Cycling in Dublin

venice said:

Tips,
Don’t break red lights.
Don’t cut in front of Cars
Do NOT cycle on footpaths
Don’t cycle up a one way street
Don’t cycle in pairs
Stick to the rules of the road.

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Interesting suggestions, however, I have to take exception to some of them.
1. Don't break Red Lights
While I accept that speeding through Red Lights is totally unacceptable, I feel it is necessary to take a holistic view of every junction. There are times when ambling through a Red Light is the safest thing to do, for example, when there is no junction to the left and there is a lot of traffic build up approaching the junction. The cyclist is doing the traffic a favour here by ambling forward and not blocking the junction while starting off.

2. Don't cycle in Pairs
Cycling in pairs is acceptable within the rules of the road and indeed adds to the overall experience of cycling. There is no logical reason to prevent such activity.

Overall my advice is to be aware of everything around you and don't dither. Indecision is often the cause of a problem for cyclists so think about every situation and make your decision of where to go carefully.

Most importantly is ALWAYS wear a helmet.

I think that cycling in pairs is bad road etiquette unless there is a second lane. You should not force drivers to drive at the pace of a cyclist. It causes anti-cyclist sentiment.

I agree fully with this:

command the lane and be confident doing so. Riding close to the kerb promotes drivers to try to squeeze through

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It's particularly important when approaching roundabouts - make sure that no car can try to overtake you on the roundabout. Or cut you off because they assume you are turning left.

Brendan Burgess said:

I think that cycling in pairs is bad road etiquette unless there is a second lane. You should not force drivers to drive at the pace of a cyclist. It causes anti-cyclist sentiment.

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I'm not so sure about this. It is generally easier for a car to pass two cyclists abreast than it is to pass to cyclists in line. With two cyclists in line, it can be harder to judge when you have space to overtake before oncoming traffic. With two cyclists abreast, it's just like passing a small car.

AlbacoreA said:

I actually prefer the heavier traffic, it moves slower and is more predictable. Usually its all queued up and you can cycle past no problem.

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Two difficulties I've had with stationary/almost stationary traffic and me coming along on the cycle track on the inside of the traffic:

1. taxi passenger suddenly opened the back door on the passenger side right into the cycle lane, right into my path. I went flying. I was looking more at front seats, it being rush hour.

2. coming down the hill at Kilmainham towards Conyngham Rd on the cycle track at a fair whack when I suddenly saw the bonnet of a car protruding between the stationary vehicles and where my view was blocked by a van. I did not know if I could stop in time and screamed unknowingly as I jammed on first the back brakes and then the front. I don't know whether the driver of the car was just taking a chance turning right, or whether the van driver had signalled her to come on through. (I did manage to stop in time.)

I'm a very careful middle-aged woman commuting cyclist, and have been cycling most of my life around the inner areas of Dublin.