Canal Cycling at Night Maynooth - City Centre

pakman

I was wondering if anyone uses the stretch of canal between city center and Maynooth in the darker parts of the year.

How do you find it and is it feasible as a route to work if you are in city center?

I am looking to invest in my first bike, Fuji Sportif Two.3, and that where I would hope to get the most use out of it.

Do a search on "Grand Canal" on boards, and look at the cycle forum.
I wouldn't chance it.

Stark

You talking about Royal Canal or Grand Canal?

Both have major scumbag problems on certain sections. Grand Canal around Bluebell and Royal canal close to Sheriff street.

Royal canal has good surfacing for the most part though there are bits that aren't really road bike suitable between Ashtown and Leixlip.

dhaughton99

Stark wrote: »

You talking about Royal Canal or Grand Canal?

Both have major scumbag problems on certain sections. Grand Canal around Bluebell and Royal canal close to Sheriff street.

Royal canal has good surfacing for the most part though there are bits that aren't really road bike suitable between Ashtown and Leixlip.

Not to mention the horse **** and broken glass you have to deal with.

I’m fixing a puncture at the moment that I got at Bluebell.

magicbastarder

Stark wrote: »

You talking about Royal Canal or Grand Canal?

i would assume royal if coming from maynooth.

dhaughton99

It really depends on your hours. There’s a lot of cyclists using it 8 am and 5 and you have that protection but after 6, I head up the Naas road to avoid Bluebell and Labre park scrotes.

pakman

Stark wrote: »

You talking about Royal Canal or Grand Canal?

Both have major scumbag problems on certain sections. Grand Canal around Bluebell and Royal canal close to Sheriff street.

Royal canal has good surfacing for the most part though there are bits that aren't really road bike suitable between Ashtown and Leixlip.

Yeah guy in the shop said maybe tough going from Clonsilla to Castleknock for surfaces so I'll have to check that out before hand. I am more concerned about getting hassled I suppose

magicbastarder

you would not do the deep sinking - the clonsilla to castleknock section mentioned - at night.
it wouldn't add too much, distance wise, to come off at clonsilla, head down the clonsilla road - coolmine road - delwood road - roselawn road, and rejoin at the humpack bridge just beside castleknock station.

pakman

magicbastarder wrote: »

you would not do the deep sinking - the clonsilla to castleknock section mentioned - at night.
it wouldn't add too much, distance wise, to come off at clonsilla, head down the clonsilla road - coolmine road - delwood road - roselawn road, and rejoin at the humpack bridge just beside castleknock station.

Lovely I'll map that out before I go for my test run. Hopefully I have bike for day in the office next Thursday and I'll give 2hrs from Kilcock so plenty of time.

Really appreciate all the advice.

beauf

pakman wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone uses the stretch of canal between city center and Maynooth in the darker parts of the year.

How do you find it and is it feasible as a route to work if you are in city center?

I am looking to invest in my first bike, Fuji Sportif Two.3, and that where I would hope to get the most use out of it.

Its much quicker just to use the road and go through the Phoenix Park. Even starting from Blanch.

I only used the Canal when I wanted to go a different way on a sunny day.

pakman

beauf wrote: »

Its much quicker just to use the road and go through the Phoenix Park. Even starting from Blanch.

I only used the Canal when I wanted to go a different way on a sunny day.

Yeah I am a little wary of the city centre on the bike and thought the canal was safer option. Had some hairy situations when I casually cycled there a few years ago but I'm sure I'll change my mind with a bit of experience.

beauf

I haven't done either in quite a while like 2yrs+ Never did the canal in the dark, maybe its ok, it wouldn't be my first choice at night though.

I would suggest trying trying different routes over a couple of weekends to get a feel for which one suits you best. I don't mind the city center I think its safer than the suburbs, driving very poor in the suburbs.
I don't always go the shortest/fastest route. I got the route I find easiest for cycling, and that I like the roads. Sometimes there's a road or junction thats awkward and 5 mins detour avoids it. I like the park its a good 15 mins off road and no lights, junctions mostly.

Never cycled to Maynooth. Can't help you there.

raheny red

I posted this 3 weeks ago, still no issues....


