Park and cycle on N4

Radioheader

Hi,
I drive up from the west along the n4 every morning to Dublin and currently have a space in town, but I lose that in the next month.

I was thinking of driving into Chaplizod or Lucan and then cycling from there to beat the worst of the rush hour traffic.

Where is the best to park (for free or cheaply) along the N4 before cycling the rest of the way? Ideally I would park my bike there overnight as well.

Thanks.

rp

People were parking behind deadman's, and cycling in from there, but I think they started ticketing cars left there.
Liffey Valley would be an option, too, I guess - slightly more hassle to get onto the N4 but plenty of space?

ROK ON

Deadmans Inn/Kings Hospital seems good. But I would point out the following;
Need to be there at 8am latest or there are very few spaces left.
I have seen broken car glass on the road sometimes so usual point about not leaving anything visible in the car applies.

Another alternative is the CarPark in St Catherines Park - you can enter via Leixlip Village or Lucan (up by Laraghacon). It opens from 7am to pm.

Finally lots of folks drive into the Phoenix Park and leave the car.

More finally - a weekly parking ticket in Hueston costs €28.
Good value over five days. Patrolled and has cameras. Unlike some stations it does not state on any of the signs in that it is for trainusers only (or if it has I have never been able to find that sign).

the.red.baron

Is this to Park the car in Hueston? If so he won't be avoiding any of that n4 traffic. Plenty of parking in the estates around lucan or liffey valley. Buy a bike rack though, I wouldn't leave the bike overnight.

Mycroft H

What about getting the train? Depending where west your coming from, the Sligo train into Connolly is quite good, I used to get it. Could be less hassle than swapping from a bike to a car?

Radioheader

Thanks everyone for replying. Coming from just outside Mullingar. I was hoping to park somewhere city side of the M50 roundabout as I really don't fancy negotiating that roundabout/junction on a bike.

The Phoenix Park, with a bike rack, probably sounds like the best option.

Would anyone recommend a bike rack that is very easy to attach to the car. Mine is a good rack but it takes me about 10 minutes to attach the rack to the car and secure the bike. 20/30 minutes of "racking" a day would probably be a wasted effort.

I just felt the train option is too time-consuming. The train takes 80 mins to get from Mullingar to Dublin, so would probably need to leave the house 20 mins in advance and then have a 15 min Dublin bike ride from Connolly to work. so it will be 115/120 mins door to door, whereas I should be able to drive the car, park it and cycle the rest in under 80 mins I would hope from Mullingar.

the.red.baron

Radioheader wrote: »

Thanks everyone for replying. Coming from just outside Mullingar. I was hoping to park somewhere city side of the M50 roundabout as I really don't fancy negotiating that roundabout/junction on a bike.

The Phoenix Park, with a bike rack, probably sounds like the best option.

Would anyone recommend a bike rack that is very easy to attach to the car. Mine is a good rack but it takes me about 10 minutes to attach the rack to the car and secure the bike. 20/30 minutes of "racking" a day would probably be a wasted effort.

I just felt the train option is too time-consuming. The train takes 80 mins to get from Mullingar to Dublin, so would probably need to leave the house 20 mins in advance and then have a 15 min Dublin bike ride from Connolly to work. so it will be 115/120 mins door to door, whereas I should be able to drive the car, park it and cycle the rest in under 80 mins I would hope from Mullingar.

There is a cycle lane passing over the m50. Easy to get to from liffey valley.

Most of the traffic is Hueston to m50 on a normal day, so you'd be better of avoiding that. No point in trying to get into and out of the phoenix park.

It might take 25 mins consistently to cycle from the quays to there, roughly 10k, 20 mins on the way in. Takes 40 mins plus to drive, often an hour, mostly plus. And some days much worse.

Do you have a hitch? Takes me 5 mins to put on or take off my hitch mounted one. Also use a lock to secure the bike rack to the car, don't be bothered taking it off.

Radioheader

the.red.baron wrote: »

There is a cycle lane passing over the m50. Easy to get to from liffey valley.

Most of the traffic is Hueston to m50 on a normal day, so you'd be better of avoiding that. No point in trying to get into and out of the phoenix park.

It might take 25 mins consistently to cycle from the quays to there, roughly 10k, 20 mins on the way in. Takes 40 mins plus to drive, often an hour, mostly plus. And some days much worse.

Do you have a hitch? Takes me 5 mins to put on or take off my hitch mounted one. Also use a lock to secure the bike rack to the car, don't be bothered taking it off.

