roads to avoid

magicbastarder

cycled the road from the roundabout north of the airport, past the boot inn, to the st margarets roundabout. already had about 50k under me at that point and the last thing i needed was the pounding my ass got on that stretch of road. won't be using that route again. though the headwind along the runway may have played a part in the unpleasantness, if i'm to be honest...

also, the stretch of road from nutstown cross on the R130, which joins the R130 again halfway between garristown and oldtown is another which is really badly surfaced.

any other examples?

KingBrian2

Avoid like the plague Dame Street until the Luas works are completed and cycling lane at Dollymount heading to Sutton. Diggers have taken over the roads.

Beasty

The Old N1 just north of the 5 Roads/Hedgestown. However the road is ropey in many places all the way from Blakes X to the Balbriggan South M1 intersection. Seems they really don't care about resurfacing that stretch of road as the Motorway takes all the through traffic off it

There are a few more minor roads around where I am, but I expect them to be way down the priority lists

crosstownk

The road by the Boot Inn and control tower is in bits. I cycle it regularly as an extension to my commute home if the weather is good. Just past the ATC entrance it really goes to shít but the trade off is that it's relatively free from traffic. If the wind is westerly (most of the time) I take the right to Dunbro Lane rather than suffer the wind in the open plain of the airport. Although Dunbro Lane has sections of loose gravel, not much but again, no traffic.

Oh, and Gardiner Street southbound - bone shaker stuff.

Wishbone Ash

KingBrian2 wrote: »

Avoid like the plague Dame Street until the Luas works are completed ....

I presume you mean Dawson Street? (There are no Luas works on Dame Street).

Beasty wrote: »

The Old N1 just north of the 5 Roads/Hedgestown. ...

Yes, horrible surface since it lost it's 'National Primary Route' status circa 2003.

retalivity

The N2 from motorway roundabout/coolboy to ashbourne is going the same way

magicbastarder

the funny thing is the stretch from coolquay northwards was only recently resurfaced; and it's by far the worst stretch on that road.

timbel

Ratoath to Skryne road. Horrible surface.

Wishbone Ash

Sorrell Hill (between Lacken and Ballysmuttan) is tough going on a road bike. I have only done it three times, the last time as part of the boards.ie Evil Ride. I'm probable biased but huge potholes, sheep that aren't in the slighest bit interested in moving aside for a cyclist, falling darkness, rain, wind and attempting to eat a Yorkie Bar whilst simultaneously trying to recharge a Garmin on the go are my last memories of it and the main reason I cut my losses and headed for home.

crosstownk

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Sorrell Hill (between Lacken and Ballysmuttan) is tough going on a road bike.

Agreed but the section from Lacken to Ballynultagh Gap, while rough, is a damn sight better than the descent back to Ballysmuttan - that section of road is simply broken.

Probably best to keep to Spanish roads.

KingBrian2

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I presume you mean Dawson Street? (There are no Luas works on Dame Street).

Of course there are. Outside the Bank of Ireland turning the corner onto Westmoreland Street.

Carawaystick

KingBrian2 wrote: »

Of course there are. Outside the Bank of Ireland turning the corner onto Westmoreland Street.

That's college green, not Dame st

KingBrian2

Carawaystick wrote: »

That's college green, not Dame st

Sure it's next to it.

irishrover99

Nutgrove avenue and rathgar avenue. Both going east. Both are horrible roads and you have traffic up your backside trying to squeeze by you while you have to cycle on man hole covers. Nutgrove has half a cycle lane which also rubbish. Rathgar avenue is barely big enough for cars even without all the cars parked on it which usually makes it a one lane road.

I'll also add the north road in the Phoenix park to the list. Love the park but always avoid that way if I can

steamengine

Clontarf Road just past Dollymount Avenue in the Howth direction - surface is extremely rough. It's not great anywhere in the vicinity of the present roadworks but I would consider the above mentioned spot as dangerous for cyclists at even moderate speeds.

smacl

magicbastarder wrote: »

already had about 50k under me at that point and the last thing i needed was the pounding my ass got on that stretch of road

Much simpler solution. New bike. CX or gravel. 37mm tyres. Not quite the right thread but bargain stainless steel CdF here at £1500. You know you want to.

magicbastarder

a friend of mine has a genesis, i've always liked them.

Chuchote

Leinster Road - you have to cycle in the centre most of the way due to patches with broken seams at their sides, and potholes.

Colonel Panic

The Luas works from College Green up to O'Connell St are fine on bikes. There's a bottleneck just at BoI, and the lane layout changes from time to time at O'Connell bridge, but it's not something to avoid, just take it handy and don't try to filter busses just because.

Chuchote

Colonel Panic wrote: »

The Luas works from College Green up to O'Connell St are fine on bikes. There's a bottleneck just at BoI, and the lane layout changes from time to time at O'Connell bridge, but it's not something to avoid, just take it handy and don't try to filter busses just because.

I would always get off and walk the pavement at that part at College Green since a bus tried to filter me. A very unsafe place to be trapped by a bus.

dxhound2005

From the point of view of rough surfaces, the worst ones that I go on are in the North. Especially around Camlough and Culloville. In saying that, the best surface is a stretch around Forkhill, which was resurfaced for the Giro. I haven't been on the Ardee to Kells road for a while but there used to be some very rough stretches.

