Bike on DART During Peak but Quiet Routes

AngelaRI

I've searched but found no answer to my very specific question (a variation on the standard bike-on-a-train debate):

So I want to take my bike from Greystones to Bray in the morning and then cycle the rest of the way to work (reason being that the roads between Bray and Greystones have stretches that are completely unlit, which is very dangerous during winter with dark mornings and evenings).

Greystones-Bray DART tends to be quiet enough before 6:30am and I'd be off at Bray where the train starts to fill up with morning commuters. 'Quiet enough' in that most people get seats and there's plenty of open space near the doors for a bike or two without getting in anyone's way.

This still counts as peak time by Irish Rail's rules, even though it's a quieter portion of the route (same for evenings Bray-Greystones - train empties out drastically at Bray with relatively few left for the last leg).

And what about 'off-peak direction' during the peak times (i.e. morning peak would see most people heading into town, and out of the city would be a bit quieter, evenings see more people outbound than inbound)?

Does anyone do this type of thing regularly, and what has been your experience - are Irish Rail staff and fellow commuters okay with this when the train isn't crowded and there's plenty of space for everyone? Or a complete blanket 'no' during peak with no exceptions even for a near-empty train? I definitely would not take a bike onto a busy train, no matter the time of day or day of the week, that's just rude, but if the train is quiet during a defined 'peak' period, then surely there's no harm in bringing a bike onboard?

Not looking to start a debate, just genuinely looking for a solution that'll let me incorporate my bike into my daily commute in a safe and reasonable manner - avoiding dark, busy, fast-moving stretches of road, and keeping the overall distance doable.

schemingbohemia

I regularly bring my bike on the 0907 DART from Dalkey - I pick the first carriage as it tends to be quiet - never had a problem. Of course you could get a jobsworth but I've never had a problem with staff or other passengers.
If the 0907 for some reason was busy I wouldn't bring the bike on board and wait for the next one.

loyatemu

I often see people bringing bikes on board during the "prohibited" hours. The drivers don't seem to care but you might get one who stops you. As you've suggested Irish Rail could be more flexible with the rules regarding peak services but I guess they want to keep it simple.

bluestrattos

I used to bring my nike in the train but I was going outbound, so the peak hours rule wouldn't apply, but often you could have 6 bikes, and because there's only "official" place for two, bikes and riders would be placed near exits, where usually we get a bit more space.
In the mornings, I've seen trains carrying people squashed against the walls, I wouldn't see space for a bicycle there.
Now a trial run with a bike+rider only carriage in the peak hours, that would be interesting to see.

But yes, I do feel the pain of not being able to bring the bike around all the time

Hilly Bill

schemingbohemia wrote: »

I regularly bring my bike on the 0907 DART from Dalkey - I pick the first carriage as it tends to be quiet - never had a problem. Of course you could get a jobsworth but I've never had a problem with staff or other passengers.
If the 0907 for some reason was busy I wouldn't bring the bike on board and wait for the next one.

Why call anyone applying company policy a jobsworth?

goingnowhere

Policy is there for the safety of others.
Abuse of the policy is only likely to further annoy already stressed commuters

L1011

Have seen passengers taken off commuter trains at Connolly with non-folding bikes. Probably likely enough to happen at any manned station, which Greystones is I believe?

Folding bike probably isn't suitable for the longer arm of the commute?

schemingbohemia

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Why call anyone applying company policy a jobsworth?

Yeah, you're right I shouldn't have said that. Apologies.

schemingbohemia

goingnowhere wrote: »

Policy is there for the safety of others.
Abuse of the policy is only likely to further annoy already stressed commuters

Yes, but it is a fairly blanket provision. What I and the OP are talking about is using common sense and bringing bike on the DART when it is not busy, even though it is within the hours when it shouldn't be on the train.
As I pointed out, if the train I normally get is a lot busier than normal, i'll wait and bring it on the next train.
The safety of other passengers is never compromised by me.

loyatemu

L1011 wrote: »

Have seen passengers taken off commuter trains at Connolly with non-folding bikes. Probably likely enough to happen at any manned station, which Greystones is I believe?

Folding bike probably isn't suitable for the longer arm of the commute?

Greystones is manned in theory but half the time there's no-one there and the turnstiles are locked open.

Irish Rail could (if they wanted to) make the restrictions more specific by marking them in the timetable e.g. "no bikes allowed on this service between Howth Jct and Lansdowne Rd" but at least the current situation is better than the blanket ban that was in place until a few years ago.

AngelaRI

bluestrattos wrote: »

there's only "official" place for two, bikes and riders would be placed near exits, where usually we get a bit more space

Is that the commuter train or DART?

