Cycling to/from Dublin Airport?

mark1956

Has anyone on this forum cycled to or from Dublin Airport? I gather it's possible to avoid the motorway by using Swords Road, aka Old Airport Road, aka the R132. I will be stopping off in Dublin on my way home from a tour to visit family in Rathfarnham, and would prefer to cycle to and from the airport. My non-cycling sister insists that this is not a good idea, but it's been suggested on other forums that the ride isn't bad. Any comments?

blorg

Yes, I live here and do it any time I am flying with a bike. It is not at all dangerous (at least by Dublin standards) and you don't need to go anywhere near the motorway- your info on the old airport road is correct. It's even easier for you if you are coming _from_ the airport as the cycle route to the city centre is signposted- you start by heading out towards the long-term car park, which will take you away from the route towards the motorway. Just make sure you don't try to head for Swords, as it is in the wrong direction, beyond the airport.

It's a bit trickier on the way back as the airport signs all point to the motorway but you will have already cycled the route by then.

Remember to cycle on the left and you will be fine ;-)

Enjoy your visit to Dublin- Rathfarnham is just at the bottom of a few good routes up the Dublin/Wicklow mountains if you are that way inclined.

Edit: Here's a map 17km/10.5 miles Dublin Airport to Rathfarnham.

mark1956

blorg wrote:

Yes, I live here and do it any time I am flying with a bike. It is not at all dangerous (at least by Dublin standards) and you don't need to go anywhere near the motorway- your info on the old airport road is correct. It's even easier for you if you are coming _from_ the airport as the cycle route to the city centre is signposted- you start by heading out towards the long-term car park, which will take you away from the route towards the motorway. Just make sure you don't try to head for Swords, as it is in the wrong direction, beyond the airport.

It's a bit trickier on the way back as the airport signs all point to the motorway but you will have already cycled the route by then.

Remember to cycle on the left and you will be fine ;-)

Enjoy your visit to Dublin- Rathfarnham is just at the bottom of a few good routes up the Dublin/Wicklow mountains if you are that way inclined.

Edit: Here's a map 17km/10.5 miles Dublin Airport to Rathfarnham.

Thanks for the info, the looks more or less like what was decribed to me on cyclechat.

I can almost always remember to cycle on the left, although in moments of stress my instincts can lead me to behave as if I was riding on the right. Luckily for me British motorists seem to understand at one level or another that they are going to encounter the occasional dumb foreigner who doesn't know what side of the road to travel on :oops: .

blorg

I have certainly started off on the wrong side on occasion in continental Europe and America. Generally not immediately off the plane, as I am aware, it's getting back onto the bike after lunch that does it, or after coming out of a one-way system or off-road cycle lane.

Luckily for me British motorists seem to understand at one level or another that they are going to encounter the occasional dumb foreigner who doesn't know what side of the road to travel on

You want to be careful on that one too, there won't be too many British motorists in Dublin!

mark1956

blorg wrote:

I have certainly started off on the wrong side on occasion in continental Europe and America. Generally not immediately off the plane, as I am aware, it's getting back onto the bike after lunch that does it, or after coming out of a one-way system or off-road cycle lane.

Luckily for me British motorists seem to understand at one level or another that they are going to encounter the occasional dumb foreigner who doesn't know what side of the road to travel on

You want to be careful on that one too, there won't be too many British motorists in Dublin!

Very true, I meant that most of my previous left-side-of-the-road experience has been in the UK!

Anonymous

I worked in leixlip for 3 years...I think your a very brave man to cycle anywhere near Dublin...I reckon its the most dangerous place I've ever seen for driving never mind cycling.

Dublin has all the attributes of any major City but its still lacking the road infrastructure, and as a result the quiet backroads are very polluted with HGVs and Cars, they use them as rat runs to get across city. And I can't leave this without stating a few facts...The motoring law in Ireland is years behind...near everyone drives without licenses...theres just so many uninsured unqualified drivers, drink driving is taking as part of the culture..overall its very dangerous...be careful!

I think Kerry and Mostly all the West is superb for cycling but I honestly wouldn't risk Dublin...its a scary place...

sean02ie

The reply from Richboy is a copy and paste of a previous slur on Dublin and Irish roads and law. we are no different than any other EU country. Dublin City and suburbs have an excellent network of designated cycle and bus lanes on major roads. After cycling on Le 2 JOG to Bristol. I certaintly appreciated to more than generous width of the hard shoulders over here. Dublin Airport to Dublin is a doddle .bus lane all the way and all downhill especially for visiting cyclists !!. However Mark Rathfarnham is on the oposite side of the bowl from centre, but hardly noticable. Prettyboy should try Malaga to airport and get a taste of danger. Bye the way Leixlip is in Co. Kildare and is a paradise for cyclist.........almost.

Anonymous

sean02ie wrote:

The reply from Richboy is a copy and paste of a previous slur on Dublin and Irish roads and law. we are no different than any other EU country. Dublin City and suburbs have an excellent network of designated cycle and bus lanes on major roads. After cycling on Le 2 JOG to Bristol. I certaintly appreciated to more than generous width of the hard shoulders over here. Dublin Airport to Dublin is a doddle .bus lane all the way and all downhill especially for visiting cyclists !!. However Mark Rathfarnham is on the oposite side of the bowl from centre, but hardly noticable. Prettyboy should try Malaga to airport and get a taste of danger. Bye the way Leixlip is in Co. Kildare and is a paradise for cyclist.........almost.

