Maynooth - Ringsend Commute Advice

QueenMTBee

I will soon be starting a new commute from Maynooth to Ringsend. I know there have been some threads on cycling the Royal Canal but not sure if it's doable on a daily basis, especially come the dark evenings? Or should I grow a pair of balls and just cycle on the roads and, if so, which route? For now my main priority is my safety rather than speed or distance (within reason obviously).

Edited to say that I intend to do the commute on my road bike rather than the mtb

Paul_Mc1988

I cycle drimnagh to leixlip for work and vice versa. I travel through leixlip onto the N4. Get off at exit 3. Up through lucan and down by ronanstown garda station onto the nangor road to the drimnagh road to the crumlin road. From there you could get onto the canal for a straight run down.

Totals about 30km which would take between 50 and 80 minutes depending on your fitness.

mloc123

N4 is pretty good, you have a bus lane and separated cycle lane from Lucan to Palmerstown. Maynooth to Leixlip is okay, the first stretch to Carton House is a bit tight and I do not enjoy cycling it, certainly not in the dark. You could use the canal from Maynooth to Carton, I would.

From Palmerstown you can take the bypass or go down through Chapilizod. Bypass is fine, bus lane but it is busy and noisy. From South circular on, avoid the quays (why does anyone cycle on the quays?) I would either take James st or the canal from that point on.

retalivity

I would recommend the old road from maynooth to leixlip, thru st catherins park to laraghcon, the river road to strawberry beds and the phoenix park gate. Can then go through the park and out the islandbridge gate, or go go straight thru chapelizod. Then, i would suggest what others have said - avoid the quays - take the south circular road and the canal round to ringsend

Annie get your Run

You can't get the whole way on the Royal Canal unfortunately, you'd have to come off just after Clonsilla as between there and Castlekock train station is the Deep Sinking which is barely safe for walking! (otherwise that'd be a perfect bike route for me!).

cdaly_

^^^
You can bypass the tough part of the Deep Sinking fairly easily and get back on at Coolmine Station. You still have a bit of narrow track to travel but it's walkable and widens out pretty quickly. Gets you all the way to Ashtown on nice canal path. After that, you have to start thinking about dodgy sections...

QueenMTBee

Thanks for all the ideas.

I'll try out some of the suggested routes over the next few weekends while waiting for keys to the new house and see how I get on / which one is the best compromise between safety/distance/speed, etc.

Bearing in mind I'll also be doing a couple of gym sessions plus 3-4 mountain bike rides per week, I might look into getting the train in one direction (with my bike) and then cycling the opposite.

cython

QueenMTBee wrote: »

Thanks for all the ideas.

I'll try out some of the suggested routes over the next few weekends while waiting for keys to the new house and see how I get on / which one is the best compromise between safety/distance/speed, etc.

Bearing in mind I'll also be doing a couple of gym sessions plus 3-4 mountain bike rides per week, I might look into getting the train in one direction (with my bike) and then cycling the opposite.

Please don't bring a full-size bike on the train at peak times, in either direction. For one thing it's not technically allowed (though IE enforcement is pants), and for another the trains on the Maynooth line are just too busy to accommodate it at the height of peak times.

comanche_cor

Annie get your Run wrote: »

You can't get the whole way on the Royal Canal unfortunately, you'd have to come off just after Clonsilla as between there and Castlekock train station is the Deep Sinking which is barely safe for walking! (otherwise that'd be a perfect bike route for me!).

I used to go from Clonsilla to town on a hardtail along the canal a few years ago didn't have any issues. Has something changed at the Deep Sinking?

silverharp

just to say well done, im starting a commute soon that will only be 13km each way and its about near the distance I'd feel comfortable doing everyday unassisted. I had considered an electric bike but I don't think its necessary now

cdaly_

comanche_cor wrote: »

I used to go from Clonsilla to town on a hardtail along the canal a few years ago didn't have any issues. Has something changed at the Deep Sinking?

I don't think so. It's narrow, rutted with tree roots, uncomfortable and nervous making.

That said, I've ridden it (and occasionally walked the bike when muddy) on numerous occasions.

troyzer

Why wouldn't you just get a train the whole way?

