Sandyford to Howth - recommended route?

54and56

Hi all,

Hoping to pick the brains of some of the more experienced here.

I'm thinking of doing a spin from Sandyford to Howth this weekend and wondering what is the most cycle friendly route to take? In the N11, through town and out through Marino or down to Blackrock, through Booterstown, Sandymount, across the East Link and out to Clontarf via East Wall Road?

I recall doing a similar spin a few years ago via the East Link and the amount of pot holes and broken road on the Blackrock to East Link section made it a fairly unpleasant experience. Has it gotten any better? Is going in the N11 and through town just as bad?

DirkVoodoo

The East Link isn't as bad at the weekend, I've been terrified going mid-week or during rush hour.

My preferred route is generally:

Blackrock -> Rock Road -> Right at Ballsbridge -> Ringsend -> Pass through the back of the houses beside the east link and jump straight onto the bridge -> cycle path to Howth.

Blackrock to Ballsbridge is a good route, barring Tara towers it's actually very safe with plenty of marked lanes and a great surface from the Merrion Center to the Four Seasons.

Wishbone Ash

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

.. and the amount of pot holes and broken road on the Blackrock to East Link section made it a fairly unpleasant experience...

The current long stretch of road works and dodgy surface on the coast road scheme at the moment are much worse than any poor surface on the south side.

mr spuckler

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

The current long stretch of road works and dodgy surface on the coast road scheme at the moment are much worse than any poor surface on the south side.

yeah great point - OP you'll have to leave the coast path from the wooden bridge to the causeway by st anne's park and the road is both very tight and in awful condition for most of this stretch. if i were you i'd follow the howth road up through killester and raheny until it rejoins the coast and then jump onto the cycle path again. howth road surface is excellent for the most part and well marked and well observed cycle lanes most of the way also.

this is what i do on my commute btw so i practice what i preach :pac:

P_1

Another voice saying to avoid the Coast Road between Clontarf and the Causeway for now, take the Howth Road, great surface and quite a pleasant few Kms

DirkVoodoo

P_1 wrote: »

Another voice saying to avoid the Coast Road between Clontarf and the Causeway for now, take the Howth Road, great surface and quite a pleasant few Kms

How do you get onto that road? My northside geography is limited and I've always taken the coast road, even in it's current state (it can be fun, in a weird way, but definitely not that safe!)

P_1

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

How do you get onto that road? My northside geography is limited and I've always taken the coast road, even in it's current state (it can be fun, in a weird way, but definitely not that safe!)

If you're going down the cycle track on the Alfie Byrne Road, take the left at the end instead of going right through Clontarf. It's the right at the lights once you go under the railway bridge.

Wishbone Ash

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

How do you get onto that road? My northside geography is limited and I've always taken the coast road, even in it's current state (it can be fun, in a weird way, but definitely not that safe!)

The next left after the main left for Coolock/Malahide.

crisco10

I'd say something like this...

https://goo.gl/maps/t25u2hE9YEp

mr spuckler

P_1 wrote: »

If you're going down the cycle track on the Alfie Byrne Road, take the left at the end instead of going right through Clontarf. It's the right at the lights once you go under the railway bridge.

above if you come up by east point business park / across the east link and straight across to clontarf, if coming out through fairview go straight past the malahide road turn then left at the next lights (which is signposted for raheny & killester i think) and follow this road the whole way till it rejoins the coast. there is a bit of a rise on it but nothing much.

neris

when i come back from wicklow through sandyford would go by the beacon down to clonskeagh (beaver row), down to the RDS and take the right down between the 2 sides of the RDS into Sandymount and then out onto the coast road, east link, east wall road, alfie byrne road, clontarf cycle track then onto howth and you can choose which side of the hill you wana go up from sutton cross