Cycle track at clontarf

Wheely GR8 · 06-12-2011 09:36PM #1

Recently noticed the proposed new flood defence alongside the clontarf cycle track.
Is the cycle track policed at all ? ,It seems inevitable that some people will start using it as a footpath when the defence is built up.

Sr. Assumpta · 06-12-2011 09:52PM

I wouldn't worry too much...

http://www.thejournal.ie/dublin-councillors-reject-flood-defence-plan-for-clontarf-297269-Dec2011/

Raam · 06-12-2011 09:58PM

What do you mean "start" using it as a footpath?

Lusk Doyle · 06-12-2011 09:59PM

Raam wrote: »

What do you mean "start" using it as a footpath?

Ha ha and it's not even close to Friday!

wolf moon · 06-12-2011 10:07PM

Wheely GR8 wrote: »

Is the cycle track policed at all ? ,It seems inevitable that some people will start using it as a footpath

A bit late for that...

The main reason that made me stop cycling there was the incredible amount of morons with dogs, kids, jogging, learning to move on roller blades, etc.

The amount of "f***" words supported by "get off the f****** track!!!" I had to spread around every single time I cycled was simply not worth the hassle and killed all the joy of cycling.

Hermy · 06-12-2011 10:09PM

Much more fun not to shout.:D

Joxer_S · 06-12-2011 10:16PM

wolf moon wrote: »

A bit late for that...

The main reason that made me stop cycling there was the incredible amount of morons with dogs, kids, jogging, learning to move on roller blades, etc.

The amount of "f***" words supported by "get off the f****** track!!!" I had to spread around every single time I cycled was simply not worth the hassle and killed all the joy of cycling.

I cycle there quite a bit and haven't found that to be the case, you must have been on the footpath.

John_Rambo · 06-12-2011 10:37PM

Joxer_S wrote: »

I cycle there quite a bit and haven't found that to be the case, you must have been on the footpath.

Same here, use it everyday, you get the odd person on it maybe once a week, but I use my handlebars to turn my front wheel or even my brakes to avoid them.. Much like I'd use my steering wheel and brakes on my car when I see pedestrians, children or dogs on the road.

I did see someone on a roadbike scream into someones ear "get off the fooking cycle track" as they cycled by them three weeks ago. I had to stop the person was so distressed, turns out they had special needs and had got confused.

hardCopy · 06-12-2011 10:41PM

John_Rambo wrote: »

Joxer_S wrote: »

I cycle there quite a bit and haven't found that to be the case, you must have been on the footpath.

Same here, use it everyday, you get the odd person on it maybe once a week, but I use my handlebars to turn my front wheel or even my brakes to avoid them.. Much like I'd use my steering wheel and brakes on my car when I see pedestrians, children or dogs on the road.

I did see someone on a roadbike scream into someones ear "get off the fooking cycle track" as they cycled by them three weeks ago. I had to stop the person was so distressed, turns out they had special needs and had got confused.

Morning rush is usually fine, evening times there used to be a running group training on it (haven't seen them recently though)

Weekends and later in the evening can be a disaster though. It's pretty bloody obvious which track is for bikes and which two tracks are for peds. Some lemmings just can't help themselves though.

John_Rambo · 06-12-2011 10:53PM

hardCopy wrote: »

Weekends and later in the evening can be a disaster though

Fair enough, I was being cheeky, I don't cycle it on summer weekends. But this shouting and screaming, buzzing people is a no-no. You don't know who you are dealing with.

Running clubs, that's a different issue. They are a law on to themselves. You know the red coloured cycle path on the Howth road? There is a running club that use it as a track at night time, part of it goes on the outside of the buslane (coming towards Raheny village from Howth) and they stick to it! No lights, no reflective gear, got stuck behind then once, they wouldn't budge, I asked about eight times!

chakattack · 06-12-2011 11:24PM

John_Rambo wrote: »

Fair enough, I was being cheeky, I don't cycle it on summer weekends. But this shouting and screaming, buzzing people is a no-no. You don't know who you are dealing with.

Running clubs, that's a different issue. They are a law on to themselves. You know the red coloured cycle path on the Howth road? There is a running club that use it as a track at night time, part of it goes on the outside of the buslane (coming towards Raheny village from Howth) and they stick to it! No lights, no reflective gear, got stuck behind then once, they wouldn't budge, I asked about eight times!

Yeah a common enough occurence - they should know better about being well lit up, if they have reflectives etc. it's not too big a deal - as you say, we have handlebars and brakes for that sort of thing.

I posted in ART about some retard running against me in the cycle lane with no lights who nearly creamed me but was met mostly with indignance

Slideshowbob · 07-12-2011 12:33AM

I can't get over the residents and celebs etc protesting about the councils solutions, yet I've to hear what they propose.

Course they'll be up in arms in they are flooded again!

