Is it safe to cycle home this evening...

Colonel Panic

My 15KM cycle took twice as long as normal and was zero fun.

I'm glad my pedals have a platform on one side, I wouldn't have been able to unclip quick enough through some of those gusts when I hit junctions on the N11.

LollipopJimmy

Sandyford to Bluebell this evening. Bit hairy in places, it took a lot of swearing at the bike to keep it straight when the gusts came

josip

Cycled home from Dun Laoghaire to Shankill between 4 and 4.40 via the top of Killiney Hill and Vico Road. There are fewer cars on that route and I was curious what the sea looked like.
The sea was a mess.
Had to stop a few times to let gusts pass by.
Very happy to have gotten home before the worst of it.
I think I'd set out a little earlier the next time

BoardsMember

Have a very modest commute compared to most on here. Dundrum to Terenure. Very windy but no massively exposed places apart from coming thru windy harbour by the nine arch bridge, which was pretty hairy. I enjoyed the cycle, sense of excitement, though if I had further to go might have been different. Safe home all.

Pinch Flat

Merrion square to carpenterstown - knew what was in store as I was largely heading west. Not as bad as I thought - Phoenix park was a headwind with a few side gusts. Few clownish drivers close passing, so no awareness of a bike suddenly being blown of course, but other than that grand

Wishbone Ash

Tree down on Turvey Avenue (R132 end bit that's been replaced by the new road). Nearly collided with it as I had my head down into the wind.

daragh_

Kilmainham to Deansgrange. Canal was a blast. Didn't touch my pedals the whole way.

Usually take the coast road but went on the N11 instead. A couple of dodgy cross winds but otherwise nothing too serious. Good bit of debris on the road. Keep an eye out in the morning for unexpected branches etc.

kenco

Harcourt to the Ballycullen Rd

Gusts very bad indeed at various points. Other times tough but doable.

Coming over the M50 bridge was crazy and blown backwards at times (and...how should I put this....I wouldnt be the smallest...)

Hope all you are still to travel get home ok

Alek

Cycled from Santry to Harolds Cross @5pm. Prepared for a little apocalypse, I cycled in the middle of the lane, slowly and carefully. A few strong gusts wobbled me slightly , other than that I felt very secure. Kinda disappointing.

Many other cyclists on the road, I haven't seen anyone having any serious problem in going where they were going.

Utdfan20titles

Jep Gambardella wrote: »

There was a good few brave souls cycling without lights tonight.

Brave souls?
Surely you mean idiots?

Lumen

Utdfan20titles wrote: »

Brave souls?
Surely you mean idiots?

Bravery is just well-intentioned idiocy. They may have been on a holy quest.

Pinch Flat

Utdfan20titles wrote: »

Brave souls?
Surely you mean idiots?

I was going to say legends, but we are a modest bunch here

alentejo

In my 25 years of cycling, think tonights cycle home was the windiest ever!

Hrududu

Ugh it was the unpredictability of the gusts that was the worst. At one point one stopped me completely. I stood there for a minute waiting for it to pass and the wind lifted the front wheel off the ground a little.

Nerviest commute yet. If it's as windy tomorrow morning I won't be cycling.

Wishbone Ash

Pinch Flat wrote: »

I was going to say legends, but we are a modest bunch here

You do realise they are referring to those cycling without lights?

stevek93

Cycling home there around 4.15pm, very strong gusts nothing to exciting now. The 5kg bag of potatos seemed to help stick me to the road.

shaunn

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/gardai-warn-cyclists-about-gales-as-ireland-braces-for-storm-barney/

Pinch Flat

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

You do realise they are referring to those cycling without lights?

Ah mea culpa. Of course anyone cycling without a light in the dark is an idiot. Passed a few myself in the Phoenix park - few ninjas about.

stevek93

KingBrian2

Stay safe out in the breeze.:)

Taboola

I almost got blown off my bike twice and skidded just as I was coming into my driveway. Tough enough cycle. Won't be doing it tomorrow.