QueenMTBee

troyzer wrote: »

Why wouldn't you just get a train the whole way?

Because it seems silly to sit on a train for an hour and then ride a spin bike in the gym for an hour when I can just cycle to work.

Annie get your Run

cython wrote: »

Please don't bring a full-size bike on the train at peak times, in either direction. For one thing it's not technically allowed (though IE enforcement is pants), and for another the trains on the Maynooth line are just too busy to accommodate it at the height of peak times.

Would driving part of the way with your bike in the car be possible? That's what I do. It allows me to leave under my own timetable, not have to deal with PT and still get a cycle in twice a day .

QueenMTBee

Annie get your Run wrote: »

Would driving part of the way with your bike in the car be possible? That's what I do. It allows me to leave under my own timetable, not have to deal with PT and still get a cycle in twice a day .

I could look into it. Although it would have to go on the bike rack - my wheels aren't quick release.

If I got a train with my bike then it would be an early train (around 6:30am) so I could fit in a gym session before work.

cdaly_

A scissors type rack on a tow hitch is super quick to mount and use. Anything else takes too much messing around so you either end up leaving it on the car fulltime (and at risk of theft) or you don't bother using it.

monkeybutter

Maynooth->Leixlip on the old main road

Leixlip to Islandbridge on the N4

Canal to Ringsend

Main problem is the m50 interchange, some people can be dicks on the other slip roads but manageable

If you don't like the m50 just take the cycle lane to PTown.

As a commuting route, it's great, it's as flat as a pancake to pTown and not much of a drop into town from there, Wind at your back you can fly, 40kph average, no traffic lights to talk about

Great for sprinting, there's nothing like a load of cars trying to run you down to inspire you getting away from the lights in ptown on the way out, or to get across the slip roads at top speed.


Royal Canal is a terrible idea, not going where you want it to go, slow moving, deep sinking a pain in the arse

Dr_Colossus

QueenMTBee wrote: »

I could look into it. Although it would have to go on the bike rack - my wheels aren't quick release.

Probably worth changing the skewers to quick release for ease of puncture repair and tube replacement instead of having to carry a spanner. However the downside is your wheels are then easier to nick depending on the levels of security at your work place.

I cycle Clonsilla to near Busaras year round followed by about 40mins in the gym. It's only 14km each way but I go via the Porterstown Road, Phoenix Park and along the quays. It's a nice route with the exception of the road surface on the north quays and the general lack of continuity with traffic lights again on the north quays despite they supposedly being targeted to the 30km limit.

QueenMTBee

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Probably worth changing the skewers to quick release for ease of puncture repair and tube replacement instead of having to carry a spanner. However the downside is your wheels are then easier to nick depending on the levels of security at your work place.

Forgot about punctures (my mtb is tubeless) and I literally cannot change the tyres on my road bike. They are just so freaking tight. I've spent hours trying and always have to give up and bring it to a bike shop!! Currently have the Kevlar lined tyres.

Security in work for bikes is really good. Steel racks anchored in concrete inside a locked cage inside a security guard monitored underground car park. Also a free towel service for the showers

poochiem

Might be of interest OP - https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=107410795&postcount=155

- the Grand is basically a grand cycle all the way to Ringsend.

mloc123

poochiem wrote: »

Might be of interest OP - https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=107410795&postcount=155

- the Grand is basically a grand cycle all the way to Ringsend.

Previously I would have recommended the Grand Canal.. from an infrastructure point of view it is great. Recent experiences have me avoiding the route and using n4/strawberry beds instead.

beauf

cdaly_ wrote: »

I don't think so. It's narrow, rutted with tree roots, uncomfortable and nervous making.

That said, I've ridden it (and occasionally walked the bike when muddy) on numerous occasions.

I noticed a few months back there are no cycling/no bikes signs on the deep cutting at least at coolmine end.

Makes sense, I've cycled a few times, and its just not great. Also a lot of walkers when I was on it recently. So you have to stop to let people buy. I'd just bypass if I was doing it.

The Royal Canal route is bit slow. I'd probably go Grand Canal if it were me, even just using the road.