They either want a view or they want floods. Make yis er minds up

wolf moon · 07-12-2011 07:33AM

John_Rambo wrote: »

But this shouting and screaming, buzzing people is a no-no. You don't know who you are dealing with.
!

Surely the 3 teenagers in tracksuits walking the cycling lane towards me and not moving a bit just for the sake of proving that it will be me who's going to brake and go through the grass deserve my good word and apologies for cycling on the cycle lane while THEY happen to have a walk there.

But apart from the above example (and maybe a few people with special needs) most of the people are just dumb and in majority of cases they don't even bother looking around to see whether or not the lane is free before they walk in with their kids, dogs and gods know what else. They just don't give a flying f***.

Yes I used to cycle mainly during evenings or weekends, but that is not an excuse for people to be on the lane. I witnessed other cyclists reacting the same way a number of times. I don't want to crash into anyone and hurt them or break my own neck because of some moron. People have grass, have two footpaths (one beside the sea and the other beside the road) - f*** off there - that's my opinion.

Wheely GR8 · 07-12-2011 07:43AM

Sr. Assumpta wrote: »

I wouldn't worry too much...

http://www.thejournal.ie/dublin-councillors-reject-flood-defence-plan-for-clontarf-297269-Dec2011/

Thats good news

,makes a change.

Slideshowbob wrote: »

I can't get over the residents and celebs etc protesting about the councils solutions, yet I've to hear what they propose.

Course they'll be up in arms in they are flooded again!

They either want a view or they want floods. Make yis er minds up

I don't think the residents are paid by dublin city to design these things ,I think thats left to the council. A pile of muck seems a little old fashioned at this stage ,the area deserves a bit more intelligence.

Cookie_Monster · 07-12-2011 07:47AM

I just wish that they'd resurface the road along there, then the cycle lane could be avoided full stop

Wheely GR8 · 07-12-2011 07:51AM

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I just wish that they'd resurface the road along there, then the cycle lane could be avoided full stop

I was doing 50Kmh the other night on the road and hit a pot hole with cars right behind me ,just aswell I wasn't on a carbon bike.

John_Rambo · 07-12-2011 08:25AM

Wheely GR8 wrote: »

I was doing 50Kmh the other night on the road and hit a pot hole with cars right behind me ,just aswell I wasn't on a carbon bike.

I know this will be unpopular, but if you were on the cycle path there would have been

A - no pothole
B - no cars
C - you could have been on a carbon bike.

It's a great cycle track, on of the best. I thump along and get overtaken by people on roadbikes at very high speeds. There is great visibility and much more run off than the road if anything gets in your way. (on the road you have parked cars or moving traffic, on the cycle path you have large areas of soft grass) I can see peoples points about certain cycle tracks, but this one and the one on the Alfie Byrne road are excellent.

Cookie_Monster · 07-12-2011 08:34AM

John_Rambo wrote: »

It's a great cycle track, on of the best.

that's the problem, it is the best and it's still crap.

Overgrown with weeds, terrible (no) junction priority, incomplete, there's a large section missing, only wide enough for 1 bike each way to pass and it's full of walkers, dogs and buggies.

The only reason it's a popular as it is is that the adjacent road has one of the worst surfaces in the entire country on it.

John_Rambo · 07-12-2011 08:39AM

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Overgrown with weeds

When last were you on it? I genuinely have never noticed weeds, I find overtaking fine and as I said already, very few walkers, dog and buggies during the normal commute hours or at night.

John_Rambo · 07-12-2011 08:56AM

wolf moon wrote: »

f*** off there - that's my opinion.

I agree, they shouldn't be on the cycle track, but your actions, your language is pretty bad, it's a popular place with kids and families. Feeling the need to shout and scream "FOOK OFF THE TRACK" every time you cycled it is unacceptable when loads of other cyclists can simply avoid obstacles using their skills. You are going to end up bullying the wrong person some day.

Lumen · 07-12-2011 09:02AM

Wheely GR8 wrote: »

I was doing 50Kmh the other night on the road and hit a pot hole with cars right behind me ,just aswell I wasn't on a carbon bike.

Carbon fibre bikes do not break going over potholes.

Cookie_Monster · 07-12-2011 09:11AM

John_Rambo wrote: »

When last were you on it?.

August, weeds all along the edge of the wall on the northern part by the Howth road, rather than Clontarf Rd...

Kav0777 · 07-12-2011 09:27AM

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

August, weeds all along the edge of the wall on the northern part by the Howth road, rather than Clontarf Rd...

They've since removed them and left the holes along the track by the wall where the roots came up, great fun in the dark.

cdaly_ · 07-12-2011 09:45AM

Sr. Assumpta wrote: »

I wouldn't worry too much...

http://www.thejournal.ie/dublin-councillors-reject-flood-defence-plan-for-clontarf-297269-Dec2011/

Slideshowbob wrote: »

I can't get over the residents and celebs etc protesting about the councils solutions, yet I've to hear what they propose.