I do Phibsborough to the 12th Lock 4 nights a week 10-10:30. Doing it nearly 18 months now and not one incident. At Broombridge you'll get a group of 35-50 year olds drinking. They're harmless.

Mizu_Ger

I cycled the section from Leixlip to Coolmine a few times last Winter. Between Confey bridge and Clonsilla the surface is grassy with some grooves worn in from bicycles and walkers. In the Winter the ground is soft and slippery and it's easy to come off the bike. So you need to take it slowly, which may defeat the purpose of going this way. But you do avoid all traffic, which is nice, so you need to balance the pros and cons.

Best thing to do is give your self plenty of time, try it once and see how you get on.

Breezer

So I recently did this route from Phibsborough to Maynooth in the early evening, and came back long the N4 in the dark.

I’d agree avoid the Deep Sinking between Clonsilla and Castleknock stations in the dark. Think muddy, narrow path with large exposed tree roots and rocks, and a steep drop into the water, in the pitch black. I did the bit between Coolmine and Castleknock during the daylight for the heck of it, but I wouldn’t be commuting on it.

The surface between Maynooth and Clonsilla is a mixture of gravel, uneven grass/muck, and stone slabs in the sections that go under the bridges. Doable and fun on my hybrid, but again this was daylight. I don’t remember there being streetlights, but I could be wrong on that. It’s also quite isolated from the road in places, because you can only enter/exit at certain points. I’d say it’s safe enough in terms of numbers of scumbags actually hanging around though.

Why not do it in the day and see how you feel? My impression was that it was a fun day trip when I didn’t have anywhere in particular to be. I wouldn’t commute it or do it at night.

pakman

Breezer wrote: »

So I recently did this route from Phibsborough to Maynooth in the early evening, and came back long the N4 in the dark.

I’d agree avoid the Deep Sinking between Clonsilla and Castleknock stations in the dark. Think muddy, narrow path with large exposed tree roots and rocks, and a steep drop into the water, in the pitch black. I did the bit between Coolmine and Castleknock during the daylight for the heck of it, but I wouldn’t be commuting on it.

The surface between Maynooth and Clonsilla is a mixture of gravel, uneven grass/muck, and stone slabs in the sections that go under the bridges. Doable and fun on my hybrid, but again this was daylight. I don’t remember there being streetlights, but I could be wrong on that. It’s also quite isolated from the road in places, because you can only enter/exit at certain points. I’d say it’s safe enough in terms of numbers of scumbags actually hanging around though.

Why not do it in the day and see how you feel? My impression was that it was a fun day trip when I didn’t have anywhere in particular to be. I wouldn’t commute it or do it at night.

This is my plan. Once Kildare is out of lockdown I'll do the run some morning and train back if I need to. Worst case I can find a stretch of road to avoid the rougher paths once I am familiar.

I'd love my commute to be my exercise for the day so having a viable route into the IFSC would be perfect and not dealing with the train would be brilliant.

Mizu_Ger

Breezer wrote: »

The surface between Maynooth and Clonsilla is a mixture of gravel, uneven grass/muck, and stone slabs in the sections that go under the bridges. Doable and fun on my hybrid, but again this was daylight. I don’t remember there being streetlights, but I could be wrong on that. It’s also quite isolated from the road in places, because you can only enter/exit at certain points. I’d say it’s safe enough in terms of numbers of scumbags actually hanging around though.

There were no scumbags when I was cycling that stretch in the dark last winter. I think it's safe from that point of view. There are no streetlights at all, so you will need a good light to see where you are going. Also, I came across a few walkers (some with dogs) who were not very visible. They seemed to appear from nowhere, so you should be ready for that too!

pakman

So I got the bike yesterday and took it out for a spin, Kilcock to Clonsilla and back which should be the half way mark to the office.

Lots of nice easy patches but I think after Leixlip I'll need to find some road despite not being confident out there.

The back brake came loose on my way back so my timing was definitely off as I had to remove and attach it to the crossbar but I did it in under the 2 hours so that's a possible commute time for me. Its back in with the shop now so Thursday will be the actual test once its fixed.

I could get into this. The canal was something else today in the sunshine.