Traffic wise, I avoid main roads on weekdays as much as possible and stay on country roads, because of the lorries. Not many lorries on Saturdays or Sundays. Of course you are likely to meet an oil tanker in the most unlikely of places around these parts.

Chuchote

There's a nasty little stretch from the end of the triangle park in Harold's Cross past the Hospice too - a series of badly-maintained patches over manholes. You have to cycle like an alligator there, left-right-right-left…

Mercian Pro

irishrover99 wrote: »

I'll also add the north road in the Phoenix park to the list. Love the park but always avoid that way if I can

Good surface on the cycle path alongside part of the North Road from near the Hole in the Wall to Chesterfield Avenue. Wouldn't rate the rest of it too badly either.

2RockMountain

Herbert Park Road - poshest part of the city, and the road is like an obstacle course - must be all the Range Rovers churning it up.

nilhg

If you come out of Dunlavin heading for Hollywood, there's a left turn you can take to bring you back across to Ballymore and that stretch is the worst surface I know of in my normal range.

Traffic wise I dread the Naas-Sallins-Clane stretch, even at times when you think it shouldn't be too bad there always seems to be one idiot driver on it.

magicbastarder

cycled through ranelagh today for the first time in years. is the cycle lane there ever clear? i appreciate it's a sunday, and i think parking is allowed, but i don't ever remember seeing the inbound side of the main stretch free of parked cars.

Wishbone Ash

dxhound2005 wrote: »

... I haven't been on the Ardee to Kells road for a while but there used to be some very rough stretches....

Now that brings back memories. I haven't been on that road since the 1980's and it was awful then.

tomasrojo

2RockMountain wrote: »

Herbert Park Road - poshest part of the city, and the road is like an obstacle course - must be all the Range Rovers churning it up.

A lof of that roads in that general vicinity are really smashed up. Clyde Road (to a much lesser extent) and Raglan Road too, for example. They've been like that for years. Not sure what's going on.

Chuchote

2RockMountain wrote: »

Herbert Park Road - poshest part of the city, and the road is like an obstacle course - must be all the Range Rovers churning it up.

There's a nice little cycling/walking run between Roly's in Ballsbridge and Bective club in Donnybrook, though, which takes you right off any road along the other side of the park by the river.

Commotion Ocean

I was actually considering cycling to work. I need to shed a big belly :P and the exercise is great. This would take me on the R139. I heard bad things about this from a colleague.
Is there any truth to this or is he exaggerating?

It's the road that goes from Bewley's Hotel along by St. Michael's House and the Traveller's Site and up as far as the Hilton is anyone knows it.

magicbastarder

i haven't cycled it, but it's a bit of a weird 'not a dual carriageway' dual carriageway.

Commotion Ocean

magicbastarder wrote: »

i haven't cycled it, but it's a bit of a weird 'not a dual carriageway' dual carriageway.

It has one lane and one bus lane on either side. However, the bus lane is now a normal lane, because the signs are gone and the road markings are faded. So it's two lanes either side now. But it is the R139. So I don't know.

2RockMountain

magicbastarder wrote: »

cycled through ranelagh today for the first time in years. is the cycle lane there ever clear? i appreciate it's a sunday, and i think parking is allowed, but i don't ever remember seeing the inbound side of the main stretch free of parked cars.

I get a clear run about one day every two weeks.

Chuchote wrote: »

There's a nice little cycling/walking run between Roly's in Ballsbridge and Bective club in Donnybrook, though, which takes you right off any road along the other side of the park by the river.

Good idea, must try that again now.

Wishbone Ash

dfeo wrote: »

I was actually considering cycling to work. I need to shed a big belly :P and the exercise is great. This would take me on the R139. I heard bad things about this from a colleague.
Is there any truth to this or is he exaggerating?

It's the road that goes from Bewley's Hotel along by St. Michael's House and the Traveller's Site and up as far as the Hilton is anyone knows it.

It's fine. Well I've never had any problems on it.

Beasty uses it regularly so may have a more up to date comment.

07Lapierre

dfeo wrote: »

I was actually considering cycling to work. I need to shed a big belly :P and the exercise is great. This would take me on the R139. I heard bad things about this from a colleague.
Is there any truth to this or is he exaggerating?

It's the road that goes from Bewley's Hotel along by St. Michael's House and the Traveller's Site and up as far as the Hilton is anyone knows it.

The R139( aka N32) is on my commute. It's fine if you are a confident cyclist. If your not used to it, I suspect it can feel quite intimidating at first. Don't cycle "in the gutter", cycle at least a meter out from the kerb and force any traffic in the left lane to pass you by moving into the right lane. If you cycle too close to the kerb the traffic will pass you by inches at 100+kph!

I only cycle from the hotel to Malahide road direction. I avoid it completely on the way home as I don't fancy having to round the roundabout to turn up toward Stocking Lane! Much easier to go up the Malahide road instead.