Course they'll be up in arms in they are flooded again!

They either want a view or they want floods. Make yis er minds up

I love the way the article mentions how:

"Clontarf has been hit badly by four major flooding incidents in recent years following heavy rain."

'cos the proposed flood defence is totally gonna keep the rain out...

Wheely GR8 · 07-12-2011 11:33AM

John_Rambo wrote: »

I know this will be unpopular, but if you were on the cycle path there would have been

A - no pothole
B - no cars
C - you could have been on a carbon bike.

It's a great cycle track, on of the best. I thump along and get overtaken by people on roadbikes at very high speeds. There is great visibility and much more run off than the road if anything gets in your way. (on the road you have parked cars or moving traffic, on the cycle path you have large areas of soft grass) I can see peoples points about certain cycle tracks, but this one and the one on the Alfie Byrne road are excellent.

I was actually cycling on the road where there is no cycle track,just after the wooden bridge.

I only have trouble with groups of joggers on the cycle track ,who seem determine to stick together. The last I came up against them I pretended to be picking my nose and ignored them.

Hermy · 07-12-2011 11:35AM

John_Rambo wrote: »

There is great visibility...

Travelling northbound between James Larkin Road and Sutton the visibility is terrible at night. Because of the wall the street lamps leave the path in shadow and the headlights of oncoming traffic make this even worse.

Lusk Doyle · 07-12-2011 12:40PM

Hermy wrote: »

Travelling northbound between James Larkin Road and Sutton the visibility is terrible at night. Because of the wall the street lamps leave the path in shadow and the headlights of oncoming traffic make this even worse.

You need to move house. That is the only way to solve your issue. The government know this and have provided the carrot needed for stamp duty, mortgage relief, etc. Do it! That is the stick.

Hermy · 07-12-2011 02:05PM

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

You need to move house. That is the only way to solve your issue. The government know this and have provided the carrot needed for stamp duty, mortgage relief, etc. Do it! That is the stick.

That's a brilliant idea Mr. Doyle! Don't know why I didn't think of it before.:rolleyes:

petethedrummer · 07-12-2011 04:15PM

John_Rambo wrote: »

I know this will be unpopular, but if you were on the cycle path there would have been

A - no pothole
B - no cars
C - you could have been on a carbon bike.

It's a great cycle track, on of the best. ..snip.

The clontarf cycle track really isn't the place to be doing 50km/h on a bike. Maybe at a very off peak time.

Raam · 07-12-2011 04:19PM

petethedrummer wrote: »

The clontarf cycle track really isn't the place to be doing 50km/h on a bike. Maybe at a very off peak time.

Very off peak? Is that like "very average"?

petethedrummer · 07-12-2011 04:24PM

Raam wrote: »

Very off peak? Is that like "very average"?

You know what I mean.

John_Rambo · 07-12-2011 08:38PM

Wheely GR8 wrote: »

I only have trouble with groups of joggers on the cycle track ,who seem determine to stick together

Well, I'm with you there. They are purposefully doing it, I guess they like the flat tarmac surface. Still though, it's dangerous for jogger and cyclist, some of the cyclists that pass me are head down, arse up and doing very high speeds (and they are perfectly right to do so, I am not condemning them). I used to run with a gang for winter fitness for another sport, we ran on the prom right beside the sea, it's perfect for running. The grass is easy on the joints too.

I think they, like most other road users just don't appreciate how fast modern bikes can go with the right cyclist on board.

(or in my case with a tail wind)

BrianHenryIE · 07-12-2011 11:12PM

petethedrummer wrote: »

The clontarf cycle track really isn't the place to be doing 50km/h on a bike. Maybe at a very off peak time.

Why not? It's a great surface and was the first place I ever hit 50km/h. Off-peak is when more people walk in it. I imagine if cycling was more popular, people would quickly stop walking in it.

What really bothers me is when people push prams in it. I shout "bad mother" at them.

John_Rambo · 07-12-2011 11:22PM

brian.henry wrote: »

when people push prams in it. I shout "bad mother" at them.

OK, that is funny

petethedrummer · 08-12-2011 10:59AM

brian.henry wrote: »

Why not? It's a great surface and was the first place I ever hit 50km/h. Off-peak is when more people walk in it. I imagine if cycling was more popular, people would quickly stop walking in it.

Cos you're within a few feet and sometimes inches of familes, kids, dogs and old people. All generally out to have a nice walk. And though you may technically be allowed to go 30-50kph there, IMO its not an appropriate place to do it. It should be a place where people can relax and not worry about getting rammed from behind (ooh er) if they accidentally stray into the cycle lane. If you are going to be training at full speed there are better places to do it.

