Assistant required tomorrow PLEASE

yop

Guys,
We are doing our 1st of the 500km charity cycle tomorrow, www.1lifecycle.ie and we are pulling into Dublin, Lucan, Strawberry beds, Phoinex Park tomorrow in or about 5.30pm.
The garda were giving us an escort through Dublin via Nrth Circular into Drumcondra and out to the Skylon Hotel. I got a call this evening to tell us that under review they are now not willing to escort and strongly advising against us cycling up the Nrt Circular to Drumcondra at that time and dismounting.
Thats all grand but we are lacking transport for people and bikes so that isn't going to be an option.

For those who know that area, whats the best approach considering we aren't familiar with that area, the traffic will be heavy and we will have 250km in our legs

Any advice please

thanks

12 sprocket

THe guards are right North C Road is a nightmare at that time...
Stop for something to eat or coffee in the anglers rest at the phoeinix park end of strawberry beds.. move on about 6.30, traffic will be ok by then.... then travel along the route you have planned North circulr road etc and you should be fine.

greenmat

From that side of Dublin, no other real easy way to Drumcondra to avoid traffic or easy navigated routes. I would stick with your planned route, Lucan, Strawberry beds, Phoinex Park, North Circular road and up Drumcondra Road. Handy quiet enough roads till you reach N.C.R. it is a busy route from there but all other routes will be as bad and the chances of going off route and putting extra KM's in are high. As far as I can remember most of that route has cycle lanes but we don't use them in Dublin Don't mind the Gardai, roads are for cyclists too.

Trojan

How many of you are there? (there's ~14 in the photo). You need to get from the N4 to the Skylon hotel, around 5pm?

If you guys are wrecked and hitting traffic, take a break somewhere so you're coming into town a bit later. Major traffic on Fridays starts around 4pm but is quieter earlier, so if you're hitting it 5.45-6pm it'll be a good bit quiet. Be very careful in heavy traffic if you're all tired, it's easy for someone to make a mistake.

Route wise, there's a couple things you could do. One is continue down the quays (cycle lane for much of it) and head up Gardiner Street (busy but not as narrow as North Circular) like this: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5685164

Another is to go through Phoenix Park and end up coming in the Navan Road to Cabra Road. You still end up on the Nth Circular, but for a shorter distance.

HTH.

Dermot Illogical

Traffic should be ok at that time on a Saturday.

Bloodwing

Trojan wrote: »

Major traffic on Fridays starts around 4pm but is quieter earlier, so if you're hitting it 5.45-6pm it'll be a good bit quiet. Be very careful in heavy traffic if you're all tired, it's easy for someone to make a mistake.

Am I missing something or is tomorrow not Saturday? Traffic shouldn't be too bad tomorrow given that most offices are closed but it would still be advisable to try pushing it out about an hour.

m.j.w

The working abroad expo is on in croke park tomorrow, don't know if this will have much of an effect on the traffic.

Dermot Illogical

m.j.w wrote: »

The working abroad expo is on in croke park tomorrow, don't know if this will have much of an effect on the traffic.

Increased traffic out the airport road?

Surveyor11

From the Strawberry Beds, enter the Phoenix Park at Knockmaroon gate, come out the Phoenix Park and follow the North Circular -> N1

http://goo.gl/maps/ryJYu

Would have thought that is the handiest, and takes you off the main roads through the park?

Trojan

Neilos wrote: »

Am I missing something or is tomorrow not Saturday?

D'oh, I got the day wrong

The original route should be just fine on a Saturday in that case.

yop

Thanks Folks !:)

Original route it is!

20 of us Trojan, a good few missing there.

Sean02

Best of luck Yop its a mighty day ride. I still think Strawberry beds is a bad option for group cycling. Its a highly dangerous road. better option to use hard shoulder/cycle path into town Johns road, Blackhall place, dorset street, Skylon Hotel. Anyway whatever way, safe journey.

Dermot Illogical

I see they got a mention in journal.ie this morning. It only took 5 minutes before the first commentard arrived to derail any discussion.

yop

RT66 wrote: »

I see they got a mention in journal.ie this morning. It only took 5 minutes before the first commentard arrived to derail any discussion.

Ah ya you get that for sure, not that we took much heed of that.

Was a massive 2 days, 1st day was lovely weather and in at just under 30kmph over 8.5 hours of cycling. Distance was closer to 260km.
Thanks to the 2 boardsies who came out with us Dave and Gary.

Yesterday was pure hell, weather blew us and rained on us for 4 hours. Thankfully the 3 changes of clothes kept the cold off us.
9.5 hours home with tired legs and weather.

We had up to 35 cyclists out from Lucan cycling club, was fantastic.

dave_o_brien

Fair play to all of you, it was a huge undertaking and for a really great cause. I was happy to join you for a small part of it. Glad, and impressed, to hear you made it back eventually!

Idleater

yop wrote: »

We had up to 35 cyclists out from Lucan cycling club, was fantastic.

fair play to you all. The few i had a chat with along the way seemed to be enjoying it (as much as one can enjoy 250km back to back) and well done on the sponsorship.

velo.2010

yop wrote: »

Ah ya you get that for sure, not that we took much heed of that.

Was a massive 2 days, 1st day was lovely weather and in at just under 30kmph over 8.5 hours of cycling. Distance was closer to 260km.
Thanks to the 2 boardsies who came out with us Dave and Gary.

Yesterday was pure hell, weather blew us and rained on us for 4 hours. Thankfully the 3 changes of clothes kept the cold off us.
9.5 hours home with tired legs and weather.

We had up to 35 cyclists out from Lucan cycling club, was fantastic.

Well done allround! Fantastic achievement raising money for a worthy and sadly a much needed service in Ireland today. Some very fit guys and girls in the group and you needed to be to manage that distance.

Happy to help out on the Saturday though I only did a fraction of the route from Kinnegad into the Phoenix Park. I'm sure dinner and drinks went down well both evenings.:)

yop

dave_o_brien wrote: »

Fair play to all of you, it was a huge undertaking and for a really great cause. I was happy to join you for a small part of it. Glad, and impressed, to hear you made it back eventually!

Thanks Dave, it was mighty to have you on board

yop

Idleater wrote: »

fair play to you all. The few i had a chat with along the way seemed to be enjoying it (as much as one can enjoy 250km back to back) and well done on the sponsorship.

Ah ya, we all actually did in an odd way!
There was a lot to do to organize but the buzz along the last 20km with people out on the edge of the road or cars was massive.
Couple of 100 people and DJ at the finish line was unexpected and a MASSIVE and emotional buzz. Those who lost a person to suicide turned up which was for many of us a "lump in the throat" moment so it made everything worthwhile.

2013 is already mentioned!

yop

velo.2010 wrote: »

Well done allround! Fantastic achievement raising money for a worthy and sadly a much needed service in Ireland today. Some very fit guys and girls in the group and you needed to be to manage that distance.

Happy to help out on the Saturday though I only did a fraction of the route from Kinnegad into the Phoenix Park. I'm sure dinner and drinks went down well both evenings.:)

Thanks buck, it was a pleasure to have you on the journey, I thought you had headed off and hadn't copped you had a different jersey. Thanks very much for coming out, everyone mentioned yourself and Dave at dinner that night.