Cycling on Irish motorways: not news?

Iwannahurl

Just spotted this in the Infrastructure>Roads forum.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=73572370&postcount=569

Normal for the M11 Gorey Bypass? What about other motorways?

There are multiple references to cyclists in the Bizarre/illegal things on motorways thread, which suggests the practice is not uncommon.

mloc123

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Just spotted this in the Infrastructure>Roads forum.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=73572370&postcount=569

Normal for the M11 Gorey Bypass? What about other motorways?

There are multiple references to cyclists in the Bizarre/illegal things on motorways thread, which suggests the practice is not uncommon.

Met a guy on the M3 today. I lol'd... silly cyclist, motorways are for cars

Beasty

Iwannahurl wrote: »

There are multiple references to cyclists in the Bizarre/illegal things on motorways thread, which suggests the practice is not uncommon.

Not uncommon?

I've never seen it, although I've only been driving on Irish motorways for 4-5 years

Clearly when it does happen (and we've had a few reports in the forum) it does tend to "make the news", because it is illegal, and not common;)

thebouldwhacker

This map HERE suggests its a national route rather than motorway? I have no idea but one is certainly allowed cycle on N roads

easygoing39

Ive seen roadies on the M50.

Ardennes1944

mloc123 wrote: »

Met a guy on the M3 today. I lol'd... silly cyclist, motorways are for cars

What was he doing on your m3?

easygoing39

Deutschlandfürimmer7 wrote: »

What was he doing on your m3?

About 28kph,there was a headwind!!;)

el tel

I used to see a guy ride a MTB on the hardshoulder M1 south of Dundalk quite regularly. On the M1 I've also seen tractors and combine harvesters so would be surprised at nothing really.

RobertFoster

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

This map HERE suggests its a national route rather than motorway? I have no idea but one is certainly allowed cycle on N roads

Bing says it's a motorway. I've found Google don't seem to update their maps as often. It's the same with the Ashbourne bypass, which became a motorway a while back (Google vs. Bing).

Captain Havoc

I saw a couple of young lads on the M9 a couple of weeks ago (serious), I gave them a one week ban :pac:

chiralspiral

Beasty wrote: »

Not uncommon?

I've never seen it, although I've only been driving on Irish motorways for 4-5 years

Clearly when it does happen (and we've had a few reports in the forum) it does tend to "make the news", because it is illegal, and not common;)

My first day out on the Waterford-dublin motorway (in my car!) and I saw on the opposite carriageway a lady on a tourer bicycle sheltering under a flyover trying to read her map. All this at 85mph!

At this rate of spotting it won't take long for an accident. Loonies!

chiralspiral

RobertFoster wrote: »

Bing says it's a motorway. I've found Google don't seem to update their maps as often. It's the same with the Ashbourne bypass, which became a motorway a while back (Google vs. Bing).

Either way, not a pleasant cycling route.

The Scientician

Plenty of times on the M1 I've seen packs of cyclists riding together.

Jawgap

Rules for motorways in Ireland - what's dat den?

I've seen a cyclists a couple of times on the M50 and on the M3 and M1.

Apart from the usual combines, tractors hauling bales, tractors hauling diggers, pedestrians and JCBs, my favourite was the horse drawn cart on the M9, and in second place was the two lads with their horses trotting on the M1 outside Dundalk.

bazzer86

A couple of weeks ago on the motorway between patrickswell and dooradoyle in Limerick, I saw a woman walking on the outside of the fast lane, i.e to the right of the fast lane but not in the grass! Crazy stuff. She seemed like she was just going for a leisurely Saturday morning stroll! I called the guards

glic71rods46t0

Its very common on the M1 to find cyclists on the motorway hard shoulder often in groups.
I encountered a group about 6 months ago and they decided to cycle onto the exit lane at an exit (they werent exiting.) I was trying to use the exit lane and laid on the horn and some of them became abusive with 2 of the cyclists further ahead coming back into the exit lane and cycle at about 5mph to slow me down. Luckily for all concerned the gardai witnessed the incident and pulled in all the cyclists. Dont know what happened to them as I just went on my way.
I usually ring the gardai when I spot cyclists on the motorway and I would encorage everyone to do the same. Its borderline suicidal!

Cabaal

I've seen it once on the M9, the tool was cycling towards Waterford.

However this is the same M9 that regularly has slow moving tractors on it, idiots on mopeds carrying large boxes (microwave in one instance) and people walking at the side of it from time to time.

