Royal Canal on a Road Bike

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121034305#Comment_121034305

I decided to walk up a short while ago and am standing on the towpath now (in the darkness) typing this. To answer your question, the lights are currently for decorative use as they don't light up at all!

FFS! 🙄

Mizu_Ger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121036058#Comment_121036058

Thanks. They look good in the daytime at least 🤣. Hopefully they'll set them up soon. Will be needed soon enough with the days shortening.

Seth Brundle

Some photos of the Louisa Br to Cope Br section that I took yesterday afternoon when I walked on it (a separate walk to the one where I checked the lights).

Some possibly unnecessary additions include the barrier along the aquaduct (and similar at the outflow for the waterfall)...

However, they did retain the markers for the fishing spots...

It did have a nice feel to it and the previous claims about damage to the hedges along it were largely unfounded. It will require some planting nearer the Confey end but for the most looks good.

The access ramps at each end still have not been touched and at this stage, I'd say that the one at Confey won't be (Louisa Bridge ramp may receive tarmac as part of the next phase). The barriers are still at the confey end which made it akward for this lad to get his ebike out. Anyone with a pram, cargo bike, wheelchair etc cannot access the path without difficulty.

brianc89

Some pics of the Royal Canal Greenway from Jones Road bridge at Croke Park

getoutadodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121037906#Comment_121037906

Thanks for the photos. "Crime" Park is right. That section has some notorious chokepoints especially the underpass at the next bridge down where skankers congregate to ambush passerbys. Interesting see how the upgrade will hopefully change things. Currently the alkies congregate at the Brendan Behan seat at the Dorset bridge. Very apt.

brianc89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040989#Comment_121040989

Ah hear Google don't be acting the b0//ox with your smart azz autocorrect 😂🙈 Upated, my apologies!

Also, I changed one of the photos. More detail nearer to the bridge. Great to see substantial progress in a short space of "Irish" time.

Tombo2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040989#Comment_121040989

To be fair, I've been cycling up and down there for years and have never had any trouble. Cant say its pleasant, and I understand where you coming from- it is a bit isolated and has a few sketchy looking characters - but I've never had the slightest bit of trouble there.

Tombo2001

From the 12th lock to Maynooth; how much of that is currently in cycle path at present?

g0g

Is from Hazelhatch in to Park West ish all grand on road bike?

buffalo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121050077#Comment_121050077

Almost none. One long stretch at Leixlip is tarmac (between Confey and Louisa Bridge), and one short stretch is compact grit (from R449 overbridge to Deey bridge/Collinstown level crossing).

Peeling1979

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121050077#Comment_121050077

Very little from 12th Lock to Leixlip Confey…. plans in place but it’ll be quite some time again it’s done. Most of it is passable on a gravel / mountain bike at 20kmph. Most of Leixlip Confey to Maynooth is the same bar the newly finished surface, slightly better than the previous stretch. I understand it’s next on KCC’s to do list.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121050186#Comment_121050186

That's the Grand Canal rather than the Royal canal.

However, from Hazelhatch to Adamstown is a dirt trail through grass. From Adamstown to Park West is a good tarmac surface.

benneca1

Proposal in new byelaws to limit speed of bicycles to 20 Kmh. Still time to commrnt on waterways ireland page

RunDMC

The draft I read states a speed limit of 15kph for bicycle, tricycles and powered personal transport.

It also removes the short-term exemption from the camping prohibition. So no more tents on canal property.

R

benneca1

That’s right anyone who can should submit a comment For speed limit it is silly as bicycles don’t have speedometers is ridiculously low and not enforcable. For camping the question I would ask is has camping become a health and safety or environmental issuy that needs to be regulated

IstvaanV

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121064794#Comment_121064794

My bike (Cannondale Topstone Neo Carbon 4 Gravel Electric Bike 2021) has a speedometer, the motor cuts out at 27kph so I would be looking for that as a minimum speed limit.

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121064891#Comment_121064891

None of my bikes have speedometers. I wouldn't be looking for any speed limit.

How would you suggest this speed limit is enforced?

Instead, why not implement a hierarchy of users, like in the UK, with pedestrians at the top.

IstvaanV

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121064916#Comment_121064916

I don't suggest any speed limit for cyclists. That would be ridiculous.

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121065018#Comment_121065018

I took your first post to mean that you want 27kph as the speed limit.

What were you saying?

IstvaanV

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121065033#Comment_121065033

I was saying that the motor on my ebike cuts out when the speed of 25.7kmh is achieved (I just typoed the speed before). It is a pending EU regulation, any ebike faster than that will require registration, insurance and tax. I bought the bike in 2021 after researching laws around speed limits for ebikes as I cycle commute and wanted a pedal assist gravel bike to get to work etc.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/08/03/electric-bikes-and-e-scooters-with-top-speeds-of-25kmh-to-be-exempt-from-regulation/

My possibly vague point was that I would be moving faster than that pretty much at all times, any speed limit below 25km would be contrary to the EU regulation that is about to come into effect.

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121065063#Comment_121065063

Just because the EU have put an upper speed limit on ebikes, I don't think that means anything with regards to by laws about the speed of bikes on any particular path or track.

It wouldn't be contravening the regulations.

Unless I'm misunderstanding what you're saying again.

buffalo

I think they're saying (and I'd agree with) that legal e-bikes assist the rider up to a speed of 25km/h by default (and none that I've ridden allow you to adjust that downwards). So anybody who is riding an e-bike would often be going around that speed. Therefore it would be a bit silly to have a speed limit of 20km/h because an increasing number of riders would be vilified just for riding an e-bike.

loyatemu

you can ride an eBike slower than 25km/h. But the idea of a bike speed limit is daft - I assume it's some sort of liability/insurance thing, there's no way of enforcing it.

AlmightyCushion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121066486#Comment_121066486

You can but how can you tell you are if the don't have a speedometer which I thin most e-bikes don't.

KevRossi

15 km/h is a bit daft. When cycling I'd be around 20 km/h with no effort. This is on an e-bike. A bit of effort easily gets me up to 24-26 km/h.

I'm not sure of the point of it, you'd be better off going for people cycling recklessly. Or better still have a river/canal police like in other countries and patrol the rivers/canals properly. For illegal fires, littering, anti-social behaviour etc.

01Surveyor

I just submitted the following comment on the waterway Ireland site, in case its of help to anyone the relevant Bye Law is quoted below. I copied the comment into several boxes as I wasnt clear which was the appropriate location for the comment.

(10) Prohibited Activity on canal property

No person shall; 

(n) Exceed a speed of 15 kilometres per hour on any bicycle, tricycle or powered personal transporter while using any greenway.

As bicycles (particularly those likely to be used on the canal paths) do not usualy have speedometers nor is there any legal requirement for any bicycle to be fitted with a speedometer, how then are cyclists to know what speed they are doing. 15kmph may be much too fast in certain circumstances, e.g where there are groups, particularly of children, using the pathway, in other circumstances speeds in excess of 15kmph may be acceptable e.g when traveling on the canal path in the early morning when the pathway is deserted. What is required is responsible and appropriate use of the canal pathways by all users. The stipulation of aa arbitrary and unenforceable speed limit will not achieve anything,

Flinty997

Pointless rules. They should just have a vague one about dangerous cycling that allows them to kick anyone acting the muppet that they see.

loyatemu

Assumed liability - if you hit a pedestrian it's your fault unless you can prove otherwise. If 2 cyclists collide, whoever has the fanciest bike is the winner.

Citizen Six

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121103796#Comment_121103796

Which one is fanciest?

FinnC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121103821#Comment_121103821

Both are shite looking imo!