Cycling to work - need route

loz_the_boz

Hiya,

First apologies this is probably the wrong forum, so please move if it is,

Im need to start to cycle to work due to dead car, and no cash to replace, i live in clonsilla and work at airport,

I was thinking the back roads, but im concerned about the stretch from ballycoolin to kilshane cross, is there an short alternate around this - i cannot seem to find one .

Thanks

Loz

07Lapierre

loz_the_boz wrote: »

Hiya,

First apologies this is probably the wrong forum, so please move if it is,

Im need to start to cycle to work due to dead car, and no cash to replace, i live in clonsilla and work at airport,

I was thinking the back roads, but im concerned about the stretch from ballycoolin to kilshane cross, is there an short alternate around this - i cannot seem to find one .

Thanks

Loz

Very narrow road, lots of trucks and poor road surface. Not for the faint hearted (especially in the dark!) BUT it is doable.

Vélo

I just had a quick look on Google Maps and the route you're suggesting is 16km, if you take the alternative route they suggest it only adds an extra km or so.

http://goo.gl/maps/3hH2x

loz_the_boz

Vélo wrote: »

I just had a quick look on Google Maps and the route you're suggesting is 16km, if you take the alternative route they suggest it only adds an extra km or so.

http://goo.gl/maps/3hH2x

Thanks Velo,

That route looks good, just the hill at cappagh, and the hill past Omni , thanks very much !

Vélo

There are no hills on that route, just wait for a few weeks and you'll want to hit the Wicklow mountains. You might find a bump or two there.

What type bike have you for the commute?

loz_the_boz

No bike as yet,

Car dies on Wed, got a lift with the wife on the school run yesterday and today, we just seeing if it was totally feasible to cycle to work, and save all that cash on running a 2nd car.

( ill rephrase that - i want to cycle - i need to convince wife that we dont need a 2nd car, its doable and safe for me to do so. )

I was thinking just a 2nd hand mount bike - im not up on new bike ty7pes/styles so open to advice. - last time i bought a bike - it was a raleigh bomber .

Vélo

I'd avoid a mountain bike, they're slow and you don't need the suspension. A friend of mine used to commute on a mountain bike and changed to a hybrid bike and absolutely loves it, he says it made a huge difference to his commute. I advise a Hybrid or Road bike, something that will take a rack and mudguards.

What's your budget for a bike and can you use the cycle to work scheme?

When I first started commuting to work I cycled from Ratoath to Finglas which is about 20km each way, like you I hadn't cycled much since I was a kid and I found it tough at first. If there is any way of just cycling 3 days a week at first, just unitl you get used to it, I'd try that.

loz_the_boz

I'll look at hybrids, thanks, appreciate the advice.

We do have a bikes4work scheme in here, im just downloading the paperwork from the company site now.

A guy in here just suggested i start on a Thursday so i only do 2 days and then get a break, if i haven't cycled for some time ! just as you posted, sounds like a good plan on the 3days on 2 days off !

Thanks Again

Donelson

I find http://openrouteservice.org/ to be very good as you can add areas you don't like/unsafe to be excluded from your route.

loz_the_boz

Donelson wrote: »

I find http://openrouteservice.org/ to be very good as you can add areas you don't like/unsafe to be excluded from your route.

Thanks for the link - Seems to still want to push me toward kilshane cross, I think the route to use is the one below by vélo

Carawaystick

The cherryhound Link road is due to open in December, It'll get you From the business park to the M2 junction, where you can come to Kilshane cross from the North and have a left turn, or avoid it by taking the lightly trafficed boreens to the R122 at the end of the runway.

You'ld avoid the boreen from Kilshane cross to the business park.

t'bear

last time down that road from work, I was chasing a guy on a mountain bike, needless to say he left me for dead as I was rattled to bits on that stretch, horrible piece of terrain

couerdelion

t'bear wrote: »

last time down that road from work, I was chasing a guy on a mountain bike, needless to say he left me for dead as I was rattled to bits on that stretch, horrible piece of terrain

Probably worst piece of road I've ever ridden. In the dark with cars coming towards you with headlights on it's difficult to see the road surface. Although perhaps that's not a bad thing considering how shocking it is.

RobertFoster

Carawaystick wrote: »

The cherryhound Link road is due to open in December, It'll get you From the business park to the M2 junction, where you can come to Kilshane cross from the North and have a left turn, or avoid it by taking the lightly trafficed boreens to the R122 at the end of the runway.

You'ld avoid the boreen from Kilshane cross to the business park.

Until that's open, there's always Tyrellstown > The Ward Cross (now a roundabout, so it'll be easier to go straight on) > St. Margarets > Airport back entrance. http://goo.gl/maps/vbFIY

The road from Tyrellstown to the Ward Cross is a bit narrow with high hedges, but the surface is a lot nicer than Kilshane.

It might also be a bit of a huff up the hill in Lady's Well, but you'll fly up that after a few weeks practice

cdaly_

Vélo wrote: »

I just had a quick look on Google Maps and the route you're suggesting is 16km, if you take the alternative route they suggest it only adds an extra km or so.

http://goo.gl/maps/3hH2x

Alternatively, for less of the city traffic, you could go northeast. More of the country road, less of the city traffic. That said, the roads are narrower and may be less attractive to a novice.

For 16k plus, a hybrid or road bike is the way to go. I'd suggest a road bike for when you get addicted and want to go the long way home...