Safe evening parking near TCD?

Supercell

I'm starting a night class in TCD next month as was thinking of driving into Bray, parking the car then cycling into Dublin and locking up the bike there.
Class will run from 18:30 to 20:30 for the next six months on Thursday nights.
Reading the TCD forum it would appear that parking inside of TCD means your bike is more likely to be nicked than outside it!
Any suggestions where to lock up the bike for a few hours?

Also as it's going to be dark after 18:00 or so for the next six months or so - any safety considerations about cyling to and back from Dublin in the dark along the N11 to Bray?

Thanks.

If you're a student you can use your student card to lock it at a special area behind House 15.

Where I lock it from time to time is either in front of the Museum Building (as the Security Van goes down that way often) or else down by House 37 as security guards would walk from the 'Security Centre' up to Front Arch.

There's a few places to lock it by the Ussher Library/Old Library as well, never had any trouble there. There's usually a security guard (of sorts) in the Ussher Library and the Old Library too, so that's some bit of added security. Haven't had any trouble ever on campus but the place down by the Lincoln Gate is meant to be very bad for bike robbing.

Where I wouldn't lock it:
- Lincoln Gate (you go down a bit and you're out of view of the Security Station there, so anyone could do anything to your lock there).
- By the 1937 Reading Room/Arts Block (it's again out of the way and there's bad light there after dark).
- I'd be reluctant to leave it in Front Square just due to the amount of people nearby. There are usually gaggles of American Tourists there so with more people to hide behind, people could do a bit of damage.

Have a look at http://www.tcd.ie/maps if you don't know some of the places I've named, I started linking them in this post but got kinda tired of doing it all

Edit:...oh, you're looking for places not in Trinity for locking? I dunno, I think overall it's pretty ok. Definitely prefer locking it in there rather than outside it.

Supercell

Thanks Myth, i did go there many moons ago for my Undergrad so am pretty familiar with the layout..but that was a long time ago and I didnt cycle in at the time so never got to know the good parking spots. If you park there regularly and feel its safe than thats good enough for me, thanks!
I've a beefy "New York" lock so its more vandalism I think thats likely than anything else to worry about.

Anyone got any thoughts about cycling the N11 from Bray to Dublin in the dark safetywise?

TinyExplosions

Or park it outside Pearse St Garda station

Stark

Supercell wrote:

Reading the TCD forum it would appear that parking inside of TCD means your bike is more likely to be nicked than outside it!

Tbh, I'm not surprised given how badly people seem to lock their bikes in there.

Supercell wrote: »

Anyone got any thoughts about cycling the N11 from Bray to Dublin in the dark safetywise?

Watch out for psychopath bus and taxi drivers. Many of the on-footpath cycle tracks are extremely difficult to use in the dark.

Anytime I'm cycling from city centre to Bray or whereever, I head through Blackrock. It's the same distance as heading out the N11 and it's a bit flatter.

Starting from Nassau street, head straight out along Merrion Square north, Merrion Road, Rock Road, Frascati Road, Stradbook Road, Rowan Park, Deansgrange Road, Clonkeen Road, then join up with the N11 at Cabinteely/Cornelscourt. You've no turns at all until you hit the junction with the N11 (by Dunnes in Cornelscourt).

TinyExplosions

You can also go along rochestown ave and through Shankill, avoiding the N11 altogether

Turbulent Bill

Myth wrote: »

If you're a student you can use your student card to lock it at a special area behind House 15.

Where I lock it from time to time is either in front of the Museum Building (as the Security Van goes down that way often) or else down by House 37 as security guards would walk from the 'Security Centre' up to Front Arch.

There's a few places to lock it by the Ussher Library/Old Library as well, never had any trouble there. There's usually a security guard (of sorts) in the Ussher Library and the Old Library too, so that's some bit of added security. Haven't had any trouble ever on campus but the place down by the Lincoln Gate is meant to be very bad for bike robbing.

Where I wouldn't lock it:
- Lincoln Gate (you go down a bit and you're out of view of the Security Station there, so anyone could do anything to your lock there).
- By the 1937 Reading Room/Arts Block (it's again out of the way and there's bad light there after dark).
- I'd be reluctant to leave it in Front Square just due to the amount of people nearby. There are usually gaggles of American Tourists there so with more people to hide behind, people could do a bit of damage.

Have a look at http://www.tcd.ie/maps if you don't know some of the places I've named, I started linking them in this post but got kinda tired of doing it all

Edit:...oh, you're looking for places not in Trinity for locking? I dunno, I think overall it's pretty ok. Definitely prefer locking it in there rather than outside it.

The bike compound behind House 15 is very useful, but just make sure the electronic lock on the gate is working properly. I'm out of TCD now, but a few times I found the gate unlocked - you could just push it open. This could well be fixed by now though, or you could inform Security/Buildings Office.

Ledgecubed

Myth wrote: »

Where I lock it from time to time is either in front of the Museum Building (as the Security Van goes down that way often) or else down by House 37 as security guards would walk from the 'Security Centre' up to Front Arch.

I left a bike outside of House 36 a few years ago only to return to a missing front wheel.

...to make it worse, while I was off getting a replacement some punk stole my saddle!!

Needless to say I was pretty pissed off cycling home that night.

Supercell

Stark wrote: »

Anytime I'm cycling from city centre to Bray or whereever, I head through Blackrock. It's the same distance as heading out the N11 and it's a bit flatter.

Starting from Nassau street, head straight out along Merrion Square north, Merrion Road, Rock Road, Frascati Road, Stradbook Road, Rowan Park, Deansgrange Road, Clonkeen Road, then join up with the N11 at Cabinteely/Cornelscourt. You've no turns at all until you hit the junction with the N11 (by Dunnes in Cornelscourt).

Thanks Stark, that route sounds like a much more interesting spin too, so that will be the one i take, thanks.

Peslo

Anywhere safe to park by the East-End??? Near the Lllyod, Hamilton etc.

Ron DMC

Peslo wrote: »

Anywhere safe to park by the East-End??? Near the Lllyod, Hamilton etc.

Should be safe enough in locking it along the pathway heading towards the cricket pitch (the one right in front of you between the ICT Hut and the Lloyd when you come out of the Hamilton). Loads of people park their bikes there and it's a busy thoroughfare so there shouldn't be much of a problem if you've a decent lock.

I'd say park it in the swipe place by House 15 and just walk for another 5 minutes down to the East End.