commute to malahide from town?

flickerx

hello all,

i'm currently living near broadstone station, and commuting out to blanchardstown every day (on the bus at the moment until my hand heals up ). might be getting a new job in malahide, anyone cycle out that direction? it would be slightly longer than the distance i do now but i dont mind that (looking forward to it actually!). is there a cycle lane out the malahide road?

also, what would be my best option to get from broadstone to the malahide road? i was thinking up dorset street, down clonliffe road (definitely NOT the richmond road, horrible deathtrap, that is) to the junction there at fairview. bit messy but not too bad...

Membrane

Best of luck in getting the job.

Malahide road has the usual patchwork of isolated bits of cycle path. Especially where it turns into a busy dual carriage road it isn't a nice road to take IMO. There is no cycle path there, and you have to be very assertive on the roundabouts (primary position if possible, and signal your intentions), particularly on the way in when your speed will be relatively slow compared to the motor traffic. But I think it is your only practical route. Depending on where you need to go in Malahide I'd turn right off Malahide road @ Balgriffin, then take the first road left, this is a quieter and nicer road to cycle on that lands you right in the center of Malahide.

Mornings will be a bit of a slog going slightly uphill, you'll be flying on the way home though.

bartislartfast

how about staying on the swords rd until coolock (dont go through Santry, carry on up the rd. @ whitehall), turn off at oscar traynor rd. This rd. is v. busy @ the moment as it is being widened AFAIK but once thats done it should move quite well.

Alternatively all the way up to the Airport and Malahide roundabout. Not sure if that rd. is particularly safe/well lit in the dark evenings tho'.

3rd possibility - turn off @ Griffith Ave (busy with school runs tho') rather than clonliffe (far too busy and narrow in the mornings but I avoid it now).

flickerx

Thanks for the advice. Admittedly I'm not really familiar with the eastern part of the northside, I think the best thing for me to do is have a trial run to the new workplace, once I'm back on the bike, and see which one is best for traffic, lighting, space for cycling etc. Have to get my OSI map book of Dublin out on a couple of those routes, not really sure of how far apart Swords and Malahide are..

Raam

If you are feeling full o' beans you could head out along the coast as far as Baldoyle then hang a left to go North, then go through Portmarnock. It will definitely lengthen your journey, but it's a nice one.

Victor

I used to cycle from Malahide to Merrion Gates / Ballsbridge / Baggot Street in 40-60 minutes. The roads are much busier these days, although you will be doing the reverse journey.

DTO Journey Planner suggests Clonliffe Road is the shortest - just be careful on the right turn from Drumcondra Road. You have cycle lanes, bus lanes and hard shoulders for most of the distance from Fairview to Darndale. At Artane-Coolock, there is a four-carriageway road. From Darndale to Malahide is essentially unimproved country roads, albeit with a footpath and "street lighting". Seriously consider improved lighting for this section.

Be aware that some sections have unprotected ditches.