Cookie_Monster

If you have proper lights why would an unlit road be an issue of any kind?

AngelaRI

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

If you have proper lights why would an unlit road be an issue of any kind?

Because I'm a novice cyclist and quite nervous at the best of times.
And because even the best of lights aren't as good as the headlights on my car, and I don't have top of the range for my moderate spec commuter bike. I do have pretty decent lights, but the primary purpose for them is to allow me to be seen by cars (and at that its the rear lights that are most important here for cars coming up from behind - I'm a Christmas tree, but that's still not enough in the pitch black stretches when cars are doing 80-100kph (and faster, always some going faster), you're not visible until the cars are too close for comfort at those speeds, and there is no protected/elevated/separate shoulder or bike lane to use along those roads, just a painted line on the N11, and no shoulder at all for cyclists on the Windgates road). I won't compromise on safety, too many accidents already involving cyclists.

loyatemu

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

If you have proper lights why would an unlit road be an issue of any kind?

I'm a fairly experienced cyclist and I don't like cycling from Greystones to Bray even when it's not dark. It's a busy road (especially at rush hour), there's no cycle lane or hard shoulder, and because of the hill you end up crawling along with a string of cars sitting behind all trying to sneak around you in the face of oncoming traffic. There's no way I would do it in the dark. I generally have no issues cycling in traffic, but that particular stretch of road is unpleasant and I'm wary of it even in good conditions.

AngelaRI

loyatemu wrote: »

I'm a fairly experienced cyclist and I don't like cycling from Greystones to Bray even when it's not dark. It's a busy road (especially at rush hour), there's no cycle lane or hard shoulder, and because of the hill you end up crawling along with a string of cars sitting behind all trying to sneak around you in the face of oncoming traffic. There's no way I would do it in the dark. I generally have no issues cycling in traffic, but that particular stretch of road is unpleasant and I'm wary of it even in good conditions.

Good to hear from an experienced cyclist, I don't feel bad anymore for feeling nervous along that stretch (both Windgates and N11 are pretty much the same - actually I feel safer on the N11 because there's at least a fairly wide shoulder to use, Windgates is still 80kph zone between Bray and the top of the hill and no shoulder at all to use, not enough space for a car to swerve around a cyclist when there's oncoming traffic so they tend to buzz by at full speed with well less than even 1m clearance, scary, I refuse to cycle that road at all after just a few attempts)

Cookie_Monster

AngelaRI wrote: »

And because even the best of lights aren't as good as the headlights on my car, and I don't have top of the range for my moderate spec commuter bike.

The best commuter lights throw out twice the average lumens (2500) as car high beams (1200), 3-4 times low beam (700) and average ones throw out 900 or so. Just so you know...

prinzeugen

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

The best commuter lights throw out twice the average lumens (2500) as car high beams (1200), 3-4 times low beam (700) and average ones throw out 900 or so. Just so you know...

And also can cause seizures. Why people use these lights on cycles is for another thread. No need for them.

I have seen bikes on the DART and nobody cares unless you start being a dick. (Ie blocking doors, seat bays or rubbing manky, dirt covered wheels/tyres against clean clothes).

Cookie_Monster

prinzeugen wrote: »

And also can cause seizures. Why people use these lights on cycles is for another thread. No need for them.

How, because people have them on flash mode? That's a whole other topic but I think it should be banned, provides no sight benefit to the cyclist and dazzles motorists.

schemingbohemia

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

The best commuter lights throw out twice the average lumens (2500) as car high beams (1200), 3-4 times low beam (700) and average ones throw out 900 or so. Just so you know...

Are you trying to shame her into cycling somewhere she doesn't feel safe? FFS not everyone is as experienced a cyclist as you. Another experienced cyclist on here has stated they don't feel safe cycling this specific route. Just let it go.

bluestrattos

AngelaRI wrote: »

bluestrattos wrote: »

there's only "official" place for two, bikes and riders would be placed near exits, where usually we get a bit more space

Is that the commuter train or DART?

commuter.

ted1

L1011 wrote: »

Have seen passengers taken off commuter trains at Connolly with non-folding bikes. Probably likely enough to happen at any manned station, which Greystones is I believe?

Folding bike probably isn't suitable for the longer arm of the commute?

Let’s stick to DARTs and keep trains out if the convo to avoid confusion

Cookie_Monster

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Are you trying to shame her into cycling somewhere she doesn't feel safe? FFS not everyone is as experienced a cyclist as you. Another experienced cyclist on here has stated they don't feel safe cycling this specific route. Just let it go.

I don't care either way, just thought it would be good info to know re proper lights, which is applicable everywhere to be fair.