Commotion Ocean

07Lapierre wrote: »

traffic will pass you by inches at 100+kph!

I drive on that road at the moment, isn't the speed limit 60 km/h ?? I regularly see cars exceeding the speed limit. No where to out a van though, apart from the hatch markings.

07Lapierre

dfeo wrote: »

I drive on that road at the moment, isn't the speed limit 60 km/h ?? I regularly see cars exceeding the speed limit. No where to out a van though, apart from the hatch markings.

Yes it's 60kph....I drive it too and 80 to 100 is the norm.

Beasty

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

It's fine. Well I've never had any problems on it.

Beasty uses it regularly so may have a more up to date comment.

Only travel eastbound along it. Never had any issues at all. Although the bus lanes were discontinued maybe 8 years or so ago (and no buses had been along the road as a regular route for a few years before), many motorists still insist on using the outside lane probably oblivious to the fact it's no longer a bus lane. As Lapierre says traffic can be a bit fast sometimes, but the limit is 60

Wishbone Ash

When did it change from the N32 to the R139?

07Lapierre wrote: »

...I don't fancy having to round the roundabout to turn up toward Stocking Lane!....

Predictive text? Stockhole Lane.

P_1

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

When did it change from the N32 to the R139?

Predictive text? Stockhole Lane.

Think it changed when they got rid of the bus lanes.

Shame the teleportation device that brings you to Stocking Lane without needing to traverse the city appears to have been a typo mind

triggermortis

Pretty much the whole route from Skerries to the airport (mentioned in the first few posts) is rough road surface. I commute this way and on Friday got Tannus tyres put on my alu commuter.
Yesterday was the first day on these tyres and before coming to work tonight I had to remove my bell, as the bike rattles so much in places I was sounding like a demented ice-cream van!

Chuchote

triggermortis wrote: »

Pretty much the whole route from Skerries to the airport (mentioned in the first few posts) is rough road surface. I commute this way and on Friday got Tannus tyres put on my alu commuter.
Yesterday was the first day on these tyres and before coming to work tonight I had to remove my bell, as the bike rattles so much in places I was sounding like a demented ice-cream van!

If you wear a watch, take it off when you hit a road surface like this, or it's liable to break. I had the same thing on my Marathon back tyre on the Pearse Street cycle path into town today. I think the problem is that the gravel under the top layer of tar are supposed to be flattened gradually by being driven over by heavy cars. On a bike lane this doesn't happen.

Wishbone Ash

P_1 wrote: »

Think it changed when they got rid of the bus lanes....

That might be just co-incidental as a change from N to R usually means that TII is no longer responsible for its maintenance.

Wishbone Ash

triggermortis wrote: »

.. got Tannus tyres put on my alu commuter.
Yesterday was the first day on these tyres....!

It's was your first day on Tannus tyres and you found Skerries to Airport to be rough? Wait till you go elsewhere. That road is fine - I use it regularly on Tannus tyres. There are much worse surfaces out there.

crosstownk

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

When did it change from the N32 to the R139?

I'm not sure why they changed the road numbers but it happened about 2 years ago. A lot of N roads inside the M50 belt were changed to R. N32 to R139, N81 to R137, N4 to R148 and plenty of others.

Chuchote

N is National. What's R?

ED E

Chuchote wrote: »

N is National. What's R?

See below

National Primary Roads are numbered from N1 to N50 (motorway sections are signed with M prefix instead of N ).
National Secondary Roads are numbered from N51 to N99.
Regional Roads are numbered from R100 to R999.
Local Primary Roads are numbered from L1000 to L4999.
Local Secondary Roads are numbered from L5000 to L8999.
Local Tertiary Roads are numbered from L10001 to L89999 with the first 4 digits representing the Local Primary or Secondary road it is off. Local Tertiary roads which are unrelated to a Local Primary or Secondary road are given numbers from L90000 up.

07Lapierre

Chuchote wrote: »

N is National. What's R?

Regional?

Wishbone Ash

crosstownk wrote: »

I'm not sure why they changed the road numbers but it happened about 2 years ago. A lot of N roads inside the M50 belt were changed to R. N32 to R139, N81 to R137, N4 to R148 and plenty of others.

Usually only happens after a motorway opens in the same vicinity. The N1 became the R132 in 2003 after the M1 opened north of the airport. Same with the N2, N3, N4 etc. when the M2, M3, M4 opened. When they become an R road, the local Co Councils become responsible for their maintenance.

Chuchote

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Usually only happens after a motorway opens in the same vicinity. The N1 became the R132 in 2003 after the M1 opened north of the airport. Same with the N2, N3, N4 etc. when the M2, M3, M4 opened. When they become an R road, the local Co Councils become responsible for their maintenance.

I wish they'd call roads something ordinary. Call the M50 the PH Pearse Motorway, it would be easier to remember, even if the engineers use the numbers! (The new outer ring motorway can be the Thomas MacDonagh Motorway!) And don't start me on roundabouts - they have the right idea in Galway, naming them clearly after the Tribes, and having big signs on them so you know which one you're at.

magicbastarder

can you imagine the fuss and the jockeying from local politicians if they started naming roads like that?