Wishbone Ash

It fine out there this morning (in north Dublin anyway). Blustery and wet but very mild.

strmin

It was brutal in Phoenix park yesterday evening. Had to put my foot on the ground once just to keep balance. But I could hear gusts coming before they hit me.

buffalo

Forgot my waterproof trousers this morning. Will be a long time with the ****ty haridryer in the shower rooms and these jeans!

Chips Lovell

"Teresa, I forgot me feckin trousers!"

laraghrider

I cycled home yesterday, Eastpoint to Tallaght. I was blown off the road twice and strangely onto the road once from the cycle path!

I did manage to keep it upright but when I got home I was mentally exhausted and my arms were burning from trying to keep the bike facing front. I almost hit a poor soul after coming over the bridge at harrolds x a gust caught me and sent me off the road and into the window of the bike shop. Poor chap walking around the corner almost got me head on.

onmebike

I chose to leave the bike in work and get public transport home as it was beyond what I considered safe. The trip took about 75% longer, but I've no stories to tell.

Leroy42

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

It fine out there this morning (in north Dublin anyway). Blustery and wet but very mild.

I think that is what is called the eye of the storm, cos since 8 itts been lashing it down. Got soaked coming in to town this morning but wind not an issue.

There is a certain zen like zone when you reach peak wet, you can't get any wetter and you can't but smile about it.

Course, it helps that it's relatively mild

jon1981

That quite frankly was the wettest day I have experienced all year. The rain was coming from all angles along the quays in Dublin! ALDI gloves soaked through, DHB overshoes didn't hold it back either, probably due to the little air holes in the souls of the spd-sl shoes. Serious amount of surface water. This jacket played a blinder - http://www.wiggle.com/dhb-eq25-waterproof-cycling-jacket/ not one bit wet inside, got it on discount for 25euro so makes it all the sweeter.

daragh_

+1. Epic Downpour on the way. Was fun!

TheNap

The Phoenix Park was a nightmare yesterday evening . This morning i got so badly soaked i couldnt help but laugh as i was cycling.

wanderer 22

Enjoyed that - it does help that my commute is <3k :-P

endacl

stevek93 wrote: »

Cycling home there around 4.15pm, very strong gusts nothing to exciting now. The 5kg bag of potatos seemed to help stick me to the road.

These lads could use that tip...

Darkglasses

Weather not too bad here this morning but did my first wimp list of the season anyway. Don't regret it!

mcgratheoin

Took 10 minutes longer than usual yesterday - pretty epic wind. I'd have to say that in fairness drivers seemed to take an extra wide line when overtaking - I was pleasantly surprised. Ended up out of the saddle wrestling the bike downhill into a headwind at one point. Hope everyone made it home ok, I was nearly blown off a few times myself.

Zillah

Yesterday was mostly fine except for one gust that forcible turned my wheel a little bit, that was an alarming moment.

Enduro

This morning's mid-commute downpour was probably the most extreme I've encountered this year. Visibilty was degrading rapidly from the thickness of the rain! Thankfully I've been using a new jacket for the last few weeks, and decided to try my test pair of running leggings made from the same material. Was bone dry underneath the shells. Amazing new material/tech. Blows goretex and equavalents away.

(And thank feck for Shimano MT goretex boots... come into their own in this weather).

Fian

I left work early yesterday, shortly after 3pm, because I had to attend a parent teacher meeting. It was getting worse as I went home but shortly after i got there the rain started and the storm arrived. I had to go out to secure a flapping fence and to take down the basketball net in case it was blown over. Was glad i got home before the real winds arrived.

Came in by bike this morning, waited for a break in the rain and arrived dry apart from damp runners from puddles. Passed alot of irritated motorists stuck in traffic.

Monday on the other hand was a bit hairy, a little old lady rear ended me quite hard, she was behind me as we both passed a stopped bus, there was not room for a car with the oncoming traffic and i think she panicked with the traffic coming against her and was trying to get back in. I got a fright but managed to stay on the bike, got very angry initially but by the time I could speak to her (when she was forced to stop at the next lights) I realised she was probably over 70, so I told her calmly that it was dangerous and could have been much more serious and left it at that. I hope it was panic and not irritation that a cyclist was impeding her progress, anyway will have to give her the benefit of the doubt.