http://www.dto.ie/web2006/jp.htm

1  Depart On  CONSTITUTION HILL  for 109(m) 
2  Turn Right Onto  WESTERN WAY  for 357(m) 
3  Turn Left Onto  MOUNTJOY STREET  for 130(m) 
4  Turn Sharp Right Onto  WELLINGTON STREET LOWER  for 170(m) 
5  Turn Left Onto  DORSET STREET UPPER  for 169(m) 
6  Continue Onto  DORSET STREET LOWER  for 642(m) 
7  Continue Onto  DRUMCONDRA ROAD LOWER  for 209(m) 
8  Turn Right Onto  CLONLIFFE ROAD  for 272(m) 
9  Continue Onto  MABEL STREET  for 117(m) 
10  Continue Onto  CLONLIFFE ROAD  for 654(m) 
11  Continue Onto  LUKE KELLY BRIDGE  for 123(m) 
12  Turn Right Onto  FAIRVIEW STRAND  for 429(m) 
13  Continue Onto  FAIRVIEW  for 441(m) 
14  Turn Left Onto  MALAHIDE ROAD  for 1454(m) 
15  Continue Onto  MAY PARK  for 306(m) 
16  Continue Onto  MALAHIDE ROAD  for 419(m) 
17  Continue Onto  ARTANE COTTAGES LOWER  for 29(m) 
18  Continue Onto  MALAHIDE ROAD  for 237(m) 
19  Continue Onto  MORNINGTON PARK  for 205(m) 
20  Continue Onto  MALAHIDE ROAD  for 30(m) 
21  Turn Left Onto  ROUNDABOUT  for 37(m) 
22  Turn Left Onto  MALAHIDE ROAD  for 2022(m) 
23  Turn Left Onto  ROUNDABOUT  for 60(m) 
24  Turn Left Onto  MALAHIDE ROAD  for 5030(m) 
25  Continue Onto  DUBLIN ROAD  for 2043(m) 
26  Turn Left Onto  OLD STREET  for 76(m) 
27  Turn Left Onto  RAILWAY AVENUE  for 78(m) 
28  Arrive at Destination On  RAILWAY AVENUE  for 0(m)

Unable to find a cycle route. Hopefully this walking route will be of use.


1  Depart On  RAILWAY AVENUE  for 78(m) 
2  Turn Right Onto  OLD STREET  for 76(m) 
3  Turn Right Onto  DUBLIN ROAD  for 2043(m) 
4  Continue Onto  MALAHIDE ROAD  for 5030(m) 
5  Turn Right Onto  ROUNDABOUT  for 60(m) 
6  Turn Right Onto  MALAHIDE ROAD  for 2022(m) 
7  Turn Right Onto  ROUNDABOUT  for 37(m) 
8  Turn Right Onto  MALAHIDE ROAD  for 30(m) 
9  Continue Onto  MORNINGTON PARK  for 205(m) 
10  Continue Onto  MALAHIDE ROAD  for 237(m) 
11  Continue Onto  ARTANE COTTAGES LOWER  for 29(m) 
12  Continue Onto  MALAHIDE ROAD  for 419(m) 
13  Continue Onto  MAY PARK  for 306(m) 
14  Continue Onto  MALAHIDE ROAD  for 1454(m) 
15  Turn Right Onto  FAIRVIEW  for 441(m) 
16  Continue Onto  FAIRVIEW STRAND  for 429(m) 
17  Turn Left Onto  LUKE KELLY BRIDGE  for 123(m) 
18  Continue Onto  CLONLIFFE ROAD  for 5(m) 
19  Bear Right Onto  BALLYBOUGH ROAD  for 443(m) 
20  Continue Onto  SUMMERHILL PARADE  for 226(m) 
21  Turn Right Onto  NORTH CIRCULAR ROAD  for 362(m) 
22  Turn Left Onto  FITZGIBBON STREET  for 192(m) 
23  Turn Sharp Right Onto  MOUNTJOY SQUARE EAST  for 12(m) 
24  Turn Sharp Left Onto  MOUNTJOY SQUARE NORTH  for 157(m) 
25  Turn Sharp Left Onto  MOUNTJOY SQUARE WEST  for 10(m) 
26  Turn Right Onto  GARDINER PLACE  for 161(m) 
27  Continue Onto  DENMARK STREET GREAT  for 84(m) 
28  Continue Onto  GARDINER ROW  for 142(m) 
29  Turn Left Onto  PARNELL SQUARE EAST  for 10(m) 
30  Turn Right Onto  PARNELL SQUARE NORTH  for 168(m) 
31  Turn Right Onto  GRANBY ROW  for 118(m) 
32  Continue Onto  SAINT MARYS PLACE NORTH  for 142(m) 
33  Continue Onto  WESTERN WAY  for 350(m) 
34  Turn Left Onto  CONSTITUTION HILL  for 109(m) 
35  Turn Sharp Right Onto  BROADSTONE  for 54(m) 
36  Arrive at Destination On  BROADSTONE  for 0(m)

blorg

Raam wrote: »

If you are feeling full o' beans you could head out along the coast as far as Baldoyle then hang a left to go North, then go through Portmarnock. It will definitely lengthen your journey, but it's a nice one.