Cheers Red Baron. Sounds like Liffey Valley could be a better bet all around. Would miss the worst of the traffic on the way home which would be great.

Where is the cycle lane over the M50? Sounds good.

I don't have a hitch unfortunately. That's a good suggestion about locking the rack.

the.red.baron

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3571747,-6.3847824,16z

this is the google maps of the m50 n4 interchange.

It is the grey line snaking out of liffey valley and over into Palmerston. Zoom in if you can't see it.

Try Liffey Valley and if it's too much of a pain getting in or out of there at rush hour, try one of the estates west of there.

I'd suggest not that many people are going into Liffey valley at say 8am, but getting out of there at 5 might be harder.

Mycroft H

Sorry I just cannot see the park and ride being done consistently quicker than the train. I live out near Clonard. It would take me 40 minutes to get to Liffey Valley without any traffic (ie. mid morning/lunchtime).

It's going to take near an hour some days to get there with morning traffic from Mullingar.
Plus 10 minutes faff time unloading the bike, changing into the gear, loading the bad, lights etc, finding parking.
25 minutes on the bike
10-15 minutes to change out of bike gear and find someplace safe for the bike walk to work and in the door.

You're already close to being the same as the train with a lot more hassle (and variables for taking longer...)

Radioheader

the.red.baron wrote: »

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3571747,-6.3847824,16z

this is the google maps of the m50 n4 interchange.

It is the grey line snaking out of liffey valley and over into Palmerston. Zoom in if you can't see it.

Try Liffey Valley and if it's too much of a pain getting in or out of there at rush hour, try one of the estates west of there.

I'd suggest not that many people are going into Liffey valley at say 8am, but getting out of there at 5 might be harder.

Cheers Red Baron, that's brilliant.

Radioheader

Mycroft H wrote: »

Sorry I just cannot see the park and ride being done consistently quicker than the train. I live out near Clonard. It would take me 40 minutes to get to Liffey Valley without any traffic (ie. mid morning/lunchtime).

It's going to take near an hour some days to get there with morning traffic from Mullingar.
Plus 10 minutes faff time unloading the bike, changing into the gear, loading the bad, lights etc, finding parking.
25 minutes on the bike
10-15 minutes to change out of bike gear and find someplace safe for the bike walk to work and in the door.

You're already close to being the same as the train with a lot more hassle (and variables for taking longer...)

Well with the train, you are talking about 110mins door to door (leave 15 mins before train, train 80 mins, Connolly to work via walk/Dublin Bike 15 mins) assuming you get a Dublin Bike. I reckon I could do it on the bike in 80mins door to door (45 mins to Liffey Valley, 10 mins racking, 25min cycle (<10km)). I have a safe bike storage place at work and a shower. It would take time changing out of the wet gear on a Dublin bike as well so I don't see any difference there really. Plus there are less variables (train running late/no Dublin bikes/etc.)

I leave Mullingar at 6:10am so there will no problem parking in Liffey Valley, also I will be in Liffey Valley in 40 mins at that hour.

Macy0161

I normally take the bigger car, which the bike fits in, but if I'm in the smaller car I just leave the rack on! Is that a mistake? tbh The extra hassle would eat into the convenience and time saving of parking up and cycling as I currently do. Or maybe I just have a cheap rack that no one wants to rob!

the.red.baron

Mycroft H wrote: »

Sorry I just cannot see the park and ride being done consistently quicker than the train. I live out near Clonard. It would take me 40 minutes to get to Liffey Valley without any traffic (ie. mid morning/lunchtime).

It's going to take near an hour some days to get there with morning traffic from Mullingar.
Plus 10 minutes faff time unloading the bike, changing into the gear, loading the bad, lights etc, finding parking.
25 minutes on the bike
10-15 minutes to change out of bike gear and find someplace safe for the bike walk to work and in the door.

You're already close to being the same as the train with a lot more hassle (and variables for taking longer...)

So thats 90 minutes on the bike + car

40 mins commute, 10 mins to park and get bike off, 25 mins into town t the door, 10 mins to park and walk into work presuming he has bike parking at work

versus what? The train takes at least 90 mins to connolly, you got to say walk or drive and park to get to mullingar train station, say thats 10 mins, you gotta be there before the train, another 10, you then gotta walk from connolly or say dublin bike it, say another 15 mins


thats 10 + 10 + 90 + 15 = 2hr 5 mins

So 2 hrs plus

vs worst case 90 mins

If you miss the train the next ones over an hour away