to your right and then turn left or vice versa.

Anywhere you're going straight, be aware of cars turning left and cutting you off.

Always be careful around buses, there are many more bus movements in the city centre than in the suburbs - they'll overtake and pull in, pull in but leave their tail poking out into traffic, pull out without indicating, pull in or out while you're alongside. Watch their tyres if you can't see their indicators - it's the best indication that they're coming to flatten you.

Lastly watch out for pedestri-lemmings. They'll step out into the road witout looking and some of them (especially around College Green / Suffolk St) will look at you and then step out in your way.

Stark

Yve wrote: »

Helmets are mandatory right?

No

Yve wrote: »

Any hints /tips etc?

Cycle assertively and give yourself plenty of space. I'd recommend a book like Cyclecraft for guidance on how to cycle safely in the city. Stay clear of HGVs. In paritcular don't take up position on the left of a vehicle that could turn left when the lights go green. Take position in front of the vehicle where you can be clearly seen.

Húrin

Cycling in Dublin is not dangerous (claims like that are a pet peeve of mine).

Helmets are not mandatory, nor is sticking to a crappy, dangerous cycle path.

Cycle in a predictable, confident manner and remember that your bike is a vehicle. You are not a really fast pedestrian so don't cycle on footpaths.

Keep your lights on at night and always indicate when you intend to change lanes or turn.

Yve

Thanks All


I intend to cycle in and out from Navan Road four nights a week for MA in College.

Yea I will get practicing off peak times and weekends.

t0mm

The main thing to remember is that your bike is a vehicle. Where a cycle lane exists, boardered by a continuous unbroken line, you must use it. Where the line is dotted, or if you wish to turn right, or if not cycle lane exists, you legally have as much right to be in the middle of the road as a car, truck, bus, etc. Always remember that, even if people are beeping at you etc, you are in the right.

That being said, don't be stupid. You can be hurt far far more easily than someone in a car, so always expect the unexpected, eg people opening car doors in front of you, people stepping out onto the pavment, bus and cars pulling in in front of you. Always idicate yourself, so other traffic knows your movements, and always have lights at night. Legally, you don't have to wear a helmet, and there have been many debates over the pros and cons which a quick search of this forum will show you.

Bunnyhopper

The route you'd take by car may not always be the best one to take by bike. There's times when it can be better to make a bit of a detour to avoid a very busy or complex junction, for example. So it's worth running through your route with that sort of thing in mind.

DirkVoodoo

You can get knocked down crossing the street in Dublin.

You can crash a car into another car in Dublin.

Cycling is no different and no more dangerous than either of the above. As long as you are observant, don't do anything stupid like perform last minute maneuvres or try and go up the inside of anything bigger than you and are visible, cycling is perfectly safe and carries the same risk (less actually) as any other form of transport in a city.

fillup

Hi Yve...
go for it... cycling in da ciddy can be hairy at times but as the other posters have suggested you can mitigate a lot of the risks by being safe and responsible yourself
but a good rule of thumb is treat all pedestrians, car/van/taxi/HGV/bus drivers as idiots and never assume that they are going to act in accordance with the rules of the road
other cyclists can be a nusance too, i once had a fellow cyclist give out to me because i wouldn't squeeze up on the inside of a HGV that was stopped at lights... why risk getting squished to gain 10 secs on your commute...
i'd deffo recommend a helmet too.. i've had a few spills over the years and i've scrapped my helmet (fnarr fnarr) during the process, better safe than sorry...
But cycling in the city is generally safe and a hell of a lot more enjoyabe, cheaper, quicker, more reliable and healthier than public transport or driving

Capt'n Midnight

if worried about right hand turns then keep to the left and stop on the far edge of the junction so you can turn 90 degrees join the stationary traffic and when the lights change now go straight

BostonB

I only started last year. I found it helpful to make an effort to cycle slower as the temptation is to rush. Also it will take a few runs before you learn the best route. Also during peak rush hour it can be easier as with the grid lock, cars move slower, and aren't allowed in buslanes etc.

DadaKopf

BostonB wrote: »

I only started last year. I found it helpful to make an effort to cycle slower as the temptation is to rush. Also it will take a few runs before you learn the best route. Also during peak rush hour it can be easier as with the grid lock, cars move slower, and aren't allowed in buslanes etc.

I agree with this fully. As long as city cycling is the domain of bipedal boy racers, cycling won't catch on as much as it could. Plus, cycling at a slower pace changes your mindset - you're a much more generous, confident and happy cyclist.

Road bikes and hybrids are great for long-distance commuting, but city centres aren't the places for high-speed pedalling. Go at a reasonable speed and enjoy yourself.

One last word, I can't stress the 'avoid HGVs like the plague' advice. I know someone who was killed by a HGV turning. At corners, just stay well behind them, you can never tell if they're turning until it could be too late.

Canis Lupus

God yeah. The number of people I see going up the inside of a left turning bus/hgv etc is mind boggling. Even if it's just a gentle left a long vehicle tightens in on the corner and if you're on the left of it things will get interesting.

Also, if this is your first time on a bike in years just go for a few quiet spins to get used to the bike. I hate seeing people who are obviously on the bike for the first time in ages wobble themselves through traffic looking like they're about to go under the wheels of the nearest vehicle.

Morgan

Not sure if it was already mentioned above - but if you haven't already done so, get a copy of the rules of the road and go through the whole thing. You can also read it online here: http://www.rotr.ie/.

kenmc

Probably already mentioned, but don't put yourself 2 inches from the kerb "so as not to get in the way of traffic" - a cyclist IS part of traffic, give yourself plenty of space to your left so that if there's a large pothole, broken glass, a pedestrian steps out in front of you or whatever, you won't have to swerve out to go around it. I tend to cycle on the very outside of an on-road cycle lane if it exists, and even where one does not exist, I maintain about that distance from the kerb. Being that far out also gives you some 'exit space' for when someone in a killing machine drifts left whilst on the phone or something.

BostonB

Canis Lupus wrote: »

God yeah. The number of people I see going up the inside of a left turning bus/hgv etc is mind boggling. Even if it's just a gentle left a long vehicle tightens in on the corner and if you're on the left of it things will get interesting.....

Oh yes thats its just scary. On a bike your are not in a hurry. Just wait for the truck bus to turn. Have a breather. Take it slow and you won't be sweaty, and will be more relaxed. Check out the talent.

Amalgam

+1 on being overly meek, you do have a right to be on the road, not the gutter.

Some roads in Dublin necessitate you being out a fair bit too because of their condition. Pearse Street, along the edge of Trinity springs to mind, awful stretch for a small wheeled bike.

tomasrojo

Yes, it's the most important advice of all: be very, very careful of turning large vehicles. 70% of urban cyclist fatalities in Dublin are due to left-turning HGVs or buses.

But apart from that, don't be afraid. It really isn't that dangerous, as several people have pointed out. It's about as dangerous as every other way of getting around and no more so.

As Stark said, John Franklin's Cyclecraft is a superb guide to what to do and what not to do.

If you PM me your email address, I can send you a scan of a leaflet the Galway Cycling Campaign did a few years ago that summarises the most salient advice from that book.