NamelessPhil

Bad karma on the driver that decided drive through a puddle and soak my 6 year old. All you had to do was hang back for two seconds or drive around it, there was no oncoming traffic. You could see there was a small child on the footpath.

kenmc

Was a bit of crack on the cargo bike last night, like cycling a parachute (bullitt with child canopy in front). Leopardstown to goatstown via Sandyford industrial estate - that place is windswept even on the calmest of days, a microclimate to itself. Anyway, made it in one piece. Was grand coming in this morning although it seems to have picked up since, although there was pretty incessant rain just after i dropped the kids at creche....

davidsatelle100

:mad:

NamelessPhil wrote: »

Bad karma on the driver that decided drive through a puddle and soak my 6 year old. All you had to do was hang back for two seconds or drive around it, there was no oncoming traffic. You could see there was a small child on the footpath.

Seen a lot of that this morning, lots of frustrated commuters out there.

kenmc

onmebike wrote: »

I chose to leave the bike in work and get public transport home as it was beyond what I considered safe. The trip took about 75% longer, but I've no stories to tell.

username fail

Peck3277

Going home last night I was blown every which way, especially once I had the shopping in my backpack.

Other than getting soaked to the bone this morning it was grand. A few motorists were considerate enough to let me out when they normally wouldn't, probably felt sorry for me. On the other hand there were quite a few motorists out there who couldn't give a damn and just ploughed through puddles of water soaking cyclists and pedestrians alike

kenmc

davidsatelle100 wrote: »

:mad:

Seen a lot of that this morning, lots of frustrated commuters out there.

Funnily enough I thought that traffic was lighter than normal this morning!

not yet

Seen a guy cycling along Strawberry beds this morning at 8.30:eek:

Jesus, gusts where so bad I lost my breath a few times, and I was in a car!!:P

Fair play to that hardy soldier, I gave him a thumps up but not sure he even seen it.

Pinch Flat

kenmc wrote: »

Funnily enough I thought that traffic was lighter than normal this morning!

It was manic up around me (Carpenterstown) - I had to drive my little fella to school. Normally, it's waterproof leggings and a jacket on and brave the elements, either cross bar or he''ll cycle, but this morning he was having none of it.

Managed to get up a little early and drop before the really manic stuff started. It's funny - every school news letter we get advises drivers dropping children not to do what they were doing this morning - stopping off at double yellow lines, blocking neighbours driveways and roundabouts. Our local Spar, used an an overflow car park for use by school runs, was blocked by idiots who insisted on driving in, dropping at the entrance, then trying to do a 3 point turn to exit, thius adding to the mayhem. Now I know why I cycle!

Back to the house, ditched the car and took the bike - was still torrential and traffic around castleknock was crazy. Funnily, once I entered the park it had calmed down a bit, and the quays were relatively clear.

One word of caution -flooding was so bad that a lot of man hole lids had blown, water streaming out of them. A neighbour of mine had a bad accident when he hit one of these a few years back in similar circumstances. "If you can't see the bottom of the puddle, don't cycle into it" as they say.

NeedMoreGears

Had already decided to wuss out yesterday before I saw the wind level. Glad I did.

This morning was generally not too bad but very slow against a strong wind - the rain was pretty heavy at times and the jacket leaked a small bit, but I stayed warm enough. Looking forward to the homeward leg along Clontarf.

Qualitymark

Worst isn't a strong wind, it's a gusty wind that'll throw you in front of a car. Pretty gusty this evening.

aquinn

It's actually ok this evening as the wind has reverted to usual direction. Bit difficult starting off so go with care.

Fian

Sounds pretty gusty out there alright. Will be a careful cycle home, well will judge when i get outdoors whether it will be a luas or a cycle actually.

My 11 year olds football training is showing no sign of being called off this evening O.o

If you spot any small kids in Kilmacud Crokes gear blowing past overhead this evening try to catch them as they land please.