Comments on: Cycling in Dublin

By: DR

DR — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:20:41 +0000

You must have been in some good mood to actually write a positive review of Dublins cycle lanes. They are actually some of the worst I have ever seen, that mixed with the inability of drivers to accept them (parking on them, driving over them etc). Ireland has very little provision for cyclists and while Dublins lanes are bad enough, you should see the other cities.

By: Ché

Ché — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:09:25 +0000

Nice article, but over four days you may not have fully experienced the high quality cycle lane system enjoyed by regular Dublin cycle commuters – I recommend this link for a more thorough look at what is more commonly faced (clearly unplanned cycle lanes with a vast array of obstacles incl. parked cars, boulders… etc)

Cycling in Wicklow is fantastic though with some great scenery and some fantastic climbs – I’d strongly recommend taking in a few days of cycling there if the opportunity presents itself.

By: Ken

Ken — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:46:06 +0000

I don’t know which Dublin you were in, but it certainly was not the same one that I live, and cycle daily in, in Ireland. The cycle lane network is an absolute joke. Cars park in them, wheelie bins are placed in them, people walk, run, jog, push babies in buggies in them and by and large are ignorant entirely of their existence. More often than not they are on the footpath, ceasing to exist at junctions (and worse still ceding right of way over any vehicles turning into the minor roads the cross), detouring around bus-stops and in many cases being more undulating than the purpose built trails in the mountains as they negotiate driveways particularly along the N11. They often disappear into the ether only to reappear again a few hundred metres down the road – sorry path. In short, it is FAR more dangerous to use them than not.

I suggest you take a look at these pictures for some prime examples of our ‘well maintained and thoughtfully created’ cycletracks : http://www.flickr.com/groups/dublincyclelanes/

In fact so badly are they designed, that the Minister for Transport has recently acknowledged this, and has announced that he will remove from law the article stating that cyclists MUST use one where it is provided!