Bicyles in Cork!

smk135

Hello All,

I'll be moving to Cork soon and I much prefer biking it around (despite the weather) than public transport or cars.

I'll be working till Sept. 09 then going to UCC.

* Best place to live (cheap...?)
* Is it possible to bike it most places without taking hours / too dangerous?

thanks a mil, and for the record i'm lookin forward to moving to Cork but have never been there so any tips are welcome!

MunsterCycling

Welcome to the real capital,

Biking can be dangerous but no more than in any Irish city with the low standard of driver awareness but the new bus lanes have made it a bit safer on the main routes near UCC etc. On accommodation costs it all depends how much you are willing to spend, check out www.daft.ie for the best idea of what it will cost, post links to ones you think you'd like and someone here will tell you what the area is like.

MC

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

MunsterCycling

The Scientist wrote: »

Have a look at this recent thread for places to live.

Cork is small and absolutely bikable, in fact i would throughly recommend cycling instead of public transport.
The bus services in Cork are pretty poor overall.

Cork isn't dangerous, just dont go wandering up the northside on a bike or you'll be walking home.
Joke!

Stone HIM....... NOT A JOKE!

lostinsuperfunk

Welcome...

There's a very lengthy recent thread in this forum on where to live in Cork, called "good/bad areas of Cork". Don't read it, it is 99% rubbish

Daft.ie isn't great for Cork. The daily Evening Echo newspaper is a good source for the cheaper places.

Where are you working? If you are working somewhere in the inner city then I'd suggest living somewhere in the inner suburbs - these are better for cycling as you can usually find quiet back streets and avoid some of the traffic. Also be warned that Cork is a very hilly city; your fitness levels may improve!

I would avoid almost anywhere outside the ring road, including Douglas, as the cycling environment is generally very unpleasant out there: heavy traffic, unaware drivers, SUVs, crazy road layouts, roundabouts etc. The north side is often cheaper because of the natives' prejudices (I'm a southsider myself and rarely cross the river), but there are lots of hills up there.

MunsterCycling

That is why we call southsiders "flatlanders" and no its is not a reference to the huge number of apartment blocks that have sprung up on the southside... They wouldn't know what a hill is if it bit them on the backside.

lostinsuperfunk

Quality, not quantity. We have a better class of hill on the southside. Like, hmmm, Barrack Street.:rolleyes:

smk135

Hey Lads,

thanks for the responses.

I did actually see that thread that was mentionned there by a few people - but the answers were so variable depending on the poster I kind of got lost to be honest!

I have actually seen a few nice places in Douglas (cheap and seemingly nice quality houses) but I was guessing that it would be the equivalent to Tallaght in Dublin seeing as there are some lovely houses for cheap there.

I've also done a lot of research on daft.ie but it's not easy when I don't know Cork city any better than Tokyo...

So I've been told Glanmire, Blackpool and Wilton are good areas and close to UCC (I don't know what the person meant by "good area")...
What do the boardies think?

I mean is there an "ideal" place to live not far from UCC that would allow me to not have to limit my job hunt to cerain areas?

been doin some other research and there seems to be a great music scene in Cork too! I'm so glad I'm moving back to Cork and not Dublin! yeay!

MunsterCycling

lostinsuperfunk wrote: »

Quality, not quantity. We have a better class of hill on the southside. Like, hmmm, Barrack Street.:rolleyes:

Get your coat! Barrack Street.....psssshhhh Hill ppsssshhhhhh....... LOL :P

MunsterCycling

Glanmire is miles out if you want to go to UCC:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Meadowbrook%2FR639&daddr=Ireland+(U+C+C)&hl=en&geocode=FRpcGAMdQOZ__w%3BCfvIQd7PI0ZCFfnUFwMdn2x-_yElX3Dtv2ZmXw&mra=pe&mrcr=0&sll=51.925426,-8.484192&sspn=0.073891,0.22316&ie=UTF8&ll=51.909438,-8.443851&spn=0.036959,0.11158&t=h&z=14


Blackpool or Wilton (a very student inhabited area) are your best bets.