Used do that spin myself on a regular basis, it is a nice one. Direct is not.

Ghost Rider

True, the coastal route is quite indirect. It can also be very windy, for obvious reasons, but it's probably the nicest way to get out there.

The quickest route to Malahide from town is, unsurprisingly, to go via the Malahide Road. Once you take the left at Fairview, it's pretty much a straight road. You pass Donnycarney Church, go straight through the Artane roundabout, Coolock, Darndale (passing "Darndale Opera House" on your right), Balgriffin, Kinsealy, passing Malahide Castle on your right and into Malahide Village.

As regards safety on that route, I'd say it's safe enough from town all the way to Campion's pub in Balgriffin, at which point the road narrows to a single carriage. It does get quite picturesque from there, though, and you have the opportunity to spit into the Haughey estate as you go.

Someone suggested taking the right at Campion's and then the next left. That's probably a fair bit quieter but it's a bit longer and the roads are windier, which may make it more dangerous. I recall seeing cars doing stupid speeds on those roads from time to time in the past. (You come into Malahide via Church Road that way, incidentally.)

blorg wrote: »

Used do that spin myself on a regular basis, it is a nice one. Direct is not.

Raam

Ghost Rider wrote: »

Someone suggested taking the right at Campion's and then the next left. That's probably a fair bit quieter but it's a bit longer and the roads are windier, which may make it more dangerous. I recall seeing cars doing stupid speeds on those roads from time to time in the past. (You come into Malahide via Church Road that way, incidentally.)

I go that way regularly, it is not nice at night time as there is precious little street lighting for most of it. You would need a powerful beam. In the daytime, it's a different story: great roads to ride on, finishing with a nice downhill rush into Malahide.

Ghost Rider

Dead right. Very dark at night around there.

Raam wrote: »

I go that way regularly, it is not nice at night time as there is precious little street lighting for most of it. You would need a powerful beam. In the daytime, it's a different story: great roads to ride on, finishing with a nice downhill rush into Malahide.

sdanseo

Ghost Rider wrote: »

Someone suggested taking the right at Campion's and then the next left. That's probably a fair bit quieter but it's a bit longer and the roads are windier, which may make it more dangerous. I recall seeing cars doing stupid speeds on those roads from time to time in the past. (You come into Malahide via Church Road that way, incidentally.)

Cycling on that road is way dangerous, and madness at night. Even doing the speed limit on that road (I used to use it all the time and still do reguarly) it'd be very hard to anticipate a cyclist in the dark with all the bends.

Raam

sdonn_1 wrote: »

Cycling on that road is way dangerous, and madness at night. Even doing the speed limit on that road (I used to use it all the time and still do reguarly) it'd be very hard to anticipate a cyclist in the dark with all the bends.

Sorry to go off topic...
thats part of the issue right there, I wish people would anticipate, after all that is what proper road use is all about. If a cyclist has a good set of lights, then there shouldn't be an issue on that road. That's the theory anyway, we all know the practice is far from it.

flickerx

Raam wrote: »

I go that way regularly, it is not nice at night time as there is precious little street lighting for most of it. You would need a powerful beam. In the daytime, it's a different story: great roads to ride on, finishing with a nice downhill rush into Malahide.

Downhill slopes scare the life out of me when I'm on my no brakes fixie. Never thought I'd actually be more welcoming of uphill slopes :rolleyes:

Thanks to everyone for all the advice for the journey but it looks like I'm not getting the job now anyway. Not 100% confirmed yet but looks almost certain that they wont give it to me, because I told them I couldnt work a shift that didnt suit me.