Ok Sean, I remember you took offence last time aswell...I can assure you I'm not having a go in the slightest...I can only give my honest opinion.When working over there for 3 years I tried to do a fair bit training on the roads around there but after so many near misses I eventually gave up and resorted to a Gym as an alternative...I was genuinly fearing for my life.Maybe around the Wicklow Hills would be very nice for cycling but I strongly disagree about cycling in Dublin, I do think its very dangerous...I had more near misses in 3 months over there than I've had in 12 years in the UK...not a slur just a personal fact. And I am correct about the Driving laws...I worked in Intel and of the 30 people I worked with, only 4 possessed a Driving License...but all them drove, and at Work Nights out...many,many drove home pissed out there mind....and it was these people who told me the 'acceptance' of drink driving. I actually enjoyed my time in Ireland and enjoyed the people...I would never try and slur the place if it wasn't what I experienced. Maybe I'm wrong and it was just a bad personal experience? But I do reckon I'd be doing a injustice if I never informed other cyclist of my own experience?

No offence intended.

blorg

In fairness to RICHYBOYcp, Dublin city is pretty bad for cycling in although things are now getting better (having got steadily worse for the last 10 years or so.)

Having said that, airport to Rathfarnham is not going to be a problem for any experienced cyclist who keeps his wits about him.

Our "cycle lane network" is not exactly something to write home about; it is quite typical of something you might find in the UK (e.g. designed by people who don't cycle to tick a box and get EU funding.)

There are fewer HGVs now (they are banned from the centre and go through a tunnel direct to the port.) There are continued efforts to remove motorised traffic out of the centre and already this is looking a lot better, with traffic in the centre far quieter than before. Also Dublin is completely missing any crazy four-lane wide road with fast traffic type of thing.

Drink driving would be far more accepted down the country than in Dublin city.

mark1956

I get an earful about Irish drivers every time I visit my sister and get in a car with her, which is one more reason to cycle from the airport to her house! Then again, one of her neighbors used to be a policeman who couldn't pass his driving test so he drove around without a license, so maybe there's some truth to the stories about Irish drivers. At any rate, I did cycle from the train station to Rathfarnham on my last visit, and getting from the airport to the city center is starting to seem pretty doable, so it looks like I should have no trouble. The trick seems to be to do my cycling after the evening rush hour, and before the pubs close and the drunks hit the streets!

flattythehurdler

Be careful, It is reasonable, but I have found cycling in Manchester safer than Dublin, and that's saying something. That old airport road is especially scary. the buses and taxis are fearless. I find Ireland in general quite scary as many of the main roads are actually quite narrow (at least they are in Galway), but as they are main thoroughfares the traffic fairly shifts along them. They are also carrying WAY more traffic than they used to, and perhaps should. I grew up in Galway and it's like race week every week there now, making the bicycle an even better, though hairier mode of transport. It is trua about the licences and insurance, though there has been a fairly rigorous clampdown and i doubt it is now any worse than anywhere elese. Richboy didn't slur anything, simply described it. You can take offence if you want , but what he said is largely true. Comparing lejog roads to others is like comparing hitler to stalin.

yoyo

As a former native who returns to the country as little as absolutely possible I have to agree with Richboy. Dublin traffic is appalling and it is very dangerous for cyclists. I cycled as a student but the traffic in the city has become so hazardous, as described above that one takes one's life in one's hands. My children who were brought up in the UK laugh themselves silly when they see the change in my driving habits on the few occasions I hit the streets of Dublin - they simply cannot believe the bahviour that is needed to tackle Dublin traffic. Needless to say, I learnt how to drive fearlessly and fast in order to survive and stay away from the lunatics on the road. Cycling after evening rush hour and the before the pubs close is an excellent idea as the roads are definitely quieter then.

my2cents

Hi, I'm a native of Dublin and yes the traffic in Dublin is insane and cycling around the city can be dodgy but is it not the same in any busy capital city? In defence to Dublin I think i'm extremely lucky to have such an abundance of varying safe and quiet terrain to train in. The truly great thing about Dublin cycling is within an hour's spin from the city centre in any direction you can have whatever type of cycling that takes your fancy. Mountains in one direction, flat in the other. RICHYBOYcp: To try give the impression that near everyone in Dublin is driving around drunk and unlicenced is blatantly untrue and ignorant. Did you join a cycling club when you were over here?

flattythehurdler

H e didn't give that impression. In fairness, most major cities (except London) have perfect cycling within an hour's reide (manchester certainly does), and in the not too distant past, drink driving was almost a part of the culture. I was drinking with a gard once who , upon buying the sixth pint of the round said to me "Get that down your neck quick, I need a lift home". Has greatly changed in this regard now though, less dd than UK I would guess. It is interesting how totally socially unacceptable it has become (now that the chances of actually getting caught are much higher).

C-S-B

Ive been cycling to college in Dublin for the past few months and have had only 1 near miss, and that was because I was careless. I will say tho that many cycle paths end very abruptly and very often drivers leave no room for cyclists to get past - even if there is a cycle path.

On another note; does anyone know if I could leave my bike at the airport over a weekend?