I won't even get started on the motorists

Khannie

Never seen it myself and I've spent a fair bit of time on the M1 / M50 over the years.

petethedrummer

97e3vzjuqo204g wrote: »

Its very common on the M1 to find cyclists on the motorway hard shoulder often in groups.
I encountered a group about 6 months ago and they decided to cycle onto the exit lane at an exit (they werent exiting.) I was trying to use the exit lane and laid on the horn and some of them became abusive with 2 of the cyclists further ahead coming back into the exit lane and cycle at about 5mph to slow me down. Luckily for all concerned the gardai witnessed the incident and pulled in all the cyclists. Dont know what happened to them as I just went on my way.
I usually ring the gardai when I spot cyclists on the motorway and I would encorage everyone to do the same. Its borderline suicidal!

Were you out videoing cyclists behinds again?

Chips Lovell

I don't believe this happened.

cython

I've seen cyclists on both the M11 and M3 in the past, bloody idiots would be a polite description of them. Would genuinely love to see some of them pulled by Gardai, seeing as every access to a motorway has a sign warning no cyclists allowed!

MungoMan

cython wrote: »

I've seen cyclists on both the M11 and M3 in the past, bloody idiots would be a polite description of them. Would genuinely love to see some of them pulled by Gardai, seeing as every access to a motorway has a sign warning no cyclists allowed!

I never saw someone cycling on a motorway, and I would never cycle on one because it's against the motorway rules.

But I often thought that cycling on a motorway hard shoulder is not an inherently unsafe thing to do, you have cars whizzing by in the slowest lane, and there is a good gap between the cyclist and the motorist.

A hard shoulder is not that different to a cycle lane in terms of being an area free of cars.

On saying that, cycling on a motorway is definitely a sign of a cyclist with some psychological issues.

Captain Havoc

and what about the exits? Do you think it's safe to cycle past motorway exits?

Lumen

MungoMan wrote: »

But I often thought that cycling on a motorway hard shoulder is not an inherently unsafe thing to do, you have cars whizzing by in the slowest lane, and there is a good gap between the cyclist and the motorist.

A hard shoulder is not that different to a cycle lane in terms of being an area free of cars

...except when it isn't.

The hard shoulder is the most dangerous place on a motorway. This is why if you break down you're advised to get out of your vehicle and sit/stand off the hard shouder.

Also, crossing exits at 30kph when cars are coming off doing 130kph must be deeply unpleasant.

Rovi

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

This map HERE suggests its a national route rather than motorway? I have no idea but one is certainly allowed cycle on N roads

RobertFoster wrote: »

Bing says it's a motorway. I've found Google don't seem to update their maps as often. It's the same with the Ashbourne bypass, which became a motorway a while back (Google vs. Bing).

Arklow - Gorey is most definitely a Motorway, it was re-designated as such in 2009:
S.I. No. 255/2009 — Roads Act 2007 (Declaration of Motorways) Order 2009

Idleater

Lumen wrote: »

The hard shoulder is the most dangerous place on a motorway. This is why if you break down you're advised to get out of your vehicle and sit/stand off the hard shouder.

Traveling on the m4 yesterday I passed a person changing a rear drivers side puncture.
Obviously this was so entertaining that the 3 passengers had taken out the fold up chairs and arranged them on the hard shoulder to chat/watch.

Having said that I've seen cyclists on the m4, m11 and m1 on occasion. Maybe once every couple of years or so. Not as often as I see dangerous driving by motorists.

tunney

mloc123 wrote: »

Met a guy on the M3 today. I lol'd... silly cyclist, motorways are for cars

I ride on the M3 regularly. The stretch from after Blanch to just before the toll bridge. It was the N3, changed in no way, and its the way I always cycled to Cavan.

Also ended up cycling on the Autobahn near Frankfurt recently, 8 lanes of cars and trucks at over 200kph, now that was a motorway.Not a few poxy reclassified national routes.

tunney

cython wrote: »

I've seen cyclists on both the M11 and M3 in the past, bloody idiots would be a polite description of them. Would genuinely love to see some of them pulled by Gardai, seeing as every access to a motorway has a sign warning no cyclists allowed!

Untrue, none of any of the M3. Been passed by the guards on the M3 too, never said anything.

The M3 is not meant for cyclists - fine. But it has a huge hard shoudler
The new N3 is fine for cyclists, two a breast as well. But is hasn't got a hard shoulder. Stupid.

Magic Beans

chiralspiral wrote: »

My first day out on the Waterford-dublin motorway (in my car!) and I saw on the opposite carriageway a lady on a tourer bicycle sheltering under a flyover trying to read her map. All this at 85mph!

At this rate of spotting it won't take long for an accident. Loonies!

That's is exactly why cyclists should not be on motorways... there's lunatics out there doing 85mph... :D

mloc123

tunney wrote: »

I ride on the M3 regularly. The stretch from after Blanch to just before the toll bridge. It was the N3, changed in no way, and its the way I always cycled to Cavan.

This was the stretch between the two tolls. Which brings me on to another point, two ****ing tolls for 50km of motorway :mad:

nerraw1111

Re the M11/N11. Am I right in that it's ok to cycle north bound on the N11 until the Bray exit?