Wilton to UCC

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Ireland+(U+C+C)&daddr=51.882293,-8.507581&hl=en&geocode=FfnUFwMdn2x-_yElX3Dtv2ZmXw%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=15&sll=51.887167,-8.499041&sspn=0.018489,0.05579&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=15

Blackpool to UCC (No hills involved except the bumb up Blareny St.):

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Ireland+(U+C+C)&daddr=51.912959,-8.47209&hl=en&geocode=FfnUFwMdn2x-_yElX3Dtv2ZmXw%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=15&sll=51.91415,-8.467798&sspn=0.018477,0.05579&ie=UTF8&ll=51.911661,-8.467197&spn=0.073914,0.22316&t=h&z=13



MC

smk135

MunsterCycling wrote: »

Glanmire is miles out if you want to go to UCC:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Meadowbrook%2FR639&daddr=Ireland+(U+C+C)&hl=en&geocode=FRpcGAMdQOZ__w%3BCfvIQd7PI0ZCFfnUFwMdn2x-_yElX3Dtv2ZmXw&mra=pe&mrcr=0&sll=51.925426,-8.484192&sspn=0.073891,0.22316&ie=UTF8&ll=51.909438,-8.443851&spn=0.036959,0.11158&t=h&z=14


Blackpool or Wilton (a very student inhabited area) are your best bets.

Wilton to UCC

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Ireland+(U+C+C)&daddr=51.882293,-8.507581&hl=en&geocode=FfnUFwMdn2x-_yElX3Dtv2ZmXw%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=15&sll=51.887167,-8.499041&sspn=0.018489,0.05579&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=15

Blackpool to UCC (No hills involved except the bumb up Blareny St.):

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Ireland+(U+C+C)&daddr=51.912959,-8.47209&hl=en&geocode=FfnUFwMdn2x-_yElX3Dtv2ZmXw%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=15&sll=51.91415,-8.467798&sspn=0.018477,0.05579&ie=UTF8&ll=51.911661,-8.467197&spn=0.073914,0.22316&t=h&z=13


MC

great that's brilliant thanks MC.
- Is blackpool nice? cheap?
what about blackpool to the "main strip/street" (if there is one) in Cork city ?

Also heard about Blackrock...

Thanks!!

MunsterCycling

Blackrock/Mahon Lots of places try to describe themselves as Blackrock when really they are Mahon.

Blackrock: Miles from the centre of the city.

Blackpool: I would shy away from suggesting you live there but i don't know it well.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Ireland+(U+C+C)&daddr=51.897059,-8.416793&hl=en&geocode=FfnUFwMdn2x-_yElX3Dtv2ZmXw%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=16&sll=51.89686,-8.411493&sspn=0.009242,0.027895&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=16

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

MunsterCycling

The Scientist wrote: »

Lol, Douglas is nothing like Tallaght....
Plently of boy racers and scobes but you wont hear gunshots at night.
Its actually a lovely area, a bit far out though for cycling.




Wilton or Bishopstown IMO.
Other ideal places for proximity to Town & UCC are Glasheen (Rd.), Magazine Rd, The Lough, Bandon Rd., College Rd, City Centre....

But you will find off licence owners running to save a few quid rather than save their family from danger :P

City centre would be best for a good choice of jobs as all you'll get in Wilton / Bishopstown is bar or Tesco etc ie no real earners.

kmick

Anywhere in cork is bike-able if you consider bike-able to be less than 10km which I do. Douglas is a nice area and would be considered "good". I have walked from UCC to Douglas many times it takes about an hour but I am slow walker. There is a lot of student accommodation and apartments in cork city that would be suitable for you. My guess would be an apt in the city center would suit you best if you can afford it.

smk135

Thanks a million everyone,
they were very clear articulate answer and I've taken note (literally!) of the said places.

hunnymonster

I would second Bishopstown, Wilton or city centre for ease of access to UCC.

As for cycling, I have cycled all over the world (lived in Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands, USA...) but I do not like to cycle around cork. Driver awareness is an all time low here and there are lots of narrow streets that drivers take at speed. I've had more close friends knocked off bikes in Cork than in the sum of everywhere else I've lived. I know this is a sample of one but it is my experience. That said, the city is so small that you can usually get where you need to go by foot.

smk135

hunnymonster wrote: »

I would second Bishopstown, Wilton or city centre for ease of access to UCC.

As for cycling, I have cycled all over the world (lived in Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands, USA...) but I do not like to cycle around cork. Driver awareness is an all time low here and there are lots of narrow streets that drivers take at speed. I've had more close friends knocked off bikes in Cork than in the sum of everywhere else I've lived. I know this is a sample of one but it is my experience. That said, the city is so small that you can usually get where you need to go by foot.

also good to know thanks - I got the impression the city of Cork was massive? compared to Dublin or Brussels? I mean Brussels is fairly small in fairness...

it's good to know caue I'm actually a crappy biker...! Going to continue my little search for rooms so...!

MunsterCycling

Scale at bottom of map

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&ie=UTF8&ll=51.890266,-8.468571&spn=0.073949,0.22316&t=h&z=13