I do occasionally use it myself to get to howth hill, but I don't go head down full pelt along it. I use the road for that.

Cookie_Monster · 08-12-2011 11:01AM

petethedrummer wrote: »

Cos you're within a few feet and sometimes inches of familes, kids, dogs and old people..

so cars should never do 80kph on country roads either?

galwaycyclist · 08-12-2011 11:16AM

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

so cars should never do 80kph on country roads either?

Correct

petethedrummer · 08-12-2011 11:17AM

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

so cars should never do 80kph on country roads either?

No, and I didn't say anything of the sort.

Raam · 08-12-2011 11:19AM

petethedrummer wrote: »

Cos you're within a few feet and sometimes inches of familes, kids, dogs and old people.

C'mon, say it!

BrianHenryIE · 08-12-2011 11:22AM

petethedrummer wrote: »

Cos you're within a few feet and sometimes inches of familes, kids, dogs and old people. All generally out to have a nice walk. And though you may technically be allowed to go 30-50kph there, IMO its not an appropriate place to do it. It should be a place where people can relax and not worry about getting rammed from behind (ooh er) if they accidentally stray into the cycle lane.

There's a wall between the footpath and cycle-track.

Then there's a very wide grass verge and then another footpath. There's no excuse to be walking in the bike lane in Clontarf.

Parents bringing their kids near the bike lane are irresponsible. Everyone else walking/jogging in it is just rude.

Raam · 08-12-2011 11:25AM

brian.henry wrote: »

There's a wall between the footpath and cycle-track.

Not at all points. Towards Sutton it's just a white line.

petethedrummer · 08-12-2011 11:25AM

brian.henry wrote: »

Then there's a very wide grass verge and then another footpath. There's no excuse to be walking in the bike lane in Clontarf.

Parents bringing their kids near the bike lane are irresponsible. Everyone else walking/jogging in it is just rude.

I get your point at that section, but further along towards Howth the two are side by side. Which i suppose someone is pedantically going to tell me is technically not Clontarf and ergo my argument is defeated.

Still i wouldn't hammer it along there. You don't get any decent long sections without a break.

petethedrummer · 08-12-2011 11:27AM

Raam wrote: »

C'mon, say it!

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQY8LLMV0KDsgOHQ_Mvjr3u2bCphPFoPVt2Z2RNKQpWFvgcaylm

Lusk Doyle · 08-12-2011 04:39PM

petethedrummer wrote: »

Still i wouldn't hammer it along there. You don't get any decent long sections without a break.

Wouldn't or can't?

petethedrummer · 08-12-2011 04:58PM

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

Wouldn't or can't?

Oh, it's on now. Clontarf 8am Saturday. See you there pal. Bring your A-Game.

Lusk Doyle · 08-12-2011 08:53PM

petethedrummer wrote: »

Oh, it's on now. Clontarf 8am Saturday. See you there pal. Bring your A-Game.

I can't. I have a prior engagement with the running club on said track!

mal1 · 08-12-2011 09:17PM

Funny that I saw this thread today because I came home complaining about walkers on the cycle track this evening. It's dangerous in the morning especially mornings like this morning when it's windy. Cyclist tend to put their head down with the driving rain. Then you have the walkers taking their dogs for a quick morning walk, they usually walk on the grass but are using the track while the grass is wet in the winter. I nearly hit one this morning.

Keep those heads up since they won't stop walking or put stop WD40 on your brake pads, makes a nice loud wailing scream when braking that gets them out of the way pretty quickly.

I think I was well over the 50 km/h mark with the tail wind this evening. Hardly anyone out walking but it wouldn't stop me anyway to be honest.

Cookie_Monster · 08-12-2011 09:38PM

petethedrummer wrote: »

No, and I didn't say anything of the sort.

but why is ok for cars to do 80+ while passing within inches of people (hikers etc) on country roads but not for cyclists to pass people at 50+ when they are on a cycle track beside a ped path then?

Neither have any grade separation and in fact the cycle lane is better marked, having the white line to delineate it.

Raam · 08-12-2011 09:58PM

I'd love to be able to ride 50kph on the flat. The days that you can do it on the track are few and far between. Wish I was on the bike today but couldn't.

petethedrummer · 08-12-2011 10:45PM

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

but why is ok for cars to do 80+ while passing within inches of people (hikers etc) on country roads but not for cyclists to pass people at 50+ when they are on a cycle track beside a ped path then?

I didn't argue that it was. I made no mention of cars on country roads.

Cookie_Monster · 09-12-2011 03:08AM

petethedrummer wrote: »

I didn't argue that it was. I made no mention of cars on country roads.

it was a simple comparison but it's clearly gone over your head. Ok so explain how you think it's not ok to do 50kph+ on the cycle track...

Cycle track at clontarf

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